The Chef From the Apocalypse Enters the Food Industry - Chapter 92

—————

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

—————

Chapter 92. A Massive Shadow
‘It can’t be. It just can’t be.’
I suppressed my anxiety and barely managed to look at the screen.
I had to watch the scoreboard where the votes were being tallied.
The dishes were labeled A, B, C, D style.
‘That PD Ga and his games….’
PD Ga hadn’t even revealed what the dishes were on the scoreboard.
He was playing games right up until the final moment.
It was an even more extreme method than cutting to commercials for dramatic effect.
There was a reason PD Ga was called a broadcast genius.
The judges who had just removed their blindfolds and the MCs were also kept from knowing the winner immediately—the measure was flawless.
It was also a measure designed to create a kind of twist.
‘In the end, it concentrated on one. So the winning dish is A.’
The graph on the scoreboard showed one dish soaring with overwhelming dominance.
It was dish A.
Finally, with an astounding 62 votes out of 104, dish A’s victory was confirmed.
More than half of the judges had chosen A.
So what exactly was that A?
“Ladies and gentlemen! An overwhelmingly unanimous result! The final champion of Round 2’s mass cooking mission is none other than dish A!”
At Jang Han-su’s booming announcement, the studio vibrated as if it would burst with cheers.
‘It must be Ern Kim.’
Of course. The winner had to be Ern Kim.
That’s what everyone was saying outside.
It couldn’t be anything else.
With such overwhelming results!
An arrogant smile spread across my lips once more.
I savored the victor’s composure as I rose from the observation seat and slowly walked toward the stage.
I was about to congratulate Ern Kim’s victory, whom I had backed, in front of the live broadcast cameras.
It would be nice to see Kim Seon-woo’s face in pathetic defeat.
Ah yes. They might still go to the finals. Three people advance after all.
‘I hope he made it into the top three. Then I could see his face longer, bearing the blow from Ern Kim as he advances.’
Concealing such thoughts within myself.
I stood arrogantly in front of the stage.
* * *
Even in that moment, Jang Han-su proceeded rapidly.
“Now then, esteemed citizen judges! First place is dish A, but wouldn’t it be boring to see that first, right?”
“Ooooh!”
“So, let me show you third place first. Third place dish E! Let’s take a look!”
Whoooosh—!
The judges’ third-ranked dish E.
Its identity was revealed.
“Japanese Chef Jeong Si-woo! Chawanmushi! You’ve secured third place with just one egg custard!”
“Wooooow!”
Cheers erupted from the audience. The atmosphere at the venue heated up because of it.
On the other hand, the chat window went wild.
-HAHAHAHA third place with just egg custard. That’s impressive though.
-But HAHAHAHA didn’t he seem like he was going for first?
-Well, there’s still Ern Kim.
-I don’t think Ern Kim is really the problem though?
-Then what?
-Look. That first place A is definitely not Ern Kim.
-Do you really think so?
-Look at the atmosphere. The atmosphere.
“Now then, straight to second place, C we go!”
Paaang-!
PD Ga set off a celebratory explosion this time.
“Oh. We’ve set off an explosion to celebrate second place. Now, the highly anticipated dish C is… Ern Kim!”
“Ah…!”
The moment second place was announced, joy and sorrow crossed paths.
Both Ern Kim and Jang On-gyu’s faces hardened.
Even if they’d heard unfavorable comments from ignorant people who knew nothing.
Still, they’d believed first place in the second round was theirs. Who would have thought it would turn out like this.
On the other hand, the chat window exploded.
-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
-For real? He’s really not first?
-Then who’s first?
-What a crazy plot twist HAHAHAHA
They delighted in the shocking reversal.
Jang Han-su also expressed surprise here and continued with the announcement.
“Now, if I drag this out any longer, I’ll get scolded, right?”
-Uuuuh… you’re already dragging it out!
-Just announce it already!
“Uuuuh!”
“Wow. A complete consensus has formed here. Saerom, if you keep making that throat-cutting gesture, we won’t be able to broadcast this!”
“Oops!”
“Now then, let’s directly confirm who the creator of dish A, which received a perfect score, is!”
Whirrrr- whirr-
This time, like a slot machine spinning, the name of dish A rotated.
Click-
And shortly after.
Dish A was announced.
“What?”
“Huh?”
-…!?
-!!!!
Then a heavy silence fell over the entire studio, as if ice water had been poured over everyone.
Dish A—the one everyone had praised with such fervor, as if their very souls had been captivated.
The identity of A was meatball soup served in a rustic earthenware pot.
“Ah… the winning dish is beef meatball soup! Please show us Kim Seon-woo, who prepared this dish!”
Kim Seon-woo’s face filled the screen.
* * *
‘What in the world is this…’
Jang On-gyu, who had been walking confidently toward the stage.
His feet froze to the ground as if nailed in place.
‘That cheap meatball soup won?’
He couldn’t accept this reality at all.
It was shocking enough that the dish receiving overwhelming praise—nearly unanimous acclaim by a landslide vote—wasn’t Ern Kim’s foie gras and truffle consommé.
But to be beaten by Kim Seon-woo of all people.
His breath caught in his throat.
The judges’ panel was in complete uproar.
Bang Owner, who had ripped off his blindfold, stared back and forth between Kim Seon-woo’s face on the screen and the earthenware pot, his mouth hanging wide open.
“This can’t be right! How is that bastard’s dish!? How is this possible!? Is this rigged!? Rigged!?”
The blindfold he’d been holding dropped to the floor with a thud.
Just moments ago, he had praised that very dish—calling it the essence of Michelin, claiming it had the perfect succulence that moved the soul—and given it a perfect score.
And now he discovered it was Kim Seon-woo’s beef meatball soup, someone he despised so thoroughly!
‘Did I just give that bastard’s cooking a perfect score? While I gave Ern Kim’s dish a zero, calling it garbage food?’
Bang Owner’s face went pale as a sheet, then flushed crimson red like a radish.
His trembling hands clutched his head.
PD Ga skillfully captured the moment with ten cameras pushed in from various angles.
‘This is gold. I’ll send it from multiple angles. Hehehehe. One more scapegoat secured.’
The self-proclaimed VIP sitting beside him was equally panicked.
“Oh my! That wasn’t common food? That deep, luxurious taste was that?”
Forgetting the elegant pretense she’d been mimicking, she jumped from her seat and let out a sharp, bitter shriek.
The very dish she had claimed tasted like a lump of grease, that she’d pinched her nose at for being fishy and greasy!
That dish was the fine dining she’d been so pretentiously seeking!
What she’d praised as being in a completely different league from vulgar cooking was nothing but a rustic meatball soup.
Mocking comments from viewers began flooding across the massive screen like a torrent.
Haha, where’d that guy who was going on about Michelin earlier go?
Ate luxury wanja-tang and gave it extreme praise lol
-Would he faint if you gave him potato soup?
-Both of them look like they’ve lost their country lol
-Ern Kim sent his cooking to the trash and sold his soul to meatball soup, right?
-This is the beauty of blind taste tests! All the pretense got stripped away lol
-What matters in cooking is taste. hahahaha
Jang On-gyu clenched his fists as if all those jeers filling the massive screen were pouring down directly upon him.
His fists trembled, clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms.
‘This won’t do. From here on….’
Jang On-gyu appeared to have made some kind of resolution.
* * *
Same time. Same place.
Kim Seon-woo’s eyes were busy for the first time in a while.
It was thanks to the notifications suddenly flooding in.
[You have secured an overwhelming first place in the live broadcast second round!]
[Your fame skyrockets explosively.]
[Countless people are captivated by your cooking.]
[You acquire a massive amount of experience points.]
[Your level has increased!]
[Your level has increased!]
[Your level has increased!]
Three consecutive level-ups in a row.
It was an explosive level-up that erupted after a long time.
‘Insane.’
All the fatigue in my body washed away.
New vitality seemed to flow through my veins.
But the rewards didn’t end there.
[Victory rewards are granted.]
[The stat 【Luck】 increases by 2.]
[Premium cooking ingredients have been placed in your refrigerator.]
‘Excellent. As expected, when the stage gets bigger, the rewards are solid too.’
While I was inwardly celebrating.
The holographic window before my eyes began to flash in red.
It wasn’t a simple reward notification.
This familiar pattern!
[A new Quest has been generated.]
‘A Quest? Here?’
The last time I received a Quest was when several people stormed into the restaurant.
Quests usually appeared focused on area defense.
I never expected a Quest to appear here.
‘Even I didn’t know about this.’
What could it be this time.
[Dispelling the Colossal Shadow]
The greatest obstacle, one that stops at nothing, seeks to strangle your very breath.
Overcome it.
-Condition: Victory against the approaching colossal obstacle
-Reward: Breakthrough in Taste Perception (Passive Skill), 10 Stat Points, Significant Increase in New Culinary Inspiration
‘A colossal obstacle, then.’
I slowly turned my head and gazed once more toward the VIP Observation Seat.
There was Jang On-gyu, looking as though he’d made some kind of resolve.
‘I know who it is. Though I can’t fathom why he’s gone this far.’
Our eyes met precisely in the empty space between us.
His gaze gleamed with a chilling murderous intent.
It was obvious.
The third round coming up—that would be the turning point.
Jang On-gyu would undoubtedly give it his absolute best.
‘Come if you dare. I’ll devour everything you throw at me.’
I let out a quiet laugh.
I could see Jang On-gyu bristle at that.
But I turned my gaze away.
Instead, I raised my hand confidently toward the viewers from the center of the stage.
For all to see.

—————

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

—————