Chapter 60

Chapter 60

Only Choi Yeonseung considered the dish a failure. Aine would’ve still enjoyed it. His useless consideration made her lose her chance to eat it.

After aging the meat, Choi Yeonseung threw it into the Chinese pot and started stir-frying it. The trick was to simmer it with a bit of water rather than cook it one by one!

“......”

“......”

Much to the hunters’ surprise, the end product looked delicious even though he used an obviously inedible main ingredient.

‘Huh? Why did it become appetizing?’

‘Is it because we’re hungry?’

“That looks so good...”

“Calm down, friend. That’s just on the surface.”

“So you’re not going to eat?”

“Well, I didn’t say that.”

Smallwood changed opinions. Honestly, its scent had half-shaken him. It smelled so appetizing that it stimulated his hunger!

Choi Yeonseung wasn’t done. Rummaging around, he took out rice and cooked it. He could finally use Earth ingredients again now that he had returned from the Abyss!

“Risotto? Paella?”

“In Asia, rice is a staple food.”

“Ah. I think I saw that in a movie. They really enjoyed it.”

Gulp.

The hunters around him swallowed their saliva.

“When will it be done, friend? Honestly, I think the meat dish is enough on its own!”

The pork bulgogi... No, the chameleon bulgogi looked so good it ignited the hunters’ hunger. However, Choi Yeonseung remained calm.

“When did I say I would give it to you?”

“Huh?”

“What?”

“?”

“You said monsters can’t be eaten. I made this to show you otherwise.”

“......”

The hunters came to a realization.The initial posting of this chapter occurred via Ñøv€l-B!n.

Ah...!

So...!

“Shouldn’t we eat it first to determine if you’re right, friend? You should give it to us in order so we can make a fair evaluation.”

Smallwood spoke plausibly, but Choi Yeonseung was stubborn.

“No. Now that I’ve given it some thought, I don’t want to force-feed those who don’t like it. I’d feel bad if it doesn’t taste that good.”

“That’s not what I meant, friend...”

“Didn’t you say it was trash?”

“I was talking about the British hunter I met in the past, not your cooking!”

Antony had been thinking about things after listening to the conversation between them. Now he raised his hand.

“Wait!”

“?”

“Come to think of it, Highmountain was the one who said that, not me.”

“......!”

Smallwood was dumbfounded. This bastard!

“Can I eat it, then? I haven’t told you this yet, Choi Yeonseung, but I really appreciate your talent. You’re not as good as I am, but your talent is comparable to mine. You're an amazing cook...”

“......”

“......”

The other hunters looked at Antony in amazement. How could he suddenly speak so eloquently? It was as if he really wanted to eat the meat dish!

Choi Yeonseung nodded. “Well, it won’t be a waste to give it to you, then.”

“T-thank you!”

Antony hurriedly ran over and accepted the chameleon bulgogi. He hadn’t tried rice before, but he felt it was more mouthwatering than a high-end restaurant’s risotto or paella.

‘Huh. He’s got a good appetite.’

Seeing Antony put a piece of meat in his mouth and then shove rice in it amazed Choi Yeonseung. His technique made him seem like he had eaten this dish multiple times! However, this was the first time Antony was trying it. He was just moving out of pure instinct. Antony was definitely talented... at eating.

He’d certainly be furious if he heard this, but...

Munch munch. Lick lips.

That was correct! However, the other analysts shook their heads. From their perspective, that was a bit farfetched!

“In any case, that skill is amazing... No, is it?”

“It can replace food rations, but I don’t think it’s that great.”

The analysts started to think about the benefits of this monster cooking skill. It provided alternative food that gave the hunters some invigoration during the boring raid, but was it really that great?

‘Can’t the hunters just bring more food?’

‘I don’t think it’s that useful unless they’re in a really dire situation...’

The skill seemed useless unless they had lost all their food!

“Everyone, other teams are coming inside.”

The teams that started on the outskirts were slowly gathering in the center. Unlike Choi Yeonseung’s team, who were resting, the other teams had only just arrived in the center!

“The gargoyles are gathering...”

“Let’s see if the hunters can defend against them.”

Choi Yeonseung’s team managed to deter the attack. Would the other teams be able to do the same?

***

They couldn’t.

“The Sisette team was wiped out!”

“Half of the Agnes team has also been eliminated. They’re retreating.”

“Was it too difficult?”

Ernest’s murmuring question prompted the other analysts to reply in unison.

“Yes!”

“This is too much!”

The B-grade hunters were thrown into a difficult dungeon. It was only natural for them to be annihilated. The results could’ve been different if they worked together, but that wasn’t possible since they were put in a competitive situation.

“I have to do this.”

The analysts ignored Ernest’s words and entered a discussion.

“The other hunters have fallen behind. Those that are still inside will suffer.”

“In particular, that team over there...”

Choi Yeonseung’s team was camping alone, close to the center. The rock gargoyles had finished knocking down the other teams and were gathering on the rock walls to surround and attack again! This assault would clearly be much more intense than before.

***

Richard Parker couldn’t stop himself from sighing.

“What’s wrong?”

“?!”

Richard was flustered. Choi Yeonseung, who he thought was sleeping, suddenly spoke to him.

“W-Weren’t you sleeping?”

“With martial arts, naps are enough for me.” For Choi Yeonseung, sleep didn’t mean much. In the first place, there were times when he fought for decades with no sleep in the Abyss...

Choi Yeonseung wondered, “Is there something wrong with standing watch?”

“That’s not it. Just...”

“You were once treated like a king, but now that you’re surrounded by hunters stronger than you, you feel shabby and intimidated?”

“?!?!?!?”

Richard was flustered. How did he know?

“H-How?”

“What do you mean? You don’t think you’re the only one worried about that, do you? Everyone has the same concern.”

It was common for hunters treated as aces to go somewhere else and feel discouraged upon meeting hunters stronger than them. Choi Yeonseung didn’t particularly worry about this, but there were many hunters who were sensitive to such things.

“What do you think I should do?”

“Stop thinking about these things and train.”

“... Other than that.”

“What else is there to do aside from that? Do you want to become stronger in an instant? There’s no such method in the world.”

“Contracting with a constellation...”

“Training is better.”

Instead of signing a contract with a constellation, Choi Yeonseung just trained in the Abyss!

Richard shook his head in irritation. “It’s fine. I shouldn’t have asked.”

“If you won’t consider training at all and want to find another way, you won’t get good results.”

“I’ve been training as well. What made you think I wasn’t?”

“You aren’t talking about going out on your day off, firing a few magic spells and saying, ‘Hmm, this is enough,’ are you?”

Richard blushed. He felt attacked.