The lair of the Breeding Tribe was incredibly intricate.
Not only was it complicated, but it was also utterly chaotic with rabbits scattered everywhere.
“Watch out there! There’s a trap! Hehe.”
Ashu’s occasional warnings emphasized just how much this place deserved its rank as a Level 9 dungeon.
“Many awakened ones have failed here due to those traps, the labyrinthine layout, and the guerrilla tactics of the boss,” Kyler explained with a grim expression.
Fortunately, no one had been seriously injured so far. Instead, the captured individuals were subjected to a unique form of torture — being fed to the point their stomachs almost burst.
“They really do love cooking,” I remarked.
“Our Breeding Tribe, the Clan of Culinary Contemplation, exists to ponder over dishes and find purpose in consuming them!” Ashu declared, twitching her ears.
On the surface, they were nothing more than adorable rabbits, but their peculiar nature was endlessly fascinating.
It turned out that the “Breeding Tribe” was just a shortened term for the Clan of Culinary Contemplation. I had naturally assumed it referred to… well… something else. Ahem.
“Ashu is an excellent cook,” Ara said.
“Exactly! Ashu is a great cook! Ara, you really know how to recognize talent! Hehe!”
“But Lee Jae-seong Jae-seong is even better at cooking,” Ara added nonchalantly.
Ashu, who had been striding forward confidently, froze mid-step.
“Better than Ashu… at cooking?”
“Yes! Lee Jae-seong-Jae-seong is the God of Cooking!” Ara continued, obliviously praising.
Ashu’s eyes widened as they turned to glare at Ara.
“Who is this Lee Jae-seong Jae-seong? Ashu wants to taste their cooking!”
“You can if you become Lee Kyu-seong Kyu-seong’s subordinate!” Ara declared with a triumphant expression, as if to ask, Did I do well?
This little rascal.
However, I doubted such simple words would easily turn the boss of Lust into my familiar—
“Lee Jae-seong Jae-seong is Lee Kyu-seong Kyu-seong’s subordinate?”
“Yes. Which means Lee Kyu-seong-Kyu-seong is the most powerful of all. These crops, too, are all his!”
“Oh! Then everyone here is a follower of Lee Kyu-seong-Kyu-seong?!”
“That’s right! Everyone has fallen for his cooking!”
“Hmm, I can see why. These vegetables! Ashu has never smelled such an aroma before. It’s captivating!”
Ashu sniffed the crops cradled in her arms, drooling despite attempting to wipe it away. For someone who appeared so cute, her self-control was impressive.
“You really do love cooking, don’t you?”
“For now, Ashu will try cooking with these and decide!”
“Alright!”
Following Ashu deeper into the lair, we walked for nearly thirty minutes. Without Ashu’s guidance, it would’ve taken a lifetime to navigate the endless traps and twists.
“This is the boss’s quarters…” Kyler muttered nervously, scanning the area.
Surprisingly, there was nothing particularly threatening, only an array of kitchen tools neatly arranged.
“We’re likely the first to reach the boss’s lair. It’s hard to believe we’ve made it this far.”
“Y-yeah, it really is,” I replied awkwardly, appreciating Kyler’s restraint in not bombarding me with questions despite his curiosity.
Truthfully, the whole situation was absurd. This dungeon, one of the Seven Deadly Sins dungeons, had never been conquered. Yet, here we were, casually befriending its master. It felt like a fairytale someone would scoff at.
But it was real, no matter how unbelievable.
Squeak.
Squeak squeak!
The Breeding Tribe rabbits gathered around us, drawn by both curiosity about us and the crops Ashu carried.
“These are for Ashu to cook!”
Squeak squeak!
Squeaaaaak!
The rabbits protested in their tiny, high-pitched voices, but their squeals sounded more endearing than irritating, like toddlers in squeaky shoes.
Their passion for cooking was unrelenting, regardless of hierarchy or authority.
“Ashu will cook these, no matter what!”
“Don’t fight, everyone. There’s plenty of crops.”
I retrieved Bokkeum, my pouch, and shook it. A cascade of fresh produce spilled out.
“There’s more?!”
-Beep Beep!?
Ashu and the rabbits jumped in surprise, their startled expressions so adorable that even Cheong, who was usually timid, couldn’t help but laugh.
“They’re so cute. Hehe,” Cheong giggled.
Finally, after pouring out enough crops to satisfy all the rabbits, order was restored. It seemed like too much food, but fortunately, we had Ara.
With Ara around, nothing would go to waste.
“Hmm, now there’s just too much food,” Ashu muttered.
“Don’t worry. Ara can eat it all,” I reassured them.
“I will devour it all!” Ara declared, tilting her head back with a triumphant look.
Ashu beamed at Ara’s confidence.
“Exactly! With Ara here, there’s nothing to worry about!”
“I’m here too,” Ras interjected, only to be ignored as Ashu and the rabbits eagerly started cooking.
Luckily, Ashu’s lair was spacious, equipped with a massive kitchen large enough for everyone to cook.
-Beep!
-Beep beep!
But rather than working together, everyone was busy making their own dishes, bumping into each other in the process. Cooperation didn’t seem to be their strong suit.
‘I should ask Jae-seong to divide them into teams and teach them some basic teamwork.’
Jae-seong would also handle their cooking lessons. My task was simply to lure them to our dungeon with these crops.
“Heh heh heh…”
“Oh no, the Demon King’s laugh is back!” Ara exclaimed, her face lighting up with mischief.
“The Demon King is here!”
Ara, what nonsense are you talking about now… My laughter had apparently been upgraded to a “Demon King’s laugh.”
***
Meanwhile, back at the Slime Dungeon, Jae-seong was brainstorming the design for the dungeon’s future restaurant with his father and Orie. Suddenly, he shivered, feeling a strange chill.
“Huh? What’s wrong? Are you catching a cold?” his father asked.
Jae-seong tilted his head. “A cold in early summer?”
“You can still catch summer colds. Take care of yourself,” his father warned.
“Yes, Dad,” Jae-seong replied, returning to his restaurant plans.
Thinking back, he recalled that they had already chosen one employee from an orphanage. However, one wasn’t enough.
Kyu-seong had advised him to wait, hinting that they might recruit several excellent workers at once. Although the restaurant construction was still in progress, and its opening was far off, Jae-seong wanted everything to be perfect.
“I’ll ask Kyu-seong about it again when he gets back,” he decided.
At that moment, Kyu-seong was busy recruiting restaurant staff as promised.
***
Finally, Ashu’s dish was ready. As expected of the leader of the Breeding Tribe, she was the first to finish cooking.
I had silently watched the cooking process, often surprised by Ashu’s unexpected choices.
‘Who would’ve thought she’d make that dish?’
The dish Ashu prepared was none other than… handmade sujaebi (Korean dough soup)!
“How do you even know this dish?!” I asked, astonished.
“Huh? It’s an existing dish? Ashu just came up with it right now! It’s an original!”
‘She didn’t even know what sujaebi was and yet she made it from scratch? This little rabbit has some serious talent.’
“It’s not kalguksu,” Ara mumbled, watching the process.
She must’ve thought it was kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) based on the preparation.
Ashu’s sujaebi was made in a giant pot with a rich broth of roasted soybeans and vegetables. She had even used the chili peppers and fermented soybean paste I provided, though sparingly.
The result was a spicy, savory doenjang sujaebi.
Personally, I preferred clear-broth sujaebi, but the bold, spicy flavor wasn’t bad.
“This kind of dish is perfect with soju on a rainy day,” I joked.
“Kyu-seong doesn’t like alcohol,” Ara said flatly.
“I was just setting the mood, hehe.”
The sujaebi was plentiful, enough to serve everyone with some left over.
“Make sure you eat the leftovers too!” Ashu called out to the rabbits, who were too engrossed in their own cooking to listen.
‘Our future chefs,’ I thought with amusement, watching them busy at work.
The first dish to be served was Ashu’s sujaebi.
“Never did I think I’d eat food made by a monster,” Kyler remarked, still struggling to process the situation.
Soon, the children started eating their sujaebi, and I picked up my spoon to try mine.
“Let’s start with the broth…”
The broth was crafted with my crops, dried crustaceans, anchovies, fermented soybean paste, and red chili powder.
Ashu instinctively knew how to balance flavors.
There was no way this dish could taste bad.
Slurp.
The moment I sipped the broth, I was overwhelmed by an indescribable sense of satisfaction.
Yes, this was it.
A spicy yet refreshing flavor that opened up my sweat pores.
Next, I scooped up some sujaebi with the broth and took a bite.
Blowing on the hot soup, I carefully chewed.
“Mmm!”
The dough was chewy yet tender. Unlike kalguksu, the large chunks of dough provided a satisfying texture that made each bite more enjoyable.
The spicy, savory broth, combined with the roasted soybean flavor, created a harmony that made it impossible to stop eating.
“Ahhh!”
Before I knew it, I had finished the entire bowl, even drinking all the broth.
Looking around, I realized I wasn’t the only one. Kyler, the kids, and even Ashu, who had made the dish, were all devouring the sujaebi at an impressive pace.
“Ashu!”
“Yes?”
“You’re an amazing cook!”
“I… I mean…”
I thought Ashu would be thrilled with the compliment, but instead, her ears drooped. Worried, I watched as Ashu slowly spoke.
“It’s only because Kyu-seong-Kyu-seong’s ingredients were so amazing. Ashu’s food usually doesn’t taste this good.”
“What are you talking about? Sure, my crops are tasty, but not just anyone could create a dish like this!”
This was true.
While I’d grown more confident in my own cooking recently, I still couldn’t match Ashu’s skills.
As they say, those who enjoy something will always surpass those who simply try hard.
Ashu, who truly loved cooking, had far more talent than I did.
“And if you keep cooking with my crops, it won’t matter anyway, right?”
“Huh?”
Ashu’s ears perked up, her head snapping up as she processed my words.
After a moment of thought, she smiled brightly.
“You’re right! If Ashu always cooks with these kinds of ingredients, it won’t matter at all!”
“Exactly! And your skills will only improve!”
“Ashu’s cooking will get even better!”
Ashu’s expression, as she gleefully realized this, was so adorable she looked like a little plush bunny.
“I am satisfied with your food, Ashu,” Ras interjected.
“Keep improving and serve even more delicious dishes.”
“You’ve really gotten better. I was a bit worried, but this exceeded expectations!” Mammon added, giving Ashu a thumbs-up.
Cheong just kept smiling and repeatedly saying, “It’s so delicious!”
“Ashu.”
“Yes?”
“Why don’t you and the Breeding Tribe move in with us? I run a big farm with the kids, so there will always be plenty of ingredients. Plus, we’ve been looking for chefs to cook for us.”
“Really?”
Ashu’s eyes sparkled, and they leapt into the air with excitement.
“Yes! Come with us.”
“Okay! Ashu will become Kyu-seong-Kyu-seong’s chef!”
With a joyful hop, Ashu jumped into my arms.
Her soft, fluffy fur was warm and comforting.
[Ashu of Lust has been registered as your familiar.]
[1,313 members of the Clan of Culinary Contemplation under the Breeding Tribe have been registered as your familiars.]
Wow, 1,313 members.
It seemed like a lot, but somehow not enough.
‘Maybe their numbers didn’t grow due to food shortages?’
I’d have to discuss this with Ashu later. I didn’t want their population to explode after moving into my dungeon.
“Me too! I want a hug!”
“Dad, hug me too!”
As Ashu snuggled into my arms, the other kids swarmed around me, demanding their share of attention.
It was a scene that would make Seon-ah jealous for sure.
‘If I bring the Breeding Tribe and Ashu home, she’s going to lose her mind,’ I thought, imagining Seon-ah’s delighted reaction.
Meanwhile, Kyler stood frozen, watching the chaos unfold.
With an expression of pure disbelief, he finally muttered,
“Taming the boss of Lust as a familiar? Ha… haha… ha…”
Sorry for shocking you, Kyler.
Oh, but did you know? Ashu isn’t the only one of the Seven Deadly Sins here.
Ha ha.
The fourth of the Seven Deadly Sins, you’re mine now!
Cliche Novel 