Chapter 7 · 9 min
Chapter 7
Stir-Fried Pork
The Black Guild, which had been in charge of the supply base on the 10th floor, was ruined.
This fact caused a huge stir.
No matter how angry the hunters had been at the Black Guild for trying to loot the convenience store, from the Black Guild’s perspective, after being attacked like that, they no longer had any intention of supplying the hunters.
Normally, this should have left the hunters unable to receive supplies, unable to continue climbing, and anxiously stamping their feet.
But contrary to expectations, nothing like that happened.
“Yes. 5g.”
“Thank you!”
Checking out customers had now become part of everyday life.
The hunters not only packed the inside of the convenience store but even lined up outside the door.
The hunters no longer used the Black Guild’s supply base and instead obtained their supplies from the convenience store.
They had already disliked the Black Guild because it raised prices at every opportunity.
There was no lingering attachment from all the business they had done together.
‘Thanks to that, I’ve accumulated quite a lot of mana stones.’
He had already saved enough to pay the hunters’ escort fee to escape the Tower.
By now, even seeing the growing pile of mana stones no longer stirred much emotion in him.
Dohyeon looked around.
Hunters were happily eating things like kimbap and kimchi stew.
But behind those happy expressions, there was probably a deep shadow.
‘So many people die while climbing the Tower.’
Hunters earned a lot of money, but it was an equally dangerous profession.
At least they could relax comfortably here in the convenience store.
Thinking about it that way, Dohyeon even felt sorry for the hunters, who unlike him had to risk their lives to obtain mana stones.
‘Hmm. Is there any way I can help them more?’
As he pondered, Dohyeon looked at the display shelves.
‘Kimbap has decent nutrition, but it’s really closer to a convenience food, and kimchi stew is a meal kit, so it feels a little lacking...’
He wanted to provide them with a more substantial meal...
After thinking for quite some time, Dohyeon looked through the product list.
And before long, he found the perfect product.
____________
“Ah, I want to hurry up and get to the convenience store and eat some kimbap.”
Kim Minjun smacked his lips.
The convenience store he had visited not long ago while climbing the 10th floor.
Just as the rumors said, it was a paradise that sold all kinds of fresh food.
Thanks to that, Minjun had even restocked cheaply, and now that he had finished his climb, he was descending the Tower.
Minjun was now walking through the middle of the forest on the 10th floor.
“Just hold on a little longer. We’ll be there soon.”
The vice-captain, who was serving as their guide, said as he walked ahead.
“I know. But the 11th floor was just too rough.”
“That’s true. Ah, we’re here. We just need to get past those bushes now.”
“Really? Heave-ho. Then let’s put in a little effort and get moving.”
Minjun tightened the straps of the bag he had been wearing loosely.
Before long, the convenience store came into view.
Bustle, bustle.
Hunters formed a long line that stretched all the way outside the convenience store as they waited to pay.
“Somehow... doesn’t it seem like there are more people now?”
“It certainly does.”
Minjun’s group looked at the line with puzzled expressions before entering the convenience store.
As usual, Minjun went to the kimbap section.
But just as he reached out to pick up some kimbap, his hand stopped.
“Captain? What’s wrong?”
The vice-captain asked from behind him in confusion, but Minjun could not answer.
“Th-This is...”
A newly added product was sitting above the kimbap section.
“What in the world did you see...”
Unable to contain his curiosity, the vice-captain poked his head out from behind Minjun and froze.
[Stir-Fried Pork Lunchbox: 10g of Mana Stone]
“S-Stir-fried pork!?”
And it was not just ordinary stir-fried pork.
It was a stir-fried pork lunchbox that came with side dishes and rice.
“What? Stir-fried pork? Seriously?”
“A-A lunchbox. Don’t tell me they can even supply lunchboxes?”
“Kimchi, rice, lettuce, even a fried egg... It has every side dish you’d expect!?”
The members who saw the lunchbox after them shouted in surprise.
Minjun’s entire group froze in place.
With trembling hands, Minjun picked up a stir-fried pork lunchbox.
Then he brought it right up to his nose.
He had worried that it might smell spoiled just in case, but it did not.
Instead, the pungent aroma of stir-fried pork wafted through the packaging, making his head spin.
Trembling, Minjun carried the lunchbox to the checkout counter.
“That will be 10g of mana stone.”
He immediately started walking quickly toward the microwave, but...
“Hey. You need to stand in line properly.”
“What? Ah...”
Only when the man standing beside him grabbed Minjun did he come to his senses, and Minjun went outside the convenience store to join the line.
‘I didn’t get a proper look earlier, but now that I see it...’
The long line outside the convenience store.
Every single person was holding a stir-fried pork lunchbox.
They had all lined up to heat their lunchboxes in the microwave.
“Ugh... I can’t take it anymore. When is this line going to get shorter?”
“Just wait a little. A lunchbox like this only tastes right after you microwave it.”
“I know that too, but...”
Everyone’s faces were flushed with excitement.
‘They have enough stock to provide lunchboxes to this many hunters?’
He already knew the convenience store had a large supply, but he could not help thinking it was incredible.
Minjun quietly took his place at the very back of the line.
The vice-captain and the other members followed behind him carrying their lunchboxes.
“Captain! That’s too much! How could you line up by yourself!”
“Huh? Ah... Sorry. I saw the stir-fried pork lunchbox and lost my mind for a moment.”
Minjun awkwardly made an excuse after the vice-captain’s reproach, but...
“Vice-captain. Weren’t you about to leave us behind and go out first too?”
“A-Ahem. That was before I realized it...”
At the members’ words, the vice-captain shrank back as well.
How long had they been waiting in line...
‘Ah, I want to eat it already.’
‘When the hell is it going to be my turn?’
Everyone was growing impatient as the line refused to move as quickly as they wanted.
“Aaagh! I can’t take it anymore!”
Suddenly, a man standing in the middle of the line stepped out of it.
The man sat at one of the tables outside the convenience store and tore open the packaging in an instant.
“Th-That guy...”
“Even so, how could he not wait...”
The hunters who had been waiting so long to heat their stir-fried pork in the microwave began murmuring, but...
Grab!
The man practically shoveled the stir-fried pork into his mouth with his chopsticks.
“Th-This taste is...!”
The hunter’s eyes widened.
“Yes... This is it... This is the taste I was waiting for!”
The hunter placed the stir-fried pork on top of the rice and ate them together.
Gulp!
The hunters who had unintentionally ended up watching him eat stir-fried pork could not help swallowing their saliva.
Minjun was no exception.
‘If you wrap that stir-fried pork in lettuce with rice and kimchi...’
As if he had read Minjun’s mind, the hunter placed rice on a piece of lettuce.
“Put the rice on...”
Then he added kimchi and stir-fried pork on top.
The hunter carefully wrapped it with his chopsticks and stuffed it into his mouth.
He closed his eyes and savored the food in his mouth, then looked up into the air and exhaled.
“Haa...”
That sight alone was more than enough to stimulate the hunters’ appetites more than a hundred words ever could.
“C-Captain...!”
The vice-captain looked at Minjun with pleading eyes.
“P-People do sometimes eat lunchboxes cold, don’t they? So...”
“No! Even so, you can’t eat stir-fried pork cold! It costs a whole 10g of mana stone. We can’t waste it!”
“That’s true, but...”
“Endure it. We only need to wait a little longer.”
Minjun looked at his members and saw them all gritting their teeth, seemingly suppressing the urge to bolt out of line at any moment.
Even so, the captain’s word was absolute inside the Tower.
Fortunately, none of the members broke ranks halfway through.
And finally, it was Minjun’s turn.
Following the instructions written on the packaging, Minjun set it for two minutes.
1 minute 50 seconds...
1 minute 48 seconds...
Time passed incredibly slowly.
‘Please just hurry up.’
Minjun glared at the microwave with bloodshot eyes.
Beep, beep!
When the microwave finally sounded to announce that it was done, Minjun hurriedly took out the lunchbox and carried it to the table.
He immediately tore open the packaging and picked up a piece of stir-fried pork with his chopsticks.
With trembling hands, he brought it to his mouth, closed his eyes, and savored it.
A chewy texture and spicy seasoning.
Minjun’s mind went blank.
‘Ah... I can’t believe this is food you can eat inside the Tower...’
The reactions of the other hunters around him were not much different.
“Damn it. After eating this, how are we supposed to go back to eating those cursed hardtack biscuits and jerky on the higher floors?”
“Isn’t there some way we can take this with us while climbing...?”
“Idiot. It’ll obviously spoil along the way. This is a special meal you can only eat at the convenience store!”
“Store Manager! Thank you! Thank you for setting up this convenience store for us!”
One hunter even bowed deeply to the store manager in the middle of all that.
At that moment, the vice-captain sat down at the table beside Minjun.
“Ah, Vice-captain! This stir-fried pork really is...”
Minjun froze in the middle of praising the stir-fried pork.
The vice-captain had brought not only a lunchbox but also some instant rice.
Then he added the rice from the lunchbox to the instant rice and placed the stir-fried pork on top.
‘S-Stir-fried pork rice bowl!?’
Feeling Minjun’s gaze, the vice-captain turned and grinned.
“Captain. See? You shouldn’t have gone ahead without us. I told the other members to buy an instant rice each too.”
Then the vice-captain scooped up a spoonful of the stir-fried pork rice bowl he had made and brought it to his mouth.
Minjun could only stare blankly at the vice-captain.