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The head of the Hunter Management Agency, Jang Han-soo, was grappling with the monitor once again today.

He was persistently monitoring the results of a large C-rank dungeon.

As quitting time approached,

the manager checked the monitor once more, clenching his fists and leaning forward.

In an instant, he wore a look of pure delight, nodding his head.

“Ah, as expected!”

The dungeon had been cleared!

It was none other than Si-hyun!

Large dungeons were notorious for being avoided by hunters.

On top of that, this particular dungeon was rife with bad rumors.

It was a place that struggled to recruit participants, causing many headaches.

But Si-hyun was truly exceptional.

She accepted the request on the same day, and today, just two days later, the raid was completed in half a day.

Such a reliable and trustworthy hunter!

He even thought others could learn from her.

‘Speaking of which, she’s now a professor at the Academy.’

In every sense, she was a perfect role model for the students.

He needed to maintain a good relationship with her going forward.

The manager leaned back in his chair, savoring his satisfaction.

At that moment, his smartphone in his pocket vibrated.

“Yes, this is Jang Han-soo from the management department.”

It was a call from Si-hyun, the very person he had been thinking about just moments ago.

The manager beamed as he listened carefully to her words.

And then—

“…Understood. Don’t worry too much; I’ll handle it well.”

After hearing the explanation about what happened in the dungeon, he ended the call.

“Phew…”

The manager frowned deeply as he let out a heavy sigh.

The good mood he had just a moment ago had completely evaporated.

It was because of the dirty thieves she had mentioned.

It could have easily turned into an accident caused by monsters.

But diligent Si-hyun candidly conveyed the whole story.

The misconduct and battle involving a thieving party.

Due to the sudden surge of stress, the manager massaged his temples with his fingers.

Not all thieves are criminals.

In fact, when capable thieves participate in clearing a high-level dungeon, the party’s survival rate greatly increases.

However, wherever hunter-related crimes occur, there’s a high probability of thieves being involved.

This was a well-known fact.

‘I need to add new information about thieves to the safety protocols.’

Such events must not happen again.

What if Si-hyun had fallen victim to the thieves this time?

‘Of course, that wouldn’t happen….’

Shaking his head vigorously, the manager dismissed the thought and gritted his teeth.

Lost in contemplation, he began planning what needed to be done next.

All safety protocols are guaranteed to be written in blood.

* * *

A day later, during lunchtime.

I lay on the couch, with my legs propped up on the armrest.

I gently swayed my toes while sorting through my schedule in my head.

Having finished the commission with the Wings Guild, I just needed to wait for the items now.

There was still quite a bit of time until the next lecture at the Academy.

Then the most important matter now was—

‘What should I have for lunch…?’

What to eat for lunch today.

Si-yoon went out to meet a friend after a long time.

Since I was eating alone, I thought about keeping it simple.

But there wasn’t anything that screamed ‘this is it!’

“Oh right.”

I remember there was a menu selection chart I stumbled upon online before.

I fiddled with my phone and searched the internet.

Quickly scanning through a list of foods categorized as Korean, Japanese, convenience meals, and so on.

“Hmmm….”

Convenience store packed meals, sandwiches, ramen….

Ramen.

Alright, I’ve decided on you!

I was already thinking about trying a new spicy flavor, so it was perfect timing.

It’s about time to graduate from fried udon or something.

Nodding to myself, I typed in a new search term.

There should definitely be a community related to ramen.

And sure enough, there was.

I searched in that community for ‘how spicy is it?’

There must be fellow spice-phobes like me, and if I followed their choices, it should work out perfectly, right?

Unfortunately, there weren’t many posts, so I couldn’t gather enough information.

Should I try using other search terms?

Oh, I don’t even need to limit myself to community searches.

I combined various keywords and looked into what I needed.

I found something that caught my interest.

[Title: But why do people even eat the mild flavor?]

[ㅇㅇ]

What’s it supposed to taste like?

– It’s cheap

– Old folks eat it

– If you put in enough garlic, it’s light and tasty

└ Arrested

– You eat what tastes good. Of course, I don’t eat it

└ For real lol

……Maybe I shouldn’t have searched.

Suddenly, I began to dislike the idea.

Thinking again, starting with the mild flavor feels like going in with a disadvantage, doesn’t it?

It’s a new challenge, and I should push aside any weak thoughts. Hmm, hmm.

I’ll need to explore new objectives.

[Title: First bite of Dakmyeon is pure ecstasy]

[ㅇㅇ]

The first bite, sweet yet spicy, is for real!

Once you taste it, just thinking about it makes your mouth water.

– I agree, I agree

– Taste master here lol

– How spicy is it? I’m a spice-phobe, can I challenge it?

└ It’s less spicy than Tteokbokki

└ I found it spicier than Tteokbokki

└ ???

– The model for the advertisement is Ye Do-hyeong, and I tried it; it was delicious lol

└ The S-rank Hunter from the Dawn Guild, that Ye Do-hyeong?

└ Yes, yes, that’s right

The differing opinions left the pioneers looking puzzled.

Yet, there was no additional information.

Hmm, if the first bite can be that exhilarating…

Surely, it needs a compelling draw to spark the desire to challenge it.

I engraved the appearance and name of the cup ramen in my mind and prepared to head out.

I figured a convenience store or supermarket would surely have it, right?

And if not, I could always go for the first one I saw.

……It’s not that I was scared or anything.

It’s just a backup plan, that’s all. Yup.

* * *

… I bought it.

Eventually, I bought it.

Just like the advertised product, its presence oozed from the most noticeable spot.

With this level of fate, I picked up Dakmyeon.

I also bought banana-flavored milk, so I’m invincible.

The smiling handsome face on the cup ramen lid looked back at me.

I feel like I just saw a comment in a community about that S-rank Hunter.

He’s capable and good-looking; could he be that alpha male they talk about?

Pushing aside my simple thoughts, I looked at the cooking instructions for the ramen.

There was nothing special, so it seemed like I could just make it.

I filled the kettle with water and turned it on.

While waiting for it to boil, I stared blankly at the ramen.

Suddenly, I pictured myself as the advertising model.

“Ugh…”

What am I thinking, being an advertising model is unthinkable for my character.

I’m so bored that random thoughts come to mind.

Chuckling softly, I picked up my phone and opened my messaging app.

Scanning the messages, I entered a conversation with someone that caught my eye.

– I’m cooking this right now. Have you tried it? How spicy is it?

I also attached a photo of the cup ramen lid.

Since I didn’t get an immediate reply, I continued preparing the cup ramen.

I drained the boiling water I poured over the noodles.

Next, I calmly snapped the wooden chopsticks in half.

“Phew.”

A good start. They perfectly split into two.

No rough edges sticking out. Simply excellent.

Satisfied, I nodded before mixing in the sauce and finishing the stir-fried noodles.

The enticing spicy aroma wafting over the red noodles tickled my nose.

Alright, time to eat!

Slurp——

“Wow…, so this is why people eat it.”

I get it now!

The words of the great vanguard!

This spicy yet followed by a sweet taste.

I can’t believe such an ecstatic flavor exists!

I’ve been missing out on half of my life….

With tears welling up, I took another bite.

……It’s still a bit spicy.

I felt my eyebrows slightly furrow at the next bite.

“Cough….”

Huh, that’s odd?

Another bite.

“Ugh, ugh….”

…Why are the tears flowing?

Right, it’s the tears of joy. It’s because it’s so delicious.

Slurp—

Timidly, I took another bite.

“Cough, cough!”

I can’t take any more….

What the heck is this?

Clearly, the initial flavor was heavenly yet with each additional bite, hell followed?

I hurriedly opened my banana-flavored milk and gulped it down.

This isn’t the time for straws.

“Ugh, ugh…. What on earth is this…”

The spiciness won’t fade.

It lingers on my tongue, relentlessly tormenting me.

As if mocking my bravado, it persistently pokes at my tongue.

I could feel the beads of sweat forming on my scalp and forehead.

In a rush, I wiped the sweat from my forehead with my palm and took another sip of milk.

“Oh, please….”

I’ve only eaten half.

Why won’t the pain go away?

Make it stop… it’s too spicy…

“……”

In that moment of contemplating whether to cowardly use divine power,

the advertising model on the cup ramen lid came into view.

He was smiling brightly.

How dare he wear such an expression while trying to assassinate me?

This bastard who is like a hero is truly something.

He was hiding a vile agenda behind that smile…!

If I ever cross paths with you,

I’ll make sure to repay the pain currently inflicted on my tongue.

I remembered your face and name.

“Ugh….”

The spiciness doesn’t seem to go away.

I stopped eating, but the pain on my tongue refuses to relent.

Amidst this scene of torment,

I suddenly heard the notification sound of a new message.

It was a reply to the message I sent to Ji-a earlier.

– Si-hyun, that’s… it must be super spicy, right? Are you okay?

– Did you eat it already?

With trembling fingers, I typed out my reply.

– Yes… I’m never eating this again….

I glared once more at the assassin inside the cup ramen lid.

Ye Do-hyeong, I remembered.

* * *

In front of a gate leading to an A-rank dungeon in Korea.

A young man wielding a long spear was chatting with some people.

He was Yu Byeong-jun, an S-rank hunter specializing in spear techniques from South Korea.

“An undead dungeon, you say?”

“Yes! Furthermore, according to the vanguard report, the amount of mana inside the dungeon is quite peculiar.”

“Hmmm, that works out well. It should only take half a day at most; get ready for an interview.”

“Understood!”

Seeing the enthusiastic response from his subordinate, he nodded.

‘Half a day? Pfft, I’ll clear it in less than that.’

With his chin held high, Yu Byeong-jun walked confidently into the gate.

After he entered the dungeon alone, some of the observing officials began to whisper among themselves.

“It’s an A-rank dungeon. With that amount of mana, isn’t it likely that some special circumstances will arise?”

“Right? It’s likely a special dungeon, isn’t it?”

“Though he insisted it was fine and got approval….”

The two looked toward the gate entrance.

“Still, he’s an S-rank hunter, so he should be alright?”

“Since he’s S-rank, something shouldn’t happen, right?”

After murmuring similar thoughts, they returned to their duties.