From Frog in the Well to Whale of the Seas
I'd expected things to play out like this.
"Hmm... Shin-dong Village, eh. How far is that?"
"Far enough. You'll have to pass a few villages along the way."
It was just a bit farther than I'd imagined. The tteokbokki business was going way better than expected—not just raking in gold, but downright fun. Did it have to be right now?
"Do we really have to go right away? I kinda want to keep selling a bit longer..."
"...Tch. Did I misjudge you? I thought you were a man with a big vessel, not one to settle for trifles."
Gordon clicked his tongue, eyeing me with clear disappointment.
"Fine, do whatever you want. Sell your junk, plant your stakes in Genesis Village, I don't care! I'll find the Demonic Chef somewhere else."
"W-Wait! Why's it suddenly like this? What's wrong with a few more days of business?"
I grabbed the sleeve of the turning elder in a panic.
"Tch tch, you fool. A real man looks at the big picture. You gonna be content with that piddly street stall in a backwater village? Your road stretches a thousand leagues ahead."
"It's not piddly! I made over 100 gold in just three days. And it's fun."
"That's why I call it piddly."
Gordon pulled something from his robes and tossed it over.
"What's this?"
I caught it reflexively and peeked inside the pouch.
"Gasp."
A brilliant glow of gold and jewels poured out from within.
"Jewelry made by a famous artisan. One piece alone fetches over 1,000 gold easy. I'm no great chef myself, but folks pay with stuff like this sometimes."
My hand trembled around the pouch.
"A-Are you giving this to me?"
"You nuts? As if."
Gordon snatched it back.
"Let me say it again. That chump change, that street stall. You gonna keep at it? Or step into the bigger world and become a true chef?"
"......"
"Live as a happy frog in a well? Or become a whale swimming the great ocean? Your choice, lad."
I gripped Gordon's hand tight.
"I'm a whale. I even dream of turning into one sometimes when I sleep. Hell, I've caught 'em before."
"Keh keh, good good. Can't have a Demonic Chef content as some lowly peasant."
"Exactly! A frog? Please. Amphibians are the worst."
Bootlick Lv.1 (10.21%)
"So, we're heading straight to Shin-dong Village, right?"
"Of course. We'll leave at first light."
"Good. That's the way of a true man!"
Gordon clapped my shoulder in satisfaction.
"So, what all did the Last Emperor tell you? Did you hear he's also called the strongest chef?"
"Yeah, I think I got everything important. But... Last Emperor?"
"Hm? You didn't know?"
"I just heard he was some legendary ancient emperor."
Gordon stroked his white-bearded chin and nodded.
"True enough. A great man. But greatness brings responsibility—and he shouldered too much. Lived a tragic life."
"Really?"
That was unexpected. I'd figured a legendary emperor just lounged in prosperity, ruling wisely.
"Why else would his regrets keep him wandering this world?"
"Makes sense when you put it like that."
Sniff sniff.
Hm? What's that smell?
The smell of wealth! That casual treasure chest he tossed over—that was just a taste!
It's coming! The intense scent of gold!
"So, what happened to that legendary Last Emperor?"
I rubbed my hands and asked slyly. Where's his imperial tomb? Or maybe a secret villa?
But Gordon's reply was a curveball.
"Dunno. Don't need to."
"...Huh?"
"Too busy carrying on his legacy to chase side stories."
"You talked like you knew everything!"
"Sorry for the misunderstanding."
He didn't look sorry at all.
"Tch."
"Hey now. Chasing his footsteps is enough! Don't you wanna be the Demonic Chef?"
"I do, but the emperor's got me curious too."
His gold, specifically.
"Tch. I don't know much, but if you're that set on it, hunt his traces—and Minare's—along the way."
"Got it. Will do."
"You'd do it anyway. Your eyes are gleaming with greed."
"Greed? Nah, just pity for his tragic life. You got the wrong idea."
Gordon eyed me with clear distaste.
"Tch tch... Do what you want. Now walk."
"Huh? We're done talking?"
"Nope."
Thud, thud—we strolled the dark night streets where streetlamps flickered sporadically.
"This your first time leaving Genesis Village?"
"Pretty much."
"Then it's time you entered the world of true cooking."
"...True cooking?"
Was everything so far fake? My cooking fake?
"So over 1,000 people got moved by fake food?"
Smack!
"Ow! Why'd you hit me?!"
"Can't shut up for one second, can you? Listen to the end, punk!"
"Hiss."
I rubbed my throbbing head.
"Not dissing your cooking. Means you're stepping into a whole new realm."
"What do you mean?"
"Anyone can cook with ordinary livestock meat and grains! Even kids pick it up quick with teaching! But real chefs' battles start with ingredients."
"Ingredients?"
"Yeah! You've just bought from shops so far, but now you gotta hunt rare, delicious stuff! Monster meats, heavenly fruits! Ingredients on another level entirely. And refining them into sublime dishes? That's the real study."
True. I'd lost touch, stuck in Genesis Village.
This was a fantasy world—lightning from magic, dragons soaring with breath attacks.
"Like wyvern wing roast or dragon egg fry?"
Smack!
"Ow! Again?!"
"Idiot! Who fries dragon eggs?"
"Tch. What's wrong with it?"
"With ingredients that precious, you make worthy dishes. And your first thought's egg fry?"
"Chef's choice! Watch me—I'll fry dragon eggs someday."
"Sigh. Where'd a punk like you come from? If you become Demonic Chef, that's a problem too."
"It'll happen. Brace yourself."
"One word, and you don't shut up."
Gordon tsked and kept walking.
"Anyway, prep well. Outside's lawless—monsters, bandits preying on travelers like breakfast."
"...Scaring me?"
"A bit. Worked?"
"Kinda."
"Good. Too risky solo—join a mercenary band."
"Will do. That all?"
I glanced aside. No one there.
"......"
Just the shadows of the alley staring back.
"All done. Take care. Yeah, yeah. Farewell, elder. Real kind of you to say goodbye."
I muttered to myself, trudging the dim alley.
Atop a rooftop in the moonlit back alley, a white-haired elder stood silently, gazing down.
At the end of his sight, a man clutched a glowing frying pan, warily scanning as he walked.
"Huh? Come out if you dare? I'll smash you with this legendary frying pan! Huh? You hear me, you mangy cat?!"
"...Weirder the more I watch."
The elder muttered.
"Power of nostalgia, huh..."
Clumsy as he seemed, he'd snagged that frying pan fastest—and set a new record.
Back in four days, but numerically? Under half a day.
"Just like that guy."
Though he never became Demonic Chef.
"What about you, Hura?"
The elder grinned crookedly.
Clang!
"Huh? You okay?"
-Nyaaaooow!!
"Gyaaah! It was concern! Gah, get lost!"
The elder watched him bolt, muttering gravely.
"...Can a punk like that really become Demonic Chef?"
I plopped onto a bench in the lit plaza.
That cat was ferocious.
"Plenty of time till dawn. Might as well check skills."
Skipping weird ones like Lies, Bootlick, Mockery.
Used it plenty—he'd leveled nicely. Gotta grind more for Lv.2. Wonder if I can summon others then.
— ToughHyunwoo
— BananaLover
— ...
Lv.1 to 9 off tteokbokki sales alone.
"Tch. Still no details."
Poking Cooking Charm in the menu yielded zilch.
"Whoa, so many?"
I scrolled the charmed list.
"Weird names everywhere. Um Joon-sik? Who names their char that? Oh, him—I remember. Ordered six tteokbokki, held three per hand. Haha, nickname's hilarious."
Reading the roster of my charmed masses, dawn crept in.
Swiping revealed another skill.
"Right, this one. Test it next time."
Stretching, I stood. Dawn sky turning blue as sun rose.
Rotating stiff shoulders, strolling the plaza—then a strange sight.
"Huh? Early, but why so crowded?"
A massive crowd lined one side of the plaza, queuing like clouds. Line so long, front invisible.
"Excuse me. What's the line for?"
"Tteokbokki line."
"Tteokbokki?"
"Yeah. You here from the stream too?"
"Stream?"
"Panwol Emo Jjomo. They were crying over how good it is."
Oh right—got interviewed amid the rush. No way...
"H-Haha! Got it. Enjoy!"
"Wait. You look familiar. Seen you somewhere?"
"Haha, nah. Must be someone else."
Then someone peeked from the line, yelling.
"Hey! It's the chef!"
All eyes turned to me.
"......"
So this is hair-standing-on-end terror.
People started calling out.
"Hura-nim! Chef Hura, right?!"
"Huh? N-No, I'm Horain."
"Hura-nim! Make tteokbokki quick. I'm dizzy."
"Wrong guy."
I covered my face, backing away.
"But... where you going? That's not the stall..."
"...Gulp."
"Hura-nim. Selling today too, right?"
"I-I got stuff to do, bye!"
I bolted.
"The tteokbokki's running!"
"Grab him!"
"Gimme tteokbokki!"
"Waaah! I said no sales!"
"Shut up and take the gold!"
"How much! Name your price!"
This is Cooking Charm Lv.9 power! No wonder no explanation.
"Waaah! No sales! Scram!"