The kitchen was a disaster.  Dust motes danced in the dim light filtering through the window, illuminating the grime that had accumulated on the countertops.  Ji-woo hadn't paid much attention to the state of his kitchen lately.  Grief had a way of making domestic chores seem… irrelevant.  But now, with a rumbling stomach and a craving for real flavor, the state of his culinary domain mattered.

He rummaged through the cupboards, finding a forgotten stash of ramen packets.  Perfect.  Simple, quick, and, with the right additions, potentially delicious.  Ramen was a blank canvas, a culinary playground.  And tonight, Ji-woo was going to paint a masterpiece.  Or at least, something edible.

He filled a pot with water and placed it on the stove.  While he waited for it to boil, he surveyed his meager supplies.  He found a few sad-looking scallions in the crisper drawer, a lone egg clinging to life in the carton, and a jar of kimchi that had seen better days.  It was a far cry from the vibrant markets of Aethel, but it would have to do.

"Okay, Ji-woo," he muttered to himself, "let's get creative.  We've got ramen, scallions, an egg, and some… questionable kimchi.  Let's see what magic we can conjure."

He chopped the scallions finely, their pungent aroma a welcome change from the blandness of Aethellian cuisine.  He cracked the egg into a small bowl, whisking it lightly with a fork.  He sliced a few pieces of kimchi, the spicy scent a nostalgic reminder of home.

The water boiled, and he dropped the ramen noodles into the pot.  He added the seasoning packet, a familiar blend of MSG and artificial flavors.  It wasn't gourmet, but it was something.

"Come on, little noodles," he encouraged, poking them with a chopstick.  "Cook, my pretties, cook!"

Once the noodles were cooked, he added the scallions, the egg, and the kimchi.  He stirred the concoction, the aroma now a tantalizing mix of salty, spicy, and savory.  It wasn't Aethellian cuisine, but it was his cuisine.  It was the taste of home, the taste of comfort, the taste of… normalcy.

He poured the ramen into a bowl and took a tentative sip of the broth.  "Mmm," he hummed, his eyes widening.  It was good!  Not gourmet, but good.  The broth was salty and savory, the noodles were perfectly cooked, the scallions added a touch of freshness, the egg a creamy richness, and the kimchi… the kimchi was a revelation.  It was spicy, tangy, and bursting with flavor.  It was the missing ingredient, the key to unlocking the deliciousness of the ramen.

"Kimchi," he declared to the empty kitchen, "you are a culinary genius!"

He took another bite, savoring the combination of flavors.  It was simple, but satisfying.  It was the taste of home, the taste of his mother's cooking, the taste of… happiness.

"This," he mumbled, between mouthfuls, "this is what I needed.  Real food.  Real flavor."

He finished the bowl of ramen, feeling a sense of contentment he hadn't felt in weeks.  It was amazing how something as simple as a bowl of ramen could bring him so much joy.  It was a reminder that even in the midst of chaos and uncertainty, there were still simple pleasures to be found.

He leaned back in his chair, his stomach full, his heart content. He thought about Aethel, about the bland food, about the exorbitant price of spices. He realized that spices were more than just flavor enhancers in Aethel. They were a symbol of status, a sign of wealth, a luxury that most people couldn't afford. And that gave him an idea.

"Spices," he mused. "Spices… are the key."

He remembered the old man in the market, the wizened spice merchant with the twinkling eyes. He remembered the small jar of Fire Dust, the pungent aroma, the exorbitant price. He realized that he had stumbled upon a goldmine. Or rather, a spice mine.

He got up from the table, his mind buzzing with possibilities. He needed to go back to Aethel. He needed to find that spice merchant again. He needed to learn about the spices of Aethel, their origins, their uses, their value. He needed to become the spice king of Aethel!

He reached for his jacket, ready to head back to the portal, when he felt something in his pocket. He pulled it out. It was… a wad of bills. Korean Won.  He had forgotten he had them. He had earned them from his trades in Aethel, but he had been so focused on the food that he had forgotten about them.  They had been coins in Aethel, but now, back in Korea, they were… money.  Real money.

He stared at the bills in his hand, his mind reeling.  He had been carrying Aethellian coins, small, stone-like discs, and larger metal ones. But now… they were gone.  Replaced by the familiar crispness of Korean Won.

"What the…?" he muttered, his mind reeling. He pulled out all the bills from his pockets, examining them closely. It was all Won. He had brought Aethellian currency back with him, and it had… transformed.

He did the math in his head, converting the Aethellian currency to Korean Won.  He remembered the exchange rates he had overheard in the market. One copper coin was worth… how much was it? He tried to remember the numbers, the Aethellian words for the different denominations.  And then, it hit him.  The numbers clicked into place.

He looked at the bills again, his eyes widening in disbelief. He was rich. Filthy rich.

"One copper coin… one hundred thousand won?" he exclaimed, his voice filled with disbelief. "One silver coin… one million won? One gold coin… fifty million won? One platinum coin… one hundred million won?"

He had a bundle of one-thousand won bills, a few five-thousand won bills, and… was that a fifty-thousand won bill? He couldn't believe it. He was holding millions of won in his hand.

He sat down heavily on the couch, his mind racing. He had gone to Aethel to sell his father's tools, to earn enough money to survive. And he had come back with a fortune. He was no longer just a grieving son, a struggling student, an accidental traveler. He was Ji-woo, the (soon-to-be) spice king of Aethel, and he was also… incredibly wealthy.

He laughed, a mixture of disbelief and exhilaration. He had gone to another world seeking survival, and he had come back with riches beyond his wildest dreams. And it all started with a bowl of ramen.