Chapter 22

EP.22 Injae (2)

"I don't have money, money."

A holder affiliated with the Academy's special division.

Among them, a holder of the blacksmithing division.

Choi Yumin sighed deeply as if the ground were sinking beneath her.

For a rune holder, weekends are golden time.

It's a holiday without classes, and a free time to internalize what they've learned through training.

Therefore, many student holders spend their weekends at the training grounds, growing their runes.

This is true for holders of the blacksmithing division as well.

During weekdays, they receive various theoretical and practical classes, and on weekends, they apply what they've learned to create their own weapons or armor.

They can use the blacksmithing forge within the Academy or rent a private forge temporarily.

As the saying goes, a craftsman shines with the accumulation of time.

Blacksmithing division holders also needed to accumulate experience in their spare time.

This is a common rule for all holders who create items.

However, Choi Yumin couldn't put it into practice.

Money.

She didn't have enough capital.

"Haah…"

The blacksmithing division is very expensive.

It costs money to buy mana stones and minerals.

Even the tools and auxiliary items needed for smelting and crafting cost money.

Money, money, money.

Everything was about money.

"I envy Lee Hyunho…"

The son of Lee Dohwan, a renowned blacksmith in the country.

Lee Hyunho.

Unlike Choi Yumin, he grew up with tremendous support from the beginning and is now a senior in the special division, a position almost impossible to find.

He is an elite from a different world, always struggling for capital, unlike her.

There are even rumors that he has already crafted a rare weapon…

Talking more about it would only make her feel worse.

"Ah, poor Arin too."

And these harsh conditions didn't apply only to Choi Yumin.

Her younger sister, Choi Arin, a holder of the alchemy division, was in the same boat.

Regardless of the type, holders of the crafting special division always require a lot of money.

And the two sisters, born into a poor family, found themselves in a division that didn't suit them at all.

However, for a holder, the given rune and division are their talent.

Surviving and enduring with the chosen talent.

That's the reality of this world.

"Haah… I need to earn some money…"

After a long sigh, Choi Yumin got up heavily.

Blacksmithing division holders have high strength.

F-class holders often take on jobs from civilians.

She had to do such part-time work to earn money.

* * *

"Rich!"

I couldn't help but blurt out those words.

After a round of the underground dungeon.

After settling the mana stones, such thoughts naturally came to mind.

'Fucking. I'm rich now.'

The price of C-class monster mana stones was much higher than expected.

There are usually three ways to trade mana stones.

Selling to the government, selling to the guild branch, or trading individually.

The most commonly used method is trading through the guild.

Selling to the government is only possible in large quantities by clans, and individual trading, though cheaper in fees, is extremely complicated.

Guild trading allows for clean buying and selling at fluctuating prices.

"715 million won each."

The C-class mana stones measured by the guild were worth 715 million won each.

We had defeated over 120 lizardmen in the dungeon, so I was allocated about 40 mana stones.

A simple calculation: 2.86 billion won.

Crazy.

I had 3 billion won in my hands after one dungeon run.

No wonder holders sing the "dungeon, dungeon" song.

After returning from the dungeon.

By settling all the mana stones, I became rich.

"But why do I have to cook a steak?"

But now that I'm rich.

I was cooking in my dorm room.

The type: Hanwoo steak.

In my hands were a skillet and a grill press.

More and more professional equipment is being added…

The kitchen is becoming more specialized.

I don't even know what's what anymore.

Am I a holder or a chef….

"Ah! Shut up. It's your fault for going to the dungeon without me!"

Of course, the one who ordered this was Kim Chaeun.

After the dungeon run.

I proposed that she join my party.

A new party member was needed to move to the next stage after the dungeon.

Originally, I only planned to recruit Park Jinwoo to push the boulder, but I also wanted to add a reliable dealer, as I didn't know what would happen in the future.

And the most suitable candidate was Kim Chaeun.

We have a close relationship, so there's no risk of her revealing secrets, and she is a holder of the rare ice element in the mage division.

Completely contrasting abilities to Jo Ju-yeon, who specializes in fire element magic.

Bringing in diverse elements would undoubtedly be a great help to the party.

However, Kim Chaeun was upset during the process.

She didn't refuse to join the party.

She's an auto-call for any request I make.

But she was angry that I went to the dungeon without her.

Yesterday.

I said I had a special appointment and went to the dungeon…

The lie was exposed.

"No, I didn't go alone. I went with three others."

"That's even worse! Why did you go to the dungeon with other girls?"

"…What?"

"No, that's not it… Ugh! Why did you go without me?"

Thump, thump—

Kim Chaeun hit my back with a cushion.

Ouch!

Where did she get such a character cushion?

I took a defensive stance and tried to calm her down as much as possible.

"Time out, time out! The steak is burning, the steak is burning."

"Ah, that can't happen."

After using the cooking as an excuse, she finally calmed down.

Kim Chaeun was genuinely passionate about the Hanwoo steak.

I slowly placed the roughly completed steak on a plate and plated it.

"I was worried. Last time, when we fought the Shizzling Salamander, we were both in danger. I felt a bit guilty about that."

"That's already been apologized for by Jo. And I wanted to go too."

"Still, it felt a bit off."

"Ugh… Then at least tell me you're going to the dungeon."

"I'm sorry."

I finished plating the steak and took out the salad I had prepared earlier.

Kim Chaeun, who had been watching quietly, asked.

"What dressing are you going to use?"

"Salad?"

"Yeah."

"Obviously, kiwi flavor."

"…Don't you want grape flavor?"

"What kind of grape-flavored dressing for a salad?"

Grape flavor only shines in pudding.

This is an undeniable pudding philosophy.

I placed the steak, salad, and various appetizers and side dishes on the table.

A luxurious meal that's hard to come by anywhere.

It's both a meal I made because Kim Chaeun nagged and a meal I prepared for myself after the dungeon.

The first thing I spent my 3 billion won on.

A Do Jae-hyun-style home restaurant flex.

[The hardworking one, eat! Your cooking, which was a repetition of the same, now contains genuine effort. Your cooking has a special touch.]

[The level of your rune has increased.]

[You have gained 1 point in Spirit due to the rune's tendency.]

[You have obtained the derived skill 'Stamina Food' from the Cooking rune.]

But as I finished setting the table, a pop-up window appeared unexpectedly.

What is this?

The rune level increasing is fine, but…

'A skill?'

[Cooking] is a rune that turns a holder into a chef.

It improves cooking proficiency and skill, and at higher levels, it assists in making high-level dishes comparable to those of a professional chef.

The reason Kim Chaeun seeks out my cooking every day.

It's not for any special reason; it's just because it's really delicious.

But [Cooking] has a skill?

I've never seen this in the original work.

<Skill Information>

◎Name: Stamina Food

◎Derived Rune: Cooking

◎Cooldown: One day (once in the evening)

◎Effect

: You can create a dish that soothes a tired body and mind. The food made with this skill rapidly restores a holder's health and mana.

"……"

I stared blankly at the information window.

This… is an unexpectedly great skill.

Once a day.

With the limitation that it can only be used in the evening.

But the ability to alleviate the day's fatigue and rapidly restore health and mana is a practical and excellent effect.

It's not just a nominal skill.

I checked my cooking level out of curiosity.

'Crazy. It's already level 5.'

[Cooking] is, except for [Sword] and [Dagger],

the highest level among normal runes.

I've been cooking at home every day due to lack of money, and it has already raised my proficiency to this level.

The rune is already paying off by increasing my Spirit stat with each level up, and now it's giving me a quite useful skill…

There's no better rune than this.

I wonder if it will eventually lead to making 'stat-boosting food' like in other game novels.

"What are you doing?"

Kim Chaeun, sitting in a chair, looked at me and asked.

She must have found it strange that I suddenly spaced out while about to eat.

I shook my head slightly and replied.

"Nothing. Let's eat quickly."

"Okay! I'll enjoy it—"

Kim Chaeun picked up her knife with an eager expression.

After cutting and eating a piece.

Her expression soon turned to one of amazement.

"Delicious!"

As expected of Kim Chaeun, who always reacts so enthusiastically.

I also cut a piece of steak and put it in my mouth.

And I immediately marveled.

I made it, but… it really is delicious.

Is this the power of level 5 cooking?

We were moved by the sincerity of the cooking.

For a while, we focused on our meal in silence.

"Ah, right. Jae-hyun. So, the new party members are just me and Park Jinwoo?"

In the middle of our enthusiastic meal.

Kim Chaeun suddenly asked about the party members for the re-run of the Academy's underground dungeon.

So far, only Park Jinwoo and Kim Chaeun were decided.

But….

"There are more."

"New party members?"

"Not exactly party members, but…"

I smiled slightly.

They are talents who will be of great help now and in the future.

"Holders who will help the party."

It was time to go out and find these talents.