Chapter 65.1

[Acquired Junior Grade Cooking Secret: Enlightenment of Black Sand Larvae preparation]  [Black Sand Larvae]  

[These larvae absorb, ingest, and decompose moisture from various objects. They are classified as pests in many worlds due to their habit of causing desertification in their surroundings]  

Surprisingly, there are some enthusiasts out there who prefer its exquisite taste.  

[To prepare it, first pierce the neck to cut off its breathing and drain the blood, then separate the exoskeleton.]  

[Their eyes, which have completely lost function as visual organs, are considered an excellent ingredient meant solely for cooking. Therefore, they should be separated carefully without damage]  

[Chef’s Eyes activated]  

Following the preparation method that came to my mind, I handled the black sand larvae.  

‘Starting off light.’  

After spreading out a mat to sit on,  

I placed the prepared meat on a frying pan and lightly grilled it.  

The simplest cooking method.  

[Grilled Black Sand Larvae made with half-hearted effort of a Junior Grade Chef]  

[Slightly increase in the Physical Strength]  

[Temporarily acquired the trait ‘Exoskeleton ((Deterioration)]  

The finished product wasn’t particularly remarkable, as expected from such a simple preparation.  

But that’s intentional, so it doesn’t matter.  

The important thing is the effect triggered by this.  

Whether it will be helpful in the dungeon strategy or not.  

“Exoskeleton, huh.”  

Fitting for its cockroach-like appearance.  

The trait that can be obtained by cooking with this ingredient is this ‘Exoskeleton’.  

“That’s a letdown.”  

Well, it might not be bad depending on the situation.  

But in the current situation, it wouldn’t be particularly helpful.  

After all, our combat power isn’t lacking at the moment.  

Having finished my assessment, I poured the completed grilled dish into my mouth.  

I could feel a buff of insignificant level circulating in my body.  

‘Hm?’  

I had put the dish in my mouth, thinking it was too wasteful to discard.  

The buff-like thing circulating in my body wasn’t particularly important.  

But there was one thing that caught my attention.  

‘This tastes like shrimp?’  

The flavor coming from the grilled meat.  

It was unmistakably the taste of shrimp.  

…Didn’t they say that cockroaches and shrimp shared a common ancestor?  

Aside from the peculiar salty taste that seemed to be self-seasoned, the flavor was very similar.  

Especially the bouncy texture.  

‘I see. Then…’  

I decided to proceed with serious cooking preparations.  

I approached one of the fire mages who had been quietly sitting in the meeting and asked,  

” Hong-soo, can you light a fire here?”  

“Ah, are you going to cook?”  

“Yes, the gas stove won’t be enough.”  

After asking the fire mage to light a fire on the ground, I set up a suitable stand and placed a pot on top of it.  

Then, I opened my bag and poured out one of my secret ingredients that I always carry with me.  

[Animal Oil Mixed with Magic Essence]     

Oil made from the fat of various monsters.  

Despite having no inherent effects due to the mixture of different monsters, this oil can maximize the effects of dishes made with it.  

The solidified fat melted into cooking oil as the heat warmed it up.  

Then, I immediately began preparing the ingredients.  

The meat of the ‘Black Sand Larvae’.  

And the most delicious part, the eyeballs.  

I mixed and stirred them together.  

The eyeballs burst open, becoming a sauce that coated the meat.  

‘Well, it’s a bit gross.’  

But in the end, it’s all the same once it’s in the stomach.  

Stirred and mixed well.  

After properly preparing the ingredients, I took out the [Black Chinese Cleaver].  

And then…  

I chopped and minced the mixed ingredients.  

After dividing the finely chopped ingredients into appropriate portions,  

I went to the place where the supplies brought from the base were stacked and looked for what I needed.  

‘I’m sure I brought it…… Ah!’  

The item I took out from there was:  

[Bread made with the care by a Junior Grade Chef]  

Using flour and other ingredients obtained from the market, I had prepared this bread while reading cookbooks in between cooking for the unit members.  

Since the unit members’ combat rations were mostly just jerky, I had brought this to provide them with sandwiches at least, so they wouldn’t get bored just eating that.  

While this bread itself is already usable as food, it will play another role as an ingredient this time.  

After dividing the bread into portions, I inserted the pre-portioned ingredients in between the slices.  

Now, I just need to check the oil temperature.  

“Hong-soo, how’s the oil temperature looking?”  

“To be honest, I’m not sure.”  

“Hm?”  

I asked the fire mage who had been lighting the fire.  

As specialists in fire-related tasks, they should normally be able to precisely gauge the temperature.  

“The difference in air pressure… the flame isn’t coming out as controlled as I’d like. The fire is a bit stronger than I intended.”  

“I see, that makes sense.”  

The oxygen concentration and gravity are different in this space compared to the outside.  

It’s only natural that controlling the fire power would become more difficult.  

Even as a fire mage, it seems he’s having trouble gauging the oil temperature.  

In that case…  

“Guess I’ll just check it myself.”  

“Huh?”  

After thoroughly washing my hands, I dipped my index finger into the bubbling hot oil.  

Plop.  

“Ah, this seems about right.”  

“Huh?!”  

At that moment, some of the soldiers watching me cook let out a scream.  

“Aahhhh”  

“What’s wrong? What happened?”  

“What are you doing, Sergeant Shin!?”  

“Hm? I’m just checking the temperature since I don’t have a thermometer.”  

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“Ah, I understand the concern, but there’s no need to worry.”  

I apologized a little.  

“My hands are thoroughly cleaned and I’m very careful about hygiene.”  

“That’s not the concern…”  

The soldiers were staring at my index finger.  

Ah, they were worried about my hand and not the hygiene.  

‘It doesn’t bother me at all.’  

With the [Fire Affinity] trait that I gained from becoming a chef and my stats having risen considerably recently, ordinary heat doesn’t really affect me much.  

I’ve been checking temperatures this way even before cooking.  

I’m used to it, so I did it casually, but for those who don’t often see me cooking, it must have been a surprising sight.  

“I’m glad it doesn’t bother you, but please refrain from such startling actions. As the guild leader, you should be more careful with your body.”  

“Ahahaha, my apologies.”  

Anyway, the temperature seems about right.  

I carefully picked up the prepared ingredients one by one and dropped them into the hot oil.  

Sizzle.  

The ingredients started turning slightly brown in the oil.  

After taking out the entire batch once, I let the temperature cool down a bit before putting it back into the oil for a second fry.  

After going through two frying processes, the dish was completely prepared for consumption:  

[Black Sand Menbosha* made with the Care by a Junior Grade Chef]  

[When consumed, all stats will be greatly increased]  

[When consumed, earth attribute resistance will be greatly increased]  

[When consumed, physical resistance will slightly increased]  

Just when I was done with the frying,  

“Oh, it’s menbosha.”