Additionally, the steady consumption coupled with ongoing circulation ensures a consistent presence of combat rations in the market.
…With all that information laid out, it clicks into place how we’ve ended up here.
But,
“Thinking about it that way is infuriating.”
“What’s angering you? Does it feel like your cooking is being belittled or something?”
“No, it’s more than that.”
It bothers me that my cooking has morphed into a currency. While that alone is somewhat upsetting, it’s not that significant of an issue.
What truly irks me is witnessing the situation immediately prior to this revelation.
“You’re telling me that battery is worth only about three of my homemade combat rations?”
Put another way, my cooking, once valuable in its own right, now holds less worth than a rechargeable battery less than 300,000 won.
Honestly, it’s bruising to my pride too.
“Hyung, should I completely cut back on supply? That might increase the combined value, right?”
“…Don’t think of stupid things like that.”
“Ugh.”
Just for a moment, the sting to my pride pushed me toward strange thoughts.
‘Sigh.’
What else can I do?
The market has ruled on their worth, and while it’s a sad state to accept, reducing supply won’t impact things one bit.
The only real solution is to hone my culinary skills and elevate the quality of my cooking.
“So, here’s the thing. I think we need to search for a proper outpost soon.”
“Hm? Is there something wrong with this place?”
“As mentioned before, non-combatants are susceptible to raiding, and they’re clustering around our base for safety. This is hardly a conducive environment.”
We never came into this building with any forethought.
We simply needed somewhere to sleep, which led us to occupy this empty establishment.
“Now that so many people are gathering near us, it wouldn’t grow easily in this kind of setting,” I concluded.
“True.”
“This area seriously lacks adequate defenses, so we ought to prepare for worst-case scenarios.”
“A suitable outpost must be established.”
“I’ve got a few candidates in my mind—like those islands floating above the river or, perhaps, the now-desolate central district.”
While it’s definitely something that requires action sooner rather than later, it wasn’t top priority right now.
‘First and foremost….’
I needed to begin exploring the mysteries of Gourmet Glutton.
* * *
“Seems like you’ve wrapped things up well at the ammunition depot,” said one officer.
“I picked up some intel there.”
During the first meeting after our return to Chuncheon, I began explaining the man who had escaped the dungeon.
The entity assumed to have aided him—the Gourmet Glutton.
“We need to find this creature.”
To be completely honest, this was a personal mission. I wanted to fully grasp the aspects of my job.
However, procrastinating could lead to the Gourmet Glutton fleeing far away, rendering my inquiries moot.
This was something I desperately wanted resolved before anything else.
“Well, that’s one way to put it,” one of the officers replied hesitantly.
“However, I haven’t heard any accounts of sightings concerning such a monster.”
After all, we were dealing with a cannibalistic creature.
Typically, I thought news would spread quickly after the dungeon had been cleared.
Such a monster would inevitably create a buzz wherever it roamed.
Yet, this creature remained eerily silent.
Even the higher-ups didn’t seem to have any inkling of its presence.
“I know Soo-ah has been working hard, using her spirits to collect information, but she hasn’t reported anything noteworthy.”
“…But even Soo-ah’s spirits aren’t all-powerful.”
Long-term use drains their stamina, and ultimately, the spirits vision rely on regular sight.
Locating a creature that could be hiding deep within wasn’t straightforward.
‘But I can’t just give up on this idea…’
I wanted to find a way to have my questions answered.
“Wait a second…”
Suddenly, an idea struck me.
“You mentioned that my combat rations have turned into something akin to currency?”
“Ah, yes.”
Though it’s frustrating to see their value slide, it essentially indicated how vital people found these combat rations.
“It follows that the one hoarding the most of these combat rations…”
“Oh, isn’t that us?”
We were the producers of those rations.
A staggering 80% of all combat rations were stored within our base’s inventory.
Now we found ourselves overstretched, unsure how to manage this surplus.
When seeking valuable information with no leads, there exists a very effective option.
I smiled to myself.
“Let’s make use of collective intelligence.”
“…Huh?”
* * *
In the center of Chuncheon, a bustling marketplace emerged around the military’s established base, where awakened individuals began forming their own commercial areas. The soldiers kept nearby monsters in check, providing a level of safety from any threats.
No one dared to instigate disputes within the immediate vicinity of the military base. There was a strong assurance against any potential acts of violence or raiding amidst trade transactions.
“Let’s see… today’s net profit is… 5 combat ration?”
Given this environment, Lee Sang-heok had also set up shop here to conduct business.
“…Ugh! How disappointing.”
However, sales were hardly brisk.
His inventory was limited, primarily consisting of items scavenged during his earlier imprisonment in the city. Most of what he had left was similarly collected from recent excursions around the area.
Sang-heok wished he could abandon trading altogether, frustrated at the thought of hunting monsters directly, only to process them into combat rations like the others.
[Lee Sang-heok]
[Novice Merchant Lv. 6]
“Haah.”
Being a merchant meant he had no knack for combat, which felt like a major setback.
‘I hunted those bastard fishmen, to end up with a pitiful profession like this… it really made me wish I were dead.’
In this society, strength dominated all things.
The traits and skills he possessed included:
[Trust Enhancement]
[Articulation Mastery]
[Information Retrieval Mastery]
These attributes increased his credibility during trades and granted him bonuses for acquiring information—essentially limited to merchant-exclusive skills.
“Great, my skills are just perfect for getting robbed. Fantastic.”
Yet, he managed to achieve a tenuous profit margin of 5 combat ration, thanks to those very traits and skills.
‘Combat rations hold enormous value.’
In a world devastated by calamity, the scarcity of food made combat rations exceedingly valuable.
They provided formidable buffs the instant they were consumed.
Taking both aspects into account clearly indicated their immense worth.
However, what contributed most to raising the value of combat rations was a third factor:
‘Luxury Goods.’
The taste was overwhelmingly exceptional.