Chapter 196: The Items Have Been Received

Chapter 196: Chapter 196: The Items Have Been Received

A moment later, silence returned.

Only the thin mist outside the window drifted slowly.

Seraphina Sinclair’s heart skipped a beat. She took a deep breath, tightened her grip on her long knife, and crept to the door, slowly pulling it open just a crack.

The scene outside made her pupils contract.

There, on the wooden planks in front of the small mobile hut, were three massive monster carcasses!

One was a creature resembling a giant lizard, covered in a rocky carapace, with a huge gash torn in its neck! Another was a strange bird with ruffled feathers and an enormous wingspan, its head twisted at an unnatural angle, clearly dead as well.

The last was a boar-like creature, pitch-black and covered in menacing bone spikes.

This one was in the worst shape; its abdomen had been ripped open by sharp claws, spilling blood and viscera everywhere.

That sound from before...

Seraphina Sinclair suddenly understood. Something had thrown these three bodies down from the roof. And whatever it was had good control—all the corpses had slid to a stop right where Seraphina could reach them.

She stared at the corpses in silence for a moment, unsure of what to do.

It was painfully obvious who had dropped these things off, but wasn’t the timing a little too convenient?

’Could that Dragonbeast have seen me not feeding Lucky? And then rushed off to catch some prey for him?’

The thought made Seraphina Sinclair even more speechless.

Her gaze fell upon the prey. She stared at it for a long time before slowly lifting her head to look up at the dense, foggy sky.

Although she couldn’t see anything, she was sure the Dragonbeast had only just left.

It... had delivered child support and rations.

And a very generous amount at that.

Seraphina Sinclair’s feelings were a complicated mess.

’What was this? The carrot and the stick? Though, the stick hadn’t actually fallen yet.’

In any case, she should first see what these things were.

[Stoneplate Lizard (D+ Level)]

[Description: A powerful predator that inhabits rocky terrain! It possesses excellent defense and a strong bite. A very difficult prey to capture, it only yields meat! A gift some magical species prepare for their newborn young!]

[D+ Level ingredient detected. Proceed with decomposition?]

[Acquirable: Sturdy Stoneplate Lizard Leg Meat x4, Refined Chunks of Meat x18!]

’What?’

’A D+ ingredient?’

Seraphina Sinclair immediately perked up.

It wasn’t that Seraphina Sinclair had never seen a D-level ingredient before. What shocked her was that it wasn’t fish!

It wasn’t fish!

The waiter was indeed a superb cook, but no matter how many different ways he prepared it, he couldn’t change the fact that the raw ingredient was always fish.

After eating it for so long, Seraphina Sinclair felt like she was turning into a fish herself.

But now, a lizard, a bird, and a boar!

She could finally have some variety in her diet!

As she thought of this, Seraphina Sinclair glanced back inside the hut. Lucky, seemingly worried about her, was carefully shuffling across the floor toward her.

Seraphina Sinclair watched it for a moment, and couldn’t help but feel her heart soften.

Not only was the little thing undeniably cute, but it also showed no signs of being dangerous right now. Besides, the description made it clear that it would only be a threat when it reached adulthood.

’Adulthood...’

’Even though it’s a Dragonbeast, it’s still a type of dragon, right?’

The lifespan of such a magical creature was beyond the imagination of a human like Seraphina Sinclair. The age of adulthood would naturally be a ridiculously large number for humans.

Perhaps Lucky would never betray her, not even by the time Seraphina died of old age.

At this thought, Seraphina Sinclair suddenly raised a hand to cover her eyes.

’Seriously, why did this damned system have to make me name the Dragon Whelp?’

’Once you give something a name, it’s like you’ve tied an invisible thread between you.’

Watching the little thing’s clumsy movements, Seraphina Sinclair found it difficult to see it purely as a "future threat" or a "troublesome burden" anymore.

She lowered her hand and let out a soft breath, as if she had made a decision.

"Fine, I’ll raise it," she muttered to herself with a hint of resignation. "Besides... someone’s delivering its food now."

She turned her gaze back to the three D+ Level carcasses, her eyes burning with a new fire.

’The diet improves today!’

’What about the other two ingredients?’

[Rotwing Vulture (D+ Level)]

[Description: A scavenger and predator that circles in the black mist. It has a ferocious temperament, sharp talons and beak, and can spit a weakly corrosive acid! A highly aggressive bird of prey, but for that very reason, its meat is firm and uniquely flavorful. It is a favored prey for certain powerful beings. Besides its meat, its feathers may have other uses.]

[D+ Level ingredient detected. Proceed with decomposition?]

[Acquirable: Firm Vulture Breast Meat x6, Tough Vulture Feathers x15!]

’Feathers?’

’What are they used for? Quills? Arrows?’

Seraphina Sinclair couldn’t figure it out, so she simply turned her attention to the last carcass.

[Tusken Boar (D+ Level)]

[Description: A frenzied, omnivorous monster with a shockingly powerful charge. The bone spikes on its body are hard and coated with a weak toxin. Its meat is extremely tough and coarse from constant activity and fighting, and carries a unique gamey odor. It is an excellent choice for beasts to sharpen their claws and replenish energy. For humans, however, it requires meticulous preparation to be palatable. The menacing bone spikes on its back are a good natural material.]

[D+ Level ingredient detected. Proceed with decomposition?]

[Acquirable: Coarse Boar Leg Meat x6, Gamey Boar Ribs x4, Hardened Poisoned Bone Spike x10!]

’Poisoned Bone Spikes!’

Seraphina Sinclair’s eyes narrowed. This was clearly a more directly offensive material than the vulture feathers.

’This is all good stuff!’

After a moment’s thought, Seraphina Sinclair suddenly turned to look at the thick, layered black mist outside the small mobile hut.

She hesitated for a moment before putting on the monocle.

The [Blinding] effect of the black mist instantly vanished. Through the vast, dense fog, Seraphina Sinclair’s gaze locked precisely onto the huge Dragonbeast’s blood-red eyes.

Seraphina Sinclair’s breath caught in her throat, but she didn’t look away.

The Dragonbeast was perched on a massive tree branch, its posture almost "proper," looking strangely cute from a distance.

It seemed unsure if the human could actually see it. It raised a claw to scratch the fur on its neck, then looked over again, its face full of worry.

Seraphina Sinclair: "..."

’If you’re so worried, then raise it yourself! You shameless beast!’

Watching the big creature’s slightly clumsy movements and worried expression, the tension in Seraphina Sinclair’s heart inexplicably eased, replaced by a sense of exasperated absurdity.

She took a deep breath. Facing the vague, colossal silhouette in the dense fog, she pointed at the three huge carcasses on the ground, then toward the inside of the hut. Finally, she faced the Dragonbeast and nodded firmly.

The meaning was clear: ’I’ve received the goods. I’ll take care of the kid.’

The Dragonbeast’s blood-red, vertical pupils seemed to twitch slightly. It tilted its massive head, as if confirming Seraphina Sinclair’s meaning.