Chapter 595: Bathing in the Big Guy’s Blood
Da Dou held the iron wok, deftly shaking his wrist.
The silver level iron wok was filled to the brim with beef.
As he continuously tossed the ingredients, an intense golden aroma quickly spread throughout the kitchen.
Sweat dripping down his face, Da Dou pulled a bundle of gold level green onions from a packing bag.
His gold battle qi coalesced into several small blade-like forms, chopping the scallions into fine mince.
He tossed the garnish directly into the iron wok, then cranked up the heat. After several minutes of vigorous stir-frying, the dish was finally complete.
He retrieved a silver level serving plate and loaded it with the stir-fried beef.
“Lunch is finally ready.”
Da Dou approached a stone slab with a flat top and placed the stir-fried beef upon it.
After setting it down, the stone table now held four plates.
Three were dishes, and one was soup.
He had spared no expense, using copious amounts of gold level ingredients and laboring over the stove for over an hour to produce this much.
Then...
Battle skill - Food Compression!
The gold level aura of the three dishes and soup was instantly suppressed and condensed, ultimately downgraded to silver level.
“This is the perfect transcendent meal for the little guy.”
Da Dou's extravagant act had only one purpose: to ensure the giant ate better and digested faster.
The giant magic chef wiped sweat from his brow and checked his own condition.
His battle qi was nearly depleted, and his spirit felt somewhat sluggish, but his divine power remained abundant. This was all thanks to his relentless prayers aboard the swift sea vessel, day and night.
“Feed him first, then refine the battle qi.” Having made his decision, Da Dou released the giant from the packing bag.
The big guy lay with eyes tightly shut, still in a deep slumber.
Though Da Dou's packing bag could contain living beings, he feared the giant might cause trouble inside. That's why he'd always kept him in a state of unconsciousness.
Several minutes later, Da Dou successfully roused the giant.
Before the giant could fully focus his blurry eyes and react, Da Dou spoke first: Hey, listen up, kid. You must be starving. Let's eat first, then we'll talk properly. Okay? Don't make a move..."
Hearing Da Dou's voice, the big guy abruptly recalled his situation, his gaze instantly sharpening.
He growled lowly, immediately standing up and swinging a punch at Da Dou.
Da Dou scrambled back several steps, quickly creating distance. His words came fast, still trying to reason with the big guy.
But the big guy wouldn't listen.
Da Dou had no choice but to fight.
Compared to the big guy, Da Dou's strength was overwhelming, a crushing level advantage.
Compounded by the big guy's complete lack of technique, relying solely on brute force and reckless charges, he was easily read by Da Dou, who swiftly exploited his weaknesses.
Seconds later, with a thud, the big guy collapsed to the ground, knocked unconscious once more by Da Dou.
Da Dou crouched beside him, pried open his jaws, and began shoveling the painstakingly prepared magic dishes into the big guy's mouth, one after another.
Though unconscious, the giant's primal instincts kicked in, causing him to chew involuntarily.
Once he chewed, the food slid down his throat. His body, more eager than his own consciousness, craved the nutrients from the outside world.
“Eat up, little guy.”
A big smile spread across Da Dou's face as he watched the giant unconsciously activate his battle qi technique in his sleep, accelerating digestion. Half of him felt relieved, the other half was puzzled.
“Why is this kid so utterly determined?”
“What kind of offer did the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps give to make him so utterly devoted?”
Da Dou hadn't intended to repeatedly force his will upon the big guy. His original plan was merely to recruit the big guy; he hadn't wanted to treat him so harshly.
According to Da Dou's original plan: first, he would seize the big guy. Then, by demonstrating his formidable strength, he could intimidate him.
Next, the magic delicacies he would repeatedly prepare would make the big guy keenly feel the stark difference in treatment.
Finally, through persuasion, Da Dou believed the generous rewards of joining Eruption Island would be enough to sway the big guy, compelling him to make a new life choice.
Truth be told, this carrot-and-stick approach, though straightforward, held a high probability of success.
But the big guy's situation proved far more unique than Da Dou had imagined.
After putting his plan into action, the big guy displayed an intense hatred and unwavering resolve. This rendered all communication between Da Dou and the big guy utterly futile.
The big guy's approach to Da Dou was either fight or flee.
Though Da Dou repeatedly fed him, sparing no expense to craft gold level magic dishes only to deliberately downgrade them, the big guy remained unconscious each time he consumed these meals. He couldn't possibly appreciate Da Dou's kindness.
This made Da Dou feel as though the big guy was merely freeloading off him.
Yet Da Dou cherished it: “Even if it is freeloading, I'm still happy.”
“You little rascal, someday you'll understand my heartfelt intentions.”
“Joining Eruption Island is infinitely better than joining that worthless mercenary group of yours.”
“We are a legend level force here on Eruption Island.”
“Once you grow stronger, you'll become one of our pillars.”
“We're all giants. Out here on the vast ocean, we should live together.”
After finishing his meal, the big guy resumed his battle qi cultivation.
Da Dou cleared the plates and bowls, then carefully wiped the giant's mouth.
Only after finishing these tasks did he plop down on the ground, pulling out some dry rations from his pack to munch on.
As he ate, his gaze drifted toward the distant hills.
Perched atop one hill stood a silver level transcendent.
She was a human woman of ordinary appearance, holding a crystal ball in her hands.
The sphere was filled with an unknown transparent liquid. At its center floated a delicate, diamond-shaped pointer.
The crystal ball itself was iron level, while the pointer was silver level. Combined, this alchemy artifact was known as the treasure hunting pointer.
It was through this treasure hunting pointer that the human woman had detected the hidden “treasure” here, prompting her swift relocation to the vicinity.
Eventually, she climbed the hill and witnessed the entire process of Da Dou cooking the dish and feeding the giant.
“A gold level magic chef preparing a magic dish, no wonder the treasure hunting pointer detected it.”
“Isn't that little giant he knocked out and fed a member of the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps?”
“I couldn't have seen wrong, could I?”
The woman was named Hong Zhu. During her time on Two Eyes Island, she had frequent interactions with the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps.
When Two Eyes Island shifted, it triggered a tidal wave of sea beasts. At that time, Hong Zhu had boarded the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps' ship, fighting alongside them to resist the beast tide.
Therefore, Hong Zhu recognized the big guy's appearance. After all, the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps had only one giant, the big guy, making him quite conspicuous.
Noticing Da Dou's gaze fixed on her, Hong Zhu quickly ducked her head to avoid his stare.
Her heart pounded as she sprinted down the hill, fleeing from Da Dou.
Only when she was sure he wasn't pursuing her did she breathe a sigh of relief and steady her breath.
“He spotted me just now, but he didn't attack.”
“He isn't here to capture me.”
Ever since leaving Two Eyes Island, Hong Zhu had been deeply worried she'd be hunted down by the island's pursuers.
This all stemmed from the fishmen's assault.
At the time, Hong Zhu had intended to leave Two Eyes Island alongside Cang Xu (Wisteria elder), partly as a gesture of goodwill. As a treasure hunter, Hong Zhu particularly favored wealthy buyers like Cang Xu.
But when Cang Xu proactively unleashed undead magic, Hong Zhu knew she was in deep trouble.
She had fought alongside Cang Xu, only to discover he was a necromancer. With everyone watching, no amount of explanation could clear her name.
Compounding her predicament, she had already looted numerous treasures from the island's graveyard. Fearing prolonged exposure, escape became her sole priority.
As a mere silver level, navigating the open seas alone was nearly impossible.
Fortunately, Hong Zhu had secured a homeward dolphin at the auction. Mounting the homeward dolphin, she finally managed to slip away.
Though the homeward dolphins couldn't travel long distances, they could carry Hong Zhu from one deserted island to another.
And so, Hong Zhu left Two Eyes Island.
After several twists and turns, she reached Orange Soda Island, where she rested and recuperated. Then, she resupplied in Chatter Sea Market.
Her passion and curiosity for treasure hunting reignited, ultimately leading her to the Magnet Archipelago.
Hong Zhu had been searching for treasure in the Magnet Archipelago for some time now, with almost nothing to show for it.
But she refused to give up.
After leaving Da Dou behind, Hong Zhu relied on her treasure hunting pointer to enter a subterranean cave.
Moments later, she emerged, looking utterly disheveled.
Trailing behind her were three earth elementals.
Though all were merely iron level, the silver level Hong Zhu had no desire to engage in battle and instead fled relentlessly.
Earth elementals possessed formidable defenses, and their magic crystals could freely shift within their bodies, making them extremely difficult to deal with.
Hong Zhu had once spent nearly half a day grinding down an earth elemental of the same level, only to gain a single earth elemental essence as her reward.
What a horrid loss!
From then on, Hong Zhu's approach to dealing with earth elementals was simple: run.
Once she'd put enough distance between them and they could no longer sense her, she quietly slipped back into the underground cavern.
Their speed was abysmal, allowing Hong Zhu to easily outpace them.
Earth elementals possessed ranged stone-throwing attacks to compensate for their sluggishness.
Yet these three did not hurl stones. Instead, they followed their leader's orders, prioritizing the defense of their sentry post.
Deep underground.
The earth elemental leader was praying.
They stood within a vast magic formation. Before him lay heaps of earth elemental essence and earth elemental crystals.
The formation activated, consuming the essence and crystals to manifest a phantom statue.
The colossal figure radiated an aura as majestic and weighty as mountains and earth itself—none other than one of the Four Elemental Main Gods: the Earth Elemental God!
“My Lord, my Heavenly Father, the Great God of Earth!”
“You are the ruler of the Earth Elemental Plane, the supreme being of the land.”
"You tower like mountains, stretch as wide as vast plains. You are the wellspring of life, the guardian of the land."
“With each breath You exhale, the earth stirs with vitality, blossoming in vibrant splendor, thriving and flourishing.”
“With a gentle touch of Your hand, You effortlessly shape the land, raising mountains and carving deep valleys.”
“Here, Your believers offer sacrifices, beseeching Your mercy to break through life's limitations and ascend to greater heights.”
The ethereal statue of the Earth Elemental God did not even glance at the Earth Elemental Chieftain before swiftly vanishing without a trace.
Along with it, all the offerings at the center of the magic circle disappeared entirely.
Yet the Earth Elemental Chieftain felt no disappointment, only wild elation.
For in that very instant, he had received a divine revelation.
“Divine revelation!”
“That unconscious giant being fed is my opportunity to break through my life's bottleneck.”
“Capture him, kill him, bathe in his blood. and I shall transcend the limits of the gold level!”