Sulis...
“Sulis…”
I murmured the name that had burst from the giant robot’s mouth. It was the name of the Demonic Chef.
“I’m Hura.”
Moonlight Frying Pan?>
“Of course. Summon!”
I raised the frying pan high above my head.
Rumble—
The massive robot leaned forward from its throne, peering down at the frying pan from close up.
The robot muttered in satisfaction, then leaned back against the throne.
“If it’s not too rude, may I ask who you are?”
The entire space resonated like a bell.
Hiss—
“Huh?”
Mid-introduction, the robot’s blue eyes suddenly went dark, and the engine whirring in its chest quieted to a stop.
“...What the?”
A faint, milky-white something emerged from the robot’s head, fluttering around it. I could hear faint mumbling.
—W-Why is this happening again? Damn it. Of all the times.
“......?”
I narrowed my eyes, peering at it. I’d seen something like this before. At Minare’s Villa.
“That’s…”
It was a ghost. The previous one had been the legendary emperor, Minare’s ghost.
This time?
“Hey!”
The ghost glanced over at my call, then—
—Eek!
—ducked behind the robot.
“....”
A shy ghost?
“Um, is something wrong?”
The milky bit that seemed to be the ghost’s head poked out from the robot’s chest and shouted.
—N-No, it’s nothing! Just wait a bit!
It was a young girl’s voice.
“Okay…”
* * *
30 minutes later.
“Mm. Delicious as always.”
“It feels weird eating myself.”
“But it’s good, right?”
“Yes.”
We’d pulled out the leftover tteokbokki from inventory and were munching on it while waiting patiently, as she’d asked. When I sensed something creeping toward us and looked over, the ghost let out an “eek!” and fluttered away.
“....”
What was her name again?
“Hey, Iron Empress! If you can eat, come join us!”
She peeked out hesitantly and shuffled over—looking nothing like her grandiose title, just a little girl.
She took the cup of tteokbokki I offered and nibbled at it cautiously.
Ghosts can eat too, huh.
“What’s your name?”
P-Ptah. They call me Ptah.
I nodded.
“Lady Ptah, how is it?”
“Mm. Quite tasty.”
Tears suddenly streamed from her eyes.
“Eating your food… it reminds me of Sulis.”
Ptah wiped her eyes determinedly and kept chomping away.
“As you know, I came seeking traces of the Demonic Chef, Lord Sulis. Do you have anything to tell me about him?”
Ptah nodded slowly.
“Lord Sulis… he was truly wonderful. As kind and warm as his cooking. Before he vanished, he came to me and made so much delicious food. I’ll show you myself.”
“Pardon? How—”
Poke.
She pressed a small mechanical device to my forehead, and suddenly I was on a hill.
Pop.
“Gasp—”
I was back in front of the giant robot.
Demonic Chef
📍 Become the Demonic Chef who enchants the entire world!
🎁 Reward: Follow in his footsteps across the continent, gathering clues about the Demonic Chef.
🔑 Acquired keyword: ‘Dark Chef’
“You saw it all?”
Ptah asked dejectedly.
“Yes…”
“That’s how he left.”
“...I see.”
Ptah held something out.
“Here, the ladle. Take it.”
It was ladle-shaped, but pitch black.
“This?”
As I examined it—different from the memory—she explained.
“I soaked it in darkness, as he asked.”
She snapped her fingers.
Snap.
The darkness on the ladle erupted like lava, piercing into my body.
“Gah—!”
Pain surged through me; I doubled over.
“Master!”
“Are you alright?!”
The pain was brief. Afterward, something feral boiled within me. My hands trembled.
“Grr… Th-This feeling…!”
“Master! How do you feel?!”
Geum Taeyang asked urgently.
“Dark… So dark. Forbidden desires keep surging…!”
“What desires?!”
Tteoksoon-i soothed me as she asked.
“Grr… I want to use cheap beef and lie it’s prime hanwoo! Cost 3,000 won, but blame labor, fees, inflation—sell for 10,000!”
“N-No!”
“Overly salty, sweet, addictive food to hook customers! Make them unable to enjoy normal meals, until they’re riddled with diseases!”
“No! Snap out of it!”
Snap.
“Gasp—Hah—”
Ptah’s snap quieted the darkness. But I knew it slumbered inside me still.
Dark Chef acquired!
New skill added.
Dark Chef? This… the second job change I’d only heard of?
Started as Back-Alley Chef, now Dark Chef.
...Why are all my job names like this?
“Master!”
“Are you okay?!”
“I’m fine. I’m fine.”
I calmed the fussing pair and looked at Ptah.
“No matter the path, you must dip your hands in darkness at least once to reach the end. At least in this world. I’ve done plenty. Once, I blacked out a whole city drawing power. Another time, a botched experiment turned a forest to desert.”
“...I see.”
“Still, try everything you can. Better to embrace darkness and act than pretend nobility and do nothing. Some things only darkness can achieve. Understand?”
“Yes. I think so.”
“Good… Thanks for the tasty food. Now go. I need to fix this robot. It’s been acting up.”
At her gesture, the elevator doors reopened.
“Nice meeting you. Sulis’s successor.”
Ptah turned without hesitation toward her giant robot. Her small back looked so lonely against it.
“Um, can I help with anything?”
“Hm?”
She turned.
“Sulis said to ask for help.”
Ptah chuckled.
“Thanks, but a chef can’t. Don’t worry—go on.”
Normally, I wouldn’t care. Not my problem.
But since cooking, something in me had changed. And after that scene, I couldn’t just leave.
So, I meddled.
“Then I’ll find someone who can help.”
She smiled softly.
“As kind as Sulis. Fine. Find them. It’s the one inheriting my legacy.”
“Your successor, Lady Ptah?”
“Yes. Goes by the silly name ‘Geriseora.’ Seems lost lately. Has to be her. That’s the only clue. Rest, I don’t know. Giving up?”
I steeled myself.
“No. I’ll find her and return. Wait for me.”
Ptah smiled—a mature, warm smile unfit for a girl.
“Yes. I’ll wait.”
Find the Iron Empress’s Successor
📍 The Iron Empress struggles to repair her robot.
🎁 Find her wandering successor and bring her here.
⏰ Time Limit: None
💎 Reward: Clue to Sulis’s disappearance and the truth