Chương 42

The walk back to Silverwood Village was much faster without a corrupted lion hunting them. Kratos spent the whole trip hiding inside Rudra's cloak, occasionally poking his tiny head out to bite at passing leaves. When they stepped out of the treeline, the heavy wooden gates of the village were already open. Chief Toben and a crowd of skinny villagers were waiting anxiously.

"The roaring stopped," Toben said, his voice trembling with hope.

"Did you actually do it?"

"The woods are safe," Rudra said quietly. He nodded, his mood still heavy as he thought about the tragic death of the mother lion.

"You can go back to chopping trees now." The villagers stood totally still for a second. Then, they erupted into massive cheers. A few people actually fell to their knees in pure relief. Toben rushed forward, tears in his eyes, and shoved a heavy, rusted bronze key into Rudra's hands.

"The Sun Grove is yours," Toben smiled.

"It's a small cave just behind the lumber mill. Take whatever you want, traveler. You saved our lives!" Rudra looked down at the old key. He still felt a little sad about how things ended in the forest. But then, Kratos let out a tiny, sleepy squeak from inside his jacket. Rudra patted the cub's head. He had saved the little guy. And more importantly... Toben just said the word 'Grove'. Wait, Rudra thought, blinking. Sun-Kissed Truffles. I'm about to get an entire cave full of premium mushrooms.

Just like that, his gloomy mood vanished completely. The sadness was instantly replaced by his usual, overpowering hunger.

"Thanks, Chief," Rudra grinned under his mask. He didn't waste another second. He left the celebrating villagers behind and practically sprinted toward the back of the mill. Elysia followed at a normal pace, shaking her head at his food obsession. The Sun Grove wasn't very big. It was a shallow, rocky cave that perfectly caught the warm morning sunlight. Scattered all across the damp dirt were dozens of lumpy, golden mushrooms. The air inside smelled earthy, rich, and incredibly sweet.

"Jackpot," Rudra whispered. He knelt in the dirt. Normally, he would just grab the mushrooms and yank them out. But his new medicine skill and Elysia's lessons gave him a better idea. Ripping them out would damage the roots and ruin the flavor. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. He pulled out a flat piece of bone from his inventory.

Using his high dexterity, he carefully loosened the dirt around the golden truffles, gently lifting them out without snapping a single fiber. [You have successfully harvested 'Perfect Sun-Kissed Truffles'!] [Your understanding of raw materials has deepened.]"Nice," Rudra cheered. He gathered a dozen perfect truffles and set up his iron skillet right there in the cave.

"Breakfast time." He pulled out his last remaining piece of Premium Mantis Shrimp and a pinch of his Epic Fire-Crystal Salt. He fired up his portable stove. He didn't rush. He let the pan get incredibly hot before dropping the shrimp in. Then, he grabbed one of the freshly dug truffles and shaved thin, golden slices directly over the sizzling meat. The smell that hit the air was unbelievable. It was a mix of savory ocean meat, deep garlic, and rich butter.

Even Elysia, who usually kept her strict composure, visibly swallowed hard. A blinding purple light shot out of the pan. [You have successfully created 'Sun-Kissed Mantis Steak'!] [Rating: Epic] [A masterpiece of the forest and sea. The rich, magical properties of the truffles perfectly elevate the raw vitality of the shrimp.] [Effect: Instantly restores 60% Health. Grants extreme Health Regeneration and +30% to all stats for 3 hours. Purges mid-tier status ailments.] [An epic-rated dish was produced, so all stats have permanently risen by +4 and reputation throughout the continent has risen by +80.] Rudra plated the steak on a wooden flatboard and handed it to Elysia.

"Eat up." She took a small bite. Her eyes widened. She didn't say a word, but she finished the entire steak in less than a minute, eating incredibly fast. As soon as she swallowed the last bite, a bright golden aura flared around her body. It violently crashed against the hidden purple poison in her veins, pushing it back. The pale color left her cheeks, and she let out a long, relieved breath. [Quest 'The Red Knight's Recovery' has been updated.] [Current Progress: 2 / 10 Epic Meals Served.]"That was amazing," Elysia admitted, wiping her mouth.

"I can actually feel my mana flowing properly again. I feel strong."

"Good. Eight more to go," Rudra smiled, packing up his pan. Suddenly, his brown cloak started shaking violently. A tiny, split-colored head popped right out of his collar. Kratos sniffed the air frantically, his little pink nose twitching at the leftover smell. He looked at the empty wooden plate, then looked up at Rudra with total betrayal.

"Squeak!" Kratos demanded, batting Rudra's chin with a tiny paw.

"Hey, don't look at me like that," Rudra told the cub.

"You just ate an entire fish." Kratos didn't care. He opened his tiny jaws and used his [Mana Devourer] skill. He didn't eat physical food—he literally sucked the lingering smell of the Epic steak straight out of the air. He let out a tiny, satisfied burp, and a blue system window popped up. [Due to the 'Heart of the Imperial Lion' synergy, the effectiveness of the dish's smell is increased by 100%!] Rudra stared blankly at the tiny furball.

Kratos crossed his little paws over his chest, looking up at Rudra expectantly, waiting for a real meal.

"He really is a giant glutton," Elysia pointed out, a rare smirk crossing her face.

"He fits right in with you." Rudra groaned loudly, burying his face in his hands.

"Great. I adopted a living black hole. What am I supposed to eat if I have to feed the both of you?"