Deep-Fried Centipede Dragon
Crunch, crunch, crunch.
Crack.
Gulp.
Snap, click, clack.
Smack, smack.
Crunch!
The teeth of the flesh and tentacles, gorging themselves with every indescribable epithet of gluttony, were in absolute ecstasy.
How long has it been since I manifested a physical form?
How long has it been since I feasted like this?
The quality of the Evil Nature isn't exceptionally pure, but the quantity is massive, and the chewiness is profound.
There was a distinct joy in snapping off the legs one by one, and when slicing the torso, aiming for the joints to crunch down on them.
Like tearing into pork or beef ribs, the flesh packed inside was ripped away, and then the hard skeletal frame was crushed as if grinding bones to dust.
The hardness stimulated the appetite, but this filthy Centipede Dragon's torso was so hard that it actually got in the way of chewing the meat.
Biting and chewing joint by joint, and for the places the teeth couldn't reach, a deep slurp sucked out the bitter, repulsive juice laden with Evil Nature.
Delicious. So delicious.
It's a feast. A true feast!
"Hey! Hey! Stop eating! You have to leave some for me to eat!"
Tsk, what a bothersome master...
Clicking its tongue, the tentacle faithfully obeyed its master's command and shrank in size.
It finished chewing what was already in its mouth and sucked up the remaining bitter, repulsive juice of Evil Nature.
The grand, heavy clash of giant monsters that the viewers had anticipated did not happen.
A giant monster battle?
It existed, and then it didn't.
How could everything be perfect and satisfying on the very first broadcast?
No matter how massive and physically powerful an S-grade monster was, if it lacked the intelligence and reflexes to utilize its strength efficiently, it was bound to lose its life in a pathetic manner.
Just as an adult can be stabbed and killed by a child all the same.
To the outside world, the Centipede Dragon was a terrifying, calamity-class S-grade monster. However, having just woken up from its slumber, it was beyond careless. It couldn't even put up a proper fight against a mass of flesh far larger and stronger than itself before having its head ripped off and devoured.
Looking at the chat, they're saying it's an S-grade monster... Are S-grade monsters here really this weak?
What Sia hadn't anticipated was that the tentacles, manifesting their true form for the first time in a long while, would be far hungrier than she thought, and that the Centipede Dragon would fall so anticlimactically.
Well, the end result of Sia winning wouldn't have changed anyway.
Still, it was a shame that the Centipede Dragon, despite its notorious danger rating, died so easily that it felt like a letdown.
If Sia were a streamer specializing entirely in combat, hunting, and dungeon raids, she might have worried about the lack of content and considered running an extra dungeon.
But to Sia, hunting the Centipede Dragon wasn't the important part.
To this absurdly hungry Saintess, whether she could eat the Centipede Dragon or not was the only thing that mattered.
As the miracle deactivated, the horrific, twisted mass of flesh and tentacles vanished completely, leaving only the five tentacles that had initially sprouted from Sia's lower back.
Seeing them clicking their teeth and licking their lips, they seemed thoroughly satisfied with the taste of the Centipede Dragon.
"Hehehe."
A moment later, Sia began walking back toward the dungeon entrance, carrying a dark object far larger than her own upper body in one hand.
What Sia was carrying was indeed a segment of the Centipede Dragon.
Even if the Centipede Dragon had evolved into something superior to a Blade Centipede, its fundamental biological form was still based on a centipede. The massive, blade-like legs attached to the segment still twitched slightly, driven by a lingering nervous system.
Screeech...
Click...
Chitter...
Countless Blade Centipedes lowered their bodies and cleared a path as Sia walked by. Even if their intelligence was only at the level of insects, it was natural for them to feel terror toward Sia's overwhelming power.
The Centipede Dragon had been the apex predator of this Rotten Mountain dungeon.
While it slept and allowed the Blade Centipede population to multiply, for the past twenty years, it had treated these Blade Centipedes like snacks, eating them whenever it was bored before falling back asleep.
If they were unlucky, they were eaten. But once the Centipede Dragon was satisfied and slept, Rotten Mountain became a paradise for the Blade Centipedes.
Because this cycle had continued for twenty years, all Blade Centipedes born in Rotten Mountain had an instinctive fear of the Centipede Dragon engraved into them, accepting it as a natural law.
But today, that natural law was completely shattered.
They were thrown into confusion.
They didn't know if this monster that had killed the Centipede Dragon would become their new natural enemy, or if it was a broodmother-like entity that had saved the Blade Centipedes of Rotten Mountain.
Thus, most of the Blade Centipedes fled.
Those sleeping in the crevices of rocks, those squeezing themselves into hollow trees, and those burrowing into the ground and caves—all fled and fled again to avoid catching the eye of their new 'natural enemy.'
Rotten Mountain was originally a place that smelled foul due to the venom of the Blade Centipedes, rotting leaves, and damp moss. But now, because of this new 'natural enemy,' it had become a place with an unprecedentedly clean, cool breeze.
"Ehehe, this looks delicious."
Of course, whether the Blade Centipedes fled or not, Sia was just grinning brightly, completely focused on the thought of eating deep-fried Centipede Dragon.
It wasn't a fake smile put on for the broadcast.
That smile was pure, heartfelt happiness.
Though the viewers didn't know it, Sia's body was that of the undead.
Not only was she an undead banished from death, but she was also the Saintess who wielded the greatest and most powerful miracles in the history of the 'previous world.'
To Sia, poison was nothing more than a slightly bitter, dark liquid.
"Now, let's see..."
Seeing that the large-capacity deep fryer and cooking oil she had left at the dungeon entrance were safe, Sia began preparing to cook in earnest.
Frying wasn't just about throwing things into oil.
"What I was originally going to make today was fried Blade Centipede, but since such a delicious-looking ingredient appeared, it shouldn't be a problem to change the menu, right?"
As Sia winked at the drone camera as if asking for their understanding, the viewers all had one thought.
Can't she just sell the Centipede Dragon parts... and buy incredibly expensive, delicious food?
Naturally, the viewers were in an uproar, setting the chat window ablaze over Sia's antics.
"Cleanliness is important before cooking..."
Miracle: Purification
As Sia cast the miracle of purification over the area, everything—from the Centipede Dragon segment to the cooking oil and the ingredients in her backpack—was cleansed of impurities and harmful substances, becoming perfectly clean.
Of course, regardless of that, the viewers' reactions remained cold.
I can't watch this.
Terrible.
Disgusting.
The braised Wyvern egg had at least looked perfect visually. Using a Wyvern egg worth a hundred thousand dollars for braising was still talked about in the Hunter Gallery, but that was a dish that looked appetizing enough to stimulate anyone's hunger at first glance.
But fried centipede... no, fried Centipede Dragon? This was going too far.
Trying to cook and eat a segment of a centipede as large as a house looked like she had abandoned her humanity.
Yet Sia seemed completely unfazed, wearing a mischievous smile as if to tease the viewers.
"Oh, trust me. O Starlight, please forgive them... for they know not what they do."
Sia took out the items she had packed in her backpack one by one.
Flour, a Wyvern egg, and breadcrumbs.
Sia pulled out a folding metal tray from her backpack.
"First, we crush the Wyvern egg."
Crack!
The cleanly split Wyvern egg dropped its white and yolk onto the metal tray. Sia brought out a tentacle to stir the mixture, blending the white and yolk together.
The thickness of the tentacle was just right, and because the amount of yolk and white from the Wyvern egg was massive, a yellow egg wash was completed in no time.
"And on the other tray, we put the breadcrumbs. Over here, the flour."
"Now, we just need the oil temperature to rise..."
Sia looked at the large-capacity deep fryer.
It needed to be at least 180 degrees Celsius to be suitable for frying, but the fryer's temperature was still hovering around 160 degrees.
She only needed to wait a little longer, but for Sia, every second was agonizing.
And for good reason...
Hungry. Hungry. Hungry. Hungry. Hungry. Hungry. Hungry. Hungry. Hungry. Hungry. Hungry. Hungry. Hungry. Hungry. Hungry.
Aside from enduring the hunger as an Evil Nature predator, Sia was currently starving.
Thanks to consuming a large amount of Evil Nature when she ate the braised Wyvern egg a week ago, she could survive for a month without eating anything.
She could maintain her sanity perfectly, and she wouldn't suffer from seizures like before.
But putting survival aside, how could she not feel this way when food was right in front of her eyes?
On the outside, Sia looked fine, but she wanted to tear into that Centipede Dragon raw right this instant.
Yet, to taste an even greater delicacy, Sia was desperately holding back.
"*Gulp*... *pant*... *pant*..."
"No, get a grip. *Sigh*, I'm sorry. I keep forgetting that I'm eating with you guys."
After a light banter with the viewers, Sia looked at the Centipede Dragon segment, which was the size of her upper body. The shell was pitch-black and hard like a crustacean's, and even though it was a large-capacity fryer, the segment was too big to fit inside.
"First, let's cut it into four... *gulp*... four pieces."
Sia began to break the hard segment with her bare strength as if crushing a cracker.
Since the Centipede Dragon's blood had already drained on the way, the inside revealed white flesh that reminiscent of crab or shrimp meat.
Perhaps because Sia had used 'Purification' to remove all venom and impurities, the Centipede Dragon's inner flesh looked like a mix of pure white shrimp and crab meat. Although the sharp, bitter smell of venom and Evil Nature still tickled Sia's nose, the surprisingly decent visuals once the shell was cracked open left the viewers confused.
"Hehe, it looks delicious, right? But even if you ask, I won't give you any."
Oh, this was bad.
Her hands were starting to shake.
As her appetite and hunger reached their limits, Sia's fingertips trembled slightly. Fortunately, the drone camera didn't catch it, so the viewers remained unaware, but Sia's urge to just tear into it raw was growing by the second.
"Whew, whew... Sad thoughts. Sad thoughts... No, let's think about Theresa or Menelapie... *sniff*, now I'm too sad... *sob*..."
Wiping away her tears, Sia shook her head to clear her mind.
Alright, the oil temperature had reached 180 degrees.
"Then... first, we coat the completely peeled Centipede Dragon flesh in flour... and then we dip the flour-coated meat into the Wyvern egg wash. We have to coat it thoroughly, or the batter won't stick."
"Huh? I saw a recipe for making fried food on the internet."
Normally, the flesh of a Centipede Dragon was contaminated with lethal venom and toxic mist, so even if it was coated in batter, the flour and egg would rot instantly, making it impossible to fry. However, because of the [Miracle: Purification] Sia had used earlier, all the venom inside had vanished, making it fryable. Of course, Sia had no idea about this. She had simply used purification because she thought cleanliness was important before cooking.
"Alright, now we fry it."
Sssssssssssssssssssssss-
Ah, the sound was delicious.
As soon as the beautifully battered Centipede Dragon flesh was placed into the hot oil, it slowly floated to the top.
"They say if the meat floats as soon as you put it in the oil, the temperature is just right. This is a success, right?"
"No, seriously, the smell is amazing! I think it's going to be delicious!"
With drool literally dripping from her chin, Sia knelt in a reverent posture, staring intently at the fryer as if waiting was torture.
One minute thirty seconds... one side was fully cooked.
Now, gently flipping it over...
Alright, it flipped perfectly.
She had almost eaten it raw just now, but she held back! Good job holding back, Sia!
Since she held back so well, if Menelapie were here, she would have praised her!
"Now... *gulp*... *pant*... *pant*... in this state, for about two minutes and thirty seconds... we just need to fry it a bit more... *slurp*... *pant*..."
One minute... two minutes... Ah, this was hard... Let's endure just thirty more seconds.
27... 28... 29... 30...!
"It's done!!!"
In her haste to pull it out, oil splattered everywhere, but Sia didn't care. She lifted the magnificent fried Centipede Dragon high into the air with a tentacle, presenting it like a sacred offering.
"Ah, it's done... it's really done... Look at this beautiful form. Doesn't it look delicious?"
"Ah, I can't take it anymore..."
Originally, Sia's plan was to have the drone camera zoom in as soon as the frying was done to show the beautiful, ecstatic appearance of the dish. But she had waited long enough.
"*Chomp*!"
Crunch.
With a golden, crispy texture on the outside and the white flesh of the Centipede Dragon—resembling a mix of crab and shrimp—hidden inside, Sia was certain the viewers would cheer at this ecstatic taste and visual presentation.
However, the word 'viewers' had completely vanished from Sia's mind.
All that remained was the fried Centipede Dragon that would lead her into pure bliss.
"It's so good... *chomp*, *gulp*, *gulp*... *munch*...!"
Immediately after, on the Hunter Gallery and various internet portals, search terms related to the fried Centipede Dragon that Sia ate began to climb the rankings.
Of course, Sia didn't care about any of that.
Her only concern right now was to keep her mouth moving without rest for the sake of this delicious fried food.
"*Chomp*!"
Crunch.
"*Gulp*."
Crunch, crunch.
It was delicious. So delicious.
The tentacles had said it was bitter, so she thought it would be, but there was none of that taste. It really tasted like a mix of shrimp and crab, and since the crispy batter had Wyvern egg yolk in it, the savory flavor was more than enough to send her to heaven.
Ah, bliss...
Eating the fried Centipede Dragon mindlessly, Sia felt happy. Although eating alone was quite lonely.
Sia had always hated eating alone.
In the previous world, if Menelapie or Theresa weren't there, she would call anyone working in the imperial palace to eat with her. But here... at least she had the viewers.
"Hehe, no. I'm not giving it to anyone, I'm eating it all by myself."
Looking at the numerous holographic chats, Sia felt as if she were eating with other people. Yes, they called themselves trolls, but in Sia's eyes, they were all cute. People who ate with her. Just that alone gave Sia enough reason to stream.
She wasn't lonely. That alone was enough for her.
That day, naturally, a massive debate erupted in the Hunter Gallery regarding the hunter Lee Sia. While other streamers and broadcasts were mentioned occasionally, posts related to Lee Sia occupied more than 50% of the entire trending board.
Looking at the chaos in the Hunter Gallery on her smartwatch inside the Rotten Mountain dungeon, Sia couldn't help but smile. The broadcast and the meal had ended long ago, but she still had to clean up, didn't she?
"That ugly character is still alive on the internet."
Saying so, Sia looked at the centipede sitting quietly beside her. Rather than sitting quietly, it looked more like it had submitted to fear and pressure.
"Right?"
Screeech...
The terrified ten-meter-long centipede bowed its head as if it understood Sia's words.
"From now on, you are the Lucky Centipede."
Screeech...
"I'll come back occasionally. If there's something delicious, you have to let me know, okay?"
Click...
She had no idea how it understood her. Naturally, they couldn't speak the same language, and there was no way the Blade Centipede actually understood Sia's words... but somehow, it felt as if communication was possible between them.
"If you were a bit smaller, I could have taken you home."
Click!?
"Ah, that was a good meal... Take care. You can eat the remaining Centipede Dragon segments."
Screeech...
The ten-meter-long Blade Centipede, which had barely survived today, learned many things: fear, submission, how to survive, and even how to stay alive after being caught.