Free Web NovelChapter 129: Chapter 108: Encountering the Crimson Flame Tiger
It was a bit of a shame that their current conditions didn’t allow for making a "Crispy Skin Potion," so roasted suckling pig was off the table. However, roasted ribs and pig’s trotters were still possible.
The leftover bones and meat could be used to make a stew.
Solan and Carson cleaned the pig they had hunted, removed its innards, and butchered it according to Lin Mo’s instructions.
Lin Mo took some salt from his backpack and rubbed it on the cut ribs and pig’s trotters, letting them marinate for a short while to build a base flavor.
As for the remaining pieces, he blanched them in a small pot to remove the impurities...
In truth, Lin Mo wasn’t much of a cook. He was just trying to replicate things he remembered from videos he’d once seen, learning as he went. To the others, however, his series of actions looked quite professional.
They were Adventurers, after all. With simple, convenient, and easy-to-store foods like bread and dried meat, combined with the dangers of the wilderness and the exhaustion from their quests, they rarely bothered to cook. Even on the rare occasion they caught some game, they would just roast it over a fire with a sprinkle of salt. Who would bother with such elaborate preparations?
And as for Feney, it went without saying. She was the daughter of the City Lord’s Family; when would she ever have had the chance to cook for herself?
So they all watched Lin Mo work with fascinated expressions. Ali wanted to help, but she didn’t know where to start. She looked busy without knowing what to be busy with, anxiously scratching her head.
"Alright, alright, just wait. It’ll be ready soon..."
Lin Mo reached out and gently rubbed her ear. Ali didn’t shy away, squatting beside him with a faint blush on her face.
The rest of the team shared a tacit understanding. Feney, however, looked completely amazed. Her eyes darted from Lin Mo to Ali and then to everyone else, rolling around as if she was eager to gossip.
The meat didn’t need to marinate for long, mainly because they didn’t have much time to wait. After a short while, Lin Mo placed the ribs on a rack over the fire to roast.
He put the blanched ribs back in the pot with fresh water to stew, adding a bit of salt. Lin Mo wished he had something else to add, but alas, there was nothing.
Spices and the like seemed to exist in this world, but the price...
Let’s just say his current income wasn’t high enough for him to be overly extravagant with his food.
As the Flame roasted the meat, fat dripped steadily from the ribs. A rich aroma filled the air, making everyone’s mouths water.
Lin Mo sprinkled a little more salt on the ribs. Just then, Feney came over and pressed a small vial into his hand.
"Need this?"
Lin Mo opened it and took a sniff. A familiar scent made his eyes light up.
’Isn’t this cumin? It’s perfect for roasted meat.’
But just from the packaging, he could tell this stuff was definitely not cheap. So, Lin Mo didn’t use it right away. Instead, he waited until the ribs were thoroughly cooked, sprinkled a little on top, and handed the rest back to Feney.
"Can we eat it now?"
Solan, who was standing nearby, could no longer wait, his eyes fixed hungrily on the ribs.
Although Ali, who was squatting beside him, hadn’t said a word, Lin Mo had lost count of how many times he’d heard her gulping.
"It’s ready."
"Whoo~"
Solan let out a primal whoop and immediately reached for a piece.
"Hiss—AAARGH—!"
And then, as expected, he yelped from the searing heat.
Alton was grinning from ear to ear. But then he remembered his daughter would soon be marrying this man, and his smile slowly froze. Suddenly, the roast meat didn’t seem quite so appetizing anymore.
Ali, by contrast, seemed completely immune to the heat. She grabbed a piece with her bare hands and began to devour it, huffing and puffing with each big bite, leaving Lin Mo stunned.
’Holy crap, hands of steel!’
But then he noticed a faint layer of Frost on the hand Ali was using to hold the rib.
’Right, I can do that too...’
Lin Mo immediately tried to copy her, channeling his Ice Element to add a layer of "protection" to his own hand before reaching for a piece.
"Hiss—!"
The next second, he yanked his hand back.
’It’s no use... The bit of Ice melted instantly, and it was still just as hot. It seems Ali is simply immune to the heat.’
’Forget it. I’ll just wait a while.’
Lin Mo shook his head helplessly. Then, he saw Feney using a piece of cloth to pick up a rib and nibble on it in small bites. He suddenly felt like an idiot.
’Damn, it’s like the stupidity is contagious...’
Grabbing a random piece of cloth to use as a pad, Lin Mo began to eat the roasted meat while looking at his Skill Level panel.
There was some information from the previous battle that he hadn’t had a chance to examine closely.
First, there was his Magic.
After finishing off all the Mutated Goblins, he had used Magic to take care of a few more Goblins during the ensuing chase. Now, the progress for his two spells was as follows:
[Fireball Technique]Level 3 (4/40)
[Ice Cone Skill]Level 2 (10/20)
Because his Magic Power was limited, he hadn’t raised the Skill Level by much. However, if he just raised his Ice Cone Skill Level by another 10 points to get it to Level 3, he would gain another point of Magic Power.
Besides that, there was the [Stabbing] Skill he had just learned.
After his Magic Power ran out, Lin Mo had basically used this move to hunt down the remaining Goblins, farming a good amount of Skill Level.
Looking through his history log, he saw a long string of "[Stabbing] Skill Level +1" notifications.
However...
Lin Mo’s happy expression quickly turned gloomy.
Because—
[Stabbing]Level 2 (19/20)
’Just one more point of Skill Level?’
After all, Lin Mo’s Basic Strength Attribute had already reached 19 points. He was only one point away from being promoted to a Level 2 Warrior. And if his [Stabbing] Skill reached Level 3, it would grant him that final point of Strength.
He even had the urge to go find a monster to kill right now.
