The Female Lead Saves the World - Chapter 197

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

Yeo Joo Saves the World
Part 2, Episode 18

“…This Ure Dungeon is a disaster. I’m never doing this again.”
Staring at the ruined lunch box scattered across the ground, I lost all motivation and collapsed in defeat.
I’d already been in the Dungeon for fourteen hours.
Throughout that endless time, I’d kept moving without proper rest or food.
I’d dodged the relentless downpour that wouldn’t stop, and the forest on the outskirts was teeming with monsters—perhaps to avoid intruding into the Boss Monster’s territory.
So many. Truly, so many.
I’d encountered monsters while searching for a place to set up my tent and rest.
I’d encountered them again while fleeing from lightning that struck a nearby tree.
After several such attempts, I’d finally managed to pitch my tent, and was just about to satisfy my hunger.
Suddenly, tree roots erupted from the ground with a violent crack.
Right beneath the table where my lunch boxes were stacked.
The plant-type monster that had attacked the tent—one whose name I didn’t even want to know—had been severed by Lee Yu Eul’s machete, but that didn’t mean the overturned lunch box would return to me intact.
“My pork cutlet….”
It felt hollow.
I couldn’t believe the reality unfolding before my eyes.
“I was really hungry….”
I’d endured everything with the thought of eating this.
As I silently mourned the pork cutlet lunch box scattered across the cold dirt floor, never even tasted, my nose stung and my eyes grew hot.
“Yeo Joo, we have more lunch boxes we brought….”
“That’s a braised pork belly lunch box, not a pork cutlet.”
How could those two possibly be the same!
Kang Han, who normally didn’t care what he ate as long as his stomach was full, had no idea what I was feeling.
Irritated that he could say such a thing without understanding my heart, I lifted my head and glared at him.
Kang Han’s face went rigid.
“Why are you crying?”
A rough yet warm finger brushed against the corner of my eye.
“I’m not crying.”
I pushed Kang Han’s hand away and stood up.
I shouldn’t take out my frustration on an innocent person like a child.
The problem was this wretched Dungeon and my frayed nerves from not being able to eat or rest properly.
“Ugh.”
I righted the overturned table and pulled camping supplies from my Subspace, arranging them one by one on top.
A large pot, drinking water, a portable burner, spoons and bowls for everyone.
And finally, after neatly stacking twenty packets of instant udon on top, I rolled up my sleeves.
“I can’t push forward in this condition. Even if we have to retreat, we need to eat. We’re doing all this to survive, after all.”
I spoke while sniffling at my nose, which had grown tender earlier.
“Let’s eat first, then continue.”

* * *

Jo Tae Seok, the hunter broadcasting the Justice Guild’s conquest of the A-rank Ure Dungeon on Ganghwa Island, let out a dumbfounded laugh.
There was no rule saying hunters couldn’t have a proper meal inside a dungeon.
But typically, they ate pre-prepared foods like packed lunches or kimbap—items that were convenient to consume and clean up.
In all my years as a hunter, this was the first time I’d seen a guild boiling water in a pot and cooking udon right there in the dungeon.
“Well, when it comes to dungeon mukbang, it has to be the Justice Guild, doesn’t it?”
Lee Ki Dae, the caster, spoke with a beaming smile as the viewer count climbed steadily.
“During the last joint conquest with the Taesan Guild, the Justice Guild became popular online for a while after eating a full eight-course kimchi stew spread in front of the boss room. Today, they’re treating us to an udon mukbang.”
“It’s truly… remarkable.”
Jo Tae Seok, dizzy from the antics of his juniors, managed to continue speaking with difficulty.
“When hunters enter a dungeon, their instinctive tension and vigilance reach their peak. Especially in an A-rank dungeon like this. That’s why appetite naturally disappears, and when there’s a moment to rest, hunters typically just satisfy their hunger before taking a break. But the Justice Guild… they’ve decided to have a proper meal first.”
“After all, we’re a people who say even the views of Geumgangsan are better appreciated after a meal. I heard that after the Justice Guild’s dungeon mukbang, more guilds started bringing cooking equipment into gates. There’s even a dungeon dining hall now where ordinary people can experience what hunters do in safe, fixed dungeons.”
“Well, such things exist… I mean, it’s quite a unique product. Haha.”
Jo Tae Seok, nearly making a slip of the tongue, quickly gestured to the PD off-camera.
Fortunately, the quick-witted PD promptly split the live chat window onto the broadcast.

Suddenly became my meal buddy lol
But that’s right though lol
Just doing whatever it takes to survive and make a living.
– But there’s really something a packed lunch can’t fill
That camping stove looks nice, I’m searching for it lol
– Instant udon was so good when I was young…
– Came here after hearing the Justice Guild was doing mukbang ^^7

The viewer count, which had dipped somewhat during the prolonged battle in that dreary environment, was now climbing steadily.
Even with brief breaks interspersed throughout, we were already twelve hours into the broadcast.
It was at that moment when Lee Ki Dae, the caster, had forgotten all about cutting the stream and was contentedly watching those numbers rise.
Slurrrp.
In the brief silence between commentary segments, the sharp sound of Yeo Joo lifting her first chopstick of noodles rang out clearly.
Even Lee Ki Dae, who had been about to speak freely about his favorite types of udon, stopped mid-sentence and focused on the screen.
Yeo Joo sat there eating udon, her still-damp hair hastily tied up.
A couple of thick noodle strands performed a graceful dance as they were slurped up, and her tightly pressed lips moved in a gentle chewing motion.
After swallowing the noodles, she picked up the round bowl with both hands without even glancing at the spoon beside her.
After taking a sip of the steaming broth, Yeo Joo closed her eyes tightly, then exhaled a deep sigh and spoke.

[ “Ahh, I feel alive again.” ]

Lee Ki Dae, who had momentarily forgotten to speak while watching her eat, felt a slight daze wash over him as he responded.
“Yes, warm udon on a cold, rainy day is truly a delicacy, isn’t it?”
“Absolutely! Ha, goodness, I completely lost myself watching for a moment there.”
“Now I suddenly have an overwhelming craving for udon.”
“Right? Ha, Yeo Joo could film a udon commercial.”
“Are the food company executives watching this broadcast?”
The laughter that followed was a joke, but Lee Ki Dae had a strong premonition that once this dungeon clear ended, the Justice Guild would be flooded with food advertisement inquiries.
The viewers’ reactions were positive as well.

– I just ate, so why am I hungry now?
– Went out to buy udon
– The sound of rain inside that tent must be incredible
– Rain sounds + cold weather + udon broth = paradise
– Oh my, Yeo Joo eats so delightfully that it’s beautiful ^^~
– What will Justice Guild’s next mukbang be?

However, not all comments were favorable.

– Goes into a dungeon to clear it and throws a tantrum to eat udon; what’s this nonsense
– Can’t stand watching her eat noodles tbh
– Yeo Joo is such a nuisance

It was the moment when Lee Ki Dae, the caster who had been steering the broadcast in a favorable direction toward the Justice Guild, furrowed his brow slightly.
Jo Tae Seok, the hunter who had seen similar messages in the chat, decided he needed to address this.
“Since there are people saying that Yeo Joo Hunter causes trouble for other guild members, let me speak as a hunter with 30 years of experience—the fundamental strategy is always to match the healer’s stamina.”
“Ah, yes, that’s right.”
“If a guild is fortunate enough to include a healer in their raid composition, the top priority during the raid isn’t clearing the boss monster—it’s the healer. If the healer wants to rest, you rest. If the healer has a reason to stop the raid, you withdraw. Since Yeo Joo Hunter is so committed to the raid itself and doesn’t make particular demands of her guild members, I think some people have started viewing even these considerations as being a burden. But that’s not the case at all.”
Jo Tae Seok spoke with a wry chuckle.
“Back when I was actively raiding, we wouldn’t even let people step on the healer’s ground. Heh.”
“My goodness, when was that, Jo Tae Seok? You’re bringing up ancient history.”
“Was it that long ago? Hahaha.”
Lee Ki Dae, the caster, softened the atmosphere with a joke, then checked the time briefly before speaking.
“Well then, we’ll take a short break and be back with you. The dungeon interior broadcast will continue, so please keep watching!”
The red light on the camera indicating the broadcast was live went dark.
With the staff’s help, Jo Tae Seok removed his microphone, stretched, and approached the PD to check in.
“So, how’s the reaction?”
“After what you said, senior, the number of people saying negative things about Yeo Joo Hunter has dropped completely. The chat atmosphere almost went south there for a moment. We were saved thanks to you, senior!”
“I’ve been broadcasting for several years now—if I couldn’t pick up on something like that, I shouldn’t accept my appearance fee.”
“Come on, senior, there’s no one else who does commentary as smoothly as you do. Where should we grab lunch, senior?”
The PD asked, looking at Lee Ki Dae and Jo Tae Seok.
The two men, faced with the momentous decision of lunch, thought for a moment before speaking simultaneously.
“Is there a udon place nearby?”
“How about udon?”
“Oh, you two are on the same wavelength! I was craving udon too, actually. There’s a great noodle restaurant nearby—let’s go there! Junior, make a reservation for us!”
At the PD’s words, the most junior PD picked up his phone and began calling somewhere.
Watching this, Jo Tae Seok asked.
“Wait, we’re just going to grab some udon—do we really need a reservation?”
“Normally we wouldn’t, but I think we’ll need one today, senior.”
A short while later, when Jo Tae Seok arrived at the Noodle Restaurant, located just ten minutes from the studio, he was astonished to find the place packed with people despite it being well past lunch hour, and he clicked his tongue in surprise.
“What’s this? Did everyone come here for udon after watching the Justice Guild?”

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