Chapter 1
Chapter 1
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: Street Chef
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Jiangsu Province, Nanjing.
In the dim dawn shrouded by deep blue mist.
At the foot of the mountains outside the village, beneath a massive pine tree, stood an old wooden shack that looked like a painting hung on nature's canvas.
"Maban, come on out. Let's head to the market together."
I grumbled as I loaded goods onto my rickety cart.
The cart held the ingredients and cooking tools for today's sales, along with a few simple tables and chairs for customers.
I was a street chef, peddling my wares from village to village and market to market.
"Miyaaa~"
Late to the call, a raccoon dog emerged from the bushes. The red bell around its neck jingled with a clear chime.
Maban, a feline mammal of the wild, looked at first glance like a plump housecat.
But the blood of a mountain predator coursed through his veins.
Of course, his current appearance was no different from a domesticated pet.
For the record, his name came from Hollywood actress Marilyn Monroe. The big beauty mark on his muzzle reminded me of her.
Grumble... grumble...
Maban had apparently been playing hunter. A cicada vibrated between his teeth, buzzing faintly.
"Maban, let it go. Have some pity."
As if understanding, Maban spat the cicada onto the ground with a plop.
The freed insect seized the chance and flew straight into the sky.
I stared up blankly and murmured.
"Maban, I miss my parents more than ever today."
"Miyaaa~"
He couldn't possibly understand, but Maban pressed close as if to comfort me.
He bumped his small head against my calf, then rubbed affectionately.
You've probably guessed by now, but I'm living my second life.
In my previous one, I was born in South Korea and raised in an orphanage.
The doctor couple who were my guardians visited once or twice a month.
Each time, they ordered Chinese dishes like jjajangmyeon and tangsuyuk that the kids loved.
The jjajangmyeon was so delicious it sparked my dream of becoming a Chinese chef.
I dropped out in my first year of high school and showed up unannounced at Huaxiyuan, one of Korea's five great schools of Chinese cuisine, begging to learn.
Of course, not right away.
For about three years, I did menial chores like dishwashing and trash disposal. Only then did they let me handle basic prep like peeling onions.
Another three years passed, and I finally stood before the wok—the flower of Chinese cooking.
Hot oil and sharp knives left my body covered in big and small scars.
My fellow trainees had long since fled.
With talent and grit, I became a Michelin-starred Chinese chef after fifteen years.
A one-star Michelin chef.
It felt amazing.
If only for a moment...
"Ah, it still pisses me off thinking about it."
"Miyaaa..."
Remembering my past life triggered my hair-trigger temper.
Maban's eyes narrowed to slits, his gaze screaming, 'Here we go again.'
"Ugh, talk about rotten luck. I thought becoming a famous chef meant smooth sailing, but then gates opened, monsters poured out... Awakeners appeared..."
Yeah.
My world flipped overnight.
I was a non-Awakener back then.
But I wasn't bummed—relieved, even.
Instead of fighting rampaging monsters, I quietly cooked in the kitchen every day.
And then...
On the day of some monster wave or breakdancing whatever, I died miserably to a monster.
"Ha, after all the hell I went through to become a chef. The onions I peeled could build a mountain..."
I grumbled about my past hardships as I pulled the creaky cart. Maban trotted alongside, bell jingling.
Leaving my shack, I spotted two small mounds nearby, topped with spirit tablets.
They were the graves of my adoptive parents from this life, who birthed and raised me.
"Mother, Father, I'll be back."
I performed a fist-and-palm salute toward the silent graves.
It was a daily ritual I never skipped.
As a child, my parents were tenant farmers, renting land from the landlord.
Then a locust plague devoured the crops—ours and the whole village's.
Malnourished and struck by illness, they passed first.
I was just ten.
I begged door-to-door to survive but nearly starved myself.
In the end, I collapsed before their graves, awaiting death helplessly.
On the brink, my blood and organs rebelled in a final surge of vital energy.
A desperate struggle to live.
And that's when it happened.
Past-life memories flooded my mind.
'Ah, I was a famous Chinese chef in my previous life... This time, I lost my parents and ended up alone again... If I'd remembered sooner, could I have helped them even a little...'
Resentment surged, but with nothing in my stomach, not even tears came.
"Miyaaa~"
A young raccoon dog with a big muzzle mark approached my limp form.
He shoved what felt like small game meat into my mouth.
Thus, I survived by the skin of my teeth.
I still don't know what that meat was. Don't want to.
Maban hunts field mice among other small animals.
Anyway, that's how the pup and I started living together.
That pup grew into the fat, pink-bellied slob snoring in the cart—Maban.
"Wow, market's packed today. Time to set up shop."
"Miyaaa~"
We arrived at Yanyun Market.
One of the markets outside Chinese Gate, it drew crowds from nearby villages. The thick scent of people was a welcome change.
I parked my prized cart and hurriedly set up a simple kitchen, arranging tables and chairs for guests.
I set up the wooden signboard with the shop name. Finally, I posted the menu around the cart.
Thanks to my past-life skills as a famous chef, I never went hungry in this life.
My Waiting People's Restaurant was a modest but renowned eatery among street stalls.
"This life, I will die of old age."
"Miyaaa~"
No sooner had I opened than customers swarmed. They'd been waiting.
After the rush, a middle-aged man approached.
His battered bamboo hat spoke of weathered travels; a longsword hung at his waist.
He screamed Jianghu martial artist.
"Boss, one Yangzhou Fried Rice."
"Yes, sir. Just a moment."
The man sat and ordered.
I smiled brightly, fanning the charcoal in the brazier harder.
Street vending was second nature.
But serving a Jianghu man always made my heart shrink like a startled turtle's neck.
'Two weeks ago, that ugly-faced peddler Guo offended a martial artist and got killed over it...'
Past-life monsters and this life's Jianghu folk were cut from the same cloth.
In lawless lands, nothing was more dangerous.
Folk like me were plankton in the sea.
Scarecrows endlessly pummeled in a game.
Aiming for natural death, I always minded my manners.
Sizzle, sizzle.
Hot oil in the iron wok. I poured in beaten eggs slowly.
Stirring with the ladle scrambled them into light pieces perfect to coat rice grains.
Next, prepped sea cucumber, dried clams, shrimp, bamboo shoots, scallions. Finally, fresh steamed rice.
A gentle figure-eight wrist shake sent chopped bits, eggs, and grains airborne in a golden dance.
It repeated until the veggies' moisture evaporated.
As I plated the finished Yangzhou Fried Rice—
Pop, pop.
A bizarre firecracker sound echoed from both sides, and crimson neon text floated in the air.
A status window.
I blinked repeatedly in disbelief while plating.
'Hunter awakening? Here in the Central Plains?'
Befuddled, I shot a glare at Maban, frozen mid-yawn in loaf pose.
'You seeing this too?'
Oblivious, Maban yawned wide, fangs gleaming.
Shocking.
But past-life pro that I was, customer service first.
"Sir, your Yangzhou Fried Rice."
"Hrrm."
Tender eggs and nutty oil mingled with w smoky aroma wafting gently.
Golden rice that made your mouth water from the scent alone.
As the bowl hit the table, the martial artist snatched a spoon.
Appetite raging, he shoveled it in furiously.
"Cough, hot, ahh."
Steam rose from the freshly stir-fried rice.
He ignored the roof-of-mouth burn, devouring greedily.
Only then did I glance at the trailing status window.
'So this is the legendary status screen. But Hunter and Jianghu Chef? What the hell?'
The mismatched duo tilted my head.
I scratched my forehead absently—
First Quest
Satisfy 10 customers with your handmade dishes.
Pop, pop.
Another fanfare, red-glowing text.
[Woonsik Oh, your first quest has arrived.]
[Satisfy 10 customers with your handmade dishes.]
[Completion rewards Food Virtue Points and an additional special ability.]
'First quest? Ten customers out of nowhere...'
I licked my dry lips at the curt prompt.
'What? Quest popped and cleared instantly?'
Eyes wide, but then I nodded, getting it.
The middle-aged martial artist came into view.
Bowl spotless, not a grain left, he threw his head back in satisfaction.
"Boss, great meal. I'm off."
"Thank you, sir. Oh my, so generous..."
"Hrrm, keep the change."
He paid ten more wen than the menu price.
Watching his sated back, I thought.
'Ah, today's customer satisfaction auto-updated.'
I stared at the blinking button. It revealed the quest reward.
'Medicinal Cuisine? Like herbal meds? Inherent power what?'
Perplexed expression.
But shop was open, so I eyed the scallions on the board. Prep first.
An encyclopedia's worth scrolled beside the scallion.
'Holy crap, it shows the ingredients' effects straight up? And enhances them?'
Unheard-of power.
Excitement trembled my hands; I clenched fists to steady.
Thrilled, yet bitter.
Past life's fifteen-year grind flashed by.
With this, I'd have summited faster.
"Incredible ability, sure. But how do I use it?"
"Miyaaa~"
As I muttered, Maban climbed my shoulder.
I stroked his broad head, thoughts crystallizing.
'How? Cook with it, duh.'
One corner of my mouth crept upward toward my ear.