Hunters Keep Coming To My House - Chapter 49
Chapter 49
“Yeon-oh! I want pancakes! I want pancakes!”
“Oh, I’ll make that for you. Pancakes are my specialty.”
“Wow! Jooni, is there anything you can’t do?”
“There’s nothing I can’t do, haha!”
…They chat away.
I looked at Cha Jae-joon and Ellie Kim, who were making a mess in my kitchen, with soulless eyes.
The kitchen, once defined by its clean and white interior, had become colorful, and there was a burnt smell lingering in the air. On the floor, something sticky had spilled, and I couldn’t tell what it was.
Sigh, I shouldn’t have allowed them in the first place…
Regretting it now is meaningless since the damage is already done.
I sighed deeply, touching my forehead.
The reason they took over my kitchen was simple – because of Cha Jae-joon’s words.
“Oh, Ms. Yeon-oh. I mentioned before that I found traces of the Blue Dragon with a communication stone. But upon further investigation, it turned out to be fake. So, I’ve been searching for traces again, and I found this.”
With these words, he showed me a faintly glowing blue ore.
As I looked at it with a questioning expression, Cha Jae-joon started explaining as if it were nothing special.
“This is a claw of the Blue Dragon. Now, if we follow this to the location of the Blue Dragon’s Ego Sword, we should find it. I thought with Ms. Yeon-oh’s Arvani, we could quickly locate it, so I came straight here.”
“You should have let me know.”
“I wanted to surprise you. It adds to the charm, doesn’t it?”
“Well… I guess.”
“So, may I embark on a journey with Ms. Yeon-oh right now? Is that okay?”
Right now? Uh, right now, he says…? What do I have to do at the moment?
First, unpack my belongings when the government contacts me… upgrade my house to raise my stats. Is there anything else? The only other important thing is choosing a guild.
While I hesitated for a moment, Cha Jae-joon recruited other party members.
“Let’s bring Ellie Kim too. With her abilities, she will be a great help.”
“Me too? Oh, that’s awesome! We’re going on a picnic, right? I’ll pack some food!”
“Oh, that’s a great idea. Ms. Yeon-oh, is that okay with you?”
In an instant, plans for a picnic in the dungeon were made.
No, I haven’t even said if I’m okay with it yet! I tried to convey this with my eyes, but Ellie Kim’s innocent and round eyes made me unable to utter those words.
In the end, all I could do was nod.
Yeah… I guess I can think of it as making memories with Arvani.
And so, in the time it took me to change my clothes and return, the kitchen had turned into a mess.
“Mr. Cha Jae-joon, what happened here? I trusted you with the kitchen.”
“Well, that’s…”
“Oops, sorry, Yeon-oh. I made a mistake because I’m still not good at cooking. I’ll clean it up! I’m sorry. I’ll take care of everything!”
No, in my experience, the person who made the mess usually keeps making more messes. Even with Ellie Kim looking at me pitifully, I successfully kicked her out of the kitchen. Then, I exchanged glances with Cha Jae-joon.
Let’s clean up first, whether it’s making lunch or preparing for the journey.
It took a solid hour.
In the meantime, I managed to expel Ellie Kim, who was making a fuss in the kitchen, to the yard with Arvani. At least that part ended relatively quickly.
…Sigh, that was exhausting.
Seeing the lunchbox I made with my own hands, I felt proud for no reason. Yeah, it’s not as abundant as the old lunchboxes used to be.
Pink sausages with yellow egg wash, sweetly seasoned kimchi stir-fry, and anchovy stir-fry. A traditional lunchbox that I made from start to finish, finishing with an egg fry on top of white rice.
Coincidentally, Cha Jae-joon also seemed to finish his lunchbox and let out a long breath. He made a beautifully crafted lunchbox, alternating between a sandwich with X-Fam, and thick egg omelet, and a pancake that Ellie Kim wanted so much that she sang a song about it, bringing it to the level where you could sell it at a store.
After exchanging glances while admiring each other’s unique lunchboxes, I extended my right hand to Cha Jae-joon for a handshake.
“…Good job.”
“…Ms. Yeon-oh worked even harder.”
He shook my hand and flashed a refreshing smile.
“Still, it does feel proud after making the lunchboxes. Recalling the memories of saving money on food in the past and making lunchboxes, the result is quite satisfying.”
“It’s a skill that comes from experience! I was pleasantly surprised by Ms. Yeon-oh’s lunchbox-making skills!”
“I may not be as skilled as Mr. Cha Jae-joon, but I can cook enough to survive.”
Even if it’s cooking with the help of a large corporation.
Well… How to enjoy the meal is another story, isn’t it?
Right at that moment when I was feeling triumphant.
Ding!
[You have acquired the hidden title ‘Master of Combinations’!
A title was given to Seo Yeon-oh for skillfully combining household items to make them more useful!
Feel free to use it even more effectively by combining items!]
“…Huh?”
Suddenly, a system window appeared, claiming that I had acquired a title. Immediately, I hurriedly checked the lunchbox I had made.
[‘Seo Yeon-oh’s Handmade Lunchbox
? Commonly known as the ‘Old-fashioned Lunchbox,’ a nostalgic lunchbox made by Seo Yeon-oh.
? Nutrients are evenly distributed, and it tastes even better when mixed.
? Consuming it temporarily increases all stats by 50.]
“…Oh.”
Indeed, items enhanced directly by me, meaning cooked with upgraded ingredients, have effects. In that case, Cha Jae-joon’s lunchbox probably doesn’t have any effects…
Feeling a bit disappointed, I absentmindedly ate my meal. Besides that, the reason I hadn’t seen this system window until now was probably because…
‘Maybe because I was too busy hastily cooking instant ramen or ordering takeout from restaurants.’
Items need to be upgraded to be used as items. I wished I had known a bit sooner.
While trying to check the title with a sense of regret, the system was one step ahead of me.
[The title ‘Master of Combinations’ is activated!
? Recommends the most efficiently combinable items.
? Can extract an additional 50% effectiveness.]
Satisfied with the unexpectedly good effect, another system window appeared before my eyes. From this moment on, I began to feel that something strange was unfolding.
[The titles ‘Shabby Homeowner’ and ‘Master of Combinations’ are merging!
It’s different from the powerless, helpless past!
Now, no matter what anyone says, I am the homeowner!
‘Shabby Homeowner’ ? Upgraded to ‘Inexperienced Homeowner.’]
…Was the title merging intentional? In that case, if I had quickly acquired the title ‘Master of Combinations,’ would I have obtained the title ‘Inexperienced Homeowner’ even faster? Are there cases like this?
I was furrowing my brow and glaring at the system window when it crackled to life.
[The title ‘Inexperienced Homeowner’ is activated.
? The proficiency of the skill <Owner of the Safe House Inside the Gate> will increase more rapidly.
? More items related to the house will appear.
? Every time the house is upgraded, all stats will permanently increase by 30.
? Even in other areas, you can somewhat exert the influence of the Safe House, but you must fulfill the dominance requirements in those areas.]
At the same time.
[The path to becoming a ‘Perfect Homeowner’ is right here!
A quest has been generated!
Now, you, who have become an ‘Inexperienced Homeowner’!
I will help you become a homeowner who can continue to develop in the future!
As a homeowner, you should manage electricity and water well, right?
Cleaning is also important!
?Raise the proficiency of <Save Water and Electricity! (0%)> to a minimum of 50%.
From now on, the electricity and water bills will be calculated based on your mana power.
Current maintenance fee (electricity + water bills) = 50 mana power per day.
However, the calculated mana power takes a day to recover. If there is a shortage of mana power, the electricity and water will be cut off. Also, the maintenance fee will be deducted starting from midnight tomorrow.
? Raise the proficiency of <Cleanliness is Next to Godliness! (0%)> to a minimum of 60%. A dirty house is not good for your health. If you clean every day, proficiency will accumulate by 5% each day. However, if you don’t clean for more than two days, your health will decrease by 50. The reduced health will recover after a week. The bathroom is sufficient to clean once a week. Also, a 24-hour timer starts from the moment you begin cleaning.
Success Reward: Free electricity and water, a house that doesn’t require cleaning.
Failure Consequence: Permanently deduct all stats by 100.
Good luck then!]
… What is this?