NOVEL WEB Chapter 28
The forest of the Kurtala Mountains was serene.
Just a moment ago, furious wyverns had cast a black shadow across the sky, but now the forest below twisted the heavy green scales in shades deeper than crayons as the wind blew.
“………”
“Hey, I think this seasoning… is messed up.”
“I figured as much…”
Bwahahahahaha!
Did it really flop?
I’m the fairy of cooking!
I’m here for revenge on cooking!
Bwahahaha!
Gotta eat a hundred million won egg, right?
Did you mess up the braised dish?
Beginner chefs occasionally pull off stunts you’d never imagine.
Not understanding the meaning of “just enough garlic,” they sometimes toss in whole heads, and they frequently burn whatever they were stir-frying at maximum heat just because they got distracted for a second.
Just enough, suitable, kinda, this much…
For rookie cooks, there’s nothing more difficult.
And to the returnee Shia, cooking is a whole unexplored territory.
When she first dropped into ‘that world,’ she had hid away from people for an entire year in a cabin in the woods, failing to do any proper cooking.
Just picking mushrooms sprouted from trees and grilling them. When hunting a deer, she would only eat the parts that could be roasted whole without even properly gutting it.
Fortunately, since Shia was a ‘Malicious Entity,’ there was no part she couldn’t eat. Even if she feasted on toxic mushrooms, poisons had no effect on Shia, an already-dead undead.
After that… well, since she had no need to cook, this is practically her first real cooking after living for over 80 years.
“Salty…”
At that moment, as she tasted the braised soy sauce, Shia realized something had gone very wrong.
Salty.
So freaking salty!
Insanely salty!
“What the… how did this happen?”
I swear, I followed the recipe… Well, honestly, I didn’t strictly follow it.
Why is it salty?
To be honest, there are so many points where I should feel guilty, I have no idea where it went wrong.
Did I put in too little water?
I think I added the right amount of soy sauce though?
What could have possibly gone wrong?
It was supposed to be a perfect plan…!
I mean, where would you even find a recipe for braised wyvern eggs?
All Shia did was search for the optimal recipe for braising using her smartwatch.
And yet, even if we assume she had just returned, Shia could tell the taste of this soy sauce was worlds apart from the braised dishes she knew.
Wondering if her taste buds were off, she sneakily asked Cheon Ah-Young, the hunter sitting beside her, to taste the soy sauce. But Ah-Young’s face didn’t look too pleased either.
“Get a grip. Get a grip. Get a grip…”
She couldn’t let this wyvern egg braise flop along with her.
She had successfully boiled a perfect egg; she couldn’t let that be ruined by the seasoning!
That was absolutely not going to happen.
“…Huh?”
At that moment, Ah-Young’s gaze fell on the cooking ingredients piled in Shia’s backpack.
Garlic, onions, cooking wine, and various ingredients—all piled high. And there was soy sauce that looked like it had already been used quite a bit.
“Hey…”
“Hmm?”
“Did you say to use soup soy sauce in the recipe?”
“……….”
In that moment, Shia’s face stiffened.
One of the most common mistakes beginner cooks make.
Confusing regular soy sauce with soup soy sauce.
The biggest difference between the two is the presence or absence of sweetness.
Typically, regular soy sauce has a hint of sweetness and is often referred to as brewed soy sauce. If a recipe says ‘add a spoonful of regular soy sauce,’ it usually implies to use regular soy sauce.
Soup soy sauce, on the other hand, is also known as Chosun soy sauce, and, as the name suggests, it is used to season dishes that contain broth.
As a result, soup soy sauce tastes significantly saltier than regular soy sauce. So if you put in soup soy sauce when you should’ve used regular, then…
“……Oh, crap.”
Only then did Shia realize why she felt like she had messed up when she tasted it, staring at the boiling soy sauce with a despondent expression.
Bwahahahaha!
Bwahaha!
Tentacle nun confused soup soy sauce with regular soy sauce, bwahahaha!
Lol!
Haha!
I’ve done that before!
The viewers watching Cheon Ah-Young’s broadcast were roaring with laughter as an unexpected comedy unfolded before them.
Omg! The streamer’s expression!
When she was hunting wyverns, she was so cool, but now she looks like the world is ending, lol!
Cooking flopped, lol!
No, no, it can be salvaged!
How?
No clue…
Meanwhile, the 192 viewers watching Hunter Isia’s broadcast were also unable to hold their laughter at the streamer’s unfortunate tale.
Unaware of this, Shia swallowed.
Right before the dish was completed, she was ready to send the braise to its doom just because she confused soup soy sauce with regular soy sauce?
If she poured the soy sauce seasoning on the eggs now, it would be the end!
No way.
Absolutely not.
Trials, fate.
Did you want to devour me?
Did you think I would submit to you and give up everything, locking myself in despair like I did long ago?
No.
As long as there is a single beam of light, I will not give up, and though you might try to drag me down faster than the rays of light, you could never imagine the darkness I’ve experienced.
Thus, Shia raised her smartwatch high and dialed somewhere.
Beeep!
[Hello? Oh, are you making good progress on the dungeon, sis?]
“Yeonhwa.”
Who are you calling?
They’re saying it’s Yeonhwa!
The A-grade Hunter Yeonhwa?
Yeonseo’s granddaughter?
No way, lol!
[Are you hurt? Is it an emergency? Should I come help you…?]*
“How do I recover if I mixed up regular soy sauce and soup soy sauce?”
[….Huh?]
The moment Shia spoke, a voice that sounded utterly bewildered came through the smartwatch. Hearing that, both Shia’s viewers and Ah-Young burst into laughter.
Pffft!
Bwahahahaha!
She’s asking if she’s hurt, and suddenly she’s talking about soy sauce!
This girl is hilarious!
She may have a maternal instinct, but clearly not a brain!
Honestly, it’s a good thing!
However, no matter how much others laughed, Shia’s eyes shimmered like jewels on her stiff, hardened face.
Laugh all you want.
I’m serious.
I am sincere.
[Oh, I see. I guess it’s not a dungeon, then?]
“….It is a dungeon.”
[…If it’s a dungeon, then why the soy sauce talk?]
“What happened is, I was making seasoning for braised dish… and I mixed up soup soy sauce and regular soy sauce…”
[………Oh, okay…]*
“You told me to call if I needed help with anything, no matter how small…”
And that was true.
Yeonhwa had definitely told Shia that, and she genuinely had the willingness to help with any small matter.
Shia remembered her as the person who saved her life, and the one who made her think of her sister, Yeona.
But asking for help with her cooking blunder wasn’t really the sort of normal request anyone would expect.
[Um, it’s not impossible to fix, but…]
“Isn’t it…?”
[There are many types of soy sauce, and every household has different ways to salvage. I wouldn’t know how sweet or flavorful your regular soy sauce is. If it’s truly unfixable, just throw it out and start fresh…]*
“NO!!”
Yeonhwa’s words sounded to Shia like she was saying her precious soy sauce concoction was as good as dead, so give up.
No way.
Absolutely not…
With the amount of leftover ingredients, she would never be able to make a proper sauce suitable for the wyvern egg.
“Hey, even a method you typically use would be fine! Please tell me, Yeonhwa!”
[Um, no…]
“I really need this! Please! You recently received a Hunter Name, didn’t you? You said when you have a Hunter Name, you must help others!”
This wasn’t the reason she got her Hunter Name, but…
????
?
Is this real?
A Hunter Name?
Wait, is she really Yeonhwa?
Isn’t she the granddaughter of Yeonseo?
She’s the only one who received a Hunter Name recently besides Icicle Nine Yeonhwa!
Seriously, she’s the Yeonhwa?!
I thought she was just a tall girl, but she’s surprisingly well-connected!
Of course, the viewers on the other side who were listening in on Shia and Yeonhwa’s phone call each started to speculate and connect the dots about the streamer’s relationship with Yeonhwa.
“Yeonhwa, I know it’s rude to call you out of the blue like this… but I absolutely need your help.”
[…]
Shia’s voice now conveyed a desperate plea that went beyond urgency, and Yeonhwa swallowed hard.
How could she not, especially when someone she saw as formidable—a person she could rely on, felt this way?
Regardless of how it turned out with the soy sauce, she felt that she had to help in whatever way possible…
[Um… I can’t take responsibility, okay? It might mess up worse than before.]
“It’s fine. I won’t hold it against you.”
[First, do you have regular soy sauce? Only soup soy sauce?]
“Yes.”
[Pour in some water.]
“How much?”
[Start with about a liter. Then add just a little soy sauce, boil it again, and taste the flavor.]
Following those instructions, Shia began to pray with trembling hands that the soy sauce could somehow be revived.
Many had seen their prayers answered, but she had to wonder how long it had been since she found herself making such earnest petitions.
[Since the quantity will increase, you’ll need to add more ingredients. Could you tell me what you have on hand?]
“Um, um… I’ve got soup soy sauce, garlic, onions, and some cooking wine, plum extract, and a little bit of sugar left…”
[Pour in all the sugar.]
“What?!”
Is she trying to sabotage my dish on purpose?!
The look of betrayal filled Shia’s face, but as the explanation followed, she easily relaxed her expression.
[Since soup soy sauce has no sweetness, the more sugar you add, the better.]
“Ah… okay. I’ll trust you.”
[And just toss in all the garlic. The more garlic, the better. Chop half an onion and add it in. It would be nice to have some chili peppers, but if not, it’s fine. Also, pour in half a cup of plum extract.]
“Okay, okay, okay…”
The wriggling tentacles of Shia moved in perfect sync with her every command.
It ended up being much more than she had initially anticipated, but if this was how she could salvage things, it was better than failing!
“…Ah!”
As the delicious aromas began to waft again, a smile finally broke through Shia’s face.
After simmering the soy sauce a little longer for 10 minutes and tasting it brought Shia to her feet.
“Got it!! Thank you, Bingoo! Thank you!”
[I’m glad it worked out! What a relief.]
“You saved me! You’re an angel, Bingoo!”
[If you’re grateful, don’t call me Bingoo. I’ll hang up now because I need to prepare for entering the dungeon soon.]
“Okay! Let’s meet in Seoul and take care!”
[Yes, be careful too.]
Unable to contain her joy, Shia began jumping up and down.
It was quite a rare sight for an 80-year-old to be this giddy over a soy sauce!
So happy, huh…
Look at that maternal instinct quaking!
Damn!
But she really is happy, lol!
Looks like she pulled it off!
Of course, the viewers who had been watching from the start, including Ah-Young, responded with a mix of teasing and genuine happiness.
“Anyway, Ah-Young?”
“Ah, yes?”
“I’ve been curious about something—why are you still here?”
“…Well, if you say you’re eating a one-hundred-million won wyvern egg, how could I not stick around? I can’t miss this!”
Now that she thought about it, she had heard the term A-Young Tube, and had noticed Ah-Young sitting there, interacting with something that resembled a chat window via drone camera.
She might be a Hunter streamer that I haven’t met yet.
Now that she considered it, she didn’t remember seeing anything related to eating broadcasts from the Hunter streams in this world.
At best, she recalled catching a glimpse of a program called ‘A Week in the Dungeon,’ where they prepared foods using canned goods or emergency rations from the outside world rather than on-site cooking of monsters or plants.
“Even if you ask, I’m not sharing…”
“It’s fine. I won’t steal it…”
In a moment less than a second, Shia, a returnee, had subdued Ah-Young, who had built up quite a lot of experience as an A-grade Hunter.
It was impossible for her to take or steal anything; Ah-Young was merely intrigued if this returnee, Isia, would truly eat the one-hundred-million won egg.
It wouldn’t be a lie if she said she was also feeling some hunger; it was just too tempting to miss out on such rare broadcast content as a pro Hunter streamer.
“Then, try this!”
Shia suddenly thrust a spoonful of soy sauce towards Ah-Young, who looked at her with slightly surprised eyes.
Having spent three days in the Kurtala Mountains without proper food, Ah-Young didn’t hesitate to accept the poorly seasoned soy sauce, feeling grateful.
Gulp!
“…!”
The soy sauce that had previously felt overwhelmingly salty now turned out to be a rather decent braised soy sauce.
Though it felt disappointing not to have the chili peppers for spiciness, the garlic and onions combined with the abundant plum extract created a delightful harmony.
In fact, since it was soup soy sauce, the flavor of the soy sauce was more pronounced, even with the many ingredients added.
“It’s delicious…”
“Relieved to hear that!”
Shia beamed brightly, humming happily as she tossed the previously peeled wyvern egg and the lean wyvern meat into the pot.
Typically, when braising, the least fat should be used, so she opted for the lean front leg meat of the wyvern.
As it began to bubble away nicely in the braise with the egg and meat, her smile grew even broader.
Completion was closer than ever.
But… there’s too much soy sauce… I’m running low on pot, right?
The ingredients were plenty considering the enormous size of the wyvern egg, but as she wrestled with salvaging the soy sauce, it unexpectedly increased in volume, and if she wasn’t careful, all her hard work would go down the drain.
Shia rose from her seat and looked at Ah-Young.
“Where are you going?”
“This.”
“Wha…?”
“Guard this.”
“Eh?”
Paaang!!
And just like that, Shia vanished, leaving a dramatic crack behind.
As she disappeared, fearing that some dust might fall into her cherished braised dish, Ah-Young quickly protected the pot with a barrier.
“…What just happened? Where did she go?”
No clue…
It seems she’s trying to give her something instead of sharing!
Seems likely…
But why does it actually look appetizing?
Does the streamer think it looks good?
“I haven’t tasted it; how would I know?”
No way! The streamer just became a dog guarding the kitchen, lol!
There’s someone using an A-grade Hunter as a kitchen watchdog?!
Bwahahahaha!
“Hey, come on, I’m not a dog! It’s just a small favor she asked of me!”
Ah, but the aroma truly was incredible.
While it was a one-hundred-million won braise, Ah-Young, who had starved for three days, couldn’t help but eye the bubbling wyvern egg saucing nicely.
It wasn’t only the gigantic egg that caught her attention.
The meat chunks made from the wyvern’s front leg were also cooking, and the aroma of garlic, onions, soy sauce, plum extract, cooking wine, and sugar was enough to make any human drool.
[‘Potato Chip Crossing the Pacific’ donated 50,000 won!]
Streamer, if you steal a bite of that and run, I’ll put in 500,000 won!
“Are you crazy?! Did you not see how fast I’d be caught if I tried to run?!”
Bwahaha!
Bwahaha!
The content just turned into a life-and-death pursuit, lol!
But… I’m kind of tempted?
“No! I’ll guard this like a loyal dog, I promise!”
While some viewers jested and bantered with Ah-Young, the thought of keeping that one-hundred-million won braised dish safe before Shia returned was a serious commitment for her.
It was humanly natural, but there was more than just that at stake.
…That girl truly has experience beyond killing a couple of people. No, even if she hasn’t, she has definitely killed thousands of monsters…
Though she usually projected a friendly image, often engaging in playful banter while shooting variety contents, Ah-Young was an officially recognized veteran A-grade Hunter.
She was already sensing the bloodlust from Shia.
Once she saw this returnee, a white-haired girl with ghastly tentacles, she realized she couldn’t afford any miscalculations.
The moment she destroyed her own defense barriers in one hit, Ah-Young felt a genuine fear of the girl.
Thank goodness she was a rational person with ethical standards… Or rather, was she even human? She couldn’t tell.
…
Kiiiaaaahh!
In the Kurtala Mountains, the leader of a wyvern pack at the third peak gathered the remaining clan members.
Having led hundreds of kin into battle, intending to take vengeance on those that had harmed their kind, it was all going well until suddenly, hundreds of their brethren had been ripped apart.
Moreover, the remaining clan were in poor condition.
The ones that had been killed outright were quite lucky in their misfortune.
The barely surviving wyverns, who bore grievous wounds, were now in a state worse than death.
Keyeek!
Krrr…
This Kurtala Mountain is home to numerous creatures and other monsters as well.
The reason why wyverns could be the overwhelming dominant force in this mountain range was due to their sheer numbers.
But now, with a substantial number of their clan dead, and the remaining members severely hurt, their future was left with only two outcomes.
Either they would be attacked by rival wyvern packs and be wiped out, or they would perish from the attacks of other monsters realizing their dwindling numbers.
In any case, there would be no future for the wyverns of the third peak.
Keeack!
It was then that the wyverns detected a menacing presence.
Clack, clack!
From the shadows draped over the entrance of the cave where the wyverns resided, a familiar energy was felt.
The predator they had faced earlier!
No, it was more than just a predator; it was a living calamity!
A human with white hair and grotesque tentacles.
Wait, was it human?
But even so, the wyverns were already filled with terror and began to back away with cries of fear.
That was just common sense.
Earlier, they had fought in wide open skies, which allowed them to escape with their lives; now, this place was a colossal cave used as a breeding ground for the wyverns.
There was no escape here, and with just a swing of that calamity’s hand, the injured wyverns would be utterly finished.
Kiiiaaaahhh!
Thus, the leader of the third peak’s wyvern pack steeled himself and charged at the calamity in defiance.
However, that calamity did not even regard the leader and swung her tentacle, crushing his head instead.
Crack!
Krrrr…
Keeing…
The moment their leader was killed in an instant, the remaining wyverns also lost their will to fight and began to cower in fear.
However, in the next moment, the calamity placed a hand on the leader’s headless corpse.
Miracle – Great Healing!
Kiiieeek!?
As white light illuminated the cave, the wyvern leader, whom they thought had died, rose once more.
Though its skull had been crushed and its brains splattered, it was now looking perfectly intact and unscathed.
Keee? Kyaaaahhh!!!
Yet, because the wyvern leader didn’t possess high intelligence, it couldn’t comprehend its own death and lunged once again at the now-revived calamity, tentacles writhing.
Crack!
And just like that, the leader’s head was obliterated again.
Miracle – Great Healing!
“Hehe….”
At that moment, as another burst of bright light shadowed the cave and the calamity smiled in delight, all remaining wyverns could feel a dreadful chill course through their bodies.
The feeling of terror began to dominate every wyvern present.
Once again restored to life, the wyvern leader was still oblivious, tilting its head in confusion as it gazed at the calamity.
Even so, it still seemed to harbor aggression toward the calamity threatening its kin, growling menacingly and preparing to attack.
Crack!
In the instant it assumed a defensive stance, the leader’s head was crushed again.
And once more, the white glow filled the cave.
Kieack!?
Crack!
This time, the wyvern leader did not have its head crushed; rather, its spine was bent in half, leading to its demise.
The bright white light flooded the cave again.
The wyvern pack could only tremble in fear and bow their heads to the ground.
This was the symbolism of submission and surrender.
Yet the calamity did not even glance at the bowing wyverns and continued stomping down on the head of their leader.
Thud!
Crack!
Thud!
As it crushed the leader’s skull over and over, the calamity did it more than ten times, and at last, the wyvern leader seemed to grasp what was transpiring, lowering its head to the calamity in a clear sign of submission.
The wyvern leader looked as if it were pleading for death…
Even those ferocious wyverns were shedding tears of despair, overtaken by fear.
“What a relief. Hehe.”
The calamity stopped pummeling the wyvern leader and picked up four eggs from one side of the cave.
With each tentacle held tightly around an egg, the calamity raised its other hand high, summoning even brighter light than before.
Miracle – Orphan’s Sanctuary!
A translucent veil passed over the wyverns and enveloped the cave.
Feeling their wounds slowly heal, the wyverns—who had been perplexed by the calamity’s actions—could sense their injuries gradually mending.
Kiiiieeek!?
Kyaaah!?
Did it mean that they would go through the same cycle of death and revival as their leader?
In terror, the wyverns felt a shiver run down their spines, but the calamity hummed along, carrying the four eggs away out of the cave.
…In that moment, all the wyverns of the third peak began to realize.
That calamity had healed them.
It did not seek their extinction and restored them, taking only four eggs with it.
The meaning was clear.
You are now mine.
You wyverns will be raised by me from this point onwards.
Submit quietly!
Otherwise, like your leader, you’ll die countless times again in an endless loop of resurrection.
Accept that truth, or you will suffer!
The wyverns began to comprehend.
No longer would they be the rulers of the third peak; instead, they had been reduced to livestock, subservient to this calamity.
Willing to accept it?
Or continue to suffer the same fate until submission arrives?
Kiiee…
The sorrowful wails of the wyvern leader echoed through the cave.