Condensing a magic core - just hearing it sounded incredibly formidable.
Hearing this, Eric suddenly recalled an important detail from the original plot.
The original owner later became completely corrupted due to jealousy. Not only did he lure a beast tide to kill many tribesmen and still refuse to stop, but he also tricked Michael into the territory of the level-seven magic beast, the Scorpion-tailed Lion.
At that time, although Michael already detested him to the extreme, he still followed out of concern for a cub’s safety. As a result, he was almost swallowed alive by the enraged Scorpion-tailed Lion and was also struck by the deadly venom from its scorpion tail.
At that life-and-death moment, Max arrived just in time to save him, but in doing so, was gravely wounded by the Scorpion-tailed Lion to the brink of death.
In the midst of the crisis, his potential was thoroughly stimulated. The beast vital energy in his body suddenly condensed into a magic core, helping him successfully counter-kill the monster.
This was also one of the major obstacles that helped the main couple’s relationship take a great leap forward.
But now, this Eric could never do such a heartless thing. He cast a few furtive glances back and forth between the two of them, his eyes holding a trace of regret.
Ahem, his thoughts had gone too far off-topic; he had to get back to the main subject.
Eric now knew that beastmen would automatically awaken their beast vital energy.
He didn’t know if the original owner’s weak body could have awakened it successfully; the book never wrote it clearly. He could only sigh in admiration.
After quickly butchering the Winged Tiger, Max went to find more firewood to build up the fire, turning to comfort him:
"Don’t be anxious. Beastmen only truly mature at a hundred years old. Some beastmen awaken a little later, and besides, your body was not in good condition to begin with."
Eric could only nod dejectedly, constantly hypnotizing himself in his heart: still young, no need to rush.
Maturing at a hundred years old—the lifespan of beastmen truly made Earthlings envious. Eric, now in that situation, felt that everything was good, with the single exception that maturity came too late.
Michael had already chopped the tiger wing into bite-sized pieces. Eric directed him to use sturdy tree branches to skewer the other wing.
The pieces that had been cut up were put into the iron wok and stir-fried briefly. After the meat firmed up and rendered some fat, it was transferred to a pottery pot to begin stewing.
He remembered hearing from his elders that tiger meat was a great tonic. It was a pity that in his era, eating tiger meat was an unforgivable crime.
Now, with such a mountain of tiger meat laid out before him to cook as he pleased, Eric happily picked up the pieces of meat, putting a portion into the iron wok to stew.
Adding the two wings, this was more than enough to fill the empty stomachs of all three.
Beside them, another fire was lit. Michael, with his extraordinary strength, easily placed the intact tiger wing over the fire to roast.
Eric opened the Ice Crystal Nether Orchid nectar that Orson had given him. A pure, faint fragrance of cold-climate flowers immediately entered his nose, extremely pleasant.
He had made thorn-beast honey-roasted meat once before, and he still remembered that taste vividly.
Now, without thorn-beast honey, Eric decided to use this premium nectar to make a more advanced version.
The nectar, as clear as crystal syrup, slowly flowed out and was poured into a pottery bowl. Eric couldn’t bear to use too much, pouring only a small amount before carefully putting the bamboo tube away.
Smelling the faint fragrance, he couldn’t help but dip his finger in for a taste.
A rich yet refreshing sweetness instantly spread in his mouth, a cold floral scent lingering in every breath, as if his entire being was immersed in a sea of flowers made from ice crystals.
Eric blissfully closed his eyes to savor it.
Using this for barbecue was truly too wasteful. If he had known it was this delicious, he would have tasted it first. Eric looked at the bowl of nectar regretfully.
But barbecue made from it would surely have an exceptionally special flavor. After thinking for a moment, Eric still decided to continue mixing the sauce.
Using the nectar as a base, he added double the amount of water and stirred it well. Later, he would directly use this nectar water to brush onto the tiger wing.
The marinade for the meat also had a little nectar water added, then chili powder and pepper powder were added, stirred well, and poured into both the pottery pot stewing the wing and the large iron wok on the other side. The sauce was already very rich; there was no need to add more salt.
While he finished preparing the stewed meat, Max had also nearly finished cleaning up.
It was definitely not convenient to wash the organs here, so Max took them and threw them far away.
The freshly skinned Winged Tiger hide was also processed simply.
Max used it to secure the cave entrance, which could both block the wind and intimidate other wild beasts in the vicinity, leaving only a small gap for ventilation.
Thus, only the flickering firelight remained in the cave, dancing unsteadily on the rock walls.
This world had no industrial development. Most illumination came from torches. The wealthy would use Mermaid luminous pearls, or use magic directly for light.
Beastmen already had very good night vision, so they had even less need for such things.
Only the Black Wolf tribe and the beastmen living in the Golden Kingdom used them for decoration, to show off their status.
Compared to jewels, Eric was more interested in Mermaids and magic. He just didn’t know when he would have the chance to encounter them.
Over the fire, the tiger wing, under Michael’s constant turning, slowly began to drip golden oil, sizzling pleasantly on the firewood as the rich meaty aroma spread throughout the space.
Picking up the kitchen knife, Eric scored a few lines on the wing to help the seasoning penetrate deeper.
He then found a homemade brush, dipped it in the nectar water, and carefully brushed a thin layer onto the roasting wing.
When the oil dripped, he brushed another layer. He repeated this process until the bowl of nectar water was gone, letting the sweet fragrance seep deep into every fiber of the meat.
In between, Eric also had Max peel a few potatoes, cut them into pieces, and add them to the pottery pot with the stewing wing, then broke corn cobs into sections and added them in. The simple stewed tiger wing was thus complete.
This place was quite far from a water source; otherwise, he could have broken the ice to catch a few large shrimp to stew with. Eric didn’t dare to imagine how much more delicious the flavor would be.
But even with just this, the aroma wafting out was enough to make him drool. Eric swallowed, his eyes glancing at the remaining meat, suddenly remembering that tiger bones used for soaking in wine were a great tonic.
After they finished eating, he definitely had to bring this skeleton back to the tribe to soak a jar of precious wine.
After waiting a while longer, the water in the large iron wok had nearly evaporated. Eric used chopsticks to poke the meat; it went through easily, proving the meat was stewed very tender.
The wing in the pottery pot was also stewed until tender, the potatoes fluffy, the corn sweet, accented with the bright green of a few herbs, making it look quite appealing.
Eric cheered happily: "It’s ready, time to eat!"
It was rare to have such a hearty meal while on the road, and all three ate with great relish.
"My father hunted a Winged Tiger once before. I was still a cub then, and I only vaguely remember its wings being delicious, but it was far inferior to what Eric made."
Michael gnawed on the roasted wing, its skin crispy on the outside, the inside tender, fragrant, and sweet. His mouth was covered in grease he didn’t even have time to wipe, as he praised Eric nonstop, gallantly breaking off a large piece of the roasted wing for him.
With delicious food in front of him, Eric didn’t know which dish to eat first. Just as Michael passed the roasted wing over, he took a big bite, so happy he hummed lightly in his throat.
Max also silently picked up a piece of stewed tiger meat and put it in his bowl. His gaze swept over Michael, who was happily gnawing on the roasted wing like a large dog, and he frowned slightly without a trace.
Eric, the dense one, was engrossed in his food and didn’t notice at all, also picking up the stewed tiger meat and taking a large bite. The eternal sweet and savory engine!
The flavor of the Ice Crystal Nether Orchid nectar was truly special.
Even such a rich stewing sauce couldn’t overwhelm its fresh, cold floral scent. No wonder the White Bear tribe regarded it as a treasure, not easily trading it with others.
Thinking of the large guy, Orson, a warm feeling rose in Eric’s heart again. He actually didn’t know what he had done to be considered a friend by Orson.
The other person wasn’t wary at all as rumored; on the contrary, he was very enthusiastic.
Apart from the hateful Black Wolf tribe, the beastmen he had met so far were all very warm and friendly.
Eric gnawed on the stewed tiger wing, rich with a soy-sauce-like flavor and a hint of sweetness, and found he especially loved the crispy, sweet corn inside; even the fluffy potatoes had to take second place.
Although they normally didn’t like eating vegetables, seeing Eric eat with such enjoyment, Michael and Max also unconsciously reached their chopsticks toward the pottery pot.