Chapter 58
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: Hungry Slayer 58
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‘Familiar flavors are the scariest…….’
Even from his past life, there were tastes etched vividly into his memory. Rice mixed with soy-marinated crab was one of them.
Dane licked his lips with his tongue as saliva pooled in his mouth, nodding his head.
“What can I help with?”
“There’s only one mid-to-large one, so dress it and hang it upside down over the fire pit.”
River’s instructions didn’t quite click.
“As is?”
“Yeah.”
Dane butchered the mid-to-large Kreptnos, then flipped it over.
-Kwachak!
He grabbed the massive belly shell with Bankers on both sides and ripped it open in one go.
“Whoa!”
“Does it really open like that? That’s impressive!”
He filleted the innards in that state. His divinely precise knife work added to the spectacle for the onlookers. Not just Ludelver, but even Louis from Bortong Restaurant drew close to watch Dane’s dressing technique.
Once done, Dane placed the trimmed meat back into the carapace and set it directly over the fire pit.
As if waiting, River stuffed it with various seasonings and vegetables, then poured in water.
The bright red seasoning, ground with dwarf peppers, dissolved into the water, enveloping the ingredients.
“You’re using the carapace as a pot to boil a spicy belly stew!” Dane exclaimed in admiration, and Kreya, who’d been watching, chimed in agreement.
“It’ll make a unique, spicy broth dish. Seems like something even beginners with monster meat can handle without issue.”
Dane’s butcher shop doubled as a restaurant. Kreya had added the open kitchen to steadily showcase cooking with unfamiliar monster meats like a cooking show. She’d gotten the idea from a cooking contest.
“Yeah. It’s not hard to hunt, and butchering or deboning is way easier than with other monsters. Draining the fluids just requires cutting the joints, so no need for advanced deboning skills.” Dane added.
Kreptnos had real potential to popularize monster meat. That made the dish River and Ludelver were demonstrating now all the more crucial.
To dominate the market, it had to be something anyone could easily obtain and cook.
While Kreya and Dane chatted, River and Ludelver began preparing another dish.
“Now we’ll make Kreptnos soy-marinated crab.” Ludelver announced loudly for all to hear.
Though Dane’s dish name included the ingredient ‘crab,’ the chefs treated it as a proper noun.
“I’ll explain the recipe as I go, so anyone thinking of trying it themselves can follow along.” Ludelver pinned a small Kreptnos’s back under his knee and severed the head and claws.
“I hear these antennae are dangerous. The claws are sharp and strong, so grab from the back and cut them off first like this. We’ll eat it whole, so wash it clean…… especially here. The outer belly shell has a lot of grit, so best to strip it completely.” Ludelver slid his knife into the spot where the head met the carapace and belly, slicing forcefully to both sides, then flung open the back and belly together just like Dane had.
“Here…… we remove this paralysis venom gland inside. Save it separately—it has uses, so don’t toss it.” River added the explanation while extracting the gland beside him.
Grandfather and granddaughter began prepping the Kreptnos for easy eating.
It had been a while since they’d cooked together, but it felt like they’d just been doing so moments ago—their movements synced perfectly.
A quick glance exchanged warm looks.
“That doesn’t look too hard.”
“I’ve seen similar critters on Morph Town’s coast. The prep seems about the same.”
The crowd murmured their takes. The two chefs moved on to making the key soy seasoning.
In River’s hand was a green root vegetable. Gelavi, which gave a wasabi-like kick.
“First, to kill any off-flavors, we grind gelavi and mix it with Foldtown distilled liquor to marinate the Kreptnos. Then chill it in a Yadus cooler. The meat will get nice and springy.” River slipped in a bit of Yadus trailer promo before layering the Kreptnos neatly into a large vat and pouring in the pre-made first-stage marinade.
“While the meat soaks up the seasoning, we’ll prep the other dishes.”
Bankers added fuel under River’s direction to adjust the fire. Soon, the aromas began wafting.
It started with the steaming pot billowing steam.
Ludelver called out again loudly.
“We’re doing whole-steam with a few small ones. No prep needed—just toss ’em in alive, add water, and steam. Anyone can do it.” A savory, clean scent subtly teased everyone’s palates.
The initial aroma wasn’t overpowering, but it built layer by layer, deepening. People grew even more curious about the meat inside the shells.
“That smell is killer.”
“That’s already delicious cooking!”
The boiling mid-to-large Kreptnos spicy stew ramped up the intensity.
A spicy hit that smacked the brain spread everywhere. Then came the rich, oily broth savoriness.
Without even tasting, sweat beaded on the onlookers’ noses and upper lips as saliva gathered. Even the imagined flavor was stimulating.
“Hmm…….”
River, who’d eyeballed the water, seasonings, and veggies, tasted with a spoon, nodded, and smiled in satisfaction.
That drove the watchers wild. But she didn’t stop there.
She started stir-frying chunks of mid-to-small Kreptnos and side veggies in oil, tossing them high toward the crowd.
-Chwaaaa!
A audiovisual feast of fire show unfolded. Her wrist flicking the elite wok was dazzling.
“Wow!”
“Woooah!!”
Colorful ingredients coated in oil and seasoning floated up, pursued by crimson flames that chased them back into the wok.
Meanwhile, her other hand swirled the ladle, showering the crowd evenly with seasoning.
This was no one- or two-day skill. Ludelver proudly watched his disciple-granddaughter’s remarkable progress.
The crowd’s reactions exceeded expectations.
“Driving me crazy. What’s that smell…….”
“Monster meat’s iffy, but I wanna taste that seasoning at least!”
The intensifying wok aromas ignited the hearts of those holding back. River ignored them, continuing her cook before pulling a bottle from her bag.
“This is juice squeezed from the paralysis glands we removed earlier. It acts like a spice that pairs with chili for numbing heat in the mouth. But it’s poison, so don’t overdo it. One spoon per four servings.” River was making about twenty portions, so she added five spoons. A unique aroma joined in.
Beside her, Ludelver finished the soy-marinated Kreptnos.
“We boil tamarind soy base used for BBQ sauce with fried pork rind powder, assorted veggies and fruit preserves, and water. Strain out the solids, keep just the sauce, chill it, and you’re set.” He gazed steadily at his granddaughter as he spoke. She wrapped up the stir-fry and tasted the Kreptnos spicy stew.
Grandfather and granddaughter exchanged a light nod. And then.
“Alright! It’s done!”
“Complete!”
They shouted in unison.
“Waaaah!!”
“Ooo!”
First up, the three dishes.
[‘Small Kreptnos Whole Steam’—steamed plainly in just water, no seasonings]
[‘Mid-to-Small Kreptnos Numb Stir-Fry’—quick-fried in salty seasoning, finished with paralysis venom]
[‘Mid-to-Large Kreptnos Carapace Spicy Stew’—boiled with dwarf peppers]
Tasting began with the whole steam.
Dane lifted one leg, snapped off the end segment by hand, lightly broke the middle joint backward, and pulled carefully. Perfectly cooked meat slid out intact in the shell’s shape.
“Huuuh!!”
“Insane…….”
Glossy, springy flesh drew gasps of awe.
One bite, and deep, clean juices burst through the layered texture, flooding the mouth.
This was it. This was whole steam.
He looked at River with eyes full of emotion. She smiled faintly, tried it Dane-style, and her eyes went wide. An unexpected flavor.
Bankers shuddered in ecstasy. After chewing and swallowing, he glared at the steamed Kreptnos. His eyes screamed, *Why are you so damn tasty?*
Ludelver chewed silently.
He was a chef who believed prime ingredients shone brightest in simple preparations. Kreptnos whole steam proved it in the most primal way.
Kreya, always prim and proper, slurped legs greedily, then snatched another bare-handed. She looked utterly lost to reason.
Unseen monster, unseen method, unexpected reactions. The crowd’s impatience deepened.
Next, the seasoned stir-fry.
They crunched shell and all on the quick wok-toss hit with spices.
-Wagchak!
“Ah!”
The crisp sound unleashed uncontrollable gasps from the crowd.
The five chewed, eyes closed in unison.
“Wow…….”
“Whoa…….”
“Kie…….”
“Hmm…….”
“Ahh…….”
Crunchy shell, nutty flavor. Salty-sweet with seasonings. Lingering numbness begged for more.
Addictive taste! Exactly.
Then came the massive-scale Kreptnos carapace spicy stew.
River ladled first servings into Dane and Bankers’ bowls. They lifted the bowls and slurped the hot broth straight.
“Uwaaaah!”
“Kraaaah!”
The duo bellowed, locking eyes. *You feel it too, huh?* Their camaraderie thickened.
-Slurp.
Ludelver sipped with eyes closed, savoring. When he opened them, satisfaction at a fine dish mingled with pride and affection for his granddaughter.
“You did well.”
River smiled shyly. Heart’s walls melted with the hot broth.
While onlookers drooled, the five tore, chewed, and slurped wordlessly.
Their ferocious pace silenced the crowd.
*Wait our turn, and it’ll come*, vague hope kept them meek.
An eternity passed.
Dane, who’d inhaled the stew bowl—belly meat and broth alike—set down the empty vessel with a wistful look at River.
Catching his eye, she knew his heart. She glanced at Ludelver.
He read the look too. *Has the soy marinade soaked in?*
“Hmm…… Should be good.” And the star dish arrived before Dane.
[‘Small Kreptnos Soy Crab’—raw Kreptnos marinated in seasoned soy]
Dane gazed at the plate in rapture.
Seasoning gleamed on the flesh. He scraped meat with a spoon and popped it in.
Chewy, tender bits tumbled in his mouth, wrapped in soy. Nutty? Clean? Sweet? Salty? Impossible to pin down.
A familiar taste he’d never actually eaten.
He scraped furiously, cracked legs to dig meat, slurped infused seasoning.
He ate in solemn silence.
The gravity kept even comrades from touching the crab.
Instead of tasting, River handed Dane a steaming bowl.
[White Rice]
Dane, entranced, scooped rice onto the Kreptnos carapace, mixed with soy, and ate.
Freshly cooked rice soaked in moist seasoning.
*Sweet…… so sweet…….* Why the tears over this?
Nineteen whirlwind new lives consoled in one instant.
He devoured, mixed, stuffed. One crab and two rice bowls later, Dane rose.
Then hugged River with soy-smeared hands.
“Wha…… why…….”
“Too damn good.”
“B-but…… Grandpa did most of it…….”
Dane didn’t let go despite flustered River.
Just gratitude.