Ignar's Fiery Core
The wind was cooling, and as the plains' heat ebbed away, Ignar's body was losing its warmth too. I tore off another piece with my beak and chewed—it was already less flavorful than before. Cold meat just doesn't hit the same anywhere.
Guess you really need hands to eat this right.
Tearing into it beak-first had its wild charm, but for fine-tuning with spices, fingers were essential. I hadn't even tried pepper or chili powder yet.
I activated Polymorph. *Poof—!* Black mist billowed up, my crow form vanishing to reveal my human shape.
Much better. Having ten fingers really shines in moments like this.
I gathered lightning meticulously at my fingertips. *Zzzt—!* Precise heat spread evenly over the meat, crisping the surface with a savory aroma that tickled my nose.
I pulled rock salt from my Subspace and ground it coarsely, sprinkling it on. One bite. The salty mineral tang elevated the roasted meat's richness.
Next, pepper. I dusted on some coarsely ground black pepper. One bite.
"Oh."
The aroma was way richer now. Pepper's sharp bite mingled with the flames' essence, prickling my tongue.
Finally, chili powder. I sprinkled a careful pinch—its scent alone promised a sinus-clearing kick. One bite.
"What is this? Why is it so good?!"
The chili exploded in a fiery blaze across my mouth. But paired with Ignar's flame notes, it was a perfect trinity: spicy, intense, umami-packed. Tears welled up—tears of pure joy.
What if I use all three?
No hesitation. Salt, pepper, chili—sprinkled together, then a quick lightning zap. *Zzzt—!* One bite.
"……."
Words failed me. One piece, another. I couldn't stop. Deep, complex, explosively intense—a flavor too profound for mere "roast."
It reminded me of that charcoal-grilled marinated ribs from a back-alley spot on a business trip in my past life. I'd thought that unforgettable taste was peak... but this topped it.
Spices make the meal, after all.
I finally snapped out of it after a good while. Belly full, but something felt missing. Turaka was delicious too, but its horn had hit different—that overwhelming impact. Layers apart.
One bite of the horn flipped my whole body inside out with flavor and energy.
Does Ignar have something like that?
I tilted my head, scanning Ignar's corpse closely. Turaka's horn wasn't just horn. Chewing it felt like condensed mana layers—more solidified power than bone or keratin.
So for Ignar...?
Flames came from the mane, so if that's the outlet... maybe something underneath.
I probed under Ignar's mane, near the neck. The mane was extinguished now, just coarse fur. But deeper, between thick neck muscles, my fingers hit something hard and hot.
Jackpot!
Unlike Turaka's protruding horn, this hid beneath. I pulled it out: fist-sized, irregular lump. Surface glowing red-hot, searing my palm like it burned on independently.
This is it.
I knew instantly. Ignar was dead, but this core pulsed with mana like a heartbeat.
Lightning zap across its surface—thin and precise. *Zzzt—!* A denser, fiercer aroma erupted, smoke laced with flame and mana, stinging my nose.
I gulped, bit down. *Crunch—!*
"……."
It wasn't mere taste. Heat flooded my tongue, mouth igniting. Swallowed or not, it sank to my gut like molten fire. Fingertips tingled, breath caught. Eyes widened slowly.
Turaka's horn— that first explosive layer-burst shaking my core. This echoed it, but different. Turaka crumbled crisp, melting smooth; Ignar's hit heavy, igniting an inferno in my belly. Like biting into sizzling spicy ribs over coals.
I lost it. Chewed the whole thing down. *Crunch-crunch, gulp.* Bite after bite. Hands and mouth wouldn't stop. Spicy, scorching, profound, brutal. No spices needed—this was enough.
Licked the last fragment clean, and my gut erupted fiercely.
*Whoosh—!!*
Oh, here it comes...!
Explosive heat surged through veins, flooding my body. Not Turaka's zapping current—this was thick, blazing fire.
Body heated, but no pain. More like soaking in a hot bath—languid bliss.
Time for bed.
Swept remaining Ignar meat into Subspace, waved at Kar hiding afar.
"Kar, home time. I'm sleepy."
"...Y-yes? Uh, yes!"
Kar swooped in frantically. I mounted, eyes half-closed. Heat enveloped me—warmth blurring Kar's back and my body.
Sometime later, half-dozing, Kar spoke.
"Master, we're here."
His voice slit my eyes—World Tree summit already. Dismounted, released Polymorph. *Poof—!* Black crow emerged.
This form's comfier for sleep. Human's nice, but this nestles better.
Curled on leaf-bed, flopped down. Turaka-hide's familiar touch wrapped me. Gut still simmered softly.
Next: Abysal.
Chewy octopus sashimi. Drool-worthy. Eyes shut—sleep crashed in.
"Caaaw~"
(Ah, what a full day...)
Soon, soft snores echoed across the summit. Kar clung to a branch corner, folding weary wings—lids drooped. Two creatures' breaths blanketed the nest quietly into night.
Morning sun poured onto the World Tree summit.
"Mm..."
Stretched, eyes open. Body light. Last night's core-fueled blaze had seeped quietly throughout.
But mana flow felt different. Gathered at fingertips—controlled precisely, no overflow.
...Why's it so smooth?
Michael's lessons unchanged, but precision leaped overnight.
Ignar's core... fire powers too?
Focused, envisioned Ignar's mane flames. *Zzzt—!* Tiny spark bloomed.
Oh.
Flicked finger—flame swelled, shrank on command. Thunder sharp and swift; fire heavy, languid.
It works?
Addicted. Thunder on one hand, fire on the other—separate, no clash.
Wind on thunder: lightning rode gusts, orbiting fingers.
Wind in fire: flames whipped into a mini-torch.
Thunder + fire: blue bolts sheathed red, sizzling hotter.
All three?
Palm: thunder, fire, wind. Forces orbited harmoniously—lightning framework, wind flow, fire heat—mini-storm swirled.
Clenched—extinguished. Mana inward: chest pulsed softly. Scattered mana aligned around it.
Not bad.
Game-changer for cooking.
Checked Subspace Ignar stock—plenty left. Core absence a bummer.
Good stuff vanishes fast.
Closed it, eyed nest corner. Kar dozed, snapped awake at my stir.
"M-Master! Good morning!"
"Yeah. Sleep well?"
"Y-yes, thanks to you..."
One more stretch.
"Kar."
"Yes, Master."
"Octopus hunt this time."
Kar's wings sagged.
"...Abysal, you mean."
"Yeah. After Ignar, curious about Abysal's taste."
"I-I just got back from Ignar yesterday... Can't we rest one day...?"
Wingtips quivered—muscles sore.
"Wanna try octopus sashimi. Let's go."
Kar stared blankly, sighed in resignation, spread wings.
Polymorphed, mounted. Dove toward World Tree depths, Abysal's massive lake.
Soy sauce analog'd be perfect for sashimi. Ink sauce maybe?
Drool inducing.
Kal bore his master toward the depths, reminiscing last night.
Brief wake at dawn: nest hazy with heat. Master's body shimmered like mirage. Not just heat—mana pulsed like heartbeats, shaking the whole nest.
*Thump. Thump. Thump.*
Each pulse washed heat-waves; Kar huddled, crushed, breathless. No mana sense spare—body quaked.
Th-this...!
Then—stop. Echo cut, mana sucked inward like sea inhaling. Converged to one point—silence, only wind.
Kal exhaled. Master's sleeping aura transformed—unfamiliar. Ignar's flame lingered in the mana echo. The Divine Beast that ruled plains centuries, now fully inside Master.
Ignar's waves—gone forever.
Two of the Four Kings. Ripples unknown.
...Does Master have some grand purpose?
Master fidgeted atop. Mumbled—wind carried "sashimi," "sauce."
...Nah, no thoughts at all. Yeah, that tracks.
Kal gazed deepening forest, beat wings on. How many more such days? The thought terrified.