Chapter 51: Making Mat-Tang

TL: Hanguk

As Sejun pulled on the sweet potato stem

Squeak.

Following the sweet potato stem, Golden Sweet Potatoes emerged, lighting up the surroundings.

[You have simultaneously harvested 15 Golden Sweet Potatoes.]

[Your job experience has increased slightly.]

[Your proficiency in Harvesting Lv. 4 has increased slightly.]

[Due to the effect of Proficiency Increase Lv. 1, your proficiency in Harvesting Lv. 4 has increased by an additional 5%.]

[You have gained 450 experience points.]

[You have leveled up.]

[You have acquired 1 bonus stat.]

“Phew. It’s done.”

Sejun, who had finished harvesting all the sweet potatoes including the Golden Sweet Potatoes that he planted last, leveled up to level 19.

He increased his magic power from the bonus stat. His plan was to increase magic power until he unsealed the <Rainfall> and <Throw Thunder> of the Rain Thunder skill.

After all the harvesting was done, Sejun went to the kitchen where he was preparing dinner. The rabbits were already boiling and roasting the harvested potatoes and sweet potatoes while preparing other dishes.

“Let’s have dinner now.”

Squeak!

Yawn!

The rabbits, who had been waiting for Sejun’s work to finish, started to busily serve food.

Just then,

Kwaaang! Kwaaang!

A sorrowful cry of Cuengi came from outside the cave.

“Cuengi is fighting with his mom because he doesn’t want to go home, meow.”

Theo interpreted Cuengi’s words.

“He still hasn’t gone home?”

“He said he would eat the potatoes and sweet potatoes and then leave, meow.”

It seemed that Cuengi, having seen the harvested potatoes and sweet potatoes in the cave, was throwing a tantrum to eat them before leaving. Sejun filled the large basket made by the grey rabbits with potatoes and Golden Sweet Potatoes and brought them up to the surface.

“Eat this today and we’ll eat again tomorrow. Got it?”

When Sejun handed the basket to Cuengi,

Growl!

Having gotten what he wanted, Cuengi nodded at Sejun’s words and quickly climbed onto his mom, the Crimson Giant Bear’s, head.

“Ah! Should I have told him not to eat the basket?”

Sejun belatedly realized he hadn’t warned Cuengi about the basket, but by that time, the mom, Crimson Giant Bear, had gone too far to be caught.

“Great Black Dragon. Should I go tell him not to eat the basket?”

Elka approached Sejun and spoke.

“No, it’s okay. Are you hungry? Let’s eat quickly.”

While Sejun was preparing food for Cuengi, the rabbits brought food for the wolves.

“Thank you. Great Black Dragon...”

“It’s too long. Just call me Sejun from now on.”

“Understood. Sejun. I will enjoy the dinner.”

After Sejun and the rabbits prepared meals for Cuengi and the wolves, finally everyone sat around the kitchen area in a circle for dinner.

In front of Sejun and the rabbits were dishes and bowls made by the grey rabbits from woven green onion leaves, filled with food.

They originally ate with food placed on top of green onion leaves, but this felt different. Even though it was just made by weaving green onion leaves, it seemed completely different.

Snap.

“I’m hungry, meow.”

Theo naturally climbed onto Sejun’s lap.

“Let’s eat.”

With Sejun’s words, the rabbits began to eat the food in front of them.

And then,

“Here.”

“This is delicious, meow!”Explore new novels on novelbin(.)com

Sejun fed Theo, pulling apart grilled fish and putting it in his mouth.

At first, Sejun was annoyed when Theo climbed onto his lap. But now, he naturally accepted feeding him grilled fish.

‘Puhuhut. Everything is going according to plan, meow!’

On the 213th day of being stranded, Theo’s day passed peacefully.

***

Kkoo-ung!

As morning came, Cuengi stuck his head into the cave.

“Alright!”

Sejun got up, added one more stroke to the wall, and started the morning of the 214th day.

He quickly washed his face, and breakfast was leftover sweet potatoes from yesterday. Today was going to be as busy as yesterday, if not busier.

Because the land was empty after harvesting the crops, new crops had to be planted.

So, Sejun and the rabbits had a simple breakfast and started morning farming.

Sejun tried to give Theo work again today, but

Sejun decided to make a new dish by adding potatoes to it.

“I’ll name it Potato Mat-Tang.”

Sejun went down to the cave, washed potatoes and sweet potatoes, and started boiling them with three pots.

And as he was taking out the boiled potatoes and sweet potatoes,

“Representative Park, what are you doing?”

Theo, who had finished packing goods, approached Sejun.

“Oh! Welcome, Representative Theo.”

“Puhuhut. Am I that welcome, meow?”

“Of course, you are. Can you cut these with your claws?”

Sejun pointed to the potatoes and sweet potatoes.

“Puhuhut. That’s nothing to Representative Theo, meow!”

The strongest in the cave was ready to show off his abilities.

However,

“You’re just going to cut it?”

“Yes, what’s the problem, meow?”

“You have to wash your claws.”

Sejun caught him in the act of poor hygiene.

“Understood, meow!”

Theo quickly washed his claws in the pond and showed off his skills by cutting the potatoes and sweet potatoes.

“President Park! Look at my brilliant front paw skill, meow!”

While Theo was busy working, Sejun started heating up the pots.

Whoosh.

The fire was so strong that the pot quickly heated up.

“Good.”

As soon as the pot was heated, Sejun put a chunk of fat from a giant electric eel that he had set aside into the pot.

Sizzle.

The fat melted into a liquid, giving off a delicious sound and a savory aroma.

Rumble.

Sejun started frying the potatoes and sweet potatoes in the pot. It tastes crispy and slightly gooey when you eat fried potatoes. To create that texture, you have to fry the outside.

The fried potatoes and sweet potatoes were moved to a leaf plate. And as soon as the frying was done, honey was put in the pot and boiled.

And as the honey caramelized and turned brown, the potatoes and sweet potatoes were put back in and stirred as if they were being coated.

Gradually, honey coated the surface of the potatoes and sweet potatoes, making them glisten.

“Done.”

As Sejun finished the dish by cooling down the potatoes and sweet potatoes,

[Achievement Unlocked: Reproducing the Forgotten Dish – Potato Mat-Tang in the Tower.]

[Achievement Unlocked: Reproducing the Forgotten Dish – Mat-Tang in the Tower.]

[The recipe for the Potato Mat-Tang dish will be registered in Cooking Lv. 1.]

[The recipe for the Mat-Tang dish will be registered in Cooking Lv. 1.]

[The proficiency of Cooking Lv. 1 greatly increases.]

[The proficiency of Cooking Lv. 1 is filled, and your level rises.]

His cooking skill level increased as he achieved achievements. However, unfortunately, the Potato Mat-Tang dish that Sejun developed was not recognized by the tower.

When Sejun was making the Potato Mat-Tang dish again,

“Can I fry some fish here too, meow!”

Theo came with a piranha and pointed to the oil that was still being used to fry potatoes and sweet potatoes. Fish lovers instinctively know it. The combination of fish and oil.

“Alright.”

Sizzle.

“Here you go.”

As the fire was strong, Sejun quickly fried the piranha in the hot oil and handed the fried fish to Theo.

“It’s delicious, meow!”

After tasting the piranha fried in eel oil, Theo decided to take his weekly salary in fried fish.

A while later, when lunch preparation was finished,

“Let’s have lunch!”

At Sejun’s call, the rabbits rushed over and jumped up to the surface with potato and sweet potato dishes in their baskets.

Koo! Ehng! Koo! Ehng!

Excited at the thought of eating something more delicious than honey potatoes, Cuengi eagerly pulled up the basket, drooling.

And then it was lunchtime.

Kooehng!

After tasting the potato and sweet potato dish, which was even more delicious than honey potatoes as Sejun said, Cuengi did not casually snatch other people’s food afterwards.

On the 214th day of being stranded, Cuengi learned that he should wait to be offered food, not snatch it away. It was a slightly different understanding from Sejun’s intention.

*****

TL notes:

Mat-Tang – Korean sweet potato dish

Potato Mat-Tang – created by adding normal potatoes in Mat-tang

1 more chapter incoming....