Showdown! The Strongest Chef Cat!

Xingyan: "..."

What you said is right, this dragon indeed won't get an upset stomach—but that doesn't mean this dragon wants to eat burnt steak!

As a thrifty dragon who licks up the dirt stained with dragon blood from the ground after fighting with other dragons, Xingyan absolutely does not encourage any waste of food.

So he pretended not to see the gaze that Shanshan, the Detel, cast towards him.

It was lively.

These Detels were acting as if it were a festival, even singing while working... Xingyan couldn't understand the Orcish folk songs, but the joyful emotions were conveyed through the rhythm and melody.

Xingyan really liked this lively atmosphere, especially seeing these big cats bickering with each other, which he found particularly fun and interesting.

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The Kulu-Ya-Ku brothers were also looking around happily. Under Xingyan's signal, it wasn't scared by so many Detels. On the contrary, this guy was frighteningly friendly and quickly mixed in with the Detels, holding a herbivore dragon egg and looking around.

Its blunt beak pecked at this and that, almost breaking the Detels' pottery jars, and then it was pushed by the screaming Detels, twisting its mouth to the other side.

As expected of a Kulu-Ya-Ku, the word "Kulu" is enough to explain everything. This mischievous nature made the Kulu-Ya-Ku brothers enjoy themselves. Even though they were forcefully pushed away from the temporary stove by a few Detels forming a wall of flesh, they didn't get angry. Instead, they cracked open the egg in their arms and started slurping.

They wandered around while slurping, enjoying the spectacle.

It seemed that they felt the meat from one Carapace Dragon wouldn't satisfy Xingyan, or perhaps they felt that only Carapace Dragon meat wasn't enough to showcase their culinary skills. The Detels also brought over a lot of other food, such as the dried meat and fish they had smoked in the past, as well as some small animals they had hunted, like Detour Rabbits and Scale Bats.

Interestingly, in Xingyan's memory, Scale Bats were not actually mammals like regular bats, but genuine Flying Dragon Species—yes, those bats commonly seen hanging upside down from the ceilings of various underground caves all had the bloodline of Flying Dragon Species. They had only converged and evolved into bat-like creatures to adapt to the cave environment.

Even among small dragons, they were considered small. They moved in groups at dusk, preying on insects and small flying creatures.

But they were indeed dragons.

It was just a bit embarrassing for dragons, being included in the Detels' menu.

The Detels worked quickly. To showcase their culinary skills as much as possible to gain Xingyan's approval, they didn't prepare the Carapace Dragon meat into a single dish. Instead, they divided it into roughly three portions after butchering it.

The first portion was used for stew. The Detels brought over a huge clay pot. After throwing the Carapace Dragon meat into it, they added many colorful plant leaves, some dried and some still very fresh. Finally, they poured in a lot of powder that Xingyan couldn't recognize.

But it smelled good. Even lying in a corner of the cave, Xingyan could smell a fragrant aroma of stew—a dish he could never make with his Sword Tail pan-frying.

The second portion of Carapace Dragon meat was cut into equal-sized chunks. Xingyan was more familiar with this. It was barbecue, and even in the form of skewers!

The moment the seasoning powder sprinkled on the skewers, Xingyan even felt tears welling up—he smelled chili!!

It wasn't easy.

Chili should be eaten! Everyone should eat chili! Food without chili is simply inedible!

He sucked back the drool that was about to escape, suppressing the urge to go over and devour it right now, Xingyan shifted his gaze to the last portion of meat.

This portion was cut very finely. Although these were still thick strips of meat by Detel standards, to Xingyan, they were no different from minced meat.

They were quietly piled on an irregularly shaped but generally flat stone slab. The Detels propped up the slab with stones and then lit a fire underneath it.

Xingyan was also familiar with this method. Wasn't this Teppanyaki? Oh, it should be called stone grill now. Essentially, it was stir-frying, a substitute in the absence of an iron pan, but still a stir-frying method.

The Detels had probably brought out their entire stock, because Xingyan clearly saw many green vegetables on the stone slab that were rarely seen in the Great Sand Sea. He didn't know where these little guys found them... or did they grow them themselves?

In any case, a Detel chef was standing at the edge of the stone slab, constantly stir-frying the mushrooms and meat strips on it.

Don't ask, just ask and it's delicious!

One Dragon, Three Ways—Xingyan had already named today's feast.

That's right, the Detels are so right!

If Xingyan were to cook it himself, it would only be Sword Tail pan-fried meat, and he didn't even have Sword Tail now.

"Ta-da! It's done, meow!!!"

Since there was no suitable bowl for Xingyan, six Detels, after putting on thick gloves made of some animal fur, lifted the stone slab together and brought it in front of Xingyan.

"Roar roar!!"

He roared excitedly. If the situation allowed, Xingyan would have been excited enough to rub his hands together.

To be honest, even without taking a single bite yet, Xingyan dared to swear that this meal today was the best meal he had eaten since his transmigration.

No longer the internal organs of other animals, nor the warm, bloody meat, but meticulously prepared and cooked delicacies!

Truly delicious food!!

It almost made the dragon tear up.

"And us, meow! We're done too, meow!!"

Seeing that their companions on the other side were already serving the dishes, the Detels in the barbecue area immediately shouted competitively.

Each Detel ran over with a large bundle of skewers, grilled until they were sizzling and oily, and then piled them onto the stone slab, almost covering the stir-fried dishes.

"What do you mean, meow! These are our dishes, meow!"

"Idiot, meow! Are you going to let Boss Dragon Slayer eat food from the ground, meow!! Is that polite, meow!!"

"That's not the reason at all, meow! You're clearly covering our dishes with your barbecue, meow! How despicable, meow!!"

"No, I didn't, meow! Don't talk nonsense, meow!!"

Detels, fighting spirit activated!!

Xingyan chuckled as he watched the two groups of Detel chefs below arguing. He had noticed from the start that the three cooking teams, each preparing a different dish, had inexplicably developed a competitive spirit among themselves.

Hmm, it feels like since the stage is set like this, they might as well compete— that was the general vibe.

The atmosphere was definitely there.

Especially now, with the other two dishes already served, Xingyan could see the Detel chefs who were making the stew looking like they were about to cry from anxiety. It was as if they would be eaten if they didn't serve their dish soon.

Ah, they were actually crying.

Xingyan had underestimated his own deterrent power somewhat.

"It'll be ready soon, meow! Dragon Slayer boss!!"

One of the stew chefs whimpered incoherently.

"Roar!"

"Dragon Slayer boss says not to rush, meow," the old chief, the only Detel who could understand Xingyan, said as he stood forward, leaning on his staff. "There's still plenty of time. He'll taste the other two dishes first."

The old chief's reassurance calmed the stew chefs somewhat.

"Just watch, meow! We definitely won't lose, meow!!"

"That's not a guarantee, meow! Surrender before my magnificent roast meat, meow!!"

Hmm, both sides were making threats. Xingyan's gaze was a little strange... He felt like these Detel might have forgotten what they were here for today?

But who cared, eating was the priority.

There was no time to wait. Amidst the fearful cries of the Detel, Xingyan suddenly lowered his head and took a bite of the pan-fried meat.

A monstrous maw!

The stir-fried dish, piled up like a small mountain, vanished in an instant, leaving a crater in the middle, like Mount Fuji.

"Oh yeah! Dragon Slayer boss is eating our stir-fried dish first, meow!!"

The stone-fried meat chef team erupted in cheers. They jumped around on the ground, looking like they had already won.

Without bothering to observe the Detel further, Xingyan closed his eyes and chewed the delicious meal before him with unprecedented seriousness and focus, savoring every subtle aroma.

Fragrant.

Fragrant!!

Fragrant!!!

The unique umami of the mushrooms combined with the aroma of the oil released from the meat strips under high heat. The slightly charred texture didn't detract from the flavor; instead, it made the mushrooms chewier, while the chili peppers gave the meat strips a rich, nostalgic quality.

"Roar, roar, roar, roar."

As Xingyan's resonant roars subsided, the old chief, under the expectant gazes of the many Detel, cleared his throat twice and announced loudly:

"Dragon Slayer boss says, seven points!"

The Detel Tribe had a basic understanding of numbers, so they could naturally score based on this.

"How is that possible, meow?" The stir-fried dish chef team looked devastated, their shocked cat eyes widening. "This is a dish meticulously prepared, meow! No one who's eaten it before has ever said it wasn't good, meow!!"

"Haha, I told you you were an idiot, meow!" Shanshan's childhood friend said, hands on her hips with a triumphant look. "You said 'before,' meow. Did you think Dragon Slayer boss was like us, meow?! Dragon Slayer boss is that big, meow! So when he saw you still seasoning like you normally do, I knew you'd lost, meow!!"

"Wh— How could this be, meow?!"

"Roar!" Xingyan roared again.

As if struck by lightning, the lead Detel of the stir-fried dish team stiffened completely. Clinging to a sliver of hope, his cat head slowly turned towards the old chief.

But to his despair, as he met the old chief's gaze, the old chief nodded heavily.

"It's just that the seasoning was too little, meow! Dragon Slayer boss says the flavor is insufficient, meow!!"

BOOM!!

A thunderclap in their hearts, it struck down the Detel of the stir-fried dish team.

"Hmph, hmph, please try our meow-flavored roast meat, meow! Dragon Slayer boss!" Shanshan's childhood friend said smugly, wiping her nose as she addressed Xingyan. "The meat pieces should be as big as possible, the chili peppers as many as possible, and the rock salt as salty as possible, meow! It's absolutely suited to Dragon Slayer boss's taste, meow!!"

"But, but wouldn't that be bad for Dragon Slayer boss's health, meow..." Lying on the ground, one of the Detel from the stir-fried dish team struggled to raise a paw. "There's too much seasoning powder, meow, you can't even see the meat anymore, meow."

"You idiot, meow! Don't use our bodies to judge Dragon Slayer boss, meow!" the childhood friend yelled.

"Damn it, Congcong, meow, you're so despicable, meow..."

Leaving behind the final words of a loser, the stir-fried dish team, the fall of the cats.

The stir-fried dish team was right; the meat served by the roast meat group truly no longer resembled meat. During the roasting process, they had scored the meat chunks before roasting, layering oil and seasoning, then oil and seasoning again...

In the end, it became these huge, red-layered skewers, like bricks.

Under Congcong's, Shanshan's childhood friend's, nervous gaze, Xingyan took a bite, including the meat chunk and the wooden skewer. Despite her confident demeanor, everything she had said earlier was merely her own conjecture, unverified.

Chew, chew, chew repeatedly.

"Roar!!!"

"Dragon Slayer boss says, nine points!!"

Following Xingyan's roar, the old chief stepped forward and proudly announced—he was extremely pleased that the young people of the tribe possessed such observation skills and clever minds. This nine-point score meant Congcong's guess was correct!

You have to go all out for the Dragon Slayer boss, meow!!

"Meow-yeah!!!"

For a moment, the chefs in the barbecue team jumped for joy and cheered, and the Detels who hadn't participated but had been watching from the sidelines also cheered happily.

Well, at this moment, the only ones who probably couldn't be happy were the stir-fry chefs who had just been defeated.

But Xingyan couldn't worry about that. Although he only gave the stone slab stir-fry chef team a score of seven, it was only for fairness in scoring. In reality, for him, who had been eating raw food in the past, everything the Detels served at this moment was extremely delicious.

And what he had to do was to choose the more delicious ones from among the delicious ones.

It's quite extravagant.

To be honest, Xingyan was really glad that he had deliberately held back and didn't give high scores when he first ate stir-fried dishes. After all, although the stir-fried dishes tasted light, they were still considered delicious compared to the raw food he had eaten before.

Otherwise, it would have been really difficult to give scores... He couldn't give them all a perfect ten, could he?

Xingyan considered himself a discerning dragon; he couldn't make it seem like he had never eaten anything delicious before.

Regardless of what the Detels thought of these two cooking methods, Xingyan continued to eat heartily after giving his scores.

Honestly, if he hadn't been worried about damaging the cooking utensils and delaying the Detels' cooking, Xingyan would have even wanted to eat the stone slabs the stir-fry chefs used.

After all, this stone was truly well-seasoned.