You're right. This dragon certainly wouldn't get a stomach ache from eating anything—but that doesn't mean this dragon wants to eat burnt steak!
As a thrifty dragon who, after a fight with other monsters, would lick up the soil stained with dragon blood, Asterion absolutely did not encourage any waste of food.
So, he pretended not to notice the gaze cast upon him by the Grimalkyne named Sparky.
It was very lively.
These Grimalkynes seemed to be celebrating a festival. They were even singing while they worked... Asterion couldn't understand the lyrics of the Lynian ditty, but the joyful emotion was clearly conveyed through the rhythm and tune.
Asterion really liked this lively atmosphere. Seeing these big cats making a ruckus felt particularly amusing and interesting to him.
Brother Kulu-Ya-Ku was also looking around cheerfully. At Asterion's signal, it wasn't frightened by the large number of Grimalkynes. On the contrary, this guy was frighteningly familiar with everyone. Very quickly, holding a Herbivore egg, it mingled among the Grimalkynes, looking here and there.
Its round, blunt beak pecked at this, pecked at that, nearly breaking the Grimalkynes' clay pots, before being pushed away by the mouth by screaming Grimalkynes and twisted in another direction.
A Kulu-Ya-Ku is truly a Kulu-Ya-Ku; its scratching and pecking nature explains everything. Brother Kulu-Ya-Ku enjoyed this mischief. Even when a few Grimalkynes formed a wall of flesh to forcibly push it away from the makeshift stove, it didn't get angry. Instead, it cracked open the eggshell in its arms and started slurping.
Slurping while wandering around—it had the beauty of an onlooker enjoying the show.
Perhaps feeling that the meat of one Apceros couldn't satisfy Asterion, or maybe feeling that Apceros meat alone wasn't enough to display their culinary skills, the Grimalkynes brought out a lot of extra food. For example, jerky they had smoked in the past, dried fish, and some small animals they had hunted, such as Shepherd Hares and Remobras.
Interestingly, in Asterion's memory, Remobras weren't mammals like proper bats, but genuine Flying Wyverns—yes, those bats hanging upside down from the ceilings of various underground caves carried the bloodline of Flying Wyverns, but had evolved into bat-like creatures to adapt to the cave environment.
Even among small wyverns, they were considered tiny. They would move in groups at dusk, preying on small flying insects.
But they were indeed Wyverns.
They were just somewhat of a disgrace to drag kind, having been included in the Grimalkynes' diet.
The Grimalkynes moved very quickly. To display their culinary skills as much as possible and win Asterion's approval, they didn't cook the Apceros into a single flavor. Instead, after butchering it, they roughly divided it into three portions.
The first portion was used for stew. The Grimalkynes brought a giant clay pot. After throwing the Apceros meat in, they added many colorful plant leaves—some dried, some very fresh and green—and finally poured in a lot of powder that Asterion didn't recognize.
However, it smelled quite nice. Even lying in a corner of the cave, Asterion could smell the clear fragrance of the stew—a dish he, who only knew how to make sword-tail seared meat, could never produce.
The second portion of Apceros meat was cut into many equal-sized chunks. Asterion was more familiar with this: barbecue, and in the form of skewers!
The moment the seasoning powder was sprinkled onto the meat skewers, Asterion almost felt tears welling up in his eyes—he actually smelled chili!!
It really wasn't easy.
One should eat chili! Everyone should eat chili! Dishes without chili are simply hard to swallow!
Slurping back the drool that was about to drip, and suppressing the urge to go over and scarf it down right now, Asterion cast his gaze toward the final portion of meat.
This portion was minced very finely. Although for the Grimalkynes' size, these were still thick strips of meat, for Asterion, they were no different from ground meat.
They were quietly piled onto an irregular but generally flat stone slab. The Grimalkynes used rocks to prop up this slab, then lit a fire beneath it.
Asterion was familiar with this method too. Wasn't this just teppanyaki? Oh, right now it should be called stone-grilled. Essentially, it was stir-frying, a substitute in the absence of an iron wok, but still a stir-fry method.
The Grimalkynes had probably brought out their family treasures, because Asterion clearly saw many green vegetables that were rare in the Wildspire Waste arranged on the stone slab. He didn't know where these little guys found them... or did they grow them themselves?
Anyway, a Grimalkyne head chef was already standing at the edge of the stone slab, currently constantly stir-frying the mushrooms and meat strips on it.
Don't ask; it just smells good!
One dragon, three ways to eat—Asterion had already named today's feast.
So right, the Grimalkynes were just so right!
If Asterion had to cook for himself, it would be sword-tail seared meat and more sword-tail seared meat, not to mention he didn't even have his sword-tail right now.
"Ta-da! It's finished meow!!!"
There was no rice bowl suitable for Asterion, so six Grimalkynes, wearing gloves made of some thick animal fur, worked together to lift the stone slab directly in front of Asterion.
"Roar!!"
Roaring excitedly, if the situation hadn't prevented it, Asterion would have happily rubbed his hands together.
To be honest, even though he hadn't taken a bite yet, Asterion dared to swear that this meal was the best he had eaten since transmigrating.
No longer was it the internal organs of other animals, nor warm meat still dripping with blood, but delicacies meticulously prepared and cooked!
Real, genuine cuisine!!
It was enough to make a dragon weep.
"And us too meow! We're done too meow!!"
Seeing that their companions on the other side were already serving the dishes, the Grimalkynes in the barbecue section immediately shouted, unwilling to be outdone.
Every Grimalkyne ran over holding a large bundle of meat skewers sizzling with oil, then dumped them all onto the stone slab, nearly burying the stir-fried dish.
"What is the meaning of this meow! This is our dish meow!"
"Idiot meow! Are you going to make Boss Glavenus eat food placed on the ground meow?! This is manners meow!!"
"That's not the reason at all meow! You're clearly using roasted meat to cover our dish meow! Despicable meow!!"
"We are not meow! Don't talk nonsense meow!!"
Grimalkyne, competitive spirit activated!!
Asterion watched cheerfully as these two groups of Grimalkyne chefs argued below. He had noticed since earlier that a competitive dynamic had inexplicably emerged among the three cooperative groups of Grimalkyne chefs cooking the three different dishes.
Hmm, it felt like: since the stage is already set like this, we might as well have a competition meow—something like that.
The atmosphere was just right.
Especially in the current situation where the other two dishes had already been served, Asterion glanced over and saw the group of stewing Grimalkynes looking anxious enough to cry, as if they would be eaten if they didn't serve their food soon.
Ah, they really cried.
Asterion had somewhat underestimated his current intimidation factor.
"Im-Immediately ready meow! Boss Glavenus!!"
A stew chef whimpered gibberish.
"Roar!"
"Boss Glavenus says don't rush meow." As the only Grimalkyne who could understand Asterion's language, the old leader stood out leaning on his cane. "There is plenty of time; he will taste the other two dishes first."
The old leader's comfort somewhat calmed the stew chefs down.
"Just watch meow! We definitely won't lose meow!!"
"That's not certain meow! Just obediently admit defeat before my great roast meat meow!!"
Hmm, both sides were talking smack. Asterion's expression was a bit subtle... he felt that these Grimalkynes might have forgotten what he was here for today.
But whatever, he would eat first out of respect.
No time to wait any longer. Amidst the fearful exclamations of the Grimalkynes, Asterion suddenly lowered his head and took a bite of the stone slab stir-fried meat.
A gaping maw of blood!
The stir-fry piled like a small hill instantly turned into Mount Fuji, with a crater caved right into the middle.
"Oh yeah! Boss Glavenus ate our stir-fry first meow!!"
The stone slab stir-fry chef team immediately celebrated, jumping up and down on the ground, looking as if they had already won.
Disregarding observing the Grimalkynes further, Asterion closed his eyes, chewing the delicious meal in his mouth with unprecedented seriousness and solemnity, savoring every trace of the subtlest fragrance.
Fragrant.
Fragrant!!
Fragrant!!!
The unique umami of the mushrooms and the fragrance of the grease released by the meat strips in high heat superimposed on each other. The slightly charred texture didn't affect the taste; instead, it made the mushrooms chewier, and the taste of chili gave the meat strips a sufficient sense of nostalgia.
"Roar, roar roar."
After Asterion's rhythmic roars subsided, under the expectant gazes of many Grimalkynes, the old leader coughed twice and announced loudly:
"Boss Glavenus said meow, seven points!"
Points. Simple mathematics existed in the Grimalkyne tribe, so they could naturally rate based on this.
"How is that possible meow?" The stir-fry chef team instantly looked as if the sky had fallen. Their shocked cat eyes widened by a whole circle. "This is the dish Meow prepared with great care meow! Usually, no Meow has ever said it wasn't good meow!!"
"Haha, I told you you're an idiot meow!" Sparky's childhood friend stood with her paws on her hips at this moment, looking smug. "You also said 'usually' meow. Did you think Boss Glavenus is the same as us meow?! Boss Glavenus is thiiis big meow! So seeing that you were still adding seasoning according to usual habits meow, I knew you lost meow!!"
"Wha—It's actually like that meow?!"
"Roar!" Asterion roared again.
As if struck by lightning, the Grimalkyne leading the stir-fry chef team went completely stiff. Holding onto a last shred of hope, his cat head turned slowly to look at the old leader.
But to his despair, meeting his gaze, the old leader nodded heavily.
"It's just that there was too little seasoning meow! Boss Glavenus said the flavor wasn't enough meow!!"
Kaboom!!
A thunderbolt of the soul blasted the Grimalkynes of the stir-fry chef team to the ground.
"Heh heh, please taste our Meow-flavor roast meat meow! Boss Glavenus!" Sparky's childhood friend wiped her cat nose triumphantly and said to Asterion: "The meat chunks must be as big as possible, the chili must be as abundant as possible, and the rock salt must be as salty as possible meow! It absolutely suits Boss Glavenus's taste meow!!"
"B-But won't that be bad for Boss Glavenus's body meow..." Lying on the ground, a cat from the stir-fry chef team struggled to reach out a hand. "Too much seasoning powder meow, you can't even see the look of the meat anymore meow."
"You idiot meow, don't look at Boss Glavenus with our bodies in mind meow!" The childhood friend shouted loudly.
"Damn it, Congcong meow, you are so despicable meow..."
Leaving behind the last words of a loser, the stir-fry chef team: Meow-fall.
The stir-fry chef team was right; the meat served by the barbecue team indeed no longer looked like meat. During the earlier roasting process, after scoring the meat chunks with a knife, they began roasting—a layer of oil, a layer of seasoning, a layer of oil, a layer of seasoning.
In the end, it simply became giant meat skewers that looked like red bricks.
Under the nervous gaze of Congcong, that is, Sparky's childhood friend, Asterion took a bite, swallowing a whole section, meat chunks and wooden stick included—don't be fooled by her confident appearance; in reality, everything she said just now was merely her one-sided conjecture, meaning it was unverified.
Chew chew, chew repeatedly.
"Roar!!!"
"Boss Glavenus says, nine points!!"
Following Asterion's roar, the old leader stepped forward and announced with a face full of pride—that the young ones in the tribe had such observational skills and clever minds made him feel exceptionally gratified. This nine points meant that Congcong's guess was correct!
For Boss Glavenus, you have to use heavy seasoning meow!!
"Meow-yeah!!!"
Jumping up in joy instantly, the chefs of the barbecue team cheered, and the Grimalkynes who hadn't participated but had been watching from the side also cheered happily.
Hmm, perhaps the only ones who couldn't be happy at this moment were the stir-fry chef team who had just been defeated.
But Asterion couldn't care about all that. Don't look at the fact that he only gave the stone slab stir-fry team seven points; that was just for the sake of fair grading. In reality, for him, who had been drinking blood and eating raw meat in the past, the things the Grimalkynes served right now were all extremely delicious.
And what he had to do was choose the even more delicious ones from among the delicious.
Rather extravagant, really.
Honestly, Asterion was actually rejoicing now that he had deliberately held back and didn't give a high score when he first ate the stir-fry. After all, although the taste of the stir-fry was very light, compared to the raw food he ate in the past, it could still be considered delicious.
Otherwise, it would have been really hard to grade... he couldn't just give everything ten points, right?
Asterion considered himself a dragon of discriminating taste; he couldn't make it seem like he had never eaten anything good before.
Regardless of what evaluation the Grimalkynes had for these two ways of cooking, after giving his scores respectively, Asterion continued to eat ferociously.
Truly, if he wasn't worried about damaging the kitchenware and delaying the Grimalkynes' cooking, Asterion even wanted to eat the stone slab the stir-fry chefs used.
After all, this rock was really marinated with flavor.
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