Chapter 512: Thunder Black Pepper Sauce
Tripleblade still couldn't make up his mind.
"The big guy's potential risks are too great. If we cultivate him and he ends up going mad... before the enemy destroys us, we’ll be destroyed by our own people. That would be a complete joke."
"Besides, can our finances sustain it? Currently, though most training has halted, the business plans are still ongoing."
“The resources I can mobilize, would they be enough to push the big guy's transcendent level to gold level, or silver level?”
"And how much time would it take? Damn it, we need professionals to calculate the answer."
From the letter, Tripleblade learned of Zi Di's intentions: she remained determined to push forward with her business plans, her stance unwavering.
As the branch head, Tripleblade prioritized fallback plans - should the business scheme fail, he'd have to cover the losses. His concerns differed from Zi Di's.
“Sigh. Regardless, even if we don't force his transcendent level advancement, the big guy's food intake must still be gradually increased.”
Tripleblade had no intention of halting the big guy's cultivation.
But as the big guy grew stronger, his efficiency in refining battle qi increased, naturally consuming more food.
If taking a conservative approach, Tripleblade would provide just enough food to keep the big guy alive and prevent starvation, and this would weaken his combat strength to avoid him going berserk and causing destruction.
Tripleblade remained undecided on how to handle the big guy.
"Honestly, it all boils down to my lack of resources! I need to keep raking in the cash."
“But right now, the money from mercenary quests alone is nowhere near enough.”
"Every day, just buying the raw materials for potion-making costs our corps a fortune. The rewards from mercenary contracts are like a drop in the bucket compared to that."
“If the commander and deputy commander could take on tasks, our income in this area would increase significantly.”
"But the problem is, they both have more important matters to attend to. The only capable individuals at this branch are Chi Lai and Men Shi, both silver levels."
"Crucially, one of them must remain stationed on the flagship."
"We still lack high-tier core members. If Qing Xin could have joined us back then, that would have been ideal."
"Even though they're both silver level, magicians are far more sought-after than fighters. Magicians are just too practical; they have far more versatile methods!"
Thinking alone wouldn't solve anything.
Tripleblade pushed aside his worries and focused on the immediate situation.
“What's the current status?” he asked his subordinates.
For this tasting event, Tripleblade had deliberately selected a group of mercenaries to bring along. His primary goal, of course, wasn't entertainment, it was to raise funds.
To host this tasting event, Ci Hai Shen not only offered free food and drink but also paid participants!
Those that met specific criteria received even greater rewards.
Such opportunities were exceedingly rare.
Thus, the moment he heard about it, Tripleblade’s eyes lit up.
“Only made 62 gold coins and over 300 silver coins...”
After actually participating, he found the earnings were far less than he'd imagined. Some mercenaries had even gotten injured from overdoing it or overeating and were now receiving divine healing from the Snow Bird Church. The Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps would have to cover those medical costs!
Tripleblade's gaze fixed on Men Shi.
“How much we earn depends on you now, Men Shi!”
The dwarf Men Shi persisted.
He walked along the long table, carefully selecting magic dishes of silver level.
After much deliberation and circling the table twice, he finally made his choice.
He didn't pick a main course, but a serving of Thunder Black Pepper Sauce.
This sauce was meant to accompany the steak main course, but Men Shi had already eaten his fill. His remaining stomach space was only enough for the sauce.
There was another crucial reason behind his final choice.
Regarding this sauce, Ci Hai Shen had set a challenge - swallowing a full spoonful in one go would yield a major reward.
“Thunder Black Pepper Sauce...” Men Shi picked up the ladle, scooped a heaping spoonful, and placed it in his mouth.
The moment it touched his tongue, the intense aroma of black pepper flooded his senses, filling his entire mouth.
The next instant, Men Shi's eyes widened in shock.
Following the pepper's fragrance, a genuine electric current exploded in his mouth, instantly surging through his entire body.
Men Shi's hair stood on end, his muscles twitched uncontrollably, and he was completely immobilized.
As a silver level individual, even the order maintainers present dared not reprimand him at his level, allowing him to walk while eating.
It took Men Shi a long while to recover, his face still etched with astonishment. “This Thunder Black Pepper Sauce packs a punch!”
His reaction had already drawn the attention of many in the crowd.
Seeing him steady himself, staff immediately approached to ask detailed questions about his experience tasting the sauce.
Men Shi struggled to respond, but the aftereffects of the electric current lingered, causing his tongue to stumble and his speech to be slurred.
Tripleblade watched, his heart sinking. “Dwarves typically possess higher elemental resistance than other races. It seems Men Shi's condition is no longer sufficient to carry him through!”
Men Shi's answers were swiftly relayed to Ci Hai Shen.
Ci Hai Shen nodded and ordered, “Give this dwarf his due reward. He met the standard.”
"Revise the upcoming criteria to exclude dwarves from tasting the Thunder Black Pepper Sauce. If an elf or human taste tester succeeds, their reward will be increased by 10%."
After all, the majority of participants in the Ice Sculpture Kingdom's national banquet hailed from these two intelligent races.
Ci Hai Shen's orders were swiftly executed, and the sign beside the Thunder Black Pepper Sauce was promptly revised.
Such high stake tasting bounties fluctuated over time until the organizers withdrew them.
In other words, as time passed, the opportunities for extraordinary individuals to earn rewards steadily diminished.
“But the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps has reached its limit this time,” Tripleblade observed regretfully as Men Shi withdrew from the queue.
The dwarf was already stuffed and needed time to digest.
Tripleblade felt reluctant. For someone like him, whose business acumen was scarce, such tasting opportunities were too rare.
“What if we had the big guy come for the tasting?”
The thought barely formed in Tripleblade's mind before he dismissed it.
The big guy possessed at least saint level potential. He wasn't just the young commander's prized asset but also the survivors' most valuable treasure.
Such a treasure naturally needed to be kept hidden, guarded closely, never revealed casually.
Tasting these transcendent dishes was a clear indicator of a transcendent's strength.
If the big guy came to sample them, revealing his whereabouts, he would undoubtedly perform exceptionally well, drawing curiosity, speculation, and even spying.
Once his potential was confirmed, the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps would face endless trouble.
Consider Bing Xiao of the Bayonet Gang, he had a gold level giant slave.
By then, even the Ice Sculpture Royal Family would take interest in a giant who hadn't fully matured, lacked intelligence, and hadn't reached the saint level!
Especially now, when the Ice Sculpture Kingdom lacked any legendary level combat power, its strongest being merely three saint level individuals.
For the Ice Sculpture Kingdom, gaining one more saint level figure held immense significance.
This was the world of the strong.
The Ice Sculpture Kingdom's declining international standing over the years stemmed precisely from its lack of a legend level power and only three saint level figures.
Adding one more could significantly elevate the entire kingdom's global standing. Naturally, the potential profits were staggering!
Tripleblade had vast experience and understood one truth deeply: never underestimate others' greed!
Should the Ice Sculpture Royal Family uncover the big guy's secret, they would likely intervene directly, resorting to threats, bribes, or even other underhanded tactics.
At that point, the survivors' predicament would become far more dire than it was now!
“Hiding the big guy until he matures is the safest course of action,” Tripleblade sighed.
This was precisely why Tripleblade no longer sent other mercenaries to deliver meals to the big guy, opting instead for alchemy puppets.
Tripleblade also harbored deep concerns about the big guy losing control.
On one hand, he feared the destruction he might cause; on the other, he worried the big guy might reveal his presence, alerting the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord.
Snow Bird Harbor wasn't like Snake Rat Island or Two Eyes Island; its docks were guarded by a mage tower.
That tower could capture magic images, and its power had been demonstrated during the Bayonet Gang's escape battle.
After that conflict, the Snow Bird Harbor Lord had immediately uncovered Lan Zao's shady dealings and invited the young commander to collaborate.
Tripleblade also knew the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord was backed by an extremely powerful intelligence network.
Under these circumstances, how could he possibly feel secure exposing the big guy so carelessly?
“Everyone else is at their limit.”
“Looks like I'll have to step in myself...” Tripleblade sighed.
He was only iron level himself, unable to handle silver level magic dishes, so his earnings were limited.
But something was better than nothing.
Just as Tripleblade rolled up his sleeves to enter the fray himself, a booming voice suddenly echoed out, drowning the square's clamor.
“Disgusting. Disgusting.”
“Just by the smell, you can tell it's disgusting!”
“Ci Hai Shen, you haven't improved one bit.”
The roaring voice rolled like thunder, making many ears ring.
Countless eyes followed the sound, and in the next instant, the crowd beheld a towering figure over three meters tall.
It was a giant.
His skin glowed fiery red, while his flowing hair was golden.
On the giant's back rested an enormous wok, so massive it resembled a turtle shell strapped to his shoulders.
Flaming patterns danced across both arms, pulsing with brilliant light with each breath.
The giant openly taunted the chef, his intent dripping with malice. Yet no one in the square moved to challenge him.
The reason was simple: the giant radiated a gold level aura. He was a gold level fighter!
“Da Dou!” Ci Hai Shen was forced to reveal himself, his expression dark.
"Your mouth is still as foul as ever. Seems the lesson I taught you before wasn't enough. Now that the wounds on your arms have healed, you've started acting out of line again." Ci Hai Shen spoke, immediately exposing the giant's identity.