Xingyan's Worries and the Dragon of Shokugeki

The Hunters arrived silently, and the Hunters left silently.

Xingyan hadn't noticed these fellows who were skilled at hiding themselves by various means before a Hunt began. In fact, he was currently worrying about a problem—what if he suddenly grew scales?

He had a relatively clear understanding of his own stomach now. Xingyan was certain that he could digest and absorb everything he ate completely, without any undigestible residue being expelled. At the same time, he could extract the essence from his food as much as possible to improve himself.

Take, for example, the mineral secretions covering his carapace. Originally, they only appeared intermittently on his carapace like scattered plum spots. But after Xingyan persisted in finding mineral veins and eating them day after day, these mineral secretions... well, they still hadn't connected completely to fully cover his carapace.

No choice, Xingyan couldn't find enough mineral veins. This is what happens with insufficient resources.

However, as long as he continued to search and eat, he believed that one day he would eventually wear a suit of steel armor with super strong defense.

In previous experimental validations, Xingyan had specifically eaten at least dozens of Sprite Deer. These small creatures, which offered little resistance, possessed the typical agility and jumping ability of deer.

Xingyan felt that his legs had become more agile and his jumping ability stronger after eating so many Sprite Deer—well, it was only a slight feeling, and he couldn't even be sure if this sensation was due to his physical growth.

Regarding this peculiar ability, Xingyan did have some speculations. Either it was about winning through quality, or winning through quantity. Only in this way could he ensure that his body absorbed enough materials or energy for evolution.

So the question arose: he had now eaten a Mudfish Dragon, whose size could be rated as "small gold," and it contained Life Energy that met the standards for a high-grade large monster. What if he grew scales or fins because of it, or if his body surface started secreting mucus and he started playing in the mud?

The appearance of the Mudfish Dragon did not meet Xingyan's aesthetic standards, nor did its strength. It could be said to be a double negation.

When Xingyan stood on the corpse of the Mudfish Dragon and ate until he was half full... alright, it should be said that after eating most of its nutritious fat and muscle, rational thought reasserted itself, and then he began to worry about this problem.

The more he thought about it, the itchier he felt. More than fear, it was a sense of resistance.

Xingyan resisted the excellent traits displayed by the Mudfish Dragon, which had evolved over tens of thousands of years. For the Mudfish Dragon, these were skills vital for its survival, but Xingyan did not need them.

Considering that the mineral secretions on his back's heat-dissipating shells had spread according to his will without blocking the vents, Xingyan was able to calm down somewhat.

He would observe for now.

After rinsing his mouth to wash away the blood from his lips, Xingyan ambled his way back towards his nest. After defeating this Mudfish Dragon, in a sense, he had become the little overlord of this area. If it weren't for the Fire Dragons that often came here to drink water and forage, he would have even considered bringing his Kulu-Ya-Ku brother to live here.

It would be closer to steal eggs.

Oh, right, he almost forgot about the Earth Sand Dragons that often came to the Flower Field Marshland Area to compete with the Mudfish Dragons for territory. These reckless fellows were also destabilizing factors.

Shaking his head, Xingyan abandoned the idea of moving. Instead, he charged into a herbivore's nest, forcibly snatched a Dragon Egg, and then strode away.

Carrying an egg to slay dragons.

If he ate well, he had to bring something back for his Kulu-Ya-Ku brother too.

If it weren't for the fact that his Kulu-Ya-Ku brother only liked to eat eggs and never ate meat, Xingyan would have even wanted to bring back a piece of Mudfish Dragon swim bladder.

"Gua?"

Receiving the Dragon Egg Xingyan brought back, his Kulu-Ya-Ku brother was momentarily stunned—wasn't it supposed to be stealing eggs to feed him?

Could the Cub it was feeding now steal eggs too?

Yes, the Kulu-Ya-Ku brother could recognize that Xingyan was just a Cub, and through their long cooperation, it had realized that it was stealing eggs to raise a Cub.

It didn't know where the Cub's mother had gone, but in the Kulu-Ya-Ku brother's perception, it was like the Cub's bird mother. This was also why it used to work overtime every day, risking danger and exhaustion to steal more eggs.

But now, the Cub it was raising could steal eggs too?

This was the inheritance of the Kulu-Ya-Ku spirit!!

"Gua!!!"

Uh, of course, it couldn't comprehend something as profound as spiritual and cultural inheritance, but Xingyan's action of bringing back the egg undoubtedly moved the Kulu-Ya-Ku brother deeply. It hopped around Xingyan, constantly patting Xingyan's abdomen with the feathers on its claws.

"Roar!"

Impatiently, Xingyan pushed the Kulu-Ya-Ku brother aside with the side of his Sword Tail, finding it too noisy. Couldn't it eat quietly?

The answer was no.

After causing a ruckus for a while longer, the Kulu-Ya-Ku brother finally quieted down and began eating the Dragon Egg Xingyan brought back.

Not long after, Xingyan, who was resting curled up on the ground, heard a noise and opened his eyes. He saw his Kulu-Ya-Ku brother holding the leftover egg in front of him—as usual, it only ate the yolk, not the egg white.

"Roar." (Sigh.)

Sighing, Xingyan didn't say anything more. He quickly ate the remaining Dragon Egg, not even sparing the shell.

It was for me to supplement calcium!

From that day on, the Kulu-Ya-Ku brother went out of the nest much less frequently, and the number of eggs it stole returned to three or four. However, Xingyan didn't mind this at all. Instead, he would occasionally bring an egg back for his Kulu-Ya-Ku brother when he returned from a Hunt.

Life suddenly became beautiful.

Whether willing or not, life always urges us to move forward. Dragons prepare, depart, travel, Hunt, settle, and wherever they stop, flames ignite. From the migration of individual lives to the capture and cutting of ingredients, from the changes in cooking methods to the flow of dragon destinies, the hurried footsteps of dragons and food have never ceased.

For Chinese people, feelings about food are often about homesickness, nostalgia, and longing for childhood flavors. This is even more true for young Dragon Slayers.

Crouching in the cave, Xingyan bent his long Sword Tail and placed it horizontally. The Sword Tail, which always reflected blue-green and bright red halos in the sunlight, was now burned to a dark red hue, like a piece of red-hot iron.

Sizzle, crackle.

The temperature was not high; Xingyan was intentionally controlling the temperature of his Sword Tail, as if holding a scorching hot iron pot.

And in the pot, a large piece of meat, cut into cubes, was currently sizzling and releasing oil. It was marbled with fat and lean meat, its bright red color indicating its freshness. The muscle fibers occasionally twitched, as if they were still intact on its owner's body.

He was eating this vibrant life force. Just looking at it made Xingyan's mouth water.

But he couldn't rush. Deliciousness always required patience to craft.

"Roar!" (Hurry, hurry!)

"Caw!"

After hearing Xingyan's urging, the Kulu-Ya-Ku brothers cautiously approached Xingyan's Sword Tail, which was faintly glowing red-hot. In its hand, it still held several large red mushrooms. These were the best seasonings Xingyan could find in the Great Sand Sea: Nitre Shrooms.

These mushrooms contained abundant fire elemental energy and possessed unique medicinal value, but what Xingyan loved even more was the explosive sensation they created in the mouth—no, it truly exploded in his mouth!

Even for a dragon's palate, it was an exceptionally delicious seasoning, and beneficial for the body.

Rubbing its two front claws together non-stop, the Kulu-Ya-Ku brothers quickly crushed the Nitre Shrooms in their hands and sprinkled them evenly on one side of the meat.

However, the Dragon Slayer chef's pursuit of food did not stop there. The Kulu-Ya-Ku brothers soon turned around and brought two more brown mushrooms. In the game, these mushrooms were called Mandragoras.

While they might be a bit bitter for humans, for a Dragon Slayer, they added a unique flavor and contained a great deal of vitality.

As usual, they crushed them and sprinkled them evenly.

"Roar!" (Tossing the pan!)

Although not a mammoth, Xingyan could still toss the pan… or rather, his tail.

With a soft roar, the Dragon Slayer chef swiftly drew his blade. Under the deliberate angle controlled by his Sword Tail, the sizzling meat block flipped in mid-air before landing back on the Sword Tail.

This time, there was no need for Xingyan to remind them. The Kulu-Ya-Ku brothers quickly brought several more mushrooms, crushed them, and sprinkled them evenly on the other side of the meat.

Under the high temperature, moisture evaporated rapidly, but this did not mean it would burn to a crisp. On the contrary, the fat was quickly seeping out. The meat, full of vitality, was more difficult to cook than ordinary meat. For Xingyan, this waiting period felt like an ordeal.

Before long, the fat on the edges of the meat began to turn a tempting golden yellow. The lean meat, under the heat, slowly tightened, becoming firmer and more elastic, its texture becoming clearer.

The aroma emanating at this moment even made the Kulu-Ya-Ku brothers, who had always only eaten eggs, unable to resist swallowing.

And when the surface of the meat was completely roasted to a golden crisp, the Dragon Slayer chef ceased the heating action on his Sword Tail.

"Roar roar!!"(Dragon Slayer Golden Roast! Complete!!)

The Kulu-Ya-Ku brothers naturally didn't understand the need to applaud and cheer at such a moment, but it was fine. Xingyan was already impatient to stuff the meat into his mouth.

Placing the meat on a clean stone surface, Xingyan skillfully cut it into two pieces. The smaller one was for the Kulu-Ya-Ku brothers. Regardless of whether they ate it or not, Xingyan would leave a portion for them.

And then, it was time to devour it.

Reluctant to swallow, he chewed it continuously in his mouth. Raw meat and cooked meat had entirely different aromas, as if opening a door to a world of deliciousness. The crispy, fragrant skin was torn apart instantly, followed by the tender, juicy lean meat and melt-in-your-mouth fat mingling on his tongue—rich and sweet.

Combined with the mineral secretions from his Sword Tail seeping into it during grilling, and the explosive flavors of the Nitre Shrooms and Mandragoras… it was truly wonderful.

The long-awaited cooked food even made Xingyan feel like shedding tears, not just because of the sweet and fragrant taste.

Yes, Xingyan knew his cooking wasn't good, but even so, the cooked food he made was this delicious.

For a moment, Xingyan even felt a desire to cross the sea and ask Hunters to take on a commission to cook for him.

But immediately after, reason told him that if he didn't want to become material for Hunter equipment, it was best not to do so rashly.

Besides, why go to the Old World? The New World would eventually have Hunters too, but how to communicate safely with them was another problem…

If only he could eat roasted meat sprinkled with seasonings every day.

While still chewing the meat in his mouth, Xingyan's thoughts had already drifted far away.

The most important thing was still strength, wasn't it? If he had the strength of an Elder Dragon, he wouldn't have to fear being captured by Hunters—even just being captured, studied, and then released was not something Xingyan could accept.

Don't mistake him for a cunning Dragon Slayer, the kind that other Dragon Slayers disdained, but Xingyan had his own pride!

"Gua!"

A sudden scream pulled Xingyan out of his fantasy. He turned his head and saw his Kulu-Ya-Ku brother screeching with its neck stretched out—as if something were stuck in its throat.

Turning his head again, Xingyan saw that the small piece of meat originally placed on the stone surface was gone.

Very well, the situation was clear.

Xingyan quickly tried to pat the Kulu-Ya-Ku brother's back… neck with his Sword Tail, but seeing that his Sword Tail was still smoking, he stopped abruptly. In the end, he could only lean over and grab the Kulu-Ya-Ku brother's neck with his short claws, shaking it rapidly.

"Caw caw! Caw caw caw! Caw—cough caw!!"

It was somewhat difficult, but with Xingyan's vigorous help and the Kulu-Ya-Ku brother's own efforts, it finally spat out the piece of meat.

"Roar, roar roar." (Sorry, I think I cut it a bit too big.)

Shaking his head somewhat awkwardly, Xingyan thought the small piece he had cut off was small enough for the Kulu-Ya-Ku brother, but it seemed it was still too large.

Without a word, he swung his Sword Tail again, cutting the small piece of meat even smaller, before signaling the Kulu-Ya-Ku brother to continue eating.

"Gua? Gua!"

The experience of nearly choking to death left the Kulu-Ya-Ku brother somewhat shaken. It warily eyed the small piece of meat at its feet, hesitated for a moment, then lowered its head and bit down with its blunt beak, finally swallowing it.

"Gugu! Caw caw caw!!"

"Roar roar? Roar roar roar!" (Right? Delicious, isn't it?! I told you my cooking couldn't be bad!)

Seeing the Kulu-Ya-Ku brother excitedly flapping its front claws after eating the meat, Xingyan couldn't help but burst into laughter as he breathed a sigh of relief.

Sharing delicious food always brought joy to dragons, and it was even more wonderful when his own brother liked what he liked.

The Dragon Slayer chef's first challenge, a success!