It was simple why I first started cooking.
It was because of the martial arts cooking manhwa, The Heavenly Demon's Gourmet, that I happened to see when I was a child.
Seeing the protagonist shaking the Martial World with a single knife, I wondered if cooking could have such intense power.
After reading that manhwa, I went straight into the kitchen. That was the beginning. At first, it was just a hobby.
I followed recipes at home, made mistakes, failed, and tried again.
Then, cooking became fun.
And at some point, I had to go into the kitchen and cook to make a living. Cooking, which started as a hobby,
became a means of survival. In the cramped and hot kitchen, I worked frantically in front of the oil-splattered grill. The kitchen was a battlefield, and I had to survive.
I learned how to use a knife, handle fire, and build up flavors, growing as I went. Years passed, and I opened my own restaurant. It was a small shop at first.
But the restaurant gradually became famous, and customers began to flock. "This isn't just cooking, it's art!"
"From now on, the best dish of my life is this."
"I almost cried when I ate it. It's so delicious, it's moving."
"It's worth coming back just for this one dish."
"Chef, have you ever received a Michelin star? You're at that level!" As I continued to cook, I eventually entered a very famous cooking competition. The stage of the cooking competition was more intense than I could have imagined.
Renowned chefs gathered, and the Michelin chefs were particularly formidable opponents. They were the Supreme Masters of the 'Righteous Sects'.
Techniques with no margin for error, perfect plating, and refined taste. In front of them, I was proudly called the 'Demonic Cult Chef'. Intense dishes emphasizing the Flame Taste.
Unrestrained cooking methods and bold plating.
I knocked down the Michelin-starred chefs one by one. And... Finally, the final round. My opponent was a Michelin 3-star chef. The one at the pinnacle of the culinary world.
With the highest authority and reputation,
the strongest of the Righteous Sects. But I was undaunted. ──Fwoooosh!! A chef who handles fire.
Intense Flame Taste and bold cooking methods,
no matter how sophisticated the technique, it was meaningless in front of fire. I completed the dish in the tense atmosphere.
The judges took a bite of my dish and were speechless. "Hmm, it's really amazing. The meat is really evenly cooked." "The visuals are really weird... but the taste is incredible? Is this molecular gastronomy?" Admiration followed.
And then, the question came. "What was the reason you first started cooking?" I answered without hesitation. "I started after seeing the martial arts cooking manhwa, The Heavenly Demon's Gourmet." At that moment, a subtle change passed over the judges' faces. "...Ah, so you started with that manhwa..." For a moment, there was silence.
And then the judges burst into laughter. "Do you have any experience in cooking school, academy, or studying abroad?" I said honestly. "No, after starting with the manhwa, I learned by rolling around in the kitchen to make a living." While being dumbfounded, the judges eventually couldn't hold back their laughter. "Haha, this definitely isn't the Righteous Sects style. Isn't this completely... Unorthodox Sect, Demonic Cult Chef style?" The judges finished their evaluation,
and finally announced the results of the competition. "Congratulations, Mr. Flame Taste. You are the winner!" At that moment, I inhaled and exhaled. The judges' verdict was over, but the residual heat of the cooking utensils still remained at my fingertips.
I've made countless dishes over a long period of time, but the dish at this competition was a gamble of my life. On this day, I defeated the Michelin-starred chef, the Supreme Master of the Righteous Sects culinary world.
Tremendous prize money and fame. And I gained the highest honor as a chef. But that wasn't the end. After the competition, my restaurant became a hot topic in the culinary world. "Isn't that dish not just Flame Taste, but made in hellfire? Does he have some Secret Demonic Cult Recipe?"
"He's openly spreading Demonic Cult cuisine, all the Righteous Sects chefs must be crying!"
"This isn't cooking, it's martial arts... It's a taste that only those who have reached the ultimate level of Dark Cuisine can create!"
"This is the secret cuisine of the Unorthodox Sect? ...Wait, it's so delicious, I'm thinking about joining the Unorthodox Sect now?"
"Righteous Sects or Unorthodox Sects, does it matter? In the end, if it's delicious, that's all that matters!" At first, there were some who thought it might be a coincidence, but everyone who tasted my food had to admit it.
It wasn't just a simple 'Flame Taste', but a dish with a complete philosophy. And... The Michelin Guide began to take notice of my restaurant.
Critics began to visit one by one, and even in the tension, I cooked in my own way.
I didn't know what their evaluation would be, but my cooking was evidence of the path I had walked without lies. And finally. I also received a Michelin star. At that moment, I was overwhelmed with unbelievable emotion.
The moment when the path I had walked all my life was officially recognized as the best.
A level that many chefs dream of, but only a few can reach. The moment I received the star for the first time in my life, I suddenly remembered. The hot and chaotic days in the kitchen,
which could once be called the Demonic Cult. Forgetting the burns on my hands in front of the oil-splattered grill,
being scolded for messy knife work, and making mistakes because I couldn't handle the flames properly. I didn't know then. That those chaotic and fierce days,
would eventually lead me to a place that even the Righteous Sects had to acknowledge. I became a Michelin-starred chef. And I was prouder of that fact than anything else. I was not a chef of the Righteous Sects. I didn't attend a traditional culinary school or train under a Michelin-starred chef.
I only survived by struggling, learning and mastering cooking on my own. But I, who was once pointed at as the 'chef of the Demonic Cult,' had become known as a 'chef of the Righteous Sects' in the culinary world. Did I abandon the Demonic Cult,
or did the Righteous Sects have no choice but to acknowledge me?
I looked back on the path I had walked as a chef. And... Enjoying this joy, I sent a thank you message to the author of The Heavenly Demon's Gourmet, who created my culinary life. / Hello, author. The Heavenly Demon's Gourmet, which I happened to see as a child, changed my life. Cooking, which was a simple hobby, became a means of survival, and I eventually stood on stage as a chef. I still occasionally remember the day I won the cooking competition. I defeated a Michelin 3-star chef and won the championship. I defeated the Supreme Master of refined cuisine with Flame Taste and bold cooking methods. The beginning was, The Heavenly Demon's Gourmet. If I hadn't seen this manhwa, I wouldn't be who I am today. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I would like to meet you in person someday and treat you to a dish. / The next day, I opened my eyes. The place I fell into was... the world of the Martial World. "......What?" I looked around with a dumbfounded expression.
I took a rough breath.
Hot heat filled my lungs.
This heavy energy transmitted in the air, a chilling pressure. It's not unfamiliar. No, it's too familiar.
Am I dreaming?
I rubbed my eyes.
But the scenery in front of me didn't change. The Martial World. At first, I thought it was a simple illusion.
But I soon realized. I became the Supreme Protector of the Demonic Cult who handles fire in the martial arts manhwa, The Heavenly Demon's Gourmet. The highest protector, assisting the Heavenly Demon. Han Joohyeok. In the distant future, I was the villain known as the Flame Emperor who would fight against the Righteous Sects in the Righteous-Demonic War alongside the Heavenly Demon and die from a surprise attack by the Martial Alliance Leader. And— In front of me was the absolute master of the Demonic Cult.
The young woman who would be called the Heavenly Demon in the future and bring this Martial World to ruin, was staring at me silently. Such pure white skin.
In stark contrast, black eyes.
Jet-black hair that flows down endlessly. Seol Arin. The absolute being of the Demonic Cult, destined to become the Heavenly Demon.
In the distant future, she will stain the Martial World with blood in the Righteous-Demonic War with the Righteous Sects and eventually self-destruct with the Martial Alliance Leader. That girl.
Why is she looking at me like this now? I was breathless.
Those eyes.
The black eyes, deeper than darkness, were staring at me piercingly.
An overwhelming presence.
I felt something that seemed to constrict my body. If I stand still like this, I'll die. The moment I instinctively sensed danger. "...Hungry." Seol Arin opened her mouth. ......Huh? My mind went blank for a moment.
Just a moment ago, it seemed like a battle was about to break out.
But Seol Arin just spoke again in a low and overwhelming voice. "...Hungry, give me food." ......What? I froze, my shoulders hunched up.
Is she serious?
Is she asking me for food?
No, shouldn't I be running away?
I barely resisted the urge to tear my hair out. I thought I had to leave here to survive... ...But, to say she's hungry in such an innocent voice. "......Sigh." I let out a long sigh.
Seriously, I'm going crazy. Is this, is this the right development? At that moment, the smell of blood spread. ──If you don't give me food, you die. Seol Arin pointed the sword in her hand at me. ...No way. I instinctively took a step back.
Seol Arin, without moving, looked straight at me with those black eyes. Cold, dark, and endlessly deep eyes.
Like a ferocious beast confirming its prey. At that moment, I understood. This wasn't simple hunger.
Seol Arin really killed people to get food. This is the Valley of Blood and Martial Arts. The training ground of the Demonic Cult that appears in the early part of the martial arts manhwa, The Heavenly Demon's Gourmet.
A place where you must trample someone to survive.
A place where you must devour the weak to become strong. So it was natural for Seol Arin to point a bloody sword at me now. I swallowed a short breath.
In the Valley of Blood and Martial Arts, 'food' means 'survival'. If someone has it, it's natural to take it.
It's also natural to kill the opponent if necessary. The fact that she has survived here so far means that she has taken a lot.
The sword in her hand already had dried bloodstains on it. Blood of unknown origin. Perhaps it belonged to a comrade Seol Arin was with just a moment ago. "......" I couldn't say anything.
If I stay still like this, I'll starve to death. No, I might be killed by Seol Arin.
She's looking for food now. But the problem is, I don't have any food to take.
In the Valley of Blood and Martial Arts, having no food is like a death sentence.
To survive, you have to fill your stomach somehow. Then Seol Arin might now see me not as a person, but as a substitute for food.
At that moment, I realized.
My survival now depends on Seol Arin's choice. To survive in the Valley of Blood and Martial Arts, there must be no hesitation.
And Seol Arin meets that standard. I instinctively tensed my body.
Depending on what I say here,
my life or death will be decided. "......Wait, don't misunderstand." I held up both hands. "I don't have anything." Seol Arin narrowed her eyes.
Those black eyes lost their light, and a threatening energy spread. "Are you lying?" "It's true. Look. My pockets are empty." I purposely spread open my waist.
There wasn't even an emergency ration in my pocket.
Seol Arin's gaze swept over my waist.
Then her eyes gradually changed.
If she was about to stab me in the stomach with a knife until now,
now it's like she's going to dismantle me part by part with that knife and eat me. "......" Dangerous.
Really, dangerous. That murderous look.
It's not just a joke. If it's Seol Arin, who will bring this world to ruin in the distant future, she might think that even if she's young, if there's no food, she can just eat people. "Wait, what's with that look?" I stepped back and waved my hands. "I don't taste good. I'm serious." Seol Arin looked at me quietly.
I added with a desperate expression. "No, really. I'm not a lump of meat, and do you know how disgusting a person smells when burned? How can you eat that?" Seol Arin quietly looked at my face.
She didn't say anything.
But those eyes were still troubled. "......" Was she really thinking of eating me?
I felt a chill run down my spine. "......Then." Seol Arin opened her mouth. "Bring me food." "What?" "You bring it yourself." Seol Arin slowly lowered the bloody sword. "Before I eat you, get me something to eat." I took a short breath. "......Hey." "Why." "Then, do you want to hunt with me?" Seol Arin frowned. "Together?" "Yeah. I'm hungry anyway, and you're hungry too. If we waste time like this, we'll both run out of stamina and pass out." I said, deliberately maintaining a calm face. "So let's hunt. Let's work together." Seol Arin looked at me without saying anything.
In those black eyes, thoughts seemed to swirl. Right after. "......Okay." Seol Arin quietly agreed. "If we don't catch anything within an hour, you become my meal." "......Ah, really. Don't threaten me." I let out a sigh and moved my feet.
What is this?
I just teamed up with a girl who was thinking about eating me a moment ago. This...... is this really okay? I walked into the forest, shoulder to shoulder with Seol Arin, who might kill me soon. ......I don't know if I'm hunting or being hunted.

First Encounter: Meeting the Heavenly Demon