Monster Dismantling Company

Much of the field training the colonel and his comrades did back then has been incorporated into these courses. For example, the taste of the magic pill remains unchanged compared to meat—this is something they learned in the course.

Among many cooking methods, braised pork is a must-learn. Because learning how to braise pork is also learning how to use spices and how to remove unwanted flavors from ingredients as much as possible.

According to what I've learned, braising meat involves soaking cooked meat in a braising liquid. This braising liquid is meant to enhance the flavor of the food and reduce any unpleasant odors during the long soaking process.

In cooking, this is expressed as "bring out flavor if it's present, and bring out flavor if it's absent."

The scent of wild beasts transformed by miasma is extremely stubborn and requires strong additives. The scent of monsters, on the other hand, can sometimes be quite creative and needs to be individually adjusted to suit different flavor profiles.

For ingredients like Taba, only the simplest cooking methods are required.

The portion that Li Lin brought home was pork belly.

He had tasted the grilled portion—the fat in the taba was remarkably refreshing after grilling. While the stickiness was another interesting texture, the refreshing flavor was truly exceptional. After all, this was a gift carefully selected by [Ren].

Judging from the texture after roasting, the flavor after braising should also be quite unique.

"Yes, indeed. The fragrance is quite nice." A sudden voice appeared in front of him.

He looked up. [Ren] was standing on the balcony, looking at him from outside the window.

"It really is you." Li Lin glanced at him and continued to mix the spices.

"You don't seem surprised?"

[Ren] stepped through the window and into the wall, standing beside Li Lin. Her movements created not even a breeze, for her true form was the Dragon Ball. And her current state was identical to the power she displayed within Taba's abdomen—an illusion created using mirage energy.

Now that the Dragon Balls are still there, the mirage energy is also still there. Therefore, the existence of [Ren] will not disappear.

However, he thought Ren would need at least some time to recover before emerging, but he never expected that Ren would become a ghost-like existence.

"You...you're really persistent. Didn't you already admit defeat?"

"According to the rules of dragons, I have indeed lost. But according to the rules of humans—even if I have lost, I haven't said I would give up. And I also want to see what kind of life would make you reject my courtship."

[Ren] became curious about human life. She needed to see it for herself to be convinced. This was the beginning of everything.

"You're not suited to stay here," Li Lin said as he cut the meat. Although he was wearing gloves, his knife skills were still superb. The tip of the knife moved through the gaps in the muscle, cutting the meat with perfect precision.

"That's strange. Why don't you need me? You know I'm very capable. Also, why did you cut the meat into cubes?"

Li Lin put down the knife: "These two questions have the same answer—I am a human being."

"Why?" She couldn't understand. Why did people have to eat square-shaped meat? Why couldn't people accept dragons living with them? "The two of us together are clearly invincible. We can do anything."

"It's precisely because you're invincible that I can't accept you—so what if you're powerful? You can only sleep in a seven-foot space and eat three meals a day. I'm quite content with my current life. It's you who, on the other hand, thinks about ruling far more than you need. I think you're more human than I am. I'm content with my instincts, but you've transcended them—you're very much like those ambitious humans."

Admittedly, the addition of [Ren] will greatly enhance the strength of the Fire Crow, and this place may even become the place with the highest energy density on Earth.

But this was not the life Li Lin wanted at all. If he wanted a life of power and influence, his best option would be to ride the thunder and lightning of late spring, stirring up clouds and churning the seas, soaring through the universe, rather than hiding in obscurity and lurking in the streets.

He was simply too lazy to move. But if [Ren] were to arrive, there would be no room for him to continue being "lazy." The target would be far too great.

Like hide-and-seek, a wardrobe can only hide one person; if two people try to hide in it, they'll be exposed.

"Shall I leave?" [Ren] asked.

"You, you... what am I supposed to do with you... why have you become like this? Why are you just a spirit pearl left?"

As one of his kind, he knew this state was extremely dangerous. Although the bead was indestructible, if it shattered, then the existence of [Ren] would truly vanish from the world.

"Because...you are stronger than me. I want to learn from you, imitate you, and become like you. I want to be as strong as you."

"Interesting." Li Lin looked at her with great interest. "Why do you think I'm stronger than you?"

It was clearly Ren who was the one who could command the wind and rain, but she only lost the initiative at the very end.

"Because you won, you defeated me, so you are stronger than me. I further discovered that you did not conquer or suppress your instincts—you are controlling your instincts, making them do as you please, and using them for your own purposes. The more you reject me, the more I feel that I still have a lot to learn."

Dragons can be large or small, soar or hide. Dragons stir up clouds and mist, and they also conceal themselves. Dragons fly through the universe, and they also lurk within the waves.

Dragons are adept at transformation. Although they lack understanding of human common sense, their encounter with Li Lin revealed an alternative way of life. Li Lin, a hidden dragon, was terrifyingly powerful.

"I think the first step to becoming stronger is to remove your scales and claws and hide your true form."

"Are you the Little Mermaid? You've paid too high a price to come ashore."

"I can give anything for glorious evolution; it's an instinct. After failing to find a mate, seeking self-evolution and sublimation is the dragon's survival strategy."

"Alright...alright." Li Lin nodded. "Actually, you've come to the right person. If you're looking for a mate, I'd like to refuse because we're not familiar with each other. But if you want to learn, that's great. Perfect timing, here's a good opportunity for you to participate in my plan—we'll go to Raize. By the way, you also want to know why meat is cut into cubes, right? It's for sharing. Sharing, not hoarding food, is the first step in adapting to human life. In a little while, I'll take you on a tour."

Li Lin picked up his phone and confirmed the information with the friends he was going to meet.

"Hmm? She's already made her choice? Well... I was a bit late. I was hoping to find a crowded place so it wouldn't feel so deserted."