Chapter 34

“Hu…”

In the kitchen of Duke Trapin’s castle.

Harin was sweating as she cooked something.

“Have I succeeded this time?!”

In front of her, there was a bowl of steamy cream soup.

The soup was a luxurious meal, with lobster in it.

Finally, she saw the system message she’d been waiting for.

– You succeeded in cooking the lobster cream soup.

– You succeeded in cooking a luxurious dish for the first time. Your Reputation increases by 1200.

“Yes!”

Harin smiled while showing her white teeth.

She wiped off a drop of sweat running down her forehead and checked the information of the dish.

[Lobster Cream Soup]

Category: soup

Rank: Luxury

Dish Score: 275

Dish Value: 9235 Gold

Satiety: +80

A luxurious dish with cream and lobster in harmony.

Made by a great Cook whose Cooking Proficiency has reached Advanced.

Unique Abilities

Life increases by 500 for 3 hours, Attack Force increases by 20%.

…

Harin was proud of herself, she had made a satisfying dish.

‘I will be able to make dishes that are worth more than 10,000 Gold if I try just a little more!’

The Dish Value was the price that would be set when opening a restaurant and selling that dish.

The Lobster cream soup was worth 9,235 Gold.

It was a little less than 20,000 Won in real money.

It was almost as expensive as high-quality dishes in the real world.

And ingredients to make lobster cream soup were worth less than 4000 Gold, so from now on, she

could make a living just by opening a restaurant and cooking in Kailan.

“Let’s get some rest!”

Harin was feeling thirsty, she sat at one corner of the kitchen and gulped down some cold water.

‘Cooking Proficiency certainly rises fast here.’

Harin smiled with satisfaction. She then naturally recalled Ian who had done the Campsite quest with

her.

‘I wonder what he is doing right now.’

Right then, a message came up in front of her.

– Ian: Harin, what are you doing now? Are you busy?

Harin was a little surprised to see a message from Ian at that exact moment, but she answered

quickly.

– Harin: I’ve been cooking in the Dutch castle’s kitchen. I just finished!

– Ian: Umm… you mean Dutch Trapin’s castle?

– Harin: Yes, right. I’m in Trapin.

And a little while later, Ian carefully sent a message.

– Ian: Harin… may I ask you a favor?

– Harin: Of course! What kind of favor?

– Ian: I am going to the North Continent… and I want to take some food cooked from you…

Harin’s face brightened.

Dishes couldn’t be sold on auction, so Cooks had to open a restaurant or sell it personally to users

and she had cooked a lot of dishes to raise her Proficiency.

‘It’s not because I want to see him.’

Harin tried to ignore the ‘unfamiliar’ feelings and replied.

– Harin: Great! I have cooked a lot of dishes. Where should we meet?

She hurried to tidy the kitchen.

…

They met at the square of the Dutch’s castle. Ian was forced to buy every dish Harin had cooked for

the last two days.

“I only made you pay for the cost of the ingredients.”

Ian smiled awkwardly at this.

“Haha… I can pay you the full price…”

“No, I passed the quest and got the necklace thanks to you. It’s the least I can do for you.”

Ian was surprised to see the dishes he got from Harin.

He had never seen dishes that were worth thousands of Golds.

In total, they were worth at least 200,000 Gold.

They were great, both in quality and quantity.

He was sorry because the 30,000 Gold he had paid Harin was too small.

“Thank you Harin. How can I ever repay you?”

Harin’s eyes twinkled at this.

“Then can you do me some favors in return?”

Ian didn’t see that coming, so he was surprised.

‘Of course… she wouldn’t give away these expensive dishes for nothing.’

Ian blamed his mouth, but he couldn’t take back what he said.

“Of-of course. Anything, just tell me.”

Harin thought Ian’s pupils slightly shook but decided to ignore it. She then continued to talk, “Um, wait

a second.”

Harin took out a small piece of paper.

“…?”

Harin gave the note to Ian.

“You said you are going to the North Continent. The ingredients written here can be found only there.

Gather them for me when you see them.”

On the note, there were various cooking ingredients.

It wasn’t a hard thing to do. Ian nodded, “Well, I can do that…”

“And my second favor is…”

Ian was startled, ‘What, there’s a second one?!’

He got nervous as Harin’s tone was quite suspicious.

‘What? What favor is she going to ask? Does she want me to help her with another quest? Or is she

going to make me her cooking assistant?’

Ian feared only one thing.

That was losing time he should spend in leveling-up!

Ian had not hunted for two days to get new pets, so he felt bad about it.

Then Harin spoke to Ian who was shuddering with ‘anxiety’.

It was something he couldn’t even imagine.

“Help me with my school task later!”

“What?”

Ian asked back instantly. Harin blinked with her big eyes and laughed.

‘School task? It’s not something inside the game!’

Harin continued to talk.

“I asked Kawin and he told me you go to Korea University.”

Ian nodded.

“Yes. I am a freshman.”

“I am a student of Korea University as well. I am a sophomore in the Culinary Arts department.”

Ian was confused now.

“Oh…”

“You like to eat delicious things, right?”

Ian nodded again.

“I-I guess.”

“I have an assignment to do during summer vacation and I need you to help me with that.”

Ian was now feeling sad, ‘I have to go out of my home?’

It felt ominous, he thought he would lose enough time that could be spent to raise one level.

“What… is the assignment?”

Harin smiled innocently.

“I have to make my own recipe.”

That was an assignment that fit Culinary Arts student.

However, Ian was confused.

“Will I… be any of help? I know nothing about cooking…”

However, Ian had nothing to worry about.

Harin didn’t expect Ian to be related to cooking in the first place.

“Don’ worry. All you have to do is to eat.”

“What?”

“Your job is to eat every dish I make and pick the most delicious one.”

Ian was dumbfounded. Harin then added, “You have to help me. Okay?”

Ian said goodbye to Harin and moved toward the auction house.

‘Uh… what was that? Why did Harin ask me to help her with something like that?’

Ian started to guess the reason why Harin asked him to help her with the school task.

‘Maybe she doesn’t have any friend to eat her dishes… she is a little weird, so it makes sense that

she has no friends…’

Ian, who believed himself to be extremely normal, thought hard.

‘But it’s good. Tasting a few dishes wouldn’t take long. She will probably ask me to come to school.’

Ian calculated hard on how much time he would have to spend on it.

‘If I run out of my studio, 30 minutes would be enough to get there and come back.’

Ian’s head was spinning.

He hadn’t dated anyone for 7125 days straight, so he couldn’t even guess Harin’s feelings!

But when he arrived at the auction house, he forgot everything Harin said. He started to change his

items passionately.

He had been alone for 20 years for a reason.

Ian was concentrating so hard that he was about to get sucked into the list of items on auction.

‘Where I am going is quite dangerous and I don’t have much information about it. I must get the best

gears.’

Ian spent a huge 400,000 Gold to get new gears for all parts and he started to search for a weapon.

Ian had to make a living without his parents’ help, so he normally didn’t spend money easily.

However, to get items for hunting, he invested a lot of money even before he reset his character.

In the real world, he was reluctant to spend even 10,000 Won on clothes, but he bought items that

were worth hundred thousand Won.

‘Isn’t there a bow that has options like those of the Mother Nature Set items?’

Ian had realized that he couldn’t fight well with a staff, so he wanted to use a bow again.

But he couldn’t find a bow with the enhancing pets options.

‘Let’s widen the search range.’

Ian searched for all weapons with the enhancing pets option. Quite a lot of items were then found.

And Ian spotted one with an attractive adjective.

‘Ancient Summoner’s Knuckle?’

Ian quickly clicked on the item.

[Ancient Summoner’ Steel Knuckle]

Category: knuckle

Rank: Hero

Usage Limit: Lv. 38 or higher

Attack Force: 205~235

Durability: 314/314

Option: Strength +20

Option: Speed +15%

Option: Leadership +40

Health of all summoned pets increases by 10%, Attack Force increases by 25%.

All pets’ fatal damage capacity increases by 55%.

When inflicting fatal damage to the enemy, one of the summoned pets’ Unique Abilities will be

activated randomly.

(Abilities cannot be activated if physical conditions are not met.)

Weapon used by a great Summoner of ancient times. It has the power to link you with pets.

…

Ian had nothing to ponder on, ‘I have to buy it!’

Ian flinched when seeing its price of 900,000 Gold, but his finger was already pushing the ‘buy’

button.

“Uh… it is a little expensive… but with its stats, I would be able to use it until Lv.50, so…”

He was spending quite a lot of money, but the item was worth it.

The ‘When inflicting fatal damage to the enemy, one of the summoned pets’ Unique Abilities is

activated randomly’ part was especially attracting.

‘I’m glad it has this activation limit.’

The limit was that the abilities would not be activated if the physical conditions were not met.

Ian got goosebumps when recalling Bukbuk’s Unique Abilities.

If it hadn’t been for the limit, Bukbuk’s ability to hide inside its shell would have been activated.

‘If that ability was activated, my neck would get in like a turtle’s neck!’

Of course, that would never happen, but Ian shuddered just imagining it.

‘Now, to the Snowy Mountains of Crupia!’

He had prepared everything.

Now infinite hunting was waiting for him.

Ian moved toward the gate at the center of the Village to use the portal to the North Continent.