How the Rank 0 Chef Survives 112
While Vesta sweated bullets trying to persuade Hura, Gold Sun approached Molrangkau, who was playfully messing around in the lava.
"Heehee, fire!"
"……."
Watching Molrangkau, who somehow seemed to be taking after her master, Gold Sun cautiously spoke up.
"Um, Lady Molrangkau."
"Yeah?"
"Are you having fun?"
"Yeah. Wanna try?"
"No thanks. I have more fun just watching."
"Oh?"
Pfsh, pfsh—bubble bubble—Gold Sun glanced at the swelling lava bubbling up with sticky foam and asked casually.
"What do you think of our master?"
"Huh?"
Pfsh pfsh—the ice shooting from her horns suddenly stopped.
"Have you... perhaps changed your mind?"
Molrangkau furrowed her brow at Gold Sun's question.
"Changed my mind about what?"
"About taking my lecture, of course."
"What lecture?"
"Naturally, the 'Save as a Different Name: From Friends to Lovers' lecture."
"...You!"
Molrangkau glared and unleashed a barrage of ice at Gold Sun's face—pfsh pfsh pfsh.
Even as the ice pelted his cheeks, Gold Sun continued calmly.
"Should I take that as a yes?"
"Like hell!"
"So that's a no?"
"Obviously! I'm not taking it! I don't need it!"
"Really?"
"Yes!"
"Really really?"
"No! I'm not doing it! Get lost already!"
Pfsh pfsh pfsh—the ice from her horns battered his cheeks even harder.
"Even if your heart's changed, I can handle it myself."
Molrangkau shot Gold Sun a fierce glare, her eyes blazing like fire.
"……."
Pfsh pfsh pfsh—Gold Sun met her gaze steadily, even as the ice kept hitting him.
"...If you ever change your mind, just let me know."
"Won't happen."
"My 'Save as a Different Name: From Friends to Lovers' lecture is always waiting for you, Lady Molrangkau."
"Don't wait!"
"Alright then."
Gold Sun stood up abruptly, his face still impassive, and walked away.
Molrangkau pelted the back of his head with ice.
"Argh! Take that! Get lost!"
Even as the ice thwacked his head, a thick smile crept across Gold Sun's lips as he walked off without turning.
"It's just a matter of time."
"Haa..."
I clutched my head.
"What should I even cook..."
I'd negotiated extra rewards, but the quest difficulty was the real killer. Straight-up hellish.
Impress 3,000 people with food in this remote mountain village with barely 100 residents. In Harten, a place even regular users struggle to reach.
Hell, it'd be easier to impress 6,000 in Genesis Village.
I looked up at the person across from me. Vesta averted her eyes, pretending not to notice.
"...Ahem~ hum~"
She seemed sorry too, stealing glances at me from her seat opposite.
She knew damn well this was an absurd difficulty.
"...Let's at least decide on the dish first."
Yeah. Better to focus on one thing and solve it step by step than overwhelm myself with options.
It's a cold region, so warm soup dishes should hit the spot.
"...Oh."
I rummaged through my inventory and pulled out something perfect.
Thud—I set the 'Concentrated Udon Broth Base' on the table.
Warm udon? Perfect, right?
Vesta's eyes narrowed at the sight.
"...Are you insane?"
"Wouldn't it work?"
"Like hell it would."
"Tch..."
I put it back.
"Haa..."
What the hell should I do? As I sighed over menu ideas—
You have an incoming call.
"Hm?"
I asked Vesta's permission.
"Excuse me, mind if I take this call?"
"Don't mind me."
Vesta waved dismissively while sipping her tea. I muttered to myself and stood.
"Not many people call me...?"
I stepped aside and picked up quickly.
"Hello?"
-Ah, Hura-nim! It's me.
A familiar voice.
"...Baek Bal Baek Jung-nim?"
-Yes. Haha! Doing well?
"Of course. How about you, Baek Bal Baek Jung-nim?"
-Hahaha, of course. I never even get a scratch!
Those high rankers are all show—no big deal. Haha.
"...Really?"
-Yeah. How I escaped? Well...
Baek Bal Baek Jung launched into his heroic escape tale with gusto.
The rankers had thrown up multiple layers of massive barriers the moment I left, trapping him inside.
So he turned it to his advantage. First, smoke arrows to blind them.
Then he peppered the barrier with arrows—clang! clang!
"Target the barrier!"
"Over there!"
With their focus on the barrier, he followed up with flash arrows.
Thinking it was more smoke, the rankers rushed in close—and lost their vision.
"Argh!"
"My eyes!"
In that gap, he hammered the barrier with heavy shots.
Shatter!
"He escaped!"
"Chase him!"
The rankers poured out, thinking he'd fled. Meanwhile, Baek Bal Baek Jung slipped back into the cave and flicked Ptah's coin.
1 second. The blue ring expanded, spinning.
"...Wait! Something's off!"
Napaladin caught on, eyes flicking to the cave behind the bushes.
2 seconds. The blue ring spun faster.
"Damn it!"
Napaladin dove into the vertical shaft.
Boom!—She crashed to the bottom and spotted Baek Bal Baek Jung beyond the spinning blue coin.
"Baek Bal Baek Jung!"
She hurled herself at him, voice strained.
"Heyy—Napal."
Baek Bal Baek Jung waved leisurely from inside the spinning coin.
3 seconds. It formed a perfect blue sphere.
"Catch you later."
Flash!—Napaladin's fist sliced empty air.
She rampaged in fury.
"Arrrgh! Baek Bal Baek Jung!!"
-Haha. Cool, right? Brilliant plan?
"……."
That was the end of Baek Bal Baek Jung's tale.
"How'd you know Napaladin freaked out at the end?"
-Haha, with her temper? Obvious.
...So the final scream was just his imagination. Probably embellished the rest too.
"Glad you're safe anyway."
-Thanks to you, Hura-nim. Grateful again.
"I didn't do much."
-Ah, Hura-nim. Reason I called is separate.
His tone turned serious.
-Rank 8 is hunting you.
"……."
-…….
"I see."
-Huh? Not surprised?
"A friend tipped me off."
-Oh, another ranker friend? It's only buzzing in ranker communities so far.
"Something like that."
-That guy's a real psycho. Even I avoided him.
"...Really?"
The mad archer Baek Bal Baek Jung dodged him? A certified lunatic acknowledged everywhere.
Sigh... motivation tanking hard. Maybe just hole up here, forget business.
-He's still combing Nimal Village area. Stay safe. Ask a mage friend for disguise magic.
"Got it."
-Oh, sending his fan cafe link.
"...Fan cafe? Why?"
A psycho with a fan cafe? Or does being psycho get you one?
-He'll scour Nimal Village, then hit the fan cafe for help. Better check ahead and dodge.
"Ah, makes sense. I'll peek later. Thanks, Baek Bal Baek Jung-nim."
-No, thank you. I owe you.
A warm vibe bloomed from the mutual thanks.
"By the way, she hasn't been bullying you?"
-Eh, no way. Treats me great.
"...She's there, huh?"
-…….
Silence spoke volumes.
-Ah, Ptah-nim asks if you're well.
"...Ptah-nim's there too?"
A faint girl's whisper drifted from the other end.
-Yes. Vesta? Ah, Vesta. Says she heard from Vesta.
Come to think of it, there were stifled giggles during the escape story. Ghosts and humans laughing.
"Tell them I'll visit with tasty food sometime."
Baek Bal Baek Jung relayed it verbatim.
-Yes! Come for sure! New coin for you!
-Ptah-nim, no need to shout. We hear everything.
-Oh. Is that so?
Ptah and Sis chattered on.
-Says come for sure.
"...Yeah. Heard it."
Sis's voice followed.
-Little bro! Red friend's with you, right? Stick to her!
-Geriseora-nim. We hear without shouting.
-Louder means clearer.
-Ah ha...
...How'd Sis know Molrangkau was here? Never called her a friend either.
Oh right. Ptah mentioned talking to Vesta. Must've spilled.
"Anyway, tell them I got it."
-Stay safe.
-Hura! See you later!
-Don't forget weekend at grandma's~
"Yes! Got it!"
Chaotic call ended.
-What for dinner?
-Ramen?
-Ramen sounds good!
The line cut after catching their chat. But I froze solid.
One word had pierced my ear unexpectedly.
"...Ramen?"
I mulled it over.
"Ramen, huh..."
Ramen. The grateful food that filled our bellies cheap. Savior of a million renters.
Yet the tragic hero scolded by parents. Above all, the flavor bully—taste crushing price ratio.
No matter how hard you slave over pricey ingredients, countless dishes kneel to cheap ramen.
"Hm..."
Ramen evokes that seductive blood-red broth more than chewy noodles.
Spicy ramen with fiery red soup.
What flavor do Koreans cheer loudest for? Sweet? Salty? Sour? Bitter? No.
Undeniably spicy.
Debate if spice is a true taste or just pain—irrelevant now.
Korea's the land of spice, no exaggeration. Dead serious about heat.
YouTube proves it: spicy tteokbokki, Fire Noodle Challenge, One Chip, spicy pork cutlet, hot pepper eating—Scoville exploding.
Food's not just taste; ambiance matters. Cold naengmyeon and ice cream in summer, hot patjuk and udon broth in winter.
"Warm ramen in the cold. And spicy?"
Perfect for Harten's chill.
I could already picture it. Snowy Harten streets. Patrons sweating buckets, slurping steaming ramen.
Slurp slurp—guzzling noodles.
Pot in hand, draining spicy broth, then "Khaa!"
Plus, ramen's fast food—instant meal. Kids can make it; under 5 minutes. Killer table turnover.
And ramen stirs memories naturally.
I recall elementary ski trips. Shivering, standing—no seats—devouring hot cup ramen.
Slurp—haa—chewy noodles through sniffles, blowing on scalding red broth.
That red lubricant thawing my frozen body. Warming my icy gut.
That cheap cup was world's best then.
Anyone not eaten ramen? None in Korea. Zero.
"Heh..."
That means memories galore bubbling up.
If I tap Cooking Charm's power...
"Heheheh..."
Sorry, folks? Tteokbokki led to another unintended cheat dish?
Call it the cheat key.
"Heh... heheheheh..."
"...What's that guy doing over there."
Molrangkau muttered, but it didn't reach me.
I was lost in this genius dish sparking a population exodus.
I returned to Vesta's table. Striding confidently.
"Decided on the menu?"
At her question, I smirked, grinning wide.
"Yes."
"What?"
"Ramen."
Heheheh... Noble masses. You won't escape this familiar, ubiquitous dish.
It'll remind you of the preciousness you'd forgotten in its everydayness!