The Cook of a Perished World - Chapter 97

Episode 97: Avengers (2)

“What a price. We don’t really have anything worth paying for… Ah! “What about the combat rations you gave me earlier?”

Those words made me laugh a little.

“Haha… are you kidding?”

“Then what about people? Everyone on our side has good personalities. “Whether it’s a man or a woman, if you need it…”

Tsk.

I don’t think there’s anything more to say.

“Now wait a minute! Don’t do that, just talk…!”

“Oh, that’s it.”

Ignoring those who try to catch us.

My unit members and I went down the building and headed to the ground.

“Even if you leave when you leave. “Why do you have to go down?”

Someone in the building asked that question.

“We have an overpass that we installed, so please use that.”

“That’s right. “There’s no reason to risk going to the ground, right?”

I guess they thought it was a bad idea to catch us.

It looks like he wants to leave with a good image when he finally breaks up.

but.

“Thank you for your consideration. it’s okay.”

“If what you said earlier about the toll fee is something to worry about, forget about it.”

“no. “I’m saying this because it’s really good.”

Let’s come down to the first floor.

Combat vehicles were seen submerged in the water.

“You can’t even move those cars onto the skybridge, right?”

“That seems to be true.”

“Whatever. “We entered the dungeon for a different reason.”

It would be easier to travel via the sky bridge.

But there are two reasons why we entered the dungeon.

One is that I could not refuse the request for salvation.

second is.

[You gain experience.]

[You gain experience.]

[The person who served your meal was active in battle.]

[The chef’s reputation spreads! Gain experience points.]

“Keep moving while intercepting!”

“““Yes!!!”””

Because it was for growth.

The best food I’ve ever eaten.

I guess I’ll have to pull out the mulberry before the effect ends.

but.

“Hmm.”

“Tsk…”

There were a few people who could not participate in the battle.

Wizards.

Among them, those who use fire and lightning.

‘In the last dungeon, the fire-type wizards sucked some honey.’

Is the nature of the air in the subway dungeon different? The firepower of fire magicians increased.

It is also the most effective wide-area attack against the flocking monsters, so the second-best contributor to the dungeon attack was the highest-level soldier among the fire-type wizards.

On the other hand, this time.

“If the water temperature rises, shouldn’t the fish die…?”

“That’s because it’s not just a fish.”

A battle that takes place in the water.

They say my cooking gave me the [environmental adaptation] trait.

The flames fired at monsters in the water are bound to become weaker.

Conversely, in the case of lightning.

“It’s so strong that it’s a problem. “What the hell.”

Minjae, sitting on top of the combat vehicle, sighed and said.

Those monsters.

It doesn’t look like a fish for nothing.

It approaches by swimming through the water at incredible speeds.

By the time we notice, we are already in a close combat situation.

So this is the problem that arises.

‘Friendly Fire.’

This refers to a case where an ally suffers damage from an ally’s attack.

In most games where the wizard profession exists, there is an area attack.

But in that case.

Adjust the balance by setting wide-area attacks to not cause damage to allies.

but.

“Some games that value realism… intentionally enable Friendly Fire. “That alone increases realism and makes strategies more complex.”

“Is it because it has gone beyond reality and reality has become a game? “It’s so damn realistic.”

Sergeant Lee Min-jae frowned and said.

Our world is so fucking realistic.

Because the wizards’ wide-area attacks also cause damage to allies.

‘Before, wizards would control their firepower on their own to avoid and attack allies.’

But the problem now is that the battlefield is underwater.

Water and electricity are polar opposites.

The magicians’ lightning has become more than twice as strong as before.

Throwing a bolt of electricity at an enemy attacking you from the water?

Even our soldiers will be roasted by electricity.

‘The strongest wizard on our side is Minjae. That Minjae hyung is an electric wizard.’

It would be quite fatal for Minjae’s magic to be neutralized.

The good news is that the monsters around here aren’t that powerful.

Except for the wizards of the two attributes, the other soldiers gradually accumulated experience points by killing the monsters that flocked to them.

of course.

You can’t continue fighting against endless monsters.

I just didn’t avoid the battle until I reached my destination.

“excuse me. “I can see my destination!”

We soon arrived at our target location.

however.

“Oh wait a minute.”

“There’s something strange over there too.”

The soldiers looking into the distance saw something and said.

“…battle. “There is a battle!”

“Humans and fishmen are clashing on the front lines!”

When I saw that, I grinned and muttered.

“Welcome to the right place.”

* * *

Immediately after shaking off the people trying to stop me and leaving the building.

Before going out.

-So where do you plan to go now?

The soldiers were asking me questions.

I answered as I unfolded the map.

-Go here.

-yes?

-It looks like an ordinary building. What do we have here?

-There must be people sitting in this building.

-yes?

It was confirmed that there were many living humans in the dungeon.

then.

‘Wouldn’t it be worth meeting the others at least once?’

It was a proposal with that in mind.

-Other people.

-…Really?

The reaction of the unit members was strangely unclear.

These are the strengths and weaknesses of our unit.

‘The internal unity is very good, but they are a bit reluctant to outsiders.’

Early Doomsday.

To somehow calm the confused soldiers, I fed them a dish with [special sauce].

The effect was significant.

Even the soldiers who went crazy due to the sudden situation have now been reborn as excellent soldiers.

but.

The effect of the food given at that time was generally ‘Let’s trust our unit members and survive together!’ Is it because it all ends up being the same?

‘On the contrary, I have become too cold towards people outside the unit.’

I don’t know if it’s just cold-blooded.

Not only do they not trust easily, but they also rarely let go of doubt.

Almost at the level of human distrust.

This can be seen as an advantage since there is no need to be pranked by external forces.

There is no need to do that even in situations like now, right?

-You guys just felt it too, right? People inside this dungeon. The percentage of awakened people is strangely high.

-yes. It was fascinating.

at that time.

Minjae hyung helped me and said.

-I heard the story earlier. There didn’t seem to be any zombies here. The only monsters are those wandering around in the water. In terms of the environment in which it is easy to awaken, it is similar to our unit.

-in other words. There is a lot of available power.

I lightly shrugged my shoulders and said.

-If you have the power to use it. Shouldn’t you try to write it?

-You mean to cooperate with the humans in the dungeon.

-Then wouldn’t it be better to cooperate with the people in this building?

-Those people can’t do it.

The first humans I met upon entering the dungeon.

It would be best if we could cooperate with them.

Nevertheless, there is one reason why I came out and shook them off.

-The idea of conquering a dungeon… Because there was no idea of subduing monsters.

When I told you that if you kill the monsters, you can go outside.

They dismissed my words as complete nonsense.

‘The reason they belatedly tried to appease us was because it was necessary in the power struggle between other humans.’

Those guys aren’t helpful.

Even if we happen to cooperate, there is no guarantee that we will not run away in an emergency situation.

On the other hand.

-Among the groups I heard about earlier, there was a suitable place.

-ah…!

Information I heard while handing over combat rations to them.

Among them was information about the human forces alive in the city.

and.

-That building over there. hmm. It’s occupied by some strange guys.

-What’s special?

-If the situation calls for it, there are times when we engage in combat with fishmen in the water. In order to awaken people, you have to hunt fishmen. However, since the risk is high, most people do not go down to the water unless it is really necessary.

-About that.

-The people in that building are a little different from us. These guys aim to hunt fishmen, not survive.

I still haven’t forgotten Taewan’s face as he spoke as if he was reluctant.

-Because they don’t hesitate to go into the water, they have a lot of useful things, so we interact with them occasionally, but they aren’t the ones I like that much. … Because it’s best to avoid crazy people.

They were engrossed in fishman hunting even before we arrived.

‘It’s worth meeting.’

As a result of that judgment.

I had come this far by fighting a battle…

“Kill me!”

“You damn minnows!”

“Look back!!!”

Humans screaming and fighting with fishmen.

They say that getting excited and swearing during battle is common in our unit.

“It’s so bad it’s so bad it’s so bad!!!”

“…It’s a bit severe.”

I also seemed to understand why Taewan was reluctant.

A level of madness that cannot be covered by words such as the excitement of battle.

There is only about one person in our unit who looks like that.

“Tsk. “Everyone’s eyes are rolling.”

“uh? “Uh-huh.”

One of them said, crossing his arms next to me.

It wasn’t a nice sight to see.

Corporal Jeon Gwang-il speaks with a frown.

“Do you have a grudge against the monsters or something? That’s why you didn’t even care for yourself and rushed at me like that. “It will be difficult to live long.”

“….”

“I understand that a certain amount of venom is needed in a fight, but those people are a bit excessive. Don’t you think so? “Sergeant Shin.”

That is correct.

That’s true, but…

“That’s what you have to say-.”

“yes? what did you say?”

“…No, no.”

Well, what does it matter?

One important thing.

‘It was true that they were actively trying to fight monsters.’

So, is there any more hesitation?

“We’re joining in!”

“yes!”

My soldiers and I rushed into battle.

“Kahahaha!!! Minnow babies! “I will send you to the underworld in order!”

Gwangil decided to keep his cries buried.

* * *

Humans were originally not greatly defeated in battles with fish-men.

Let’s add our unit’s strength to it.

“Last one!”

Kwasik.

[The person who served your food-.]

The battle ended quickly.

Of course, the number of monsters roaming around here is considerable.

The next enemy will arrive soon, so the leisure we have now won’t last long.

“What are you doing?”

Do they even know that?

As soon as the battle was over, a man walked out from among the humans.

I looked at him closely.

[Identification of food ingredients (enhancement)]

[Primates – Human species]

[Freshness – High]

[Awakened: Kwak Chang-su]

[Job: Lesser Berserker Lv. 18]

Let’s look at the phrase that comes to mind.

Honestly, I was a little surprised.

‘Level 18?’

A slightly higher level than the squad leaders in our unit.

Only recently, guys like Gwangil, who took over as unit commander, have barely surpassed level 20 and have become ‘intermediate’ awakened.

The late 10th level is an extremely high level even for our unit.

At least among the survivors, I have never seen such a high level.

‘It’s really possible to fight monsters every day….’

What’s surprising is surprising.

I held out my right hand towards the man and said.

“hello. “My name is Sergeant Shin Young-jun.”

“Sgt?”

The outstretched hand was embarrassing.

Instead of shaking my hand, the man frowns and observes me.

“I didn’t know there were living soldiers in here? “Were you hiding in the outskirts?”

“It would be correct to not have anything inside. “We come from outside.”

“Outside?”

The man’s eyes widened slightly as if he was a little surprised.

“I thought it was destroyed outside… but it doesn’t matter.”

That was it.

If you come from outside and say you are a soldier, you might be interested.

Naturally, despite the expectation that he would be bombarded with questions, he spoke casually.

“Did I ask how you were? “It’s not particularly good.”

“yes?”

“You have taken over our prey. “To be honest, I don’t feel very good.”

“We’re here to help-.”

“I know. That’s why I only felt bad.”

It was something I tried to help.

Now that I look at it, it seems like it was a pointless nonsense.

“I appreciate your good intentions, but I just want you to know that it wasn’t necessary. I hope something like this doesn’t happen next time. “Okay then.”

“wait a minute!”

“what? Is there anything more to say? If it stays long, the fishmen will come. “My subordinates are tired, so I want to leave quickly.”

“I’m sorry, but I’d like to talk to you for a moment.”

“With us? why?”

“…I have something to talk about.”

“hmm.”

The man holding the spear said while touching his chin.

“what. “There’s nothing we can’t do, just talk.”

“then-.”

“but. “There are conditions.”

“condition?”

I wondered if they were going to give us food like the last humans did.

The man pointed his spear at the water.

“That guy. That guy. And that guy too.”

“ah.”

“It looks like there are alive fishmen.”

What he pointed to were fish people floating in the water, unconscious.

The battle is over though.

There were monsters that had not yet been confirmed and killed.

“Please hand over their bodies. Because he was our prey to begin with. “I think you will be willing to talk if you give up that right.”

“…That’s about it. “Do whatever you want.”

“Did you hear? Everyone, take care of it!”

“yes!”

At the man’s shout, the humans who appeared to be his subordinates lifted up the monster.

The man also lifted one of them onto his shoulder and said.

“Follow me.”

The atmosphere is scary.

My unit members and I followed behind the man holding the spear.

“Sergeant Shin. “To have been handed over living monsters.”

“The intention is to use it for awakening.”

The result of observing them while wading through the water.

It seemed that the group was not as numerous as expected.

What if there were about 150 members of our unit who entered the dungeon?

They are less than half of that number.

‘Apart from the high average level. ‘You’ll want to increase your power.’

The point is that a neutralized monster is needed for awakening.

It was completely understandable.

“Here you go.”

Let’s walk for some distance like that.

I could see the commercial building where they were located.

I quietly followed them inside.

We soon went up to the second floor and arrived at a place where the water was not rising.

“Then let’s talk in earnest…”

“You’re in a hurry. “Please wait a moment.”

I saw a man holding a spear laying a monster corpse on the floor and spoke to him.

The man passed me and moved to the corner.

There was one person sitting there.

A middle-aged woman with a shabby appearance.

“madam. madam.”

“…uh?”

The man shakes his shoulders and calls out a few times.

A middle-aged woman belatedly raises her head.

But he still had a blank expression and no light in his eyes.

however.

“That’s me. “It’s Changsu.”

“Ah… Changsu is here. What’s happen…?”

“It’s your turn.”

The moment I heard those words from a man named Changsu.

“Ah… finally!”

A middle-aged woman who vigorously raises her body.

After Changsoo placed his spear in her hand.

He held her wrist and guided her gently.

Where he headed.

The monster that Changsu had put down earlier was now chained and hanging on the wall.

-Ke keruk.

‘I guess I can’t breathe properly on the ground.’

A monster in pain, perhaps because it cannot breathe.

Should I say that it’s amazing that I’m still alive even though I have difficulty breathing?

It was easy to guess what was about to happen.

‘Awakening.’

Our unit also used to tie up lizards to ensure safe awakening.

It seemed like he was probably trying to awaken in a similar way.

and.

The prediction itself was right, but….

“I’m dying, dying, dying!!!!”

Fuukfuukfuukfuuk!!!

‘Oh, I’m surprised.’

A woman who suddenly screams.

The soulless appearance from a moment ago was everywhere.

“KAHAHAHAHAHA!!!”

Rather, it seems like he is filled with joy.

A figure throwing a spear at a monster while making a strange laughing noise.

It felt a little different from our unit’s awakening.

If we stabbed the lizard in the armpit area and killed it as quickly and safely as possible.

‘I’m avoiding vital points and stabbing so that I die as late as possible.’

They are.

It seemed like the goal was to cause pain to the fishman rather than awaken him.

“What the hell is this…”

“Ms. Yeongja lost her husband not long after giving birth.”

I was a little shocked to see that.

A man named Changsu, standing next to me, said.

“All she had left were her two daughters.”

“It’s about that lady.”

“I heard that she worked very hard to raise her two daughters on her own. He said that although the money and effort it takes to raise children is an effort, he was afraid that his daughters would be hurt because their father was not there. That’s why they pampered and loved me more than other families. As if their efforts paid off, both children grew up to be great children who have never been spoiled by their mother. “The first one was confirmed to be admitted to a fairly famous university with a scholarship.”

“It’s something to celebrate.”

“is it? “It must have been like that before both daughters were chewed to death by the fishmen.”

“….”

“I heard that their teeth are so hard that they even chewed up the bones and ate them, leaving no trace.”

Only then.

I understood that look.

“I heard that the number of people who drowned or were killed by monsters was lower than expected.”

“what. They said they came from outside. “You’re quite detailed about this situation, aren’t you?”

“I met other people before I came here. “The atmosphere was quite different here.”

“I guess so. what. It is not wrong to say that so few people died. But just because it’s a little doesn’t mean it’s not there.”

A woman who laughs like crazy and continues to stab the monster.

Finally, after confirming that the monster had stopped breathing, Changsu nodded and said.

“If there had been more people who died, our numbers would have been higher than they are now. I tend to think it’s fortunate that our group’s numbers were small.”

Through those words.

It was very easy to understand what kind of people these people were.

‘People obsessed with revenge.’

Daily life destroyed by monsters.

These are the people who direct their anger towards monsters.

Perhaps everyone has unfortunate circumstances.

From our perspective…

‘…isn’t it the best?’