Chapter 197
Chapter 197
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 198
Chapter Title: Nayeo-ju Saves the World - Part 2 Chapter 18
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"......This thunder dungeon is a total shithole. I'm never doing it again."
I lost all motivation at the sight of the ruined lunchbox scattered across the ground and plopped down right there.
It had already been fourteen hours since we entered the dungeon.
For that whole grueling stretch, we hadn't gotten a proper break or a decent meal—just kept pushing forward.
To dodge the relentless downpour that never let up and avoid encroaching on the boss monster's territory, the outskirts in the forest were crawling with monsters.
Truly, really crawling.
We'd been trekking to find a spot to pitch the tent and rest when we ran into monsters.
Then lightning struck a nearby tree, forcing us to move again—and bam, more monsters.
After several failed attempts, we finally managed to set up the tent. Just as I was about to fill my starving stomach...
The ground erupted with a thwump, tree roots bursting up from below.
Right under the table stacked with lunchboxes, of all places.
The nameless tree-type monster that attacked the tent got diced by Lee Yu-eul's machete, but that didn't magically restore my overturned lunchbox.
"My pork cutlet......"
It was all so futile.
I couldn't bring myself to accept the reality in front of me.
"I was so hungry......"
I'd endured all the hardship thinking of this meal.
Praying for the departed soul of the pork cutlet lunchbox, now strewn across the cold dirt without even a bite taken, my nose started to sting and my eyes grew hot.
"Nayeo-ju-ssi, we have more lunchboxes you brought..."
"That's not pork cutlet—it's spicy pork stir-fry!"
How could anyone think those two are the same!
Kang Han was the type who could eat anything as long as it filled him up.
I shot him a glare, my emotions bubbling over since he couldn't understand my feelings.
His face stiffened immediately.
"Why are you crying?"
A rough, warm finger brushed my eye corner.
"I'm not crying."
I shoved Kang Han's hand away and stood up.
I shouldn't be snapping at an innocent person like some kid.
The real culprit was this godforsaken dungeon and my frayed nerves from no food or rest.
"Up we go."
I righted the overturned table and pulled out camping gear from my sub-space, arranging it piece by piece on top.
A big pot, drinking water, portable burner, utensils and bowls for everyone...
And finally, twenty packs of instant udon, neatly stacked. I rolled up my sleeves.
"We can't push on like this. Even if we have to run later, we need to eat first. We're doing all this to stay alive, right?"
I sniffled, rubbing my runny nose from earlier.
"Let's eat. Then we keep going."
Jo Tae-seok, the hunter broadcasting Justice Guild's raid on the A-rank thunder dungeon on Ganghwa Island, let out a hollow chuckle.
There was no rule saying you couldn't have a proper meal inside a dungeon.
But usually, people stuck to pre-made stuff like lunchboxes or kimbap—easy to eat and clean up.
A guild boiling water in a pot to make udon? First time in his long hunter career.
"Isn't a dungeon mukbang basically Justice Guild's signature by now?"
Lee Gi-dae, the caster, grinned ear to ear at the surging viewer count.
"Last time with the Taesan Guild joint raid, they did that whole eight-course kimchi jjigae spread right before the boss room—topped online communities for ages. Today, it's udon mukbang."
"Truly...... astonishing."
Jo Tae-seok, dizzy from his juniors' antics(?), barely continued.
"Once inside a dungeon, hunters' instincts kick into hyper-alert mode. Especially in an A-rank like this. Appetite vanishes naturally, and when there's a breather, they scarf something quick to stave off hunger and rest. But Justice Guild...... decided to have a proper meal first."
"We're the nation that says even Mount Geumgang looks better after a meal, right? After Justice Guild's dungeon mukbangs, guilds started packing cooking gear into gates. Even safe fixed dungeons now have 'dungeon restaurants' where civilians can play hunter."
"What, all that exists now? Er, quite the unique business. Haha."
Jo Tae-seok nearly slipped but quickly gestured at the PD off-camera.
The sharp PD split-screened the live chat window pronto.
Viewer numbers, which had dipped amid the nonstop combat in the gloomy environment, were climbing steadily.
Even with occasional breaks, the broadcast had been running for twelve hours already.
Lee Gi-dae had been about to cut for a break, but now he watched the numbers rise with satisfaction.
Slurp.
A sharp slurp cut through a brief pause between commentary—Nayeo-ju taking her first bite with chopsticks, amplified loud.
Lee Gi-dae, mid-ramble about udon types, stopped and focused on the screen.
Nayeo-ju, her wet hair roughly tied up, was devouring udon.
Thick noodles danced smoothly before getting slurped up, her pursed lips working steadily.
She swallowed with a gulp, ignored the spoon beside her, and lifted the round bowl with both hands.
After sipping the steaming broth, she squeezed her eyes shut, let out a massive sigh, and said,
Lee Gi-dae, who had forgotten to speak while glued to her mukbang, murmured in a daze.
"Ah, hot udon on a cold, rainy day is such a delicacy."
"Right? Haha, lost myself there for a sec."
"Suddenly craving udon like crazy."
"Same. Nayeo-ju Hunter could shoot a udon commercial."
"Food company CEOs watching, you hearing this?"
The laughter flowed with 'hahaha!', but Lee Gi-dae had a hunch: once the raid ended, Justice Guild would be flooded with food ad offers.
Viewers were loving it.
But not all comments were friendly.
Lee Gi-dae, steering the broadcast pro-Justice Guild, frowned slightly at the similar chats.
Jo Tae-seok, spotting them, decided to address it.
"Some say Nayeo-ju Hunter is a burden to her guildmates. As a 30-year veteran hunter, let me say: pacing to the healer's stamina is raid gospel."
"Ah, yes."
"If a guild's lucky enough to have a healer in the party, the healer's priority trumps even boss clears during the raid. Healer wants a break? You break. Healer calls it quits? You bail. Nayeo-ju Hunter's so gung-ho on raids, she rarely makes demands—so some mistake even this for being a burden."
Jo Tae-seok chuckled heartily.
"Back in my prime, we didn't let healers touch the ground. Haha."
"Aigoo, Jo Tae-seok Hunter, why bring up ancient history?"
"Too old-school? Hahaha."
Lee Gi-dae smoothed the mood with jokes, checked the time, and said,
"We'll take a quick break and be back. Dungeon feed continues—keep watching!"
The red 'live' light on the camera blinked off.
With staff help, Jo Tae-seok ditched his mic, stretched, and checked with the PD.
"How's the reaction?"
"After your words, anti-Nayeo-ju chats vanished. Chat was turning toxic— you saved us, sunbae!"
"Been broadcasting years now—if I can't read the room, I shouldn't take the pay."
"Pfft, who else commentates as smoothly? Where to for lunch, sunbae?"
The PD asked Lee Gi-dae and Jo Tae-seok.
Facing the grave lunch decision, they pondered then spoke in unison.
"Any udon spots nearby?"
"Udon sound good?"
"Oho, mind meld! I was craving it too. Noodle house nearby does great stuff—let's go! Maknae, reservations!"
The junior PD whipped out his phone to call.
Jo Tae-seok watched and asked,
"Udon run needs reservations?"
"Usually no, but today? Probably, sunbae."
Minutes later, at the noodle shop ten minutes from the studio—well past lunch rush but packed—Jo Tae-seok gaped.
"What, everyone watched Justice Guild and came for udon?"