Round 168

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Whoosh!

Through Bokkeum, I took out the firewood I had set aside and lit it. Soon, a small campfire was completed, and I placed a metal plate on top of it and put seafood on it.

Sizzle!

As soon as I drizzled some oil, the delicious sizzling sound could be heard. I then started stir-frying tomatoes, carrots, eggplants, bell peppers, and potatoes that I had brought.

Seafood and Vegetable Iron Plate Stir-Fry!

There were some unidentified seafood, but everything was safe to eat.

[Gluttony’s Oyster]  

[Gluttony’s Scallop]  

[Gluttony’s Clam]  

[Gluttony’s Abalone]  

[Gluttony’s Blue Crab]  

[Gluttony’s Shrimp]  

and so on.

Even among the same seafood, some were items and some were not, just like my crops. However, the important thing was that I confirmed they were safe to eat.

For example, even if there were item crabs and non-item crabs, I had already confirmed that the item crab was safe to eat, so I could eat them without worry. After all, they were the same crabs.

…There won’t be any problems later because I named them so carelessly, right?

The names that were marked with question marks were ones I arbitrarily made up. It shouldn’t matter.

“Ooooh.”

Squeak.

Ara and Soo watched in amazement as the food cooked on the iron plate. In the meantime, I placed a giant mackerel fillet that I had prepared in advance in the middle of the plate.

Sizzle!

The oil from the iron plate soon started to be ladled over the fish. The mild and savory aroma began to spread all around.

Gulp

Without realizing it, I swallowed my saliva.

Just by the looks of it, it was incredible, wasn’t it?

Snap!

Soon, the shells that Ara had collected began to open. They were roughly finished with purging, so I took out the oysters that were cooked first.

Bubble bubble.

The oyster broth contained in the shell was gently boiling. The white and plump oysters were cooked just right, making them look tempting to eat right away.

“Soo goes first.”

Squeak?

When I picked up the oyster with chopsticks, Ara gave way.

“I’ve already eaten a lot!”

While gathering, Ara was munching on them, shells and all. Ara, who could eat anything, roamed the sea like a fish in water, devouring everything.

“But can Soo eat this?”

“Hmm!”

Ara pondered deeply while looking at Soo. Soo just tilted his head at us, then opened his mouth wide.

The jiggly oyster held with chopsticks entered Soo’s mouth. The sight of a herbivore eating an oyster was… quite rare.

Chew chew.

Unexpectedly, Soo ate the oyster without any issue. Then he nodded greatly, indicating that it was delicious.

Squeak!

“It’s tasty!”

Ara cheered with a bright smile. It seemed Soo could eat food quite well, even though he hadn’t tried it before.

In the empty space on the iron plate, I placed a new oyster that Ara had gathered. Even though the iron plate was quite large, considering Ara and the slimes, I had to keep moving.

Sizzle.

I placed the cooked seafood and vegetables on separate plates. The kids started eating them deliciously on their own.

“Mmm~!”

Ara smiled, cupping her cheeks with a satisfied expression. The slimes also bounced with excitement every time they ate.

Woofy was already quite satisfied since I had specially given him the giant mackerel fillet.

“Grilling it makes it much tastier!”

“Really? That’s great.”

“Kyu-seong Kyu-seong  too, ah~!”

The unique-shaped clam meat was speared on Ara’s fork and entered my mouth.

I quickly ate it, savoring the chewy clam meat. It was probably the seafood I had named ‘Gluttony’s Clam.’

‘Mm, nice.’

The plump flesh had a chewy texture, and the juice overflowed with the unique refreshing flavor of seafood.

Compared to Earth’s seafood, it had a much richer taste and aroma. If someone who loves seafood ate it, they’d be thrilled.

Moreover, I had my crops as a palate cleanser.

Wrapping well-cooked carrots and bell peppers with clam meat, it was the taste of pure happiness.

The fully cooked abalone, the size of two hands, was cut into bite-sized pieces and served on a plate. I picked up a piece to taste, and I felt a strong chewiness that was different from clams. The savory flavor that came with each bite was a bonus.

“Soo, open wide~!”

Squeak.

Ara was already playing the role of an older sister. Soo, who was like a newborn baby, accepted what Ara offered with a happy smile.

Squeak.

“Are you full? Soo can’t eat much.”

What a pity. The real deal starts now.

I pulled out a crustacean that looked like a red shrimp. Then, enduring the heat, I peeled the shell.

“Ahh.”

Once the shell was peeled, the red shrimp meat was revealed. It was steaming, covered with a rich substance that appeared to be the guts.

Seeing that made my stomach naturally growl, demanding that I eat it right away!

“Ara, open wide!”

“Ahhh!”

But with tremendous patience, I endured it and handed it to Ara. There were over ten shrimp anyway, and there was still plenty to eat.

Gulp!

Ara, who swallowed my fingers along with the shrimp in one bite, closed her eyes, savoring the texture of the popping shrimp meat.

“Is it delicious?”

“……”

Surprisingly, Ara was silent.

After chewing diligently in silence, Ara, who seemed to be savoring the taste even after finishing, suddenly stood up.

“I will catch more.”

With a solemn voice.

Seeing the sincerity in her voice, I smiled awkwardly and stopped Ara.

“Let’s eat what we have first, Ara.”

“It’s so delicious.”

Ara’s serious tone was both amusing and cute.

I quickly placed more shrimp on the empty spots of the iron plate and then served a well-cooked crab to Ara.

“It should have a similar taste.”

“Grilled definitely tastes better!”

Some people prefer raw, but it seemed Ara’s preference was for cooked food.

Well, the guts of shrimp or crabs become very rich and creamy when cooked. Should I try one quickly too?

But the main dish was about to be ready.

The giant grilled mackerel.

I had considered eating it raw, but it was obvious that Ara had always eaten it raw, so I decided to grill it like a steak instead.

It’s a dish that can’t fail.

Nothing tastes bad when fried in oil. Moreover, it wasn’t just any oil, but one mixed with the essence of my crops and various seafood, so the flavor became even richer.

“Fish steak, done!”

The beautifully golden-brown grilled exterior looked incredibly appetizing. I sprinkled a herb called Embergrill on top and sliced it along the grain, making it shred like chicken.

It didn’t feel like fish but rather like meat.

With curiosity, I placed the sliced fish steak on a plate. The fish, divided into three parts, exuded a strong aroma due to its huge size.

Drip! Drop!

Ara was drooling with her mouth open.

Feeling sorry for her, I urged her to eat quickly.

“Ara, you can eat now!”

“I-I’ll eat it!”

She spoke strangely.

I divided the fish into three parts: one for Ara, one for the slimes, and one for Woofy.

What about me? I can just grill and eat more later.

Looking behind, there were still twelve pieces of giant fish fillets left.

“Mmmmm!!”

Hearing Ara’s voice, I turned my head back to see Ara shedding tears of joy with a happy expression.

“Is it really that good?”

It’s my first time seeing Ara shed tears.

Instead of answering, Ara speared a chunk of the giant fish with a fork and ran over to me.

“Mmm!”

I quickly put the fish on the fork into my mouth as she handed it over while still chewing.

A complex flavor suddenly overwhelmed me.

The dominant aroma was so rich that it was hard to believe it was from fish. Then followed the aroma of crustaceans and the flavors of vegetables. Finally, the clean scent of Embergrill.

As I bit into the fish,

Sizzle!

Juices burst out like a cherry tomato. No, it was more like a soup than just juices.

‘How can it taste like this…’

Cooking it on the iron plate was a stroke of genius.

The intense flavors tingled my entire body, and the firm fish flesh gently crumbled and ravished my mouth with each bite.

The mixture of broth and shredded fish danced in my mouth. With each bite, the mackerel’s dance made it hard to keep my composure.

“This is delicious too! Try eating it like this!” Ara speared the stir-fried vegetables with the fish on her fork and handed it to me. I brought my face to the combination of vegetables and fish that Ara offered, feeling the soft texture that had already melted away in my mouth.

“Yum!”

Oh…

Ah…

Is this the sea? No, it is the sea!

I could see the tears flowing down my face before I knew it. My eyes were flowing with the sea!

“It’s so delicious. Sob.”

“Hehehe. You’re a crybaby, aren’t you?”

Could you please wipe your own tears before saying that, Ara?

We both laughed, looking at each other’s tear-streaked faces. And then, we resumed enjoying the fish steak.

We tried eating it with clams and abalone, with shrimp and crab, with sea urchin roe, and of course, vegetables were essential. My crops were delicious on their own, but they were also excellent when paired with other ingredients.

While we were busy grilling, cooking, and eating, the abundant seafood and vegetables were gone before we knew it.

Burp.

Ara was patting her swollen belly with a satisfied smile. Woofy and other slimes also lay lazily with expressions that showed they hadn’t eaten like this in a long time.

Me? I was sitting next to Ara, patting my belly just the same. Soo had long since fallen asleep due to food coma.

‘I always have satisfying meals, but today was truly exceptional.’

Before leaving, I should ask Ara to gather some more seafood. I want to take it with me to let the others and people try it.

I saw the giant mackerel, with only the head and bones remaining. It looked like that, but it was still a usable ingredient.

‘It’s the fish that keeps on giving.’

With fish of that size, you could use the bones to make a broth, and the head could be used in dishes like braised stew.

I forced my body, which felt like it was about to burst, to stand up and began to set up the tent. The hammock was a bonus.

Using the embers from the campfire, I lit the stove and picked up Ara, who was nodding off, and Soo, who was already asleep.

I laid them in the sleeping bags inside the tent, and they fell asleep right away. Soon, they were wriggling and breathing softly together.

Today was another fulfilling day. See you tomorrow, kids.

***

“They don’t seem to be trying to hide it.”

“It’s a power that can’t be hidden in the first place. So, it seems they’re blatantly showing it off. It’s like they’re saying, ‘Don’t mess with us.’”

It had been two days since entering Korea.

Two suspicious figures were reviewing a report.

“Even seeing it again is astounding. Look at these insane growth metrics.”

They were examining information related to Ara Hongryeon. They were able to understand the nature and source of the buff items to some extent.

“The production volume might be more than we expected.”

“Hmm, let’s go and check it ourselves.”

These were individuals dispatched by the European Union.

They were awakened individuals operating in the shadows of the Union. Their official status was as awakened tourists visiting from the U.S.

One had transparency abilities, and the other had poison-related abilities. Their main method was to inject sleeping or paralyzing poison while in a transparent state.

“It’s hard to believe it’s a Level 1 awakener. This should make our job easier.”

“They might have bodyguards from Ara Hongryeon. Just in case, you should use your transparency ability to scout ahead.”

But they didn’t know.

Next to Lee Kyu-seong, who they thought was just a Level 1 awakener, was an entity that couldn’t be affected by transparency or poison.

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