How the Rank 0 Chef Survives 083: The Mysterious Senior
In the cave where crystals embedded here and there glowed faintly, we sat in a circle and ate fried rice. Even Gapsu, now freed from his bound hands and feet, joined us.
"Is it tasty?"
"Yes. It's delicious."
"Eat up. Come find me anytime if you want something specific."
"Yes. Thank you."
After we finished, I whipped up some Clear Blue Water Fruit Smoothies as a palate cleanser.
Gulp, gulp—
"Kyaah! So refreshing!"
Baek Bal Baek Jung downed it in one go, laughing brightly. His eyes were still puffy from the emotional story, it seemed.
...Crying and then laughing will give you horns on your butt, they say.
"!"
"!"
Seeing that, Gold Sun and Tteoksoon-i started chugging theirs competitively too.
...There's other stuff to compete over, you know. What are they, elementary school kids?
"Master! I drank it all in one go too!"
"Me too!"
"...Good job."
The stuff dripping down their chins must count as drunk, I guess.
"Really! Look, Master!"
Tteoksoon-i excitedly flipped her empty glass upside down over her head.
Drip—
"Ah, it's cold!"
"......"
Pretending not to notice, I turned to Gapsu.
"Gapsu."
"Yes, Hura-nim."
"Are Sulis-nim's other summons like this too?"
"No major differences."
"......"
My illusions about the Demonic Chef are crumbling bit by bit. They say you can tell a lot about a person from those around them—one who stays near ink turns black. Sulis doesn't seem like he was all that upright either.
Ah, but as always, there are exceptions. And that exception is me.
I'm sane enough to control these lunatics. Yup yup. You bet.
"Hura-nim."
"Yeah?"
"May I ask a question?"
"Sure."
Gapsu sipped his Clear Blue Water Fruit Smoothie and asked me,
"How long ago did you change classes to 'Alleyway Chef'?"
"Ah, you mean how long since I became Sulis-nim's successor?"
"Yes."
"Uh... hold on."
How long has it been? The gap between game time and real time makes it hard to gauge. Gordon's ten-stage cooking exam took forever. After that, time flew by like the wind.
"Hmm... probably about a month, I think?"
"...A month, you say?"
"Yeah, something like that."
Gapsu's mouth fell open.
"...Really? You've already passed all those trials?"
"...? What are you talking about? This is only the third one."
"Pardon?"
"Huh?"
"...The third, you say?"
"Yeah. 'Minare's Villa', 'Machine Hill', and now this desert. Third one, right?"
"Pardon?"
"Huh?"
"That can't be...?"
Gapsu counted on his fingers, using both hands before stopping. Then he asked with a face full of disbelief,
"How... how did that happen?"
"Hmm... it just kinda did?"
Whose fault is this? That old man's, for making me wait endlessly in Shin-dong Village. He should've just told me I could go to another village.
"Hmm..."
Come to think of it, the old man did mention the order got a bit mixed up.
"Huh?"
...Old man?
A brilliant idea flashed in my mind.
Gapsu is Sulis's first cooking summon. No one knows Sulis better than him after all these years. Maybe he knows the identity of this mysterious old man?
"Gapsu."
"Yes, Hura-nim."
"Do you know an old man with white hair and beard?"
"An old man... you say?"
"Yeah. Looks like a mad scientist! Super grumpy personality. Guides me to the next place with Sulis-nim's traces, like a guide. Know who he is?"
Gapsu shook his head.
"No, I don't know."
"Oh... really?"
"Yes. As far as I know, there's no separate guide for the next locations."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Then who guides you?"
"The examiner overseeing that trial guides us."
"......"
This is getting complicated.
"Ah, maybe the method changed while I didn't know. Thousands of years have passed, and I've been trapped in this cave."
"Could be."
"Yes. There was a long period with no successor. Probably changed then."
"Oh? Then how did it continue?"
"Probably through leftover books or artifacts."
"Aha."
I nodded, convinced. That makes sense.
But that still doesn't reveal the old man's identity.
"Any guesses who it could be?"
"No. First time hearing this."
"Really...?"
I swallowed my disappointment. That crazy old coot. What's his deal?
"Ah! Then who chooses the successor? That old man picked me as Sulis-nim's successor."
"The Demonic Chef is hereditary. The previous successor chooses the next."
"So...?"
Gapsu nodded.
"Yes. If what you say is true, it might be a previous successor I don't remember."
That crazy old man... my senior...?
Clean room.
"......"
Ji-hyun sat on the bed, glaring at her phone.
Her phone had several unread messages from Hura.
She cautiously reached out to reply, then hesitated. Her hand froze.
"......"
She recalled Hura's friendly voice on the phone with Dahyun. Anger bubbled up again.
Ji-hyun clutched her chest.
"Why does it feel so... stuffy?"
Today should have been joyful. A day to jump for happiness. The goddess of luck had sided with her, letting her meet her friend Hura in real life.
Her friend wasn't just a virtual game character anymore—he was a real, breathing person. With substance. And not some weirdo, but warm, just like in the game.
...Though a bit cowardly.
It should have been pure joy, but what was this lump in her chest?
She'd felt something similar before. When Hura chatted with the helper fairy like old friends.
"No way..."
Ji-hyun was smart. Very smart. Not one to trip over the same stone twice.
She recalled dramas she'd watched. Scenes flashed by like a panorama.
"No way... no way..."
Situations just like hers had appeared plenty of times. They clutched their chests, complaining of stuffiness.
"......"
She might have known already. Just didn't want to admit it. Had been denying it.
"Jeal...ousy...?"
But Ji-hyun finally realized it. The identity of these crashing waves of emotion.
"I... like Hura?"
Whoosh—
Her face turned pomegranate-red in an instant.
"N-no, impossible!"
I sat stunned for a while, just sipping my smoothie. A senior, huh...
Yeah, it fits. His deep knowledge of skills, all the advice. He acted like he knew everything. As a senior, of course he did.
I nodded deeply, convinced.
Should I call him "senior" next time? Will I get some elusive skill like his too?
"Ah!"
While lost in random thoughts, something hit me late.
Quest completion reward! The quest windows scrolled by so fast I didn't see it. The last one said to get the reward from the relevant NPC—Gapsu.
"Gapsu."
"Yes, Hura-nim."
"Any traces left by Sulis-nim? Or cooking tools he used?"
Gapsu set down his smoothie and straightened up.
"None."
"...Huh?"
"Instead, exactly one thing. I'll answer anything."
"Anything?"
"Yes. No limits this time."
I'd asked Gapsu all sorts during the seven rice-cooking repeats. Mostly about Sulis, but he always refused firmly: "I cannot answer."
"One question..."
Oho. Meeting Sulis's cooking summon is like a special stage. Like a Chance card in a board game.
One free question. And an answer. Used well, it could shortcut to Demonic Chef.
Pick any keyword. Fittingly huge reward for the difficulty. No cooking tools is a bummer, but after snagging two legendary items others dream of, complaining is luxury.
"Hmm... what to ask."
Golden opportunity. Must use it perfectly. What question would make legends of me?
From dozens of ideas, I picked the most fundamental. My biggest curiosity anyway.
"Gapsu."
"Yes. Decided?"
I nodded seriously.
"What kind of cooking did Sulis-nim do?"
Gapsu smiled meaningfully.
Messy room.
Another person was staring holes into their phone.
"...Why no reply?"
Dahyun rolled around on the bed, glaring at her phone.
Work hours were long done. Bedtime soon, but...
"Yaaawn~"
Late as it was, no reply.
"...Didn't even read it?"
She checked the chat.
"Customer-nim hasn't even opened it?"
Her sent link sat there, unread badge still at 1.
"...Super tired today?"
His voice had sounded extra weary. Even more than day one.
"Tch... must've crashed right away."
Dahyun gave up waiting and opened YouTube.
"Oh! New video!"
Her favorite channel, Panwol Emo Jjomo, had a fresh upload.
"Watch this then sleep."
Clicking play, the reporter greeted as always.
Dahyun muttered at the reporter's twitching smile.
"...What good news does she have?"
The video showed Nimal Village square packed with people.
Flash—
A giant appeared in the center, breaking through the encirclement and bolting somewhere. Filmed up close, it was vivid.
The Blood Axe Thrower charging straight at Hura.
But Hura just sneered mockingly.
"Aigoo, scary scary."
Whoosh—
The massive double-headed axe swung at Hura.
Hura smirked and muttered something. Green light flashed.
The Blood Axe Thrower turned to stone.
"......!"
"Hmm... looks like a pretty good piece."
Hura leisurely admired his work when someone appeared beside him.
"Huh? That's...!"
Dahyun's eyes widened.
"Rank 11, Napaladin!"
They chatted like old acquaintances. Napaladin was one thing, but Hura not flinching at a Rank 11 was shocking.
"Oh yeah. Some group let the Blood Axe Thrower loose on purpose."
"...What?"
"...I see."
Hura replied calmly. Napaladin looked surprised.
"You already knew?"
"......!"
A group behind the escape was surprising, but Hura knowing already?
But the next words were more shocking.
"Baek Bal Baek Jung must've tipped it off, huh?"
"......!"
"Must be some trust, sacrificing something precious."
"Wha...!"
Dahyun's jaw dropped.
"That Baek Bal Baek Jung?"
The legendary Rank 10 high ranker, the Mad Archer, treated like a mythical Pokémon?
"N-no way."
Hura and Napaladin vanished. The video ended with users smashing the statue.
Dahyun dazedly scrolled to the comments.
"......"
The comments section was in chaos.