I Only Baked Bread, but I Was Mistaken for the Best - Chapter 133

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 133. Solid Hardtack (1)
A pale tan armor wrapped snugly around Gora’s body.
The armor, boasting a sturdiness as if woven from square scales, was none other than bread itself.
“There’s no way this can be pierced.”
Hardtack.
The very name exudes an impression of solidity.
Yet few would know this as merely bread.
Most know it by another name.
Tooth-breaker.
A bread renowned for such hardness that the world calls it by that very epithet.
“You’ve brought something quite remarkable.”
The creature wielding blood vessels like whips found itself insufficient to pierce through Gora’s defense.
And rightfully so.
A bread so praised that multiple layers could supposedly stop bullets.
Of course, being bread at its core, it was developed to be consumed.
Yet its form leaned excessively toward preservation and distribution rather than taste and convenience.
Hardtack was originally a biscuit-form bread eaten by sailors.
Given the nature of ancient vessels where logistics flowed poorly, ordinary bread would spoil shortly after departure.
Thus they created a stone-hard bread that wouldn’t rot by drastically reducing moisture content.
“Of course, I infused it with sincerity, knowing that level alone would struggle to withstand attacks.”
[Solid Hardtack]
▷ Hardtack possessing a hardness one cannot fathom the intent behind creating. Those capable of placing this in their mouth and chewing it can no longer be called human.
▷ Effects
① Hardness Increase: If the hardtack cannot be broken, its hardness progressively increases.
② Impact Absorption: Absorbs all applied impact within the usable range.
Entangled with Hunters and now targeted by fragments of a fallen Witch—in such circumstances, I couldn’t afford to sit idle relying solely on the Witch’s Cottage.
It was unrealistic for me to become a Bakery Owner and attack with bread in hand.
So the question became: couldn’t I at least manage defense? That thought birthed the idea of hardtack.
“In that sense, the effect seems perfect.”
Thanks to the sincerity I’d poured into it, my hardtack gained the characteristic of growing progressively harder as long as it remained unbroken.
Meaning compared to when Gora first donned it, it had become far more solid after taking the blood vessel whip strike.
“And breaking it will be pointless anyway.”
“Kyuuuuu!”
Before putting on the armor made of strung hardtack, Gora had mixed various seeds into a sticky dough and attached them across her body.
Just in case—truly, if by some chance the hardtack did shatter, the seeds beneath would receive power from Chohong, and once more a sturdy armor of plants would manifest.
“With this, preparations are complete.”
“You’ve prepared quite thoroughly. Yes. A Witch is a being who prepares. A being who anticipates and makes provisions.”
The creature spoke as if teaching a small child.
“You’ve prepared quite a lot. Yes. The Witch is a being that prepares. A being that anticipates and makes provisions.”
The Creature continues speaking as if teaching a small child.
“But unfortunately, what I’ve prepared isn’t quite satisfactory.”
“We won’t know until we try….”
“In the end, it’s merely bread baked using a Witch’s abilities and the power of a Summoned Creature. The only thing capable of neutralizing me is nothing but bread. How immature and frail.”
“….”
There was no lie in those words.
If anything, the accuracy was chilling.
All I possessed were Gora’s and Chohong’s abilities, along with bread I’d baked in advance.
Moreover, the fact that the only thing capable of purifying this creature was the Witch’s Pondan O Chocolat had been exposed.
But there was one thing this creature didn’t know.
If I could exploit that one thing well enough….
“And if the target can only be broken by overwhelming force in a single strike, then all I need do is create that overwhelming force itself.”
“Gora! Block it!”
“Gora gora!”
The moment the creature’s blood vessels rippled, I shouted to Gora.
The blood vessels holding the Two Hunters and the monster swelled, and I could see it attempting to absorb something.
Whether Gora understood my command or not, it charged straight at the creature, shaking the earth itself.
“So the only trick you know is to grow larger and ram into things. I’ve seen all there is to see….”
“Gora?”
As if timing it perfectly, the moment the creature spoke its mocking words, Gora drew out the adamantium hammer it had been carrying on its back.
But this wasn’t just any adamantium.
It was covered thickly with layers of hardtack coating.
Well, you know how it goes.
Like a baseball bat studded with barbed wire and nails.
“Goraaaaaaaa!”
Kwaaaaaang!!
Gora swung the hammer with ferocious force, channeling all the arm strength it had built up while making bread.
The shockwave was enough to tear through the air itself.
Of course, the blood vessels that had been ensnaring Soo-min, Seung-hyun, Whitey, and the Sandworm shattered to pieces.
“Gora!”
“Adamantium…. Ah. So that was your one trick. But even that shows childish thinking.”
“Goraaaaa!”
“Hold still.”
Rip.
“Go… ra?”
The moment the creature’s gaze turned, a section of the hardtack armor Gora was wearing was torn away.
Beneath it was revealed dough that Chohong and I had attached together.
“Kyuuuu!”
If it hadn’t quickly used its ability to fill the gap with plants, it would have caught me off guard in that instant.
“Here I am conversing with a fellow Witch, and yet these crude things dare to interfere.”
“Goraaaaa!”
“Loyal, aren’t you. That’s all there is to it.”
Screech!
Tendrils of blood, woven together with stubborn force, sliced through the air with razor-sharp edges.
But the air wasn’t all they cut through.
“Kyaaaaaaah!”
“Shrieeeeeek!”
Gora’s severed head flew spinning into the sky.
* * *
‘There’s… absolutely no opening to intervene…’
Even bound by the blood tendrils, Soo-min could perceive the situation around her.
This was all thanks to sharing the new sensory system that Whitey possessed.
Because of it, even while wrapped tightly in blood tendrils, she could sense that Yeon-gi had arrived at this place.
And that a colossal giant appearing to be under Yeon-gi’s command, clad in sturdy armor and wielding an adamantium hammer, had saved them with a single blow.
‘If we fought, we absolutely couldn’t win…’
Soo-min’s self-assessment was swift.
That incomprehensible giant was an existence she could never defeat in her current state.
It wasn’t merely a matter of size.
The fundamental power it possessed was simply overwhelming.
Hunters and monsters typically concentrate mana in the body parts most comfortable for them when channeling it.
For instance, when casting skills through the eyes, they pour mana into their eyes.
When igniting flames from the hands, they concentrate mana in the hands and forearms.
‘In my case, I allocate more to the brain.’
Of course, after becoming aware of mana knots, I’ve been paying some attention to my eyes for perception as well.
Still, it’s natural that different body parts have varying concentrations.
But that giant was different.
‘A consistent mana density throughout the entire body… It’s impossible…’
It could only be explained if it was an existence that had trained its entire body uniformly.
A physical-type Hunter could run on their shoulders, and a magic-type could cast skills from their thighs—that kind of existence.
But…
‘To be felled in a single strike!’
The giant, which would have been difficult to overcome even with a swarm of A-rank Hunters, collapsed from the Eye Monster’s single blow.
Absurdly simple.
“Now all that remains is that tiny winged insect and Black Smoke.”
“…”
Even in this situation, Yeon-gi showed no reaction whatsoever, merely staring at the monster.
There was no will to escape.
As if it had never been an option to begin with.
Or perhaps it had never even occurred to him from the start.
“If you can.”
Still, not a shred of killing intent emanated from Yeon-gi.
Even in a situation like this, it meant he had the composure to control his own strength.
“Give it a try then.”
“I won’t hold back. Foolish Witch.”
“Chohong!”
“Kyuuuuuu!”
From the Fairy called Chohong, an unprecedented power radiated outward.
An intense wave of force filling every corner of the Cave.
That was the moment.
Rumble rumble rumble!
The Cave began to shake as if it would collapse at any moment.
And what burst forth from its walls, ceiling, and floor were countless plant stems and roots.
“I’ve done some studying myself. Since the Gate Interior is also an environment, life forms must inevitably exist within it.”
And Yeon-gi added that plants were included among those life forms.
Though his face was invisible, Soo-min surmised that he likely hadn’t shown any change in expression up to this point.
The Eye Monster, bound by plants as if caught in a perfectly orchestrated game, could not move an inch.
“Is that all? Collapse the Cave and perish together?”
“That can’t be. I thought you’d be able to escape from something like that in the first place.”
“You understand well. Yet the fact that you made no preparations is precisely why you will die, young Witch.”
The Creature tore through the thick stems with rapidly rotating blood vessels and rushed toward Yeon-gi.
At this point, Soo-min had no choice but to squeeze her eyes shut.
Because, as the Creature said, Yeon-gi had made no preparations whatsoever.
He simply stood there, quietly watching the incoming attack.
‘No… this can’t be!’
Then it happened.
“Grrgh! What is this?”
The plant stems that should have been completely severed wrapped around the Creature once more.
And what existed at the end of them was none other than….
“How is that possible!”
“….”
A decapitated giant was spewing plants from its body.
How could a living being remain alive even with its head severed?
‘Could it be… that the characteristics of its body structure are meaningless?’
If so, everything made sense.
The form that Yeon-gi appeared in.
The identical mana density wavelength felt from every part of his body.
Even now, with his head severed, calmly picking up his own severed head and reattaching it as if nothing had happened.
“Gora.”
“This wretched thing! I’ll just destroy it again!”
Blood vessels surged forth, tearing off the giant’s left arm.
The giant reattached its left arm once more.
Even as its right leg was severed, even as its body was split lengthwise, even as it was cleaved in half, the giant endlessly reattached its fragments and regenerated, blocking the creature’s advance.
A form that had transcended the boundaries of life itself by an immeasurable distance.
“What in the world have you created! This is… this is impossible!”
“It’s entirely possible if you’re willing to accept the losses.”
Here, Soo-min found herself drawing in another breath involuntarily.
She had created it.
Yeon-gi had said that she herself had created this giant with such nonsensical abilities.
‘How on earth… I can’t even glimpse the principles behind it….’
Soo-min, who had thought herself closer to the essence of magic after witnessing the knots of mana, found herself at a loss.
But what Yeon-gi had revealed today was something utterly incomprehensible.
Perhaps merely attempting to understand it could set ablaze the tiny human brain itself.
Yet Soo-min, unable to abandon her pursuit, was desperately trying to contain all of this within herself.
“Right. If I just deal with you alone, this wretched battle will come to an end, won’t it. I don’t care anymore.”
The creature extended blood vessels in all directions, embedding them into the cave walls, then twisted and wove them thickly together.
Soon, what had become a massive pillar-like form was swung toward Yeon-gi.
A single blow that tore through the air, rushing forward with devastating force.
But Yeon-gi remained composed.
“You haven’t even checked what state Gora is in right now.”
“What?”
At those words, Soo-min’s consciousness also turned toward the giant.
‘Huh? The armor….’
The armor no longer existed.
Thinking back carefully, the giant hadn’t been wearing armor even when it was being slashed to ribbons.
Then where had it gone.
“Right. You asked me before. What can be done with a summoned creature baked from bread.”
CRASH!!
After the smoke cleared, what appeared was Yeon-gi, now clad in armor across her entire body.
The sight of black smoke flowing from the joints and eyes was nothing short of eerie.
“My new summoned creature can do things like this.”
An adamantium hammer that moved as if possessed of life, moving of its own accord.
No—it wasn’t the hammer that had moved.
It was the bread attached to its head that moved, pulling it along.
The adamantium hammer settled into Yeon-gi’s hand.
Raising it high above her head, Yeon-gi declared:
“You should have prepared better.”
CRASH!!!!!

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