The Cook of a Perished World - Chapter 52
Episode 52: Blacksmith (1)
After collapsing from the pain of the bones and flesh on my back melting away.
“It’s an unfamiliar ceiling.”
“uh? Have you opened your eyes? “Sergeant Shin.”
“…ah. “Was there?”
It was something I wanted to try.
It’s embarrassing.
When I opened my eyes, I was lying in a place that looked like a hospital room.
A medic happened to be working nearby.
Private Sa Ui-jun noticed me and approached me.
“Are you in any pain?”
“Oh, surprisingly, it doesn’t hurt.”
This was something I found fascinating after opening my eyes.
It feels quite different from the last time I collapsed after an intense battle.
At that time, I suffered from tremendous muscle pain as soon as I woke up.
‘If anything, the wounds would be worse now, right?’
Even though I fainted from the tremendous pain.
I felt only a slight discomfort, but no pain.
If you think about it.
The most seriously injured area would have been the back.
It’s a wonder that he’s lying on his back on the bed just fine.
The reason was quickly apparent.
“haha. “My level has also risen considerably.”
“aha.”
indeed.
This means that I am not the only one who has grown during this time.
Other unit members too.
This means that they are all growing rapidly in their respective fields.
“But the wound hasn’t actually completely healed. “It would be best to lie down for a while.”
“It’s convenient because it feels like I’m on sick leave. by the way.”
I took a quick look around.
The base our unit used was the official residence.
There would never have been a place like this hospital room.
“Is this the infirmary within the ammunition battalion?”
“you’re right.”
“Is the unit’s situation okay?”
“yes. Sergeant Lee Min-jae already told me to call Sergeant Shin when he wakes up. “He said he had a lot to report.”
“Oh then, please do me a favor.”
“yep. “I’ll be back soon.”
After Uijun left the infirmary.
I decided to open the [Status Window].
Words that I couldn’t see because I was unconscious filled my eyes.
Most of them were phrases about gaining experience or points.
One thing stands out.
[You have defeated Arachron’s last queen, Katlanya.]
[The leader of one race has been killed.]
[Achievement – Part of the King Slayer conditions have been achieved. (1/3)]
[Reward for partial achievement of the achievement is given.]
[Reward – Characteristic Enhancement Ticket x1]
This is the reward.
A trait enhancement ticket?
[Characteristic Enhancement Ticket]
[‘Strengthen’ one of the characteristics you have.]
[The effect of reinforcement cannot be confirmed.]
[You only have one chance, so decide carefully!]
The effect was as simple as the name.
Characteristics I have.
You can choose one of them and strengthen it.
“Hmm.”
I opened my status window and checked the information.
What you should pay attention to are the characteristics.
[Characteristics: Low-level Dagger Skill, Low-level Cooking Skill, Low-level Ingredient Identification, Low-level Fire Affinity]
Strengthening of characteristics.
Since the name suggests strengthening, there will be nothing bad about it no matter what you choose.
Nevertheless, it was something to be decided carefully.
‘The most helpful things in battle are dagger proficiency and cooking proficiency.’
Flame affinity is the skill that saved my life this time.
Because there aren’t many things to benefit from in normal times.
What really shines in a fight is my dagger skill, which is directly related to my sword cutting skills.
And the cooking skill that provides the buff.
but.
Is it right to decide between these two?
After thinking for a while, I made a decision and spoke.
“It’s about strengthening. “It’s about discerning food ingredients.”
[Strengthens the ‘low-level food ingredient identification’ characteristic.]
[Do you want to strengthen it? Y/N]
Although I can’t say it with my own mouth.
My personal combat power isn’t really of much help.
Strengthening dagger proficiency is excluded here.
For cooking skills.
To be honest, it was the part that appealed to me the most.
‘I just need to improve my cooking skills myself.’
The reason for selecting food ingredients is simple.
Recently, the limitations of cooking ingredients disappeared for me.
Identification of food ingredients has virtually become a matter of unlimited emotional characteristics.
‘A characteristic that allows us to discern everything.’
You will face many unknown enemies in the future.
At that time, this trait of being able to understand the other person’s information will be as helpful as cooking.
If food ingredient discrimination were strengthened.
Wouldn’t it be possible to see a better effect?
[Characteristics have been strengthened.]
[Identification of low-level food ingredients]
– >
[Identification of food ingredients (enhanced)]
Such enhanced characteristics.
however.
“What has changed?”
The change wasn’t very noticeable right away.
The description of the characteristic is also the same.
…no way.
“Is this crap?”
at that time.
“Youngjun, let’s go in.”
There was a knocking sound outside the room.
Sergeant Lee Min-jae, whom Private Sa Ui-jun said he would bring.
The moment he opened the door and was about to say hello to the person who came in.
The trait has been activated.
[Characteristic – Low-level food ingredient identification (strengthening) is activated.]
Is it because the use of the trait is immature?
A trait that is sometimes activated alone like this.
however.
‘uh?’
Could this be an effect of the enhanced characteristics?
The phrase that appeared before my eyes due to [Food Ingredients Identification].
The content was a little different from before.
After reading all of it.
I was sure.
This.
‘It’s amazing, right?’
* * *
Minjae came into the room.
“Is Youngjun okay?”
“I feel like I’m going to fall. If I die, the next guild leader is-”
“You seem to be fine. thank god.”
I put away the phrase [Ingredients Identification (Enhancement)] that appeared before my eyes.
I started a conversation with Minjae.
“It was a huge explosion.”
“That’s right. “It was a fairly large ammunition depot.”
“to be honest. “I thought you and the other warriors would have died for sure.”
The soldiers in the rear row had already taken refuge in combat vehicles.
They saw the explosion with their own eyes.
An explosion so large that it could be seen from a long distance away.
“I went and checked later. The huge ammunition dump itself had completely exploded. The fragments destroyed several buildings of the ammunition battalion. “The uproar was no ordinary uproar.”
“….”
“Other spiders came to hunt us. “It literally melted in that explosion.”
If you think about it.
The heat from the explosion was somewhat distant and I was able to withstand it with [Lesser Fire Affinity].
The moment even one of those fragments touches my body.
I would have died instantly.
‘I’m glad I was lucky this time. ‘Are you really saying I almost died?’
anyway.
My injuries were so serious that I was unconscious for a long time.
It looks like the unit members were quite busy.
‘Extinguish the fire caused by the explosion and kill the monsters that came after hearing the sound.’
While I was lying down.
There were violent incidents that could have been filmed in a movie.
“It has just been sorted out to some extent. I’m really glad there were no deaths. “Please refrain from such dangerous operations in the future.”
“That’s right. “I don’t really want to die.”
“If you die, our unit’s strength will plummet. “Just don’t forget that.”
This time I couldn’t see any other way, so I had no choice but to take a gamble.
I have no intention of doing something crazy like this again.
“And speaking of which.
“huh?”
“While you are lying down. There was talk about using this ammunition battalion as a new base.”
“Here?”
The report has begun.
“After all, the official residence is a temporary base. It’s also very open to the surroundings. “Right now, just with the number of people, it’s half saturated.”
“Now that we have occupied it, are we going to use the ammunition battalion as our new base?”
“That’s it. There are many buildings destroyed by this explosion. “It’s okay as long as you don’t use that building.”
The official residence was only a temporary base.
There is no problem with leaving.
“Isn’t the area too large?”
The ammunition battalion was too wide.
Will we be able to defend this large area with just our unit members?
“For now, I think it would be a good idea to use only the usable area as a base and have the engineers build a wall.”
“Hmm.”
“If you think you can defend a larger area, you can just build a wall over a larger area.”
Minjae glances out the window.
“There was even a stream with water flowing inside the ammunition battalion. I saw it when I came, but there are rice fields near the entrance. You can secure drinking water, and if you do well, you can also do farming. “I tend to think it’s not bad.”
“Farming.”
“Among the deserters who woke up not long ago, there was one who was particularly interested in farming. “It might be okay to try.”
Come to think of it.
The engineers said they might be able to build a wall when they get reinforced materials.
“If only that were the case. hmm. “I guess it’ll be okay?”
“As long as you get permission from the guild leader. “I’m trying to move the supplies from the official residence slowly.”
About Minjae hyung’s story.
I thought about it for a while.
‘If I could just summon the fortress, I wouldn’t have to worry.’
Perk obtained at the beginning of awakening [Mobile Fortress Vimana]
If I could just summon this guy, he wouldn’t have to worry about using it as a base.
‘It’s not good to have regrets about things that don’t work out.’
Unfortunately.
[Mobile Fortress Vimana] has not yet found a way to summon it.
If you leave the fortress behind and think about it.
It certainly seemed like this place could be a good base.
“Let’s do that.”
“good choice. “Don’t forget to pass this on to your kids too.”
The reports continued beyond that.
“For now, we are organizing the ammunition battalion. The artillery shells and ammunition we need are being collected and organized separately. “The largest ammunition depot exploded, but it was still a huge amount.”
“There will be no need to worry about ammunition for the time being. “I’m dying for those gunnery guys.”
“We also captured several military vehicles and mortars. Since the engineers took it, I think there will be a lot of usable items soon. “It’s a shame there’s no such thing as an armored vehicle.”
“oh.”
That’s something to look forward to.
The combat vehicles alone were quite active.
And the important report to me is the next guy.
“When I opened the other ammunition dumps, I found that there were quite a few eggs that hadn’t hatched yet. “Just in case, we are planning to proceed with disposing of the remaining eggs.”
“uh? “There are leftover eggs?”
“hmm. It doesn’t seem like monsters will come out, but for now. “Why is that?”
Eggs.
I can’t get over that.
“Tell me to keep those eggs safe and not break them.”
“…I’m asking just in case. “Is this the reason I think?”
“maybe.”
“….”
Minjae sighs.
Seeing as it hasn’t hatched yet.
This means that it is less fertilized than the monsters that came out of the egg.
in other words.
“Wouldn’t it just feel like an egg?”
It is a new food ingredient.
Maybe I should try cooking once.
“ha. I enjoy it when I eat it, but every time I hear the identity of the ingredients, my head gets dizzy. “Now spider eggs are being added to it?”
“As long as it tastes good, that’s fine.”
Minjae is scared.
I smiled lightly as I looked at that face.
* * *
Several other reports followed.
How did they get food while I was lying down?
Something like that.
“Right now, I’m filling my meals with ramen I got at the supermarket. “There are a lot of complaints from soldiers.”
There are a lot of people asking for the chef to return quickly.
To be honest, it was somewhat satisfying news.
And finally.
“You probably noticed that the spider monsters we fought this time were injured, right?”
“yes.”
Spider monsters.
Although he was strong, he was worth dealing with.
The reason is simple.
‘There were not many hosts, and the ones that were there were seriously injured.’
Even the queen did the same.
“I found out why.”
“uh? how? “No, what is the reason?”
“You’d better check that for yourself.”
Minjae hyung said that and took something out of his arms.
What he gave me.
“Notebook?”
“If you look, you’ll know roughly what happened. “It’s not that important from my point of view, but I think you would attach importance to this.”
Minjae finishes his sentence by shrugging his shoulders.
“Then, after seeing it, this is it for now. Is there anything you need? “For now, I have moved all my personal belongings.”
“hmm. “Nothing comes to mind right away.”
“If you think of it later, tell me. “Rest now.”
After finishing the report, Minjae stood up.
“Come to think of it. “I forgot to say this.”
Before closing the door and leaving.
Minjae suddenly stops his steps.
“It was a lot of hard work. Leader. “The other guys are thankful to you too.”
“What trouble? “Military life is all about hitting and running together.”
“is it? If that’s what you think, then that’s probably it. Just know that everyone is grateful.”
“Yes.”
Minjae leaves the hospital room with a smile.
Let people leave.
The hospital room suddenly became quiet.
‘…I’m bored.’
Although there are some concerns about what will happen to the unit in the future.
There is no point in worrying when you should be resting.
Anyway, it’s important to rest and heal.
I was just about to lie down on the bed to close my eyes.
“ah.”
I saw the notebook that Minjae had left behind.
The scars of monsters.
The book he gave me, saying he had discovered the cause.
There won’t be anything to do anyway.
I opened the notebook.
I opened to a random page and looked at the contents.
-X month 2nd (Thursday)
-Five new recruits transferred.
-There was friction between Corporal Lee Gil-woo and the dispatched guard company soldiers, but it was resolved amicably.
‘?’
I glanced at the cover of the note.
I don’t think it’s a barracks diary.
A notebook containing the unit’s work.
Does anyone write something like this? I wanted to, but.
It was immediately clear who wrote it.
-Interviewed with five new recruits and the battalion commander. Everyone said there was no problem, but the two seemed unclear when asked, ‘Is there a senior who is harassing you?’
‘He was the battalion commander.’
It seems that he recorded the things that happened in the unit so as not to forget them.
Turning to the next page, the unit’s incident was written.
‘Just a moment then.’
I quickly turned the pages of my notebook.
Of course, there is only one date to look for.
‘The day the monster appeared. It was the weekend, right?
Let’s open the record of that date.
Saturday, January 4th
– While walking around the unit to walk the dog, I was attacked by a strange creature.
-It has a huge, pure white spider-like shape and huge blade-like paws, and is about the size of a medium-sized car.
-Communication with the outside world is cut off. Confirm that all communication systems are not working.
-The majority of soldiers were killed.
also.
I guess they went through the same thing as us.
“Was this battalion commander in the unit?”
Although it was the weekend.
It appears that he went to work at the unit to walk the unit’s dog.
In the meantime, Sadal was born.
-List of fallen soldiers
.
.
.
-List of missing persons
.
.
.
There were countless names written below.
List of dead and missing persons.
“….”
From that moment.
I was absorbed and started turning the pages.
After being attacked by monsters.
The ammunition battalion also began resisting.
Join the soldiers of the guard company who were dispatched.
Opening the ammunition dump…
They set up defense using several buildings as bases.
It was a defense similar to ours.
-There were 2 casualties today. 3 seriously injured. There were many minor injuries.
Unlike us, who quickly realized the awakening method and improved the quality of our troops.
These are all ordinary soldiers.
It was inevitable that there would be deaths every day.
Still, the number of deaths was not high.
That didn’t last long either.
Sunday, January 12th
-The troops defending the eastern guard deserted without permission.
-It appears that most of the deserters also died during the escape process. It is unknown if any survivors escaped alive.
-A hole appears in the defense net, and control of the eastern building is taken away.
-The building where the restaurant was. Thanks to the quick response, there were no deaths, but the loss of food was painful.
‘They are the deserters.’
The deserters we met.
Their escape was a major turning point.
The defense line was barely holding on.
It began to collapse rapidly.
-Further defense is difficult.
The battalion commander seemed to think so too.
Most of what was written in the notebook was written in a calm tone.
I felt a deep sense of despair there.
“…Tsk.”
His heart felt tight.
It couldn’t be this vain.
Did that mean that many people died?
‘Those bastards. Did they make it too easy for you to die?
Just when I was about to get depressed thinking about that.
“yet. “There are a few pages left.”
Apart from being in despair.
The battalion commander continued his records.
Meanwhile.
Unlike before, a page appeared written in a hasty handwriting.
The content was written in a strangely excited handwriting.
Wednesday, January 15th
-Report from Corporal Lee Gil-woo.
-Speculation that the carapace of strange creatures seems to be weak to heat.
-The reliability of the fact or circumstances found accidentally is high.
“…!”
Heat.
This is the weakness of the ‘White Spiders of Arachron’.
Did you succeed in figuring that out?
-Decided that it was no longer meaningful to maintain the defense line.
-so.
-We launch a counterattack.
A unit surrounded by monsters.
The defense line was breached due to desertion.
Soldiers dying every day.
A situation where even food is running out.
Even at this time when everything is hopeless.
The soldiers of the ammunition battalion did not give up easily.
-Establish a large-scale operation mobilizing all remaining soldiers.
-If successful, there is a high possibility that you will be able to break through the surrounding monsters and escape the unit.
-Even if it fails, it is expected to cause great damage to strange creatures.
-The final decision is tomorrow.
Now there is only one page left.
What was written there was simple.
X month 16th (Thursday)
-Instant death in life.
-Even if you die when you die.
-I will not give you a nice death. Those fucking spider bastards.
“….”
Wounded Queen and Hosts.
Subtly low number of adult monsters.
I finally understand the reason.
“Until the very end. “I resisted fiercely.”
I don’t know what kind of operation they carried out.
That resistance produced very effective results.
Enough to greatly reduce the number of monsters and even mortally wound the enemy queen.
After reading up to that point, I quietly closed the notebook.
There were two reasons for visiting the ammunition battalion.
One is securing ammunition.
Another one.
‘As a soldier. Check out how other units were wiped out. To recapture.’
The goal was achieved.
How they were wiped out.
Because I confirmed the entire process.
Soldiers who resisted and did not give up until the end.
In the end, it appears to have been wiped out.
That death was by no means a dog’s death.
“If the number of monsters had been even slightly greater… no, if those monsters had been unscathed and in good condition. “There was a high possibility that our recapture operation would fail.”
The reason we were able to survive.
That’s probably thanks to them resisting until the end.
‘…Let’s hold a funeral as soon as things stabilize.’
Because these people had the courage to do so.
I stared blankly at the ceiling, lost in thought.
It was a day when I had a lot to think about.
* * *
Even after that.
I had to stay in the hospital for a few days.
Living in bed with nothing to do.
I was looking around to see if there was anything nearby.
I saw things piled up next to the bed.
“Oh my personal things.”
Come to think of it.
I think he said Minjae brought it to him.
Clothes.
book.
Even a pistol that I don’t use often, but I still have.
I think I have all of my belongings except for my military uniform, which was broken and was taken for repairs.
one thing.
There was one item that I was especially worried about.
“no way.”
I took out an item from my military bag.
A poorly made sheath.
inside it.
A sashimi knife.
‘The knife I borrowed from my successor and have been using ever since.’
Even though it was a borrowed item.
I found it very useful because it felt strangely comfortable in my hand.
This battle.
I was concerned that it was handled quite harshly.
Although I feel anxious.
Still, I pulled the sword out of its sheath just to be sure.
“…what. “It seemed like it would be like this.”
The blade was so distorted that it was difficult to imagine its original sharp shape.
It looks like the handle is all burned off.
“What is this? “I would believe it if they told me that it was used for ancestral rites in a place like a demonic religion.”
It is said that knives these days are made to withstand fairly high temperatures.
The temperature raised to cut down the queen, who was weak to high heat, was not at a reasonable level.
It is said that it somehow maintained its shape and beauty until it was cut and stabbed.
It appears that it was unable to withstand the fact that its shape was completely distorted after that.
“For something I borrowed, I used it for a long time.”
Maybe it’s time for a change.
I was about to move on, thinking I should at least buy a kitchen knife from the store.
A few days after that.
All wounds have healed.
By the time I could slowly move.
“Give me that knife.”
“yes?”
Someone said that.
One of the survivors who visited our unit in the mountains.
A person who recently awakened and officially joined our unit.
“Use that knife as a reference. “Give it to me.”
It was Mr. Park’s grandfather.