I was just fishing, how did I become a Great Old One?

Above the gray sea, the sky shattered, and blood and gore filled the air.

The ancient god of the Dark Side of the Moon, which blotted out the sky, was currently in a state of extreme confusion and excruciating pain. Its giant claw, which had reached into the portal, was brutally shredded by the "Azathoth Chaos Storm," the most powerful meat grinder in the universe, turning into a sky full of divine blood and bits of flesh, as if adding free ingredients to the hot pot below.

"It hurts so much!!!"

The ancient god let out a thunderous scream, its giant toad-like face, covered in tentacles and eyes, filled with terror in every single one. Instinctively, it tried to retract its remaining half-arm and flee back to the safe haven of the far side of the moon.

However, it's easy to invite a god but difficult to send him away, especially when it's "ingredients" that have been targeted by a top gourmet who's starving.

"Trying to run? Did you even ask my pot?"

Jiang Li stood at the bow of the [Golden Black Pearl], waving the silver spoon (Silver Spoon) that had just performed a great service in his hand, his eyes burning with the fervor of someone watching a wild bullfrog about to escape.

"That hand just minced it up to make blood tofu, the texture was too loose, no chewiness at all! I want leg! The kind with garlic cloves of meat!"

Jiang Li placed one foot on the railing and pointed at the ancient god's two thick hind legs, which were as thick as mountain ranges.

"Big Yellow! Forget about that pile of scraps! Go bite its left leg! Hold it back!"

"Old Wo! Stop saving firewood! Burn its ass! Force it down!"

"Yes, boss!"

The dog and the fire instantly obeyed the order.

Big Yellow transformed into a golden streak of light, using the Tindaros Hound's time-traveling ability to instantly appear at the base of the Old God's left leg. Its jaws, capable of tearing dimensions, opened to their limit, and it bit down hard on the Old God's smooth skin.

"Snap!"

Although the ancient god's skin was thicker than a city wall, it still bled instantly under the sharp teeth of the giant yellow dog, which were specifically designed to break through defenses.

At the same time, Volvados (the Flame Master) also unleashed its fury. It absorbed the essence of the [Red Oil Base] (Krtuga Essence) that Jiang Li had given it earlier, and the green divine fire it spewed now carried a domineering orange-red explosive attribute.

"Super Thousand-Year Kill - Roasted Version!"

A pillar of fire, a blend of two ancient attributes, struck the ancient god precisely at his tailbone.

"Awooo—!!!"

That hurts even more than losing a hand!

The ancient god convulsed in agony, its massive body writhing violently in the air, cracking the surrounding space. It tried to escape, but its lower body was pinned down by Big Yellow, and its rear end was burning hot, rendering it completely immobile.

"Now! Stay here!"

Jiang Li seized the opportunity, and the silver key in his hand once again shone with dazzling light.

"Spatial...Stripping Technique!"

He made a huge "scooping" motion towards the ancient god's left leg, which was being bitten by the big yellow dog.

This spoon can scoop up even space, let alone a leg.

"Buzz—"

A silver blade of light appeared out of thin air and circled around the base of the ancient god's thigh.

There was no tearing sound of flesh and blood flying everywhere, only a soft sound of space being neatly cut apart.

next second.

That enormous "frog leg," several kilometers long and as thick as Optimus Prime, actually separated from the body of the ancient god!

Losing the support of one leg, the ancient god's balance was instantly shattered, and his body tilted to one side.

"My legs! My divine body!"

The ancient god let out a desperate wail. It knew it was doomed; if it didn't run, it might lose its other leg, or even become the entire frog in the pot.

"You're all crazy! You're all crazy!"

Disregarding its dignity, it directly burned its primordial divine blood, transforming into a streak of crimson light, and desperately plunged into the vortex of clouds, disappearing without a trace.

"Tch, you're pretty fast."

Jiang Li looked at the fleeing ancient god and pouted with a hint of regret.

"I originally wanted to take a complete skeleton back to make soup."

However, when his gaze fell on the enormous hind leg that was falling from the sky, his regret instantly turned into ecstasy.

"But these legs... they're freaking huge!"

"That's a lot of meat! Enough to feed the entire population of Jianghai City for a week!"

The massive hind legs slammed into the sea with a whooshing sound; if they had landed, the resulting tsunami could have capsized the Black Pearl.

"Quick! Catch it! Don't let it fall into the sea and get dirty!"

Jiang Li shouted.

"Gluttony Cauldron! Grow bigger!"

He tossed the massive black cauldron that had been resting on the boat into the air. With the blessing of the power of the rules, the cauldron expanded in the wind, instantly transforming into a small black mountain that steadily caught the falling giant leg.

"Thump!"

With a muffled thud, the cauldron swayed slightly, but remained as steady as Mount Tai.

"All done! Let's get started!"

……

On the deck of the Black Pearl, an epic "food processing" is underway.

That ancient god's hind leg was so huge that just peeling off the skin would be a huge undertaking.

"Lei Meng! Get a wire brush! First, scrub the slime off the skin!"

"Ergou! Go to the spice warehouse and peel all those tons of [Screaming Garlic]! Make them into garlic paste!"

"Old Liu! Get your laser cutter out! We need to re-cut this leg! Make a few slits so the flavor can penetrate!"

Jiang Li stood on a high place like a commander-in-chief, holding a butcher knife, personally in charge of the most crucial part—skinning.

Although the ancient god's skin was tough, it was as thin as paper in front of Jiang Li's [Butcher's Skill] of dissecting an ox. He gently sliced ​​along the muscle lines, and the grayish-white, bumpy skin was peeled off in one piece.

The exposed flesh was simply amazing.

It was a translucent garlic clove, as white as jade. Every muscle fiber seemed to flow with a faint moonlight energy, emitting a cool, refreshing aroma.

"Absolutely top-notch! Absolutely top-notch!"

Jiang Li couldn't resist dipping her finger in the meat gravy and tasting it.

"Hiss—it's cold!"

"This meat is naturally chilled! It's refreshingly cool upon first bite, with an endlessly sweet aftertaste!"

"If you threw this into our boiling hot pot of chili oil..."

"A clash of ice and fire! A harmony of yin and yang!"

"This is the legendary—【Ice and Fire Dual Triumph: God-Level Frog Leg】!"

Without further hesitation, Jiang Li directed everyone to cut the prepared giant leg meat into millstone-sized pieces and put them directly into the boiling red pot.

"Sizzle—"

When the cold flesh of the moon goddess meets the scalding hot oil of the Ktugia.

There was no explosion, but it triggered a strange reaction. The red oil instantly coated the white meat, the high temperature instantly locked in the juices, and the coolness emanating from the meat itself neutralized the heat of the red oil.

An indescribable fragrance instantly swept across the entire gray sea.

This aroma contains the wildness of chili peppers, the coolness of moonlight, and the richness of divine blood.

"It's cooked! Take it out!"

The first piece of meat is ready.

Jiang Li couldn't wait to pick it up and take a big bite, ignoring the heat.

"Snap!"

The outer layer is crispy and fragrant, a testament to the deep-frying process in red oil.

"Pfft!"

Once you bite through the skin, the juices inside burst forth, a refreshing burst of sweetness that instantly soothes the burning sensation in your mouth. The meat is incredibly tender and melts in your mouth with a gentle touch, yet it also possesses a wonderful elasticity and chewiness.

"Alas--!"

Jiang Li let out a strange cry, and every pore on his body opened up.

"It's so delicious I could cry! This is a hundred times better than the eyeballs we had before!"

"This is truly divine meat!"

The crew members also started eating, each one of them eating without looking up, their mouths greasy.

Even the usually aloof Faceless Priest (although it had been turned into noodles, it had secretly slipped back to freeload a meal) was squatting in the corner, munching on a piece of meat with its tentacles, its body trembling as it ate.

As the divine flesh was consumed, everyone's aura began to surge wildly.

A layer of silvery moonlight emanated from Wang Ergou's body, making his originally thin and emaciated body appear as translucent as white jade, and his eyes became deep and profound.

[Ding! Employee Wang Ergou has consumed the essence of the Moon Goddess and awakened his talent: Moonlit Night Walk (all attributes are doubled at night, and he gains invisibility and the ability to pass through walls).]

Lei Meng's muscles bulged all over his body, and his skin turned dark red, as if magma was flowing.

[Ding! Employee Lei Meng absorbed the power of red oil and awakened the talent: Raging Chef God (strength increased by 300% when cooking, and the cleaver gains a fire critical strike).]

As for Jiang Li...

He felt the [Source of Gluttony] within him evolve once more. The black vortex deep within his soul was now tinged with a faint silver edge, becoming even more profound and mysterious.

He not only digested the flesh, but also the rules contained within it—[Lunar Gravity].

Although it's just a small part, he can now pull things from several kilometers away with just a wave of his hand.

This skill is practically tailor-made for "grabbing vegetables"!

……

After a hearty meal, the pot was empty.

That ancient god's leg, several thousand meters long, was completely devoured by this ship of people (and non-humans). Even the bones were gnawed clean by Big Yellow, who planned to take them back to sharpen his teeth.

"Burp—that feels good."

Jiang Li slumped in his chair, picking his teeth, looking at the lifeless gray sea around him.

"I've finished eating, time to go home and digest."

"We've been out for several days now, and I'm worried about leaving the shop unattended."

"Boss, how do we get back?"

Liu Wei asked, "If we go back the way we came, we'll have to go through the Dream Realm again, which is too far."

"Who said we were going to go back the way we came?"

Jiang Li took out the small pendant that shimmered with seven-colored light, which he had obtained from Yog Sothos—[The Gate Master's Franchise].

"We have the 'back door key' now!"

"This door can open anywhere I want!"

Jiang Li stood up and walked to the front of the deck.

He held up the pendant, and the image of Deep Blue Plaza in Jianghai City flashed through his mind.

"Open it! Target—the entrance of Deep Blue Seafood Restaurant!"

"Buzz—"

The pendant emitted a dazzling light, and in front of the Black Pearl, space rippled like water, forming a huge, rotating vortex of starlight.

On the other side of the vortex, familiar neon lights and skyscrapers can be vaguely seen.

"That's... going home!"

Wang Ergou jumped up excitedly.

"Everyone buckle up! We're cutting in line to go home!"

Jiang Li waved his hand.

"Charge in!"

"Boom!"

The Golden Black Pearl, laden with treasures and reeking of divine hotpot, plunged headlong into the vortex of starlight.

……

Jianghai City, late at night.

Although it was already past midnight, Deep Blue Plaza was still bustling with activity. Since Jiang Li left, business here has continued as usual, but it always feels like something is missing (mainly the boss who could cause a big stir at any moment is gone).

Su Qingge was working overtime in her office, dealing with a mountain of letters of intent for cooperation.

Suddenly, the ground of the entire square began to shake violently.

"An earthquake?"

She suddenly stood up and looked out the window.

Suddenly, the space above the center of the square shattered like a mirror.

A huge vortex, radiating seven-colored light, appeared out of nowhere, illuminating the entire night sky as if it were daytime.

Immediately afterwards, a huge, glittering, and extremely flamboyant warship, accompanied by an exciting background music track ("Good Luck"), slowly emerged from the vortex and hovered above the plaza.

"That's... the Black Pearl?!"

"How did it turn golden?"

"Oh my god! It smells so good! What is this smell?"

The diners in the square were stunned.

As the spaceship appeared, an indescribably rich aroma of hot pot, a blend of divinity and everyday life, instantly enveloped the entire Jianghai City and even drifted with the wind to the neighboring province.

Everyone who smelled this aroma, whether they were sleeping or staying up all night, experienced a thunderous rumbling in their stomachs at the same time.

hungry!

I'm hungrier than ever before!

"My men! I, Hu Hansan... no, I, Jiang Li, am back!"

An arrogant voice blared throughout the city through the spaceship's loudspeaker.

Jiang Li stood at the bow of the ship, wearing his signature pair of shorts and holding a large spoon, looking like a triumphant king.

"To celebrate my safe return, and also to celebrate the successful expansion of Deep Blue Group's business in this other world..."

"Tonight! Everything is 50% off!"

"And we are proud to launch our newest product—the [Divine Red Oil Chicken Leg]! Limited to one per person! Eating it will make you feel like you're on top of the world!"

"boom--!!!"

The whole city was in an uproar.

……

Half an hour later, inside the Deep Blue Seafood Restaurant.

Jiang Li sat on his personal dragon-skin sofa, with a freshly brewed cup of "Divine Honey Wine" tea in front of him.

Su Qingge stood opposite him, looking at the mountain of rubies, mythical beast bones, and strange ingredients sealed in jars that filled the room. Her hands trembled as she pushed up her glasses.

"Mr. Jiang, did you rob some pantheon this time?"

"Robbery? How can you call something a scholar would do robbery?"

Jiang Liyi corrected him righteously.

"This is called resource integration! This is called cross-dimensional trade!"

He pointed to the pile of rubies.

"Sell these stones and buy up all the streets around here. I'm going to build the world's largest 'Deep Blue Food Paradise'."

"Not only will there be restaurants, but also hotels, amusement parks, and even a 'zoo of ancient gods'!"

"A zoo?" Su Qingge was taken aback.

"Right, we need a place to raise all those moon rabbits (moon beast cubs), Shatak bird eggs, and those Martian Sunflowers we brought back, right?"

Jiang Li became more and more excited as he spoke.

"We also want to build an 'Abyss Aquarium' to exhibit all the transparent fish and eyeball jellyfish we catch!"

"Just charge 1,000 yuan a ticket! Take it or leave it!"

Su Qingge quickly took notes. Although she found it crazy, looking at the crowds stretching for kilometers outside, she knew that whatever this man said could come true.

"By the way, Mr. Jiang."

Su Qingge closed her notebook, her expression becoming slightly more serious.

"Some strange things have happened on Earth while you were away."

"Something strange?"

"Yes. Strange tremors are being felt in the depths of oceans around the world. And... satellites from many countries have captured images of what appears to be a massive black city rising from beneath the Antarctic ice sheet."

"Antarctica? Black city?"

Jiang Li stopped moving.

He put down his teacup, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"You mean... R'lyeh?"

"Very likely."

Su Qingge nodded.

"And it's not just in Antarctica. In the Egyptian desert, that black pyramid is also glowing. And in the depths of the East China Sea, the roar of dragons can be heard."

"It feels... like all the mythical creatures on Earth are reviving."

"Recovery is great!"

Jiang Li didn't show any concern; instead, he slapped his thigh.

"What does this mean? It means the peak season for ingredients has arrived!"

He stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the deep night sky in the distance.

"R'lyeh, right... Shouldn't that 'Sleeping Beauty' (Cthulhu) wake up too?"

"Last time I only ate a few of its members, and I haven't tasted the main body yet."

"I've heard that its tentacles... are absolutely delicious when cooked on a teppanyaki grill."

Jiang Li stroked his chin, a "kind" smile appearing on his lips.

"Since everyone wants to get some fresh air, let's organize a 'Global Recovery Food Festival'!"

"Send out invitations! Send invitations to all those Deep Ones, snake people, ghouls... everyone!"

"Tell them that Jiang Li, chairman of Deep Blue Group, invites them to a banquet!"

"As for the dishes..."

Jiang Li glanced back at the Silver Spoon hanging on the wall.

"Of course...it's themselves."