Inside the camp, the air was thick with the scent of herbs and smoke. Beneath flickering lantern light, the self-proclaimed chef–James Welt–stood poised over the cutting board, eyeing a slab of Minotaur meat. It was no ordinary steak. The massive cut was deep red and marbled with veins of creamy fat, reminiscent of the finest Wagyu, yet wilder and more primal.
He reached for a pinch of coarse sea salt that he had borrowed permanently from a dead camper, sprinkling it evenly over the steaks. Freshly ground pepper followed, the chef cracking each twist deliberately, as though casting a spell over the meat.
[Huh, you know what you're doing. This does not look too shabby.]
"Yeah, I know right? Always wanted to cook a wagyu steak, but this will also do." James answered as he walked over to the campfire to get his 'kitchen' ready as the meat had rested well enough.
As the steak rested, absorbing the salt and pepper, the chef set a cast-iron skillet over an open flame. The heat grew steadily, glowing beautifully.
James added a slick of grapeseed oil, which shimmered and hissed as it met the iron. For an extra touch of decadence, he threw in a hunk of Stymphalian Bird Fat that he had saved from previous cooking, watching it melt and blend with the oil, filling the air with the rich scent of sizzling fat.
With a deft motion, he placed the first Minotaur steak onto the skillet. The steak met the iron with an intense hiss, its surface crackling and browning as the fat began to render. He moved quickly now, flipping the steak after two minutes of searing, revealing a caramelized crust as perfect as he had seen on social media.
He tilted the skillet ever so slightly and began to baste the steak, spooning the golden liquid over the meat with reverence. When the time came, he pulled the steak from the pan, setting it on a wooden board to rest. It glistened in the warm light, a vision of rustic luxury.
After several minutes, James picked up the knife once more, slicing the steak with the kind of ease as it was made from some leftover feathers of the Stymphalian Birds. Each slice revealed the marbling within, the fat rendered into creamy veins that promised richness beyond compare.
After setting everything up for a nice meal, he was ready to finally taste the product. The air was already filled with the rich aroma of the beef, which made him quite hungry.
He decided that he didn't want to wait any longer and just speared a bite and brought it to his mouth, his senses instantly overwhelmed by the richness that followed. As he bit down, the steak yielded like butter, melting on his tongue in waves of flavor. The fat and creamy goodness mingled with the deep, earthy taste of the meat itself, as if the strength of the Minotaur had been distilled into this single bite.
"Phew, that's some good shit right there," James exclaimed in a blissful state, silently telling himself to hunt down the Minotaur in around a month again when it respawns.
[As expected, good quality meat. It just lacks some good Monkey Wine and it would be perfect.]
"Monkey Wine?"
[Yes, Monkey Wine is also called Hóu'er Jiǔ. The wine of Huaguo is one of the finest in the divine realm. Made from immortal peaches and fermented naturally within the dense Nature Qi of the mountain.]\
James let out a soft groan. "Don't start. Now you're making me crave alcohol."
[Well, if you manage to take down the Phoenix and escape this place, I'll reward you with a gourd that refills itself with Monkey Wine. Perform well, and it's yours. It'll speed up your recovery–immortal Qi enriches it, after all. A mere drink to me, but for you, it would be invaluable.]
James's eyes widened. "Wait, you can do that?"
[Of course. A simple projection I may be, but tricks like that are easy for me.]
James chuckled, shaking his head. "I feel like I just unlocked a main quest. But hey, if the reward is that good, don't hold back on your disciple."
[Haha! I always keep my promises.]
As he prepared a filet mignon, James asked, "How long do you think it'll take before I'm strong enough to roast that oversized fire chicken?"
[Hmm... Maybe a year? You've only just begun cultivating. The Phoenix is at the second stage. Think of it as pitting a child against a seasoned soldier–step foot in its nest now, and you'd be obliterated before you could blink.]
James sighed, his excitement deflating. "A whole year? Dammit... I thought I was getting stronger. Are you sure other places are better off than here?"
[Of course. Europe is well-defended by the Norse and Olympians. Most continents are still in the first stage, so they're relatively safe. But there are exceptions. Fractures like this can create danger zones, and second-stage creatures like the Phoenix aren't supposed to appear yet. You got caught in a rare fracture, which is why you can't leave.]
"So, I'm stuck because this place is sealed off?" James poked at the fire, trying to wrap his mind around it.
[Exactly. This area is locked out until the second phase starts. But since you were already inside when it happened…]
"I got dragged into a late-game event?" James groaned, understanding dawning on him. "So I'm trapped in a dungeon with no way out until I beat the boss."
[Bingo! But look on the bright side... focus on taking down the bird, and the barrier will collapse, setting you free.]
James sighed again, glancing at his unresponsive satellite phone. So, this was it... he was in a dungeon, and killing the boss was the only way out. Great, he thought. My life's turned into a game, I even get stronger after killing my enemies, and now I just need a stupid system interface to complete my starter pack.
"Ugh, I'm dissociating the real world with web novels... I swear, the isolation is really starting to mess with my head."
[Don't worry. Soon, I'll teach you something that'll keep that little brain of yours busy at night.]
James smirked. "Sounds good to me." But his satisfaction was short-lived as a sudden, acrid smell hit his nose.
"Shit! Shit, fucking. Ah, my perfect steak..."
He quickly tried to flip it in the pan, but it was too late. The once mouthwatering filet mignon was now a charred mess, stubbornly stuck to the bottom. He cursed under his breath, poking at the blackened edges with a stick, trying to pry it loose.
"All that effort... ruined," he muttered, grimacing at the burnt remains. The rest of the meat was already put into a cooling box to dry age. 'I guess it's dried bird meat for dinner.'
[Haha, that's what happens when you let your mind wander into things that don't concern you yet. Focus on the present, worry about the rest later.]
James sighed but nodded in agreement as he scraped the last bit of burnt meat from the pan. "Yeah, I guess you're right. For now, I'm living comfortably in the middle of a danger zone. The Koropokkuru stopped pestering me after I flared my aura, and I've got the Greatest Sage Equal to Heaven as my teacher. I'm not really lacking anything... except information about my family."
His voice trailed off, his usual light-hearted tone replaced with a hint of longing. The isolation that had seemed almost adventurous now felt heavier without knowing what was happening to his loved ones beyond the barrier.
"Hey, do you know if there are other humans trapped here besides me that are alive?"
"Hey, do you know if there are any other humans trapped here besides me? Anyone still alive?"
[Hmm...]
[Well, there are a few. But they're a worthless bunch hiding on the other side of Kotaklik Shan. A small group managed to stumble upon a cave for shelter, but they won't last long. As for the other hikers... they're all dead.]
James's expression darkened. "Why didn't you tell me about them?"
[Why would you want to hang around a bunch of toxic mortals?] Wukong scoffed.
[They'd only drag you down. Besides, you're better off without their weakness holding you back.]
James clenched his fists. "They're still people. I could've helped them."
[Help them? Or let them burden you until they die anyway? Focus on yourself, James. This world doesn't have room for dead weight. Besides, are you sure that you can trust them? After you know...]
"Hmm, but still..." James muttered but it didn't sound too convincing. But leaving others to suffer while knowing that he had the capacity to save them didn't sit right with James. He was still scarred from the Grace incident, but his morals won.
[Ahh... I guess you can check on them, but they'll die either with or without your intervention. You'll see when you get there, let it be a lesson.]