Chapter 299

Squelch. Squelch.

Rudra and Iris walked out of the dense marsh. The heavy mud clung to their boots.

The eastern tree line finally broke. The wooden gates of the Valiant Village stood ahead.

The Orc guards at the gate spotted them immediately. They pushed the heavy wooden doors open and began shouting toward the center of the camp.

Rudra stepped into the village. Iris followed a half-step behind him.

A crowd of green-skinned warriors gathered in the central dirt square. At the front stood Korag and the Valiant Chief. The Chief was easily ten feet tall. He wore a simple loincloth and carried a necklace of polished beast fangs.

They looked at Rudra. Then they looked at Iris.

Korag let out a massive, gusting breath. The Valiant Chief nodded deeply.

Without a single word, both of the giant Orcs planted their feet wide. They raised their arms, bent their elbows, and flared their back muscles outward.

It was a perfectly synchronized front-lat spread.

"She returns," the Chief rumbled, his chest puffed out to maximum capacity. "The swamp has not claimed our benefactor."

Iris stopped walking.

She looked at the ten-foot-tall, half-naked bodybuilders holding a competitive posing routine in the middle of a muddy village. Her left eyelid gave a single, microscopic twitch.

"They were worried about you," Rudra said.

Iris didn't answer. She just stared straight ahead.

Ding.

[The Valiant Tribe's Anxiety (A-Rank) has been completed.] 

[Your affinity with the Valiant Tribe has increased.] 

[The Valiant Orcs view you as a trusted friend.]

Rudra dismissed the blue window. This was exactly what he needed. He had maxed out his relationship with the tribe. It was time to make his pitch.

He stepped forward. He rolled his shoulders back and rested his staff against his collarbone.

"Chief," Rudra said. "Korag. We need to talk."

The Chief dropped his lat spread. He stood tall and crossed his thick arms. "You speak with a serious tone, Aesthetic Chef. What is on your mind?"

"I'm not just a normal chef," Rudra said. "I am a Duke of the Murray Kingdom and the Lord of the Stormbreak Region. I came here primarily to recruit you. I want the Valiant Tribe to become citizens of my territory."

The surrounding Orc warriors murmured. They exchanged surprised looks.

Korag simply nodded. He looked entirely unsurprised. "I knew it," he whispered to the warrior next to him. "Only a man who rules vast lands could possess such perfectly proportioned shoulders."

Rudra kept his eyes on the Chief.

"The Arc Kingdom swamps are dangerous," Rudra said. "Poachers are getting bolder. I have a massive territory on the coast. I have secure walls, clean water, and plenty of space. And before you ask, no, you won't be treated like monsters or cheap labor. Stormbreak is different."

Rudra pointed a thumb back over his shoulder. "I have Sirens singing in the harbor. I have Witches running my alchemy tower. I have Beastmen living in the city. You won't be discriminated against. You'll be my citizen just as much as any other human."

The Chief uncrossed his arms. He looked around his muddy village.

He looked back at Rudra. "You honor us, Duke Rudra. Truly. Your territory sounds like a haven. You possess a beauty that brings tears to our eyes. We would gladly become your citizens."

"But?" Rudra asked.

"But," the Chief sighed heavily. "We are creatures of the swamp. This mud naturally exfoliates our skin. The tough meat of the swamp beasts maintains our lean muscle mass. If we move to a stone city, how will we maintain our bodies?"

The Chief thumped his chest. "To swear loyalty to a Duke, we need a guarantee. Can Stormbreak maintain our physical perfection?"

Rudra stared at the giant Orc.

A slow, wide grin spread across Rudra's face.

"You want a guarantee regarding your beauty?" Rudra asked.

"Yes," the Chief said seriously.

"Fine." Rudra reached into his coat. "Let me show you what you would be able to eat if you re-locate to Stormbreak."

He pulled out a heavy metal basin.

"Form Shift," Rudra said.

[The ‘Form Shift’ skill of the item 'Protean Crafting Cauldron' has been activated.] 

[Select the desired form.]

"Massive roasting grill," Rudra commanded.

The metal basin shifted. It expanded outward, snapping and locking into the shape of a wide, thick iron grill. Rudra set up two mana-fueled campfire blocks beneath it. Blue flames roared to life.

Iris took a step back, giving Rudra room to work.

Rudra pulled out a batch of raw, basic ingredients from his inventory. Normal beef, common herbs, and simple salt.

He was going to use a very specific recipe. Back when he was clearing the trials of Asterion, the Ocean God, he had received the recipe for [Beauty Meat]. At the time, Rudra thought it was a completely useless reward. He was fighting for his life, and the system handed him a recipe designed purely to increase physical appeal.

He thought he would never use it. But here he was, staring at a tribe of bodybuilding Orcs. It was the perfect situation.

He slapped the raw cuts onto the hot iron.

Sizzle.

Rudra moved with practiced speed. The recipe required extreme technical precision to elevate the common ingredients. He channeled his intent, focusing entirely on health, vitality, and physical beauty. He brushed the meat with a light glaze of wild honey and crushed garlic. He flipped the cuts exactly when the crust turned dark brown.

[You have created 'Beauty Meat'!] 

[An epic-rated dish was produced, so all stats have permanently risen by +4 and reputation throughout the continent has risen by +80.]

[Beauty Meat]

[An ancient chef who wanted her Barbarian race Husband to become beautiful but could not obtain magical ingredients. Thus she created this recipe by maximising the ingredients to bring out the eater’s beauty.

- Increases Charm by 20% for 6 hours.

- Temporarily grants the [Flawless Complexion] buff.

- Increase the Charm-related Skill experience acquisition rate by 10% for 6 hours.]

Rudra used a set of long wooden tongs to pull the meat off the grill. He sliced it into thick, steaming strips.

He piled the meat onto a massive wooden platter.

"Eat," Rudra said. He held the platter out to the Chief.

The Chief reached out with a thick green hand. He took a piece of the glazed meat. He tossed it into his mouth and chewed.

Three dozen Orc warriors stepped forward. Korag was at the front. They all took a piece of the meat.

Rudra watched them chew.

A second passed.

The buff hit.

The Valiant Chief gasped. He dropped to one knee.

His green skin suddenly cleared of all swamp blemishes. A faint, healthy glow radiated from his pores. The veins on his massive arms pushed outward, achieving immediate, peak vascularity. He looked like a statue chiseled from solid bronze.

Korag let out a shout of pure joy.

He threw his arms up and hit a double-bicep flex. Tears streamed down his face.

"My calves!" an Orc warrior wept, pointing at his own legs. "Look at the definition!"

"My skin is so soft!" another warrior shouted.

The entire village of giant, battle-hardened Orcs fell to their knees in the mud. They bowed their heads toward Rudra. They wept in pure aesthetic reverence.

[Condition: Satisfy 10 individuals across 10 different species with your cooking.] 

[Current progress: 5/10.]

The Chief looked up at Rudra. His eyes were wide with awe.

"Duke Rudra," the Chief said, his voice trembling. "If this is how we would be able to eat... we will follow you to the ends of the earth. The Valiant Tribe is yours."

Rudra grinned. "Welcome to Stormbreak."