NABC Chapter 13 On the Reproduction of Goblins
Chapter 13 On the Reproduction of Goblins
Hunter, noticing Zhou Qing's ability to retrieve objects from a distance, wasn't too surprised, but a hint of envy flashed in his eyes as he asked, "Spatial equipment?"
Zhou Qing nodded knowingly, without saying anything.
The essence of being a master is to speak less; too much talk leads to mistakes.
Hunter didn't press the matter, and pulled out a set of kitchen utensils from his bag, clearly showing he was also a seasoned gourmet.
Upon seeing this, Zhou Qing immediately abandoned the idea of cooking and stood aside to watch.
It's a good opportunity to see how the local cuisine of this other world is made, and maybe even learn a few tricks.
Hunter first cut the walking mushrooms into chunks, then skillfully whittled the branches into thin sticks, strung the walking mushrooms together, and then used a knife to make several cross-shaped cuts on the vine tentacle monster, peeling off the slimy outer skin and carefully pouring the juice inside onto the walking mushroom chunks.
Zhou Qing watched Hunter's actions with curiosity.
Seeing this, Hunter explained while he was busy: "The sap of the vine tentacle monster has a slightly tingling taste, making it perfect as a seasoning."
"I see." Zhou Qing nodded, thinking to himself.
The food in this other world has its merits; I still have a lot to learn.
He offered to help skewer and cut the walking mushrooms into pieces, and casually asked, "For goblin extermination missions, don't we need to clear out the entire nest?"
Hunter shook his head, his tone helpless: "You can never completely kill all those goblins."
"They can reproduce not only with their own kind, but also with other monsters, and even humans and demi-humans."
"Especially female goblins, they can give birth after a month of pregnancy, and can give birth to more than ten goblin cubs in one litter. As long as one female escapes, it won't be long before they rebuild a nest."
He paused, then added, "Moreover, goblin lairs are winding and intricate, making them easy targets for ambushes."
"What's more troublesome is that if female adventurers are captured and used as breeding tools, although the pregnancy will be longer and the number of offspring will be fewer, the goblins born will be stronger, and there may even be goblin subspecies, which are much more troublesome and pose a great threat than ordinary goblins."
"So usually, we just limit their numbers to prevent them from becoming a plague, and we don't dare to forcibly destroy their nests."
Zhou Qing was stunned.
This plot is way too much like a doujinshi!
They can even hybridize and create subspecies like this.
However, for the sake of plot and visual appeal, the stories usually only feature male goblins, not female goblins.
Zhou Qing suddenly remembered his earlier question and casually asked, "By the way, can goblins be eaten?"
Hunter was taken aback by the question, then showed a disgusted expression: "Goblins are among the dirtiest monsters. They are covered in plagues. Eating them will definitely cause poisoning and illness. Apart from some orcs who are not afraid of plagues, no normal person would touch these things."
Zhou Qing nodded in agreement: "Yeah, what normal person would eat this stuff?"
As soon as they finished chatting, Hunter had already skillfully skewered most of the walking mushroom and was ready to start a fire to grill it.
Zhou Qing immediately asked, "Why did you stop? Is this walking mushroom poisonous and shouldn't be eaten in large quantities, or what?"
Hunter shook his head and pointed to the skewered grilled meats: "It's not that we can't eat more, these are enough for the two of us."
"This little bit?" Zhou Qing glanced at the few skewers and couldn't help but laugh. "This isn't even enough to fill a gap between my teeth. Don't stop, finish them all!"
Hunter hesitated for a moment, then couldn't help but glance twice at the underage walking mushroom that was less than a meter tall.
Although they are not yet adults, their size is such that one whole roasted animal would be enough for three or four people to eat to their heart's content. If they were roasted and only the two of them ate, there would likely be a lot left over, which would be a pure waste of ingredients.
But then I thought, these walking mushrooms were originally brought out by Zhou Qing, and since he was happy to roast them all, I had no reason to object.
Hunter shrugged, picked up the stick, and continued stringing: "Okay, whatever you say, string them all."
Working together, the two quickly skewered the entire walking mushroom and grilled it over the campfire.
The flames licked the skewers, quickly releasing the aroma of the walking mushrooms, making one's mouth water.
"It's done! It's done!" As soon as Hunter flipped the skewers over, Zhou Qing couldn't wait to pick one up, blow on it twice, and stuff it into his mouth.
The moment it enters your mouth, the numbing sensation combined with the savory aroma of mushrooms explodes on your tongue, making for a truly delightful taste.
Zhou Qing chewed a couple of times and swallowed, but felt a little regretful: "What a pity, it's all vegetarian. If there were some pieces of meat skewered in the middle, the taste would be even more amazing."
While thinking this, his hands never stopped moving.
He was seen holding two skewers in one hand, swinging them left and right so fast that his arms were almost blurry; he had become a rice-eating machine.
Hunter, who was next to Zhou Qing, had just taken his first bite of a skewer when he caught a glimpse of Zhou Qing's frenzied eating. He was so shocked that he forgot to chew the skewer in his mouth.
He clicked his tongue in amazement.
Oh, Goddess above, isn't this person afraid of getting burned?
And this way of eating is to swallow it directly without chewing?
Hunter had previously formed temporary adventurer teams with other adventurers for missions.
The orc warrior in the team was already the biggest eater he had ever seen, but compared to Zhou Qing, he was nothing, not even a fraction of Zhou Qing's appetite.
Under Hunter's almost frozen gaze of shock, Zhou Qingfeng devoured the remaining skewers in a flash.
After Zhou Qing finished the last bite, wiped his mouth, and looked up, he saw Hunter holding half a skewer of grilled meat, looking hesitant. He immediately asked, "What's wrong? Not full?"
"It's alright, I'll hunt another monster for you on the way out of the dungeon."
Hunter quickly shook his head, swallowed the food in his mouth, and said in a somewhat incredulous tone, "No, no, I'm full."
"Aren't you afraid of indigestion and stomach upset from eating so much?"
"Relieving yourself in a dungeon is extremely dangerous, as you're easily ambushed by monsters."
"Indigestion?" Zhou Qing was taken aback for a moment, then waved his hand. "Don't worry, I've only eaten about three-tenths full. I'm far from being stuffed."
Hunter: "..."
He fell silent, his heart filled with deep emotion.
Zhou Qing can eat so much, he must be an outstanding warrior or a powerful monk!
No wonder he was able to take down goblins one by one with a single blow, and after blocking the entrance to the crypt for so long, he showed no signs of exhaustion.
Soon, the two cleaned up the dishes, extinguished the campfire, and headed towards the entrance of the underground city.
Hunter, a seasoned veteran who had spent years making a living in the Kara dungeon, knew the terrain of the first floor of the dungeon like the back of his hand. The route he led was quite safe, and they didn't encounter a single monster along the way.
Just as they were about to reach the entrance, Zhou Qing was lucky enough to stumble upon a lone walking mushroom, which he casually smashed to death with a stick and threw into the dark space.
Perfect timing, I've got my late-night snack sorted out. I can have an extra meal tonight.