As the two teammates fell into danger, before Leos could rush forward to help, Bai Mo had already stepped in.
Facing the man now standing before it, the snake-tailed chicken didn't charge recklessly. It sensed a suffocating pressure from Bai Mo — an instinctive wariness far keener than any human's. Both its snake and rooster heads hissed menacingly, and the rooster puffed up its feathers, trying to appear more intimidating.
But Bai Mo didn't flinch at the display.
From another side, Leos shouted, "Bai! The snake-tailed chicken has two heads but only one body. If we attack together, we can confuse its brain and make it falter!"
"No need to make it so complicated," Bai Mo replied calmly.
He stepped forward with a powerful leap and swung his right fist. "Sea Tiger Thunder Fist!"
Although Bai Mo's magnetic field wasn't yet on par with the original Sea Tiger's, the blow still packed considerable power. The electric current driven by his gourmet cells amplified the force, sending a surging wave of lightning crashing through the creature.
The blow struck the rooster head first, instantly electrocuting it. The brain was scorched from within, and with one head down, the creature's coordination collapsed. The snake head twitched in confusion and paralysis.
Bai Mo didn't hesitate. He followed up with another heavy punch, smashing the snake head and frying its brain as well.
After all, snake and chicken brains aren't exactly edible — destroying them was the best way to preserve the meat's natural flavor.
"If only I knew Master Chūjirō's acupuncture techniques from Toriko," Bai Mo muttered. "Sealing the vital points would've been ideal…"
As the massive creature collapsed with both heads charred, Senji — who had picked up his axe, ready to fight — couldn't help but give Bai Mo a thumbs-up.
"What terrifying strength..."
"Just trying to earn a meal," Bai Mo replied modestly.
Meanwhile, Leos had rejoined the two adventurers who had been struck down earlier.
"The snake-tailed chicken's snake head sprays venom, but the rooster's claws are also laced with poison. Looks like this one's been poisoned... Damn, we don't have any proper antidotes!"
Just as Leos was beginning to panic, Marucil came running over with good news.
"Leos! Senji's bag has some of the antidote herbs we picked yesterday. He'll be okay!"
When they reached Senji, however, he looked a bit conflicted.
"Uh… those herbs were supposed to be used as seasoning for a recipe. Without them, it's gonna be hard to bring out the right flavor in that stew I had planned."
"No worries," Bai Mo said with a chuckle. "Relax — my attack was quick and precise. Neither head had time to react before dying."
"That means the venom sacs didn't rupture, and no toxin spread through the body."
"That's a relief!" Senji immediately handed over the herbs. "Then here, take these. I'll help Bai process the snake-chicken beast. Time to prep lunch!"
The creature's main body was a snake over a meter long, with a two-meter-tall rooster as its tail.
After severing the snake head and plucking the feathers, Bai Mo ended up with a thick strip of black snake meat and a full-bodied rooster.
Looking at the two ingredients, a memory popped into his head — a famous dish he'd eaten in Guangzhou: Snake Bites Chicken.
In that version, a live cobra bites and injects venom into a hen, which is then cooked with the snake to make a rich soup — something akin to the traditional Dragon-Phoenix Hotpot, but far more daring.
And now… wasn't this snake-chicken beast the perfect natural fusion of both?
Maybe… it would taste even better.
Senji didn't object to Bai Mo's plan and began assisting in processing the ingredients. After the grilled chicken rack recipe from yesterday, he had full confidence in Bai's cooking.
While Senji handled the poisonous parts of the snake, Bai Mo got to work.
He deboned and chopped up the rooster, saving half in his storage space. The rest he soaked in ginger-infused water to remove odors and scum.
Then he seared the chicken chunks in a hot wok with a splash of oil until golden brown.
Next, he pulled out a six-liter clay pot — the biggest one he could buy in the market. Bai Mo had long prepared a kitchen supply warehouse within his food world, stocked with gear and spices for just such situations.
He added the seared chicken to the pot, followed by the chopped snake meat.
To this he added goji berries, red dates, ginseng, some edible carnivorous plant fruit, and mushrooms they'd picked the day before — then filled it all with fresh water.
After bringing it to a boil, he reduced to a low simmer and watched the pot carefully for over an hour, making sure nothing overcooked or burned.
Finally, when the time was right, he seasoned the soup with salt and MSG for the final touch.
As steam rose from the clay pot, Lucy couldn't help but gulp.
Maybe… monsters weren't so bad after all, if they could taste like this?
Marucil took a bite of the tender chicken and exclaimed, "This is amazing! It could be sold in a restaurant!"
"It tastes just like chicken, but who knew cooking it with snake meat would make it so flavorful?"
"This is also medicinal," Bai Mo added, pointing at the ginseng and goji berries. "I know you're all focused on saving Leos's sister — but how will you do that without good health?"
"Zilchak, you only slept five hours last night before weaving that feather cloak. Marucil had nightmares. And Leos barely slept at all. You guys won't get far if you collapse from exhaustion."
The trio went silent, quietly sipping their soup.
Only Senji nodded in agreement, then took another bite and commented, "The chicken meat is firm and springy. It absorbed the richness of the broth and became incredibly juicy."
"The snake meat, on the other hand, is soft and delicate. The contrast in textures adds a fascinating complexity."
"With the added herbs, this soup is both delicious and rejuvenating — a perfect meal for adventurers."
"So eat up," he added. "The road ahead won't be easy."
Hearing that, not just Leos's group, but even the two rescued adventurers joined in, digging into the hearty, revitalizing meal.
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T/N:
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