After finishing an entire pot of Snakebite Chicken Soup, Bai Mo still felt somewhat unsatisfied.
Although the soup was delicious, there were still too many flaws. Most importantly, it lacked the presence of toxins, making the flavor feel incomplete.
After all, the essence of Snakebite Chicken lay in the venom of the cobra, which, after being cooked at high temperatures, transformed into a protein safe for human consumption. The unique taste of the venom was what made the dish truly special!
Perhaps he shouldn't have let the Snake-Tailed Chicken die so quickly. If he had allowed its venom to spread through the chicken's body, the dish might have been even more flavorful!
Hearing Bai Mo's words, Senxi nodded in agreement. "Toxins can indeed be considered a type of seasoning. Mandrake and certain poisonous mushrooms also make excellent additions to soups!"
Watching the two casually discuss how to use deadly poisons in cooking, Marusiel couldn't help but shiver.
Please tell me this won't become a recurring theme during our journey…
Meanwhile, the two adventurers they had rescued exchanged glances before earnestly asking Laios, "Sir Laios, we've been challenging this dungeon for three months now, but we keep getting wiped out at the same spot."
"How… how can we become strong enough to turn monsters into food like you all?"
"Well, first—"
Before Laios could answer, Senxi interjected with a serious expression, "First, improve your eating habits, then adjust your daily routine, and incorporate proper exercise!"
"As long as you follow these three principles, you'll naturally develop a strong and healthy physique!"
To emphasize his point, Senxi struck a bodybuilder's pose.
Bai Mo nodded in agreement and added, "Stay active, study hard, play hard, eat well, and rest well. Live a happy, fulfilling, and energetic life! That's the secret of our party!"
Though they didn't fully understand Bai Mo's words, the adventurers felt an inexplicable sense of profundity.
It sounded like a philosophy urging people to live their lives to the fullest.
Recalling how effortlessly Bai Mo had dealt with the Snake-Tailed Chicken, the warrior silently committed these words to memory.
After bidding farewell to the two, Bai Mo's group continued their journey.
Laios frowned as he studied the hand-drawn dungeon map. "According to Senxi, the Red Dragon feeds roughly once a month."
"Last time, we were unlucky enough to encounter it during its feeding period. This time, we must find and slay it within a month to recover Falin's body and resurrect her."
Right now, my little sister is still being digested by that damn dragon!
"Wait a minute—" Bai Mo raised a different concern. "Laios, you said it feeds about once a month, but have you accounted for its digestion time?"
"If your sister is completely digested, won't she be beyond saving?"
"Therefore, we should actually aim to finish this within less than a month."
Hearing this, Laios and the others paled.
But they knew Bai Mo was right.
"Bai makes a good point. We can't afford to take our usual route anymore. We need to speed things up and take a shortcut to the lower levels."
"We do know a shortcut, but it's full of traps and has very few monsters. Our food supplies might not last…"
"In that case, we'll need to gather more edible resources in the Great Tree Labyrinth before we proceed."
After listening to Laios and Chilchuck's explanation, Senxi quickly assessed the situation.
"We still have one Blazing Crimson Feather Vulture left from yesterday, half a Snake-Tailed Chicken, about twenty eggs, and some of the carnivorous plant fruits have been consumed."
"Given our current supplies, we should split into two teams—one to hunt edible monsters and the other to gather nutritious vegetables."
"I know a spot where Mandrakes grow. I can collect those and other vegetables."
"Mandrakes!" Marusiel, who had felt useless until now, suddenly perked up. "Me! Me! I know how to harvest Mandrakes! Leave it to me!"
"Mandrakes are a fundamental ingredient in magic and herbalism—this is my area of expertise as a mage!"
Seeing Marusiel's confidence, the group quickly divided into two teams. Bai Mo and Chilchuck would hunt monsters, while Laios, Senxi, and Marusiel gathered Mandrakes and other vegetables.
No one objected to the arrangement.
Once they parted ways with the others, Bai Mo, unfamiliar with the dungeon's layout, deferred to Chilchuck's expertise.
"Chilchuck, I'm new to this dungeon, so I'll rely on you to guide us to the monsters."
"Sure, no problem. Leave it to me!" Chilchuck scanned their surroundings. "We already have chicken and bird meat, so we should aim for pork or beef next."
"There's a type of monster called Thornbeasts—massive creatures covered in sharp, poisonous thorns, resembling a cross between a giant hedgehog and a porcupine. But I bet they taste similar!"
Bai Mo nodded. "Then let's hunt those. Do you know where they usually roam?"
"Yep, follow me!"
Under Chilchuck's guidance, the two soon arrived at a Thornbeast nest, where two of the creatures lay sleeping.
True to their name, they did resemble oversized porcupines.
Chilchuck quietly explained, "Their thorns are razor-sharp and venomous, capable of piercing through armor. They also have a special sac on their backs that stores and releases thorn seeds, which grow into dense thickets to protect them."
"So we need to take them out quickly?"
"Exactly. I'm not much of a fighter, so you'll have to handle this. They're weak to fire—let me make a torch for you with some cloth and oil."
"No need." Bai Mo waved him off. "I can handle fire just fine."
After instructing Chilchuck to take cover, Bai Mo strode straight toward the Thornbeasts.
"Magnetic Force Rotation—24,000 Revolutions! BURN!"
With a single punch, scorching flames erupted from Bai Mo's fist. The moment his strike connected, the Thornbeast's body was engulfed in fire. But before the flames could even weaken it, Bai Mo's overwhelming magnetic force shattered the monster into bloody chunks.
Watching the gory aftermath, Bai Mo wiped the blood from his face and sighed.
"These things aren't that tough. I might've gone a bit overboard."
Chilchuck, still hiding, was utterly stunned.
He knew Bai Mo was strong, but this was beyond his expectations.
One punch turned a Thornbeast into mincemeat… Even a Red Dragon would struggle against that kind of power!
And his fists came with special effects—lightning and fire?!
We've really hit the jackpot with this guy…
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T/N:
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