Chapter 27

Chapter 27

The news that the BX-01 Dungeon had been cleared quickly set the Hunter community on fire.

It was one of the most infamous dungeons, known for the saying, "More people die inside than come back alive."

Even strong Hunters avoided that place whenever possible.

The fact that a party of only three people, made up of a D-rank Hunter, formerly F-rank, a B-rank Hunter, and an F-rank Hunter, had cleared it was shocking enough by itself. Naturally, the rumor spread in an instant.

Perhaps because of that,

the free board of the Hunter-only community was almost completely flooded with posts about it.

[Breaking News] BX-01 Clear Party Appears!

[Shocking] Two Low-Rank Hunters and One Upper-Mid-Rank Hunter Beat the Boss, 'Big Monkey'

[Shivering] The Hunters Who Wiped Out 'Big Monkey'

The titles looked like cheap tabloid headlines, but one thing was certain.

All of it was true.

And perhaps because of that, countless comments followed.

Comments:

ID: DungeonGhost

└ What? BX-01? Isn't that the place where even A-rank parties struggle? Stop lying.

ID: FactChecker88

└ It's true. The Association posted an official notice too. Three-person party, Hong Man-gi (D), Kang Jae-min (B), Lee Yu-han (F), cleared it.

ID: ButtDemonKing

└ Yeah, it's true. Two of them were injured, but my uncle personally saw them walk out on their own feet. My uncle wouldn't lie. He said those three were the only ones who entered at that time.

ID: B-RankDealer

└ I already knew Kang Jae-min was good, but Hong Man-gi? Isn't he the guy who runs that food cart? Wasn't he F-rank until recently? Even if he got promoted to D-rank, BX-01 is way too much. How did he do it?

ID: Anonymous1

└ Nope, the real legend is Lee Yu-han. Is that guy really F-rank? Maybe he lied about his rank.

ID: HunterPrayingToEscapeFRank

└ Is the story about Lee Yu-han really true? Wow, an F-rank actually did something in BX-01? Can I have hope too?

ID: AspiringRanker

└ Seriously, what is up with this Hong Man-gi guy? He's D-rank, got an A+ rank cloak, and he's carrying an F-rank around with him. Doesn't he have some hidden class or something?

ID: FutureFoodCartRegular

└ There's a rumor that you get stronger if you eat at that food cart. Looks like it's actually real. Starting today, I'm going there every day.

ID: ReasonableDoubt

└ It was probably luck. Either that or the dungeon difficulty temporarily dropped. Clearing BX-01 while bringing an F-rank makes no sense.

ID: KangJaeMinFanClub

└ Our Jae-min oppa got injured Still, it's amazing that they cleared it! But isn't that Hong Man-gi guy just using Jae-min oppa?

ID: LeeYuHanClassmate

└ Yu-han? That guy used to be a total coward. Can a person really change that much? Just what kind of person is Hong Man-gi?

ID: Troll

└ LOL, a D-rank Hunter carrying an F-rank? Looks like we've got a new kind of charity worker here. He's going to fail soon.

Among the countless comments, Hong Man-gi and his party, especially Lee Yu-han's performance, had become a hot topic.

Doubt, jealousy, awe, and curiosity were all mixed together.

One thing was certain.

Hong Man-gi's existence was becoming a bigger and bigger mystery among Hunters.

Meanwhile, Kang Jae-min, who had injured his arm in the BX-01 Dungeon, was temporarily admitted to a hospital designated by the Association.

There were no cracked bones or damaged ligaments, but the shock from having his arm twisted by the Big Monkey had been severe. The doctor said he needed absolute rest for at least a few days.

"Chef, I'm sorry. I don't think I'll be able to help at the food cart for a while...."

"Don't worry about it. Take care of yourself first. I'll handle things here, so get plenty of rest."

Hong Man-gi visited Kang Jae-min at the hospital and firmly told him to rest.

Because of that, today's food cart would be run by just Hong Man-gi and Poming.

It was time to prepare for the evening business.

Inside the food cart, things were relatively quiet.

Hong Man-gi was organizing the newly purchased ingredients, while Poming fluttered around and hopped on his shoulder.

"Chef~! Chef~! It's so boring without Mr. Kang Jae-min~! There's no one for Poming to boss around!"

Poming complained in her usual cute voice.

Hong Man-gi chuckled and replied.

"You're not supposed to boss him around, you're supposed to help him. And Jae-min is a patient right now."

"Hmph! But Poming is still bored! Times like this are perfect for developing a new menu! Don't you have some brilliant idea?"

Poming looked up at Hong Man-gi with sparkling eyes.

"I'm not sure. Ah, do we still have some Tin Bludder neck muscle left?"

"Come on~! Not that! Something more luxurious! More trendy! Something overflowing with Instagram vibes!"

Poming waved her tiny front paws through the air as she passionately explained.

"Did you know that 'Mala Rosé Tteokbokki' is popular among Hunters these days? Then we put fried monster tendons right on top! Or we could make 'Black Garlic Oil Pasta' and crack a 'Griffin Egg' on top like a poached egg!"

"Poming, this is a food cart. And where exactly are we supposed to get a Griffin Egg?"

Hong Man-gi shook his head.

Her SSS-rank cooking ability was definitely real, but sometimes Poming's ideas were far removed from reality.

"Tch! Chef, you're way too realistic! It's good to dream once in a while!"

"Dream outside the dungeon. In here, we need to think about something we can actually sell. Hmm, the weather's getting colder these days, so maybe something with warm broth would be good. Or...."

Just as Hong Man-gi stared at the menu board and fell into thought,

[Jingle]

The small bell at the entrance of the food cart rang as a customer entered.

But something about the atmosphere felt unusual.

It was a woman neatly dressed in a business suit.

She looked to be in her early thirties, and she was holding an expensive-looking tablet PC.

Even the way her sharp eyes quickly scanned the inside of the food cart seemed unusual.

There was something different about her.

Her gaze looked as if she were evaluating the place.

She examined the cooking counter, the tables, and even the stains on the tent.

'She doesn't look like a Hunter... Who is she? She can't be a spirit....'

Hong Man-gi became slightly cautious.

Poming also seemed to sense something unfamiliar, because she quietly hid behind Hong Man-gi's back.

The woman sat down at an empty table, then lightly gestured toward Hong Man-gi.

"You're the owner, correct?"

"Yes, that's right."

"I heard this place has become quite famous among Hunters lately. Especially because you can apparently have some kind of special experience through the 'food' here."

"Uh... where exactly did you hear something like that...?"

"It's already being passed around by word of mouth, isn't it?"

The woman's tone was polite, but there was a certain sharpness to it.

She turned on her tablet PC, quickly checked something, then looked at Hong Man-gi again.

"My name is Park Seon-ju. I'm a reporter for 'Food Insight' magazine. We've recently received several tips about this food cart, so I came here to check it out personally."

"Tips? All of a sudden?"

Hong Man-gi slightly frowned.

'Food Insight' was a fairly influential food magazine.

It was the kind of publication almost everyone had heard of at least once.

Why would a reporter from a place like that come to this shabby food cart?

Reporter Park Seon-ju gave a faint smile and spoke.

"Yes. They were rather ridiculous stories, things like a 'Miracle Food Cart' or 'Food That Makes You Stronger.' There was even a rumor that an F-rank Hunter awakened after eating food from this place."

Her sharp gaze seemed to pierce straight through Hong Man-gi.

"To be honest, it's difficult to believe. That's why I wanted to taste the food myself and hear your story. If you have a signature dish, could you recommend one? Or perhaps I could try the 'special food' I've been hearing about? Ah, I came here as a customer. Please don't misunderstand."

For a moment, Hong Man-gi was left speechless.

Poming urgently whispered into Hong Man-gi's ear.

"Chef, that woman's eyes are kind of... strange. We can't let her discover our secret...!"

Calling it a secret might have been a little dramatic, but there was no reason to let everyone know that Hong Man-gi gained the abilities of dead Hunters after soothing their spirits.

Hong Man-gi took a short breath.

If he panicked or handled this badly, it would only make her more suspicious.

"I don't really know anything about miracles or awakenings. I simply chose to run a food cart as a side job."

Hong Man-gi calmly continued.

"As for our food, we simply make it with care. If you're asking about a signature dish, well, it actually changes every time."

"It changes? Ah! So you're going for an omakase style?"

"Well, not exactly. It depends on what ingredients I buy that day. These days, the things customers order most are probably warm soup dishes or rolled omelets."

Reporter Park Seon-ju did not seem satisfied with Hong Man-gi's answer.

She tapped the screen of her tablet a few times.

"Hmm, that's a rather ordinary answer. But the tips I received were much more specific. Do you perhaps have dishes like 'Tin Bludder Neck Muscle Steak' or 'Poison Heart Herb Soup'?"

Hong Man-gi felt his heart drop.

How did she even know about dishes like those?

He could not guess where her information had come from.

"Those dishes are only served occasionally, when I have special ingredients obtained from dungeons. I can't make them right now."

Hong Man-gi answered while trying his best to hide his expression.

Reporter Park Seon-ju stared at him for a moment, then nodded as if she understood.

"Understood. Then please make me the dish you're most confident in. Something made with your sincerity."

She put particular emphasis on the word 'sincerity.'

Almost as if she were testing him.

'Why is she being so one-sided about this...?'

Hong Man-gi thought for a moment.

Still, he could not exactly throw her out.

After all, she had introduced herself as a customer.

In that case,

what kind of food should he serve in this situation?

If it was too ordinary, she would be disappointed.

If it was too special, she would become suspicious.

Would it be better to simply disappoint her?

But if that happened, she might write an article saying the place was worse than expected, ordinary, or insignificant.

And that could drag him into another unexpected wave of rumors and gossip.

At that moment, Poming whispered again.

"Chef! Rolled omelet! What about the rolled omelet Mr. Kang Jae-min mastered yesterday? It looks ordinary, but it has our own story inside it!"

'Rolled omelet... Well, yeah. That's probably the safest and most familiar choice.'

Hong Man-gi nodded at Poming's suggestion.

Right.

It was not flashy, but it was food made with sincerity.

Perhaps that was the most suitable answer for the current situation.

"Understood. Please wait a moment. I'll prepare you a warm plate of rolled omelet with care."

"Uh, wait. Just one rolled omelet sounds too plain."

"Excuse me?"

"Don't you have anything else?"

"Hmm... Then I suppose I'll have to prepare something."

Feeling Reporter Park Seon-ju's sharp gaze on his back, Hong Man-gi headed toward the cooking counter.