My job, [Chef], isn’t just about cooking delicious food.
In the early days after awakening, I wondered what kind of job it was.
The thought of cooking monsters—beings that ate humans—was unsettling, so I only used ordinary ingredients.
‘How naive I was.’
This job was designed to reveal its true worth when cooking monsters.
The flesh of monsters, which humans can’t consume as it is, can be refined and processed.
Cooking is a ritual that makes it safe for human consumption, transforming it into a source of strength.
The chef is like a shaman who presides over this ritual.
-“Taste... What are you talking about?”
And there was one idea that came to mind from that concept.
[The Insatiable Glutton].
A human whose body had become a chaotic blend of flesh and blood that wasn’t his own.
At first glance, he looked entirely monstrous.
More so than the Insatiable Glutton from the raider group I fought last time.
“One question for you.”
-“What?”
“If there was a way to turn you back into a human... would you take it?”
And yet, despite the differences, this one was closer to human.
He still clung to the last threads of his humanity.
-“There’s no way that’s possible. I told you—the system made it clear.”
“Let’s assume there is.”
The creature stayed silent, his mouth slightly open.
Then, after a pause:
-“...I would want to go back.”
In a voice filled with doubt, he answered.
-“Whether or not I deserve it... I don’t know.”
“That’s all I need to hear.”
The important thing was that this creature still had a desire to live as a human.
Now that I had that answer...
“Ariella.”
-“...?”
At her name, the vampire who’d been listening from a distance came closer.
“You said you were frustrated, didn’t you? That if you were at your full strength, you could’ve beaten this guy easily.”
-“...I did say that.”
“It was my fault that you were weakened. So, I’ll give you back what I took.”
-“Excuse me?”
I had already been thinking that it was time to strengthen her.
I’d been feeding her low-level monster blood regularly, but it hadn’t brought about any significant growth.
“How about the blood of this guy?”
A powerful monster who had devoured countless creatures.
Wouldn’t his blood be worthwhile?
-“Hmm, it’s a bit... mixed and lacks purity...”
“Not good enough?”
-“No.”
A sly smile appeared in her red-glowing eyes.
-“Its purity may be low, but the sheer magical energy more than makes up for it.”
“Perfect.”
I got up and issued a command to her.
“Drain all his blood. Don’t worry about the quality—I’ll cook it myself.”
-“I’d be grateful, but... all of it?”
“Right up to the point where he’s about to die. Don’t kill him.”
-“...You won’t kill him, huh. I think I’m beginning to understand what you’re planning.”
Maybe she’d caught on to my intentions.
“Ever since you... cooked my arm, I’ve suspected it, Master.”
The blonde vampire let out a dry laugh.
-“You’re out of your mind, aren’t you?”
“Coming from a monster, that means a lot.”
I shrugged and approached the giant lying on the ground.
Ariella, hearing my orders, moved to the creature’s neck.
-“What... what are you doing?”
“Just stay still.”
With a swift motion, Ariella’s claws pierced his thick skin, slicing open a blood vessel.
His blood began to flow out, pooling on the ground, then...
Soon, it changed direction and flowed toward the shadows.
“I’m ready on this end.”
Looks like everything was prepared.
Now it was time for me to get ready.
With a quick flick, I unsheathed the two knives Grandpa Park made for me.
-“You can’t even give me a quick death, huh?”
“Hm?”
Just as I was about to start sharpening my knife, the creature spoke.
His gaze was fixed on my knives.
It might’ve been my imagination, but... he seemed to be sweating.
-“...Of course. It’s because of the people I killed, isn’t it? A painless death would be too much mercy for me.”
“What nonsense are you on about?”
-“Yes... I realize that now. A peaceful death was too much to ask for someone like me.”
Ah.
I think I understood the misunderstanding.
I had refused to let him die peacefully, and then suddenly started sharpening knives right in front of him.
‘Did he think I was going to make him suffer for what he did?’
Well, I could see why he’d think that.
“That’s not what I’m doing.”
-“What?”
“Uh... How should I put this?”
It was hard to explain in words.
I scratched my head with the handle of my knife.
“You know how you said your blood and flesh turned monstrous, and that’s why you became one?”
-“...Yes.”
The transformation had taken place because his body was filled with the blood and flesh of monsters.
So...
“What if I remove all that blood and flesh?”
-“...What?”
His eyes, half-closed from exhaustion, flew wide open.
Realizing what I was about to do, he responded with a voice full of disbelief, even though he’d consumed a dish that should’ve calmed him.
-“You’re insane.”
“Well, that’s the normal reaction.”
I inspected the blade to make sure it was sharp enough.
[Intermediate Cooking Secrets]
[Insight into Preparing a Primate Humanoid - Insatiable Glutton]
I placed ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) the knife against the creature’s flesh with practiced ease.
“I won’t kill you. I’ll make sure you survive, but...”
And I warned him.
“It’s going to hurt—a lot.”
-“You... you madman!”
Slish!
The monster’s flesh parted under my blade.
---
-“Ughhhh!”
I was used to it by now, but preparing a living creature for consumption required significant effort.
The first time I prepared meat myself, I’d broken into quite a sweat.
-“Urgh... ugh...”
Even as a bystander, the sight was painful.
What must it be like for the one being prepared?
The dark, underground chamber echoed with his tortured groans.
‘...This feels strange.’
It was like I was a surgeon rather than a chef.
Not that any normal doctor would operate without anesthesia.
They say in *The Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, Hua Tuo once operated on Guan Yu without anesthesia.
I felt like I was reenacting that scene.
‘I thought about feeding him some food as a painkiller.’
But I’d already given him a dish, so it wasn’t possible.
Except for me, once someone consumed a dish, they couldn’t benefit from another until its effects wore off.
And, unfortunately, it was that same dish that was keeping his mind clear.
If I waited until its effects wore off, he’d regain his strength and start rampaging again.
So anesthesia was out of the question.
‘And, unfortunately, the dish effect is [Calm Mind].’
He couldn’t even pass out in peace.
Instead, he’d stay conscious, feeling every bit of the pain.
I felt sorry, but...
“Consider it punishment.”
This creature had killed hundreds of humans.
Even if it wasn’t intentional, his actions still left consequences.
And I...
Had no intention of forgiving a monster that had done such things so easily.
-“P-please... just kill me already...”
-“M-Mom... Dad...”
This pain...
It was his penance.
---
After some time passed,
“I’m done here.”
“So am I, nearly.”
[The Flesh of the Insatiable Glutton, Imbued with Mixed Magical Energy]
[The flesh is saturated with the chaotic magic of various monsters. Though the quality isn’t great, the sheer amount of magical energy allows it to blend well with other ingredients.]
I’d completed the task of removing all the monster’s blood and flesh.
On the floor of the underground chamber lay...
-“Ugh... cough...”
The shape of a human.
I’d scraped away as much as possible without killing him.
Now he looked closer to human.
It was hard to say what he originally looked like—or even his gender—but...
-“Isn’t this enough suffering? Please, just end it.”
“I already said no. Hang in there a bit longer.”
-“Aghh...!”
“What? Still shedding tears of blood? Gather that too.”
-“Understood!”
I’d stripped him of all monster-infused blood and flesh without killing him.
But there was still work to do.
‘He may look human, but his bones and remaining flesh still hold traces of the monster.’
“What will you do now?”
“Now that the blood’s drained and the flesh stripped...”
I wiped the blood from my knife and turned to the waiting vampires.
“It’s time to fill the empty space.”
The vampire laborers entered the [Shadow Veil] and began pulling out ingredients from within.
Then...
Sizzle...
Out came my cooking tools, stored in the shadows.
Time to begin the real cooking.
“Good thing we have plenty of meat, and I recently restocked the vegetables.”
There was more than enough to fill the space left by the monster parts with ‘human’ ingredients.
[Fried Meat of Black Sand Larva]
[Arachlon Egg Omelette]
[Mixed Magical Energy...]
I prepared stir-fries, grills, deep-fries, stews, soups, and braises.
Using all the recipes I’d learned in the military, especially those that were quick and simple to make.
The dish he’d eaten was still in effect, so any new dishes wouldn’t add buffs. I didn’t care about any special effects from these dishes.
All I needed to do was fill him up.
The idea was simple: *purge the monster from his body, then refill him with my cooking.*
If I could replace the monster blood and flesh I removed with my dishes, then...
*“His blood and flesh will be composed of my food.”*
I already knew people who’d been filled this way—people whose bodies were built on my cooking.
They were far from monstrous.
“My squad members, of course.”
And he would be no different.
If my theory was right...
“Eat.”
-“What...?”
If he ate all this food, he would...
*...return to being human.*
The pile of food was enormous. A normal human would struggle to eat even a tenth of it.
But this was the [Insatiable Glutton].
-“Ahhh... So hungry...”
This guy had devoured countless monsters.
His stomach knew no limits.
I shoved a dish into his mouth. Or more accurately, *poured* it in.
As I forced food into him, he muttered through his agony.
-“It... it’s delicious.”
I smirked.
“Of course. Who do you think made it?”
He had shrunk down to a normal human size, but he kept eating without end.
After a while...
I started to worry.
“...Why isn’t anything happening yet?”
The idea came to me based on his story, a sudden inspiration. I had no certainty it would work.
As my anxiety grew, he spoke through a mouthful of food, as if sensing my unease.
-“I... I know what you’re trying to do.”
I could tell where he was going with this.
The last thing he saw on his status window...
[You are on the verge of losing your humanity.]
[Continued consumption in this manner will make it impossible to return.]
The system didn’t lie.
-“I’m already too far gone... It’s impossible.”
“...”
-“I accept that my pain was barely enough to pay for my sins. I understand. So please... just...”
He wanted me to kill him.
I was almost inclined to grant his wish.
But something held me back.
‘He did have a hand in saving the city, despite his sins.’
He had paid for his crimes in suffering.
But he would die without any reward for his sacrifices.
That... felt wrong.
It was...
“...Infuriating.”
The system said it was impossible?
What was I supposed to do with that?
“*If it can’t be done... make it happen anyway.*”
I’d heard that phrase drilled into me since I was a recruit.
You face situations where something seems impossible all the time.
But more often than not, if you push hard enough, things that seemed impossible... work out.
I was determined to make it work this time, too.
“There’s still food left. Open up.”
-“...!”
Whatever the system said, I’d keep going.
I forced another dish into his mouth.
And then...
**Ding!**
‘...?’
A clear sound rang in my ears, and a message appeared.
[Warning!]
[Reversing the condition of a being who has lost their humanity is impossible.]
What?
Was my own system screen telling me I couldn’t do it now?
“Thanks for the friendly reminder, but...”
It was blocking my view.
“Not the kind of kindness I need.”
I brushed the message aside, only to see another one appear.
[Even so, do you still want to proceed?]
...
“What?”
---
[Even so, do you still want to proceed?]
What?
The same system that just told me it was impossible was now asking if I wanted to try?
I looked down at the half-conscious Insatiable Glutton.
A stranger to me, really.
All I’d come here for was a solid answer about my own job.
I’d already learned everything I needed.
And I’d drained his blood.
Ariella would grow stronger because of it.
If I walked away now, I’d have nothing to lose.
There was no real reason for me to challenge the impossible.
And yet...
Only one thing held me back.
“Ah, damn this pride of mine.”
This was *my* cooking.
When people say something can’t be done...
*“No, my cooking can make it happen.”*
That’s what I wanted to prove.
“There’s still food left. Open your mouth.”
-“...!”
Whatever the system said, I’d keep doing my job.
As I shoved the next bite of food into his mouth, another message appeared.
[The user is attempting the impossible.]
[Checking conditions...]
“?”
A new message flashed before me.
[Conditions confirmed.]
[Divine Power: 1]
There, it displayed a stat.
One that had appeared in my status window out of nowhere one day, without any hint as to its purpose.
Divine Power.
[With 1 Divine Power, you can make the impossible possible.]
[Warning!]
[If you fail this attempt, your Divine Power stat will be permanently removed and can never be restored.]
“What is this...”
At that moment, I felt something stir inside me.
It wasn’t hard to guess what it was.
‘Divine Power?’
I didn’t know why it was activating now.
But one thing was clear: this stat called Divine Power was doing something.
“Whatever’s going on...!”
I had only one job to do.
Keep going.
-“Grgh...”
My arm grew sore from shoving food into him over and over.
Time passed.
The effects of the [Calm Mind] dish wore off.
But I kept forcing in food.
‘Just keep going until it works,’ I thought.
After what felt like an eternity...
**Ding!**
[The target’s species and job are changing.]
Just as I had run out of food, a message appeared, filling my view.
[Lee Hyunjin]
[Primate - Human Species - Insatiable Glutton]
[Transforming...]
The shape lying on the floor...
A body that had been reduced to mere bones and tendons...
Now began to regenerate with flesh.
[Transformation complete.]
[Awakened: Lee Hyunjin]
[Primate - Human Species]
[Job: Insatiable Glutton Lv.1]
Human flesh—*not monster flesh*—regrew over his bones.
[You have completed the job quest: Eliminate the Nemesis.]
[You have achieved a miraculous feat by restoring a being who had lost their humanity.]
[A feat worthy of being recorded in myth.]
[The achievement reward is granted.]
[Your actions are legend-worthy.]
[Divine Power +1]
[Divine Power: 2]
*Divine Power.*
A stat that had seemed pointless.
But now it was clear just how... *determined* it was.
‘A power that makes the impossible... possible.’
It lets you accomplish what can’t be done.
“Heh... heh...”
In this world, which had become something like a game...
I knew what they would call this kind of power.
A cheat.
Or, as some would say...
“Isn’t this basically a... *hack*?”
