With the black cast-iron plate set between two stones, Zephyr concentrated his attention, striving to control the newly acquired [Blaze].
That flash of flame, converted from Mind, just happened to cover the surface of the iron plate.
The dark red meat slices began to bubble with fine oil. The fat layer slowly melted after being heated, overflowing from the grain. Rich juices flowed along the edges of the meat onto the iron plate, sizzling.
The charred, fragrant aroma surged wantonly through the cavern.
Chef Zephyr, who had been busy in the kitchen for many years, carefully observed the subtle changes in heat, and took the seasoning handed over by Liliruca beside him.
It feels... more convenient than building a fire to cook?
Rock salt granules were sprinkled evenly, adhering to the surface of the melted fat.
Freshly ground black pepper followed, and that unique spicy aroma blended with the fatty fragrance inherent to the Minotaur meat. Finally, it was paired with garlic cloves and basil leaves to enhance the flavor.
Almost there.
Zephyr estimated the time.
When both sides presented a perfect charred layer, he withdrew the flames.
He picked up his dagger and cut into the meat. The crispy charred outer layer made a slight crunching sound, and the meat juices inside flowed slowly along the cut.
Zephyr looked at the finished product in his hand, feeling satisfied.
Compared to roasting with firewood, the heat controlled by his ability was much more even. At least there were no charred black parts on the meat.
He brushed off the dust on his clothes, preparing to take this freshly cooked meat to the team's temporary campsite.
He noticed that the expressions on the faces of Lefiya and Charles behind him were still frozen from when he had breathed fire just now.
Kate stood frozen in place holding her bento, and the other two girls who had come from the School District had their eyes wide open, their mouths open wide enough to fit an entire Jagamarukun.
Zephyr didn't think there was a problem and said in a normal tone, "This dish... I'll try it first. It should be non-toxic."
The corner of Lefiya's eye twitched slightly. She felt that the weight of the word "should," in Zephyr's mouth, was always light and carried no weight at all from beginning to end.
It was like this every time!
Zephyr picked up a piece and stuffed it into his mouth.
The crispy outer layer was just right, not appearing dry. The firm muscle fibers inside began to seep out rich juices. The special aroma in the monster meat and the salty freshness of the rock salt and black pepper intertwined on the tip of his tongue.
The layers of flavor were distinct. If there was really a regrettable point, it was...
I feel the heat wasn't controlled well, it's close to well-done. What kind of decent person eats well-done steak?
After cutting the steak, the inside should remain a tender pink. At the moment, however, it leaned towards gray. The output power of the flames still required trial and error to be precisely controlled.
However, that didn't affect how good this thing tasted. Thanks to the special texture of the Minotaur meat, it didn't seem dry or tough even when well-done. At most, it was just a chewier type of steak.
When Lefiya watched Zephyr enjoying the food, she felt it didn't quite match the serious atmosphere of exploring the Dungeon.
However, when she recalled the scene of Zephyr breathing fire just now, she couldn't calm her heart at all.
No chanting required, completely skipping all the necessary processes of the magic system. Yet, the flames appeared in reality.
She recalled the skill Zephyr possessed, being able to obtain the abilities of monsters through eating them.
A horn.
The defensive scales of an Infant Dragon.
And the flames that could be spat out from his mouth at this moment.
Lefiya abruptly closed her eyes, her eyelashes trembling slightly, as she recalled the monster the party had encountered in the Dungeon a few days ago.
Hellhound.
That's right!
The main threat assessment for a Hellhound was the fire breath, which was similar to a long-range magic.
She looked at Zephyr who was busy stuffing his face, and many complex emotions layered over one another in her eyes.
Every time he eats a Monster, he gains a special ability.
Today it's fire.
Then, what will it be next time?
...
After Zephyr had devoured several pieces of meat and confirmed that there were no adverse reactions in his body after eating, he reached a final conclusion.
He walked up to the others carrying a wooden platter. He had pre-cut the remaining pieces of meat into small pieces.
He said, "I've tried it. As for the specific taste... you can probably understand it as a higher-quality steak, just cooked well-done. Anyway, it's quite delicious and not poisonous."
Higher quality steak?
Kate's gaze fell on Charles's face, remembering how he looked similar to a Minotaur.
She picked up her bento and said, "Thanks, Zephyr, I just finished my bento, and my stomach is very full now."
Zephyr nodded.
His gaze immediately turned to Charles. "Charles, want to try some?"
Charles's expression became extremely strange, he didn't know what to say.
The food Zephyr cooked was delicious, and besides, the premise for sharing it with him was basically that the other party had tried it and it wasn't poisonous before doing so.
From Hellhound to Infant Dragon, and then to the pincers of a Killer Ant.
In the exploration of the last few days, he hadn't fallen behind at all, but looking at the Minotaur meat in front of him, he was silent for a long while.
Finally, Charles said in a muffled voice, "Um... thanks. But I... don't eat beef."
Kate was holding back very hard, her shoulders trembling slightly.
After Charles finished speaking, he felt his cheeks burning a bit. He scratched the back of his head, wanting to change the subject but not knowing how.
Fortunately, at this moment, Lili walked over proactively, her face under the hood wearing an expression of being accustomed to this. She looked at the mountain of meat in Zephyr's hands and sighed.
She reached out her hand. "Give Lili some to try."
Zephyr smiled and placed the most perfect steak into Lili's bento.
As for the real reason why the firewood was consumed so quickly, which Lili had complained about earlier, as the person involved, he definitely had the most say.
Gourmet Hunter's Advanced Trial.
The system quest was cleared.
During this time, whenever Zephyr encountered those Dungeon monsters he had missed, he basically took care of them on the fly, looking for edible parts.
Confirming they weren't poisonous, pairing them with suitable seasonings to make cuisine to share with friends.
As for things like Blue Papilio or Purple Moth, which were contaminated with hallucinogenic toxins, he kept them to eat himself. His skill, Gluttony, would naturally neutralize them.
Zephyr looked at Lili, waiting patiently for her to taste this steak.
Lili picked it up and stuffed it into her mouth. She chewed slowly, the firmness of the steak unfolding layer by layer on the tip of her tongue.
The outer charred crust had the coarse, grainy texture of rock salt. Immediately after, the aroma of basil leaves, garlic slices, and mixed fats exploded in her mouth.
There was no strange taste as she had expected. On the contrary, it was about the same as the food sold in Orario restaurants, the type that was completely acceptable.
Hmm... provided she forgot that this thing came from a Minotaur.
The slightly furrowed brow on Lili's face slowly smoothed out, stimulated by this deliciousness.
A Dungeon monster, yet cooked into a delicacy by Zephyr.
Absurd.
But she felt it was only natural, and when she noticed Zephyr's expectant gaze, the corners of her lips curved into a faint smile.
"The taste is actually not bad."
"That's for sure."
Just as Zephyr wanted to continue devouring the Minotaur meat and stuff all these things into his stomach, a system panel suddenly popped up in front of him.
[Gourmet Hunter's Advanced Trial]
[As a novice Gourmet Hunter, you have gradually embarked on your own gourmet path, having gone through countless difficult trials during this time.]
[Your culinary skills and strength have both been transformed.]
[Task settling...]
The task issued a few days ago was finally successfully completed at this moment.
Zephyr looked at the text slowly unfolding on the panel and quickly recalled the talent obtained by triggering the sharing task.
Rapid Absorption.
So what good stuff could the system give him this time?
Thinking of this, his heart was full of anticipation.
[Obtained Title: Apprentice Gourmet Hunter]
[Obtained Talent: Outsider]
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