131: prey

Lin Luo held his breath and crouched low, using the waist-high grass and those boulders shaped like nougat as cover to slowly approach the lone Chocolate Cow. He placed each step extremely lightly, for fear of startling this creature that seemed docile but was actually an unknown entity.

The distance gradually closed; at about ten meters, he stopped. From this distance, he could clearly see the chocolate-colored fur shimmering in the sunlight, its texture as smooth as melted dark chocolate. The pair of massive spiral horns emitted a rich aroma of buttery baking, making one's mouth water.

However, the cow's natural alertness had not vanished. Seemingly catching a scent of something unfamiliar, the Chocolate Cow stopped chewing and raised its head. Its large nostrils snorted out two puffs of milky white steam, and its bell-like eyes warily scanned the surroundings.

Lin Luo's heart tightened, and he immediately sank his Divine Sense into the storage pendant on his chest. Amidst the starlight, he locked onto a dim point of light. With a flick of his consciousness, a short-handled knife appeared in his hand. The knife was about twenty centimeters long, made of steel—not a divine weapon, but sharp enough.

Although he couldn't channel the Spiritual Power in his body, his Physical Body, tempered by Spiritual Qi, remained, and his strength and speed far surpassed those of ordinary people. Seizing the right moment, he exerted force from his feet and dashed out like a cheetah! This time, his goal was clear—holding the knife, he lunged straight for the vulnerable spot on the side of the cow's neck!

But he underestimated the reactions of this creature on the edge of the Gourmet World. Almost the instant he moved, the Chocolate Cow moved too! It let out a low, thunderous moo, its massive body twisting nimbly. Its thick, chocolate-coated tail, like a whip, swept across with a fierce wind!

Lin Luo's pupils constricted. His forward momentum was hard to stop, so he could only barely cross his arms in front of his chest to protect himself, nearly losing his grip on the knife.

"Bang!"

A massive force struck him, causing sharp pain in his arms. He was sent flying backward, rolling several times before dissipating the force. He scrambled up awkwardly and checked his arms—fortunately, no bones were broken, but they were red, swollen, and hot. The knife had fallen not far away.

"What incredible strength and reaction speed!" Lin Luo was shocked. This was just a herbivorous cow on the edge of the Human World?

The failed strike instead enraged the Chocolate Cow. It pawed its hooves, lowered its head, and aimed its enticingly fragrant Croissant Horns at Lin Luo. With power from its hind legs, it charged like a heavy tank with a rumbling sound! The ground vibrated slightly.

Lin Luo didn't dare take the hit head-on and hurriedly dodged to the side, rolling and grabbing the knife again. The Chocolate Cow brushed past him, the strong wind scraping his face. It crashed headlong into the Nougat Boulder where Lin Luo had previously been hiding—

"Crack! Crash—!"

The hard Candy Stone was actually smashed to pieces by those seemingly crispy horns, sending sugar fragments flying everywhere.

Lin Luo's scalp tingled at the sight. He knew that brute force was no match for it. He had to rely on skill, tools, and its weaknesses.

He moved nimbly, dodging the charges and tail swipes while calmly observing. He soon discovered that while this cow was strong and its charges were fierce, its turning wasn't flexible enough. Especially the momentary pause after each charge was a perfect opportunity.

When the Chocolate Cow charged with its head down again, passing by his side and smashing another Candy Stone, the expected stiffness occurred—a sharp glint flashed in Lin Luo's eyes, and he no longer hesitated! He kicked off the ground, his body shooting out like an arrow from a bow. This time he had learned his lesson; he didn't jump directly onto the cow's back but stayed close to its body. The knife in his hand flashed coldly as he stabbed it hard into the inner side of the hind leg joint where the skin was thinner!

"Puchi!"

The blade successfully sank in, all the way to the hilt!

"Moo—!!!"

The Chocolate Cow let out an agonizing roar, its hind legs buckling as its massive body crashed to the ground. The intense pain made it struggle frantically, but its injured hind leg could no longer exert force.

How could Lin Luo miss this chance? He quickly pulled out the knife, bringing with it a stream of hot blood that smelled of chocolate, and then exerted force again, precisely stabbing the knife into the vital spot on the cow's neck!

The struggling quickly weakened. The Chocolate Cow kicked its legs feebly a few times, let out a few whimpers, and finally slumped to the ground, its life force dissipating.

Lin Luo gripped the knife tightly, waiting warily for a few seconds. After confirming it was dead, he retreated a few steps, exhausted, and leaned against a Candy Stone, gasping for air. His muscles trembled, his right hand holding the knife spasmed slightly from overexertion, and sweat had long since soaked his clothes.

After resting for a long time, his breathing gradually steadied. Looking at the massive prey before him, a mix of exhaustion and accomplishment welled up in his heart. This was the first large creature he had hunted in this world using his own strength and tools.

Next was processing the prey. He carefully skinned most of the chocolate-colored hide, planning to tan it for use as a mat. He then cut off several large pieces of the best tenderloin and leg meat. The cut surface of the beef showed a perfect marbling pattern, with fat distributed evenly like a work of art.

Not wanting to waste anything, he divided the remaining beef into small pieces as much as possible and transported them back to the vicinity of the cave. Subsequently, he gathered dry moss and branches, took out a lighter, and easily lit a fire.

Using the knife, he cut the meat into bite-sized pieces, skewered them on sharpened branches, and roasted them over the fire. The flames licked the meat, and fat dripped into the fire with a sizzling sound. A rich meaty aroma mixed with an increasingly distinct Coco fragrance filled the air, making one's mouth water.

Soon, the surface of the meat was charred yellow, and the internal fat melted, seeping into the muscle fibers. Lin Luo couldn't wait; he blew on it and took a large bite.

In an instant, his taste buds seemed to explode!

Ultimate smoothness! The meat was incredibly tender and juicy, almost melting in his mouth. After the pure meaty aroma, a mellow and soft dark chocolate flavor was slowly released, fused perfectly with the meat juices without any sense of discord. Instead, it pushed the depth and complexity of the texture to the extreme, bringing a wonderful experience of slight bitterness followed by a sweet aftertaste.

Not only that, but a gentle and abundant warm current followed the meat into his stomach, quickly surging to his limbs and bones. His depleted physical strength recovered rapidly, and the soreness and fatigue in his arms were significantly reduced. Although this energy was different from the Spiritual Qi he was familiar with, it nourished his body more directly.

"As expected, the food in this world contains special energy!" Lin Luo held the fragrant roasted meat skewer, feeling the warm current dissolve in his body, dispelling fatigue and repairing damage, his heart understanding. But as Jiro had said, the energy provided by such a large piece of meat in the Human World was far less surging than a small bite from the Gourmet World.

He wolfed down the skewer in his hand, still wanting more. The hunger in his stomach completely vanished, replaced by a warm and fulfilling sense of power, like rain after a long drought.

But this was far from enough. The intense battle and his body's craving for energy drove him to take more. He picked up the knife again and carefully sliced a thick steak with perfect marbling from the best part of the tenderloin. This time he didn't plan to roast it; instead, he found a flat stone plate warmed by the fire, propped it up slightly with branches, and placed the marbled steak directly on it.

"Sizzle—"

The moment the steak touched the hot stone plate, a pleasant sound erupted. The abundant fat was immediately forced out, sizzling and dancing on the surface of the stone plate, bursting into tiny oil droplets. A richer and purer meaty aroma than before burst forth, in which the Coco fragrance also became more mellow, as if top-quality dark chocolate were melting. The edges of the steak quickly became golden and crispy, while the middle remained an enticing pink color, with the juices locked tight.

Lin Luo couldn't wait for it to be fully cooked. He used the knife to cut off a small piece from the edge that had changed color first and impatiently put it into his mouth.

"Mmm..."

He almost let out a sigh of satisfaction. The outer layer was crispy with a slight char, while the inside was incredibly tender and juicy. The moment he bit down, the rich meat juices burst in his mouth, with the ultimate freshness and mellow meat flavor forming the main theme. Then, that unique dark chocolate flavor with a sweet aftertaste blended in just right, perfectly neutralizing any greasiness the fat might bring, making the entire flavor layer incredibly rich and deep.

He closed his eyes to savor this unprecedented delicacy. Every chew was an enjoyment; every swallow was accompanied by warm energy flowing into his limbs and bones. The soreness in his arms was further relieved, and his body's fatigue receded like a tide. He could even feel his muscle fibers seemingly becoming a bit tougher under the nourishment of this energy.

He ate three such stone-grilled steaks in a row until a signal of fullness came from his stomach, and only then did he stop, still wanting more.

At this time, his gaze fell on the pair of horns. To his surprise, after being separated from the host, the originally hard horns actually became soft, their texture identical to that of a croissant. He tentatively took a bite, and the crispy outer skin cracked. The rich chocolate filling instantly flowed between his teeth, accompanied by a unique wheat aroma, making it no different from a freshly baked bread.

As night fell, Lin Luo sat by the campfire at the cave entrance, his body and mind filled with a rare sense of satisfaction and peace. He took small sips of a bubbling amber-colored drink scooped up with a large leaf. The drink had the sweet clarity of honey and fruit, its icy taste washing away the aftertaste in his mouth and relieving the slight greasiness of the roasted meat.

Although the cave was dry, the night chill still seeped in. He could only keep his body as close to the campfire as possible, using the warmth of the flames and the dry moss beneath him to curl up and fall into a heavy sleep amidst a mix of fatigue and discomfort.

He didn't sleep soundly that night. The soreness in his body and the unfamiliarity of the wilderness were like invisible tides, repeatedly waking him from his light sleep. It wasn't until the latter half of the night, when the gentle energy transformed from the Chocolate Cow beef in his stomach finally dissolved completely, nourishing his limbs and bones like a trickling warm stream, repairing minor damage and relieving muscle fatigue, that he finally sank into a deep, sweet sleep.

When he opened his eyes again, the light outside the cave was already bright. The piercing sunlight shot diagonally into the cave entrance; it was already noon the next day.

Lin Luo sat up somewhat dazed and subconsciously moved his neck and arms, a look of surprise immediately appearing on his face. The persistent, intense soreness from last night had mostly dissipated. Although his muscles still retained a slight fatigue from high-intensity exercise, the stinging pain that came with every movement was almost gone. The swelling in his arms had also faded, leaving only a bit of stiffness from overexertion. He stood up, swung his arms, twisted his waist, and stretched his limbs, confirming that his body's functions had indeed recovered by seventy or eighty percent.

He walked out of the cave, and his gaze was immediately drawn to several strange trees nearby. One type of tree hung with fruits shaped like curved water pipes. Curious, he reached out and squeezed one. The front of the "water pipe" actually sprayed out pure white milk, and the air was instantly filled with a rich milky aroma. Not far away, another tree was even more peculiar. Its trunk and leaves seemed to be entirely constructed of dark brown chocolate, and the branches bore fruits shaped like cups, which happened to complement the Milk Tree.

Lin Luo casually picked a "cup" from the Chocolate Tree and walked over to the Milk Tree, filling it with a cup of warm, mellow milk. He leaned against the tree, sipping the sweet and rich milk while chewing on the roasted meat he had placed by the fire. The morning breeze blew through the forest, bringing a mixture of scents from the plants and food, and a strange sense of tranquility washed over his heart.