How the Rank 0 Chef Survives - Chapter 110
Mansu froze, half-bent over, his eyes wide as saucers.
"Wha... wha-wha-wha."
Watching Mansu's language skills regress, Seo Ji-hyun whispered softly.
"...Someone you know?"
...It was kinda embarrassing to proudly introduce him as my friend. Me, friends with that talking potato? He'd look like such an idiot if he just shut his mouth for once. And seriously, Mansu, don't go around telling people you know me.
"He's a friend of mine, but ignore him and pick out what you want to drink. Grab a canned coffee too."
"Oh, sure..."
Seo Ji-hyun gave Mansu a polite bow and headed off to choose her drinks. Meanwhile, I approached the counter.
"What the hell? What's going on?"
Mansu came at me with a huge fuss. I tried to play it cool.
"She's a friend."
"No way!!"
The potato squeezed his throat and wailed like it was the end of the world. His eyes weren't just wide—they were bulging.
"...Ugh, shut up."
I'd tried to sound nonchalant, but it fell on deaf ears. Seo Ji-hyun, picking out drinks over there, jumped in surprise and glanced our way. I waved it off like it was nothing and gestured for her to hurry up.
"What are you? Who the hell are you... what are you?!"
Mansu pointed at me with a trembling finger.
"How... the angel lady, and now the goddess too... What are you? You're not Hura."
"...What're you even saying."
"I could kinda get the angel lady. But the goddess? This... this doesn't make sense! Huh? Does it? It doesn't!"
The potato started ranting, answering his own questions.
"Dude, what the hell are you? Hura wasn't like this! He didn't give a damn about anything that wasn't his business, and girls? Zero interest. Not even a speck!"
Mansu grabbed my collar tight.
"So naturally, he had zero girl friends. Not one!"
"......"
"My friend Hura was just this subtly crazy weirdo. The kind who'd cackle like a villain in the corner! No girl would ever go for him—no matter how hard you looked, he was a freak among freaks!"
Mansu glared at me like he wanted to devour me, eyes bulging fiercely.
"What are you, huh? Alien? What'd you do with the real Hura? Kill him? Body-snatching experiment?"
...I was speechless. Weirdo? Crazy? Freak? Those words were worlds away from me. Way too far—another dimension entirely.
I just stared at him in disbelief, and Mansu opened his mouth again.
"Um, excuse me..."
Then a voice cut in. Seo Ji-hyun had snuck up to the counter, holding two sports drinks in one hand and a canned coffee in the other.
"No fighting... okay?"
She glanced nervously between me and Mansu, speaking hesitantly.
Mansu let go of my collar.
"F-Fighting? No way!"
He smoothed out my wrinkled shirt and explained.
"We always mess around like this. Ah, let me ring you up."
"...Here."
Mansu scanned the barcodes on the drinks Seo Ji-hyun set down.
Beep- Beep- Beep-
Even as he scanned, he alternated puzzled glances between me and her, like he couldn't wrap his head around it. But he didn't have the guts to ask her directly—he just stared.
"...Two thousand won."
"Here."
I slapped two crumpled bills on the counter. Ignoring Mansu's desperate, puppy-dog eyes begging for an explanation, I turned right around.
"Let's go."
"Huh? What about the canned coffee?"
"That's for him."
"Oh."
"Hurry up."
"Y-Yeah."
Even then, Seo Ji-hyun bowed politely to Mansu as she came out.
"Th-Thanks, come again!"
Mansu's voice, full of regret, trailed after us.
...Maybe I should keep my phone off for a while.
A dim room. A single small desk lamp illuminated the table.
A hooded figure sat at the desk, scribbling something intently.
-Chairman.
From the pitch-black darkness came a neutral voice, gender ambiguous.
The Chairman didn't stop writing.
"...Yes. How did it go?"
-They're working hard on their assigned tasks.
"I see..."
-...A bit too hard.
"...Right."
The Tteokbokki-dan Chairman had just received a report on the flood of videos popping up on the Tteokbokki-dan's Nutube channel, so his response was half-hearted.
"From your perspective, no suspicious signs or oddities?"
The figure in the dark hesitated before speaking.
-One thing... seems strange.
"What is it?"
-Wasn't Gwisinigo Kalroli the most zealous in pursuing Hura-nim?
"Indeed. More enthusiastic than anyone."
-Not anymore.
"Not anymore?"
The Chairman paused his writing.
-Yes. Ever since the Blood Axe Thrower incident, she shows no interest in chasing Hura-nim. She's just focused on making videos.
"...I see."
The Chairman nodded slowly and resumed writing.
"Nothing else suspicious?"
-No.
"...Understood. Still, add her to the surveillance list for now."
-Yes.
"......"
-......
"...? What are you doing? Why haven't you gone?"
-Well, um...
The figure in the dark mumbled.
-If it's not too rude, may I ask what you're writing?
"Oh, this?"
-Yes. I'm curious.
"Haha, it's nothing much."
The Chairman showed the cover of the thick book he was writing in. The figure read the elegant title scripted on it.
-Hura... Great Man Biography?
The Chairman smiled proudly.
"Yes. How could someone as exemplary as Hura-nim not have a biography?"
-Ah, you're right.
"It's modest, but I thought I'd write one myself. What an honor."
The figure slapped their forehead.
-How did I not think of writing a biography! You're incredible, Chairman! Always several steps ahead!
"Hoho, don't flatter me. Just doing what needs to be done."
-C... Could I hear a bit?
"This is embarrassing..."
The Chairman scratched his head, pondered briefly, then nodded readily.
"Grab a chair and come over."
-...Thank you!
Out from the darkness stepped a masked assassin. The two sat side by side and began reading from the beginning.
"Oh...! The phrasing is brilliant, Chairman."
"Hoho, you think so?"
"Genesis Village square was packed with lines just to eat Hura-nim's tteokbokki back then. Haha... Brings back fresh memories."
"Exactly. I can't forget my first taste of Hura-nim's tteokbokki either."
"Hahaha, yes. And that's when ElderTteokWalkingMachine-nim told us about some no-name merchant dissing Hura-nim."
"Right. That's what brought us together."
"Without you, Chairman, we never could've united and risen up."
"Come on, even if I give you a piggyback ride, nothing comes out."
"It's true. I regret not being there."
"No regrets. You're a fine Tteokbokki-dan member no matter what."
"Thank you. Just hearing about it was thrilling."
"Yeah. Occupying Genesis Village was fun."
"By the way, any word from the Vice Chairman?"
"Seems busy. Ah, remember this?"
The two reminisced, chatting warmly, their laughter blooming like flowers and lighting up the dark room.
Would you like to log in as character 'Hura'?
"Yes."
Welcome to the Fantasy World.
Shwaaaa—
Before his eyes stretched the Flame Palace beneath Harten.
"Has Molrangkau logged in yet...?"
They'd parted just an hour or two ago, promising to meet back in-game.
"Oh? You're here?"
Speak of the devil. Molrangkau appeared right on cue, descending the stairs.
"Yeah, just logged in. What about Vesta-nim?"
"Bathing in the lava hot spring."
"...? Lava hot spring? Bathing?"
"She's the original Red Witch."
Molrangkau shrugged it off. This really was a world where common sense didn't apply. A fire mage bathing in lava.
"...I guess so."
What else could he do but nod? Anyway.
"More importantly, can ghosts even bathe?"
"They eat, cast magic—why not bathe?"
"Huh, makes sense."
He nodded. Of course. Totally normal.
Molrangkau eyed him sharply.
"...Don't even think about peeking."
"Come on. What's the point of a naked ghost?"
One of Molrangkau's eyebrows twitched up.
"You'd look at a person, though?"
"......"
"Answer me."
"Sheesh... Wanna take a walk?"
"Hey! Answer!"
Ahem... Does she not bathe in lava? Ignoring her, he strolled through the palace, pulling ingredients from his inventory.
"Cooking Summon."
Poof—
"Are you well, Master?"
"Doing good."
He walked with hands behind his back, and Molrangkau pouted as she matched his pace.
"So, where's Rank 8 right now?"
"Ransacking Nimal Village."
"Good thing we left right away."
"He's not that smart, so lucky break."
"Oh ho. Really?"
If so, maybe he could fool—er, persuade him if they met.
"But his fandom's no joke. If you don't stay hidden, they'll pinpoint you fast."
"Fandom?"
"Yeah. Bigger than your Tteokbokki-dan."
"...Tteokbokki-dan isn't mine."
"Aren't you their Vice Chairman?"
"No."
While waiting for Vesta to finish her lava bath, they toured the Flame Palace under tour-guide Molrangkau.
Vesta had been so bored she'd sculpted statues from lava. It was more fun than expected, and one thing led to another—buildings, then a grand palace. Solid backstory.
"Impressive craftsmanship."
"She's had thousands of years practicing nothing else. Super bored."
Geum Taeyang and Tteoksoon-i followed, wide-eyed in awe.
As they toured, his gaze drifted to the lava stream trickling below the palace.
A flash—like lightning—a sudden idea struck.
"...Of course!"
He smacked his forehead.
"How did I not think of this?!"
His face turned deadly serious.
"Wh-What? What's wrong?"
"Damn! I can't forgive myself!"
He bounded down the stairs two or three at a time.
"What is it, Master?!"
"Dangerous! We're coming too!"
Geum Taeyang and Tteoksoon-i, sensing the gravity, chased after him.
"What's going on?!"
Molrangkau hurried after too.
"Damn! Damn! How could I forget?!"
He dashed straight to the bubbling lava stream.
"Hey! Are you nuts?! Where're you going?!"
"Master! Stop!"
"No, Master!"
"Hoo—feels great."
Vesta emerged refreshed from her bath, humming happily as she strolled the Flame Palace, all fluffy and clean.
"Wonder if the kids are back?"
She murmured with a smile. Things were getting lively—such joyful days. Finally felt like a place with living warmth.
"Kids~ Molrangkau~"
Vesta called to her growing family.
"Geum Taeyang~ Tteoksoon-i~ Sulis's successor~ Where are you~?"
She poked around the palace calling, but no answer.
"Hmm? Not back yet?"
Then she spotted their backsides huddled near the lava stream below—squatting like excited kids. Adorably cute.
"Hehe."
Vesta snapped photos with her magic camera.
She crept closer carefully.
"Oh! Oh!"
"Whoa!"
Exclamations of wonder. They were doing something fun, like children.
"What're you all up to?"
Vesta peeked over their shoulders, face full of curiosity.
"Ah, Vesta-nim!"
They turned, delighted.
"Vesta-nim, check this out."
"What is it?"
Hura aimed a horn-like icicle at the lava stream.
"Hehe, fire!"
Pong pong pong—
Ice shot from the horn and hit the lava, bubbling and foaming wildly.
"Ooh! Amazing!"
Vesta clapped in delight.
"Wanna try?"
"C-Can I?"
"Of course."
Vesta gingerly took the horn Hura offered and aimed at the lava.
"F-Fire!"
Pong pong pong—
Bubble bubble—
"Wheee!"
"Me too! Me too!"