The Novel’s Villain
chapter-34

7. The Big Picture of Young Master (2)

Jin-woo took off his jacket, a maid quickly approached to take it quickly, and then he proceeded to roll up his sleeves.

“Ms. Rachel.”

“Ah…yeah? Yes!”

“Could you lend me a dagger?”

“O-of course.”

Rachel hurriedly wiped the dagger in her hand and carefully handed it over. The maids looked at them with sharp eyes but remained otherwise still. It was a sharp dagger, just as he needed. Holding the dagger, Jin-woo looked at the huge pile of lean meat. He knew all too well how to move. His body reacted before his mind caught up.

His mana that had been sleeping was awakened and moved into the dagger. He could be treated as a D-rank competent person by putting his mana into the blade, but if the mana were materialized, he could rise to C-rank. In fantasy terms, it was an obvious technique that formed the basis of swordsmanship.

Whiek!

Jin-woo’s arms moved splendidly. It was swung with tremendous speed based on his enhanced physical abilities. The best form of the Choi Family’s Sword School permeated into his body, and the line flowing along the tip of the blade was beautiful to behold. Flesh separated, and blood splashed into the air. The dagger cut through even those drops of blood and stretched out neatly in a straight line.

Bam!

The energy radiated out and burst the tree behind him.

‘It takes a lot of force.’

Jin-woo thought so and nodded. The wolf’s bones were neatly cut in front of him. The movement was as accurate as if it had been measured with a ruler. Moo-jin, Rachel, and the Mercenaries couldn’t take their eyes off him.

“Phew…”

Jin-woo wiped the sweat from his forehead. It was a dismantling show that seemed like the ultimate show of glamor. It was only after dismantling all the flesh of the alpha wolf that he noticed the gazes of those around him. Everyone was looking at him, so it felt a little awkward.

“Do your work.”

He gave the dagger back to Rachel. She took the dagger and stood there blankly for a while. Jin-woo took the most delicious cut and went in the direction of the luxury tent. Fortunately, there were simple cooking tools made of Gates materials set up inside. They were originally designed for eating powdered food, but it was manageable.

Yoo-na, who had been silently watching until that point, approached him.

“What are you going to do?”

“Cook something.”

“It’s poisonous, though?”

Jin-woo just smiled as if telling her to watch. Yoo-na knew the fear of Gate Poison. Those who couldn’t overcome their hunger and ate the meat had all died with bizarre smiles stuck on their faces. It was quite bizarre as black blood flowed from every hole.

‘I don’t think he’s joking…’

He had a serious look that Yoo-na hadn’t seen for a long time. It must be the true face he was hiding. She felt her heartache a little because it felt like he was hiding his true self from her.

‘There are many people around, but…’

Many flattered and praised him and even offered their allegiance. But no one understood him. Even herself, who was his closest caregiver, didn’t know Jin-woo well.

‘I’ll have to try harder.’

Yoo-na thought so, and she beckoned to the maids. They swiftly stepped up to assist Jin-woo while he was thinking of recipes. The interesting thing was that recipes that could be made nicely and easily came to mind first.

‘This technique is really….’

The process of cutting ingredients, preparing them, and sprinkling seasoning all emphasized style. It was hard not to do so because it allowed his body to grow accustomed to it. Jin-woo placed the meat on the table and absorbed the poison. It was a very murky and wicked poison, so he wouldn’t have even tried if he hadn’t absorbed that artifact.

He looked around and picked up small berries and herb leaves. They were scattered all over the river, creating a large pile once he picked them all.

‘There are too many…I can keep eating these for a month.’

Jin-woo’s hands paced faster. After absorbing all the poison, he crushed the fruit and ground the unusually shaped leaves. The juices of the brownish berries produced a slightly sour aroma.

Jin-woo’s signature special sauce was complete. At the moment of completion, the brown color changed to a golden color with a subtle glow.

[Great success!]

[Acquiring additional experience points!]

[C] Young Master’s Golden Sauce

“The only color that suits him is the sun shining brilliantly and golden.”

The sauce made with a special secret by Lee Jin-woo had a real golden color to it. It was registered in Jin-woo’s recipe and could be documented at any time. Only those with the documented recipe could craft the Golden Sauce.

The golden sauce goes well with almost any dish. The taste and effect of the sauce are greatly increased by receiving the golden energy.

* Taste increased by four times

* Unknown pleasure

* Happy Addiction

* Increase the taste of ingredients

The bowl was overflowing with gold. Jin-woo slightly stirred it with his fingers. The golden powder swirled beautifully as if he were looking at the Milky Way. A slightly sour scent stimulated his nose.

‘Ah, this is no joke.’

Because of the scent, the maids also looked at the bowl with a languid smile on their lips. Yoo-na gulped, drooling from the scent. They weren’t the only ones attracted to the scent. The Mercenaries had no choice but to stop what they were doing.

Jin-woo tasted the sauce on his finger.

“It’s dangerous…!”

Yoo-na hurriedly tried to stop him, but it was too late.

Brrrrrr!

His body trembled in an instant. Fireworks were going off in his head. It was sour, but not just sour. A coolness seemed to permeate from the bottom of his chest to his head as if he were hitting a waterfall.

‘It’s like I’m tasting it with all of my five senses.’

Yoo-na turned pale and looked at Jin-woo. He appeared to be fine, so she barely sighed in relief.

“Are you all right?”

Yoo-na roused Jin-woo, who fell over because of the lingering taste. Without a word, Jin-woo scooped up the sauce with a spoon and handed it to Yoo-na. She glanced between him and the spoon alternately, then she tucked her hair behind her ear and brought her mouth to the spoon.

Somehow, Jin-woo didn’t seem to be poisoned, but it might not be the case for herself. However, she couldn’t refuse his order.

Yoo-na closed her eyes tightly as she tasted the sauce. Suddenly, her eyes shot wide open.

“Haah~”

She groaned and sat down on the floor, shaking and trembling. Of course, it was the first time Yoo-na had ever shown an ecstatic expression on her face. Tears welled up in her eyes. The maids supported her up, but she was engulfed by the flavor.

She was overreacting more than he had. Jin-woo’s expression became serious.

‘I’m afraid of what I will create.’

He felt that way. Jin-woo gulped. He couldn’t quit now after coming this far.

He cut the meat thickly, injecting his mana along the red flesh of the meat. When he dipped the meat in the bowl, the golden sauce permeated the red flesh and transformed it into a sapphire color. He took the meat out, put it in a bowl, squeezed juice from the fruit that looked like a poisonous mushroom.

It would be delicious to eat as it was, but he had a maid make a fire. He placed a large stone plate on the fire and began to grill it. The aroma spread with the sound of roasting meat. Everyone was staring silently as it cooked. Jin-woo skillfully grilled the meat, his movements elegant and beautiful.

“It’s good enough.”

He plated it in one fluid motion. There weren’t many ingredients, but he was able to make it perfect.

[Masterpiece completed!]

[Acquiring additional experience points!]

[C+] Gold Wolf Sirloin Steak

“Do not say that you have eaten meat without knowing this taste.”

A grilled steak bearing a golden sauce. It boasts a fantastic flavor.

* Taste increased by five times

* Ecstasy

* Ecstatic addiction

* Increases loyalty

* Stamina and mana increased by 5% (24 hours)

The level had gone up by one, but it didn’t matter now. Jin-woo swallowed back saliva and lifted his knife. He cut the chunks of meat with a knife, causing the juices to flow out. Jin-woo took a bite.

“…”

He lost his mind for a moment before returning. Now that he knew this taste, he couldn’t go back to the past. All he had eaten before this point felt like little more than paper. He felt sorry for his past self that didn’t know this taste.

Jin-woo slowly savored his meal.

‘This is heaven.’

Yoo-na stood next to Jin-woo, blankly watching him eat.

“Are you okay? The poison…? How come…?”

“It’s okay since I’ve detoxified it.”

“Really? That’s great. A poison that no one has been able to detoxify.”

Jin-woo uttered such nonsense so simply, causing Yoo-na’s expression to grow murky. There was still plenty of meat. Practically hearing Yoo-na salivate, Jin-woo laughed and grilled her a plate.

Yoo-na cut into the steak without hesitation.

“Humph!?”

Yoo-na’s eyes slightly loosened. Her body trembled, and she was at a loss. It was a much more intense reaction than when she tasted the sauce.

Drip!

Tears ran down her cheeks. She was now experiencing the ecstasy of taste. She tried to correct her expression, but she couldn’t. Fireworks were going off in her brain.

“How is it?”

“…Fantastic. Really…this is…”

“Right? It’s more than I expected.”

Jin-woo laughed. Yoo-na frantically ate her steak and looked around her. Everyone’s eyes were fixed on her. Then, she glanced at Jin-woo. All of this seemed familiar to him. In truth, he had grown tired of experiencing it.

‘The Gate…’

Yoo-na’s detailed thoughts were cleared up in a moment. It flashed like lightning as a new thought came upon her. The reason Jin-woo came to the Gate, the reason he established the research institute, the reason he collected poison-related artifacts, and the reason why he came here.

Everything ended up as one.

‘To surpass Chairman Lee Hee-jin, someone must have the ability to rule the world.’

There was such a saying. It was practically impossible. Yoo-na looked down at her steak. She couldn’t eat anything else the moment she tried this simply cooked food. Even if it wasn’t as good as this food, what if the Gates’ delicious ingredients were detoxified and released on the market?

She didn’t even know it was possible. There were a lot of food resources at JW Gate. If the poison could be solved, there were infinite ways to use it.

‘Money isn’t a problem. The greater influence than that is….’

Irreplaceable resources and an unmatchable taste that would gradually permeate and shake the world. The culture was greater than force or power. Among them in particular, food culture held a special place. When thinking of Korea, the things that came to mind were competent people, K-pop, and Korean food. Culture was true strength. It is able to take people’s thoughts, notions, and desires.

Yoo-na nodded and turned her gaze to Jin-woo, who had a serious expression on his face. She could read many things from the way the corners of his lips were raised slightly. It was the satisfaction of having a piece of the puzzle fit perfectly within the big picture. How far into the future were those deep eyes looking?

‘He’s scary.’

She was scared of Jin-woo, who was eating steak carelessly. From the unconditional support of the Choi Family’s Sword School, Lee Min-woo, who seemed to have been distant from Chairman Lee Hee-jin recently, his immeasurable talent that surprised the world, the technological research that made Professor Choi Sung-min, who was called the second Einstein, desperate, his Gates resources, and now food ingredients.

He acted indifferently as usual, but it was shocking no matter who saw it. Everything was coming along very neatly. She felt goosebumps rise in her arms. But even this must have been a very small part of the Young Master’s big plan.

‘If only my arms were a little more intact…’

Her right arm and back hurt. At best, she was only capable of producing a C-rank force. It felt like she was destined to be a stumbling block for him one day. Jin-woo was handing out steaks to the approaching maids as Yoo-na wondered. The maids went through much the same experience she had, and some even dropped their bowls on the floor in shock.

It would be a great shock to the girls locked in the Gate to live a dull life. It was said that the General Manager only provided one meal a day of powdered food. Although they had been transformed into his limbs, their punishment as criminals was still valid. The General Manager was such a person, after all. There was no such thing as indulgence under his steady gaze.

‘Those psychopaths…’

The maids who originally only did their given work were actively working by sticking to Jin-woo’s side. Their only rebellion was not to do anything other than what they were commanded to. They gathered more fruit, cut meat, and brought more firewood. They even handed over their most cherished knives.

‘It must have been a while since they were locked in the Gate.’

It was unknown whose order it was by, but they lived a harsh life like hell under the General Manager. They were desperate for even a sip of water, so the maids chose to kill their emotions and move like dolls. It was the only way to avoid pain. But what if they received a shock like this?

The patience they had built up would melt like ice.

‘They’re totally tamed.’

Those criminals weren’t human; they were monsters in human disguise. Even Yoo-na couldn’t control them. Rather, it was in the greatest interest of mankind to end their life inside the Gate. Yet it was Jin-woo who completely disarmed such people.

It was clear from long ago. Yoo-na could feel the deep connection between Jin-woo and the General Manager, and she realized how shabby she was in comparison. Jin-woo had no choice but to hand out the steaks because of the maids’ gazes. They were looking at him with very scary eyes, so he couldn’t help but give it to them.

Since then, their eyes have become more terrifying. It felt even worse because now they held some deep emotion. They even reached out to give him a knife or picked out a bunch of berries on their own.

‘Well, something delicious should be shared.’

To be honest, it bothered him to eat alone. Besides that, he could acquire additional experience points if he completed the dish, so it was okay. He thought it would be useful someday if he made the recipes in advance.

‘I’ll need a bigger refrigerator, though.’

“Shall we try something else?”

When Jin-woo said that, all the maids came to his side.

“I’ll help you! Let me help!”

“Just tell me to do anything.”

Rachel and Moo-jin sent intense glances as well to imply they could help. When Jin-woo nodded, all the Mercenaries began to move busily. It was quite spectacular to see Jin-woo’s hands moving in harmony.

No one was dissatisfied with his cooking.