Monster Dismantling Company

"For example?" Luo Yinchang looked at him.

"There's an ancient myth I really like—in Greek mythology, Hades, the god of the underworld, abducted Persephone, the daughter of Saturn. After Zeus, the god of the underworld, intervened, Hades gave a rule for the underworld: whoever eats food from the underworld becomes a resident of the underworld. Persephone ate four pomegranate seeds, so she has to stay in the underworld for four months every year."

"..." Luo Yinchang remained silent for a long time. "Is this inevitable?"

"This matter has nothing to do with Hades, the god of the underworld. It's the rule of the underworld—including the abduction of Persephone as the queen of the underworld, which was also the underworld's will. In Greek mythology, this ultimate rule is something even the gods cannot touch. Those who eat the food of the underworld become people of the underworld."

"You mean if I eat this meat, there's a good chance I won't be able to go back?"

"After all, this is food from the Dragon Palace." He pointed to the road sign behind him. "We're already in the 'Dragon Palace' now—putting aside the mythology, every monster decomposition process inevitably involves some food safety testing. Although monsters are delicious, not every one is suitable for consumption. The meat in front of us hasn't undergone any testing at all, so eating it is inherently unsafe."

"Then why did you say you could eat it?"

"I have a naturally healthy digestive system."

"You're naturally strong, aren't you..." He looked at the meat on Li Lin's knife tip, "I've decided, I'm going to try it."

"There's one more thing," Li Lin reminded him again, "Even if you decide to try it, the time might not be now. Perhaps things will change this afternoon, and we'll be saved soon."

"I know." Luo Yinchang nodded. "I'm not here to taste the food—although I was chosen out of nowhere, since I've temporarily taken on the role of leader here, I have to fulfill my responsibilities."

News of the army running out of food would soon spread. If they knew they would run out of food that afternoon, the newly established self-rescue efforts would likely collapse immediately, and even if there was any hope of rescue, it would be too late. Because without a solution, he had no reason to stop the others from fending for themselves. And ahead, it seemed very dangerous; the drone had lost contact as soon as it appeared. If these nearly a thousand men were to collapse, they would wander aimlessly, and who knew how many more would die.

"So," Luo Yinchang emphasized, "some people say that if it's science, we should experiment on dogs first. Here, we'll use me as the experiment. I can tell everyone to wait and see if I'm dead by tomorrow. If I'm not dead, then you can continue eating."

In other words, there were indeed risks involved in consuming this questionable meat. But in order to prevent morale from crumbling, he had to provide a solution.

After weighing all the options, he could only try to buy time. Perhaps by the afternoon, or perhaps by tomorrow, everyone would be saved, and the others wouldn't have to take this risk.

If someone absolutely had to take the risk, Luo Yinchang believed that it had to be him.

The meat was picked from the tip of Li Lin's dagger, looking bouncy and crisp. But one had to be careful when grabbing it; a slight misstep would result in a cut on the incredibly sharp ceramic steel dagger.

He made a decision—Luo Yinchang closed his eyes, reached out and picked up some meat, stuffing it into his mouth.

"Hmm...hmm? Hmm...hmm!" His facial expressions changed several times like a revolving lantern.

Chen Feiran, who was sitting next to him fiddling with the remote control, couldn't help but look over—

"Hey, Chairman Luo, are you alright? Could you be poisoned?"

"Mmm..." Luo Yinchang swallowed the meat. "Delicious!"

He slapped his thigh: "This isn't ordinary meat, this is the texture of abalone! Springy and crisp, with rich, flavorful juices! It's simply the finest abalone! Back in 35, when I had just been promoted to lieutenant for meritorious service, our commander took me to the medal-awarding ceremony held in Kumgang Province. I ate at a state banquet there, followed by private receptions from some important figures—whether in public or private, I've never tasted abalone this good! This is absolutely amazing!"

The taste delighted him immensely. Not just because of the inspection, but because if he were to use this delicious meat as his staple food, even though it would be a bit tough on his teeth, the thought of eating such tasty meat made it all worthwhile.

"Here you go." Li Lin handed over a piece of paper.

Luo Yinchang thanked him and took the meat, then wiped the oil off his hands from rubbing the meat.

"I'm not telling you to rub oil on your hands. Look at your hands from the other side."

Only after being reminded did Luo Yinchang realize that he had closed his eyes to pick at the abalone to bolster his courage, and his fingers had touched the blade due to nervousness, cutting a rather large gash. At this moment, considerable blood was flowing from his fingertip.

He quickly wiped his fingers with a tissue.

"Oh, thank goodness." After wiping it once, the bloodstains disappeared.

Although the amount of blood that flowed out seemed to be a lot, it seemed that no more blood was seeping out.

Having dealt with the bloodstains, Luo Yinchang took out his phone and started timing. The meat was delicious, but delicious didn't mean it was safe. He planned to record the time he spent eating it, along with his subsequent feelings, and then decide whether to eat it again tomorrow.

However, as his fingers touched the back of the phone, Li Lin kept observing his fingers—

What Luo Yinchang didn't notice was that the dagger had actually cut a fairly large gash on his fingertip. Blood immediately flowed out, covering his entire finger within seconds. When he wiped it away, the wound had already disappeared.

This was because... after he ate that bite of dragon meat, his fingertips began to repair themselves at an astonishing speed. In just a few moments, his fingers were completely restored, with only a few traces of blood remaining at the fingertips.

That's why no wounds could be found underneath when he wiped it with a tissue.

"Hmm..." Li Lin fell into deep thought. All of this seemed familiar.

"Is it really that delicious?" Chen Feiran, who was standing next to him, came over. He saw that there was still a piece in Li Lin's pot and planned to grab it with his ruthless iron hand.

"Hey." Li Lin slapped his hand away. "You don't need to eat it. Someone has already tried it."

"It doesn't seem like a big deal to me. You're so young, but you've got such high standards... What's the big deal about letting me have a bite?"

"I told you, don't eat it." Li Lin put the pot away. He didn't want Luo Yinchang to eat it in the first place, but the other party believed that ensuring everyone's organization and morale was more important than his personal safety, so Li Lin let him eat it.

Now it seems that this has indeed produced some unexpected results... If they don't eat, they will starve to death, so Li Lin will not let anyone else eat.

"We'll eat the rest when we're truly out of ammunition and food. Until then, as your technical advisor, I suggest that all this meat be sealed up and no one touch it. Also, Captain Luo, if you experience any peeling, nightmares, or fever, you must tell me as soon as possible—as soon as possible."

He already knew where he was.

When he tasted that sip of tissue fluid and the rich flavor of the oyster soup, he already guessed: the clam is a type of dragon, a kind of clam.

This is a mirage.