Chapter 32
The center of the Northern Rock Tribe village.
Normally...
The open area would be filled with the smell of steaming potatoes.
But today...
Everyone stood in complete silence.
All eyes were fixed on one place.
Beside the large iron pot...
Was a pile of thick leg joints from the Venomous Forest Spiders we had killed earlier.
Zakan frowned.
“...Izak. You’re not seriously thinking of cooking those too, are you?”
Jack immediately agreed.
“The Chief is right, Shaman!”
He looked terrified.
“That monster’s venom can melt bones just by touching them. You cannot possibly cook it!”
Raise front legs.
The beetles on Jack’s shoulder also raised their front legs as if trying to stop me.
Seriously.
None of you understand anything.
Ignoring everyone’s concern...
I pushed more firewood beneath the iron pot.
Then smiled.
“Everyone be quiet and watch.”
I pointed toward myself.
“I am the one who received the revelation of the Ancestor Spirits.”
My smile widened.
“I’ll personally prove whether it is still poisonous.”
The moment I mentioned the Ancestor Spirits...
Everyone who had been muttering instantly went quiet.
Useful as always.
First...
I poured some clean water into the iron pot.
Then I raised the fire to maximum heat.
Crustaceans like king crab tasted best when steamed rather than boiled directly in water.
That preserved the sweetness and juices inside the meat.
Unfortunately...
We didn’t have a proper steamer.
So I tied thin branches together and made a rough steaming rack at the bottom of the pot.
Then stacked the spider legs on top.
Haa...
There are so many things we still need.
Cooking tools.
Tables.
Chairs.
And countless other things.
Life was slowly improving...
But this was still a primitive wilderness.
Anyway...
I needed to focus on the food.
There might still be traces of dirt or monster odor on the spider shells.
So I placed plenty of dried Wild Manong stems and leaves between the spider legs.
Then sprinkled a handful of coarse salt over everything.
That was it.
Fresh crustaceans were best when kept simple.
BUBBLE! HISSSS!
The water soon began boiling.
Hot steam filled the pot.
I covered it with a heavy wooden lid.
Now...
All we had to do was wait.
The fire crackled.
Before long...
A sweet aroma began leaking through the gaps around the lid.
A light salty scent.
And the rich aroma of cooking protein.
“...Sniff.”
Malko’s nose twitched.
“I’ve never smelled something like this before.”
Another child stared at the pot.
“Strange. How can a monster smell this good?”
One step.
Then another.
The barbarians slowly moved closer like they were being hypnotized.
Even Zakan stood with his arms crossed, staring at the steaming pot.
“Good.”
I smiled.
“It’s ready.”
I lifted the wooden lid.
FWOOOSH!
White steam exploded upward.
Everyone’s vision disappeared.
Then...
As the steam slowly cleared...
Everyone gasped.
The spider shells that had once been disgusting and black...
Had turned an appetizing bright red from the heat.
They looked just like perfectly cooked lobster or king crab.
Damn.
That smell is incredible.
I swallowed.
Then used a thick skewer to pull out the largest leg joint.
Steam rose from the massive leg as I placed it on the cutting board.
I slid the tip of my knife into the thinnest part of the shell.
CRACK.
The shell split.
Inside...
Thick white meat appeared.
Its surface had a faint red color.
I couldn’t wait anymore.
I grabbed the juicy freshly steamed meat...
And pulled.
Slip.
A piece of spider meat nearly as thick as my forearm slid out of the shell.
It bounced slightly in the air.
Zakan’s eyes widened.
“Izak... stop!”
He reached toward me.
Too late.
I took a huge bite.
CHOMP.
“...!”
My eyes flew open.
This is insane!
The meat looked firm...
But the moment it entered my mouth, it practically melted.
Every time I bit through the delicate fibers...
Hot juices burst out.
A rich, crab-like savory sweetness filled my entire mouth.
“Haa...”
I almost went into a trance.
“Delicious.”
My jaw kept moving.
“This is seriously insane.”
Of course it tasted amazing.
I had been eating potatoes for more than a month.
Zakan and the children had been watching me through half-covered eyes.
Now...
Their pupils trembled.
“A-Are you all right?”
Instead of answering...
I tore off half of the remaining meat.
Then shoved it directly into Zakan’s mouth.
“Eat it and find out.”
Zakan froze.
He couldn’t decide whether to spit it out...
Or swallow it.
Finally...
He shut his eyes.
Then began chewing.
“...!”
His jaw moved once.
Twice.
And on the third bite...
The tension disappeared from his forehead.
His eyes widened.
Of course.
When would someone living this far inland ever taste seafood?
Forget the ocean.
There wasn’t even a proper river nearby.
Why a forest spider tasted like crab...
I had no idea.
Zakan looked down at the steamed spider leg.
His face was full of shock.
“What... is this?”
He slowly swallowed.
“Can meat truly be this soft?”
Then his eyes widened again.
“And this sweetness that grows stronger as I chew...”
Zakan couldn’t even finish.
Seeing his reaction...
Malko, the children, Topu, Jack...
And even the beetles slowly approached the fire.
Malko swallowed.
“C-Can I eat it too?”
Jack trembled.
“Shaman... They say even a ghost looks better after dying on a full stomach.”
Topu stared.
“Just how good does it taste for the Chief to react like that?”
I smiled.
Then split open the remaining shells and removed the meat.
Everyone hesitated at first.
Then took a bite.
Their eyes immediately rolled back.
The next moment...
They began devouring the spider meat like madmen.
Raise front leg.
Yay! Yay! Long live Potato Owner!
The beetles tasted one piece.
Then raised their front legs and danced in the air.
Topu’s eyes nearly popped out.
“W-Wait! How does this make any sense?!”
He looked at Jack.
“Mister, have you ever eaten anything like this?”
Jack shook his head furiously.
“Never in my life! Where would a man like me ever taste something like this?!”
One of the children shouted,
“Izak is amazing! He makes monsters delicious! He is an amazing Shaman!”
Everyone was losing their minds.
But Chef Kang Jinho’s real show...
Was only beginning.
Now that I had removed their fear of the ingredient with its pure natural flavor...
It was time to capture their hearts with actual cooking.
While everyone continued eating...
I placed an iron pan over the fire.
Then poured in plenty of oil.
Once it was hot...
I tossed in a handful of thinly sliced Wild Manong.
SSSSSS!
The Manong began frying.
Its rich aroma spread through the air.
Once it became crisp and golden...
I dropped a whole piece of peeled spider leg meat directly into the Manong oil.
FWOOOOSH!
The moisture-rich meat reacted violently with the hot oil.
Everyone eating the steamed spider meat immediately turned toward me.
I enjoyed the attention.
Then grabbed a ladle.
Again and again...
I poured the hot Manong oil over the top of the spider meat.
When the outside turned lightly brown and crisp...
I added a pinch of salt.
A little pepper.
Done.
Manong Spider Steak.
Butter would have made it even better...
But this should still be incredible.
I cut the steak into large pieces.
Then placed them in a wooden bowl.
Malko approached as if hypnotized.
He shoved one into his mouth.
CRUNCH. SLURP.
“Khh...!”
Malko immediately dropped to his knees.
The crispy, chewy, oil-fried exterior broke apart.
Then...
The inside released incredibly hot, rich seafood juices.
Even more intense than the steamed version.
The crispy Manong chips mixed with the spider meat.
Malko’s entire body began trembling.
“M-Me too!”
A child grabbed one.
“Uwaaah... tasty! Hot, but really tasty!”
Everyone enjoyed the luxurious meal.
But...
Something was making the back of my head itch.
“Hm...?”
I slowly turned.
Far away...
Two faint blue lights hovered in the darkness.
Then disappeared.
Was I imagining it?
Could it be...
That thing?
No way.
Surely it didn’t follow us all the way here.
Still...
Just in case...
