Chapter 106 - 104: Snake Meat and Crispy Vine Soup

Chapter 106: Chapter 104: Snake Meat and Crispy Vine Soup

In an Adventurer’s Land, when you encounter other Adventurers, the ratio of peaceful coexistence, mutual aid, and outright hostility is roughly 8:1:1.

However, this ratio only applies to initial encounters.

Afterward, these situations can easily transform into one another:

A peaceful encounter might suddenly turn hostile over a single misplaced word.

Or an initial standoff could, for all sorts of strange reasons, end with them becoming the best of friends.

There are even double-reversals: starting as enemies, they form a lightning-fast alliance to fight a monster, only to turn on each other just as quickly when it’s time to divide the loot.

In short, anything is possible.

The outcome ultimately depends on the specific circumstances: their situation, the disparity in their power levels, their moral character, and so on.

Nevertheless, this ratio reveals the guiding principle for most Adventurers—

It’s better to forgo potential help than to invite definite trouble.

...

...

CRACKLE... POP...

Half an hour later, the firelight inside the cave was noticeably brighter.

Smoke from the damp, burning wood spiraled into the air before vanishing into several small openings in the cave wall.

This was the unique "ventilation system" of a Goblin Nest.

Even for creatures that could revel in the foulest of odors, fresh air was still a necessity.

That’s why they often built their nests by expanding on the burrows of wild rabbits and gophers, using the various openings as vents to guarantee a supply of oxygen.

After all, with dozens of them often crammed into a small cave, they would probably all suffocate in their sleep without enough vents.

"So slow..."

Bai Ya lifted the pot lid and glanced at the snake and crisp vine soup stewing inside. Her gaze then drifted unconsciously, once again, to the two middle-aged men on the other side of the cave.

Both were around forty, their coarse linen shirts covered in patches. One wore a piece of heavily worn Leather Armor. The other had none at all.

Their exposed skin was a bronze hue, and their faces were etched with fine wrinkles, like a dry riverbed. Their shoulders were exceptionally broad. They had Strong bodies, yet their eyes held a look of distress.

’They look really strange, to be honest.’

After all, Gelan Forest was the lowest-level Adventurer’s Land, and 80% of the Adventurers there were young people under thirty.

It’s where everyone came to take their first step, dreaming of becoming a Hero.

Then, after a few years of battles and adventures in the forest, any who survived with even a little bit of luck would have saved up for a decent set of Equipment. Their Power and Experience would have grown as well.

From there, they would set off for a High Level Adventurer’s Land.

Of course, a small portion of them would stay behind and settle in Heitai Town. This could be for many reasons: marriage and family, a crippling injury, a shattered dream of adventure, or simply contentment with their current life.

Some of these people would give up adventuring entirely, taking up other Professions.

The others would begin treating adventuring purely as a job.

They would only accept quests they were certain they could handle, using their experience to minimize risk. They’d also take on side jobs like being a "guide" to earn extra cash.

Although many looked down on this ambitionless, "slacker" lifestyle, some didn’t even consider these people to be true Adventurers.

But people like that usually managed to live out their lives in peace.

They might not become fabulously wealthy or world-famous, but their livelihood was secure.

At the very least, they could afford a decent set of Equipment.

’So what’s the deal with these two?’

’They don’t look like Adventurers.’

’They seem more like manual laborers, like porters.’

’So what are they doing out here in the forest?’

Sitting by the bonfire, Lu Wei was also silently observing the two middle-aged men as he chopped the damp, rain-soaked outer layer off a piece of firewood.

Once he determined that, aside from their builds, they posed no threat to him, he looked away, not bothering to give them any more thought.

Meanwhile, Bai Ya lifted the lid a crack to check on the stew again.

"Okay, it’s ready."

The pieces of snow-white snake meat were floating on the surface, and the crisp vines had turned from dark to light green. She nodded in satisfaction and took the lid off completely.

Instantly, steam billowed out. The unique aroma of the snake meat, combined with the POURING rain outside, was as appetizing as "hotpot on a snowy day."

’Since we can’t travel anyway, we might as well relax and enjoy ourselves.’

’It might be an adventure, but it can also be a delightful food tour.’

"Alright, let’s eat. Go get Furen and bring him in."

Lu Wei took a wooden bowl from his bag, along with a piece of hard bread, and prepared to dig in with relish.

Bai Ya got up and went to the mouth of the cave to call Furen back from his watch.

"It smells amazing!"

Furen had just spent an hour "admiring the rain" at the cave entrance and was now ravenous. He plopped down by the bonfire, rubbing his hands together eagerly, and urged impatiently:

"Quick, give me a bowl!"

"Of course it is! Crisp vine and chicken stew is a dish every family in Shixi Town makes."

Bai Ya said proudly, "And since we’re using the freshest crisp vine and chicken this time, it’s bound to taste even better."

"Chicken?"

Furen took the bowl she handed him and asked in confusion, "Isn’t it snake meat?"

"The book said snake meat tastes a lot like chicken, so I just followed a chicken recipe."

Bai Ya handed another empty bowl to Mirana. "I’ve never cooked snake before, after all. I just had to experiment."

"Oh, whatever. It smells way better than chicken, anyway!"

Furen gulped, holding his empty bowl out by the pot in eager anticipation.

Lu Wei and Mirana did the same, holding up their bowls as well.

Then, like a cafeteria lady serving kindergarteners, Bai Ya began to ladle the stew into their three bowls with a wooden spoon.

First came the snake meat. Lu Wei and Furen got a bit more, while she and Mirana took a bit less... It wasn’t a matter of playing favorites, just a consideration of the different appetites between men and women.

Next came the crisp vine, which Lu Wei had only learned was edible today. Peeled and chopped into small pieces, it looked a bit like cucumber. Everyone got half a ladle.

Finally, she ladled the milky-white, cheesy broth over everything...

"Mmm, this is delicious."

After taking a small sip of the soup, even Mirana couldn’t help but exclaim, "This is better than the stew at any restaurant in town."

"Oh, and I didn’t even have time to find any other ingredients because of the rain."

The corners of Bai Ya’s mouth twitched upward. She tried to look nonchalant but couldn’t quite hide her pride. "If I’d added some Silver Flower and Little Tree Mushrooms, it would have been even more savory."

"Your cooking is so good, why don’t you consider opening a restaurant?"

"I don’t have the money. Besides, even though I love cooking, I don’t want to make it my job. I feel like I’d lose my passion for exploring new cuisines."

"That’s true. It’s like that with a lot of things. Once it becomes work, you lose your passion for it."

"Uh-huh... Does anyone want more salt?"

"I’ll take some. It’s a little bland," Lu Wei said, raising his hand.

"Okey-dokey."

Bai Ya immediately found the salt shaker and poured a little more into his bowl, silently updating her mental "Mushroom Squad Member Food Preference Chart."

’The captain likes barbecue and mushrooms.’

’He dislikes beans and leafy greens.’

’He prefers stronger flavors...’

Sipping her soup, Bai Ya quietly summarized Lu Wei’s preferences in her head. ’His tastes are a bit like a Half-Beastman or a Dwarf,’ she thought.

While the four of them were enjoying their meal around the campfire, the two men by the fire on the other side of the cave also took out their lunch.

It was a rock-hard Black Bread Stick and a piece of salt pork, the latter only half the size of a palm and a finger thick.

The two didn’t even bring a pot; only an iron kettle hung over their fire.

They tossed the salt pork into the kettle, apparently intending to make a "salty broth" to soak their bread in.

Such a simple meal suggested the two were extremely short on funds.

Still, they were in luck today.

Someone was stewing meat right next to them. The free aroma drifting into their nostrils would perhaps make their own meal a little easier to get down.

Of course, a mouthful of real meat broth would be even better.

But after a long hesitation, neither of them made a move. They just stayed where they were, watching their kettle and quietly swallowing.