Chapter 45: Gangneung Part 7

I stepped inside the camper van and looked over the dishes Donggyeom had prepared.

“This is insanely delicious! Daebagi!”

– Beep! Daebak! It’s totally tasty!

Billy and Baekgu must have tried Donggyeom’s food beforehand. Seeing them rave about how good it was, I couldn’t help but anticipate the taste myself. Not only that, but I also felt a twinge of jealousy… It was the first time I’d heard anyone shout about how delicious something was besides the food I made.

(Anonymous 1): It’s that good? Send tribute.

(God of Rain and Sunlight): Yeah, send tribute!

I told the Seongjwas to wait.

“Well done. Stay outside for a moment. I’ll set things up and come out.”

“Yes!”

After sending Donggyeom outside the camper van, I examined the dishes more closely. There was sashimi and spicy fish stew, perfect as drinking snacks for adults, and fish and chips, which kids would love. The portions were quite generous. After all, the monster fish themselves were huge—about the size of a human forearm.

To have cleaned and cooked five giant fish so well… honestly, I was a bit surprised. I hadn’t expected such perfection.

First, I tried a piece of each dish Donggyeom had prepared.

The sashimi spoke for itself. It was carefully prepared, faithful to the basics, but since monster meat was so delicious on its own, it was mild and savory. Every bite revealed that unique springy, chewy texture.

Next, the fish and chips.

This was also solidly basic but the batter was the highlight. It seemed designed to be extra crispy.

I bit through the crackling batter, almost like a snack, into tender, well-cooked fish flesh inside. So soft it seemed like you could chew it with your gums.

A rich, nutty flavor mixed with a subtle sweetness filled my mouth.

‘… Not bad at all.’

Just the fact that he had perfectly filleted the monster fish showed he had what it takes to be a chef.

But going further to make such flawless fried food…

If I were Donggyeom’s father, I think I’d support his dream without hesitation.

(Anonymous 1): Send tribute! Do you want to see me go crazy?

(God of Rain and Sunlight): Haha, I’m hungry. So hungry!!

“Alright, alright.”

I placed a few pieces of the fried fish and chips on a plate. I didn’t want to put too much because it would be obvious, so just a taste for the Seongjwas, but I served the spicy fish stew generously.

In the concave center of the plate, I placed rice and soup, while around the outer edges, where the heat wouldn’t reach, I arranged fish and chips alongside some zombie salmon sashimi I had sneaked out from the storage area. Then I prepared to use the tribute skill.

“Thank you all for waiting.”

The Seongjwas who had been supporting me seemed to have been very eager to eat. That much was clear from how eagerly they kept donating.

[Seongjwa, Anonymous 1 has donated 100 coins!]
[Common-grade Seongjwa, Father of Crops, has donated an item!]
[C-grade item, Frostflower Herb]
– Description: An herb harvested with the help of spirits by the Father of Crops.
– Effect: Quickly cools food. Also relieves high fever in people prone to overheating.

We even received a herb that seemed perfect for summer, and the coins kept accumulating.

[Hero-grade Seongjwa, Blue River’s Messenger, donated 100 coins!]
[Common-grade Seongjwa, Endless Waiting, donated 100 coins!]
[Hero-grade Seongjwa, God of Rain and Sunlight, donated 100 coins!]
[Hero-grade Seongjwa, The Liberated Swordsman, donated 300 coins!]
[Common-grade Seongjwa, Last Nightwatch, donated 300 coins!]

“…!!”

I asked Evan, the Liberated Swordsman, and Julian, the Last Nightwatch.

“Oh my, Seongjwa, why did you donate so much??”

(Liberated Swordsman): I had extra coins.

(Last Nightwatch): Same here. I sold some unused weapons at the coin shop.

Naturally, I added more fish and chips and sashimi. I could make more fish and chips if needed.

I also filled more of the spicy fish stew. If that ran out, I could cook more.

Then, I added more zombie salmon sashimi. While placing it on Evan and Julian’s plates, I took a piece for myself.

“… Whoa, this is amazing.”

It was truly spectacular. The best sashimi I’d ever eaten. Although I hadn’t really had expensive sashimi before, a fellow hunter once bought sashimi after a hunt. That taste had stuck with me.

‘I’ve cleanly forgotten that taste now.’

I instinctively knew that I wouldn’t want to eat any other sashimi from now on.

It wasn’t just rich, mild, or sweet in an ordinary way. Zombie salmon sashimi was on an entirely different level.

Would eating the Red Grouper, known as the Prince of the Sea, taste like this? No, this probably tasted even better.

I added more of the fantastic zombie salmon to Evan and Julian’s plates.

(Liberated Swordsman): Haha, spending more coins was worth it. Thanks, Jinwoo.

(Last Nightwatch): It was worth it. Thanks, Jinwoo!

I was the one who should be thanking them, but the Seongjwas expressed their gratitude instead. I smirked and sent the tribute skill one by one.

(Anonymous 1): Wait! I’ll donate more, so give me more food too!

[Seongjwa uses tribute skill on Anonymous 1!]

“… I already used the skill.”

(Anonymous 1): D*mn… I shouldn’t have held back on coins!!!

“I’ll bring you more next time.”

Today’s haul was great.

Frostflower herb and a thousand coins.

Now I had accumulated 6,000 coins. Maybe it was time to start buying elixir fragments at the auction.

I finished preparing to leave the camper van with the food. Just then, Byul and Baekgu approached me quietly and whispered that Donggyeom’s food was delicious but if they put their strength into it, they could probably make it even better.

I was proud to see that they had grown enough to express their thoughts properly. I patted Billy and Baekgu.

“Hehe.”

– Beep!

(Anonymous 1): Jinwoo, your pride is written all over your face.

(God of Rain and Sunlight): I’m proud too, so what.

(Anonymous 1): Well, yeah. After all, we’ve seen Byul grow up. It’s amazing how quickly she’s blossomed.

(Blue River’s Messenger): Right. The Spirit King’s power is felt every day.

(Father of Crops): I’m curious about the dishes Byul and Baekgu make together.

I nodded. Surely if Baekgu and Billy assisted me in cooking, we could create something truly delicious.

“Really? Then how about we cook together tomorrow?”

“Yay!”

– Beep! Great! Let’s cook together!

Jang Donggyeom’s father, Jang Deoksu, sat with his family at the camping table.

Donggyeom’s mother and younger sister were already supportive of the different path he was taking.

His younger sister, honestly, wasn’t very interested in what he did. She just thought, if you do what you want and live well, that’s enough.

Donggyeom’s mother, while somewhat saddened by the path he’d chosen, believed that his perseverance in balancing swimming and studying would prevent him from failing at anything.

In other words, if Donggyeom earned his father Jang Deoksu’s approval today, he could fully dedicate himself to cooking. Trembling, Donggyeom handed his dishes to the people at the campsite.

“Payment for the food.”

Deoksu handed his son a ten-thousand-won bill.

A token of thanks for working hard to prepare the food.

Donggyeom couldn’t just smile and accept the money. If his cooking skills were recognized, it would be payment for the food, but if not, it would feel like pocket money meant to make him accept reality.

Other campers also handed Donggyeom one or ten-thousand-won bills for the food.

They were giving pocket money under the pretense of paying for the food. Junhyun also gave some of the money he earned busking at the campsite to Donggyeom.

“Let’s keep fighting.”

It was a sign of support from someone who shared similar worries.

Finally, Deoksu and the other guests picked up their spoons and chopsticks.

Though Deoksu ran a hardware store, he also had a side job as a food blogger. That was part of why Donggyeom was interested in cooking.

Deoksu began to enjoy the food seriously, as if he were judging it strictly.

‘I have to be objective.’

He wanted to praise his son’s hard work, but how could he? One taste evaluation might decide his son’s future.

Knowing he had to be more serious than anyone else, he steeled his resolve. If there was the slightest flaw, he planned to scold Donggyeom’s mother.

He ate the first dish: sashimi.

Sashimi, after all, depends on the quality of the fish.

Deoksu, having eaten monster meat many times, recognized the flavor. It was simple but had a mild, savory taste unmatched by any other sashimi.

A flavor that naturally called for soju.

‘Sashimi doesn’t need special cooking skills, but precise knife work is essential.’

Though he never taught Donggyeom knife skills, his son had managed this alone, which made him proud.

But he showed no emotion. Maintaining a poker face, he alternated between soju and sashimi.

At that moment, other campers and Jinwoo also ate together, clinking their glasses.

“This is really delicious.”

“Wow, Donggyeom’s sashimi cutting skills are amazing.”

“I’m so jealous of Billy and Baekgu—they get to eat such tasty monster meat often.”

“Right? I’m not jealous of other hunters, but hunters with monster detox skills, yes! Monster meat tastes incredible…”

“Jinwoo, Donggyeom, thank you for letting us eat such delicious sashimi.”

They pulled out bills again and handed Jinwoo and Donggyeom ten-thousand-won bills each.

This time, the bills weren’t pocket money from elders to juniors.

They were sincere thanks for creating a good atmosphere and sharing truly delicious food.

Understanding this, Jinwoo and Donggyeom smiled as they accepted the money.

(Anonymous 1): … Tasty. That kid can cook.

(God of Rain and Sunlight): The zombie salmon meat is unbelievably good.

(Father of Crops): I knew zombie salmon sashimi was delicious, but Donggyeom’s fried fish and chips? That’s really good too. It pairs perfectly with the kiwi dressing I made.

(Liberated Swordsman): I really like this spicy fish stew. It makes you sweat and has a deep flavor. The umami is captivating.

(Blue River’s Messenger): Not as good as Jinwoo, but still excellent cooking skills.

(Endless Waiting): Yeah, it’s tasty.

(Last Nightwatch): 300 coins were well spent!

Praise from the Seongjwas.

Everyone at the campsite enjoyed Donggyeom’s food, slowly finishing their soju and beer.

Sashimi and spicy stew were perfect with soju, and fish and chips went well with beer.

Donggyeom’s cooking skill had already captivated many people.

Finally, Deoksu spoke.

“You could apply to a hotel culinary program. You’ve got time before university, so work part-time in a restaurant and save up for tuition.”

[Mission Cleared!]
– Mission: Solve Donggyeom’s worries.
[As a reward for clearing the mission, a random box has been granted!]

With Deoksu’s approval, everyone at the campsite celebrated as if it were their own success, congratulating Donggyeom warmly.