Chapter 15: The Taste of Victory

“Eating skewers while overlooking the forest from in front of the cliff! This is incredible. Hoho!”

– Kkyuu!

Direct-grilled pork skewers.

The method was not very difficult.

First, from the boar’s meat, I cut the collar into thick, chunky pieces.

Since it would be a shame to skewer only meat, I also cut various vegetables like green onions and onions into large chunks.

For skewers, I simply trimmed some tree branches from around us.

After sprinkling salt over everything, I held them over Chorong’s flames, and they were done.

Sizzle sizzle!

“The pork fat drips down over the vegetables, giving them such a sheen!”

“Gulp! Isn’t it done yet?”

“Haha, wait a little longer. I cut the meat a bit thick, so it needs a little more time.”

Direct grilling.

As the name implied, holding it close to the flames naturally infused it with a smoky flavor.

Though I hadn’t added any seasonings like mirin, any gamey smell was completely eliminated.

– Now! Now’s the time, master! Hurry and take it!

“Alright!”

[[Cooking Mastery Manual] – Direct-Grilled Pork Skewers (Collar) completed!]

Strength and Vitality stats each increase by 2.

[The power of the [Cooking Mastery Manual] dwells within the dish!]

< Direct-Grilled Pork Skewers (Collar) >

Grade: Rare

Description: Skewers made with freshly butchered pork and freshly picked vegetables, grilled directly over Salamander’s flames.

Ability: Health, Defense +15% for one day.

‘Was raising stats always this easy?’

No, it absolutely was not.

To increase stats through methods other than leveling up, one needed to achieve achievements or clear special quests.

It was never something easily done through normal means.

For those stats to keep rising so effortlessly was almost laughable.

Furthermore,

‘A rare item.’

This was likely the result of the boss monster’s ingredients, Salamander’s flames, and the power of the [Cooking Mastery Manual] combining.

For a dish made by a trainee to be of rare grade.

Probably no one currently playing Unreal World would believe it.

Jackson watched such a dish with eyes that simply said, ‘That looks delicious!’

But I didn’t feel it was a waste at all.

“Let’s eat!”

“Thank you! Slurp!”

– Kkyuu!

“Right, you worked hard too. Eat up.”

The savory saltiness and the rich juices flowing abundantly from the collar meat.

Together, they rapidly took over my mouth.

Whenever it felt too rich, there were green onions and onions skewered in between.

Crunch!

“Ah!”

Even though it was grilled over direct flame, the texture remained intact.

The spicy kick unique to green onions and onions perfectly balanced the rich pork fat.

With only salt, no other side dishes or seasonings, it never felt tiresome.

“Hoho, this is truly a feast fit for the gods.”

“I know. To have skewers in a place like this.”

Perhaps because it was at the base of a cliff, a cool breeze swept down.

The heat around us, which had been intense from grilling, dissipated as soon as Chorong extinguished its flames.

A lush forest lay before us.

If this were reality, we’d have to go to a campsite to barely experience something similar.

“By the way, why was that boar messing with the hole?”

“I found that a bit strange too. Let’s take a look.”

“Yes. After we finish this.”

Munch!

I gathered all the remaining meat and vegetables on the skewer and took a big bite.

The rich juices of the meat, the crisp texture of the vegetables.

Gulp!

As I swallowed it in one go, the rich flavor left a deep aftertaste.

After feeding the remaining skewer to Chorong, I approached the hollowed-out pit at the base of the cliff.

The user who had dug nearly two meters with a wooden sword.

Whether due to that effort combined with the boar’s power, the hole was now over three meters deep.

“Ah, it’s dug deep. It would be dangerous to fall in.”

“Indeed. Huh? Don’t you see something at the bottom?”

Hearing Jackson’s words, I looked closely at the bottom of the pit and saw something that was neither soil nor rock.

“Vines?”

– Master! Those are sweet potatoes!

“Really?”

Sweet potatoes hanging in clusters among the winding vines.

Their long, plump shape made it impossible to mistake them for potatoes.

“Hoho, it seems that’s what he was after.”

“Seems so. Heave-ho!”

I bent my knees and jumped down into the hole in one go.

The sweet potatoes came into clearer view.

Though covered in dirt, they were larger than the sweet potatoes I knew.

Their shape was also not crooked, but plump and easy to eat.

“Item info.”

< Parasitic Giant Sweet Potato >

Grade: Magic

Description: A sweet potato that grows by parasitizing the surrounding roots for nutrients instead of photosynthesis. The tubers are large and taste good. The closer to the root, the more moist and sweet it is.

Ability: Provides additional effects related to mana and vitality to the completed dish.

“A magic item.”

To obtain magic items consecutively like this in the training ground, which was full of normal items.

The number of sweet potatoes was unbelievable.

What I saw now was just a part of the root system.

The roots continued through the wall.

‘Did he know about this and dig here?’

Suddenly, the user who had been diligently digging here with a wooden sword came to mind.

Of course, it was a hidden item if anything.

But unless one was a chef, was there any reason to obtain this?

‘Sorry, but I can’t just let this slide.’

I appreciated the effort of the user who dug two meters with a wooden sword, but I wasn’t foolish enough to leave a magic item right before my eyes.

To get them, I needed to dig further.

But I wasn’t foolish enough to use a wooden sword as a shovel.

“The solid earth. The cold flesh that breathes life into living things. Dig.”

Shff!

“Water, plants, and now earth magic! Is there anything you cannot do? Hoho!”

A first-circle magic, Dig, which excavates a set amount of earth.

The mana I had recovered while eating the skewers was rapidly depleted.

Then I cut the sweet potatoes off at the roots and stored them in my Food Storage.

Even though it was a single root system, it took quite a while due to its immense size.

‘So this is why there were no plants around here. And why the trees at the edge were withered.’

I had thought it was just part of the hunting area’s game setting, but there was a reason like this.

As the roots neared the surface, I could see what looked like stems.

Thinking of stir-fried sweet potato stems, which would have an incredible texture as a side dish, I harvested those as well.

Since I didn’t have much mana, waiting for it to recover took some time,

but eventually, I was able to fully harvest the widely spread sweet potatoes.

Then, a completely unexpected system window appeared.

[You have removed all Parasitic Giant Sweet Potatoes that were harming the forest’s ecosystem.]

[Achievement ‘Beloved by the Forest’ acquired.]

Fame increases by 300.

Affinity with forest races slightly increases.

Beloved by the Forest.

It was a title considered essential for encountering special beings like elves or forest spirits.

Before regression, I had barely earned this achievement by clearing a high-level quest to defeat all the demonkin attacking the forest.

‘To get this in the training ground. How many things have I gotten here already?’

The tutorial training ground was usually a place to spend about a day getting a feel for the game.

As such, the graduation time was also fast.

Unless you stayed behind digging holes like that user who died.

In such a place, I had already obtained various items, fame, and even a manual.

‘If I had only pursued strength based on my regressed memories, this would have been impossible.’

“Are you finished? The sun is setting, so I think we should depart now!”

“Yes, I’m all done! I’ll come up right away!”

Once the sun set, moving through the forest would become difficult.

Grasping Jackson’s hand, I escaped the hole and headed toward the training ground.

***

“Lee Chang! You’re back!”

“Mr. Dustin.”

“Dustin! How long has it been?”

“Huh? Jackson! Then, could it be!”

“That’s right. This young man inherited that one’s will. Hoho!”

“Good heavens! I had a feeling! This is truly a cause for celebration! Hahaha!”

Just before the sun fully set,

as the sunset beautifully illuminated the sky, we managed to arrive at the training ground just in time.

Greeting me and Jackson first was, of course, Dustin.

He was genuinely happy that I had obtained the [Cooking Mastery Manual].

“So, you see. My role is completely finished now. Perhaps…”

“Haha! Don’t worry, Jackson. There’s always a place for you!”

“Hoho, thank you.”

“That’s wonderful, Mr. Jackson.”

“This is all thanks to you. I’m truly grateful.”

“Since the sun has set anyway, and aren’t you both hungry? Let’s have dinner together! Though the training ground food isn’t that tasty. Haha!”

“I’d be grateful.”

It hadn’t been long since I ate the skewers, but I had used too much mana harvesting the sweet potatoes.

My satiety had dropped accordingly.

So I readily accepted Dustin’s offer.

I was also curious about what the training ground’s meal plan was like.

As we walked, I saw other supervisors finishing their work.

“Ugh! Today was really tough, wasn’t it?”

“Tell me about it. We just finished repairing the scarecrows that were broken last time.”

“And they were so hard to install!”

“Let’s just hurry back and eat!”

Wince!

The scarecrows I had broken a while ago numbered a hundred.

To think they had repaired all of them.

If I had left the training ground without seeing this, it would have been one thing, but seeing the supervisors who had worked hard because of me pricked my conscience.

But what more could I, just a trainee, do?

I quietly lowered my head and followed Dustin.

Then, a building I was seeing for the first time in the training ground appeared.

The cafeteria, which provided meals for the supervisors.

Entering the cafeteria, everyone naturally picked up utensils and lined up at the serving counter.

“Chef! What was today’s menu? After all that work, I feel like having something sweet!”

“Oh, Wilson! Great minds think alike! I was craving something sweet too.”

“Hey, just shut up and take it. You already know what it is, don’t you?”

“N-no way?”

“That’s right. What you’re thinking now.”

With the chef’s words, the faces of the training ground supervisors hardened.

Whether they liked it or not, the chef laid out the prepared dishes on the serving counter.

“Bread, vegetable stew, and pickles. Isn’t this too much?”

“Right! Do you know how hard we worked today?”

“Bring out some emergency rations at least!”

“There’s no such thing! You think I do this to torment you? This is what comes from above, so what do you want me to do?”

“Damn it! If this is how it is, they should let us hunt!”

“Oh my, how unsanitary!”

Was it because they had returned from a particularly hard day’s work today?

The supervisors’ complaints were more intense than usual.

Dustin, upon hearing the menu, also frowned and explained the situation apologetically to me and Jackson.

“The menu is especially poor today. I’m sorry. Though it’s not usually this bad.”

Dustin wore an embarrassed expression.

The supervisors complained, but they all accepted their food with resignation.

After all, if they didn’t eat here, they’d just go hungry.

Seeing them, a good idea came to mind.

“If it’s alright, may I borrow the kitchen for a moment?”

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