Player Farming in the Dragon’s Lair - Chapter 54

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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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54
Tap, tap!
The rice was beginning to cook.
The twenty kilograms of rice he’d bought from the mart was being put to good use.
‘Should I try growing rice myself?’
Once the rice ran out, he’d have to buy more again.
It wasn’t particularly inconvenient, but how delicious would rice taste if he grew it himself from seed to harvest and then cooked it?
‘I’d probably gain stats too, right?’
He wasn’t sure exactly what effects it would have, but given that whenever he’d cultivated crops before, his strength, stamina, and mana had increased or his recovery speed had improved—there was definitely some benefit—rice would surely come with its own perks as well.
Lee Woo-jin decided to bring back some rice seeds on his next outing.
He had plenty of time to spend in the tower anyway. With a lifetime ahead of him here, time was his only surplus, and growing rice was more than feasible.
‘If it fails, so be it.’
Rice cultivation looked difficult enough on the surface.
Failure came with no penalty.
“Woo-jin. I’ve cut the pork belly into bite-sized pieces for you, meow.”
“Nice work, Kkamangi.”
“Anything else you need me to do, meow?”
“Yeah—would you and Doppelgänger set up the dishes and utensils over there for me?”
“You got it, meow! Doppelgänger, let’s go, meow!”
(…….) *Nod!*
Whoosh!
Above the hearth where firewood was burning brightly.
He dropped the bite-sized pieces of pork belly into a stone bowl heated until it glowed.
Sizzzzzzle!
The pork belly hit the scorching stone and immediately sizzled, its surface beginning to cook. Transparent pork fat streamed out and coated the bottom of the bowl like a glaze.
Once the pork was adequately cooked, he added the aged kimchi that Kim Mi-sook had provided.
The aged kimchi, cut into bite-sized pieces just like the pork, met the pork fat and began to glisten. The red fermented color deepened, taking on a vermillion hue.
“Woo-jin. We finished setting up the dishes and utensils, meow! Anything else you need, meow?”
“I’ll handle the rest. Good work.”
Sizzle, sizzle!
He mixed the pork and kimchi vigorously with a wooden spatula.
Kkamangi and Doppelgänger watched from the side.
Kkamangi was drooling.
The aroma was pretty intense, after all.
Now it was time to add the onions.
He sliced the onions on the bias.
Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap!
Onion slices falling from the cutting board.
Watching him work the knife so quickly reminded him of those expert chefs he’d seen on cooking competition shows.
‘My knife skills have really gotten so much better.’
Probably the effect of Craftsmanship Level 4.
Lee Woo-jin sautéed the onions briefly together, then added water.
The pork belly kimchi stew began to boil vigorously.
He added salt and sugar to taste, then scattered chopped scallions on top, and the Pork Belly Kimchi Stew was complete.
[You have created Pork Belly Kimchi Stew through Cooking.]
[You have achieved B-Rank cuisine for the first time.]
[Your Cooking Level 4 Proficiency has increased substantially.]
[You have acquired Cooking Level 5.]
[Pork Belly Kimchi Stew]
– Rank: B
– Effects
– Taste Bonus +50%
– Upon consumption: Strength and Stamina +30% for 60 minutes
– Description: A pork belly kimchi stew made with onions and scallions from the tower. Eating it will make your energy surge powerfully.
“Whoa!”
Lee Woo-jin was startled when he saw the stew’s effects.
A thirty percent increase to strength and stamina?
‘This can’t be right.’
A thirty percent boost to strength and stamina.
The Buff wasn’t just overpowered—it completely shattered the balance.
Adding scallions and green onions had truly been a masterstroke.
But Woo-jin’s surprise didn’t end there.
[You have received a reward for achieving Grade B Cooking.]
[You have obtained the Magic Seasoning Basket.]
[Magic Seasoning Basket]
– Grade: B
– Effect: A basket containing basic seasonings that can be used infinitely.
– Description: Contains salt, sugar, pepper, and olive oil.
“A seasoning basket?”
Peering inside, he found bottles of salt, sugar, pepper, and olive oil just as described. To verify whether it truly was unlimited, Woo-jin opened each seasoning and poured some onto the floor.
What he saw was a cascade of seasoning far exceeding the visible capacity of the bottles, pouring endlessly onto the ground.
‘This is real?’
Money saved!
Woo-jin was far more delighted to have obtained the Magic Seasoning Basket than the dozens of Grade A swords he’d found on the 97th Floor, where Dark Moon had been.
Now he’d never need to make trips to the market for basic seasonings whenever he went out.
“Heh heh. Excellent.”
That was enough admiration for now.
Time to eat the completed Pork Belly Kimchi Stew!
Dinner was simple.
Nothing else was needed—
just steamed rice and kimchi stew.
But!
Simple as it was, the pairing was almost violent in its perfection.
Since ancient times, the combination of white rice and kimchi stew had been the pinnacle of a Korean table.
Whoosh.
He filled a wooden bowl with rice.
In a stone bowl, he ladled pork belly and aged kimchi to the brim.
Of course, the broth—the heart of any stew—was abundant too.
“Here, for Doppelgänger and Kkamangi.”
(…….) Pure joy!
“C-can I eat this right away, meow?”
“Sure. But blow on it first—it’s hot.”
“Got it, meow!”
Kkamangi seemed to prefer eating it mixed rather than on the side.
A special stone bowl prepared just for Kkamangi had a flat, level bottom, and Kkamangi mixed the rice into it, waited a moment for it to cool slightly, then buried his face in the bowl and began eating.
“This tastes amazing, meow!”
(…….) Thumbs up!
He also served rice and stew to the gods who’d been waiting patiently.
The rice was piled high in generous mounds, and the stew was scooped generously enough to rival a double serving.
The God of Adventure.
The God of Dominion.
The God of Order.
The God of Fate.
The four of them naturally received their portions.
Finally, he set out a bowl for the solemn-looking God of Authority.
Though the God of Authority claimed not to eat, Woo-jin served him the same generous portions as the others just in case he changed his mind.
[The God of Adventure grins widely, saying he’ll eat well, and accepts the rice and stew.]
[The God of Adventure carries the rice and stew to where the other gods are gathered.]
[The God of Adventure sets the rice and stew before an empty spot, then looks at the God of Authority and beckons him over.]
[The God of Authority says he won’t eat such primitive food.]
[The God of Adventure snorts, saying if the God of Authority won’t eat it, the rest of them will share it.]
Slurrrp!
Sluuurp!
‘So he’s not eating after all.’
Well, it happens.
Whether to eat or not was his choice to make.
Besides, taste was always subjective—food could delight one person and leave another cold.
Everyone’s preferences deserved respect.
Whoosh.
Woo-jin scooped up a large spoonful of rice.
He picked up a thick piece of aged kimchi from the stew, wrapped it around a spoonful of rice like a bundle, and ate it as a wrap.
The kimchi stew broth soaked into the aged kimchi burst—pop!—and drenched the white rice. In his mouth, the flavors mingled: salty, with a hint of spice.
“Ahhhhh.”
I made this myself, and I really did make it well!
Lee Woo-jin immediately reached for another spoonful.
This time, he added another piece of pork belly to the same combination.
The chewy texture and savory richness of the pork paired beautifully with the aged kimchi.
After swallowing what was in his mouth,
he took a spoonful of broth—once, twice, three times.
The peppery broth seemed to wash down through his chest in a satisfying rush.
[The God of Authority swallows hard as he watches you eat.]
Huh?
[The God of Adventure asks one final time—are you really not going to eat any?]
[The God of Authority snaps out of his daze and insists—I said I’m not eating!]
[The God of Adventure laughs cheerfully and says—then this is ours?]
[The God of Fate suggests they should at least leave a spoonful for him to taste.]
* * *
The depths of early morning.
The Divine Temple was empty.
Or rather, only one god remained.
That was the God of Authority.
He glanced around.
Checking to make sure no other gods were present.
While the Adventurer called Lee Woo-jin slept, the gods weren’t monitoring other adventurers or doing their usual activities, so the temple lay vacant.
A wisp of smoke.
The God of Authority appeared like mist given form, teleporting into the space.
Before him lay the food that the God of Fate had left behind earlier.
A swallow.
One spoonful of cold rice in a small bowl.
With just a touch of cooled kimchi stew.
A piece of aged kimchi, a slice of pork belly, and a bit of broth—that was all.
‘Ah, how did that Adventurer eat it again?’
The God of Authority recalled the way Lee Woo-jin had eaten earlier.
‘Right, like this, like this….’
Before long, the spoon held the perfect trinity: rice, aged kimchi, and pork belly.
The God of Authority checked once more that no one was around,
opened his mouth and brought the spoon up in one swift motion, and ate.
And the instant he took a bite,
“……!!!”
A mad sense of rapture flooded his mouth.
Despite having tasted countless delicacies throughout the ages—the finest dishes nature could offer—
this single spoonful of kimchi stew brought him to his knees.
There was simply no comparison.
‘This, this, this madness! Why is it this delicious! If this cold, chilled food tastes like this, how much better would it have been warm? Damn it all!’
He wanted more.
But there was nothing left to eat.
At that moment, his gaze fell upon Lee Woo-jin, sleeping soundly nearby.
.
.
.
Deep in sleep, consciousness began to stir and surface slowly.
Leaving behind the drowsy haze, his eyes opened gradually.
His smartphone read 3 a.m.
Why did he wake at this hour?
That was when—
[The God of Authority is watching you.]
“……?”
[The God of Authority apologizes for waking you.]
Ah, the God of Authority woke me up.
Lee Woo-jin unzipped his sleeping bag and sat up.
“Is there something you’d like to ask?”
[The God of Authority asks if he might taste the food you ate this evening.]
[The God of Authority clarifies this is absolutely not a demand, and you’re free to refuse.]
“Ah, I see. Of course. I can prepare that for you anytime.”
[The God of Authority is startled and asks if you really mean it.]
Lee Woo-jin nodded.
Farming in Dragon Rare (Serialized)
Author | Gaebuk S
Publisher | Kim Ju-hyung
Published by | J Plus Media Co., Ltd.
Marketing | Han Jae-hyuk
Address | 401, 11 Digital-ro 33-gil, Guro-gu, Seoul (Guro-dong, Ace Techno Tower 8)
Email | [email protected]
Homepage | www.jayplemedia.com
ⓒ Gaebuk S 2026
※This work is published by J Plus Media Co., Ltd. under contract with the copyright holder, and the content may not be used in any form or manner without permission from the company and the author.
Violation of this may result in criminal and civil liability.

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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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