I Only Baked Bread, but I Was Mistaken for the Best - Chapter 115

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 115. Steel Castella (3)
To cut to the chase, Chi-ho’s plan proceeded successfully.
After all, there was no one willing to oppose the opinion of an S-rank Hunter, and even if there were, how could anyone stop him when he declared he would proceed with the purchase using his personal funds?
Of course, surprisingly, absurd rumors circulated that “the Guild is hoarding supplies that were prepared for everyone,” but such talk held no weight.
“Have you checked the Witch Food site?”
“Why suddenly?”
“They said they still have capacity even after delivering such massive quantities?”
No matter what technology they possessed or how thoroughly Chi-ho had swept through their inventory, Witch Food remained unfazed.
Rather, they boldly posted their stance on the site, as if determined to end public anxiety.
They assured everyone not to worry, that they could handle any amount of orders.
Of course, this was only possible because of Seung-hyun’s relentless work, day and night, leading Gora and the Ginger Man Legion.
“Guild Leader. Preparations are complete.”
“Okay. Got it.”
And now, the Reaper Guild, having received massive quantities of Castella, was challenging a Gate.
Of course, unlike the Reaper Guild’s usual approach, they were not challenging an A-rank Gate.
It wasn’t a particularly large-scale operation either.
This was purely part of an educational program for members who hadn’t yet grown strong enough.
“But why are the Guild Leader and Vice Guild Leader coming together?”
“How would I know?”
It was rare for high-ranking officials to accompany members on educational or training Gate expeditions.
Yet this time, both Guild Leader Chi-ho and Vice Guild Leader Soo-min were joining.
For Hunters whose highest rank was mostly B-rank with most being C and D-rank, having such powerful figures present was naturally daunting.
But they were members of the Reaper Guild.
“Still, we can only be grateful that you’re coming with us.”
“There’s much to learn by watching from the sidelines.”
The Reaper Guild consisted entirely of magic-type Hunters.
For these members, naturally curious and inquisitive, witnessing an S-rank Hunter’s combat was an invaluable opportunity.
Chi-ho called out to the Guild Members, who were all focused on growing through this training regardless of their current abilities.
“Alright. Once everyone’s ready, grab your gear and let’s head in.”
“Understood, Guild Leader!”
Everyone answered crisply and threw themselves into the Gate one by one.
B-rank Gate, “Phantom Within the Candle Flame.”
This abandoned castle served as the field, and a special monster appeared here.
Whisper—a ghost-type monster with no physical form.
True to its name meaning “the whisperer,” their attack was singular.
Endlessly circling the surroundings while whispering something.
“Everyone prepare for mental attacks until we establish a base camp. Deploy defensive formations, groups of three without exception, and two groups move together.”
“Understood!”
Repeatedly hearing Whisper’s whispers inflicts damage to the mind.
Their attack dredges up the most unfortunate memories, rendering people helpless, or plunging them into rage and causing them to lose themselves.
That’s why forming teams was the most basic requirement.
Moreover, to prepare for the possibility that an entire team could come under attack, we had devised a strategy where two teams always moved together.
“Deploy mental defense!”
“[Mind Cooling]!”
“[Breath Maintenance]!”
Hunters deployed defensive effects around their surroundings using the skills they possessed.
But it was minimal.
To begin with, all the Hunters here were either trainees or those who had reached the limits of their skills.
Because of this, most of their defensive skills had flaws.
Some had ranges so extremely short they couldn’t protect others, or had gaps so riddled with holes that actual defense was difficult.
‘But the Reaper Guild can only survive if these creatures grow.’
Chi-ho spat out the gum he’d been chewing onto the floor and thought to himself.
Using the skill I possessed, ‘Holy Light,’ I could send Whispers like these away in a single strike, but that’s not what I’m doing—and you know why.
It’s all for their growth.
“Still, just in case, I’m keeping watch. You understand, right?”
“Confirmed.”
Still, precautions had to be taken, so Soo-min was looking after everyone’s safety.
How long had we walked through this dark, cobweb-filled ruin?
“Um… Whispers appearing ahead!”
“Five entities total!”
“Take your positions and act as you’ve been taught!”
The Hunters took their positions according to the spots designated by the Reaper Guild.
But that was all.
Each time the charging Whispers whispered something in their ears, the defenses shattered.
The attacks they unleashed in confusion were weak.
Those who still had their wits about them…
“Ugh! The range…!”
“Damn it! I can’t reach them!”
Their attacks had such short ranges they couldn’t reach the Whispers.
Unable to handle both defense and offense simultaneously in a situation demanding both.
Only when Soo-min stepped forward and snapped her fingers could the situation finally end.
‘Is it impossible with this…?’
Si-ho let out a long, heavy sigh at this truly hopeless situation.
I had anticipated it to some degree.
But not to this extent.
No matter how much it was training, I never thought we’d be this helpless.
We somehow managed to arrive at the party hall inside the high-rise mansion designated as the base camp, but there was no avoiding the gloomy atmosphere that hung over us.
If I felt it, the person in question surely couldn’t have failed to feel it.
…
A heavy silence settled deep.
While all the Hunters maintained their pride as Hunters, meticulously maintaining their weapons and preparing for combat, morale simply did not exist.
“Sigh….”
“Don’t sigh.”
“Does it look like I can help it?”
The endless gloom settling over them intertwined with anxiety, transforming into aggression.
Chi-ho couldn’t allow the atmosphere to deteriorate further, so he made an announcement.
“Rest break!”
“Yes! Understood!”
Hunters settling into their positions and rummaging through their bags by squad.
The meals they pulled out were utterly unremarkable.
So much preservative had been crammed into them that it was questionable whether they could even be called food anymore.
The compressed packets contained nothing that resembled flavor.
“They expect us to eat this….”
“Mealtime is always torture.”
Due to the high mana concentration within the Gate Interior, most substances undergo degradation.
Therefore, all food products are manufactured with various preservatives to prevent this.
The problem is that this process completely transforms both the texture and taste of the food itself.
Thus, something resembling potato soup left to cool and congeal for three days, paired with kimchi that had lost all flavor, was born.
“Ugh….”
“I’d rather just starve….”
“You still have to eat. We need the strength to fight.”
They were simply forcing themselves to eat.
That was when it happened.
“Today we’ll proceed with a different meal. Everyone retrieve meal kit number 2.”
“Yes!”
Following the order, Hunters pulled packages with the large number “2” written on them from their bags.
And the moment they tore open the packaging, what appeared was….
“Huh? What is this?”
“All in… One Mix?”
“Oh! This is it! That new product from Wichi Food!”
There likely isn’t a single Hunter in South Korea who doesn’t know Wichi Food.
And for good reason—it was the company that had brilliantly solved the hydration problem within the Gate.
This was the newly released product from that very Wichi Food.
“The instructions are on the back. Use the thermal cell pot we brought along to begin cooking. Proceed in rotation and maintain your vigilance!”
“Yes! Understood!”
True to Chi-ho’s word, detailed cooking instructions were printed on the back of the package.
‘Detailed’ was what they called it, but honestly, there wasn’t much to it.
“So you add water here….”
“And shake it, right?”
“Yeah yeah. And dump everything from the stick in there all at once.”
Put everything inside into a zipper bag with water and shake it vigorously.
After that, I poured the batter into the paper mold that came with it, then took out the Thermal Cell Pot, another new product from Witch Food that I had brought along.
“It really produces heat?”
“It just looks like a regular pot though?”
“If you press this button here… ooh… ooooh! It really gets hot!”
The Thermal Cell Pot began radiating heat the moment the button was pressed.
After inserting the paper mold that fit perfectly into it, about fifteen minutes passed.
“Sniff sniff. That smells delicious?”
“What? No way! We just added powder and applied heat!”
“Ah. Seriously. I don’t care anymore. As long as it’s not this damn preservative lump, I can eat anything!”
The Hunters had been skeptical at first.
What flavor could possibly come from bread made roughly with cheap powder mix?
It was natural to think that as long as it filled the stomach, that was enough.
But that was a mistake.
A sweet and savory aroma seeping through the nose.
It completely overwhelmed the air of the ruins, thick with the smell of damp mold.
My nose twitching without my awareness.
Salivary glands stimulated like crazy.
“Hey. Open it.”
“Phew. Alright. Opening? One… two….”
The pot’s lid opened on three.
In an instant, white steam and an even richer sweet fragrance filled the space.
Inside the pot was a perfectly formed Castella cake—yellow and fluffy-looking.
The top was browned to an appetizing color, and it glistened with the characteristic shine of freshly baked bread.
The Hunter removed the Castella with its paper mold and divided it into portions with a short sword, then offered a slice to my colleague beside him.
“Try it.”
“Uh… uh uh….”
He accepted the Castella as if entranced.
The sensation against his fingertips was incredibly soft and warm.
So springy it looked like it would burst if poked.
‘This is really bread, isn’t it?’
If this wasn’t bread, then what on earth was it?
But perhaps because he had never once imagined being able to eat something like this inside a Gate until now.
He fell into cognitive dissonance.
‘How can I possibly hold back!’
In the end, he carefully brought the Castella to his mouth.
And the moment he took a bite, his eyes flew wide open.
‘Ah….’
It wasn’t merely a taste. It was a shock.
The moment it entered his mouth, the Castella melted away smoothly.
There was no need to even chew it.
The rich sweetness of honey and the savory richness of egg burst across my tongue, spreading explosively.
Not a trace of dryness—an extreme, luxurious moisture.
‘Even a decent bakery couldn’t achieve this flavor!’
Perhaps this was the kind of quality one could only taste at a premium bakery, if at all.
No, rather, the very fact that we were inside the Gate seemed to act as a seasoning itself, creating a taste more dramatic than any bread I’d ever had.
‘This is too delicious….’
The warmth traveled down my esophagus, gently enveloping my stomach that had grown cold.
That warmth soon spread throughout my entire body.
The mind that had been tossed about by Whisper’s attacks, the body aching from excessive tension—all of it seemed to fade away before this sweetness.
“Mmm! This is incredible!”
“What is this! It’s so delicious!”
“It’s sweet and moist and has this crumbly texture that really feels like the taste of heaven I can’t even understand how food is being cooked inside the Gate but while I’m eating it so deliciously I feel guilty for thinking these thoughts but anyway it’s delicious!”
“You need to get your head together.”
Exclamations echoed from those around me.
Tears welled up in my eyes without my realizing it.
It wasn’t simply because my hunger had been satisfied.
In this cold Gate, I felt as though my helplessness was being warmly embraced.
‘Yes. Let me push on just a bit more. If I can do that… wait?’
That was when it happened.
[Your defense increases by 300% for 2 hours.]
“What in the woooooorld?”
A status window more shocking than the taste itself appeared before the eyes of the Grim Reaper Guild Hunters.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————