Matan’s Shooter

TL: xLordFifth

ED: 

Why bother spending gems? Is it necessary? With just one gem, you can buy so many ingredients!

“To make dishes and win the absolute love of the crowd!”

Leeha, along with Blaugrun, roamed around Underground City, purchasing ingredients. The assumption that most of the ingredients would be unfamiliar held true, but even Blaugrun’s nose couldn’t be deceived.

Locating Bluebeard and sensing approaching monsters, his keen intuition also applied to food. Just the sight of Leeha carrying ingredients garnered enough attention from gorilla paleoNPCs.

A first-time encounter with a new species, carrying a strange bird on his head while loaded with ingredients – it was sufficient to pique the interest of the gorilla paleoNPCs.

“Jellypong, are you still okay?”

[Mongmongmongmong…]

Jellypong’s eyes blinked all around. Initially creepy, Leeha had become quite accustomed to it.

Having purchased all the ingredients and even a few cooking utensils, a spectacle was unfolding in the gorilla paleo square.

“Okay. For the fire- um, to light the fire… Everyone, please step back a bit! More, more! Alright, enjoy the show~”

Gathering the purchased firewood, Leeha ignited the fire. The reason Blaugrun was chirping on Leeha’s head became apparent.

“Flame Thrower!”

Rooooooar————!

“Woo-oo, wookeeeeee——!”

“Wugak! The fire- wookee, woogat!”

Using a flame flame thrower device to ignite the fire for cooking! The gorilla paleos were initially startled, fleeing in surprise, but soon gathered again, showing curiosity.

“Hehe, where are you going? Well, then, let’s infuse the aroma with a grilled dish.”

Leeha quickly and skillfully prepared the ingredients. Purchasing the ingredients wasn’t just for cooking.  ‘I’ve roughly identified the types, forms, and characteristics of animals in the vicinity.’

Considering that they had a lot of meat with firm muscles and that they lived in the area just above the Underground City, which was an open area consisting of grassland, would undoubtedly be similar to horses.

” It’s a bit low in fat, but the chewiness is quite good. The unique gamey smell, hmm, let’s give it a try.”

[Kyuuuuuu…]

Blaugrun saw what Leeha picked up, but this time, Leeha’s stubbornness won.

Chiiiiing!

The smell of grilling meat filled the air. What initially smelled slightly, with the addition of spices, transformed into a savory aroma.

[Kyuu? Kyuukyyu!]

“Mmm, smells good. It’s not bad like this, right? Originally, these individually might be difficult to eat, but when mixed, it captures the aroma effectively.”

What Leeha took out and added was the yellow fluid from the cut leg of the Rhinodilo. It seemed similar to amberjack fish sauce, and it turned out to be a great combination.

The grilled meat was sourced locally, and the soup, brewed with a rich broth, was enhanced with fruits received from the red goats and black crane paleos. Adding a variety of spices from the old continent and the new continent, Leeha silently recited a skill.

“Soul Link.”

Whoooooa———!

The exploding red light surprised the gorilla paleoNPCs. No matter how bright artificial light is, it can’t compare to natural light on the ground!

The light generated by Koma could be seen anywhere in the Zijeru city. “Kuwaaa—hyup!”

“Yes, yes. The meat is cooked. Koma can have a bite too.”

Leeha stuffed a piece of meat into the roaring Koma’s mouth. Koma’s eyes widened in surprise as it transformed significantly.

“Kuum, kuum… kuing. Koma, ignite the fire.”

“Kkuong.”

Whoosh!

Koma, having enjoyed a tasty bite of meat, soon transformed into a fire bear.

The gorilla paleoNPCs, who had been watching cautiously, exclaimed, “Oh!” once again.

“The food is ready! The ‘Neon Sign’ is ready! [Ha Restaurant] is open! Come on, everyone hungry, come in! It’s free, it’s free! Enjoy the delicious food and fill your stomachs warmly!”

Chop, chop!

It was a kind of proclamation.

Seeing the enormous amount of dishes Leeha prepared, the gorilla paleos, who had been eagerly awaiting, began rushing over like lightning.

“There’s plenty! I made plenty, so come on in! It’s overflowing, so come on in! Taste the skill that you can only experience at the Holy Grill, the best restaurant in the Lope Continent!”

The plates looked like shabby wooden branches, but the contents were of the utmost taste!

Leeha suddenly thought of Candle Castle’s restaurant. Who would have known that he would make use of the cooking skills learned from Madame Ju’s sister, Loo, and her adorable Kiyo-Mifgar?

Leeha’s name quickly spread throughout the Underground City.

The speed at which familiarity built up was faster than the rate at which food ran out.

Even while treating the gorilla paleos, Koma and Blaugrun growled at each other, eager to eat the remaining ingredients. However, the unexpected winner was the gelatinous substance resembling jelly that popped out suddenly.

Yet, neither Koma nor Blaugrun went hungry.

“You’ve also got yours, of course. Eat, eat! Especially you, Koma! You need to eat a lot.”

Knowing that Koma could be fed and that the fire bear contracted with the elemental spirit could develop on its own, Leeha felt the need to take even better care of them than he did now.

Koma enjoyed a momentary, albeit temporary, peaceful world, free from the threat of hunting or the need to dedicate offerings since becoming Leeha’s Soul Mate.

“Well, that’s how it is.”

“Cooking… just cooking—”

“Just cooking? Haven’t you studied more than that, Luger?”

“What?!”

“Think about why the French Revolution happened. How can you not know that as a fellow European? ‘If there’s no bread, give them meat〜’ Don’t you know that? Cooking, or in other words, filling people’s stomachs, is not just ‘just.’”

“…Are you talking about Marie Antoinette? But, the statement you just made is a manipulated rumor—”

“Anyway, you’re ignorant. Don’t you agree, Kidd?”

“Well… I have nothing to say.”

Until Leeha and Luger bickered, Kidd couldn’t shake off the shock. Who would have known that he, spending the most resources and gaining familiarity the slowest, would end up like this?

Beside them, Luger was trying to shake off the accusation of being ignorant, attempting to lecture Leeha on European history, but Leeha dismissed it lightly.

As soon as the Three Musketeers gathered, Jorje was watching with a complex expression.

“As expected! As expected, friends of that friend! Wuaaat!”

“Right? So you can tell us. We are not here to cause any harm to Jorje and the paleos.”

Hearing Leeha’s words, the large gorilla paleo, standing by, nodded.

All three of them reached 100% familiarity in less than 12 hours.

Well, looking only at Leeha’s case, it took less than 8 hours.

Kidd was still mumbling to himself, not fully recovering from the shock, all because of that incident.

“You can trust us. Please guide us to the ‘place’ that our ‘friend’ visited 50 years ago and 20 years ago. We will find what our ‘friend’ left behind, and we will return it to him.”

Unlike when talking to Luger or Kidd, Leeha’s statement was devoid of playfulness.

Her significantly serious voice echoed quietly but meaningfully throughout the realm of the guardian deity.

“Wukit, wukikit!”

Jorje seemed to ponder for a moment. Then, he suddenly started moving on the jungle Jim.

Up, down, down, up, as if playing, the once-sullen ape guardian deity roamed around for a while before descending in front of the Three Musketeers.

“Alright. Good. As much as that friend did for us, you’ve also done for us. We should be able to give you something in return. Eldest!”

“Lowland!”

“Guide them to that place.”

“…Lowland!”

The large gorilla paleo hesitated for a moment, but he couldn’t disobey the command of the deity.

Leeha clenched her fist tightly.

Finally, they crossed a hurdle. The only thing left was the entrance to the Kaztor 7th Research Laboratory!

Leeha: Both of you remember the bet, right? The first step is mine. If you even stick out a toe first, I’ll blow you away with Black Bass. Well, I’m not worried about our esteemed Kidd and Luger breaking their promises.

As Leeha whispered, Luger and Kidd, who had quieted down, trembled again.

It’s strange how their appearance, which seems foolish and kind enough to look like a fool to other users, is so sharp and good at teasing each other like this when they are the Musketeers. It was evidence of the strong camaraderie and comradeship, the sense of rivalry among the three.

“This is it. The space that our ‘friend’ used 50 years ago when he was with us.” The Musketeers stood in front of the stairs at the outermost part of Underground City, accompanied by the large gorilla paleo.

Compared to the gorilla paleo’s efforts to raise and expand Underground City, this space seemed untouched, as if saying ‘end.’

“Is this the place our ‘friend’ visited 20 years ago at the same time?”

“No, 20 years ago, our friend visited us, but he didn’t come to this space.”

“But earlier he clearly said he came—”

“Coming to Underground City and visiting this space are different stories, Luger.”

“Uh, well, uh-huh, hehehe.”

Luger, instead of trying to refute, quickly pretended to cough. The expression of the large gorilla paleo was not incorrect.

Why didn’t he come here when he visited 20 years ago?

Unlike Kidd or Luger, Leeha could think of different thoughts with just one word.

‘He probably didn’t need to. If that’s the case, there’s only one reason.’

There was no need to visit this laboratory anymore. Why?

‘For research… Probably, he successfully concluded his research.’

What was Kaztor’s research? If his goal could be summarized in one word, it was the [Revival of the Dark Elf race.]

The Dark Elf race, persecuted and wandering in search of a refuge. The elder of the Dark Elf race mentioned that Kaztor was trying to find a way for their race to regain the light.

For that research, Kaztor had gathered all the long-standing records of the Dark Elves and left to gather external information that could not be obtained internally.

Of course, if there was no internal data, they couldn’t know all the records and information of their own race. Therefore, he took all the internal data with him to find out more about the external world.

Then, wandering around the continent, perhaps even to the New Continent, he combined the external world’s information and methods with internal data to find the most certain way for the Dark Elf race to revive.

‘Well, it’s a game, so getting stronger is probably the goal. It could be a method to make the entire Dark Elf race stronger… There were also words like the ‘Sword of the God’ in the 6th laboratory, and words about ‘suppressing demons.’ If the minority race, the Dark Elves, want to avoid persecution from the majority races like the Wood Elves or humans, they just need to become overwhelmingly stronger than them. The only problem is…’

The method of becoming stronger, and the consequences after becoming stronger. How, how strong, and through what actions is he trying to achieve the revival of the Dark Elves?

In front of the stairs leading further underground, Leeha looked at the large gorilla paleo.

“Are you not coming?”

“I won’t go from here. I’ll guard this place until you return.”

“Well, something seems to go wrong when you insist on doing that.”

“Our friend told us how to get here and requested protection. It should be safe inside.”

“Huh? What…”

“Indeed… Is that so?”

Leeha chuckled at the words of the large gorilla paleo, but Kidd, on the contrary, nodded his head.

Leeha realized that, in exchange for teaching them spatial movement, Kaztor had obtained not only the hiding of the laboratory’s location but also a guard duty.

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