Chapter 4

### Inside the Dungeon Food Truck - Chapter 3 (4/302)

### Inside the Dungeon Food Truck Chapter 3

When Ji-eun opened the cabinet under the sink, the knives neatly arranged in the knife holder on the door greeted her. Familiarly picking up a knife, Ji-eun placed a few tomatoes on the cutting board she had prepared.

She picked up a tomato, rinsed it with water, and removed the stem. Then, she laid it horizontally on the cutting board and sliced it into even thicknesses without a moment's hesitation.

With each slice, the tomato was cut into uniform thicknesses.

*Thud, thud, thud.*

The sound of the knife hitting the wooden cutting board was steady.

When the tomatoes were cut into quarters, she trimmed the ends to make the top and bottom flat, so they would fit perfectly into two slices of bread. Ji-eun carefully stacked the cut tomatoes into a large, prepared airtight container, making sure they didn't get squished.

Taste is important, but so is appearance. She had deliberately cut them with thickness in mind to prevent them from bursting at the sides.

*You're really good at slicing.*

"The tomatoes are just the right texture—neither too soft nor too hard."

Making a sandwich is simple. You just cut the ingredients, layer them on the bread, and press down slightly. Although it's a bit tedious to stack the ingredients by hand, it's a very simple dish compared to other recipes.

Moreover, sandwiches are popular among people of all ages. Especially for tired office workers, they are the perfect menu for a quick breakfast or lunch, pairing well with milk or coffee.

That's why she originally planned to start her business in Yoido, catering to the needs of busy office workers. Sandwiches are one of the simplest dishes that can be made in a food truck. The truck was set up to sell various sandwiches and hamburgers until lunchtime.

Once the short lunch break for office workers was over, it was time to start the evening business. For the evening, the food had to be "packable" rather than a "meal substitute."

The menu needed to give the feeling of "I've had a meal" while being simple. Many people in a hurry after work also take their meals to go, so Ji-eun had prepared a variety of packaging options to meet this need.

"I practiced a lot because it's hard to pack the food."

While thinking about various things, Ji-eun's hands continued to move diligently. The pile of tomatoes, which had been mountainous, quickly dwindled due to her amazing speed. In less than 20 minutes, she had successfully cut all the tomatoes into quarters and closed the fourth airtight container, finishing the tomato preparation.

The four airtight containers filled with tomatoes were placed in the vegetable compartment of the showcase refrigerator.

*Tomato preparation complete! (50/50)*

While looking at the system window, Ji-eun washed the knife at the sink and then turned her attention to the lettuce.

Holding a large, fresh head of lettuce, Ji-eun tapped the stem with her palm and then twisted it to remove it. The lettuce core easily came out of her hand.

She turned on the water at the sink and began peeling the lettuce leaves one by one, washing them in a gentle stream of water, and placing them in a large bowl.

Each leaf was the perfect size for a sandwich. After peeling the leaves, Ji-eun took a bottle of vinegar from her inventory and sprinkled it over the lettuce in the cold water. The lettuce, now in the vinegar water, swelled slightly and became even more lustrous.

She placed the cleaned lettuce in a colander, and the system notification sounded.

*Lettuce preparation complete! (20/20)*

In less than 30 minutes, Ji-eun had finished preparing the lettuce. She dried her hands with a kitchen towel and then stood on tiptoe to open the shelf above the gas stove.

*You're so short, how are you going to put a heavy pot up there?*

"Hey! I'm not that short."

She was exactly 160 cm tall, which was not short at all, but she looked smaller due to her slim build.

The sprite laughed at Ji-eun's indignant reaction and then suddenly the floor of the prep area rose, allowing her to reach the pot without standing on tiptoe.

"Wow, what is this?"

*I told you I'm a sprite. If the owner needs it, I can transform the truck to help.*

"That's amazing... It feels like the truck is alive. You must be a really good sprite of the truck, right?"

*Sprite of the truck...?*

"Yeah, you're the sprite of the truck!"

*I'm not a sprite of the truck, I'm a hidden sprite! For a high-rank sprite like me to be summoned into just a food truck!*

"Just a food truck! It's my first shop!"

*...Now that I think about it, it's not bad.*

"Now that you think about it?"

Feeling sorry for Ji-eun's pouting, the sprite suddenly started playing sweet classical music from the kitchen.

*Listening to music while working can improve efficiency.*

"Your taste in music... Can you play something more upbeat?"

The calm classical music would make her sleepy while slicing, so the music changed to a chaotic new hit song, like club music.

At Ji-eun's complaint, the music switched to an automatic stream of the top hits on the charts.

The water in the large pot was ready for the eggs. As the salted water began to boil, bubbles rose, and Ji-eun sprinkled a little water on the preheated skillet.

*Sizzle!*

As the skillet heated up, the water sizzled. At the same time, a *ding* sounded.

Ji-eun opened the oven and took out the halved rye baguette and bread, removed the baking gloves, and gently pressed the surface of the bread.

*Crunch.*

A satisfying sound came from the bread, which was perfectly toasted on the outside. Since the bread would become soggy over time due to the sauce and lettuce, toasting it slightly on the outside would delay this process. Additionally, the crispy exterior would improve the texture of the sandwich.

Ji-eun set the warm bread aside and, with a struggle, lifted the pot and carefully moved it to the sink. She successfully placed the pot on the sink, turned on the cold water, and drained the hot water.

After boiling, the eggs should be immediately placed in cold water to make the shells easier to remove. Adding a little salt during boiling also helps with this. Otherwise, the whites might come off in clumps with the shells.

The eggs took longer to boil than expected, so Ji-eun lowered the temperature of the skillet. She gently touched the eggs and then began peeling them without hesitation.

The eggshells came off in chunks, revealing the perfectly cooked whites. Ji-eun, who loves eggs, couldn't resist taking a peeled egg and biting into it.

"Delicious..."

The soft whites melted in her mouth, and the yolks were perfectly cooked—neither overcooked nor undercooked. She quickly peeled the rest of the eggs and placed them in a plastic bowl, then began chopping them finely.

The whites and yolks were chopped into small pieces, but not completely pureed, leaving small chunks. This would ensure a soft texture and a fuller mouthfeel.

She generously added mayonnaise to the chopped eggs. Eggs and mayonnaise are a perfect combination that can't go wrong. After mixing them thoroughly with gloves, the egg filling for the sandwich was complete.

The cheese was not individually wrapped but came in a large block, so it needed to be cut into appropriate thicknesses and sizes.

After adding the chopped cheese and egg filling, the signal indicating that the skillet was at the right temperature sounded.

*Sizzle!*

It was always a pleasant sound.

Ji-eun wiped the skillet with a towel to remove the boiling water and then picked up a square piece of butter. She rubbed the butter on the skillet, and the delicious aroma spread as the butter melted. The buttery scent made Ji-eun hum a tune.

It was time to prepare the most important ingredient, bacon. She picked up a large knife and carefully removed the bacon from its packaging, which gleamed as it came out.

"Meat should be generous."

Ji-eun wanted to use a lot of bacon, even if it meant a slightly higher price. She believed that a sandwich should have a rich mix of ingredients in every bite.

Ji-eun had always enjoyed seeing people enjoy and feel satisfied with the food she made. Although the profit margin would be lower, her goal was to use generous amounts of ingredients. With the best ingredients provided for free, she felt even more motivated. She generously placed all the bacon on the skillet.

*Sizzle!*

The sound of the bacon sizzling on the butter-coated skillet was mesmerizing. It was important to cook the bacon to the right doneness to prevent it from becoming too crispy and hard.

*Flip! Flip!*

Ji-eun's hands moved like a dance on the skillet. Using a spatula, she flipped the bacon with a serious and almost reverent demeanor.

She immediately placed the well-cooked bacon on several layers of kitchen towels to absorb the excess oil. The smell of the perfectly cooked bacon was fantastic.

After finishing the bacon, the system window appeared even though she hadn't cooked all 15 kg.

"Huh?"

Ji-eun had been worried that the bacon would dry out and lose its flavor if she cooked all 15 kg at once, but her concern was unfounded.

Looking at the amount of bacon needed for two sandwiches, Ji-eun realized she had finished preparing all the ingredients.

A round of applause echoed, as if praising her. It was an effect sound played through the truck's speakers.

"Should I make one to try?"

With the ingredient preparation complete, it was time to reward herself. It was also close to lunchtime.

She spread a mix of honey mustard and mayonnaise on the crispy bread, then added lettuce, bacon, tomato, and cheese. She added another line of bacon on top of the cheese, followed by the egg filling and more lettuce, and finally topped it with another slice of bread.

When she placed the sandwich in a paper wrapper, it almost burst. She gently pressed the sandwich with her palm to slightly flatten it, making the lettuce and tomato less puffy.

Using a well-sharpened knife, she cut the sandwich in half and separated the paper wrapper with both hands, revealing a perfect cross-section.

"It's done!"

Ji-eun smiled in satisfaction. The sandwich, filled with generous amounts of ingredients, looked delicious just by looking at it.