Food Truck Owner Inside the Dungeon

 “Episode 14 of “Dungeon Food Truck Owner”:

Since it’s not possible to complete the stir-fried pork in advance, Ji-eun decided to prepare the marinade for 30 servings.

She took the pork shoulder from her inventory, placed it on a kitchen towel to absorb the blood, and cut it into bite-sized pieces using a kitchen knife.

Next, she rinsed the Cheongyang peppers with water and switched knives to chop them finely.

“Ow, my eyes are stinging!”

Ji-Eun, who had been leaning close, squinted her eyes and stepped back slightly as the pungent smell hit her. She grimaced and continued chopping the peppers.

The 30 servings of pork were divided into two bowls.

She poured the chopped peppers over the meat and then used a spoon to add large chunks of minced garlic. After that, she sprinkled a good amount of fine red pepper powder.

Then, she evenly sprinkled sugar over the meat and confidently poured in the dark soy sauce without hesitation.

Stir-fried pork was easy to make for one person. Since pork shoulder and leg cuts were relatively inexpensive, she had often made it since she was young.

When she took out the plum extract she had prepared at home from the refrigerator, a sweet and sour aroma filled the countertop.

She scooped a bit of the plum extract with her finger and tasted it, nodding in approval. She had worried that the sweetness might have increased too much since it hadn’t been long since she made it, but this level of sweetness was acceptable.

She tilted the extract into the bowl, adding a touch of cooking wine afterward.

Finally, she opened the lid of the gochujang (red pepper paste) jar, scooped out a generous amount with a spoon, and put on plastic gloves.

With a serious expression, she mixed the marinade and meat together, ensuring the marinade soaked in well.

After mixing vigorously, she felt a slight sweat forming and paused to wipe her forehead.

“Phew, it’s hot.”

Having been boiling the seaweed soup and standing in front of the stove, the countertop was quite warm.

Still, she enjoyed the atmosphere created by the heat from the gas stove while cooking.

When she sweated profusely, it felt refreshing, as if she was truly cooking something worthwhile.

The two stainless steel bowls were filled with well-mixed meat.

Ji-eun covered the marinated meat with plastic wrap and placed it in the refrigerator. Letting it marinate for about 30 minutes to an hour would allow the flavors to penetrate the meat.

With the most important part of the stir-fried pork ready, the next task was to prepare the accompanying vegetables.

Ji-eun took out 10 onions and 20 green onions, washed her knife, and wiped the cutting board with a cloth.

The first item on the cutting board was the onion.

She cut off the rounded tops and bottoms to make it flat, then quickly sliced the onion in half.

It was so easy to chop onions and green onions that she could do it with her eyes closed, as they are essential ingredients in almost every Korean dish.

After sealing the stainless steel container filled with the green onions and onions, Ji-eun let out a sigh of relief.

Now, all she had to do was meet the customers, take their orders, and stir-fry the meat and vegetables to complete the dish.

With the sesame seeds ready as well, Ji-eun stretched and plopped down onto a chair in front of the cash register.

“Once the rice is done, the main menu will be complete.”

“The cooking is finished.”

As if waiting for Ji-eun’s words, the pleasant sound of the rice cooker signaled that the rice was ready.

Ji-eun, who had planned to take a short break, heard the sound and got up again to open the rice cooker. She scooped a bit of rice with a spoon to check its texture.

The perfectly cooked white rice maintained just the right amount of stickiness, neither too soft nor too firm, and its appearance alone brought her peace of mind.

“Carbs are the best. And freshly cooked rice is even better.”

Muttering to herself, Ji-eun, despite knowing she shouldn’t, opened the refrigerator and took out the container of side dishes.

The first spoonful of glorious white rice would be accompanied by well-fermented green onion kimchi.

She had intended to take just a little, but it turned out to be quite a hefty spoonful. However, it was enough to place a whole piece of green onion kimchi on it.

As she rolled the kimchi on the spoon, Ji-eun adjusted her grip and opened her mouth wide.

Although the amount was a bit too much for her mouth, she gauged the space inside her mouth, like a clip from a variety show, and shoved the spoon in.

The warm flavor of the freshly cooked rice filled her mouth and blended fantastically with the crunchy, well-fermented green onion kimchi.

Ji-eun’s cheeks puffed out like a greedy squirrel, and she covered her mouth, slowly chewing the kimchi and rice.

Unable to reply, Ji-eun nodded enthusiastically and closed the rice cooker lid.

She felt the rice was perfectly cooked, and now all that remained was to prepare the beef seaweed soup and some side dishes to go with the stir-fried pork.

But for now, she wanted to savor the taste lingering in her mouth, so Ji-eun focused on eating.

After drinking a refreshing glass of water, Ji-eun checked the time and decided to sit back down to rest as the business hours were almost over.

There were only about 5 minutes left.

Even if a customer came into the dungeon now, she would have no choice but to turn them away sadly due to the remaining time.

As she leaned back in her chair, humming along to the music playing, Ji-eun suddenly felt a chill and opened her eyes wide.

She jumped up from her seat and stared in shock at the scene before her: ten empty tables and forty chairs set up in the outdoor dining area.

“Ahhhh!! I have to fold the tables!”

The tables and chairs she had set up in the safety zone were left standing in front of her.

Why hadn’t she thought to fold them earlier?

The furniture she had installed in her ambitious plan to operate outdoor tables was now at risk of being abandoned.

“Why didn’t you tell me!! And you should speak properly! What kind of store sets up tables and closes two hours later?”

“You should have warned me earlier! You should have only set up two or three instead of ten!”

As Ji-eun hurriedly stacked the chairs, Kkamang began to laugh out loud while lying down.

“Instead of helping, you’re just cheering me on!”

While shouting at the annoyingly encouraging Kkamang, Ji-eun busily started folding and stacking the chairs and tables one by one into the truck’s storage area.

However, despite her frantic movements, the two tables and ten chairs she had eagerly purchased ended up left behind in the uncharted area of the dungeon, [Miasma Swamp], as closing time approached.

In the brief moment when the truck moved with a flash of light, only Ji-eun’s lamenting shout accompanied the abandoned tables and chairs.

“Don’t do this!!”

With another flash, the light disappeared.

Ji-eun, who had left the two tables and ten chairs in the dungeon just two hours after purchasing them, looked up at the sky and muttered in despair.

“Ah, if only I had one part-time worker.”

She had experienced a painful trial and error. From now on, if she was summoned to the third floor or higher, she would never set up outdoor tables again.

The emotions and dreams she had about the outdoor store quickly cooled in her heart.

The tables were quite expensive, and she had matched the colors of the chairs after sitting on each one.

What frustrated her the most was that it wasn’t just the two tables but also the ten chairs she had left behind.

She had bought chairs to match the four per table, but now she would have to buy two more chairs. Moreover, since she had randomly returned, the store where she had bought the tables and chairs was too far away.

“I’ll buy them later. No, I’ll just tell them to eat standing up?”

“I must have lost my mind for a moment.”

This was the second mistake following her first, forgetting to consider the time for preparing for business instead of operating hours.

Once closing time hit, she would immediately move out of the dungeon, so if she was to receive customers in the future, she had learned the lesson that she must finish taking orders and handle payments thoroughly before the designated closing time.

Thus, Ji-eun’s first business day, which began with such ridiculousness, resulted in a miracle where her sales actually decreased, with no customers at all.

The sense of loss was brief, but she shook her head as if to forget about the tables and chairs she had left behind and checked the time.

In one minute, it would be time for her third operation. She had set the opening and closing times in advance to maximize her dungeon exploration until midnight.

‘This time, please let it be a first or second floor with people! Or at least the entrance to the third floor!’

With a desperate wish in her heart, Ji-eun closed her eyes, feeling herself moving back into the dungeon.

*  *  *

“Ugh, it’s so bright!”

When she opened her eyes, she realized that the dungeon was bright, unlike before, and Ji-eun jumped up from her seat.

If the surroundings were this bright, it must be an explored dungeon on the first or second floor.

Her hands trembled slightly as she opened the system window, filled with anticipation of finally being able to receive customers.

“Damn…!”

After checking the name of the dungeon she had moved to, Ji-eun let out a small sigh of irritation without realizing it. No wonder the dungeon felt excessively bright.

[Ancient Ice Mountain of the Yeti]

True to its name, the surroundings were covered in pure white snow.

Although it was an explored dungeon, it was located right next to the deep area of the fourth floor, ‘Ariadne’s Libra.’

She had moved three times: once to the fourth floor, once to the third floor, and now again to the fourth floor.

It felt as if the dungeon was mocking her, and Ji-eun sighed, noticing her breath turning into visible puffs in the cold air.

“It’s nice to see my breath.”

One more despairing realization was that being in a dungeon completely covered in snow, the effect of her skill ‘As the Wheel Goes’—which provided a bright light—had faded, and shortly after, an intense cold began to engulf her.

Dressed only in a thin black long-sleeve shirt for the mild autumn weather, Ji-eun had to let out a silent scream as the sudden chill hit her.

“What is happening?!”

Not knowing what kind of property the field of the moving dungeon would have, she realized she needed to be adequately prepared for it.

Feeling unlucky was bad enough, but if she just stood still, she would freeze to death.

Having brought no other outerwear, Ji-eun curled up as much as possible and turned on all the burners on the gas stove.

The icy air of the dungeon quickly began to form frost on the countertop.

To prevent the pipes from freezing, she turned on the water in all the places where it came out, activating both the gas stove and the iron plate. Frustrated, Ji-eun shouted loudly.

“Damn it… this is just too much!!”

Her loud voice, filled with her grievances, echoed through the Ice Mountain dungeon.