KoushaRyouri ~C4

 

Chapter 4: Tongue Steak (Part 1)

 

Ten years have passed since then.

 

I am now 16 years old. If I still live in Tristan's house, I would be wearing a battle outfit for my maturity ceremony by now.

 

But I still live on this mountain.

 

"SeeyaaAAAAA!!"

 

I swing a steel sword that I have forged myself.

 

I slashed at the troll's protruding belly.

 

The monster's body fluids splattered, but it was still shallow.

 

The troll lost his balance and fell backward, but he's still alive.

 

"Not yet!"

 

I take another step forward.

 

I think I'm bigger than I was 10 years ago.

 

My body is tough and strong like steel wire squeezed together. Slowly, my body and face are starting to resemble my father's.

 

In front of me is a troll so big that I have to look up at him.

 

11 years ago.

 

When I was first abandoned in the mountain, this monster ate a big deer and rampaged around.

 

I later found out that this troll is the king of all monsters in this whole area. I've witnessed it many times before, walking around the mountains like it owns the place and snatching up other monster's prey.

 

But that's all over now.

 

This troll will be removed from his throne today.

 

"Here!"

 

I thrust my sword into the troll's throat and his eyes turned white. The troll's eyes turned white.

 

Normally, this would kill the monster and cause it to turn into a magic stone.

 

However, the troll didn't turn into a magic stone. It collapsed to the ground. All that is left is the sound of the air shaking.

 

"Yes! I won!!! I won against the troll!"

 

My victory declaration echoed through the mountain as if to let the monsters know.

 

I did a little dance on the troll's belly.

 

I've been hunting, studying, and eating all kinds of monsters for the past ten years to defeat this mountain troll.

 

As a result of various experiments, it seems that eating monsters increases physical abilities. Depending on the type of food you eat, there are even foods that allow you to instantly acquire [skills] that normally require decades of training to acquire.

 

The effects of those foods vary. Some foods increase your physical ability only once and never again. Some foods have little effect, but if you continue to eat them, the effect will increase. Some foods increase your physical ability instantly.

 

It's not just physical ability.

 

Some foods can restore body functions, just like slime. Some other foods can even make you more resistant to heat and cold.

 

There are also.......

 

"Let's try to eat it."

 

I raise my hand.

 

A fireball shot out of my hand.

 

The fireball quickly burns the woods I had prepared.

 

Just now was a flame bullet.

 

After eating a monster, I can use this magic.

 

This is the magic I got from eating a Pixie Kid.

 

I didn't want to eat its body, but I tried steaming the horn of its head. The texture is like bamboo shoots, and the taste is quite good.

 

This magic is quite useful and is very helpful.

 

Without this fire and heat resistance, I would never be able to forge my steel sword.

 

There are other things I've learned about monsters.

 

For example, there is a part of a monster that does not turn into a magic stone.

 

The body part varies depending on the species. In the case of a humanoid creature like a troll, it is usually located on the back of the neck.

 

Apparently, there are thin tubes between the brain and the magical stone that transmits magical power. If the flow of that power is interrupted, the monster will turn into a magic stone.

 

It turns out that if you don't damage those tubes and put the monster in a state of paralysis or apparent death, it won't turn into a magic stone.

 

Of course, there are countless tubes, and it would be difficult to injure a monster without damaging them.

 

However, I got a special ability from a monster with big eyes called Crown Eyes.

 

"Clairvoyance."

 

With this, I can see the tubes that connect to the Magic Stone and attack them.

 

It takes a while to understand their body structure, but I always could find any monsters' weak points with this ability.

 

As long as they are the same species, the position of the tubes will be the same.

 

Even without [clairvoyance], with some guidance, anyone can dismantle a monster.

 

...... Though it's a bit more difficult.

 

"Ah!　Before I forget ......"

 

I look back at the troll that' in a state of suspended animation.

 

After trying many things, I found out that humanoid monsters are generally not delicious. This troll's soft-looking belly must be filled with low-quality fat.

 

It might be useful as fuel for a fire, but it's useless to me right now.

 

There is only one part of the troll that can be eaten.

 

It's the tongue.

 

Many of the humanoid monsters have a large tongue.

 

Unlike humans, their bodies do not easily cool down, so their long tongues are used as cooling devices.

 

For trolls, losing their tongue is a matter of life and death. However, their tongue is quite a delicacy.

 

The meat is dense but tender, with a crunchy texture that is truly superb.

 

Speaking of the tongue, it is usually grilled, but today I decided to cook a steak.

 

I got a big piece of tongue.

 

I decided to cut it into thick slices and eat it as steak.