Chapter 7: Increasing the number of Awakened Individuals (Part 4)
“How on earth did you manage that?”
“Oh, nothing special. I just cooked something delicious for him and then listened to him for a bit!”
“And that’s all?”
“Yes, that’s all.”
It was great news that Gwang-il has successfully awakened but seems like the effect of my was skill too potent.
Sergeant Lee Min-jae seemed skeptical of my words.
“You had the talent to persuade him like that…”
“Hyung, it’s all about understanding people’s hearts. Even if they’re feeling down or scared. When you eat a delicious meal, you let out what’s been bottled up inside, and then everything gets resolved, isn’t that simple? You shouldn’t underestimate the power of listening.”
“Is that so?”
Obviously, not.
It was the effect of my skill “The Chef’s Special Sauce”.
“…But I can’t reveal it.”
It was quite different from the “Novice Grade Dagger Mastery” that I had showed people.
It was a skill that manipulates people’s emotions.
At first, I thought it would be at a level where it slightly improves or worsens one’s mood, but…
Seeing Corporal Jeon Gwang-il today, it was clear that this skill is way above my expectations.
It was akin to temporary personality modification.
“If it’s revealed, it could be dangerous.”
For now, it’s better to keep it hidden.
“Do you know what job that brat Gwang-il got?”
“Nope, what job did he get?”
“He is a Berserker. He also gained a trait where his combat power increases in exchange for his sanity.”
“…I didn’t intend for that.”
“It was supposed to be about courage… Why did it turn out like this?”
If I were to guess, perhaps I added too much courage.
“For someone like Gwang-il, he always looked like he could fight well with his big build. Maybe he had talent in that area.”
“That mild-mannered guy?”
Sergeant Lee Min-jae still seemed to find it odd, but it wasn’t something I could easily explain.
“Anyway, send me the soldiers who are due to awaken in the future. Since it’s a risky endeavor, they should at least have a special meal.”
“Is that okay? We don’t have much surplus in food supplies.”
“Most of the remaining food is emergency rations anyway. We need to consume the rest of the ingredients before they spoil. With many casualties, there are fewer mouths to feed, right? We should use up the fresh ingredients before they go bad.”
Military rations are broadly categorized into three types:
Regular meals are made from ingredients that come in 2-3 times a week.
Combat rations are for field use.
Emergency rations are stored in a type 1 warehouse.
Emergency rations are for situations where supplies have been cut off suddenly due to war.
They are always stored in large quantities.
The downside is that the menu is limited and monotonous.
The main items usually include canned curry, black bean sauce, and soups.
The quality of combat rations goes without saying.
“We don’t have much time to provide proper meals.”
In that case, it’s better to feed as much as we can rather than saving.
Moreover, emergency rations or combat rations are foods that don’t require cooking.
I wondered if I could utilize my profession as a chef.
And so, the process of increasing the awakened individuals in the unit began.
***
It wasn’t entirely smooth sailing.
“Did you just kill that monster?”
“Yes. The resistance was too strong, so I had no choice… I’m sorry.”
“No need to apologize, you did well.”
The monsters kept attacking the unit, and while the soldiers managed to fend them off, it wasn’t easy to deliver the final blow.
“Their vitality is too strong.”
Taejun’s injury wasn’t just a random incident in the monster’s retaliation.
Even if you shove a dozen bullets into them, they continue to resist until the very end.
If another soldier were to get injured by a monster like Taejun, it would severely dent the morale of the unit.
The rate of increase of the awakened individuals was extremely slow. As they had to facilitate this process with utmost safety.
However, there was a change.
The next to awaken was Corporal Seo Su-hyeok from the transport unit.
Unlike Corporal Jeon Gwang-il, Sergeant Seo Su-hyeok readily agreed to the awakening.
And…
“I have awakened as a Marksman. But… what is this?”
Once again, text appeared in front of us.
[Faction Formation Success]
[You have successfully formed a party (5 players), the minimum required unit for combat].
[Main Region- This is the third faction of the ROK]
[Sub Region- This is the first faction of the ROK 17]
[Achievement Unlocked – Unit Assembled]
[You who have successfully formed a party faster than others!]
[A reward will be given to those who lead the way.]
[3rd place reward – Growth Potion x10]
The rewards were given immediately.
Each awakened person received 10 potions.
[Growth Potion]
[Experience acquisition rate increases by 500% for a certain period.]
“…It’s becoming more and more like a game.”
A party.
The minimum standard for tackling instant dungeons in games.
It varies depending on the game, but five people are exactly the level of a “party.”
“Five people… So, me, you, Taejun, Gwang-il, and Su-hyeok. That makes us exactly five, right?”
“That’s right. It’s fascinating that Taejun, who’s still lying in the sickbay, is also included.”
Gwang-il, who was also watching the text, remarked.
“I’m more concerned about being labeled as third place.”
“Why is that?”
“If we’re ranked third, it means there are first and second places. And if there are others in similar situations as us, then there must be more people outside of our unit who might be facing the same…”
“That’s…”
It’s true.
“Sigh, I wonder how our parents are doing.”
Within the unit, there were still quite a few soldiers pondering whether the monsters only targeted our unit.
But judging from the information, at least it’s confirmed that there are areas outside the unit facing similar situations to ours.
In the worst-case scenario, even the families of our unit members might have been swept up in the monster attacks.
“Let’s not dwell too much on the negatives. While we’re concerned about external factors, there’s nothing we can do about it. Our safety comes first.”
“That’s true, but…”
“Even though we might not know, if they’re giving out achievement rewards, it means we’re quite ahead. Once our safety is secured. Now we can think about the next steps.”
At that moment, Sergeant Seo Soo-hyuk, who had been silently listening, furrowed his brow and spoke up.
“I’m not too fond of this.”
“Hmm?”
“Only five awakened? With over a hundred surviving members? It’s like those who haven’t awakened aren’t even counted as personnel.”
“…”
“Are only the awakened treated as humans? It’s annoying, I awakened myself to survive even then…”
He’s not entirely wrong.
Just the sudden change in the world is bewildering enough, but in this changed world, non-awakened humans aren’t even considered human.
“Come to think of it, you said your awakened occupation is a marksman, right? What about the skills?”
“Well, novice marksman. It says my accuracy and firepower are enhanced during shooting.”
Sergeant Seo Soo-hyuk always seemed to be renowned for his marksmanship within the unit.
“But shooting? What if we run out of bullets because we’re using awakening for that?”
“Oh, yeah, that’s right?”
“…”
“…”
Fortunately, it wasn’t entirely meaningless.
“Those monsters, even after being hit by ten bullets, they still survived and rampaged. It seems like just two bullets from Corporal Seo Soo-hyuk could put them in critical condition.”
Reducing the number of bullets needed to subdue a monster means saving bullets.
From then on Corporal Seo Soo-hyuk was tasked with subduing the monsters.
And the awakening of the members continued.
“Is it my turn? Alright, I understand.”
While there were soldiers like Sergeant Seo Soo-hyuk responding to awakening without much complaint, there were also soldiers who trembled with fear, unable to move.
Of course, in such cases…
“Hey, hey. Calm down. Let’s talk after you’ve had some food.”
After food.
“Hahaha let’s go! Glorious death awaits us!”
Offering a special meal infused with a little courage seemed to resolve the situation.
“You…”
Soldiers who returned full of courage every time I persuaded them to come along. Every time a scaredy soldier consumes my food they would be filled with courage up to the brim.
Observing this Sergeant Lee Min-jae found this slightly uncomfortable…
“It’s inevitable for the unity of the unit.”
[Awakened: Shin Young-joon]
[Occupation: Novice Chef Lv. 1]
[Attributes: Strength 9, Agility 10, Magic 8, Luck 9]
[Specialties: Novice Grade Dagger Proficiency, Novie Grade Cooking Skills, Novice Grade Ingredient Identification, Novice Grade Fire Affinity]
[Skills: Chef’s Eye, Chef’s Special Sauce]
[Points: 82pt]
[Talents: Large-scale Cooking]
While awakening the unit members, I also checked my own abilities.
First, the points.
“82? When did they accumulate like this?”
It seemed like the points increased with every monster hunt or meal cooked and shared.
So, it seems like I’ve accumulated quite a lot of points.
When it comes to points in a game, the uses are…
“…Point shop?”
[Point Shop]
[Hardened Rye Bread – 10pt]
[Ordinary Steel Sword – 30pt]
[Ordinary Shield – 30pt]
Point Store appeared before me when I called its name.
As the name suggests, there seemed to be various items in the store, but none seemed useful to me.
Items like weapons or spells might be useful for those awakened as warriors or mages.
“At least there’s bread… Does this mean I won’t starve to death?”
The fact that there was some food like bread could be meaningful, but it was quite pricey.
If a situation arises where I have to fill up three meals a day with that bread, then I’ll probably have to diligently collect enough points for the same.
Continuing to scroll down, I checked what other items were available.
What I considered most important was whether there were bullets, but it seemed that guns and bullets were not listed in the inventory.
There was something at the very bottom, though.
[Strength Enhancement Potion] – 1,000pt
[Agility Enhancement Potion] – 1,000pt
[Magic Enhancement Potion] – 1,000pt
[Random Skill Book] – 3,000pt
“I’m not sure about their effectiveness, but they’re quite expensive…”
Items that enhance attributes or grant new skills.
Unfortunately, the prices were currently unattainable for me.
Someday, I’ll be able to afford them.
“Next, skills and abilities.”
The [Chef’s Special Sauce], which affects the emotions of the eater, was already proving its effectiveness.
Skipping over the [Eyes of the Chef], which reveals the handling and cooking methods of the target.
[Novice Grade Dagger Proficiency]
As a result of experimentation, I found I could easily cut through solid wood with a sushi knife.
Apart from that I also had a little sparring with Gwang-il who has awakened as a Berserker, and the next thing he asked was, “Were you a gangster or something before joining the military?”
“What are you talking about?”
Even though I’ve never done any knife training or even thrown a punch, using a dagger in combat felt natural, as if my body had become accustomed to it.
If this is novice grade, then what could I do at a higher level?
It became a little scary.
[Novice Grade Fire Affinity]
I touched a hot pot with my bare hands and felt nothing.
Just in case, I also put my hand in the fire, but after about 30 seconds, it became too hot, and I quickly withdrew my hand.
[Novice Grade Ingredient Identification]
[Lowest Grade Green Onions: Ordinary green onions with poor freshness and quality]
It was a trait that allowed me to see the descriptions of ingredients.
From what I could see, all the ingredients supplied to the mess hall were of the lowest grade.
“Is this our country?”
Although there were also some intermediate and rarely superior ingredients bought separately by the cooks.
[Novice Grade Cooking Skill]
I heard this from others.
“Yeong-joon, what did you do with the cooking?”
“Min-jae hyung? Why? Is it bad?”
“No, the taste has actually improved a lot. But more than that, I strangely feel stronger… I guess you could say my stats have increased.”
“Ah.”
The effect of +3 strength attached to the finished dish began to affect stats.
I guess others haven’t noticed it yet.
“The system panel is showing that the food increases specific stats, right? Perhaps it only works if the person already has those ‘stats’ to begin with.”
Ah, is that so?
To receive the effect mentioned as “increasing stats,” the target must originally have those ‘stats.’
“I was wondering what was going on all of a sudden. But there is no different answer other than you’re cooking.”
In addition, after hearing from others, it seemed that the effects of the eaten dish did not appear separately in the system panel.
Min-jae hyung also felt strangely empowered after eating, so after checking the status window, he could confirm the change.
‘Unless you have a special ability like my ‘Ingredient Identification,’ the system message doesn’t seem to indicate the effect of the dish.’
Indeed.
If that were the case, there would have been discussions among the soldiers at the time of using the ‘Chef’s Special Sauce.’
“What about the actual effect?”
“To be honest, it’s significant. My original strength stat was 9, but now it’s increased by 3. It’s 30% just by the numbers, but it feels much bigger.”
There are many games where eating gives you buffs.
However, the amount of buff varies depending on the game.
Based on Min-jae hyung’s experience, it seemed that the chefs in this game were not performing poorly.
“If this level of buff applies to the entire unit… Yeong-joon, you might become the core of our unit?”
“Ahh, what nonsense.”
So, with all that I had confirmed my abilities to some extent.
Also, apart from that 10 other members of the unit awakened their powers successfully.
Just when everything was going smoothly, “Sergeants. I think you should come and see something for a moment.”
“What’s going on?”
“A monster has appeared!”
“Lizards? We were just getting used to them…”
“No, those creatures are different, completely different from the lizards!”
An unusual event occurred.
Chapter 7: Increasing the number of Awakened Individuals (Part 4)
“How on earth did you manage that?”
“Oh, nothing special. I just cooked something delicious for him and then listened to him for a bit!”
“And that’s all?”
“Yes, that’s all.”
It was great news that Gwang-il has successfully awakened but seems like the effect of my was skill too potent.
Sergeant Lee Min-jae seemed skeptical of my words.
“You had the talent to persuade him like that…”
“Hyung, it’s all about understanding people’s hearts. Even if they’re feeling down or scared. When you eat a delicious meal, you let out what’s been bottled up inside, and then everything gets resolved, isn’t that simple? You shouldn’t underestimate the power of listening.”
“Is that so?”
Obviously, not.
It was the effect of my skill “The Chef’s Special Sauce”.
“…But I can’t reveal it.”
It was quite different from the “Novice Grade Dagger Mastery” that I had showed people.
It was a skill that manipulates people’s emotions.
At first, I thought it would be at a level where it slightly improves or worsens one’s mood, but…
Seeing Corporal Jeon Gwang-il today, it was clear that this skill is way above my expectations.
It was akin to temporary personality modification.
“If it’s revealed, it could be dangerous.”
For now, it’s better to keep it hidden.
“Do you know what job that brat Gwang-il got?”
“Nope, what job did he get?”
“He is a Berserker. He also gained a trait where his combat power increases in exchange for his sanity.”
“…I didn’t intend for that.”
“It was supposed to be about courage… Why did it turn out like this?”
If I were to guess, perhaps I added too much courage.
“For someone like Gwang-il, he always looked like he could fight well with his big build. Maybe he had talent in that area.”
“That mild-mannered guy?”
Sergeant Lee Min-jae still seemed to find it odd, but it wasn’t something I could easily explain.
“Anyway, send me the soldiers who are due to awaken in the future. Since it’s a risky endeavor, they should at least have a special meal.”
“Is that okay? We don’t have much surplus in food supplies.”
“Most of the remaining food is emergency rations anyway. We need to consume the rest of the ingredients before they spoil. With many casualties, there are fewer mouths to feed, right? We should use up the fresh ingredients before they go bad.”
Military rations are broadly categorized into three types:
Regular meals are made from ingredients that come in 2-3 times a week.
Combat rations are for field use.
Emergency rations are stored in a type 1 warehouse.
Emergency rations are for situations where supplies have been cut off suddenly due to war.
They are always stored in large quantities.
The downside is that the menu is limited and monotonous.
The main items usually include canned curry, black bean sauce, and soups.
The quality of combat rations goes without saying.
“We don’t have much time to provide proper meals.”
In that case, it’s better to feed as much as we can rather than saving.
Moreover, emergency rations or combat rations are foods that don’t require cooking.
I wondered if I could utilize my profession as a chef.
And so, the process of increasing the awakened individuals in the unit began.
***
It wasn’t entirely smooth sailing.
“Did you just kill that monster?”
“Yes. The resistance was too strong, so I had no choice… I’m sorry.”
“No need to apologize, you did well.”
The monsters kept attacking the unit, and while the soldiers managed to fend them off, it wasn’t easy to deliver the final blow.
“Their vitality is too strong.”
Taejun’s injury wasn’t just a random incident in the monster’s retaliation.
Even if you shove a dozen bullets into them, they continue to resist until the very end.
If another soldier were to get injured by a monster like Taejun, it would severely dent the morale of the unit.
The rate of increase of the awakened individuals was extremely slow. As they had to facilitate this process with utmost safety.
However, there was a change.
The next to awaken was Corporal Seo Su-hyeok from the transport unit.
Unlike Corporal Jeon Gwang-il, Sergeant Seo Su-hyeok readily agreed to the awakening.
And…
“I have awakened as a Marksman. But… what is this?”
Once again, text appeared in front of us.
[Faction Formation Success]
[You have successfully formed a party (5 players), the minimum required unit for combat].
[Main Region- This is the third faction of the ROK]
[Sub Region- This is the first faction of the ROK 17]
[Achievement Unlocked – Unit Assembled]
[You who have successfully formed a party faster than others!]
[A reward will be given to those who lead the way.]
[3rd place reward – Growth Potion x10]
The rewards were given immediately.
Each awakened person received 10 potions.
[Growth Potion]
[Experience acquisition rate increases by 500% for a certain period.]
“…It’s becoming more and more like a game.”
A party.
The minimum standard for tackling instant dungeons in games.
It varies depending on the game, but five people are exactly the level of a “party.”
“Five people… So, me, you, Taejun, Gwang-il, and Su-hyeok. That makes us exactly five, right?”
“That’s right. It’s fascinating that Taejun, who’s still lying in the sickbay, is also included.”
Gwang-il, who was also watching the text, remarked.
“I’m more concerned about being labeled as third place.”
“Why is that?”
“If we’re ranked third, it means there are first and second places. And if there are others in similar situations as us, then there must be more people outside of our unit who might be facing the same…”
“That’s…”
It’s true.
“Sigh, I wonder how our parents are doing.”
Within the unit, there were still quite a few soldiers pondering whether the monsters only targeted our unit.
But judging from the information, at least it’s confirmed that there are areas outside the unit facing similar situations to ours.
In the worst-case scenario, even the families of our unit members might have been swept up in the monster attacks.
“Let’s not dwell too much on the negatives. While we’re concerned about external factors, there’s nothing we can do about it. Our safety comes first.”
“That’s true, but…”
“Even though we might not know, if they’re giving out achievement rewards, it means we’re quite ahead. Once our safety is secured. Now we can think about the next steps.”
At that moment, Sergeant Seo Soo-hyuk, who had been silently listening, furrowed his brow and spoke up.
“I’m not too fond of this.”
“Hmm?”
“Only five awakened? With over a hundred surviving members? It’s like those who haven’t awakened aren’t even counted as personnel.”
“…”
“Are only the awakened treated as humans? It’s annoying, I awakened myself to survive even then…”
He’s not entirely wrong.
Just the sudden change in the world is bewildering enough, but in this changed world, non-awakened humans aren’t even considered human.
“Come to think of it, you said your awakened occupation is a marksman, right? What about the skills?”
“Well, novice marksman. It says my accuracy and firepower are enhanced during shooting.”
Sergeant Seo Soo-hyuk always seemed to be renowned for his marksmanship within the unit.
“But shooting? What if we run out of bullets because we’re using awakening for that?”
“Oh, yeah, that’s right?”
“…”
“…”
Fortunately, it wasn’t entirely meaningless.
“Those monsters, even after being hit by ten bullets, they still survived and rampaged. It seems like just two bullets from Corporal Seo Soo-hyuk could put them in critical condition.”
Reducing the number of bullets needed to subdue a monster means saving bullets.
From then on Corporal Seo Soo-hyuk was tasked with subduing the monsters.
And the awakening of the members continued.
“Is it my turn? Alright, I understand.”
While there were soldiers like Sergeant Seo Soo-hyuk responding to awakening without much complaint, there were also soldiers who trembled with fear, unable to move.
Of course, in such cases…
“Hey, hey. Calm down. Let’s talk after you’ve had some food.”
After food.
“Hahaha let’s go! Glorious death awaits us!”
Offering a special meal infused with a little courage seemed to resolve the situation.
“You…”
Soldiers who returned full of courage every time I persuaded them to come along. Every time a scaredy soldier consumes my food they would be filled with courage up to the brim.
Observing this Sergeant Lee Min-jae found this slightly uncomfortable…
“It’s inevitable for the unity of the unit.”
[Awakened: Shin Young-joon]
[Occupation: Novice Chef Lv. 1]
[Attributes: Strength 9, Agility 10, Magic 8, Luck 9]
[Specialties: Novice Grade Dagger Proficiency, Novie Grade Cooking Skills, Novice Grade Ingredient Identification, Novice Grade Fire Affinity]
[Skills: Chef’s Eye, Chef’s Special Sauce]
[Points: 82pt]
[Talents: Large-scale Cooking]
While awakening the unit members, I also checked my own abilities.
First, the points.
“82? When did they accumulate like this?”
It seemed like the points increased with every monster hunt or meal cooked and shared.
So, it seems like I’ve accumulated quite a lot of points.
When it comes to points in a game, the uses are…
“…Point shop?”
[Point Shop]
[Hardened Rye Bread – 10pt]
[Ordinary Steel Sword – 30pt]
[Ordinary Shield – 30pt]
Point Store appeared before me when I called its name.
As the name suggests, there seemed to be various items in the store, but none seemed useful to me.
Items like weapons or spells might be useful for those awakened as warriors or mages.
“At least there’s bread… Does this mean I won’t starve to death?”
The fact that there was some food like bread could be meaningful, but it was quite pricey.
If a situation arises where I have to fill up three meals a day with that bread, then I’ll probably have to diligently collect enough points for the same.
Continuing to scroll down, I checked what other items were available.
What I considered most important was whether there were bullets, but it seemed that guns and bullets were not listed in the inventory.
There was something at the very bottom, though.
[Strength Enhancement Potion] – 1,000pt
[Agility Enhancement Potion] – 1,000pt
[Magic Enhancement Potion] – 1,000pt
[Random Skill Book] – 3,000pt
“I’m not sure about their effectiveness, but they’re quite expensive…”
Items that enhance attributes or grant new skills.
Unfortunately, the prices were currently unattainable for me.
Someday, I’ll be able to afford them.
“Next, skills and abilities.”
The [Chef’s Special Sauce], which affects the emotions of the eater, was already proving its effectiveness.
Skipping over the [Eyes of the Chef], which reveals the handling and cooking methods of the target.
[Novice Grade Dagger Proficiency]
As a result of experimentation, I found I could easily cut through solid wood with a sushi knife.
Apart from that I also had a little sparring with Gwang-il who has awakened as a Berserker, and the next thing he asked was, “Were you a gangster or something before joining the military?”
“What are you talking about?”
Even though I’ve never done any knife training or even thrown a punch, using a dagger in combat felt natural, as if my body had become accustomed to it.
If this is novice grade, then what could I do at a higher level?
It became a little scary.
[Novice Grade Fire Affinity]
I touched a hot pot with my bare hands and felt nothing.
Just in case, I also put my hand in the fire, but after about 30 seconds, it became too hot, and I quickly withdrew my hand.
[Novice Grade Ingredient Identification]
[Lowest Grade Green Onions: Ordinary green onions with poor freshness and quality]
It was a trait that allowed me to see the descriptions of ingredients.
From what I could see, all the ingredients supplied to the mess hall were of the lowest grade.
“Is this our country?”
Although there were also some intermediate and rarely superior ingredients bought separately by the cooks.
[Novice Grade Cooking Skill]
I heard this from others.
“Yeong-joon, what did you do with the cooking?”
“Min-jae hyung? Why? Is it bad?”
“No, the taste has actually improved a lot. But more than that, I strangely feel stronger… I guess you could say my stats have increased.”
“Ah.”
The effect of +3 strength attached to the finished dish began to affect stats.
I guess others haven’t noticed it yet.
“The system panel is showing that the food increases specific stats, right? Perhaps it only works if the person already has those ‘stats’ to begin with.”
Ah, is that so?
To receive the effect mentioned as “increasing stats,” the target must originally have those ‘stats.’
“I was wondering what was going on all of a sudden. But there is no different answer other than you’re cooking.”
In addition, after hearing from others, it seemed that the effects of the eaten dish did not appear separately in the system panel.
Min-jae hyung also felt strangely empowered after eating, so after checking the status window, he could confirm the change.
‘Unless you have a special ability like my ‘Ingredient Identification,’ the system message doesn’t seem to indicate the effect of the dish.’
Indeed.
If that were the case, there would have been discussions among the soldiers at the time of using the ‘Chef’s Special Sauce.’
“What about the actual effect?”
“To be honest, it’s significant. My original strength stat was 9, but now it’s increased by 3. It’s 30% just by the numbers, but it feels much bigger.”
There are many games where eating gives you buffs.
However, the amount of buff varies depending on the game.
Based on Min-jae hyung’s experience, it seemed that the chefs in this game were not performing poorly.
“If this level of buff applies to the entire unit… Yeong-joon, you might become the core of our unit?”
“Ahh, what nonsense.”
So, with all that I had confirmed my abilities to some extent.
Also, apart from that 10 other members of the unit awakened their powers successfully.
Just when everything was going smoothly, “Sergeants. I think you should come and see something for a moment.”
“What’s going on?”
“A monster has appeared!”
“Lizards? We were just getting used to them…”
“No, those creatures are different, completely different from the lizards!”
An unusual event occurred.
