Zephyr placed the Minotaur's leg meat on the chopping board. If one ignored the source of the meat and just looked at the color and texture of the cross-section, it was completely indistinguishable from the beef in the markets of his past life. The muscle texture was uniform, and the lean parts had a pinkish luster.
However, this time, he didn't intend to use the simple charcoal grilling method from the previous few days.
Braised spicy beef.
He cut the leg meat into uniform cubes. Fresh meat didn't need to be blanched, and besides, there were no conditions to do so in the Dungeon.
After lighting the firewood, he heated the pot and poured in oil.
After adding green onions, ginger, and garlic to sauté until fragrant, he poured the Minotaur meat cubes into the pot and stir-fried them until the surfaces were slightly browned and aromatic.
Immediately after, using the remaining oil in the pot, he added star anise and cinnamon bark.
Continuing to stir-fry until the fragrance fully exploded, he poured in soy sauce, cooking wine, and rock sugar, then turned up the heat to reduce the sauce and coat the meat, giving the cubes a beautiful, brown color.
Finally, he sprinkled in dried chili peppers and covered the pot. He adjusted the firewood to control the heat, and let it simmer slowly.
Soon, the sound of the stew reaching its boiling point echoed continuously. The rich aroma mixed with the spicy scent of chili peppers surged wantonly through the passage, spreading continuously.
Soon, the sauce in the pot gradually thickened and the reddish-brown sauce coated every piece of Minotaur meat. The cubes, which had been firm just a moment ago, were now stewed until tender and flavorful.
Zephyr tasted the sauce briefly. The balance was just right.
He plated the meat cubes, sprinkled a handful of chopped green onions and shredded chili peppers on top for garnish. The contrasting red and green appearance was extremely appetizing.
"It's about ready."
Braised Spicy Minotaur Meat.
The taste and appearance both passed the test.
Zephyr looked at his freshly cooked creation with great satisfaction. Looking at it from the outside alone, it was indistinguishable from proper braised beef.
His gaze fell upon Lefiya sitting not far away, who was staring into the distance.
"Lefiya, you should be able to accept monster cuisine by now. I feel like this time it tastes quite good."
Resistant?
Surely, there was a little. After all, in her understanding, monster meat, even when cooked into a dish, was still monster meat, and eating too much of it definitely wasn't good for the body.
But the savory aroma permeating the air, mixed with the spicy scent, was constantly stimulating her taste buds.
Lefiya was actually quite conflicted. But she remembered those dishes she had eaten—Needle Rabbit, Barbecue Pig, Infant Dragon...
Is this any different? Hadn't she tasted enough monster cuisine already?
She nodded. "Mm. Then I'll try a little."
Lefiya had never imagined that she would walk further and further down the strange path of seeking Gourmet Food in the Dungeon.
She picked up a piece of meat and carefully put it into her mouth.
The meat cube, coated in sauce on the outside, fell apart between her teeth. The sauce reached her taste buds first, immediately followed by a spicy impact.
She chewed carefully, her originally tense shoulders relaxing.
When she noticed Zephyr's gaze, a smile appeared on her face and she murmured, "It tastes delicious."
—
In another party also in the 15th Floor, the atmosphere was completely different.
"Will we be able to explore to the 18th Floor today?"
Kashima Ouka had a somewhat nervous expression as he looked at the surrounding environment, feeling his palms sweating.
However, thinking of his companions' safety, he gripped his axe tightly.
Because of the terrible financial situation at the orphanage, he had followed Takemikazuchi to Orario to make a living, and two years had passed since then. Finally, after going through layer upon layer of hardships, they had managed to arduously explore to the 15th Floor.
For the entire party to reach the safe floor at only Level 1, it could certainly be considered a great achievement. And what they needed most right now was to achieve a level-up through this feat.
Ouka raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead, trying to adjust his state, and asked his companion who was observing the surrounding environment, "It should be fine, right? We haven't encountered that many monsters on the way. Logically speaking, such a smooth exploration situation basically shouldn't happen."
The one who answered him was a Far Eastern girl with her black hair tied into a high ponytail. At this moment, she was holding a katana in her hand, carefully examining the surrounding environment.
Yamato Mikoto.
She shook her head, equally puzzled inside. "I'm not sure either. Could it be that we're just lucky today, and some party cleared out the monsters in the passageways ahead for us in advance?"
In the past, their exploration limit was the 12th Floor. Now, the monsters on this floor seemed to have been cleared out by Adventurers in advance. Let alone Minotaurs, they hadn't even encountered a single Hellhound.
In such an abnormal exploration environment, the slightest carelessness could completely wipe out the party.
However, just as Mikoto was seriously thinking about how to explore the current floor next, a breeze from the cave blew across her face. It was mixed with an aroma unique to food.
Mikoto's hand holding the sword paused slightly. Turning her head, a flash of surprise crossed her eyesm
Adventurers exploring the Dungeon would absolutely not have the time to cook in the Dungeon. Right now, this aroma permeating the passage was not a taste that those ordinary restaurants in Orario could possess. The layers of seasonings were too rich, and it was stewed just right.
Most importantly, Mikoto, who was already good at cooking, had a sense of smell much sharper than ordinary Adventurers, allowing her to distinguish things through the aroma.
Chili peppers, cinnamon bark, star anise, and other spices. The ratio of these seasonings and the handling techniques were at a level that only a very experienced chef could accurately grasp.
But the problem was, this was in the 15th Floor of the Dungeon!
If it were in a restaurant in Orario, she would have nothing to say, but the key was that this was the Dungeon, where dangerous monsters could pop out at any time.
So, there was actually an Adventurer cooking food in the Dungeon?!
Mikoto looked in the direction from which the aroma was drifting and said "Captain, I want to go take a look. Up ahead… it seems like there are other Adventurers cooking?"
The Dungeon is indeed dangerous. Facing monsters that could appear anywhere, one must remain vigilant at all times, but having said that, an Adventurer who can cook in the Dungeon is definitely obsessed with food.
Since they are both foodies who love food, what bad intentions could the other party have?
Moreover, just relying on the aroma drifting in the passage, it already proves one fact: the other party's cooking level is very high.
'We should be able to meet them, right?'