I peered at Haetae past the glowing, semi-transparent tutorial window.
“What kind of kimchi am I supposed to make?”
“Aren’t there tons of different types, nyan?”
“True.”
Kimchi, huh…
In that moment, an absurd memory floated into my head—the “Melon Kimchi” I had once conceptualized for a new menu back at the restaurant, only to have it brutally rejected.
Melon Kimchi… I’ve always wanted to try making it at least once.
Noticing the glint in my eye, Haetae pulled back slightly and cautioned, “Nothing inedible, nyan…”
“What? Can a Divine Beast read minds now?”
“Your eyes looked a little scary, nyan.”
My eyes? I glanced at my reflection in the shop mirror.
Oh…
Without realizing it, I was smirking with one corner of my mouth pulled up, looking every bit like a mad scientist on the brink of a wild new experiment.
“Ahem.”
I cleared my throat awkwardly and prepared to step out. It was time to grab the sack of dried peppers and head to the mill.
Before that—
Better grab my wallet first.
“Where are you going, nyan?”
Haetae blocked my path.
“To get my wallet. I need to go to the mill.”
Haetae shook his head at my response.
“No need for that.”
“Huh?”
As if to show off, Haetae strutted proudly toward the sack of peppers.
What is he up to?
I quietly watched his every move.
The second Haetae’s chubby front paw lightly touched the top of the pile, the dried peppers inside the sack were enveloped in a soft golden glow. In the blink of an eye, they transformed into fine, delicate powder.
Instead of the deafening roar of mill machinery, a rich, nutty, and savory spicy aroma blossomed in the air.
“…Is this even possible?”
As if possessed, I stepped closer to the sack and inspected the chili powder. The grains were perfectly uniform and vibrant in color, as though crafted by a deity.
[Chili Powder Imbued with Dragon’s Resistance (Rank S)]
I lightly dabbed a speck of the powder onto my tongue. A clean, wonderfully refreshing spiciness coated my palate.
This quality is absolute top-tier.
“Did the chili powder status window show up, nyan?”
“Yeah. It popped up.”
“Then look at the ingredient and shout ‘Tip!’ in your mind, nyan.”
Following his instructions, I stared at the finely ground chili powder and shouted internally.
Tip!?
A completely different interface flashed into existence.
[Ingredient TIP!] Target Species: Human
Consumption Method: Any kimchi prepared with this chili powder
Effect: Decreases stress levels by 15% upon consumption
“This window is totally different from before,” I said, turning to Haetae.
“It’s a useful feature when you want to check the specific effects and optimal uses of S-rank ingredients with status windows, nyan.”
“Woah…! That’s crazy. Absolutely insane!”
I felt like grabbing Haetae’s head and kissing him right then and there.
Acting as if it were no big deal, Haetae nonchalantly began grooming his face with his soft tongue.
“Now, shall we make some kimchi~?”
“What kind are you making, nyan?”
Look at this glutton. His eyes instantly sparkled at the mention of food, his tongue lolling out as he drooled.
“First, let’s head to the garden plot.”
Once in the garden, I pondered what kind of kimchi to whip up.
“By the way, what kimchi were you thinking about earlier, nyan? The look on your face was quite a sight, nyan.”
“I was considering melon kimchi.”
“…Why on earth would you make melon kimchi, nyan?”
“It’s surprisingly delicious.”
“Nyaaaaang!“
Haetae shrieked so loudly his fur stood on end. I threw my hands up in immediate surrender.
“Ah, alright, alright! I won’t do it! Let me just gather ingredients.”
“Hmph, nyan.”
Holding the slightly pouting cat in my arms, I stepped into the pocket dimension and lingered near the garden bed.
“Green onion kimchi, napa cabbage kimchi, chive kimchi—what’s it gonna be, nyan?”
“Hmm…”
“Don’t go thinking about making weird kimchi again, nyan!”
“Hey, I won’t. Well, maybe just a little.”
Since the garden crops were top-tier, whatever kimchi I made would turn out delicious.
“Hmm… should I make green onion kimchi?”
It was the simplest to prepare, and no side dish paired better with instant ramen. The sharp crunch of green onions perfectly cut through the greasy richness of the broth.
“Green onion kimchi sounds great, nyan!”
Haetae seemed thrilled; his swishing tail brushed against my cheek.
“Wrapping green onion kimchi around hot ramen noodles… man, there’s nothing like it~”
“A true person of culture, nyan.”
“A person of culture?”
I looked down at Haetae.
“Where do you even learn slang like that?”
“There’s nothing I don’t know, nyan!”
…Right, of course.
Setting Haetae down on the ground, I pulled work gloves out of my apron pocket.
Scallions taste best when their roots are thick and stubby—just like Haetae—and every single stalk in this garden was premium quality.
Normally, right before wintering over is the best time to harvest scallions for maximum crispness and freshness, but…
In this pocket dimension, that doesn’t even matter.
The crops here maintained peak perfection regardless of the season. Marveling at the sight, I grabbed a bundle of scallions and pulled them up.
[Ordinary Scallions (Rank B)]
Harvesting another stalk, another window popped up.
[Delicious Scallions (Rank A)]
[Scallions Imbued with Heavenly Dew (Rank S)]
Pulling them up stalk by stalk, a generous bundle suitable for making green onion kimchi quickly stacked up before me.
Shaking the loose soil off the roots, it suddenly struck me just how unusually fresh the vegetables in this space were. They felt cool and firm, as if freshly retrieved from a refrigerator.
“Hey, Haetae. Do crops grown in this pocket dimension stay fresh for a long time?”
“That’s right, nyan. Their freshness lasts exceptionally long, nyan.”
“How long?”
“Vegetables picked three days ago still stay as lively as if harvested today, nyan.”
The more I learned about this space, the more incredible it became.
Now that the dirt was all brushed off—
“Shall we go make that green onion kimchi now?”
“Nyan!”
“Let’s go!”
Opening the shop door wide to air the place out, I headed straight into the kitchen.
“Green onion kimchi is straightforward…”
I dumped the bundle of freshly harvested scallions into the sink and ran the water, gently rubbing the roots to clean off the remaining soil.
After placing the washed scallions in a bamboo basket to drain, I pulled out the blender to make the marinade—only to freeze mid-motion.
“…Ah, right! I don’t have any apples. What do I do?”
Having an apple or pear to add natural sweetness would be ideal, but because this was a sudden decision, I hadn’t prepared any fruit.
I considered placing an online order, but ordering groceries for just a single fruit felt impractical.
What can I substitute it with…?
As I deliberated, a can of pear juice sitting in the corner of the pantry caught my eye.
This might actually work.
Seeing Haetae snort softly in amusement, he seemed to approve of my quick thinking.
I roughly chopped an onion harvested alongside the scallions, tossed it into the blender, and poured in the sweet pear juice. Opening the fish sauce bottle, a salty, deep aroma burst forth.
Just one spoonful. This is the secret weapon to explode the umami.
Of course, if you like a stronger savory note, add a bit more; if you dislike fishiness, feel free to skip it. In the end, food tastes best when adjusted to personal preference.
“Ah! Glutinous rice paste!”
Almost forgot.
After adding the cooked rice paste, I blended all the ingredients together.
Whirrrrrrr— With a satisfying hum, a savory, spicy, and sweet aroma spread through the kitchen.
Now came the crucial element: sweetness.
Most kimchis don’t strictly require added sugar, but green onion kimchi was an exception. Sweetness was essential to round out the natural pungency of the scallions.
So, I added plum syrup.
Since the pear juice already brought some sweetness, just a little bit less than usual this time…!
Finally, it was time to incorporate the S-rank chili powder Haetae had created. The moment the vibrant red powder mixed into the marinade, the depth of color transformed entirely.
I dipped a spatula in and tasted a tiny drop.
I couldn’t help it.
“Pfft… hahahaha…!”
I burst out laughing in sheer disbelief.
“Is it tasty, nyan?”
“…Yeah. It feels like my entire worldview was just shattered.”
“It’s that good, nyan?”
It was on a completely different level from any green onion kimchi marinade I had ever made. The sheer quality of the ingredients was staggering.
Fetching the drained scallions, I snipped off the very tips with scissors. Trimming the ends allowed the marinade to penetrate faster and wilt the stalks properly.
Now came the mixing process.
Slurp.
Hearing a sound from below, I looked down to see Haetae smacking his lips.
“Divine Beast-nim? Want me to mix up a stalk for you to try?”
Haetae instantly leaped up and sat politely on the counter—a silent affirmative.
I coated a single scallion generously in marinade and rolled it up neatly. Seeing the glistening green onion kimchi, Haetae’s tail stood straight up in excitement.
“Ah~”
“Nyaaaang!”
As Haetae parted his jaws slightly, I slipped the piece in. The cat chewed quietly for a long moment.
“What’s wrong? Is it bad?”
Is it under-seasoned?
Suddenly, Haetae hummed a little tune, his tail swaying dramatically back and forth.
“It’s edible, nyan!”
“Edible~?”
…Hmm?
I narrowed my eyes and inspected Haetae’s expression. The corners of his mouth were twitching upward, and his eyes were full of excitement.
That face clearly says it’s way more than just ‘edible’…
“You mean it’s delicious, right~?”
“No, nyan! It’s just edible, nyan!” Haetae insisted sternly.
“Your face is completely contradicting your words.”
It seemed admitting it outright hurt his pride. Well, as long as he liked it, that was all that mattered!
“Hmph, nyan!”
Holding back a chuckle, I dumped the remaining scallions into the large basin and thoroughly tossed them in the marinade.
To finish, I packed the green onion kimchi neatly into storage containers, concluding today’s work.
“Done, done, done!”
The instant I snapped the container lid shut, a ding! echoed as a translucent window materialized.
[Tutorial: 3. Completed ‘Make kimchi using chili powder’.]
[You have completed the Tutorial.]
I cheered out loud at the completion notice. Immediately following it, a window radiating a golden light floated into view.
[Reward: 1 Premium Chili Powder Grinder]
“A grinder?”
“The mysterious power I used earlier is housed inside that grinder, nyan. Use it well, nyan.”
The moment Haetae spoke, a sleekly designed grinder materialized in the corner of the kitchen surrounded by a soft radiance.
[Glistening Grinder]
Rank: A
Description: A special grinder bestowed directly by the Divine Beast Haetae.
Grants the capability to grind ingredients down to their very soul, perfectly preserving their intrinsic flavor.
“This is insane. Absolutely insane!”
Haetae puffed out his chest in a majestic, dignified pose.
“You’re the best. Truly the best!”
“Nyan!”
“Go rest up, Haetae. I’ll make us something delicious!”
“Understood, nyan.”
His light steps suggested he was in high spirits. Outside the window, the sky had turned pitch black without me realizing it.
“Has time passed this fast already…?”
Muttering to myself, I rummaged through the lower drawers.
“What should I eat this with to make it taste amazing…? Ah, can’t leave this out!”
Just as I was pulling out two packs of black bean instant noodles—
“…Excuse me.”
A hesitant, unfamiliar voice broke the quiet room. A weary-looking female customer with slumped shoulders stepped into the shop.
“Ah, yes! How can I help you?”
Wiping my hands on my apron, I stepped out of the kitchen.
“Ah… I came to buy some side dishes. The food here…”
Something was floating above her head.
It was a pink status window with a tag that read [View More].
View More?
[Customer Status Detail]
Name: Lee Hera
Recommendation: Food that lowers stress levels
Status: “I want to resign right this second. I don’t want to do anything…” (⳻_⳺)
Reward: Good Deed Point +1
A pink interface displayed her current state in detail.
Good Deed Points?
So this was it.
Now I understood crystal clear what Grandma had been doing all this time, what I was meant to carry on, and what helping a hundred people actually entailed.
A recommendation for food that lowers stress?
Didn’t I just make green onion kimchi using that special chili powder!
“Um, boss?”
“Ah, ah! I’m so sorry. You mentioned you were looking for side dishes?”
She looked gloomily at the empty refrigerated display case.
“Yes… but it seems you don’t have any left?”
“Ah, yes. I was just preparing to reopen the shop.”
“I see… I’ll just be on my way then…”
I quickly called out to Lee Hera as she turned to leave.
“Wait a moment! If you don’t mind, I just finished making a fresh batch of green onion kimchi. Would you like to give it a taste?”
“…Pardon? Green onion kimchi?”
“Yes! You came all this way, and I’d feel terrible sending you back empty-handed.”
“Oh, I’m really fine…”
I offered a bright, reassuring smile.
“You seem to live nearby! Just give it a small taste—if it doesn’t suit your palate, you don’t have to buy a thing!”
Before she could decline again, I rushed into the kitchen, plated a portion of green onion kimchi on a small saucer, and brought it out to her.
As the rich, spicy aroma of the scallion kimchi drifted through the air, I saw her throat bob as she swallowed hard.
As expected.
The smell of good food is the single ultimate weapon to awaken an appetite.
“Just give it one little taste.”
