Chapter 5

Baker's expression was exaggerated; after swallowing a piece of meat, he couldn't stop. He ate the meat while drinking the soup, and even though the stew was scalding hot, it couldn't stop him from inhaling it while blowing on it.

Seeing Baker's performance, the others couldn't help but be tempted. People usually didn't eat the meat of magical beasts because most of it was extremely unpalatable and somewhat harmful to humans, though it wouldn't kill them. Now, seeing how Baker savored it, they felt they would be missing out if they didn't try it themselves!

Then, including the aloof beauty Erin, everyone praised the pot of stewed meat.

"I can't taste that this is the meat of a Red-Tailed Fire Wolf! This deliciousness... I've never tasted anything like it! Even the so-called high-end dishes I've had before can't compare to this meat!" Ries praised as he ate, and the others nodded in agreement, looking as if they shared the same sentiment.

Seeing everyone enjoying their meal, Ji Ran also smiled. To survive in this world, he had to integrate into human society. Having a special skill would naturally speed up the process. And it seemed this was his unique expertise! The cooking methods in this world were surprisingly primitive, similar to the West in reality. Just with this, he could probably live quite well...

While the others vied for the pot of stewed meat, Ji Ran skewered the rabbit meat and mushrooms and started grilling them over the fire. This barbecue wasn't a cooking skill from the game but something he had created based on his own understanding. Back in the day, he had worked at a barbecue stall, so his technique was quite proficient. With these special mushrooms and wild seasonings, the taste was excellent. Even without any additional effects, it could still be considered a delicacy.

The meat from a Red-Tailed Fire Wolf was substantial, but the adventurers in this world, especially the warriors, had enormous appetites. The pot of meat was quickly devoured by a few people, leaving not even a drop of soup. Ji Ran only ate two bowls, letting the others have the rest—after all, the effect could be gained from just one bowl, and it was nice to save room for other things.

After finishing the stewed meat, the barbecue was also almost gone. Ji Ran dug through the fire and pulled out the Beggar's Chicken. This Beggar's Chicken was a cooking recipe from the game, but the chicken needed to be a magical beast. Here, it was just an ordinary mountain chicken, so it couldn't have the original properties. However, the aroma of the Beggar's Chicken still made everyone sniff the air.

"How can this mud-covered chicken smell so good! Ah, I've eaten too much Red-Tailed Fire Wolf meat, I can't eat any more!" Baker, smelling the Beggar's Chicken, drooled but, with his full stomach, could only sigh in frustration.

The hooded beauty Erin, however, snorted coldly, "Everything should be done in moderation, or you'll lose more." Then, she reached out and took a Beggar's Chicken that Ji Ran had prepared, eating it herself and feeding the eagle named Hualuo.

After eating for so long, Ji Ran had become somewhat familiar with these people. There was Uncle Ries, the brothers Ban and Baker, and the hooded beauty, who wasn't human!

After removing her hood, Ji Ran noticed that the hooded beauty had particularly pointed ears. Her slender and athletic figure was also rare among human women. The answer was clear: she was an elf.

Elves in a Western fantasy world were entirely normal! Ji Ran accepted this setting without any resistance.

However, this elf named Erin wore a mask. The mask covered the upper half of her face above her nose, preventing anyone from seeing her true appearance. But from the beautiful lines of her half-visible face and chin, one could see the beauty of an elf—let alone her bright eyes. Despite the aloofness in her eyes, they still had a captivating quality.

Out of politeness, Ji Ran naturally didn't stare at her masked face. However, the elf didn't seem to mind, eating her food and feeding the eagle named Hualuo.

The young mage Lydia was not very old, and it seemed her adventuring experience was limited, perhaps even her first adventure... Otherwise, she wouldn't have panicked and been unable to help Ji Ran during the attack.

Lydia was a bit shy and spoke softly. However, she looked at Ji Ran with admiration—after all, the strength he had shown when he saved her was far beyond hers.

Of course, everyone in the adventuring party was stronger than her, but Ji Ran's strength was different from the others... How to put it? It was—somewhat strange.

"Speaking of which, Ji Ran, your move to kill that Red-Tailed Fire Wolf was really efficient! Even we couldn't finish off a Red-Tailed Fire Wolf with such a clean strike. Your strength must be above level three, right?" After eating and drinking their fill, the group rested in the cave and naturally started chatting.

Ji Ran rubbed his nose and laughed self-deprecatingly, "To be honest, I'm afraid you won't believe me, but my strength hasn't even reached level two."

He wasn't lying; his current level was indeed such.

The levels in this world were different from those in the game. Level ten in the game was only level one in this world. He had learned about the world's level system from conversations with others. He was currently level eighteen, which, when converted, was still below level two.

Hearing this, everyone was surprised. Especially Baker, who couldn't keep his mouth shut, immediately exclaimed.

"Impossible! I'm about to break through to level three, and I can't even make an attack as powerful as yours. How can you not be at least level two?" Baker's eyes widened in disbelief.

Ries, however, remained silent, looking at Ji Ran. His strength was the strongest among them, and he had once reached a much higher realm. So, he could see that Ji Ran's true level was indeed below level two.

"The sword technique I learned has some unique aspects, allowing me to burst with powerful force instantly. However, this power is hard to sustain and requires precise timing and reaction. Today's strike also had a significant element of luck." Ji Ran had already thought of an explanation for this.

"So, the sword technique you learned must be quite strong, at least gold level, right? It seems the village you come from isn't an ordinary place..." Ries's eyes were full of meaning.

Ji Ran laughed bitterly, "Actually, I don't even know what level my sword technique is. I've lived in that village since I was young and didn't know that sword techniques were classified by levels. I just learned whatever the elders taught me."

Hearing this, Baker let out a strange cry, "So amazing! Your little village must not be an ordinary place! Damn, why wasn't I born there to learn such a powerful sword technique!"

Baker's face was full of envy, wishing he could swap places with Ji Ran. However, despite his carefree personality, he was quite sensible and didn't ask to learn the sword technique... Why would they teach him?

In this world, the master-disciple relationship was also very important. Learning someone's unique skills was a rare opportunity, even for ordinary disciples.

Moreover, Baker had been practicing his spear technique for over a decade. Switching to sword technique now might not lead to significant achievements. The others were in similar situations, so they could only envy and resent Ji Ran.

Just then, the more reserved brother Ban seemed to notice something.

"Today... why do I feel so energetic? After a day of adventuring, it would be normal to feel this way after a good night's sleep, but why do I feel this way now?"

When he said this, the others also noticed. Adventuring was a physically demanding activity. Even without fighting, just traveling could exhaust an ordinary person. Sometimes, even a full night's sleep wouldn't fully restore one's energy. Now, everyone felt quite energetic. Although not as refreshed as after a full night's rest, it was comparable to how they felt in the morning...

"Could it be the effect of that pot of stewed meat?" Thinking of the stew made from the Red-Tailed Fire Wolf's meat, everyone had the same guess. However, this guess was quite shocking, and everyone stared at Ji Ran intently, as if trying to read his face.

"Um... well, my cooking skills were also taught by the elders in my village. They can indeed harness some of the energy from magical beast meat to enhance oneself. The most common and basic ability of magical beast meat is to restore energy." Ji Ran rubbed his nose and smiled awkwardly.