Chapter 78

Chapter 78: Solo Highest-Grade Monster Hunt, New Stat Dishes

The dragon Ashley had been a tremendous help.

She assisted Ruina with the magical turret formulae, which were now progressing smoothly.

She had also reinforced the magic formulae on Ria's and my Drake leather armor.

Previously, the armor had used high-grade magic stones as cores, but now they were upgraded to highest-grade magic stones.

'A couple of highest-grade magic stones is nothing.'

With the substantial income I had been earning recently, I could easily afford it.

The resulting Drake magical leather armor read:

[Enchanted Artisan's Drake Leather Armor]

[Artisan's Masterwork Metallurgy Effect When Equipped: Defense +52, Stamina +6, Damage Taken Reduction 21%, Nimbleness -4%]

[Magic Effect: Additional Defense +40, Shield Spell activates upon receiving a strong impact]

An additional forty points of defense.

Plus an automatic Shield Spell.

Astonishing effects.

Ashley had told me:

—With this, you wouldn't die even if a direct Hell Fire hit you.

Hell Fire was said to be the strongest projectile spell after Dragon Breath.

Being able to withstand one strike of such devastating magic.

Granted, it was survival by the narrowest margin.

But that was still invaluable.

'It's essentially an extra life.'

With the magical armor enhanced, Ria and I frequently went hunting at night.

To collect magic stones and to build my combat experience.

When the hunting ground looked safe, the two of us went alone.

When it looked dangerous, we took Ruina or one or two members from the S-Rank trio or knight squad.

We usually brought Ruina, the mage.

'Thanks to all the hunting, we've acquired all sorts of meat......'

Mostly toxic varieties.

Those meats were too niche to sell and quantities were small.

So they were used for meals that raised the stats of me and the S-Rank trio.

Today, Ria and I set out to hunt, just the two of us.

Our destination: the southern Volcanic Zone.

Based on my experience, the Volcanic Zone had the highest concentration of high-grade monsters.

'Catching one more Drake would be a real jackpot.'

Ria and I traveled via Gate portal.

Our target location was far to the south of where we had hunted our second Drake.

This was our sixth expedition into the Volcanic Zone.

We kept heading south.

"If we keep going, we might eventually reach the edge of the Volcanic Zone."

"I wonder what's at the end."

Could the southern boundary also be a Land of Death, as Fenrir had described?

Or was something else out there?

Ashley had said her mother had personally confirmed the northern and eastern edges, so whether the south and west were also Lands of Death was uncertain.

As we advanced, Ria stopped and closed her eyes.

'She must have sensed a monster's presence.'

Whenever Ria detected a presence, she always stopped, closed her eyes, and focused.

"There's a monster to the southwest."

I followed Ria to the southwest.

As smoke began rising at our feet and we crested a hill with lava flowing in patches—

A massive, dark-crimson chicken was wandering around, seemingly searching for prey.

Ria looked at the creature and whispered to me.

"It's a Cockatrice—a highest-grade monster. It's known for excellent reflexes making it strong in close combat, and it breathes fire, making it both formidable and difficult to fight."

"I see."

Chickens were ferocious fighters relative to their size.

Hawks and eagles that tried to prey on chickens were sometimes killed in return.

In the countryside, cats that attempted to hunt chickens were often attacked and sent running.

'Chickens are born fighters.'

And this one could breathe fire on top of that. Caution was warranted.

"Ria, let me try taking it alone."

"Okay. I'll step in if it looks dangerous."

"Got it."

Since I needed to build combat experience, Ria readily agreed.

I had never fought a highest-grade monster one-on-one before.

This was the first time.

I drew my spear from Acresia.

The Cockatrice sensed the mana signature, turned its head toward me, and charged with a shriek.

—SQUAAAWK!

I first launched three steel balls in rapid succession from range.

One struck its torso; it dodged the other two.

'Fast......!'

I immediately followed with a Spatial Thrust at the approaching creature.

Steel ball release followed by Spatial Thrust.

That was my standard combat pattern.

But—

—SQUAWK!

The Cockatrice leaped and evaded the Spatial Thrust.

Midair, it flapped its wings and spewed fire from its beak.

WHOOSH!

I threw myself sideways to dodge.

The creature then dove toward me from the air, flapping its wings as it pursued.

'Its directional agility is impressive too.'

Exceptionally adept at pursuit.

I gripped my spear and swung it at the Cockatrice's beak.

It pulled its head back and dodged.

Remarkable reflexes and evasion.

Then it attacked with its beak.

Blindingly fast strike speed.

But slower than Fenrir and Ria.

'This is exactly why sparring against strong opponents matters.'

I was reminded once again.

I deflected or dodged its successive beak-strikes and talon-stomps.

When an opening appeared, I used Ice Nova—an area skill gained when Acresia devoured an Ice Turtle.

SWOOSH—!

A wave of cold spread outward, slightly reducing the Cockatrice's movement speed.

Then—

THUD—!

After evading an attack from the now marginally slower Cockatrice, I landed a counter-thrust right on its head.

'I landed a clean hit on a highest-grade monster in close combat.'

Unimaginable in the past.

The daily life-threatening training under Ria was paying off.

However—

—SQUAAAWK!

Bleeding from its head, the creature seemed enraged. Its entire body began glowing red.

Dark crimson mana enveloped it.

"Seon-u, it's going into Frenzy! Create distance!"

"Got it."

As Ria warned, I used the creature's transformation window to pull back.

Some monsters could enter a Frenzy state.

A skill that surged their mana when wounded or agitated, making them faster and stronger.

Heat shimmer rose from the air around the creature.

'Close combat would be tough now.'

Fighting the Cockatrice up close while it was radiating this much heat in its Frenzy state would result in severe burns.

The heat was that intense.

Then how about trying that?

I had been wanting to use it anyway.

'A bit wasteful, but I can replenish it next time.'

I opened Acresia and activated the Release Skill.

A spell absorbed from Ashley.

It was the Frost Storm Orb.

The most powerful ice-attribute projectile spell Ashley could cast.

According to Ashley, the most powerful elemental magic was undoubtedly fire magic.

But she was a Silver Dragon who primarily wielded ice.

Ice magic possessed destructive power rivaling fire.

Thus, the Frost Storm Orb was on par with Hell Fire.

—SQUAAAWK!

Seeing the incoming spell, the Cockatrice spewed flames from its beak.

But a Transcendent-Grade dragon's high-circle spell could not be blocked by a highest-grade monster's fire.

The orb of cold punched through the flames and struck the creature's head.

Then—

WHOOOM!

Like a grenade detonating, an intense blizzard of cold erupted from the orb, engulfing the Cockatrice.

The storm subsided.

The Cockatrice's head and neck were frozen solid.

"That was powerful......"

To instantly freeze the head and neck of a Cockatrice that was in Frenzy and radiating heat.

But it was not yet down.

Despite its frozen head, the creature staggered but stayed on its feet.

A monster was a monster.

Left alone, the heat radiating from its body would eventually thaw the frozen head.

I had to finish it before then.

I aimed a Spatial Thrust at the creature's frozen neck.

CRACK!

The ice shattered as the Spatial Thrust pierced through the neck.

The Cockatrice staggered, collapsed, and went still.

'I hunted a highest-grade monster by myself......'

Admittedly, I had used Ashley's stored spell from Acresia.

But utilizing my own abilities was still part of my strength.

Ria, who had been watching from a distance, clapped and approached.

"My husband has become a full-fledged S-Rank Hunter now. Hunting a Cockatrice—one of the stronger highest-grade monsters, no less."

"I know. It feels like just yesterday I was running from high-grade Harpies."

"You definitely have a knack for flexible combat."

"Flexible? What do you mean?"

"It means your ability to adapt to any situation is excellent. When a situation arises, you make accurate, flexible judgments and deploy your abilities at exactly the right moment."

"You think so?"

Being acknowledged by my wife felt wonderful.

We then began butchering the Cockatrice.

While working, Ria said,

"Seon-u, the Cockatrice is one of the monsters whose meat is non-toxic."

"Really? Then I can try all kinds of recipes."

First, I skinned it.

The Cockatrice stood nearly four meters tall.

Its large size meant the skin was thick and tough, and the feathers were enormous.

The bumpy skin looked quite grotesque.

So I stripped the skin off entirely for clean preparation.

When Ria split open the Cockatrice's belly and extracted the magic stone—

A brilliant crimson magic stone emerged.

That was—

"......A fire-attribute highest-grade magic stone."

"So Cockatrices carry fire-attribute magic stones. I didn't know that."

A jackpot.

What could be done with a fire-attribute highest-grade magic stone?

'The ice-attribute magic stone is currently being used to cultivate Glace mushrooms.'

I would need to consult Ruina or Ashley on how to utilize a fire-attribute stone.

After finishing the preparation, I said to Ria,

"Then shall we call it a day for hunting and head back to cook with the Cockatrice meat?"

"Sounds good."

We had only caught one creature on this hunt, but that single catch had yielded quite a lot.

***

Back at the Rift house, I started cooking immediately.

Dishes that came to mind when thinking of chicken.

Fried chicken, braised chicken, and braised spicy chicken were my first thoughts.

'The gaminess is about on par with fresh chicken.'

But the flesh was firmer.

Despite the firmness, judging by the grain, it would likely be chewier.

I started by cutting 600 grams of boneless thigh meat and tenderizing it with a meat mallet.

Then I scored countless slits across the pounded meat.

It seemed too tough to cook as-is, so this was to soften it further.

I took 300 grams of it and marinated it in Applecherry juice to tenderize.

At the same time, I added salt for a combined brining and tenderizing process.

'Applecherry juice is more effective for tenderizing than other fruits.'

It also helped eliminate gaminess.

After forty minutes.

Checking the meat, it had softened to the level of regular chicken.

I rinsed the meat and patted it dry.

I coated it in a half-and-half mix of frying flour and starch.

Then deep-fried it in oil heated to 180 degrees—a 3:1 blend of avocado oil and olive oil.

With the remaining 300 grams of thigh meat, I began making braised chicken.

'There's plenty of meat, so if the Blessing of Dexterity skill triggers successfully, I'll sell it as a limited menu item at the restaurant.'

If I did sell it, I would offer two versions: soy-braised chicken and braised spicy chicken.

I was in the braised spicy chicken camp, but Ria preferred soy-braised.

The one and only point where our tastes as a couple diverged.

Customers would likely split the same way.

Setting that aside, the double-fried chicken was done.

When I plated it, a system message appeared.

[Master's Cockatrice Boneless Chicken]

[Blessing of Dexterity Effect: Agility +1, Fire Resistance +2%]

Fire Resistance at a whole two percent.

"Nice stats."

It looked worth at least fifty million won.

The boneless braised chicken was also complete.

[Master's Cockatrice Boneless Braised Chicken]

[Blessing of Dexterity Effect: Agility +1, Stamina +1]

A different cooking method yielded two stats this time.

Converting those stats to price made it fifty million won—same as the chicken.

And so, the Rift restaurant's stat dish menu expanded.