The Mala Inferno
Even spicier and more numbing than before… “I can’t handle this…! Help me!” No sooner had I filled my stomach with something resembling budae jjigae than another task demanded my attention. It seemed the world simply couldn’t stand seeing me idle. I’d planned to do it eventually anyway, but couldn’t I at least catch a short break? These days, even just breathing seemed to summon new work out of thin air…
Before I’d been possessed by Destiny Dragons, I’d desperately wished for new tasks. That was right after I’d retired, after all. Maybe that wish had become a curse. Ever since arriving in this world, my workload had exploded. The moment I thought I could finally breathe, something new popped up. With only one body to go around, quests kept appearing day after day without fail.
“Hah, what’s all the fuss about? How would I know something even the kitchen manager doesn’t?”
“Just come take a look! I’ve never seen ingredients like this before either!”
—Squeeze…!
The moment the meal ended, Ramjwi grabbed my hand and started pulling. Her soft, pale-pink jelly-like hand clutched mine tightly. The sensation was oddly unsettling, like a silicone pad pressed against bare skin.
“How am I supposed to deal with something you’ve never even seen before…?”
“Miss Raylin said so! She told me to have Breeder handle it no matter what…!”
“Fine, I get it. Just slow down a bit. I haven’t even finished digesting yet.”
Even though she was an herbivore-type beastkin, she was still a beastkin. Her raw strength far surpassed a human’s. I tried digging my heels in, but it was useless. Before I knew it, she’d dragged me all the way into the kitchen.
“This is it…! Miss Raylin left this behind when she dropped by…!”
“Huh? What is this? I’ve never seen it either.”
Following Ramjwi’s lead, I stepped into the prep area and found a bundle of something that looked like green onions piled on the counter. The long, bluish-green leaves really did resemble green onions, but the root ends were studded with bright-red granules that looked like cornelian cherry berries. I’d seen plenty of ingredients during my solo living days, but I’d never encountered anything like this. It had to be something that only existed in this world.
“She said it was fire grass she barely managed to get from her hometown…!”
“Fire grass?”
“Yes! She just dropped it off and said to make something really spicy with it!”
It looked nothing like the fire grass I knew. Was it called that because of the red granules? Or did the plant actually catch fire?
“Well, let’s take a closer look first.”
I tilted my head and approached the fire grass. I needed to understand what it was before deciding how—or whether—to use it. The nature of an ingredient could completely change the direction of a dish.
—Squeeze…!
“……?”
Out of nowhere, Ramjwi grabbed my collar and yanked me back, stopping me from getting any closer.
“What are you doing? Weren’t you the one asking for help?”
“You shouldn’t get too close…! It’s insanely spicy…!”
Ramjwi pinched her own nose with one hand and warned me. True to its name, fire grass was apparently an extremely spicy seasoning. Those red granules were probably the source of the heat.
“Ah, if that’s all, don’t worry. I’ve built up a pretty good tolerance for spicy food.”
“B-But still…!”
“It’s fine. Trust me. Besides, I need to figure out what it is before I can even start cooking.”
Where was I originally from again? The country that consumed the most garlic per capita. The kind of guy who’d pour kimchi broth into plain rice soup. I already had resistance to most levels of spiciness.
“Let’s take a proper look……”
—Rustle…!
Up close, a sharp, pungent scent stabbed at my nose. It felt like shoving raw wasabi right up against my nostrils. The intense smell was especially strong around the bright-red granules. Those were definitely the key. I could probably grind or steep them. The green leaves could be roughly chopped and used in place of green onions to make the dish even more pungent…
—Crack, snap, snap…!
While I was mulling it over and enduring the spiciness, my eyes suddenly started watering on their own. Something thick even dripped down to my toes.
‘Huh? Why am I crying…?’
Hot tears streamed down my cheeks while I examined the fire grass. My nose stung and the tears wouldn’t stop.
“W-What the heck is this…?!”
Even the hand holding the fire grass had turned bright red and swollen, like I was having an allergic reaction.
“Squeak-! I told you! Be careful…! Go wash your hands under running water right now!”
This had a Scoville rating that surpassed even Korean-level spiciness.
‘Hah, with heat like this, I could make something completely different from budae jjigae……?’
*
—Tap tap tap tap…!
After shedding a few more tears, Ramjwi and I started prepping the ingredients. The heavy kitchen knife struck the cutting board with rhythmic thuds.
‘I need to finish before Raylin arrives.’
Once the burning sensation faded, I realized evening service was almost over. Raylin would probably show up at the kitchen like she had yesterday. Still, at this pace, prep work would be done in no time. Working with Ramjwi made everything go faster—sausages, vegetables, seasoning paste. Since I’d already done it once before, there was no real difficulty. That’s why practicing the day before had been worth it. Nothing beats repetition when it comes to mastering a skill, especially when you lack natural talent.
Anyway, now I just had to use the fire grass Raylin had brought to crank up the heat even more.
‘If I hadn’t experienced that fire grass’s burn firsthand, I wouldn’t even have thought of what to make.’
My hands and eyelids still tingled. This wasn’t ordinary spiciness. It was closer to a sharp, numbing pain. Thanks to that sensation, I now had a clear direction for what to cook. I was confident I could hit Raylin’s preference for intensely spicy flavors right on the mark.
“All the prep is done…!”
“Really? Then wait outside, Ramjwi.”
“Outside? Why all of a sudden…?”
“Just go. Unless you want to die from the spice. I’m about to handle the fire grass now.”
“Squeak-! O-Okay……!”
Ramjwi bolted out of the kitchen in a panic at my words.
“She never listens even when I tell her not to make a peep. Anyway, time to get started.”
—Rustle…!
I steeled myself and wrapped my face with cooking gloves and an apron, leaving only my eyes exposed like I was wearing a hijab. It was all to protect against the fire grass’s overwhelming spiciness.
—Snip! Snip! Snip! Snip!
First, I cut the green leaves into long strips, roughly the size of tteokbokki pieces. Like I’d thought earlier, adding them at the end instead of green onions would double the pungent kick.
—Crush! Thud, crack…!
Next, I washed the pomegranate-like granules attached to the roots and ground them in a mortar.
“Cough, cough-! Keck, it’s so spicy……!”
The granules burst, releasing red juice and pulp-like bits. At the same time, more tears flowed. Even with my face covered, it wasn’t enough protection. It felt like facing pure capsaicin extract. Still, I gritted my teeth and kept going until I finally saw the end in sight.
‘That color is seriously terrifying…….’
A bowl full of bright-red liquid and solids. The color was so vivid it almost made me nauseous. But with this level of heat, winning Raylin over was practically guaranteed. Looking at it, it reminded me of doubanjiang, the Chinese chili bean paste. No wonder—she wasn’t from the eastern part of the Drango Continent for nothing.
“I just hope it turns out the way I imagined……”
Both Sofia and Raylin had gone out of their way to bring me key ingredients just to satisfy their own tastes. I was grateful, so the least I could do was cook my heart out in return.
—Click!
Fwoosh…!!
Blue flames ignited on the magic-stone stove. Now the real cooking began. A dish that would satisfy Raylin, who enjoyed spicy flavors that went beyond heat into numbing pain.
‘Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d be making something like this…….’
Cooking in another world? Even I found my situation ridiculous. But this was all part of surviving. More precisely, it was a way to secure better treatment at the academy.
“Ramjwi-! Bring me the prepped ingredients! Give me the oil and dried paprika first!”
“Got it…!”
Ramjwi, who had been watching nervously from a distance, appeared pushing a cart loaded with ingredients. She still had one hand pinching her nose.
—Glug glug!
—Sssssssssss…!!!
I heated a wok-style pot until it was nice and hot, then poured in enough oil to cover the bottom. Then I tossed in the dried paprika—bright-red chili peppers. Even though they were paprika, they gave off a decent spicy aroma. Normally paprika meant sweet peppers like bell peppers, but yesterday I’d specifically asked Ramjwi for the spiciest variety possible.
—Sizzle sizzle sizzle…!
I stir-fried the chilies in the oil to make chili oil. Under the stove’s fierce heat, bright-red oil was already floating to the surface.
“Cough-! Khek…!”
“Cough, cough……!!”
We’d only just made the chili oil, yet violent coughing erupted, starting with Ramjwi.
“Breeder? It’s already way too spicy…! This doesn’t seem like budae jjigae anymore……!”
Ramjwi was already making a fuss and whining. Yet she still managed to hit the nail on the head.
“You’re right. This isn’t budae jjigae.”
“Squeak-? Then what exactly are you making right now…?!”
“…Mala.”
“Ah, sorry…! It’s a habit—Squeak! Sorry…!”
“No, I’m asking if you’ve ever heard of mala (麻辣).”
“Squeak…?”