Dungeon Refrigerator 96.2

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Tempura Donburi And A New Stage

Sera-san and I cooperated, and together we fried all the long-tooth grouper.

The good-sized ones were made into tempura, while the smaller ones were deep-fried or made into tempura. We also cooked some rice, and with a drink in hand, we were in high spirits while cooking. That might be the most enjoyable self-cooked meal in my life. Yes, I can't help but feel elated when I'm with a cute girl.

"[Crunch... munch, munch. Sizzle... aah~!]"

And now, the main dish. I scooped some rice from the electric rice cooker into a bowl and covered it with a large tempura that looked like the bowl's lid, all covered with finely shredded cabbage. To finish, I generously drizzled a medium-thick sauce over it.

The aroma of the freshly fried tempura and the medium-thick sauce mixed, creating an incredibly appetizing scent that tickled the stomach. It's the completion of the long tooth grouper tempura rice bowl.

"Wow, this is amazing!"

"Hehe! Nowadays, only master would get that excited, right?"

"Huh...? Hahaha, well, it's fine. It looks so delicious. Here, Serai-san, sauce to your liking."

"Yay, thanks! I'll pour it generously too! (aah~)"

The room was filled with the scent of the medium-thick sauce, oil, and the aroma of the long tooth grouper. But it wasn't bad. These were the scents of happiness that made the brain feel joy.

There was only a small glass table, so Sera-san and I sat opposite each other, using the table vertically.

"Well, once again, let's give thanks to the longtooth grouper. Bon appétit! (crunch!)"

"Bon appétit!"

"(Crunch... munch... crunch... slurp... mm!)"

"(Munch... crunch...) Mm~! Delicious!"

The long tooth grouper tempura rice bowl made with plenty of long tooth groupers was incredibly delicious. The piping hot tempura, the rich sauce, the crispness of the shredded cabbage, and the freshly cooked rice all combined to create a paradise in your mouth.

However, even if it's delicious, you shouldn't let your guard down. You have to chew carefully, or else you might suddenly get a long tooth grouper whisker stuck in your mouth and experience a painful moment.

"It's so delicious~! And to think this is all made from free ingredients, it's a bit unbelievable from a finished dish!"

"Hahaha, really? If you say so, the long tooth groupers can also be happy."

[Chirp, chirp!]

And as we enjoyed the long tooth grouper tempura rice bowl, the TV announced an emergency broadcast. Serai-san and I turned our gaze toward the TV, wondering what it could be.

"[Emergency Alert: The United States has just announced that it has successfully cleared the dungeons that had appeared. They have already cleared more than ten dungeons, and they plan to continue clearing the dungeons that continue to appear domestically...]"

"Ugh!!"

We exchanged surprised glances.

Oh? The United States has finally cleared the dungeons. Amazing, America... And the fact that they've already cleared more than ten dungeons probably means they've established methods for dungeon clearing as well. It's been about three months since the dungeons suddenly appeared on the surface. It feels both slow and fast, depending on how you look at it. That could lead to significant developments on a global scale.

The TV screen switched to a breaking news report.

[(Crackle... rustle...) We interrupt this program to bring you the latest news. The United States has announced the successful clearance of dungeons that appeared in the country. They have already cleared more than ten dungeons and plan to continue clearing dungeons that appear in the future.]

However, the content delivered by the announcer was the same as the text alert. There was no information about what had happened after clearing the dungeons.

"Amazing, isn't it? America successfully cleared dungeons..."

"Yeah... but that's all they're saying. They're not giving us any more information."

"Then, how about checking other channels? Go ahead (click)."

[Now, Team Akikage has just defeated their 10th slime here! Oh, and they've leveled up again, it seems. Way to go, level up~!]

When Serai-san changed the channel, we saw comedians in armor battling inside a dungeon.

"Ah... Why are they broadcasting dungeon battle scenes on TV? Wasn't it supposed to be regulated to show dungeon combat scenes on TV!?"

"Oh, Master, you didn't know? This program about dungeons started not too long ago."

"What?!?"

That's absurd. I stared at the screen, processing the information with my mind working in overdrive.

What was being broadcast was a variety show with a guerrilla reporting theme. Comedians were divided into teams, each with different conditions for leveling up to test how it affected their abilities inside the dungeon.

"Comedians divided into four teams, some focusing on their physical fitness, while others on their chubbiness... And they're separated into those who exercise and those who don't, leveling up in dungeons? This is... it's practically a validation experiment of my proposed Growth Potential Filling Theory!"

Ah, finally. I had always expected it would be revealed and widely known someday. But I never thought it would be exposed on commercial television in this manner.

At this moment, 1 of my advantages had been lost. 

And the announcement of the United States successfully clearing dungeons. It seems that the world is moving on to a new stage without my knowledge.