The field was vast and filled with many plants.
So far, Kyu-seong had planted cherry tomatoes, carrots, Layla (a type of plant), potatoes, sweet potatoes, embergrill (another plant), eggplants, cucumbers, strawberries, bell peppers, Goso-Goso (yet another plant), lettuce, onions, garlic, and beans.
“Amazing, truly amazing.”
Junichi, curious about how Kyu-seong managed to grow so many crops at once, saw slimes bustling around everywhere and got his answer.
Who would have thought of farming with slimes!
It was an unheard-of method that no one had ever thought of or tried before.
Even if they had, how would they have gotten the slimes to farm?
“It must be his taming skill.”
According to his research, Kyu-seong’s ability was liquid synthesis.
Yet, somehow, he was managing all kinds of monsters here, including Ara.
It was clear that he had undergone a second awakening.
“This is a tomato!”
“Wow, all these crops look so different from those on Earth. It’s refreshing.”
Orie exclaimed in amazement.
As a chef who had visited many fields to study, she found it interesting to see familiar crops in new forms and growth rates.
Junichi, who had also purchased land and hired experts to cultivate premium ingredients, found this scene very instructive.
“Oh? Is that…?”
“Ah, I tried growing rice, but winter came and I failed. I’ll have to try again.”
They chatted as they inspected the various crops and finally arrived at the bell pepper field.
The slimes there were in the middle of harvesting the bell peppers.
The sight of slimes sluggishly harvesting bell peppers was quite shocking.
“Are slimes usually like this?”
Junichi couldn’t answer Orie’s question.
Despite his long experience in the awakening industry, this was the first time he had seen slimes farming.
Ignoring their reactions, Kyu-seong harvested a bell pepper.
The freshly picked bell pepper emitted a fragrant, appetite-whetting aroma.
“This is how you pick them. It’s easy, right?”
“Ohh.”
“Now, let’s all harvest the bell peppers together.”
The full-scale work began.
Following Kyu-seong’s instructions, they picked the bell peppers and put them in the baskets the slimes had prepared in advance.
“The harvest rate is very high. The field didn’t seem that big, but there’s quite a lot.”
“Yes, it’s easy to manage too.”
Each stem had about 20 bell peppers hanging from it.
With a slight twist of the wrist, the bell peppers detached easily with a soft snap.
They felt quite heavy, likely due to their high water content.
“Isn’t this fun?”
Despite being simple labor, the slimes helping out, the wandering Kkumuri, and the chattering fairies made it anything but boring.
With Kyu-seong’s permission, they even ate freshly picked bell peppers in between harvesting, making it feel like paradise.
“Hehehe. There are so many delicious bell peppers.”
While the others were harvesting, Ara busily replaced filled baskets with new ones, making everyone smile at her diligent work.
“The baskets must be heavy, but she’s handling them well.”
“Our Ara is quite strong. My brother probably gets a lot of help from her too.”
Orie and Jae-seong took a brief rest and chatted while the slimes filled their spots.
Both Orie, seeing this for the first time, and Jae-seong, who had seen it a few times before, found the sight of slimes working quite fascinating.
The seemingly endless bell pepper harvest gradually came to an end.
As Junichi tasted the last harvested bell pepper, he looked around with a satisfied smile.
“Ha! Are there no more crops to harvest? This is so enjoyable!”
“Today, it’s only bell peppers. From the looks of it, we might be able to harvest sweet potatoes tomorrow.”
“What a shame. If only they could grow a day faster!”
Junichi, who had to return tonight due to his busy schedule, regretted not being able to harvest other crops.
“Shall we eat now that the work is done?”
“Sounds good!”
After the farm work, everyone felt their hunger keenly.
The thought of eating a meal made with Kyu-seong’s ingredients made their mouths water.
Even Ara perked up at the mention of food and quickly ran off somewhere, returning with Bokkeum.
With a flourish, she presented him.
“Behold! A golden carrot!”
“Huh?”
Everyone tilted their heads in confusion as Ara suddenly brought out a slime.
But when Bokkeum spat out a gigantic golden carrot, their eyes widened in surprise.
“Is this…?!”
“Wow!”
“Is this the special ingredient you mentioned?”
They were used to Kyu-seong’s mini carrots, but this enormous golden carrot filled them with anticipation.
“Is this a new variety?”
“It is a new variety, but it’s a lucky mutation we harvested.”
“Wow. Could this be an item too?”
“Yes, it is.”
“May I check it…?”
Junichi asked cautiously, and Kyu-seong, having anticipated this situation from the moment he knew they were coming, smiled.
“You might be surprised.”
“I’d rather not check it.”
Junichi didn’t want to upset Kyu-seong. Gourmet food, especially ingredients from Kyu-seong, had become a significant part of his life.
If Kyu-seong said it was surprising, it was definitely not an ordinary item. He didn’t want to risk any misunderstandings by checking the item.
Skipping the item check, Kyu-seong shared his concern with Jae-seong, which he had since harvesting the golden carrot.
“Jae-seong, is there a dish that can be shared among many people using this carrot? I want to share it, but we only have one carrot…”
“Hmm, to increase the quantity, a soup would be best. With this size, it could serve hundreds of portions.”
“Hundreds of portions?! Great, great! Soup is perfect!”
Seeing Kyu-seong’s satisfaction, Jae-seong rolled up his sleeves, determined not to disappoint his brother.
Orie, too, was more motivated than usual, wondering if this could help her secure more ingredients.
The group moved to the cooking building immediately.
The main ingredients were the golden carrot, onions, and potatoes.
Conveniently, Kyu-seong had all of these, and Junichi took out the remaining ingredients, such as seasonings, from his space expansion item.
“A soup…?”
Kyu-seong suddenly remembered the delicious hot spring water and asked Jae-seong.
“There’s this unique hot spring water here that’s drinkable.”
“Unique hot spring water?”
“Yeah. Try it.”
While other soups might have been skipped, he felt that the honey-flavored hot spring water would complement the carrot soup perfectly.
Ara, who was listening intently to Kyu-seong, ran off to fetch the hot spring water.
“Here it is, the honey-flavored hot spring water!”
“Oh, the one at the entrance of the field…”
Remembering the hot spring water they had passed by while inspecting the field, everyone took a sip.
It felt like drinking sweet, warm tea.
“What should we call this…”
“It feels calming.”
Jae-seong also took a sip and nodded.
“It’s delicious, brother.”
“Is it?”
“But I don’t think it would suit the carrot soup.”
“Really?”
Kyu-seong nodded as if he had expected this, but his disappointed expression was noticeable to anyone.
Despite this, Jae-seong stood firm, saying no when necessary.
“I’ll take this and research it separately. Today, let’s just make carrot soup.”
“Alright.”
Setting aside his disappointment, they began preparing the meal in earnest.
First, they inspected the main ingredient of this dish, the carrot.
Although they had become quite accustomed to handling Kyu-seong’s magical carrots, this one was different.
‘Hmm…’
Jae-seong immediately activated his ability, “Absolute Sense.”
Although it only lasted for one second, this ability could enhance one of his five senses to the extreme.
With his limited mana as a first-class awakener, he could only use it about ten times a day.
“Huff!”
He maximized his sense of smell with Absolute Sense.
Normally, he would enhance his sense of taste to sample the ingredient, but this time, the ingredient was too unique for a simple taste test.
‘This is…!’
Grabbing the carrot, Jae-seong quickly inhaled its scent, his eyes widening in surprise.
“How is it?”
“What do you think, Chef Kyu-seong?”
Even as Junichi and Orie asked, Jae-seong, who was deep in thought, finally spoke.
“This sensation is new to me. Or rather, it’s familiar yet strange.”
“What do you mean?”
“Chef Orie, this ingredient is like meat.”
“Meat?”
Jae-seong’s words seemed odd.
However, Orie’s expression gradually grew more serious.
“Could you please explain in more detail?”
Kyu-seong stood there, puzzled, while Junichi calmly asked for clarification.
“In ingredients, meat has different characteristics and flavors depending on the cut. This carrot is similar.”
“So, you mean…?”
“The top part connected to the stem, the middle body, and the lower part with the roots all have different tastes, aromas, and characteristics.”
“Oh my.”
“While it’s certain that each part will be delicious no matter how it’s cooked, the optimal cooking method will vary by section. This is truly amazing.”
Just by smelling the carrot once, Jae-seong had gathered a wealth of information.
It was an ability perfectly suited to cooking.
Kyu-seong, impressed by Jae-seong’s ability, was also astonished by the previously unknown characteristics of his harvest.
“So, just like beef is divided into different cuts like brisket, ribs, and sirloin, this carrot is divided by section too?”
“You understood the English terms?”
“Ara translated them for me.”
Jae-seong nodded, looking at the diligent Ara.
“That’s right. You understood it correctly.”
“So what do we do? Should we postpone the soup?”
“That’s for you to decide, brother. But if we go with a different type of dish, we won’t be able to make a large quantity. And this carrot isn’t like well-researched meat. I don’t know the optimal cooking method for each part yet.”
Satisfied with the explanation, Kyu-seong made a decision.
“Then let’s stick to making the soup. I want to feed as many people as possible.”
“Good. I recommend that too. Even if it’s not the optimal cooking method, it’s a dish that won’t fail.”
With the decision made, Jae-seong took out his kitchen knife. As soon as he finished speaking, he began preparing the ingredients.
First, he started with the onions and potatoes.
Jae-seong and Orie began moving as if they had been working together for years.
While Jae-seong prepared the ingredients, Orie preheated the large pot and got ready to sauté the ingredients.
“Amazing!”
Ara, wearing her tiger pajamas, watched the cooking process with clenched fists.
Kyu-seong also admired the serious cooking scene, just in case, recording it on his phone.
“Phew.”
With all the ingredients except the carrot prepared, Orie began sautéing them.
As the vegetables cooked in the butter-coated pan, a delicious aroma spread.
“Absolute Sense!”
Jae-seong activated Absolute Sense once more.
This time, he enhanced his sense of touch.
Just for one second, even splitting that second into smaller fragments.
During that fleeting moment, Jae-seong’s knife made precise cuts.
Swish—
The giant carrot was sliced perfectly, the process resembling the dissection of a large tuna.
Even after the ability ended, he maintained the sensation in his fingertips, making his knife dance.
The golden carrot quickly started to break down into small pieces.
Jae-seong’s basic skills had always been excellent, but after becoming an awakener, his practiced basics began to truly shine.
“Wow.”
Kyu-seong couldn’t help but exclaim as he recorded the video.
Jae-seong’s knife skills transcended technique and felt like art.
“Preparation is complete, Chef.”
“Good.”
Orie had also finished all preparations and was waiting for the carrots.
Despite cooking for hundreds, the process was fast and without any mistakes.
“That smell…”
Junichi started sniffing the air.
The main cooking hadn’t even started yet, but the aroma of the golden carrot already tantalized their senses.
Cliche Novel 