~Chapter 11~
Two Passive Skills
The man carrying the Fire Rabbit’s corpse was tall, with sharp features, blonde hair, and deep blue eyes that gave him an almost exotic, captivating charm. His long frame, toned muscles exposed by the sleeveless top made from monster leather, made it obvious that his body was like a well-sculpted statue.
Seojin looked at him.
Seeing Seojin’s glance, the man spoke with an apologetic expression.
“Sorry. I’m not used to dealing with people. My name is Lee Do. Family name Lee, given name Do. Just one character. What about you?”
Although Lee Do spoke informally, it somehow didn’t come across as rude. Seojin didn’t make an issue out of it.
“Call me Arte.”
“Arte… a foreigner?”
“It’s just an alias I use here.”
“Got it. So… can you cook this?”
Lee Do handed the Fire Rabbit’s corpse to Seojin.
Observing from the side, Minwoo clicked his tongue.
“Why is this rabbit’s body so clean? How’d you kill it?”
Seojin tilted his head.
“What’s different about it?”
“Look around. All the other corpses are torn apart, guts hanging out, bloody messes. But this one doesn’t have a scratch.”
He was right. Not a single mark could be found on the Fire Rabbit Lee Do had brought.
“I killed it with my skill,” Lee Do said.
“What’s the skill?” Minwoo asked, but Lee Do ignored him, focusing only on Seojin.
“Can you cook this?”
The anatomy of a Fire Rabbit was no different from a regular one, and Seojin had experience cooking rabbit meat before.
“I’ll try.”
[A low-grade ingredient, ‘Fire Rabbit Meat’, detected. Use the skill ‘Taste of Hands’?]
‘Yes.’
[‘Fire Rabbit Meat’ has been enhanced for flavor.]
Seojin pulled a knife from his inventory — a weapon he’d exchanged for food the day before. Its size and grip felt very much like a chef’s knife. He decided to use it for butchering the rabbit.
He noticed a small lake nearby and walked over. After removing the fur and gutting the rabbit, he thoroughly washed the meat, separated it by part, and deboned it.
Although his right hand was still stiff and awkward, and the speed was slower than in the past, years of experience and countless cooking competitions hadn’t left him. Even with a damaged hand, Seojin managed to butcher the meat cleanly.
Although it felt far from ideal, he made do.
‘Time to cook this now.’
“Mokyu~!” the little rabbit called from his shoulder, as if reading his thoughts.
Seojin patted Mokyu’s head and approached the flat stone slab. The slab had been heated by Mokyu earlier.
He laid the prepared rabbit meat on it.
Sizzle!
A savory aroma rose as the protein started cooking.
The pink meat slowly turned a delicious shade of brown.
Seojin watched closely, then flipped it at just the right moment, using the knife like a spatula.
The other side revealed a beautiful Maillard reaction — a rich, golden-brown crust.
Gulp! Gulp!
Both Minwoo and Lee Do swallowed hard as the savory smell filled the air.
“The flame might be too strong…”
If the slab was too hot, the surface would burn before the meat was properly cooked.
“Mokyu~!” Mokyu gave a short cry, and the slab’s temperature lowered slightly.
Seojin felt this shift instinctively, thanks to the bond he shared with Mokyu.
“Wow…”
He was genuinely amazed. Not only had he tamed Mokyu, but now the little pet could also control the stone slab’s temperature.
It was precisely what Seojin needed.
With Mokyu managing the heat, the rabbit meat roasted to perfection.
“Done.”
Seojin placed the roasted meat on a stone plate and suddenly noticed a growing crowd gathering around him.
“What is that? What meat is it?”
“That quantity… it could feed three people easily.”
“Smells amazing. I just want one bite.”
“Wait, didn’t he say he was sold out earlier? Where’s this coming from?”
As people murmured, Seojin and Lee Do exchanged glances.
“So… how much?” Lee Do asked.
Seojin hesitated. Lee Do had brought the meat, and Seojin had only prepared and cooked it. He didn’t know how much to charge.
At that moment, Minwoo cut in.
“Wait. The fried eggs earlier were 10,000 won each, right? What about the other dishes?”
“Rolled omelet was 30,000. Lizard tail was 50,000 per serving.”
“Then for three servings of rabbit meat… 150,000 won, at least.”
Seojin was about to ask if that wasn’t too steep when Lee Do pulled out a leather pouch and handed it to him. Inside was a hefty chunk of rock salt.
Seojin was shocked.
“Rock salt?! Where did you get this?”
“Will this cover it?”
“More than enough.”
“Good.”
Lee Do refused to answer where he’d found it and simply moved to grab a piece of meat with his bare hand.
“Wait! I haven’t added salt yet.”
Seojin stopped him, used his seasoning skill, and pinched a bit of the rock salt.
[You have consumed ‘Rock Salt’ for the first time.]
[Nutrients from the food seep into your body, making you slightly healthier.]
[Defense increased slightly.]
It was delicious. Far better than the low-grade salt his seasoning skill normally produced. The quality of the rock salt added depth and richness to the meat.
Seojin sprinkled it across the roasted rabbit.
“Try it now.”
Lee Do sank his teeth into the deboned, roasted meat. The savory, rich juices overflowed. Lee Do had never tried rabbit meat in the real world, so he had no point of comparison, but the Fire Rabbit meat felt like a cross between chicken and pork — tender, savory, and rich.
He devoured three servings on the spot, licking his fingers when he finished.
“Excellent. Thanks.”
“Thank you too.”
“See you later, Arte.”
“Arte it is. I’ll remember that.”
“Wait, can you tell me where you got the salt?”
“I don’t know,” Lee Do replied, brushing him off as he left.
Seojin stood dumbfounded, staring down at the leather pouch.
‘Rock salt…’
He had no idea where it came from, but it was a huge win. Compared to the low-grade salt and seasoning available from his skill, this was a massive upgrade.
At that moment, Minwoo arrived with three Fire Rabbit corpses.
“Cook for me too! Three rabbits. That’s 450,000 won, right?”
Seojin nodded and set to work, but soon more people came rushing over with Fire Rabbit corpses. What had been worthless waste moments ago had suddenly become valuable ingredients.
A long line began to form in front of him.
Seojin felt a thrill deep in his chest. This was the feeling he’d missed for so long — the joy of cooking for others and seeing their satisfied expressions.
It felt like he was running his own little restaurant right here in the Field.
Later…
Minwoo sighed in satisfaction.
“Now this is food. Damn.”
Each bite felt like a taste of paradise.
Seojin kept working, thanks to Mokyu controlling the slab’s temperature. Even after cooking fifteen Fire Rabbits, the salt hadn’t diminished much.
Then came a new message:
[Achievement Unlocked!]
[Through repetitive cooking, you have earned the skill: ‘Novice Cooking Tool Mastery’.]
[Novice Cooking Tool Mastery – Passive]
[Improves your ability to use cooking tools slightly.]
Seojin was stunned.
Until now, he had only gained active skills, but this was his first passive one.
Immediately, he tested it on another rabbit, and—
Swish, swish, slice!
Although his right hand still felt awkward, the knife now worked like an extension of himself. The movements felt natural, almost as if the blade were guiding itself.
With this new skill, Seojin’s speed increased drastically.
Then another alert appeared:
[You have accumulated enough experience with seasoning to evolve your ‘Seasoning’ skill.]
[‘Seasoning’ skill upgraded.]
[You can now add low-grade salt, seasoning salt, or sugar to dishes as needed.]
‘Sugar!’
This was an incredibly versatile ingredient. The fact he could now summon sugar with his skill was a huge win.
But the alerts weren’t finished:
[Achievement Unlocked!]
[You are the first Awakened person to properly debone the same monster 30 times.]
[Reward: New Passive Skill, ‘Deboning’, granted.]
[Deboning (Low-Grade) – Passive]
[Highlights the ideal lines for deboning low-grade monster meat. Areas marked by lines have weaker defense.]
Seojin grinned.
‘Deboning, huh?’
He placed another Fire Rabbit on the slab and watched as faint lines appeared, marking ideal spots for cutting. The knife sank through with precision, making the process a breeze.
Each piece came out clean, with almost no waste.
With his new Passive Skills — ‘Cooking Tool Mastery’ and ‘Deboning’ — combined with Mokyu’s temperature control, Seojin felt unstoppable.
He was now preparing and cooking a whole rabbit within 15 minutes.
“Here you go.”
Seojin handed a roasted portion to a customer and received 150,000 won worth of monster loot.
The customer sank their teeth into the freshly roasted meat.
“Mm! This is amazing, Chef!” the person exclaimed.
That word — “Chef” — shook Seojin deep inside.
‘Chef…’
Since injuring his hand, he hadn’t heard that word in so long. Now, in this strange Field, surrounded by people enjoying his cooking, it felt like a dream come true.
Seojin clenched his knife, swallowing down the tears that threatened to rise, and smiled as he turned to the next customer.
He felt like a kid on a picnic.
Meanwhile, in the safe zone, a lone lizard gnashed its teeth.
“Egg thief… this time, you won’t get away.”
