Above The Sky
Chapter 433 - 433 403 Dining with the Dragon 13

433: Chapter 403 Dining with the Dragon (1/3) 433: Chapter 403 Dining with the Dragon (1/3) Pinecone Wild Boars are common wild beasts in the vast area from the Agate Stone Plains to the Golden Prairie.

Unlike the more common Mud Armor Wild Boar and Giant Fang Wild Boar, they are smaller in size and are not very aggressive.

They mainly feed on tender grass, mushrooms, pinecones, and other plant fungi, and occasionally use their sharp tusks to pry open stones to prey on high-protein worms hiding underneath.

Although low on the food chain, they are not easily preyed upon, all thanks to the layers of peculiar, pinecone-like armor covering their bodies.

This protruding shell is extremely hard and its edges are quite sharp; it is essentially a natural thorny armor.

The Pinecone Wild Boar’s specialized dense fiber armor is lightweight, waterproof, and easy to process.

Hunters from the Southern Province, and even those from the Western Province, very much like using the Pinecone Wild Boar’s scales to make straw raincoats or simple armored clothing.

The meat shielded by the heavy armor of the Pinecone Wild Boar is indeed delicious.

It doesn’t have the strong earthy, gamey taste like that of the Mud Armor Wild Boar, nor the pungent smell of ammonia found in the Giant Fang Wild Boar.

Contrary to its counterparts, the meat of the Pinecone Wild Boar is quite tasty.

Its flesh is tough—those without enough strength describe it as ‘chewing rubber’—but if one savors it carefully, one can taste a subtle flavor akin to pinecones, which is why it’s much favored by hunters and certain special gourmets.

As for Ian, with his strong teeth, he naturally doesn’t care how hard or tough the Pinecone Wild Boar’s meat might be; to him, it’s all just chewy.

It didn’t take long to process the wild boar, and soon enough, the roast rabbit that was cooking was replaced with large chunks of pork legs and ribs.

“Knight, this rabbit is quite flavorful, but I think it needs a bit more sugar water and honey.

That way, the surface of the meat will become crisp and sweet, with a rich fragrance,”

the mysterious red-haired mountaineer said casually, sitting on a log, slicing the pieces of meat on a stone slab into thin slices with only an ordinary carving knife in hand.

Yet, his skilled movements were so swift and deft that the knife seemed like a divine weapon.

Having eaten the grilled rabbit skewer, he was now assisting the young man, “Also, you probably want to use the stone slab to grill the meat?

But this slab doesn’t heat evenly, and it might just burst open halfway through, wasting the food.”

“If the rabbit cooks any longer, it’ll burn.

It’s impossible to control the heat precisely with a campfire.

You’d need professional equipment for a better taste.”

Ian, who had already prepared a meat broth, turned to look at the mountaineer, “As for the stone slab, can’t we just finish eating before it cracks?”

“By the way, what’s your name?”

“Indeed, you’re right, just eat it quickly,” the red-haired mountaineer mused and then smiled as he replied to Ian’s question, “You can call me…

hmm, call me Theo Dore.”

This was obviously a fake name, and Ian didn’t make a fuss about it.

Since the other party wanted to keep playing this game, he’d play along.

But it must be said, Mr.

Theo Dore’s knife skills were quite impressive.

The appropriately thin slices of fat-marbled meat, dipped into Ian’s homemade sweet and spicy sauce and placed on the heated stone slab to sear, immediately began sizzling and emanating an aromatic scent of rendered fat.

“Not bad.

This is a young pig that hasn’t fully matured, with hardly any gamey smell, and what little there is gets suppressed,” after tasting a piece, Ian chewed and swallowed, then nodded, “It’s already edible.”

“This sauce tastes good, sweet and spicy in moderation, and not too rich.

I’ve never had sauce with this flavor before…

did you make it yourself?”

Theo Dore ate a few slices of meat, nodding reservedly.

Of course, he had eaten more and better food, but a novel flavor was more interesting to him.

Or, in other words, compared to ‘expensive’ and ‘rare’ foods, he cared more about a novel experience.

Next, he tried a deer leg marinated by Ian from South Ridge, and his eyes immediately lit up.

Meat stewed for a long time in sauce broth swelled with fat, but a layer of tough seared meat on the outside trapped it in, achieving a delicate balance.

Only when this piece of meat entered the mouth, and the teeth chewed and squeezed it, did the hot, savory juices and fats begin flowing out from everywhere, filling the mouth, leaving an indelible impression, and making one unable to resist having another piece.

“Good, truly good!

Such simple conditions and yet able to enjoy such delicious food.”

It was precisely because he tasted such delightful food that this mysterious Mr.

Theo Dore became serious.

He lifted his head, looking earnestly at Ian who was also seriously enjoying his meal.

After pondering for a while, he spoke, “Having been treated to such delicious food, I can’t afford to be so casual anymore.”

Theo turned to face Ian, who had also turned to look at him, and said solemnly, “Please forgive my intrusion, Knight, but I have come uninvited today to ask you a question.”

“Go ahead.”

While eating roasted meat and drinking broth, Ian put down his bowl, “If I can, I will answer.”

“Have you ever seen an elf?”

The red-haired mountaineer spoke bluntly, “He has long green hair, draped in inscribed chains, and is handsome…

well, a bit less than you, but still the sort that stands out easily in a crowd.”

“Thanks for the compliment.” Ian turned his head and gave Theo a once-over, immediately understanding what was going on.

—So this dragon is looking for Anfa?

Yes, a dragon.

One could tell from the Dragon Blood transformation that was displayed on the Silver Chip that he was no illiterate.

Dragons were not uncommon on the Terra Continent, or rather, aside from the out-of-the-ordinary super-creatures like Ancient Dragons and True Dragons, almost any type of magical beast might have some connection to dragons—or dragons might have a slight connection to them.

There is a legend that this grand miscegenation was caused by the promiscuous nature of dragons, but based on Ian’s understanding of Terra’s fauna, it is probably just a simple case of a man-made super lifeform and its serial derivative beasts…

even with connections at the biological prototype level, it has nothing to do with promiscuity.

Dragons possess extremely powerful strength, and as long as the name includes the word “dragon,” its potential will surely reach the Third Energy Level, touching the edge of a “High-Level Magical Beast.”

Besides that, dragons are also creatures with extremely high intelligence, and this applies to Sub-Dragons as well.

They even have a closely intertwined relationship with human society.

For instance, in the Crystallized Blue Cave next to the Abyssal Sea, there was an Ancient Crystal Dragon King by the name of ‘Goliath Nihil’ who received respect from the Tara Confederation.

He was the Overlord of the Abyssal Sea, the King of the Northern Sea, and within his territory, there were seven huge maritime cities that served as bridges connecting Steep Ridge Fortress with the Saint Grant Colony’s sea routes.

Each Duke of Steep Ridge took an audience with this ancient dragon king to discuss a new set of agreements after taking office, and The Empire’s emissaries also sent generous gifts once a year, visiting this elder of the northern Inner Sea.

Or, for example, in the land of the Heavenfall Wasteland to the east of the Sun Sweat Khanate of the Azure Sky Royal Court and to the south of the Starfall Sea, there was a Destructor Mech Dragon by the name of ‘Timothael’ who established his own kingdom called the ‘Nation of the Dead Mountain’.

This Heavy Titanium Dragon once joined forces with the Fae to combat the terrifying Swarm that emerged from the Inner Sea of Heavenfall, marking the location of the Swarm’s queen, thus giving the Fae an opportunity to destroy the hive nest.

As a result, he lost over eighty percent of his body.

Even though he was barely saved, he could only move using a body forged by the Fae.

This old dragon, whose name sounded quite villainous but was actually a kind elder, had many subjects consisting of Demihuman tribes that had left the Azure Sky Royal Court seeking a peaceful farming life, along with some mischievous Fae and Silver Fairies.

He was also one of the heads of the Tara Confederation and was eligible to attend the Worldwide Federation Congress held every twenty years.

Of course, not all dragons were so easy to talk to or so enthusiastic about integrating into the ‘lesser races” society, especially those Sub-Dragons with insufficient intelligence who often attacked towns, plundered metals, and precious sublimation materials, becoming a local scourge.

Ian didn’t know which type of dragon Theo was, but since the latter used a remote body to communicate with him and had unique insights and professionalism in human delicacies, he was at least communicable.

Therefore, the young man shook his head, “I don’t know.”

Theo’s eyes widened.

He was still chewing the roasted meat, and he looked at Ian with puzzlement in his eyes, clearly not understanding how the young man could lie to his face so shamelessly without any guilt.

And such an easily refutable lie at that!

“You left Gold Leaf Town together!”

Swallowing the meat without wasting any food, Theo stood up and sternly pointed his finger as he accused, “You brought him to Leyan City, and you saw him for the last time—how could you possibly not know?”

“Yes, indeed.” Ian smiled and nodded, flipping the meat on the stone slab, “See, don’t you know as well?”