"Is this really the mimic chest from earlier?" Aria asked as she approached.
Having finished her battle early, she had witnessed Gauss poking out this chunk of meat from the chest-like creature. Yet she still sought confirmation, as the "food" now lying red and fragrant in the cast iron pot bore such stark contrast to the ferocious mimic chest they'd fought earlier.
Had she not spent most of her time with Gauss, she might have suspected he'd simply taken pre-prepared food from his storage bag and heated it using the chest's residual warmth.
"Yes," Gauss replied, waving the thick book in his hand. "According to this book, it's edible."
His respect for the author of Complete Guide to Emerald Forest Ingredients grew by the minute. Recording such valuable information must have required the dedication of Shennong tasting hundreds of herbs. Unfortunately, despite searching thoroughly, he couldn't find any author attribution. The bookstore had only told him it was public domain, printable by any qualified publisher, and apparently part of a series covering areas beyond just the Emerald Forest.
Without its life force, the mimic chest's flesh lacked the toughness it had shown in battle. Though requiring extra effort, he successfully excised all inedible portions. For food safety, he even cut away extra portions beyond what the anatomical diagrams indicated.
Next came processing the tongue's midsection—slicing it evenly into thick cuts, then carefully trimming the outer skin until revealing the tender, healthy pink core meat.
After rinsing off residual impurities with clean water, what lay before them matched the recipe's description of premium edible ingredients: crystal-clear pink flesh like solidified jelly, covered with strange yet beautiful muscle fibers that shimmered faintly under the glowgrass's light, resembling the most luxurious portions of premium tuna sashimi—utterly tantalizing.
Gauss's Adam's apple bobbed as he gazed at the five-to-six-pound prime cut remaining after processing, his face breaking into an eager smile.
"It looks... genuinely good."
Even Aria, initially skeptical, had to admit the carefully prepared ingredient exuded irresistible appeal—provided one ignored the charred fangs on the chest remnant, the foul-smelling semi-digested matter, and that pile of suspicious-looking excised organ clusters...
"I'll pan-fry some, make soup with another portion, and have Aria preserve the rest with natural energy," Gauss quickly decided.
Though only five-to-six pounds of prime meat remained, his experience with monster ingredients suggested they couldn't finish it in one meal. Perfect timing too—it was lunch hour regardless of the mimic chest encounter.
"Aria, lend a hand?"
"Okay."
Aria nodded without further comment. Firstly, she knew she couldn't dissuade Gauss; secondly, she felt curious about how elite monster meat might taste.
Turning to the platform's edge, she began gathering fuel—now quite accustomed to her firewood-collecting, pot-setting role. Finding no suitable logs, she harvested dried vines as substitutes instead.
Soon, wisps of smoke curled above the platform as they worked.
A cleaned stone slab turned faintly red over the flames. Thick tongue slices rubbed with rock salt and brushed with oil were laid gently upon it.
"Sizzle—!"
The moment oil met scorching stone, delightful crackling erupted alongside an explosion of rich meaty aroma. Since the mimic chest had already undergone high-temperature "braising," the slab-frying required only about thirty seconds per side. When both sides turned a tempting golden brown, glistening with juices and fat, they were ready to fork off.
Gauss divided each thick slice in two—one portion for his bowl, another for Aria's.
Then, under Aria's watchful gaze, he speared the fragrant meat and popped it into his mouth without hesitation.
"Mmm!"
Gauss's eyes lit up instantly upon tasting it!
Rich meat flavors and scalding juices burst across his palate. The texture proved tender yet pleasantly chewy, with abundant juices continuously oozing out during mastication—fat's mellow fragrance intertwining with the meat's inherent savor.
Even better, the more he chewed, the more resilient it became, creating a unique "soft yet springy" texture from the muscle fibers' toughness. No wonder the recipe praised it so!
Having considered rust frog legs and frost snake meat delicacies, they now paled in comparison to this pan-fried mimic chest tongue.
His energy storage gland activated rapidly too, secreting hormones that induced intense pleasure.
"So, so good!"
"Whew!"
Gauss exhaled deeply, lavish with praise.
Warmth spread through his body—this small piece provided energy equivalent to a large steak.
Seeing Gauss's delight, Aria mustered courage to spear her portion. Taking a small bite with her white teeth—
"Mmm!"
Soon her face mirrored Gauss's astonished expression.
The flavor was truly impeccable.
Perhaps psychosomatic, but she sensed an indescribable sweetness in this elite monster's meat that ordinary creatures lacked. Temporarily, she set aside her reservations about monster ingredients.
Encouraged, Gauss continued grilling.
However, the meat's overwhelming energy content soon left Aria too full to continue. Only Gauss managed several more pieces before feeding the drooling Ulfen some portions too. Eck also received a share.
Their extreme fullness forced cancellation of the planned soup—fortunately only water had been boiled without ingredients added, so nothing went to waste.
The pair lay on platform mats for a while.
After sufficient rest, they finally stood and stretched.
Following an intense battle, such a sumptuous barbecue truly lifted their spirits.
"?" A pleased expression crossed Gauss's face.
Perhaps just imagination, but he felt slightly stronger than before.