“What big words!”
The Red Ogre Dorry snorted, two plumes of white steam erupting from his massive nostrils.
“Isn’t human cooking just adding some salt and roasting it over and over? What difference could there be?”
In the simple worldview of the Elbaf warriors, food was merely a source of strength; as long as it was cooked and edible, whether it was delicious or not was not within their consideration.
“Since that’s the case, how about we make a bet?”
It was Rocks who spoke. He loved a good show and walked over to Rein with a smile, patting his small shoulder.
“We’ll use that burnt piece of meat of yours and let my Head Chef handle it. If you think it tastes better than what you cooked, then we win.”
“What if we don’t think there’s any difference?”
Brogy asked.
“Then we’ll immediately get off this island and leave all the rum on our ship for you.”
Rocks said magnanimously.
“What if you win then?”
Dorry pressed.
Rocks grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth, his smile imbued with a certain arrogant confidence.
“Then you’ll have to admit that everything you’ve eaten in the past was garbage, and furthermore, we’ll be hunting on this island, and the two of you will be our guides.”
This bet was full of provocation.
Dorry and Brogy exchanged glances, seeing the same emotion in each other’s eyes—absurdity, and a hint of aroused curiosity.
“Alright! We’re on!”
Brogy plunged the huge, mostly charred Sea Kings meat block he held into the ground with a dull thud.
“Little fellow, use this to show us what you’ve got!”
Gatz and Dolum were both a bit nervous; the stakes were rather high.
Only Silvers remained silently leaning against a tree; he trusted Rein.
Rein walked up to the meat block, which was taller than him, and touched it with his small hand.
The outer layer was completely carbonized, hard as stone, but the internal temperature was still present; there was still room for salvage.
“Gatz, help me lift it to the fire. Silvers, find some large, clean leaves. Dolum, use your axe to carve some thin, long wooden skewers for me.”
Rein began to issue instructions methodically.
The three immediately sprang into action.
Rein first directed Gatz to re-suspend the meat block over the fire, but kept it at a distance, using the residual heat to continue the internal cooking.
Then, he took out his chef’s knife, the blade flashing as he precisely sliced off the thick, completely carbonized layer from the surface of the meat block, making a crunching sound.
This precise knife work made the two giants watching from the side exclaim in surprise.
After the charred outer shell was removed, the deep brown fish meat inside was revealed.
Although it still didn’t look great, at least it was no longer charcoal.
Rein used the wooden skewers Dolum had carved to poke countless tiny holes in the fish meat, then he turned his back to the others, and the jade-like Endless Seasoning Bottle reappeared in his palm.
“Papain enzyme to tenderize the meat, highly concentrated liquor essence to remove the fishy smell, sea salt crystals to enhance the sweetness of deep-sea fish meat, and… a hint of rosemary fragrance to awaken dormant taste buds.”
A nearly transparent liquid, mixed with barely visible crystals and powder, was silently flicked out by Rein, evenly coating the surface of the meat block and seeping into the small holes.
After all this was done, Rein used the large leaves Silvers had found to tightly wrap the entire piece of meat, like a giant green zongzi, then pushed it back to the campfire and buried it in hot ashes for the final braising.
The entire process flowed smoothly, filled with a peculiar rhythm, adding a touch of artistry to the otherwise crude outdoor cooking.
The two giants were stunned; they had never imagined that preparing a piece of meat could involve so many steps.
About ten minutes later, Rein pushed aside the hot ashes and unwrapped the leaves.
The moment the leaves were uncovered, an unprecedented, intensely aggressive aroma burst forth!
It wasn’t just a simple meaty scent, but a complex, multi-layered fragrance.
The unique, robust umami of the Sea Kings was completely stimulated by some mysterious power and perfectly blended with a fresh, plant-like aroma.
Interspersed within it were faint hints of alcohol and spice, like a heavy punch, striking everyone’s olfactory nerves.
“This… what is this smell?!”
Brogy’s eyes widened like brass bells, his enormous Adam’s apple bobbing up and down.
Dorry’s saliva was already uncontrollably flowing from the corners of his mouth, forming a small waterfall.
Gatz was even more exaggerated; he clutched his stomach, so happy he almost rolled on the spot.
“Ah! It’s the Head Chef’s smell! It’s the smell of heaven!”
Rein expressionlessly used his knife to cut the braised fish meat into several thick slices.
The fish meat had completely transformed.
Its surface presented an alluring caramel color, while the inside was moist and plump, a soft pinkish-white, with visible meat fibers, steaming hot and exuding a fatal allure.
Rein handed the largest piece to Brogy and another to Dorry.
The two giants hesitantly accepted the meat slices, which for them were barely enough to fill a tooth gap. Looking at the glistening oil and smelling the aroma that made their souls tremble, they finally couldn’t resist opening their huge mouths and swallowing them in one bite.
The moment the meat entered their mouths, the two giants’ movements completely froze.
Their eyes suddenly widened to their absolute limit.
It was a texture they had never experienced before.
The meat, far from becoming dry and fibrous from being reheated, was instead extraordinarily tender and smooth.
With a gentle bite, the rich meat juices burst in their mouths, and that perfectly stimulated, ultimate sweetness, like a mountain torrent and a tsunami, instantly overwhelmed their taste buds.
The charred aroma, the wine aroma, the fresh scent of herbs, layered progressively, finally transforming into a warm current that slid down their throats into their stomachs, like a bolt of lightning, splitting open their world of taste that had been dormant for so many years.
“Ooh…”
“Oh…”
The two towering giants now whimpered unintelligibly, like children who had just received candy.
On Brogy’s weathered face, two lines of tears rolled down without warning, each drop like a small pebble hitting the ground.
“This taste… it reminds me of Elbaf… Mama’s sea beast stew…”
He murmured, his voice thick with a nasal tone.
Dorry was no better; he tightly closed his eyes, his massive body trembling slightly, seemingly savoring that brief yet ultimate deliciousness.
After a long while, he finally opened his eyes and looked at Rein, his gaze incredibly complex, filled with shock, shame, and a hint of… awe from the bottom of his heart.
“We… lost.”
Dorry’s voice was somewhat hoarse.
Brogy also nodded heavily. He looked at the finished piece of meat in his hand, then at the charred remains they had gnawed on haphazardly earlier, and for the first time, a look of disgust appeared on his face.
“Everything we’ve eaten for the past hundred-plus years… was indeed garbage!”
Rocks burst into laughter, his laughter echoing in the clearing: “Hahahaha! It seems my Head Chef has gained two more loyal diners.”
Rein, however, showed no trace of triumph. He merely glanced indifferently at the remains of the Sea Kings, then turned his gaze towards the depths of the perilous primeval jungle.
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