The Chef From the Apocalypse Enters the Food Industry - Chapter 3

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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 3. After All, What I Love Most Is…
It exceeded my expectations.
This is something different!
I could taste each ingredient distinctly on my tongue.
‘Could I possibly have absolute taste perception?’
That couldn’t be it.
This ramen was simply special.
Flavors amplified within my mouth surged forth.
‘Is the broth different? No, that’s not it….’
I watched him make it.
He tore open a packet of instant ramen, added it to boiling water. The water was just the mineral water I knew.
And yet…
The depth of flavor was profound.
Incredibly profound!
Slurp—slurp—
The noodles wrapped in green onion hit with a sharp spiciness.
My appetite surged with intensity!
The simmered garlic became a hidden highlight.
With each chew, it delivered a pungent, aromatic taste.
The subtle sweetness that followed awakened my palate anew.
‘Wow…!!’
I could only gasp in admiration.
Each bite felt too precious to swallow.
Yet simultaneously, I craved just one more bite.
Treasuring it while wanting more.
It was contradictory.
I tried not to swallow, but as I chewed, it slipped down my throat. The aftertaste struck deep.
The noodles were completely gone.
Only broth remained.
“Ahhh….”
Gulp. Gulp.
I swallowed the steaming broth rising with wisps of vapor.
The broth was exquisite.
How could I describe this?
It was a flavor that struck the body itself, not merely the taste buds.
Each sip was different.
With every swallow of broth, strength seemed to overflow through me.
Was this how it felt drinking tonic medicine?
No, it wasn’t.
That’s right!
When I was young, my grandfather secretly gave me wild ginseng.
A single small root he said was precious.
I remember running a fever all day after eating it.
The energy was so overwhelming that I burned with heat and suffered through the entire day.
That intense memory came flooding back.
‘I feel even more energized than back then?’
I wondered if it was just my imagination.
But then something surged up inside me with a whoosh.
And strangely enough.
The tightness and sighs that had been suffocating my chest completely dissolved.
It felt incredible.
“Ah….”
Clink.
Setting down the bowl felt so reluctant in that moment.
“Did you finish it all?”
“Huh? Yes, yes!”
“How was it?”
“It’s delicious. So delicious that… wow, how do I even describe this…!”
Kang Jin-woo had never felt his lack of vocabulary more acutely than at this moment.
Oh right.
That wasn’t what mattered right now.
-That ramen tastes pretty good, huh?
-Really?
-Look at him eating it. That expression only comes from something truly delicious!
-Is he acting?
-Why would he act at a food truck!
-…that’s true.
-Let’s try it too. Huh?
-Ah, ramen is a bit… well.
-Let’s order one and split it between us. What do you say?
-Well, if that’s the case.
-Let’s do it right now!
The reactions around us were already changing.
Kang Jin-woo himself was well aware that it was all because of him.
He quickly pulled out the money from his wallet.
“Here, for the ramen.”
“That’s 10,000 won. Just a moment, let me get your change——.”
“Keep the change!”
“Pardon?”
“One more bowl!”
I needed to eat before more customers arrived.
* * *
[The first customer has finished the Special Stamina Ramen.]
Special Stamina Ramen.
My own recipe—ramen topped with caramelized garlic.
You might wonder why I’d put caramelized garlic on ramen.
But it pairs surprisingly well.
‘When made properly, that is.’
The key is seasoning it appropriately with soy sauce while preserving the crisp texture.
The crunch adds texture, and the umami enhances the flavor.
Of course, I’d infused it with skills to maximize both texture and taste.
Thanks to that, a customer had come who savored every bite of this ramen.
[First Tasting!]
[Effect potency doubled.]
[Natural healing ability increased for 60 minutes.]
[Stamina recovery ability increased for 60 minutes.]
[Stamina permanently increased by 2 for the day.]
The greatest effect from my recipe was a stamina increase of 2!
You might say just 2, but the average adult possesses a stamina of 10.
An increase of 2 was nothing less than a 20% boost.
All the fatigue accumulated in their body would have been washed away instantly.
With the dish’s effect, they wouldn’t feel fatigue itself for the entire day.
With their body activated, their mind would sharpen and their mood would improve.
‘Just as the mind dominates the body, so too does the body dominate the mind.’
When the body feels good, the mood follows.
The first customer had received a wonderful effect.
I witnessed the effect as well.
The first customer’s meal became an excellent catalyst.
You could call it a mukbang of sorts.
The sight of them eating with genuine satisfaction became an advertisement in itself.
People who had been watching from nearby came rushing over.
“Excuse me! Can I get the same ramen that customer had?”
“Of course.”
“That’s 5,000 won!”
“5,000 won received.”
“Um, can the two of us share one bowl?”
“Absolutely! Normally we wouldn’t allow it, but since it’s opening day, I’ll make an exception.”
“Oh! Then one bowl for us, please!”
“Yes, card accepted.”
There was no distinction between tables and bar seating anymore.
Every seat filled in an instant!
The quiet shop became bustling and lively.
The perfect atmosphere for a Food Truck.
-Should we get our hopes up?
-It’ll be delicious, right?
-Did you see that person eating earlier? It looked incredible.
-Yeah. Let’s give it a try!
‘I need to exceed their expectations!’
Bringing happiness to my customers—that’s my job.
It was time to begin cooking in earnest.
* * *
Slurp—
I fed ramen to countless people until they were satisfied.
-Wow…!
-This is ramen! No, it’s more than ramen!
-I’m so full! I only had one bowl, but why am I this satisfied?
-It’s warm.
Complete.
Everyone who came out of curiosity left completely satisfied.
-That place must be delicious!
-Should we try it?
-Let’s go!
As people who witnessed the scene began to gather, a waiting line quickly formed.
It continued until the end of business hours.
After working frantically, I was able to provide a satisfying meal to every customer waiting.
In combat terms, I had just completed a long wave.
“That concludes our service for today as we’ve reached our operating hours!”
“Oh… Why! I wanted one more bowl….”
“The Food Truck Zone has shorter operating hours on weekdays, I’m afraid. My apologies.”
“Ah. What a shame…! When will you be back?”
“I’m planning to return tomorrow.”
“Oh! I’ll come back tomorrow.”
“Thank you!”
I had already secured tomorrow’s wave in advance.
I bid farewell to the last customer leaving.
‘Good. Cooking complete.’
Now for the most important part—the settlement!
[You have finished cooking.]
[You warmed the bellies of over one hundred people.]
[Title: 【Chef of One Hundred】 obtained.]
[My culinary movements grow even swifter.]
[The depth of flavor in my dishes intensifies.]
‘Yes!’
The title of Chef of a Hundred naturally obtained.
Following that came an effect worthy of celebration—even for someone like me, whose emotional responses had dulled from the apocalypse of my past life.
They were excellent effects befitting a chef.
But it didn’t end there.
[Experience has surged dramatically.]
[Your level has increased.]
[You may now register a new recipe.]
‘A level up already? Better than I expected.’
My level had risen.
The experience gained from feeding customers far exceeded what I’d accumulated while preparing for business.
The Chef profession from the apocalypse grew far more substantially when sustaining others through food.
‘My growth is faster than anticipated.’
Of course it is.
In my past life, there were few people to feed no matter how hard I tried.
The food I could prepare was scarce as well.
Now it’s the complete opposite.
There are many mouths to feed, and abundant food.
Riding this momentum, my level climbed swiftly.
‘At this rate, I can grow faster than before.’
I felt anticipation for what lay ahead.
Simultaneously, a profound sense of fulfillment filled my chest from having fed so many.
“Hehe….”
I was genuinely happy.
Laughter came naturally.
Clink, clink—
My hands naturally gained strength as I washed the dishes.
I scrubbed the bowls until they squeaked clean.
After organizing the dishes and tables, I folded up the entire food truck.
I finished tidying everything meticulously for tomorrow’s business.
Then, at that moment.
The customer who had first ordered my ramen appeared with a gift in hand.
“Oh? You’re already closed?”
“Ah, hello! My scheduled hours have ended.”
“What a shame. I wanted another bowl. Haha.”
“Hehe. I’ll be open again tomorrow, so please come back.”
“Tomorrow too? That’s wonderful!”
The customer appeared noticeably more energetic than before.
“Yes! Oh, and…”
“??”
“Thank you so much! Thanks to you, I felt energized! That’s probably why I passed the part-time job interview right away. Haha.”
“Oh. Congratulations!”
“I’ll come by often from now on.”
“Then I’m grateful. Let me congratulate you in advance on being my first regular customer.”
“First regular customer… I like that!”
She seemed to be naturally bright-spirited.
When she smiled, the surroundings felt illuminated.
Perhaps because of her. The fatigue accumulated in my body from the first day of business washed away all at once.
Titles, levels.
Skills, ability growth.
I preferred that smile more than all of these things.
Being able to bring happiness to someone with my own hands.
Being able to give hope through a single dish—that was a blessing to me.
‘This is it. This is why cooking is the best.’
That day, I too received great strength.
* * *
A month had passed since I started the business.
Many changes had occurred in that time.
I added three more tables.
Thud. Thump.
Setting up tables every morning became my routine.
But thinking about being able to serve more customers, it was a good thing for me.
I gained many regular customers too.
“Brother! Can I help?”
“Jin-woo’s here? It’s fine. I just finished setting up.”
“Ah. That’s a shame.”
First regular customer. Kang Jin-woo.
He comes by every day, handling both his part-time job and academy classes here.
“Come on, just because you said that doesn’t mean I won’t give you an extra bowl?”
“You caught me?”
“Yeah. But I’ll pile the toppings high, so just sit down.”
“Oh. Thank you.”
“By the way, isn’t the place where you work a Ramen Restaurant? I heard they give you a meal there too?”
“Come on. But coming here like this is loyalty!”
“Loyalty?”
“Seriously! Are you saying the Ramen Restaurant is doing well now? I’m hurt.”
“Alright, alright. Wait a moment. I’ll make it delicious for you.”
This guy, who had become my first regular customer, turned out to be more easygoing than I expected.
I heard he’d gotten a job at a Ramen Restaurant that had become famous as a local hotspot, and he’d come here to eat every single time.
“Ahhh… this is the taste!”
“Eat slowly so you don’t choke.”
“Yes!”
Slurrrp- slurp-
Still, this guy was precious to me.
It was because of Jin-woo’s mukbang videos.
-Oh, that ramen place over there looks delicious.
-Should we go?
Jin-woo’s mukbang videos were more effective than any storefront sign.
“Welcome!”
“Oh, you’re back again.”
“Wow. You’re treating us?”
“You’re a regular, after all.”
“Hehe. I like that. Please take good care of us today too!”
“Yes!”
“Here it is!”
“Welcome? Please have a seat.”
“Perfect!”
Thanks to that, many other regulars started coming in.
Office workers who complained about gaining weight but came every day.
The boss who made coffee at the Food Truck next door.
A kid who’d peek in several times before finally coming once a week.
Customers from all walks of life came to visit.
It was truly a thriving business.
‘At this rate, I could open a shop in a good location in just a few months, right?’
For me, it was perfect.
Even after paying the Food Truck Zone rental fee, there was considerable profit left over.
If I continued like this for just a few more months, I could open a proper restaurant and establish myself more seriously in the food business.
‘Should I focus on ramen, or should I expand? What would be better?’
I was painting a rosy future.
If things continued like this….
I thought everything would work out well.
“Hmm…?”
Then something happened.

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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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