Chapter 60 : Damn ■■ Bone Broth 2 – Success?

Shia left the hunters at the campsite, humming a tune as she stepped away, saying she'd return after finishing her cooking.

She had told them not to approach until the cooking was complete, so there would be no interruptions.

"Alright, let's start cooking!"

Though Shia didn't turn on the broadcast, she habitually clapped her hands, signaling the start of the cooking.

"A bone broth made from Walkers, huh…"

For reference, Shia had named the humanoid monsters in this dungeon "Walkers."

This was because she had encountered similar creatures in the "previous world."

Even back then, the imperial family had called them "Walkers," not undead or revenants.

Of course, the Walkers here didn't look exactly the same as the ones from the previous world.

No, Walkers could never look identical to each other.

Walkers were beings created when their souls became unstable due to a loss of reason from a forbidden power or because their souls were stolen by the Demon King.

The body was a mirror of the soul, and conversely, the soul was a mirror of the body.

When a soul that should not be touched was forcibly stretched and destabilized, the body also mutated into a horrifying and grotesque form.

That's why each Walker looked different.

Some Walkers were morbidly obese, while most had emaciated, deformed limbs.

Some even lost their human shape entirely, growing long legs all over their bodies like stick insects and climbing trees.

Anyway… do you know the greatness of bone broth?

Normally, bone broth uses cow bones, which are cheap and easily found around us.

The flavor is rich and mild.

It's full of quality collagen and excellent calcium, even good for weak people like pregnant women, nursing mothers, or patients.

In summer, it helps to overcome the heat, and in winter, it warms the body. It's the very definition of a perfect health food.

"Come on, Lucky Blade Centipede. Spit it out."

[Screee…]

"Hey, I said spit it out."

The Lucky Blade Centipede that Shia brought along had a considerable appetite.

The original Blade Centipedes were known to sleep for a week after a meal, but perhaps it was because this one had been trapped in the tentacles for several days, suppressing its hunger until it exploded.

Or maybe it had caught Shia's appetite.

The centipede devoured not just one or two humanoid monsters but dozens, leaving no bones behind.

It was thanks to the Lucky Blade Centipede that Shia realized the potential of bone broth.

The Walkers had little flesh and almost no blood.

The only meat was the tiny scraps clinging to the bones, and even when you tore their bodies in half, it was as if something had drained all their blood.

However, Shia noticed that when the Lucky Blade Centipede crunched through the Walkers' bones, a crimson liquid, resembling broth, oozed out.

Even though there wasn't much meat or blood, the bones remained intact.

If there were bones, there had to be marrow, and if there was marrow, it was more than enough to make bone broth.

[Screeeee…]

Though the centipede clearly didn't want to give up its meal, knowing who Shia, the Saintess of the Dead, was…

In terms of cooking and gluttony, Shia was leagues ahead of the centipede.

"If you don't give it to me, I'll make centipede bone broth instead."

[…..!!!]

The centipede shuddered, realizing Shia wasn't bluffing, and reluctantly began spitting out the bones it had been gnawing on.

I hadn't meant to scare it like that…

By the way, this thing really ate a lot. Judging by the number of bones, it must have devoured at least dozens of Walkers.

Perfect.

The centipede had stripped all the flesh from the bones, leaving them gleaming white as if they'd been cleaned and prepared.

Nodding in satisfaction, Shia opened her transport drone.

Of course, the drone was equipped with a large cauldron.

Bringing along large containers for a potential stay of over a month, as recommended by the Hunter Association, had been a brilliant decision.

In terms of size, the pot was like those restaurant cauldrons you'd find at the blood sausage soup house near Shia's home, capable of holding at least 50 servings.

"Let's see, the bone broth recipe… the 3-3-3 rule? What's that?"

With no signal for her smartwatch, Shia couldn't search the internet, so she opened the notes she had downloaded in advance with bone broth recipes.

It was fortunate she had downloaded so many recipes and seasoning guides ahead of time.

"Let's see… first, soak the bones in cold water for half a day to remove the blood."

But these bones don't have blood, right?

I mean, they do, but only in tiny amounts.

Luckily, Shia had an almost cheat-like ability.

"In the name of the Father, the Son, the Glutton, and the Starlight, I pray…"

[Miracle – Purification]

"Purification Beam!"

Channeling an especially powerful burst of holy energy, Shia purified the Walkers' bones.

There might be invisible bacteria or diseases, so she had to be thorough.

While she could eat almost anything without dying or getting sick, this meal wasn't just for Shia but also for 19 other hunters.

She had to take extra care in purifying everything.

After performing the Purification Miracle three times, Shia transferred all the Walkers' bones into the pot.

Now, instead of removing blood, the task was to get rid of impurities.

Though she had used a purification miracle, any impurities in the marrow would need to be filtered out during the cooking.

"Sniff sniff…"

When Shia, who had enhanced her sense of smell using holy power, sniffed the broth, she could faintly detect an unpleasant odor coming from the Walkers' bones.

She needed to add ingredients to remove the odor.

The recipe said to use soju and whole peppercorns for odor removal. Since she had both, she'd add them later…

But what was that 3-3-3 rule?

Scanning her smartwatch notes again, Shia found what she was looking for.

"3-3-3… Ah, here it is. It means using three times as much water as bones and boiling it for three hours, repeating the process three times?"

Ah, so that's why it's called the 3-3-3 rule.

Got it! (Didn't really get it.)

In some cases, they said you could use twice the water and boil it for five hours twice, but I'm not a seasoned cook.

Honestly, most of my cooking successes have been thanks to the Purification Miracle.

Didn't I fail spectacularly with that butter orc belly pork?

I don't want to mess up the food again by trying some unnecessary fancy techniques.

Let's stick to the recipe.

If you just follow the basics, everyone will be happy.

"First, after removing the blood, boil it for five minutes…"

Since the Purification Miracle had already taken care of the blood, she immediately poured in the water and began boiling the bones.

With two 50-serving pots and the amount of bones she had, she could make at least 100 servings.

There'd be no shortage.

"Boil for five minutes, skim off the foam and impurities that rise to the top…"

After skimming, you pour in more water.

Then, boil it for another three hours, continuing to skim off any rising oil or impurities…

Simple enough.

For the record, Shia still couldn't detect the scent of bone broth.

Of course, she'd only been boiling it for three hours.

It would take nine hours in total to get the typical bone broth flavor.

"Why is there so much oil coming out…?"

Despite using the Purification Miracle three times, an enormous amount of impurities floated in the broth.

Was it because they were monsters?

Or was it the malevolent energy hidden deep in their bones coming out?

Whatever the reason, Shia wiped beads of sweat from her forehead as she ladled out the oil floating on the broth.

With two pots, there was a lot to manage.

Even after an hour of skimming, then two hours, the oil continued to rise with no signs of stopping.

"The bone broth that costs about 8,000 won at a soup (soup with rice) shop requires this much effort, huh…"

Busily skimming the oil and impurities from both pots, Shia sighed.

But she wasn't tired or exhausted.

This time, the food wasn't just for herself.

Though they weren't exactly close, it was a meal she'd share with 19 other hunters.

For Shia, the simple act of eating with so many people was a blessing and a joy.

There was a time, after she became the Saintess of the Dead, when she thought she would never be able to dine with others again.

But now, seeing how much she had changed, she felt a sense of pride.

"Centipede~"

[…..]

"Centipede~"

[…..?]

The Lucky Blade Centipede, having grown bored from waiting, was busy gnawing on leftover Walker bones when it turned its head toward Shia's call.

Holding out a spoon as if offering a taste, Shia looked at the centipede with a mix of anticipation and concern.

For the record, this centipede was far from dirty.

Not only had it been purified by Shia's miracles, but it had also directly received the blessing of the Saintess of the Dead.

It was a creature without impurities, cleaner than even humans.

"Try it."

[...…]

Ugh, I really don't want to…

Though the centipede turned its head in disgust, Shia persistently nudged the spoon in its direction until it finally opened its mandibles and accepted the spoonful.

[...…..Screeeeeee!!]

As the centipede suddenly twisted its body in agony, Shia started to panic.

Wait, why is it reacting like this…?

Hadn't it eaten raw Walkers just fine before…?

"Oh, right! The odor removal…!"

Smelling the faint fishy broth rising from the Walker bones, Shia remembered the soju and whole pepper she should have added from the start.

Oh no, it's not too late, is it…?

"Hmm, I don't have soju, but I do have cooking wine. Oh well, I'll just use this."

As Shia reached for the cooking wine, the centipede looked at her as if to say, "That's not right…"

Though the centipede had no facial expression, Shia could somehow sense its disapproval.

But ignoring its gaze, Shia focused on the broth.

It's fine! Cooking wine is still alcohol.

It'll be fine… Probably?

After all, once it boils, the alcohol will evaporate…

Phew, alright, let's do this.

Shia pulled out various seasonings and cooking ingredients from her transport drone.

Ginger, green onions, garlic.

You can't go wrong with these.

The more you add, the better the flavor.

Shia began adding generous amounts of ginger, green onions, and garlic to the bone broth.

"This should be fine… It'll taste good with this much."

After skimming off the oil again as the broth boiled, the unpleasant odor had subsided considerably.

Maybe it was the long boiling time, or perhaps the last-minute addition of the cooking wine, pepper, and garlic did the trick.

But hey, good is good.

Another three hours passed.

Shia poured in fresh water again and started boiling it once more.

This time, there were far fewer impurities, and the broth began to take on a milky-white color.

"Centipede~"

[Screeee…?]

"Open up."

[....]

"Open~"

[...….]

"Do it."

For f***'s sake…

That day, the Lucky Blade Centipede learned the word "f***."

○○○○○○

When a new type of dungeon or monster was discovered, the hunter who found it first was usually given the right to name it.

Sometimes, new information uncovered by the Hunter Association or government researchers would lead to the dungeon's true nature being revealed and its name changed. But as an unspoken rule, the first hunter to discover the dungeon would name it and the monsters within.

Hunters who found new types of dungeons or monsters were also rewarded by the Association and the government.

For hunters, information was life and the key to conquering dungeons.

The more dangerous a dungeon, the more valuable the information.

For hunters, whose lives often hung in the balance due to a single gimmick, information was priceless.

The government understood the importance of dungeon and monster information early on and had implemented this reward system.

In the case of this raid dungeon, while the dungeon started to collapse once the boss was defeated, no one could guarantee that dungeons of this type wouldn't appear again in the future.

In that sense, the 19 A-rank hunters and the temporarily certified hunter, Shia, named this raid dungeon the "Adaptive Copy Dungeon."

Since it was a dungeon that replicated all the terrain and man-made structures in reality, it was a fitting name.

It's nice to have a name that's simple and intuitive, isn't it?

Of course, Shia didn't care about the dungeon name at all.

In any case, while this dungeon collapsed like other gate dungeons once the boss was killed, it was a living monster of a dungeon that had evolved from an F-rank to the doorstep of an S-rank.

The researchers at the Association were likely going to have a hard time studying this new type of dungeon.

This dungeon was undeniably one of the most malicious dungeons.

It teleported all living beings inside to random locations.

If you were unlucky, you could get buried deep underground and die without being able to move.

No matter how bright your light, visibility was limited to no more than three meters.

The dungeon, which replicated real-world structures and terrain, used darkness to trigger primal fears in humans, weakening the hunters' mental strength.

In fact, even A-rank hunters reportedly couldn't perform at even half their usual strength due to fear and anxiety.

With a boss potentially classified as S-rank, it was a terrifying dungeon where they could have been wiped out without leaving a single survivor.

"By the way, what should we name the dungeon boss?"

"Hmm, how about Korean Chimera?"

"Why is the name so awful…"

"But it does look like a chimera. A snake for a tail, a dark shadow, a human torso, and a fox's face. It's a mashup of a bunch of things, so isn't chimera fitting?"

"It's appropriate, but calling it Korean Chimera sounds so cheap, don't you think?"

Just moments ago, the hunters had been fearing for their lives.

But now, having some breathing room, they gathered together, chatting about the rewards and benefits they'd soon receive from the Association, smiling without even realizing it.

Equipment made from monster parts was already worth a lot, requiring constant maintenance. Ammunition for monster-specific weapons was astronomically expensive.

The Hunter Association promised ongoing maintenance and support for hunter equipment as an additional reward, separate from the cash prizes.

Thanks to Shia, these hunters had basically hit the jackpot.

"Let's call those things 'Walkers.' I heard Shia call them that earlier, and I think it fits."

"Walker? As in someone who walks?"

"Zombies are already taken, and undead like skeleton soldiers and liches were named over 50 years ago. All the good names are already taken, so this will have to do."

The monsters that still lingered in this copy dungeon, attacking the hunters, were humanoid beings reduced to little more than bones.

No one could even be sure if these Walkers were actually alive.

"Not bad. Come to think of it, all those scary-looking things have different appearances, but at their core, they seem pretty similar."

"By the way, why is Shia taking so long?"

"Could she have run into trouble?"

"I hate to say it, but this is the person who crawled up from a dam's propeller, perfectly fine, and then devoured a near-S-rank raid dungeon boss… I can't imagine her having trouble with mere Walkers."

"Maybe we should have sent a few people to escort her?"

"Let's not. Shia told us not to, so we should listen. We're criminals and trash who attacked her… The least we can do is follow orders."

"That's true…"

"Hey guys! Food's ready!"

At that moment, hearing the voice coming from the darkness, the 19 hunters immediately stood up.

It was like the lunch lady arriving with a food truck during volunteer work.

Shia appeared from the shadows, carrying a large pot on her transport drone.

"Sniff, sniff… that smells good."

"Is that bone broth?"

"Seems like ox bone soup."

"Looks like soup. No wonder it took so long."

Nine hours.

No, it might have taken over 10 hours, but she had been cooking the whole time, preparing seolleongtang or something similar from scratch.

"Shia, is this bone broth by any chance?"

"Yup! You figured it out right away. Do you like it?"

"Oh, yes! I love it!"

"Of course!"

Most of the hunters answered with bright smiles.

Bone broth was a widely beloved, crowd-pleasing dish.

As long as you didn't make the social faux pas of taking your girlfriend to a soup restaurant for her birthday, it was a meal that could make most people happy.

"I've never had it…"

"What? You've never had soup in your life?"

"Jinseong, come on! Sorry about that… I'll make sure to educate my boyfriend properly."

"No, no, it's fine. Try it today, and if you don't like it, be sure to let me know."

Placing the pot on the ground, Shia spoke with a bright expression.

"By the way, you all have utensils in your drones, right? Come over and get some."

Banging the ladle as if clapping to announce the start of serving, Shia signaled it was time to eat.

For some reason, the hunters, feeling a saintly aura from her casual gesture, retrieved their utensils from their drones and lined up in front of Shia.

As she opened the pot, steam rose, revealing a milky white broth.

There was even a substantial amount of meat in it, making it seem like half broth, half meat.

"Alright, eat a lot. Hehehe."

"Y-yes! Thank you so much, Shia!"

"Yeah."

Seeing them enjoy the meal was her happiness.

With an expression that seemed to say just that, Shia gave a genuine smile.

The hunters, feeling slightly overwhelmed yet touched by her radiant and kind expression, blushed as they took their soup and sat down.

"Oh…"

"This is delicious. Really delicious!"

"She didn't bring this from a soup shop!"

Takeout seolleongtang from a soup restaurant had a distinct taste.

It wasn't bad, but it always had that processed, factory-made feeling, like it had been prepared strictly according to a recipe.

However, Shia's broth tasted nothing like those mass-produced soup dishes.

There was no trace of unpleasant odors.

The milky white broth was fresh and clean, as if made from the bones of a cow freshly butchered, with a flavor that was mild yet refreshing and clean on the palate.

"Wow, this is really good soup."

"I've never had such delicious soup before in my life…"

"Isn't it tasty, Youngjin?"

"Y-yeah. It's really good."

Gulp, gulp.

Slurp.

Slurrrrrp.

Ahhhh… Oh yeah…

Delicious.

So delicious.

"Hehehe, take your time! If anyone needs salt or green onions, let me know. I brought a lot!"

"By the way, did you only bring food supplies in your transport drone?"

"With someone as strong as Shia, she probably doesn't need much gear."

"I'm so jealous… My ammo takes up more than half my storage space…"

Sensing no lies in their words, Shia smiled and began serving herself a bowl of soup.

She filled her bowl with broth, added rice, salt, red pepper powder, black pepper, chopped green onions, and minced garlic…

"Nom, gulp…"

Delicious.

So delicious… Oh yeah…

I made it, but it's really good.

There had been a small sacrifice, but still, it was incredibly delicious.

For the record, the meat came from the blood sausage soup restaurant near her home.

She had boiled beef brisket in the bone broth for two hours, shredded it finely, seasoned it with soy sauce, garlic, green onions, sesame oil, and black pepper, and kept it aside.

She had wanted to use the Walkers' meat if she could, but there wasn't enough of it to satisfy both herself and the hunters.

Given the immense effort it took just to make the broth, using store-bought meat was perfectly acceptable.

The important thing was the broth.

Hehe, I'm so happy.

Everyone's enjoying it.

No lies; everyone truly finds it delicious.

Hehe…

"Thanks, centipede~"

"Huh?"

"Oh, nothing. Want some more?"

"Y-yes!"

"Hehe, eat up."

○○○○

Jinseong had grown up as a well-off young man, always eating well.

Naturally, he had never tried soup before, so this was his first time tasting bone broth prepared by Shia.

'This is good…'

Though he had some prejudice against commoners' food, Shia's bone broth was genuinely delicious.

If he exaggerated a little, he could even say he wanted to eat it every day.

The refreshing and mild broth, combined with rice, brought a comforting warmth from within, making Jinseong feel cozy and warm.

"…Hm?"

While eating, Jinseong noticed something in his mouth and pulled it out.

"A bone?"

Of course, there could be bones in the broth, since it was made with them.

It was probably just a mistake during the cooking process…

'Wait, hold on…'

Jinseong frowned, looking at the bone, which seemed oddly twisted and spiky, as if it had been deformed.

I don't know much about food…

But do cows even have bones like this…?

"..."

I guess it's possible.

I shouldn't jump to conclusions…

Then, as he stirred his soup with his spoon, Jinseong found another bone.

Though it wasn't large, something compelled him to pick it out.

"…..A jawbone…?"

It was a jawbone.

Not from a beast.

A jawbone that looked disturbingly human…

"Uh....."

A shiver ran down Jinseong's spine as he suddenly felt a bad premonition.

No way, it couldn't be.

It couldn't be…

Then, while he was closely examining the bone, someone snatched it from his hand.

Crunch, crunch.

Snap!

Before he knew it, Shia's tentacle had swooped in and snatched the bone, munching it up.

"...."

"Shh."

Catching Shia's wink, Jinseong blanked out for a moment.

No, I didn't see anything.

I don't know anything.

I know nothing…

'Well, as long as it's delicious, does it really matter…?'

Jinseong decided he didn't want to think too deeply, so he refocused on his soup.

It's not bad for my health.

It tastes good, so what's the point of knowing what it's made of?

Yeah, there are things you're better off not knowing.

○○○○

[Screeeee… f***…]

The Lucky Blade Centipede was busy gnawing on the leftover bones and bone broth.

It was a banquet for everyone.

Surely, the centipede thought so too.