Chapter 3

Chapter 3
003. The Starving Knight from Another World
A mysterious figure staggered toward me like a zombie.
Fortunately, it was not a Monster, but a woman.
Judging by the armor she wore and the sword at her waist, she looked like a female knight.
“###!”
I could not understand a word she was saying.
It was a language I had never heard before.
More importantly, her condition looked critical.
Her armor was tattered, and her body was covered in large and small wounds.
Her complexion was pale, and she looked utterly exhausted.
I asked whether she could speak English or Italian, just in case, but she did not understand.
A moment later—
-######!
She muttered something, and a blue light flashed.
“We should be able to communicate now.”
I heard Korean.
How had she done that? Was it a Skill?
“Yes, we can understand each other now.”
“I did not expect to find a person in such a deep place.”
“Neither did I.”
After all, I had been the first to enter.
Did that make her the second?
“May I ask which country’s Awakened Hunter you are?”
With her pale skin and silver hair, she looked as though she might be from Northern Europe.
When I asked, she tilted her head.
“Awakened Hunter...? Do you mean a professional hunter? I am not a hunter... and I cannot disclose my affiliation.”
She was inside a Rift and did not know what a Hunter was...?
And the language she had used earlier was completely unfamiliar.
Surely... no.
Then she pointed toward something.
It was the salmon steak on the table.
At the same time—
GROWL.
“C-could you perhaps spare me some food?”
Her face flushed red.
It seemed shame had overtaken her.
Her cheeks were gaunt. She must not have eaten properly in quite some time.
“I do not mind, but should we not treat your wounds first?”
Her body looked as though she could collapse at any moment.
However, she seemed largely unconcerned about her injuries.
“You are kind. It will take time to heal, but I have stopped the bleeding for now, so I am fine.”
“...Very well.”
Her polite demeanor made it easy to agree.
“Please eat that first. I can make mine again. While you are eating, I will prepare a gentle soup for you.”
“Thank you...”
It was my first time meeting someone inside a Rift.
And seeing someone who appeared severely wounded and starved stirred something within me as a chef.
I opened Acresia to retrieve ingredients.
The moment I did, the knight, who had been about to spear the steak with her fork, flinched.
“Is that the treasury of Archmage Yaike?”
“Who is that?”
An Archmage?
She sounded increasingly less like someone from Earth.
“You do not know Archmage Yaike, leader of the Seven Demon Kings...?”
Now Demon Kings were involved.
“No... I have never heard of him.”
“Surely...?”
Surely?
It seemed she was thinking something similar to me.
That we were from different worlds.
“I am Ahn Seon-u, an Awakened from Korea.”
“Korea...? I have never heard of it. Nor have I heard the term Awakened. The language itself was unfamiliar. It seems the Rift connects to other worlds as well.”
“It appears so. Perhaps this floor is the intersection.”
She nodded, hesitated briefly, then spoke.
“As you are from another world, I shall introduce myself as well. I am Aveline di Emeria from the continent of Bellinta. I was a knight. Not anymore...”
If not anymore, had she been stripped of her title?
There seemed to be circumstances.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Emeria. We have spoken long enough. Please eat.”
“Thank you.”
I retrieved ingredients from Acresia.
Meanwhile, she took a bite of the salmon steak.
“My heavens...”
As I cooked, I glanced over and saw moisture gathering at the corners of her eyes.
It was a simple dish, yet she reacted as though it were extraordinary.
Then again, after days of starvation, anything would taste remarkable.
“How can something taste like this?”
It was not that exceptional.
Perhaps cuisine in her world was less developed.
In any case, as a chef, it felt good to see someone enjoy my food.
'The soup should be something familiar and comforting.'
Considering the eater, I decided what to prepare.
I sliced onions and sautéed them in olive oil in a heated pan.
Then I added a small amount of butter, vegetable stock, and milk.
After adding a bit of cream and seasoning with salt, I poured in finely ground cornmeal—the star of this soup—and simmered it over low heat while stirring.
Once finished, I poured the soup into a bowl.
I topped it with croutons—cubed and toasted bread.
“This is corn soup. And this is non-alcoholic wine.”
I avoided alcohol in case her stomach could not handle it after starvation.
“Thank you.”
She tasted the soup and gasped softly.
“How can it be so smooth and rich? It is delicious.”
“I am glad it suits your taste. Please enjoy.”
Only then did I begin grilling my salmon again.
But—
Before I knew it, she had finished everything and was watching my steak with visible longing.
It seemed the portion had not been enough.
“Would you like more? I have plenty of ingredients. But are you certain your stomach can handle it after not eating for so long?”
“As a knight who has trained her body, I am fine. I can even digest deadly poison.”
Even internal organs could be trained?
She did not sound as though she was joking.
Considering she was calmly eating despite severe wounds across her body, perhaps it was true.
“...I see.”
“Then I shall accept your kindness. I will repay this debt many times over.”
Repay, she said.
Then I should do an even better job.
After the salmon, I grilled Korean beef steak.
I sliced fresh vegetables, topped them with tangerines and burrata cheese, and dressed the salad with my homemade orange juice-based dressing.
“Let us eat.”
I pulled out another chair and sat across from her.
As she cut into the steak, she paused at the cross-section.
“Hmm.”
Ah, perhaps this was unfamiliar to her.
She hesitated at the sight of the pink center.
“It is cooked medium. Trust me and try it.”
“Very well.”
She took a bite.
Her eyes widened.
“This meat is incredible! It tastes like drake meat.”
“Drake meat?”
What was that?
“Yes, a Monster resembling a dragon. One of the most difficult apex Monsters to hunt. If you slow-cook its tail and belly for days, it becomes extraordinarily tender and delicious. In my world, tasting it even once in a lifetime is rare.”
So... a dragon-like Monster.
Was it safe to eat such a thing?
I recalled news of a Hunter who had eaten Monster meat inside a Rift to survive, only to die days later from toxicity.
“I would like to try it someday.”
I was curious.
New ingredients were always welcome.
Though tasting it might require risking my life.
“If I hunt one, I shall give you some.”
“Excuse me? Hunt a drake?”
“Yes.”
She had called it an apex Monster.
Was she boasting?
She did not seem the type.
“Is that possible?”
“For me, yes. I once slew a drake kept by one of the Seven Demon Kings. That is how I know its taste.”
It was no boast.
If she could slay such a creature, she was likely at least as strong as an S-rank Hunter.
“You are formidable. How did you sustain such injuries?”
At my question, her expression darkened.
She set down her fork.
After a moment of silence, she spoke slowly.
“In my world, the strongest individual within a nation—or one with the greatest potential—is called a Hero. I am from the Amorus Empire. My father was a Hero. I inherited his vision and was raised from childhood to become the next Hero.”
“That explains your strength.”
“Yes. It was all thanks to him. He passed all his power to me. While I was away eliminating the remnants of the Seven Demon Kings within imperial territory, my father, whose strength had weakened, was slain by political rivals.”
“...That must have been painful.”
“They did not even grant me time to mourn. I became the next target. While fleeing pursuit, I was wounded and ended up deep within this Rift.”
So that was how she had arrived here in such condition.
“Should I take revenge against them?”
I could not answer.
It was not something to advise lightly.
“First, you should eat and rest. Recover your body.”
“...”
She nodded slightly and resumed eating.
A single tear fell down her cheek.
“It is truly delicious... enough to bring me to tears.”
It was likely not only the taste.
She had probably not even had time to grieve.
“I am glad to hear that.”
After the meal, I handed her a first-aid kit and bandages from Acresia and even offered her the large camping tent I had set up.
“I do not know how to repay this kindness.”
“It is nothing. You need not repay me.”
“No. A knight must repay what she receives. I will repay you many times over.”
She was stubbornly principled.
If she insisted, I would accept when the time came.
“Then please rest.”
“Where are you going, Seon-u? The tent is large. We can share it. How could I use it alone when you are the host?”
That was...
“I have my own lodging. Do not worry. I will return at dawn. Please do not come outside.”
With that, I left the tent.
She would need privacy to remove her armor and treat her wounds.
I had already explained how to use the disinfectant and medicine in the kit.
'From tomorrow onward, exploring the Rift will feel less lonely.'
I returned to my countryside home through the cave Rift.
***
Outside, I watched Mutube news dedicated to Hunter updates.
A new headline appeared.
-Global S-rank Hunter party formed to conquer the impregnable third floor. Korea’s S-rank Hunter, Sword Saint Hwang Myeong-u (9th Dan in kendo), joins.
The third-floor expedition party had launched.
Twelve members total: five S-rank, three A-rank, and four porters.
'Will they succeed this time?'
The Rift I accessed through the cabinet did not seem to be the third floor.
If it were, I would not have been the first entrant.
I suspected it might be the fourth floor.
If that expedition succeeded, they might reach my floor.
'Should I be pleased? That would mean customers.'
While watching the news, I received a call from an unfamiliar number.
“Yes, this is Ahn Seon-u.”
-Hello, Hunter Ahn Seon-u. I apologize for calling late at night. This is Team Leader Shin Young-jun from the Hunter Association HRM department.
“Yes, hello. What is this regarding?”
-As you may have heard, a global S-rank Hunter party is being formed to conquer the third floor. Korea’s S-rank Hunter Hwang Myeong-u has joined.
“Yes, I have heard.”
-You possess a subspace storage Skill, studied abroad, speak fluent English, and were formerly a chef at a renowned restaurant. We would like to connect you to the party.
In other words, they wanted me as both porter and chef.
How did they know I had been a chef?
I had not mentioned it.
Even searching my name online revealed little beyond word-of-mouth among chefs.
Had they investigated me?
It left a bad taste.
“I appreciate the offer, but I have no intention of joining that party.”
-You are declining such an opportunity? Merely being part of it would bring great compensation and prestige.
Perhaps.
It would attract global attention.
-If you are worried due to lack of Rift experience, there is no need. The S-rank Hunters will protect you.
Perhaps.
But the issue was that it was an expedition party.
They could be annihilated if they failed, or forced to retreat.
In such situations, porters had low survival rates.
They ceased to be porters and instead became burdens—abandoned by their party.
'They intend to send someone with no official Rift experience into such a role?'
Even veteran porters would be insufficient.
This was not a game.
It seemed they wished to score points with S-rank Hunters by including a chef.
That was the true reason for my refusal.
“Thank you for the offer, but I must decline.”
-Please reconsider—!
“I will end the call now.”
I hung up firmly.