Chapter 75: Not Your Fantasy Food, Is It? You’ve Seen Slime, Right?
Splish, splash.
As they arrived at the lush, dewy grasslands, the territory quest officially activated.
[Territory Quest 『Residents’ Picnic Invitation』 has begun.]
▶Gather Cooking Ingredients: ??? (0/25)
Liant seemed to be searching for something as he scanned the ground intently.
He eventually stopped in front of a patch of earth riddled with holes.
“There are so many holes.”
“Yes. These holes are a common sight in the Plains of Beginning and the Black Plains below after it rains. The underground monsters dig these breathing holes to come up for air.”
“Aha, breathing holes.”
It was an ecosystem somewhat similar to a mudflat.
Octopuses, crabs, conches, clams, and more.
When the tide recedes, they all dig holes to breathe.
Of course, this was a grassland, so there wouldn’t be any tidal creatures.
Perhaps the dish Liant was going to treat them to was mole meat?
‘But surely, it’s not an armadillo or something, right?’
He chuckled to himself.
No matter how fantastical this world was, they wouldn’t eat something like that.
“This spot seems perfect.”
Liant examined the hole-filled ground and settled on the most suitable location.
“Everyone! Hurry and catch them before they burrow deep!”
“Woohoo!!”
Thump, thump, thump!
Men armed with shovels rushed forward and began to furiously dig into the ground.
Kyung-joon observed with fascination, finding the local customs quite intriguing.
As they dug deeper, the ingredients began to reveal themselves!
Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump!
The creatures squirmed and bounced in all directions.
━Slaasla!
It was a 『Slaasla~』, crying out in its distinct voice.
Why did it cry ‘Slaasla!’?
Because it was a slime!
Right?
‘Wait a minute. Are those…… the things I’m about to eat……?’
A cold sweat began to creep down Kyung-joon’s back.
‘No way. They must have dug up the wrong thing. Or maybe if they dig a little deeper, they’ll find something else delicious. Yeah, who in their right mind would eat a slime?’
But Liant’s following exclamation shattered Kyung-joon’s assumptions.
“Everyone! Capture them quickly before they escape!”
“Yes, sir!”
━S, Slaa?!
The villagers, as if accustomed to this, strategically positioned themselves under Liant’s command.
They began to diligently capture the slimes with nets they had prepared beforehand.
Swoosh, swoosh!
The slime’s fluids splattered, some even landing on Kyung-joon’s cheek.
It had the slippery, gelatinous texture of a gel.
Kyung-joon could only manage a pale smile as he silently acknowledged the truth.
Ah, yes.
This was undoubtedly a slime, no matter how he looked at it.
and
And as if to prove his point, a quest window popped up.
Ding!
[Territory Quest 『Residents’ Picnic Invitation』 has been updated.]
[Slime Cucumber Soup]
▶Gather Cooking Ingredients: Earth Slime (0/25)
Liant chimed in.
“Heheh, we caught a fresh one! Please wait just a moment, Kyung-joon-nim! I’ll prepare it for you right away!”
“Oh my god……”
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle!
The slimes thrashed about wildly inside the net!
Witnessing this, Kyung-joon tried to reassure himself.
‘Well, the villagers eat it too. It’ll be fine.’
They say there are as many cultures as there are foods in the world, right?
Perhaps after being cooked, it would transform into a surprisingly delicious dish.
What kind of cooking method would they use?
Grilled? Fried? Boiled?
With a mix of 90kg anxiety and 10g curiosity, Kyung-joon could only stand back and watch as the remaining 24 slimes were captured.
Ding!
▶Gather Cooking Ingredients: Earth Slime (24/25)
Ding-a-ling!
▶Gather Cooking Ingredients: Earth Slime (25/25)
[Gathering Cooking Ingredients has been completed.]
[The villagers will now begin cooking.]
“Chief, I brought the bowl!”
“Good! As soon as I pour them in, crush their cores!”
“Yes, sir!”
━Slaasla!ㅠㅠ
Squish, squish!
The moment Liant poured the slimes into a large bowl……
“Now!”
“Yes!”
Crack!
A man standing nearby swiftly grabbed a core and crushed it.
Slump!
The force that had held the slime’s soft body together instantly dissipated, causing it to melt into the bowl.
That was somewhat fascinating.
“Ah~ This tart, summery aroma. It’s the perfect season for it.”
“I was worried the slimes would all dry up and die because there wasn’t much rain this year……”
“Back when we lived near Ria Village, we used to eat them whenever it rained. I wonder what the slimes here will taste like?”
“It’s slime time~♪ It’s slime time~♪ Good for the body and delicious~♬”
And the thought that he was about to eat this made it even more intriguing.
Wait, was this really it?
“……Don’t tell me that’s all the cooking there is?”
“No way!”
“Phew.”
“It’s actually quite edible like this, but it lacks a bit of chewiness!”
“……”
“Please have a seat over here!”
The villagers brought out a table and chair for Kyung-joon.
They placed the bowl filled with slime on the table and took out some vegetables.
“We add these pre-chopped carrots, cucumbers, onions, and so on, mix it well, season it with a bit of salt and sugar…… and voila! 『Slime Cucumber Soup』 is ready!”
[Territory Quest 『Residents’ Picnic Invitation: Slime Cucumber Soup』 Complete (1/2)]
[Updating……]
[Frenzied Cold Soup Party (2/2)]
[You can earn 100 Territory Points by completing the quest.]
Thud!
The slimy, gooey slime dish appeared before Kyung-joon.
While there was a cooking process, it was so minimal that even Kyung-joon, who had just witnessed it for the first time, felt he could replicate it.
To think that the dish was nothing more than chopped vegetables mixed into the liquid of burst slimes.
“Well then, let’s prepare our portions too.”
“Is it alright for us to eat before the lord has even tasted it……?”
“It seems less springy than the ones we used to catch near Ria Village…… I wonder if it’ll be alright?”
“My teeth are tingling for some cold soup, cold soup~♪”
The villagers were already preparing their own portions.
Crack! Slump!
Crack! Slump!
Crack, crack! Slump, slump!
The sight of them skillfully and swiftly crushing the slime cores as they poured them into a giant basin was a sight to behold.
Then, they added the pre-prepared vegetables.
In no time, their basin was overflowing with slime cucumber soup.
Gulp, gulp, gulp!
Slurp, slurp!
The villagers began to shovel the soup into their mouths without hesitation.
“Ah~ That’s the stuff!”
“Don’t you think we made too much……?”
“Back in Ria Village, we used to gather it all in a big pot and share, but I guess a basin works too?”
“Slime cucumber soup↗ I spit rhymes all day long↗ Exploding slime core← One bite and it’s pure bliss↘”
The villagers, gathered around the giant basin, were completely engrossed in the taste of the slime cucumber soup.
Kyung-joon could only swallow nervously at the bizarre scene unfolding before him.
The villagers, noticing that Kyung-joon had yet to touch his spoon, exclaimed,
“Huh? Lord! Why aren’t you eating?”
“You don’t like it, do you……”
“Even back in Ria Village, the nobles wouldn’t touch it.”
“My family was poor when I was young! I used to eat cold soup alone at home!”
Ding!
[Territory Quest 2/2: Frenzied Cold Soup Party]
Ding-a-ling!
[Territory Quest 2/2: Frenzied Cold Soup Party]
Ding-a-ling-ling!
[Territory Quest 2/2: Frenzied Cold Soup Party]
The quest window kept popping up as Kyung-joon continued to resist.
<Master, your affinity with them might decrease if you refuse any further.>
“……”
Kyung-joon scooped up a large spoonful and brought it right up to his lips.
The sour and tangy smell of slime filled his nostrils.
“Ah…… Ahh……”
Finally, with a single tear rolling down his cheek, Kyung-joon took a large gulp of the slime cucumber soup.
Chew, chew, chew.
Gulp.
Kyung-joon’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Huh? It’s sour, tangy, and savory… This is actually pretty good?”
“Right?”
Liant beamed.
The slime soup had an unexpected meaty flavor.
As Kyung-joon finished his bowl in one go,
“Lord! Surely, that’s not enough to fill you up? Come over here quickly! There’s plenty more!”
Kyung-joon grabbed the basin and gulped down its contents.
“Gulp, gulp.”
“Whoa! As expected of our lord!”
“Should we catch some more……? It doesn’t seem like enough……”
“This tastes even better than the ones from Ria Village! Mix it all up, mix it up!”
“Raise your bowls to cold soup! For today! For tomorrow! Drink up!”
Bowl after bowl of slime cucumber soup was emptied.
The squishy, slimy broth slid past his tongue and down his throat countless times.
The frenzied cold soup party came to a successful end.
[Affinity with Liant increased by 5.]
[Affinity with Fezun increased by 6.]
[Affinity with Crescens increased by……]
.
.
.
[Average affinity with all villagers increased by 5.3.]
[Territory Quest 『Residents’ Picnic Invitation: Frenzied Cold Soup Party』 Complete (2/2)]
[You have earned 100 Territory Points.]
[The Territory Shop has been unlocked.]
[You can use Territory Points to purchase and try out various things in the Territory Shop.]
“Phew.”
Kyung-joon rubbed his forehead as he patted his stomach, now distended and squishy from all the slime.
It had been a truly unique experience, but once was enough.
Just then, Liant and his group appeared in the distance, dragging something in a net.
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle!
The net was bouncing wildly.
And then he heard it.
The familiar cry of “Slime~ Slime~”.
“Lord! We saw how much you enjoyed it, so we brought some more!”
[Bonus Quest Activated!]
[Frenzied Cold Soup Party 2]
▶Inspired by their lord’s enthusiastic slime eating, the villagers are dancing with joy. As the saying goes, strike while the iron is hot! Maintaining this momentum will allow the villagers to feel a deeper bond with you, their lord.
▶Quest Type: Territory (Bonus)
▶Quest Grade: Common
Another round of this crazy slime cucumber soup party?
Gulp……!
Kyung-joon swallowed nervously at the thought of the horrifying future that might await him.
However, Kyung-joon, who usually maintained an impassive expression, was misinterpreted by the villagers.
“Whoa! The lord is already salivating! As expected, you can never have too much slime!”
“It warms my heart to see the lord enjoying his meal…… I wonder if this is enough…… Should we get more……?”
“Before Ria Village fell under the control of the Black Secret Village, we used to have slime eating contests.”
“♪BON APP, BON APPETIT, BABY♪”
[Choices have been presented.]
+For every bowl of slime cucumber soup consumed, you will receive 10 additional Territory Points.
━Refusing the party may suddenly dampen the mood and decrease affinity.
‘Suddenly dampen the mood……’
If the mood suddenly soured, he would have no choice but to grab a harp and dance.
But Kyung-joon didn’t know how to dance, nor did he know how to play the harp.
“Gulp, gulp.”
“Oooooh! Our lord is the best!”
In the end, convincing himself it was for the sake of earning more Territory Points, Kyung-joon continued the slime party with the villagers.
🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷
After some time.
Kyung-joon and the villagers were full to bursting.
The villagers, expressing their joy at having shared a meal together, headed back to work with renewed vigor.
Kyung-joon also returned to his study cottage.
He was carefully examining a shattered slime core.
“So, once this breaks, the bouncy slime instantly turns to water.”
<For all slimes, the core is like the heart of other creatures. When the core is crushed, the mana within it dissipates, leaving the body with no power to maintain its form.>
“That’s why it becomes so limp and spreads out when the core is crushed.”
Grind, grind.
Kyung-joon took out his mortar and pestle, his alchemy tools, and finely ground the slime core.
Then, he added water.
The water remained just water.
“It’s not becoming bouncy.”
<How about infusing it with mana?>
“Yeah, I was just thinking the same thing.”
Woooong.
Kyung-joon channeled his mana into the water mixed with the ground slime core.
And then, lo and behold……
Boing!
The water turned rubbery!
It was like jelly.
As soon as he stopped channeling mana……
Slump~
The bouncy water returned to its normal, liquid state.
“……This is kind of fun, isn’t it?”
<It seems to have research value.>
“Alright!”
Kyung-joon licked his lips.
It wasn’t because he was hungry.
His stomach was already quite full.
However, there was still one thing he lacked……
“Teemo, I’m going to use my Transmute skill this time, so make sure to record the data properly.”
<^^7>
<As you command.>
Kyung-joon was still thirsty for knowledge.
🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷
How much time had passed?
“Aha! This is like agar-agar! It’s the principle of hydrogel formation! When the solid slime core powder dissolves in water along with mana, the water molecules get trapped between the crosslinks of the polymers, creating a hydrogel!”
<^Oh^>
Kyung-joon had finally uncovered the secrets of the slime core through his research.
And what was the use of knowing this?
This is how you use it.
Kyung-joon used his Transmute skill to coat the gel made from the slime core around his pencil.
Specifically, around the ‘grip’ of the pencil.
[Item successfully crafted.]
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