190 Cooking

Having defeated the Earth Dragon Trio and satisfied, I now pursue further satisfaction—currently in the midst of flaying them.

Tedious.

High stats make peeling them off relatively easy, but the repetitive nature of the task is quietly exhausting.

Mentally and physically.

The former Body Guardian, now the current Demon Lord—has this been their constant burden?

The gratitude for such a revelation only dawns now.

Finally, all three complete in their scales.

Subjectively, the time spent surpasses even the battle duration.

Yet, the ability to perform delicate work—something previously impossible with the clumsy spider form—now possible with human hands, is significant.

Thanks to these hands, time has been greatly reduced.

Now that the troublesome scales are removed, let us proceed to consumption.

First, as before, try eating in the spider form.

U—uhm.

Subtle.

Just… relentlessly tough meat.

No odor, but it’s like eating rock directly.

Now, try consuming in humanoid form.

Hmm?

O—oh? Ah.

Conclusion.

Humanoid form has sharper taste perception.

Even the spider form had enhanced senses—five-sense amplification skill—so taste should have been adequate. Yet, the humanoid form allows deeper understanding of flavor.

This is a discovery.

From now on, eat unpalatable things in spider form, and consume enjoyable meals in humanoid form.

That way, good food tastes better, and bad food is tolerable.

Also, since I’ve learned fire magic through the old man, try briefly searing it.

Dragon steak—just the name alone sounds exquisite.

Feels like I could gain power just from eating it.

Impossible, though.

Activate fire magic.

Same as resistance—fire manipulation is difficult for me.

Even though it's the same magic construct, the difference arises from system attribute compatibility adjustments.

That's the problem with D—overcomplicated in these details.

Even if I've learned fire magic, skill level remains low, and proficiency accumulation is slow.

Useless in actual combat.

Well, if that's the case, other elements are similarly rendered obsolete by darkness—hardly any practical use outside of building proficiency.

Earth and wind are approaching a level where they can be used alongside darkness, but darkness remains overwhelmingly convenient, so it's naturally prioritized.

With darkness, most situations are manageable.

Therefore, if fire is used at all, it is only in combat scenarios separate from darkness.

Construction speed is slow. High mana expenditure is required for activation. The resulting spell power is reduced.

Using a mismatched element is disproportionately inefficient.

Still, enough heat for roasting meat can be generated through high stat levels, so that is acceptable.

Control is more difficult than with other elements, but adjustments are made to achieve a suitable temperature for cooking the meat.

The scent of roasting meat fills the air.

No monsters are drawn by that scent.

No creature ventures into the domain of the subterranean dragon—especially not one that has just been eliminated by me.

Unless they are recklessly bold, no fool would enter this place.

Several times, the detection captured the silhouette of a monster drawn by scent, retreating hastily after approaching too close.

Thus, the dragon steak was seared without interference.

Sprinkling over it the salt I had collected during my trip to the sea—evaporated seawater.

Slightly briny, but it is the only seasoning I possess.

Stored in a container crafted from earth magic and sealed in a hollow.

First, test it with a spider body.

No adverse reaction. Proceed to human consumption.

Hmm. Firm.

The texture does not change much even after cooking.

Perhaps it has become slightly firmer.

I can bite through it with brute stat power, but ordinary humans might suffer jaw damage from the hardness.

Taste-wise, closest to pork.

Light, bland.

Briny from the salt, slightly earthy as well.

Earthworm, so earthy in flavor.

Why is that.

The judgment is difficult, but I prefer it raw, letting the blood drip.

I acknowledge opposing views.

Frankly, I’d recommend cooking it if it were human.

I noticed this when receiving offerings from the city—my palate seems to have preferences from both human and monster perspectives.

Most things humans find delicious are also palatable to me.

But there are also things that taste good as a monster.

Specifically, raw meat, blood.

Wow, I’m a carnivore.

Most monsters aren’t very tasty, but occasionally, some are.

In fact, monsters not native to the Elro Great Labyrinth are generally quite edible.

Yet humans don’t eat raw meat like that.

Of course not.

Therefore, I believe my taste preferences stem from both the likes and dislikes rooted in my human memories, and those derived from the current form of the monster I inhabit.

I attempt to eat raw meat sprinkled with salt.

Hmm, acceptable. Acceptable.

This flavor is likely incomprehensible to humans.

Well, they couldn’t eat it anyway—too tough.