Chapter Forty-Two: Two Tasks

At the Jin Song Valley outpost, Liu Zong, having taken on the task of returning the two items, immediately set out to find someone who knew about them.

The lifeless lava worm egg was relatively easy to track down, as the outpost’s cook took a keen interest in the matter. The moment he saw the egg Liu Zong brought, he called him over.

After some conversation, the cook explained that the lava worm egg was a well-known delicacy from the Storm Isles. However, it had been many years since anyone had managed to catch a lava worm, let alone find eggs suitable for consumption.

The egg Liu Zong brought was perfect for cooking, for it had already lost its vitality—meaning the beastmaster would have no plans to use it for raising worms.

Of course, the cook wasn’t about to take the egg for free. He told Liu Zong that he would give him a recipe unique to the outpost—“Iron Mud Worm Rations”—and, moreover, would allow Liu Zong to watch him prepare the dish, so Liu Zong could glean whatever he could from observing the process.

Once the trade was made, the cook wasted no time. He, who was usually always at the outpost’s firepit cooking, this time changed his location, since the flames there were insufficient for this particular dish.

He beckoned Liu Zong to follow him to a clearing behind the outpost, a sunken area with no buildings around. There, he gathered several pieces of scrap iron, stacking them to form a makeshift stove, then fetched some kindling and built a modest little fire.

Compared to the great firepit in the plaza, this fire was pitifully small. Liu Zong figured that even his own portable cooking gear could produce a bigger flame.

But the cook was perfectly satisfied. Nodding approvingly, he found the right angle and set the lava worm egg atop the stove.

Indeed, the preparation called for the egg’s shell to serve as the cooking vessel itself. No matter how big a fire one might build, it would be useless—lava worms lived in magma, after all, and flames had no effect on their eggs.

Once the egg was secure, the cook took a small hammer and carefully tapped a hole the size of a thumb at the top of the shell.

Then Liu Zong watched as the cook rapidly added various spices and oils through the opening, as if intent on filling the whole egg to the brim.

At first, Liu Zong tried to keep track of what ingredients were going in, but the cook’s hands moved too quickly. He managed to remember only a few, with no hope of recalling them all.

Before long, the mixture of spices and oil began to spill from the hole. At that point, the cook took some black mud and coated the outside of the egg from top to bottom.

Having completed this, he poured a bit of liquor into the hole he’d made at the top, then casually ignited it. A blue flame danced at the egg’s opening.

Once the flame died out, the cook scraped off the black mud and immediately carried the egg to the plaza.

He moved swiftly, seemingly intent on preventing the egg from cooling. By the time Liu Zong followed him over, the outpost members had already gathered with their utensils, ready to eat.

Naturally, the other players had come as well, drawn by the gathering. When they saw the cook carrying the egg, they too hurried off to fetch their own bowls and spoons.

Having stayed close behind the cook, Liu Zong found himself at the front of the line, watching the final steps unfold.

At the center of the plaza, the cook set the egg down, picked up a stone, and struck the shell hard, splitting it cleanly in two.

Inside, the lava worm egg was half-set—the yolk semi-solid, the white mingled with the myriad spices. With a small spoon, the cook stirred the contents, mixing yolk and white together, then ladled a portion into one of the waiting bowls.

Though the lava worm egg was sizable, so was the crowd. Each person received only a spoonful or two at most.

Bowl in hand, Liu Zong retreated to a corner and quickly wolfed down his share. As soon as he swallowed, he felt as if his whole body were ablaze, as though he’d plunged into molten rock.

The sensation lasted only an instant, but he could clearly feel his strength and stamina had increased—proof that the cook had succeeded in his craft.

[Attribute Meal: Mixed Worm Egg (Blue). Eat thoroughly within one minute to gain +1 Strength and +1 Stamina for 48 hours.]

Afterward, the outpost members patted the cook appreciatively, clearly delighted, while the players eyed the lava worm egg greedily, knowing how rare such recipes were and how useful they’d be for future growth.

Yet in the end, none managed to obtain the recipe from the cook. Instead, Liu Zong seized the opportunity to inquire about who in the outpost might be interested in the curved blade.

Following the cook’s directions, Liu Zong made his way to a tent at the southern end of the outpost.

According to the cook, this was the abode of a fortune-telling old woman who made her living reading fates and was also regarded as the outpost’s sage. If anyone would be interested in the blade, surely it would be her.

Arriving outside the tent with the blade in hand, Liu Zong announced his purpose loudly.

The old woman swiftly opened the door, invited him in, and after seating him, asked him directly to produce the blade.

Taking the weapon, she said nothing at first, but examined it minutely—even the notches along the edge received her careful attention.

At last, she set the blade down and nodded in affirmation. “This curved blade is a replica modeled after the weapons of the Seven Knights. Yet those who wielded such blades died out more than seven centuries ago. What you have here is a copy of a copy, with none of the Seven Knights’ power left in it. It was likely made for wall decoration.

“However, the method used to craft this blade is from ancient times. It is not made from ordinary iron, but rather carved from a wild boar’s tusk and then layer after layer of metal was forged upon it. This technique has been lost to time. To see it again today is truly remarkable.”

Here, the old woman paused and then looked at Liu Zong. “That you brought this item here means you and the blade are fated. You are owed a reward, and have two choices. I can tell you the method of forging metal upon tusks, or I can teach you the swordsmanship for wielding such a blade.”

A thought flashed through Liu Zong’s mind, and he couldn’t help but ask, “Can the method of forging metal be used on other bones?”