Even So, They Didn't Chase

Even so, the players didn't chase after him. They were too preoccupied with the players who had already fallen. In the end, Kim Tae-hyun made a leisurely escape! Meanwhile, the rest of his party slipped out of the territory without a hitch. With so many people around, blending into the crowd and escaping was a piece of cake.

Although the guild members hadn't died and their losses weren't that severe, what truly mattered was their pride. They were planning a grand coronation event soon, and Tae-hyun had completely dragged their reputation through the mud!

'Kim Tae-hyun...! I will never forgive you!'

Su Ning gnashed his teeth. The guild executives couldn't even bring themselves to open their mouths in the face of such a murderous atmosphere.

"Ah, that hits the spot."

"But Tae-hyun, does this really have that big of an effect?"

Cain tilted his head. Unlike what Tae-hyun usually pulled off, this felt rather minor. Of course, it was only "minor" when compared to Tae-hyun's usual scale of chaos; ordinary players couldn't dream of doing such a thing. No matter how minor it seemed, diving headfirst into a sea of enemies alone and stirring up trouble before escaping was something no one could do without risking their life!

"Huh? What effect?"

"Uh... weren't you aiming for something specific?"

Cain was taken aback. Up until now, even if Tae-hyun's actions seemed reckless, they usually hid some deep, calculated plan or scheme. He had assumed this time was no different.

"Nope. I just wanted to screw with them."

There was no plan or anything of the sort. He had simply dropped by on his way out to return the favor! If there was one thing Tae-hyun excelled at, it was remembering exactly what he had received and paying it back in full.

"..."

Cain's face flushed with sheer bewilderment.

'This guy is hopeless...'

"What's with that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠look? It's creeping me out."

"Ah, no, it's nothing! Whoa, look! There's the entrance!"

Cain quickly changed the subject, pointing toward the entrance. A party was huddled together, taking a break. Judging by the cooking utensils they had laid out and the campsite they had set up, they seemed to have been in the area for quite some time.

"I don't recognize those players."

"Could they be enemies?"

"We should probably assume they are..."

Having traveled with Tae-hyun for so long, the rest of the party had grown incredibly suspicious! But Cain was different.

"Hey, this is the Espa Kingdom. Unlike the Auston Kingdom, there are plenty of people here who are friendly to us, you know?"

"Is that so?"

"Not really..."

"I highly doubt it..."

"Geez, just watch."

Cain stepped forward confidently. Having recently tasted a surge in popularity, he was brimming with self-assurance.

"Aaaah! It's Cain!"

"How is Cain here?!"

"S-Stay back!"

The players brandished kitchen knives and frying pans, pointing them at Cain! Seeing this, the rest of the party began to whisper among themselves.

"I guess Cain looks like a bandit to them."

"Now that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you mention it, he kind of does..."

"N-No, I'm not! I'm not a bandit!"

Cain protested, but then he realized something.

"Wait, those guys know my name! That means they're the weird ones!"

"Ah. They're from the Restaurant Guild."

Lee Da-bi recognized them instantly. A guild made up entirely of chefs—the Restaurant Guild! They were affiliated with the Guild Alliance, receiving support from ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠them in exchange for providing high-quality dishes. Their guild master, Chao, was an excellent chef, and the guild members were highly skilled as well, but their methods were notoriously underhanded and dirty. Because of this, other chefs who had been sabotaged by them in competitive quests regularly posted complaints online.

Of course, even the Restaurant Guild had once been thoroughly backstabbed by Tae-hyun...

"Restaurant? Ah, those guys? The ones who lace their food with poison."

"K-Kim Tae-hyun is here too?!"

Joining hands with the Guild Alliance was one thing, but suffering collateral damage was another.

'As long as it's not me!'

Besides, the Restaurant Guild had to pull all-nighters preparing food for the upcoming coronation. While they wouldn't sever their alliance over just that, it was impossible not to harbor some resentment.

Chao was utterly horrified. No, seriously, why?!

Of course, he knew the Guild Alliance had gone to Tae-hyun's territory and done something wicked like summoning a demon. But shouldn't Tae-hyun take that up directly with the Guild Alliance or Su Ning? Why come and vent his anger on a small fry like him?!

'I'm just a chef!'

"What's wrong?"

Paz, who was standing next to Chao, looked at him in confusion. Chao's face had suddenly turned pale, and he began dumping an absurd amount of salt into the dish he was preparing.

"N-No, it's nothing..."

'What is that? Is that a new cooking technique?'

Both of them had been rejected by Esla, but they weren't the type to give up easily. After all, rankers possessed an innate persistence, and that was doubly true for crafting rankers. They were preparing in front of the sealed door where Esla was locked away, determined to challenge him once more.

'The answer lies in the aroma.'

Paz believed the key to this quest was the scent. If he used skills like Aroma Maximization and Scent Seduction, even Esla would have no choice but to change his mind.

Yet Chao was doing something bizarre. After dumping all that salt, he suddenly stopped cooking altogether and just slammed the lid shut.

'W-What on earth? Is that really a new cooking technique?'

Paz had heard the rumors. A new cooking skill trend called Abnormal Cooking was taking off among the chefs over in the Atali Kingdom. However, Paz refused to acknowledge it. He had been intrigued at first, but the drawback was simply too massive. It tasted horrific! No matter how powerful the food's buffs were, to a proud chef like Paz, such cooking was an insult.

'Chao... don't tell me you've resorted to Abnormal Cooking just to win...! Wait. Could it be that because he's a demon, he actually likes bizarre food?'

If any demon heard that, they would be furious! Even demons avoided Abnormal Cooking.

Meanwhile, Chao stood up from his seat and began to bolt.

"Where are you going?!"

"Tell them I'm not here!"

"Sure. He's not here."

"??!?!"

Tae-hyun's party had already entered the dungeon, bringing the other Restaurant Guild members along with them.

The Restaurant Guild members had a point. If they tried to block him, they'd be sliced to pieces in a single strike!

Tae-hyun smiled and called out to Chao.

"Where do you think you're going? Come here."

"W-Well, you see... I'm currently..."

"Hey. I said, come here."

"...Yes, sir."

Chao scurried right back.

Tae-hyun looked at Paz and greeted him. Paz returned the greeting with a dazed expression. He had never expected to run into the world-famous Tae-hyun here.

"Hello there. Good to see you again."

"...?"

Paz tilted his head.

"Have I... met Player Kim Tae-hyun before?"

'Ah, right.'

Tae-hyun had previously disguised himself as a noble judge to eliminate Paz and Chao from a competition. That was why he remembered Paz, but now that he thought about it, there was no way Paz would know that judge had been Tae-hyun.

"Haha, my mistake. Paz, you're so famous that I got confused. I've been keeping an eye on your work as a chef."

"...!"

Paz's face instantly lit up with deep emotion. Although Paz was a famous ranker among chefs, he was nothing compared to Tae-hyun. To have one of the most famous Pan-On players in the world recognize him left Paz utterly thrilled.

"Is that true?!"

"Of course. I have a keen interest in cooking myself."

The party standing behind him wore bizarre expressions. Especially Cain.

'Dude... you're a Bizarre Chef...'

Cain was the primary victim of that cooking! It would have made sense if Tae-hyun was simply terrible at cooking, but in truth, Tae-hyun was actually quite a good cook. Back at their lodging, Tae-hyun was usually the one waking everyone up, preparing meals, and nagging them to eat! Even Lee Da-bi's younger sister had once whispered, "I think Tae-hyun is a better cook than you, Sis. Ah, don't tell her I said that! She seems really self-conscious about it. Last time, she was practicing..."

"But what brings you here?"

"Ah, well, the thing is..."

Paz was about to explain. Seeing this, Chao frantically shook his head from behind.

'Don't do it, you idiot! Don't tell him!'

If Kim Tae-hyun found out what they were doing, he would undoubtedly ruin everything.

"What are you doing? Why are you shaking your head?"

"?"

Of course, Paz wasn't nearly quick-witted enough to catch on. Tae-hyun spun around and spoke.

"Our dear Chao. Were you sending private messages?"

"N-No, that's not..."

"What did you say? Did you tell them to get in my way?"

"T-That's not it..."

"Go over there and stand with your hands up alongside your guild members."

"..."

The Restaurant Guild members and Chao quietly stood in the corner with their hands raised. They hadn't really done anything wrong, but what choice did they have? The Guild Alliance was far away, but Tae-hyun was right in front of them.

Paz explained the quest he was trying to clear. Hearing this, Tae-hyun looked puzzled.

"Is it really that hard to satisfy a demon with food?"

"Yes. It's incredibly difficult. They are the most fastidious of all races... Well, there are angels too, but I haven't seen one yet."

In truth, Tae-hyun had seen angels too, but he pretended not to hear and moved on.

"Paz."

"?"

"Would you like me to help you satisfy the demon?"

"...!"

Paz stared at Tae-hyun, unable to comprehend. Then, he spoke firmly.

"I know how incredible you are, Player Kim Tae-hyun, but this is the domain of a chef. Besides, I have my pride. I cannot clear a quest using a dish prepared by someone else."

Watching from afar, Chao shook his head. 'Pride, my foot!'

Tae-hyun thought to himself:

'I didn't mean I'd cook for you, I meant I'd put in a good word with Esla...'

He was about to free Esla anyway; surely the demon wouldn't refuse such a simple favor.

"And no matter how great you are, Player Kim Tae-hyun! That is absolutely impossible!"

Twitch.

Tae-hyun's pride always flared whenever someone used the word "impossible."

"And if I do?"

"Ha! If you succeed, I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠will work under you, Player Kim Tae-hyun!"

"...!"

"!!!"

"!!!!!!!!"

Tae-hyun's party stared at Paz with expressions that screamed, 'What on earth are you saying?' and 'You're in deep trouble, buddy.' What kind of reckless declaration was that to make in front of Tae-hyun!

Even Chao, who had been keeping his mouth shut, cried out in shock.

"Are you crazy?!"

"Uh-uh. Quiet that guy down."

"Mmph! Mmph-mmph! (Hey! I'm your guild master!)"

Tae-hyun smiled and spoke.

"Cain."

"?"

"Go outside and catch a rabbit."

Thirty minutes later.

Paz sat there with a look of utter despair, muttering to himself. In the real world, Paz had always been praised as a genius chef, riding a wave of endless success. It had been no different in Pan-On. Yet, to be crushed like this by Tae-hyun...

"Has my life... been a lie?! Sob!"

'I'm starting to feel a little guilty.'

After all, he had basically won using Carbanog's power...

Tae-hyun patted Paz on the shoulder to comfort him.

"Cheer up. I've only ever cooked rabbits, so my rabbit-related cooking skills have an absurd buff attached to them."

"But... but this is cooking..."

"Before it's cooking, this is a game. And I'm very good at games."

"Sniff. Thank you. To offer such comfort to a loser..."

Tae-hyun's gentle words struck a chord deep in Paz's heart.

"So, when do you start working for me?"

"...Huh?"