Another One!

Looking at the bundle in his hands, stuffed full of ingredients, Jack had no idea what to do with them.

In the end, the most eye-catching method he could think of was—

"Come take a look! Delicious ingredients produced by the dungeon! Delicacies unlike anything you've ever tasted!"

Street vending.

It was currently when adventurers were getting off work. The ancient city on the surface of Zane Dungeon was bustling, its streets deafeningly noisy. Countless merchants were shouting even more enthusiastically than he was, and no one paid him any attention.

"This won't do."

Jack dragged his bundle around, squeezing through the roadside crowds, but he could not compete with the merchants for a good spot. In the end, he could only set up shop at a relatively quiet street corner.

His shouting could not draw in customers. No matter how good his goods were, they would not sell. Jack's eyes darted around as he came up with a good idea.

Clang, clang, thud—

A moment later, he had set up a grill, piled it with plenty of charcoal, then laid out several Lobster Fish, Snake Frogs, and other strange ingredients. After seasoning them with spices he could buy immediately, Old Jack's BBQ Stand was officially open!

"Good thing I learned how to grill when I was young," Jack said as he fanned the flames, glad that he had picked up plenty of practical skills in his youth.

Late-night snacks meant beer and barbecue, no matter the world. Besides, the ancient city was currently at its busiest point of the day. As long as his stand was not complete garbage, someone would stop to take a look. Whether they bought anything was another matter.

"What do you want to eat tonight?" A few adventurers passed by.

"Anything," one said. "I'm fine with whatever," said another.

"Then how about stew?"

"No, it's too greasy." "The broth from stew reminds me of Swamp. Please don't make me remember that."

"Didn't you say anything was fine? Then what do you want to eat?"

"Anything." "I'm fine with whatever."

"Fine, fine, fine."

Tortured into silence by his companions, the adventurer suddenly twitched his nose and blurted out instinctively,

"That smells amazing, but I can't tell what it is."

His companions sniffed as well and agreed. "It smells like grilled meat, but... but what kind of meat is that?"

Their serious expressions proved an old classic joke:

When you fart, as long as you say, "What's that smell?" everyone else will greedily inhale your fart.

"Over there! That barbecue stand!"

Seeing customers approach, Jack put on a professional smile—the kind he had developed while working part-time as a waiter in his youth. "What would you gentlemen like to eat?"

"Boss, what are you selling he—" The young adventurer was about to ask when his eyes landed on the things on the grill, and he suddenly fell silent.

"What the hell are those?!" he cried involuntarily, drawing the attention of passersby.

Jack looked at the strange things on the grill, fell silent for a moment, then calmly introduced them one by one. "This is Lobster Fish. This is Snake Frog. This is Bacon Leaf. This one is, uh... Tuna Octopus."

"What?" The young man understood every word, yet still could not make sense of it.

Adventurers often encountered all kinds of bizarre monsters, but monsters had evolved naturally, after all. There were patterns to their appearances.

But Lobster Fish, Snake Frogs, Bacon Leaves, and the like did not look like things nature could possibly create!

If the young man had lived on Earth, he probably would have said, "Did this fish mutate after drinking too much nuclear wastewater?"

Unfortunately, he had not. After holding it in for a long time, he finally managed to ask, "Can that actually taste good?"

His companions stared at him in shock. That isn't the issue! Those things look like the experimental products of an alchemist who went insane! They can't be edible, can they?!

"Why not pick one and try it?" Jack noticed that more and more people were gathering around him, so he raised his voice. "These are specialties from Zane Dungeon! You can't get them anywhere else!"

Dungeon specialties?!

So they came from Zane Dungeon. Then it was not so strange.

That thought actually occurred to everyone. Since the mutation, the monsters inside Zane Dungeon had taken on forms no one recognized. Even professional monster experts would be left scratching their heads.

"Zane Dungeon produces strange creatures" had recently become common knowledge among adventurers.

"Then... give me a piece of this," said the first young man, choosing a Bacon Leaf that looked somewhat more normal.

It was a thick yellow-green leaf, but its exterior resembled richly marbled beef. As it roasted over the charcoal, grease dripped down steadily, making it look far more tempting than the Lobster Fish and the rest.

"Here." Jack cut off a small piece and handed it over without adding any extra seasoning, letting him taste the original flavor.

The young man hesitated, then stuffed it into his mouth.

"So salty!" he cried, but after chewing carefully, his eyes lit up. "What a unique texture! It's like eating premium beef, but it also has the crispness of a plant and a distinctive fibrous feel. The charcoal grilling is perfect too. And the saltiness comes from the meat—no, the leaf itself, right? It cuts through the richness while stimulating the taste buds."

He excitedly gave a thumbs-up. "Full marks!"

Since when had he become so eloquent?! His companions looked at him in even greater shock.

"Give me one leaf—no, three—no, five!" The young man pointed all over the grill. "That one, and that one too. I want to try them all. Boss, total it up!"

"No rush, no rush. If you order that much, how are everyone else supposed to eat?" Jack said cheerfully, pointing behind him.

Only then did the young man realize that a crowd had gathered behind him at some point, all watching expectantly!

"Hey, kid, is it really that good?" A burly man swallowed. The young man knew him—the Iron-Willed Te Er of the Strategy Team, a Silver Rank adventurer!

Normally, the young man would have been extremely respectful toward a Silver Rank senior. But in the face of delicious food, he stood his ground for once. "I reserved five Bacon Leaves first. Go buy something else!"

"Heh, you little—" Te Er glared at him, then said to Jack, "Old man—cough, sir, give me one Lobster Fish."

"Here." Jack broke down a grilled Lobster Fish, sprinkled it simply with salt, and handed it to Te Er.

The snowy-white fish flesh gave off a delicate fragrance. It was not overly fatty, but had just enough oil to make its surface glisten. The salt made it look even more appealing. Its two claws had been cut in half and topped with a layer of melted cheese. Jack had even thoughtfully included a thumb-sized box of butter for dipping.

Te Er opened his mouth wide and swallowed the slick fish flesh in one bite. Then he picked up a tender white piece of claw meat, dipped the stretchy cheese in butter, and slurped the whole thing down.

Everyone watched his reaction closely. He was a Silver Rank adventurer, after all, and they all trusted his judgment.

"Hm." After swallowing the last bite, Te Er pondered for a moment before saying, "Couldn't taste it. Give me another one."

Though he deliberately furrowed his brow, anyone with eyes could see the slyness in his gaze.

So no one could endure it any longer!

"Give me a Lobster Fish!"

"I want the tentacles from the Tuna Octopus!"

"Don't listen to that picky guy! Sell me a whole Tuna Octopus!"

"Bacon Leaves! I want Bacon Leaves!"

"Get lost! Those are the ones I reserved!"

Jack was grinning from ear to ear.

Many thanks to the readers who provided inspiration!

Give me some more suggestions to copy, everyone~