Food Truck Owner Inside the Dungeon

**Dungeon Food Truck Owner – Episode 1**

“Don’t yearn for a different world; live a normal life.”

This was a phrase I heard repeatedly from my late grandmother while learning to cook from her since I was young.

In the age of great awakening.

Twenty years ago, towers known as dungeons appeared all over the world, and cracks began to form.

Terrifying monsters poured out from them, and humanity seemed helpless against the otherworldly beings until the [Awakened Ones] emerged.

[Awakened Ones] hunted the monsters spilling from the cracks and brought peace back to humanity.

However, many Awakened Ones lost their lives in the process, including Ji-eun’s parents. When the dungeon gates were finally closed, Ji-eun was only two years old.

From that time on, Ji-eun was raised by her grandmother. Her grandmother lived in constant fear that Ji-eun might become an Awakened One and leave her, just like her daughter and son-in-law.

Perhaps because of her grandmother’s constant warnings, Ji-eun wished for a simple life, unlike her friends who dreamed of becoming wealthy hunters.

Ji-eun had a talent for cooking, having inherited it from her famous chef grandmother. Since elementary school, she had been cooking in the kitchen, taking over for her grandmother, and she found immense joy in preparing meals.

Eating delicious dishes made from her grandmother’s handwritten recipes or sharing them with others brought her the greatest sense of fulfillment.

However, in Ji-eun’s third year of middle school, her grandmother’s health rapidly declined.

Whenever her grandmother briefly opened her eyes in the ICU, she would always ask Ji-eun if she had eaten and what she had eaten.

But after her grandmother passed away, 15-year-old Ji-eun truly found herself alone, with no relatives to turn to.

Before she could even process her sadness, the harsh realities of life began to weigh heavily on her.

There was no one to guide her on how to arrange the funeral or how to handle the costs.

With the help of her school teachers, She managed to lay her grandmother to rest in the columbarium where her parents were.

It didn’t take long for her to feel completely alone.

“Ji-eun, no matter what happens, make sure to eat well and live.”

Every time she returned home to the dark house after school, She would look at her grandmother’s notebook filled with various recipes and cook for herself.

Flipping through the notebook made her feel as if her grandmother was right there with her.

Perhaps that’s why, at least while cooking, she didn’t feel so alone.

And thus, 21-year-old Ji-eun had one dream.

It was to open a store bearing her own name.

Thanks to her grandmother’s culinary skills, Ji-eun had not only mastered Korean cuisine but also ventured into other culinary fields, leaving her with nearly no dishes she couldn’t prepare.

Determined to start a business on her own, She devoted herself to developing numerous recipes. Her hard work had led her to the final stages of a young entrepreneur support competition.

A food truck that could be opened anywhere in Seoul. The results of a competition organized by the city to provide free food trucks for three years were to be announced today.

Ding!

Ji-eun’s eyes widened as she held her phone with both hands. After taking a deep breath, she checked her phone and jumped out of bed, shouting.

“I got accepted!!!”

Even after checking her phone screen multiple times in disbelief, the message clearly read, [Congratulations on being selected as a recipient of the government-supported youth business program.]

Unable to contain her excitement, her shout filled the room. The food truck would be her first step toward her dream, achieved after three attempts!

A week later, Ji-eun’s picture smiling brightly against the food truck was featured in the newspaper during a celebration event hosted by the city.

[Winner of the 3rd Youth Support Program Hope Food Truck Competition, Min Ji-eun (21)]

*  *  *

“Hmmmm~~~”

She hummed a tune as she arrived at the quiet Han River Park, unloading a folding sign from the backseat. She was about to name her food truck, which would be the first step in realizing her dream.

As she struggled to open the back door, the cooking area revealed itself, designed like a stall. When she unfolded the roof, shade covered the stall.

“This is the kitchen for my first store…”

With a look of joy, She waved her hands over the cooking stations where various dishes would soon be prepared. She lifted the chalkboard sign she had placed on the floor and stood it upright.

Then, taking out a whiteboard marker, she wrote down the name of her food truck with excitement.

[Ji-eun’s Place]

Satisfied with her writing, She picked up the marker again to finish writing the operating rules when suddenly—

Ding!

[Class: You have awakened as a Food Truck Owner (Hidden)!]

“Uh…?”

Awakened? Food Truck Owner?

Caught off guard by the blue window blocking her view, She was bewildered.

Ding! Ding!

Notifications started pouring in.

[Skill: Enhanced Class 1 Large Vehicle License (Lv. 1) acquired!]

– Skill Description: Allows for comfortable driving and parking without food spilling, no matter the terrain.

“Auto-driving! Experience the thrill of technological advancement!”

“What? Wait a minute…”

[Item: Error-Free Card Reader (Lv. 1) acquired!]

– Item Description: No payment errors! A convenient card reader that automatically calculates the amount without needing to charge slips.

– Not subject to tax, so no receipts are issued! The best item for accumulating wealth!

“Oh, this is…”

[Skill: Today’s Recommended Dish (Passive) acquired!]

– Skill Description: The freshest ingredients will be provided daily. Treat your customers to the best flavors with the finest ingredients.

Ji-eun, unable to comprehend the continuous stream of skill notifications, was stunned when she saw the last line from the system.

[Item: Dungeon Entry Permit (Personal Use/Non-Transferable) acquired!]

– A permit allowing you to freely set up shop inside dungeons. You can start a business anywhere inside the dungeon.

– It is personally bound and cannot be transferred or discarded.

– You can only sell inside dungeons.

A bright piece of paper had suddenly appeared in her hand.

As she read the line stating, “You can only sell inside dungeons,” Ji-eun found herself collapsing into her seat.

The noisy notifications faded, leaving an eerie silence.

Once she realized what was happening, Ji-eun couldn’t help but scream in disbelief.

“What is this?!”

*  *  *

“Awakened? I’ve become an Awakened One?”

Something unbelievable had happened. She tried to deny it, but the system windows that appeared brought her back to reality.

[Would you like to put the Dungeon Entry Permit in your inventory? Y/N]

A system window was only visible to Awakened Ones. She had heard about it but never thought she would see it herself. With trembling hands, she pressed ‘Y,’ and the permit she had been holding glowed before vanishing.

[Would you like to open your inventory?]

“Yes… yes…”

When Ji-eun answered in a shaky voice, her inventory appeared in the air like a game interface, showing the Dungeon Entry Permit she had just lost. It was then that she started to grasp that she had become an Awakened One.

[You have unconfirmed skills. Open the status window to check.]

As the blinking system window prompted her, a large parchment unfurled before her.

[Awakened: Min Ji-eun (Lv. 1)]

[Class: Food Truck Owner (Hidden)]

– Class Proficiency Lv. 1: Stats are currently reset.

– As class proficiency levels up, stats and skill proficiency will increase.

[Skills Owned: 5]

– [Enhanced Class 1 Large Vehicle License (Lv. 1)]

– [Today’s Recommended Dish (Passive)]

– [Where the Wheels Go (Lv. 1)]

(Description has not been read!)

– [Opening and Closing Times (Passive)]

(Description has not been read!)

– [This is a Bulletproof Truck! (Passive)]

(Description has not been read!)

Among the five skills listed, three names were flashing, seemingly urging her to check them.

It dawned on her that she remembered reading the description for [Today’s Recommended Dish]. The others must have been skipped because she had hurriedly scrolled down.

“Check skills…”

[Skill: Where the Wheels Go (Lv. 1) acquired!]

– Skill Description: The one and only food truck in the world may guide you anywhere!

– When the skill level increases, the name will change to [As the Owner Wishes]!

– After leveling up the skill, you can specify where to set up shop.

(Only applies to locations you have visited at least once.)

[Skill: Opening and Closing Times acquired!]

– Skill Description: You can set the start and end times for business.

– When the start time arrives, the food truck will move into the dungeon. Currently influenced by Where the Wheels Go (Lv. 1), it will move to a random location.

– By using the skill inside the dungeon, you can summon the truck to your location.

– When the designated closing time arrives, the food truck will return outside the dungeon. You can specify the return location.

– If you level up [Where the Wheels Go] to [As the Owner Wishes], you can change the closing time at any time.

[Skill: This is a Bulletproof Truck! (Passive) acquired!]

– Skill Description: You will not take damage from any monster attacks while inside the truck’s range in the dungeon.

– During business hours, you will not be attacked by monsters. If the owner is in danger, you cannot operate the truck! Your safety is guaranteed in your own shop!

“Hahaha…”

After reading all five skill descriptions, She let out a hollow laugh.

She had lived without even a passing interest in hunters, just as her grandmother had advised, and now this was happening. Was it fortunate or unfortunate that she became a non-combat Awakened class instead of a monster-hunting hunter?

As She reviewed everything in the status window, another system window popped up as if waiting for her.

[Would you like to confirm the store name as ‘Ji-eun’s Place’?]

“Yes.”

[Store name: ‘Ji-eun’s Place’ has been registered.]

– You must complete a class-specific tutorial. Would you like to proceed?

“……Yes.”

[Tutorial: The First Opening Has Begun!]

– Please specify the food menu to sell using the Today’s Recommended Dish skill and enter the opening start time!

– Tutorial completion reward: Skill Points (100p)

The tutorial’s content was something Ji-eun had been dreading.

Now that she had a store, the next step was the grand opening. The problem was that, according to the skill description, the food truck would randomly move to some terrifying dungeon she had never even thought about.

“Ugh… I’ll hold off for now!”

She was someone who had never even watched a horror movie in her life, a serious coward. Just the sound of the wind rattling the window would send her diving under the covers!