Chương 46

[Quest Generated: Restoring the Glow] [Difficulty: B] [The Valiant Tribe's sacred mud bath is polluted. Find a way to neutralize the toxicity and restore its aesthetic properties.] Rudra sighed. He looked over at Elysia.

"Hey, alchemist. How do we fix a giant puddle of poison?" Elysia walked to the edge of the crater, inspecting the purple sludge.

"The toad's slime is highly acidic. We need a strong alkaline base to neutralize it, mixed with a binding agent to pull the toxins out of the soil." Rudra looked at his inventory. He pulled out the glowing [Toxic Toad Gland] he just looted, some leftover crocodile fat, and a bundle of sweet river-kelp.

"If I render the croc fat and mix it with the kelp, that makes a thick, collagen-heavy paste," Rudra thought out loud.

"Can we use the toad's own gland to reverse the acidity?"

"Yes," Elysia nodded.

"If you boil the gland down, it acts as a purifying soap. Mix it with the collagen, and it will draw out the poison."

"Perfect. Stand back." Rudra set up his iron skillet right there on the swamp bank. He dropped the nasty toad gland into the hot pan, adding the croc fat and crushing the kelp directly into the mix. He didn't use spices this time. He just focused entirely on blending the materials. The mixture bubbled and hissed, eventually turning into a heavy, glowing silver paste. [You have successfully created 'Purifying Mud-Bomb'!] [Rating: Rare] [A rare-rated item was produced, so all stats have permanently risen by +2 and reputation throughout the continent has risen by +30.] Rudra grabbed the heavy lump of silver paste and tossed it right into the center of the polluted crater. The reaction was instant. The silver paste dissolved, foaming aggressively. It spread across the purple slime like a wave, actively scrubbing the toxicity out of the dirt. Within seconds, the bubbling stopped.

The mud settled into a pristine, shimmering silver-grey clay that smelled faintly of mint and fresh minerals. Korag cautiously dipped a massive green finger into the mud and rubbed it on his arm.

"It's so smooth," Korag whispered, his eyes tearing up.

"The exfoliation... it is flawless." The Orcs cheered, completely ignoring Rudra and immediately diving into the mud bath to strike poses and rub the silver clay on their abs. [Quest 'Restoring the Glow' has been completed!] Korag climbed out of the mud, completely coated in shimmering clay. He walked over to Rudra and offered him a deep, respectful bow.

"You have saved our culture, aesthetic human," Korag boomed. He reached into his leather pouch and pulled out a heavy, dusty book.

"Please, accept this ancient text as our greatest thanks. And you must stay for the Banquet of Symmetry tonight!" Rudra caught the book. He brushed the mud off the cover. [Item Acquired: Rare Hidden Class Change Book] [An ancient manual that changes the user's current class to the Rare Hidden Class: Alluring Charmer. Warning: Using this item permanently restricts the use of large weapons and heavy armor. It converts 50% of your raw Strength into Charm.] Rudra's red eyes went completely wide behind his mask.

A Hidden Class change book. Even a Rare-rated one was the absolute holy grail of the game right now.

"Restricts large weapons?" Rudra muttered, glancing at his thick, heavy ironwood staff.

"Yeah, my staff definitely counts as a large weapon. I'm passing on this." He could already see the real-world dollar signs floating in front of his eyes. If he sold this on the auction house, he could officially prove to his mom that gaming was a highly lucrative job. He would never have to step foot in a corporate IT office ever again. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

"Korag, you are officially my favorite NPC," Rudra grinned, shoving the incredibly valuable book into his inventory.

"And I'd love to stay for a banquet. I'm starving." The Banquet of Symmetry was held in the center of the village. Massive bonfires lit up the night sky, and the Orcs spent half the time eating and the other half flexing their muscles in the firelight. Rudra sat on a woven mat next to Elysia, waiting for the food to be served. A massive Orc waiter approached, carrying a large wooden platter. He set it down in front of them with a proud smile. Rudra looked at the plate. His smile instantly died.

It was a giant pile of boiled, unseasoned swamp-fowl breasts and steamed, plain broccoli. There was absolutely no oil, no butter, and no sauce.

"What is this?" Rudra asked, poking the dry white meat with his fork.

"Pure, unadulterated protein and fiber," Korag announced proudly from across the fire.

"We boil it to remove all impurities. No salt, either! Salt makes you retain water, which ruins muscle definition." Rudra looked at the dry, sad chicken breast. He looked at Korag. He looked back at the chicken.

"You guys are living in hell," Rudra whispered in pure culinary horror. Elysia picked up a piece of the plain broccoli and chewed it quietly.

"It is highly efficient for sustenance."

"I'm not eating sad, boiled bird," Rudra declared, standing up.

"Move over. I'm taking over the kitchen." He marched straight to the central bonfire, shoved his massive iron skillet over the flames, and pulled out his remaining Mutated Swamp Croc meat.

"Human, what are you doing?" Valera, the female Orc warrior, asked with concern.

"Fat will ruin our waistlines!"

"Trust the process," Rudra yelled back. He tossed a huge block of butter into the pan. The Orcs collectively gasped in horror as it sizzled. He chopped the thick crocodile meat and threw it in, letting it sear perfectly in the fat. Then, he pulled out his secret weapon: the Epic Fire-Crystal Salt. He aggressively seasoned the meat. The spicy, rich aroma of garlic, fire, and perfectly seared fat exploded across the village square. The Orcs stopped posing.

They all turned their heads toward the skillet, their noses twitching violently. Their strict diets were actively losing a war against the smell. Rudra flipped the meat flawlessly, cooking it until it was a perfect, crispy golden-red. [You have successfully created 'Fire-Seared Swamp Croc Bites'!] [Rating: Rare] [Effect: Maximum Stamina increases by 15%. Greatly enhances metabolism and fat-burning for 3 hours. Satiety is fully restored.] [A rare-rated item was produced, so all stats have permanently risen by +2 and reputation throughout the continent has risen by +30.]"Come and get it," Rudra grinned, piling the massive portions onto wooden plates. Korag hesitated. He looked at his abs, then looked at the glowing, perfectly spiced meat. He took a tiny bite. His eyes rolled back in his head.

"By the Goddess," Korag wept, falling to his knees.

"It... it tastes like joy." Within minutes, the entire Valiant Tribe had completely abandoned their boiled chicken. They devoured the seared croc bites, crying aesthetic tears of joy as the rich, spicy flavors hit their tongues. When they realized the meal actually enhanced their metabolism instead of ruining their diets, they practically worshipped Rudra.

"You are not just an aesthetic warrior," Korag boomed, lifting a wooden mug of river water to toast him.

"You are an aesthetic chef! A master of bulk and cut!" [You have acquired the Title: Aesthetic Chef.] [Aesthetic Chef] [You have conquered the hearts and stomachs of the ultimate bodybuilders. Your culinary creations are visually flawless. - Charisma and Dignity permanently increase by +100. - Any food you cook will always possess a beautiful, mouth-watering presentation, regardless of the ingredients used.] Rudra just laughed, leaning back on his mat and enjoying his own massive plate of perfectly cooked food.

For a guy who hated dealing with loud gamers, hanging out with a tribe of bodybuilding supermodels was actually incredibly fun. The next morning, Rudra and Elysia stood at the edge of the village. Korag and the rest of the tribe hit one final, synchronized front-double-bicep pose to bid them farewell.

"May your gains be forever symmetrical, Rudra," Korag called out.

"Keep up the good work on those deltoids, Korag," Rudra waved, genuinely sad to leave them behind. With Kratos stable and sleeping soundly in his cloak, they walked out of the glowing village and headed back out into the deeper swamps, looking for a dry path that led toward the Arc Kingdom's capital. They walked for about twenty minutes, the sound of the swamp frogs echoing in the heavy, humid air. Suddenly, the temperature dropped like a stone. It wasn't a natural chill.

It was a heavy, suffocating cold that made the hair on the back of Rudra's neck stand up. The frogs completely stopped croaking. The swamp went dead quiet. A dark purple magic circle materialized in the mud just a few yards ahead of them. Elysia instantly drew her longsword, stepping in front of Rudra.

"Dark magic. High tier." A figure stepped out of the portal. It was a woman with long, perfectly straight black hair and incredibly pale skin. She wore an elegant, tailored black suit that looked completely out of place in the muddy swamp. She held a sleek, obsidian wand. The name hovering above her head made Rudra's blood run cold. [Yura - Lv. 99] Rank 5 on the global leaderboards. The top dark mage in the game.