Chapter 119

Chapter 119: Creating the Hunting Dungeon

The reasons for opening a bakery and a bar.

There were two main ones.

First, the restaurant alone was becoming increasingly strained trying to accommodate all the Hunter customers.

So the customers needed to be distributed.

Second, to provide breakfast and dinner solutions for the Hunters staying at the outpost, so they could stay longer without worrying about their food supply.

Lunch could be handled at the restaurant, but for breakfast and dinner, some Hunter guilds and parties had been eating stored rations, or eating several servings' worth at lunch to cover their meals for the day.

'Of course, there's the money to be made, too.'

The Rift restaurant's revenue was 100% my share.

For the revenues from the smithy, bakery café, fusion bar, and tree-house lodgings going forward, we'd decided on a 30–70 split: 30% for me, and the remaining 70% for guild funds.

In exchange, the salaries of each venue's staff and the cost of ingredients would be paid out of the guild share.

Soon, the shop openings drew near.

First, I inspected the bakery café, which was one day away from opening.

"I'm getting used to traditional wood-oven baking now, too."

Louis Simon said to me as he drew bread out of the wood oven.

"Bread baked in a wood oven is more delicious."

"That's right. Please have a taste."

"Yes."

What he had baked in the wood oven were bagels.

I picked up a freshly baked bagel and tasted it.

"Mmm."

A sound came out of my nose on its own.

That's how good it was.

"It's delicious. Even better than the ones I make."

"Don't flatter me. I'm still nowhere near your level, Chef An."

He opened another oven.

Wood-oven breads were stuck densely to the rounded clay-earth ceiling.

Traditional wood-oven bread, commonly made in Southern Europe and the Middle East.

"That method makes them look even more appetizing."

"Haha! Thank you. Please try this too."

I tasted a standard wood-oven loaf.

Pleasantly chewy, delicious.

Louis Simon then handed me a different oven bread.

"This one is wood-oven buns."

Chinese-style wood-oven buns.

Bun-filling wrapped in wood-oven bread dough and baked.

This was also delicious.

From the bread to the meat filling, the flavor balance was excellent.

"These are going to be very popular."

"Is that so? Haha!"

Besides those, there would be baguettes, castella, and a cake using castella.

Soufflés and pizza breads.

He said the variety would be gradually expanded.

"Excellent. With your skill level, Master Simon, you don't have to run each new product by me individually. Please run things the way you want. I'll leave it to you with full trust."

"Thank you for the trust."

Since he had been the lead pâtissier at a famous Michelin-one-star bakery, I had no concerns.

His taste was reliable, and he'd run the shop well.

Of course, I would drop by from time to time to buy bread and check in.

Next I inspected the fusion bar, which was also preparing to open.

The drink-accompanying menu had classic bar items—jamón, cheese platter, charcuterie platter, gambas—

and Korean dishes like various jeon and cheese-walnut-dried-persimmon rolls.

For soup dishes, we'd sell fish cake soup and soft tofu stew.

For drinks, we'd sell Western liquor and wine, as well as beer, soju, makgeolli, vodka, sake, and various other traditional drinks from around the world.

'Reflecting the Hunter customers' requests.'

When we tested a standard bar at the Rift restaurant, customers had been left wanting.

When we later tested a fusion bar instead, customers had been quite satisfied.

I inspected the taste of the bar's food.

"The overall flavor of the drink-accompanying dishes is fine, but as drink-accompanying dishes, the seasoning is a touch weak. Would you try cooking these once more? I'll point out one or two details for each dish from the side."

"That would be a tremendous honor!"

As he cooked, I gave him various pieces of advice on cooking technique—bad habits, cooking order, seasonings to bring out flavor in a particular dish, and so on.

Having learned many things in a short time, he was deeply moved.

"Your attention to detail is truly exceptional. It's an honor to have the chance to learn from you, Chef An."

"You flatter me."

"Um, could I...?"

He seemed to have something to say.

"Yes, please."

"Would it be all right if I came over to the restaurant in the morning now and then to help with ingredient prep?"

"You could, but wouldn't it be better to rest for the evening service?"

"I'm confident in my stamina. I want to help by your side, Chef, and learn cooking even if only by watching over your shoulder!"

Sparks seemed to glow in his eyes.

His passion was tremendous.

Seeing those eyes, I couldn't bring myself to refuse.

"All right. But on condition that it doesn't interfere with the evening service. You must maintain your best condition for the evening service."

"Understood, I'll pace myself well!"

"And I tend to be quite strict when I teach. Will that be all right?"

"I'll steel myself!"

And thus, I gained another helper in the lunch prep.

***

The bakery café opened for business.

Because of that, the number of Hunter customers visiting the restaurant decreased a bit.

It was the opening-week effect, and since buying bread saved on meal costs.

Bread cost, on average, one Lowest-Grade Magic Stone for every five loaves.

Which meant an average of sixty thousand won per loaf.

'Not a cheap price, but cheap considering this is the Fourth Floor of a Rift.'

Among Hunters at the outpost, I knew stale bread was being traded at one Lowest-Grade Magic Stone per two loaves.

Even bad-tasting bread went for two Lowest-Grade Magic Stones' worth, and at the same price one could buy five freshly baked, high-quality loaves.

'And handling meals with bread was much cheaper than eating at the Rift restaurant.'

A single serving at the Rift restaurant cost the price of ten loaves of bread.

So I had expected the restaurant to be very quiet after the bakery café opened, but—surprisingly—there were still plenty of customers.

When I asked a few regular customers why,

"Bread is good, but nothing beats the Chef's warm food."

"Bread for breakfast and dinner, the Chef's food for lunch."

"My party came to the Fourth Floor to eat the Chef's food and rest properly."

One Hunter spoke as if he were on a vacation getaway.

During my fifteen-minute break, I stepped out of the restaurant briefly to look around the café.

Using the Silent Footsteps skill to minimize my presence.

'Business is going well enough that seats are short.'

Inside, the two staff members were moving briskly thanks to a crush of customers.

A satisfying result.

Time passed, and night fell.

The live fusion bar opened for business.

As expected, Hunter customers came in droves to have a drink.

And Damon's live performance was in full swing.

'Nice.'

I leaned against the rear wall of the building and listened to his songs for a while before opening a Gate Portal back to the Rift house.

'Listening makes me want a drink too, so I can't stay any longer.'

Thinking of Ria, who was currently abstaining, I pressed through and stepped toward the portal.

***

Ria had entered the thirtieth week of pregnancy.

Usually around this time, an expectant mother's body felt very heavy and she'd feel a lot of fatigue.

Ria, however, lived on without much discomfort.

'Ria's belly is showing less than most expectant mothers.'

Whether it was because of that or something else, her movements were very light.

Her complexion, too, was still bright and lovely.

"Seon-u, is there something on my face?"

Ria asked, stroking her own face with the back of her hand.

I must have been staring too intently at Ria beside me on the sofa.

"No, you're just beautiful."

"What are you saying, you're embarrassing me..."

My wife still blushed like a young girl.

"Anyway, it won't be long before we see our second daughter."

"Right. Time flies."

Had time really flown for Ria?

It had felt long to me.

Perhaps because I was too anxious.

Ria, in contrast, seemed to be fully savoring this time.

Reading picture books to the baby in her belly,

taking leisurely strolls around the Rift house,

making clothes, socks, and hats by knitting for the baby who was coming.

Those scenes looked so peaceful and so happy.

"Do you have any worries, Ria?"

"Worries? Not at all. If there were any, it would be that you might suddenly disappear one day—that's what I fear the most."

There had been that time when we'd wandered for days in the mine dungeon created by Eos where mana couldn't be used.

"I'm sorry about that time."

"You didn't do anything wrong. There was no other way back then. Anyway, that's what I fear the most. And I worry too about you running into a strong monster and getting seriously hurt while I can't move as freely."

"I'll make sure nothing dangerous happens."

"Please do."

In the end, all she worried about was me.

She didn't seem to worry about herself at all.

For example, fearing the pain of childbirth.

'Well, Ria isn't the type to dread that kind of pain in advance.'

She was a woman with far stronger mental fortitude than I had.

Ria took my hand and continued,

"So please don't get hurt, don't go anywhere, and stay by my side healthy for a long, long time."

"Mm, I will."

Ria leaned against my shoulder.

"I'm happy I met you, Seon-u. Every single day feels like a dream."

"I'm very happy I met you too, Ria."

As we were being sweet, Rin, who had been outside, came into the living room.

I said to her,

"Rin, did you finish growing the herbs?"

"Yes! Rin gwew wots of hewbs. Now Uncles are picking the weaves."

By "Uncles," she meant the Knight Quartet.

They adored Rin.

The same went for the S-Rank Trio uncles.

Eriksson was curt and not great at expressing himself, but on the inside he doted on Rin.

"Then go wash your hands, and shall we make a dungeon?"

"Yes!"

Rin beamed and ran off to the bathroom.

I watched her go, smiling.

"So cute."

"Mm, too lovely. Rin will definitely be a wonderful big sister to her baby sister too."

"She can't help but be. She's such a sweetie. Doesn't know how to get angry, doesn't know how to fuss. A perfect angel."

When the baby was born, there'd be no sibling squabbles.

Knowing Rin's temperament, she'd try to give her sister everything.

"Right, she's too kind for her own good."

Ria sighed softly too.

Then she muttered, 'I wish she'd throw a little fuss once in a while.'

I understood that feeling.

After Rin washed her hands and returned, we began to expand the dungeon together.

Dungeon growth had reached level four.

The new ability gained at level four was 'Hunting Dungeon Creation.'

[TIP. Only one Hunting Dungeon can be created at a time. Once closed, a cooldown of 40 days must pass before a new Hunting Dungeon can be created.]

[TIP. When a Hunting Dungeon is created, monsters are drawn in through a portal connected to arbitrary dungeons.]

Meaning monsters didn't occur naturally—they were pulled in through a portal connected to arbitrary dungeons.

[TIP. Monsters within the Hunting Dungeon cannot exit through the Gate Portal made by the dungeon's creator. Only those who entered through the entrance can leave through it.]

Meaning there was no worry about monsters escaping from the created dungeon through the Gate Portal.

Only those who entered through the entrance could leave back through it.

'An optimized hunting dungeon, in effect.'

Once it was complete, should I place the portal entrance inside the outpost so all Hunters could use it?

Or should I designate it as a private hunting ground for our guild members only?

I was still mulling it over.

I figured I'd decide after creating it and checking how strong the monsters inside were.

"Papa, the dunjun's gotten huge!"

"Right?"

With Dungeon Creation at level four, the scale of the dungeon I could create had grown considerably.

Not just the total area—the passageways I was creating were as wide as a dragon's lair.

Because I was making it so huge, the work had been going on for almost a month.

And at last—

[The LV 4 Dungeon Creation maximum size limit has been reached.]

A month of ongoing work had finally come to an end.

"Rin, the dungeon expansion work is done."

"Weawwy? Wow!"

"Now I'll activate the dungeon."

"Okay!"

I then activated the dungeon I had created.

A large amount of mana drained from me, and a system message appeared.

['Hunting Dungeon' has been successfully created.]