Becoming an adventurer by copying monster abilities

Chapter 121 Food and Temptation

The Dawn Church has been bustling with activity lately.

Originally, the monster invasion that swept around the outskirts of Ryan City had come to an end.

The number of wounded soldiers being transported back from the front lines has decreased significantly, and the workload of the pastors has been lightened.

However, just two days ago, the Adventurers' Guild from Twilight Town suddenly sent a letter, borrowing a number of paladins and high priests.

A huge gap suddenly appeared in the daily operation of the church.

Therefore, the task of praying for the healing of the injured suddenly fell on the remaining trainee pastors.

The workload has even increased in some cases.

However, the benefits it brings to the church are also obvious.

The selfless dedication of the clergy every day has allowed the merciful teachings of the Lord of Dawn to spread even more widely in the city of Laine.

The number of believers bathed in the holy light is increasing at a visible rate.

Even the usually stern-faced high priest showed a rare smile.

As the most popular young pastor in the church, many believers even specifically request Pastor Yi'er to pray for them.

In their view, listening to the young girl recite a gentle sermon of the Dawn Teachings was more effective than drinking a whole bottle of inferior numbing potion.

It wasn't until dusk, when the somber evening bells at the top of the cathedral tolled continuously, that Irene finally ended her busy day.

After saying goodbye to the other novice pastors, Ela changed into casual clothes and left the church hall alone.

The setting sun, like melting gold dust, gilded the Morning Light Church with a sacred golden edge.

The evening breeze, carrying a cool and pleasant feel, brushed against her face, stirring up her somewhat chaotic thoughts.

It will probably take me almost another year before I become a full-fledged pastor.

Her mentor, Wyatt, also agreed that once she became a full pastor of the Church of Dawn, she could go out and explore the world.

After all, Priest Wyatt himself was by no means a law-abiding clergyman in his youth.

He had made a name for himself in the adventurer industry before returning to the Church of Dawn to focus on being a priest.

Therefore, Wyatt and the Adventurers' Guild had a close relationship and often collaborated.

I heard from people in the church that the Adventurers' Guild of Twilight Town approached the Church of Dawn and borrowed so many high-ranking priests and paladins to help because of the demon army that appeared in Sunset Forest.

Back when they were adventurers in Twilight Town, Irene and her young team had heard about demons lurking in the forest.

Unexpectedly, after some time, the situation seemed to have become somewhat serious.

When Twilight Town was mentioned, Irene naturally thought of that young adventurer with black hair.

"Sunset Forest has become so dangerous, I wonder how Mr. Luke is doing now..."

The blonde girl sighed with some worry, her gaze sweeping aimlessly across the bustling crowd in the square.

Looking up, Yi'er vaguely saw a tall, slender young man dressed in a neat black suit smiling at her from not far away.

The other person's appearance perfectly matched the image in his mind.

Irene shook her head helplessly, her golden hair swaying gently.

She patted her cheeks, muttering to herself in disbelief, "It seems I've really overexerted myself mentally lately; I'm starting to hallucinate."

However, she soon noticed that the other person was walking towards her, and a familiar voice said, "Long time no see."

Irene's eyes widened, brighter than the lights in the square: "Mr. Luke? It really is you!"

Actually, they hadn't been apart for a long time.

It had been less than a month since the two last parted ways.

But in this world where transportation is underdeveloped and the wilderness is full of dangers.

She thought it would be a long time before they met again.

Unexpectedly, the other party reappeared in front of me "completely unharmed".

Yi'er's worries vanished instantly.

As for the blonde girl who had given him a lot of help, especially financial help.

Luke didn't hold back his goodwill and extended an invitation with a smile: "Would you like to have a meal together? It's on me."

"Okay, then I'll have to have a good meal!"

Yi'er, who had been somewhat tired, suddenly perked up and showed the vitality that a young girl should have.

On the way, Luca inquired about Tina's recent situation.

The dark-skinned half-drow wanderer, who was always inseparable from Irene, was nowhere to be seen.

"Tina's family has recently run into some trouble. Her family sent her a letter asking her to return home to handle some matters. I heard it has something to do with the main family of the Underdark."

Perhaps it was because my best friend had been gone for several days, coupled with the frustration accumulated from working intensely at the church recently.

After meeting Luca, her trustworthy "old teammate," Ir completely opened her heart.

The girl was like a lively canary. Before Luke could ask any questions, she started chattering away in her sweet voice: "You know, Tina is a drow who worships the Underdark Maiden, so her family hasn't had any contact with the main family that worships the Spider Queen in the Underdark for a long time."

The fact that the host family suddenly contacted them suggests that something significant has happened. She left in a great hurry and didn't explain what it was about in detail.

Luke listened quietly.

He didn't know much about the Drow and the Underdark.

I only learned some common knowledge from the bards in the taverns.

Lolth the Spider Queen and Elestris the Dark Maiden are two irreconcilable gods in the Drow pantheon.

The sudden encounter between these two forces with completely different beliefs, and even mutual animosity, hardly seemed like a pleasant reunion.

However, since Tina herself said it was a family matter, they, as outsiders, naturally shouldn't interfere too much.

Luca could only shake his head with feigned regret, trying to lighten the mood: "That's such a shame, Tina missed out on this delicious meal."

As they chatted, they unknowingly passed through several bustling streets and arrived at the entrance of the "Old Oyster" restaurant.

It was peak dinner time in Lane City.

This restaurant, known for its specialty seafood and expensive game, is almost full of diners of all kinds.

Fortunately, Luke had already made a reservation at the restaurant before going to find Ela.

Genuine gibbon tail meat is a high-end ingredient that must be handled with care.

Cooking requires a complicated process, so ordering in advance is to avoid long wait times.

As soon as the two entered the restaurant, Luca spotted several familiar figures in a corner.

Although this is partly due to his keen observation skills.

However, to be fair, among the customers at that table was a half-orc figure with brownish-green skin, over two meters tall, and as strong as a small mountain of flesh.

It's really too eye-catching.

Beside the tall orc sat two men and a woman.

It was the entire Undying Greatsword Squad that had already submitted their commission to the Adventurers' Guild and was celebrating their victory.

Although the team had previously given Luca the best tail meat of the wyvern.

However, Akash took the remaining tail and some less palatable leg meat with him.

As an adventure team that frequents the area around Ryan City, they naturally knew about the Old Oyster Restaurant's unique processing techniques for dragon meat, and thus stored their ingredients there as well.

Therefore, they coincidentally met again not long after they had parted ways.

Maintaining his professional habits, even while eating, he kept an eye out for the wandering Ratul around the hall and spotted Luca immediately.

His first reaction wasn't to greet him, but rather to subconsciously shudder.

Even though he had just had a high-ranking priest at the Adventurers' Guild cast a healing spell on him, his injuries had already fully healed.

But at this moment, upon seeing the other person, especially after meeting their gaze in those dark eyes.

Latu's limbs, which had already recovered, started to ache again.

This clearly demonstrates the extent of the psychological trauma Luke suffered from his skillful maneuvering in the forest.

Upon seeing Latour, he suddenly shrank his neck like a startled quail, his expression strange.

Captain Reina, sitting opposite him, also subconsciously followed his gaze and turned around to look.

He immediately saw Luca standing at the door, calmly watching him.

And the blonde girl beside him, dressed casually but still undeniably beautiful.

The forthright female captain immediately stood up and waved to Luke.

Luke's eyes lit up as well.

He came to see Yi'er mainly to catch up with his old friend.

But another reason was that he wanted to find a reliable local to learn more about the true nature and background of the various blacksmith shops in Ryan City.

The price quoted by his good friend's blacksmith shop, that shrewd dwarf owner, always made him feel like he was being treated like a "big traitor."

These adventurers in front of us are well-equipped and are high-level professionals.

Having spent most of their time in Ryan City, their advice is certainly more authoritative.

And so, Luca's original reservation for a small table for two was naturally combined with the large table of the Undying Heavy Swords team at Lena's enthusiastic invitation.

What was initially a somewhat awkward "private time for two" instantly transformed into a lively team dinner.

Irene sat obediently beside Luke, a gentle smile still on her face.

But for some reason, the young pastor always felt a slight, barely perceptible sense of loss.

However, this small emotion was quickly replaced by a sense of novelty.

Being able to learn more about Mr. Luca's thrilling adventures in the wild through conversations with these high-level adventurers filled her young heart with curiosity and a desire to explore.

Irene's current job level is only 1, so normally it would be difficult for her to have any interaction with these high-level adventurers.

However, because she was a companion brought by Luke.

Having witnessed Luca's terrifying and unreasonable fighting power, the members of the Undying Heavy Sword Squad held him in the highest esteem.

When they learned that this seemingly delicate young girl was actually a pastor from the Church of Dawn.

This respect instantly gained more weight.

In the world of adventurers, everyone knows how benevolent the priests of the Church of Dawn are.

They frequently cast divine spells for free on lower-level believers and adventurers, making them excellent teammates.

A girl who can walk with an "adventure monster" like Luke.

Although he may not seem to be at a high level now, who knows if he might become a powerful high-ranking priest in the future.

It's never a bad thing to build relationships beforehand.

Soon, amidst the pleasant conversation, all sorts of food began to be served on the long table by the waiters.

Today's main course, without a doubt, is the Old Oyster Restaurant's most famous and sought-after signature dish—Braised Flying Dragon Tail.

Before Luke and Ill were two plates of "premium" version made from the finest tail meat he had previously stored there.

As the chef's signature dish at the Old Oyster Restaurant, the meal made with real tilapia tails is impeccable.

In their own words, it's enough to be ranked among the top three finest foods in Ryan City.

The thick, well-textured jigglyptus tail meat is prepared using an extremely meticulous low-heat slow-frying process.

A secret butter blend of rosemary and sea salt was used to sear the tail meat to an incredibly tempting brown color on both sides.

Under the warm lights of the restaurant, the crispy, caramelized outer layer gleamed with an enticing, oily sheen.

On top, it is drizzled with a sauce made from chopped roasted almonds and broth of tender asparagus.

This sauce has a unique, rich nutty flavor, which is perfectly balanced by the sweetness of the asparagus.

Not only will it not overpower the wild aroma of roasted pheasant meat, but it will also enhance its distinct flavor.

At the bottom of the plate is a layer of extremely thinly sliced ​​fried potato chips coated with a special creamy mushroom sauce.

These golden and crispy potato chips perfectly absorb the excess oil and juices that seep out during the grilling of the grouse.

It also locks in that extremely rich flavor into the starch.

Not only does it taste excellent, but it also greatly enriches the overall texture of the dish.

Pair it with the shop's signature fern and mint liqueur.

The cool, clear taste and strong alcohol content not only cut through the greasiness of meat, but also enrich and blend the flavors.

The only "drawback" of this dish is that the portion size is just too large.

One serving of braised dragon tail is enough for four adults.

On the two tables pushed together, the main courses alone almost filled all the seats.

Therefore, the members of the Undying Heavy Swords team at the same table were also fortunate enough to share Luca's better-tasting tail meat.

Akash, the orc, didn't even need a knife and fork. He simply grabbed a piece of dragon meat covered in sauce with his large, fan-like hand and stuffed it into his mouth, emitting a series of indistinct exclamations of praise.

Over drinks, Yi'er learned about the story between the team and Luca during their conversation.

Listening to the adventures and battles that were already epic enough for her, a hint of longing appeared in her eyes.

After a hearty meal, Luke did not forget his business.

He looked at Lena and asked her earnestly about the reputation of the various blacksmith shops in Ryan City, as well as the specific costs of crafting high-end magical equipment.

When Lena heard that Luca was planning to forge a set of magical armor but was lacking the main ingredient, her eyes lit up.

She put down her cutlery, leaned forward slightly, and lowered her voice: "The blacksmith shops in Ryan City, although their skills are good, are all incredibly unscrupulous. If you want to buy the main materials directly from them for forging, you'll inevitably have to start with several thousand gold coins."

However, I happen to have a quest here. If I'm lucky, I can get some excellent armor-forging materials. I wonder if you'd be interested?