I Only Baked Bread, but I Was Mistaken for the Best - Chapter 48

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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 48. Counterattack (3)
“What in the world is that thing…”
How would I know?
I’d never worked as a Hunter before, and I’d never heard of or seen anything like this anywhere.
But whether fortunately or unfortunately, my status window knew the answer.
[Violent King Hobgoblin (B+)]
▷ When an ordinary goblin evolves into a Hobgoblin for some reason, it gains the qualifications to become a king. Only the Hobgoblin with the strongest power among them can become king. Notably, it possesses an exceptionally violent temperament.
Its danger rating is B.
And with the ‘+’ attached, it stands in a different league from ordinary B-rank creatures.
Previously, Gyu-ri, who earned the epithet “Flame Saint,” had dealt with an Ogre of B-rank.
At that level, if a Gate broke, it could escape outside and annihilate an entire village.
And B+ rank is…
“Capable of destroying an entire city…”
【Screeeeeeeeeech!】
It was on a completely different level from the cowardly cries of other goblins.
A predator’s roar that made my knees tremble just from hearing it, the vibrations alone unbearable.
The other monsters seemed to think the same way—even as their companions were being devoured right beside them, they remained prostrate with their heads bowed in submission.
“How are we supposed to get past that…”
Even Nuri, asking the question, probably didn’t expect an answer.
There was no way to grasp what to do in front of such a monster.
Of course, I was in equal danger.
I had a spell to distort perception active, but it only distorted perception and nothing more.
Whether in my true form or in mist form, getting hit by that massive goblin monster would result in the same explosive death.
“Owner. Should I take out what I brought?”
“Yes. It’s time to use it now.”
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
I hadn’t pushed this far without any countermeasures.
Noir retched and gagged like coughing up a hairball, then spat out all the items he’d brought.
I grabbed a few pieces of bread from among them, then picked up a plastic bag and said:
“Nuri.”
“Yes?”
“Hold your nose tightly.”
“Why your nose… Oh. I understand.”
The moment Nuri heard my words, she hastily covered her nose.
Of course, I also rummaged through my pocket and pulled out a clothespin to hold my nose shut.
Only after confirming that Noir had also raised his front paws to hold his nose tightly did I ask:
“Ready?”
“Ready, Owner.”
“Squeak!”
The moment I opened the plastic bag, an intensely pungent smell wafted out.
No, this wasn’t a matter of smell at all.
This was pure pain.
“Ugh! Even with my nose covered!”
“What on earth is this?!”
Even though I’d opened it outside the truck, the destructive force was so potent that Nuri inside was shedding tears and nasal discharge.
The moment I caught a whiff, nightmarish memories of chemical and biological warfare training from my military days came flooding back.
A terrifying sensation that if I rubbed my eyes with the hand that had touched it, I might not be able to see anymore!
“It’s pepper.”
Of course, it wasn’t ordinary pepper.
It was pepper that one of the previous Witches in the warehouse had stored away.
Even its name was quite intimidating.
[Black Flame Pepper]
▷ A pepper that bears fruit only within roaring flames. It contains the very taste of fire, so handle with caution! Incidentally, someone once mistakenly ate this and lost their sense of taste for five years.
“I nearly died after tasting just a tiny bit out of curiosity…”
“I warned you. Owner, you seem to have a condition where you can’t look around properly whenever something is related to ingredients.”
“I know. I know.”
The pain is still vivid.
It felt like I’d shoved burning flames directly into my mouth.
Or perhaps it would be better described as having a red-hot metal ingot placed inside before my mouth was sewn shut.
Unlike the Dragon Claw that merely gave a burning sensation, this was true flames surging up.
And that was just from eating a single speck of this pepper, not even consuming it entirely.
“And I brought this along…”
The bread I’d taken out earlier was none other than a variation of Dragon Claw Cheese Bread.
The variation was simple enough.
I’d removed the cheese and filled that space entirely with Taegohua.
Now you might be wondering.
Why on earth did I bring this.
“I thought it could be used together with this.”
“Huh? Isn’t that a Moisture Sprout?”
What I pulled out next was a Moisture Sprout that I’d quietly snatched from Nuri’s Botanical Garden.
The important part here was that I’d taken it from Nuri’s Botanical Garden.
In other words, it was a Moisture Sprout without purifying salt—one that retained an intensely fishy smell while simultaneously inducing a parching thirst.
“Then let me make one.”
I sliced the specially large custom-made Taegohua bread in half with a smooth cut.
Into the bread split like a hamburger bun, I packed as much Black Flame Pepper as possible.
Then I chopped up the Moisture Sprout and filled the space between generously.
If a human were to eat this, they would experience pain bordering on death.
The burning pain would arrive alongside a fishy taste and maddening thirst, causing the inside of their mouth to crack and split.
I made this bread for one reason alone.
“Because I’m planning to feed it to that creature, not a human.”
“No matter how I think about it, the Owner is cruel….”
“But I can’t defeat that creature with my fists alone, can I?”
“That’s true, but….”
Even I have to admit it’s a cruel method, but do I really need to sympathize with an enemy trying to kill me?
The status window is telling me as much, isn’t it?
Ding
[Infernal Bread]
▷ This no longer falls within the category of bread, therefore it is not bread. Handle with caution. Do not use. Do not consume.
I say this twice.
Do not consume.
▷ Effect: Agony
This isn’t bread at all—it’s pure suffering itself.
“The preparations are complete.”
“You’re really going through with this?”
“Of course. Nuri?”
“Yesh. What shud I do?”
Nuri answered with a nasal twang, still pinching her nose tightly shut.
I pointed to one of the Gate-origin plants resembling a Venus flytrap beside me and spoke to her.
“Would it be alright if I sacrifice this friend?”
“How can you say something so cruel without any hesitation!”
It took some time to convince the plant otaku Nuri, but I’ll just say the preparations were completed successfully in the end.
* * *
When a Gate opens, monsters emerge toward the outside world.
This simple truth is known by both humans and monsters alike.
But if one asks why this is, there would be no being capable of providing a proper answer.
Humans cannot answer because they don’t know the reason, and monsters….
【Grrrrrowwwl….】
Would have already lost their reason by then.
However, this only applied to lower-tier monsters.
They lose their reason due to the influence of mana flowing from the world opened through the Gate.
But monsters that possessed mana profound enough to overcome such a torrent of mana could maintain a degree of reason.
And one of those creatures was none other than the boss and master of this Gate Break—the Violent King Hobgoblin.
【Grrrrrowwwl.】
To clarify, it wasn’t driven mad by the Gate’s influence.
It was simply mad from the beginning.
The creature had already prepared to cross into the outside world before the Gate even opened.
While devouring the goblins it enslaved in the cave as usual, an order came through.
‘When it opens, go out, and consume.’
An incredibly simple sentence.
The creature didn’t know who had given this command.
I simply understood and accepted it.
【Kerrrk!】
【Kurrk! Keeeek!】
Looking around, there wasn’t a single human in sight.
I had already devoured them all.
All that remained were goblins lying sprawled about, their bellies distended from gorging themselves.
【Grrrrk…】
From his perspective, that was deeply frustrating.
He was still hungry.
As a Hobgoblin and a King at that, he required far more sustenance than ordinary goblins.
Naturally, this pittance barely registered as a meal.
But with only goblins surrounding him.
【Keek? Kep!】
He smashed one of the goblins lying on the ground with his fist, reducing it to pulp.
Grabbing what had become a flattened mass, he shoved it into his mouth, yet he remained unsatisfied.
【Keeeek! Kek kek! Kep!】
Then once more.
【Kep!】
And again.
【Grrrrk…】
By this point, all the goblins had bowed their heads toward him.
A power gap so vast they could not resist.
All they could do before him was plead—spare me, I beg you, and vent your wrath elsewhere.
Yet the Goblin King’s attention remained fixed on a single thing.
More, far more sustenance was needed.
I cannot survive merely hunting goblins like when I was in there.
Now that I’ve finally emerged into the outside world!
【Grrrrk!】
【Keeeek!】
Pwoooah
It was then that he shoved another goblin pulp into his mouth, his rage unabated.
Buuuuung
A strange sound suddenly echoed through the air.
At this unexpected noise, even the goblins that had been prostrating themselves lifted their heads and turned around.
And then they saw it.
A swarm of moving plants!
【Kerrk?】
【Kerrk! Keeeek!】
How could plants cluster together and move like that!
Such complex reasoning was beyond their capacity to comprehend.
The creatures were simply reacting on instinct.
It moves!
Food!
A human!
Despite witnessing countless plants clinging to the surface, their teeth chattering menacingly, the creatures threw themselves forward in a frenzy of hunger.
The king watched his slaves die—some sent flying by the plants’ speed, others torn to shreds—and felt only contempt.
Any being wielding such peculiar power must surely be a “special human.”
Had there not been strange humans who trembled upon entering his cave, yet conjured fire from their palms?
They were dangerous only to the weak, yet he had taken interest in these special humans because…
【Grrrrrowl!】
They tasted far more delicious than ordinary humans.
Thus, the king rose his massive form.
With thunderous steps that shattered the asphalt beneath him, he extended his hand toward the writhing mass of plants.
【Graaaagh!】
The plants seized the opportunity to drive their teeth inward, but it proved futile.
He was the Goblin King.
Mere vegetation could never pierce his thick hide.
As he tore away the vines that wrapped around him, a human’s scream echoed from within the mass.
“Aaaah! Look at how brutally he’s shredding those beauties! May divine punishment strike you down!”
“Is that what’s bothering you?”
“If that doesn’t bother me, what in the world should?”
Huh, clearly a scream born of terror.
It was odd that the face was flushed red rather than pale, but surely they must be afraid.
What interested him far more was the strange wisp of smoke hovering atop the mass.
【Grrrowl?】
It undulated as if shaped like a person.
Though he’d never seen it before, it felt oddly familiar.
In those foolish days when he was young and weak—days he preferred not to remember—a black power had pierced his body, and it felt exactly like this.
If that was the case, it must be good for his body.
Consuming it would make him stronger, allow him to devour more prey!
【Graaaaaaagh!】
“Noir! I’ve got it!”
“I never wanted to attempt such a reckless plan from the start!”
In that instant, another wisp of smoke burst from the shadows and snatched the plants from the king’s grasp.
Then it dashed forward with incredible speed.
【Graaagh?】
“Foolish creature.”
Suddenly, a piece of plant fell away.
And the round objects contained within tumbled out in a cascade.
With his mouth agape in anticipation of feeding, the king naturally received the objects directly.
“Taste the hell your Owner has created.”
【Grrrrrowl?】
Already consumed by ravenous hunger, the creature crunched down on whatever entered its maw with a sickening crunch.
【Whoooosh】
The living nightmare had begun.

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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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