And after the Mont Blion ahead confirmed there were intruders in its territory, it opened its mouth.
The mane around its neck fluffed up, rapidly expanding into a funnel-like shape. Immediately after, a roar was launched straight out along the amplifier formed by the mane.
Boom!
The sound wave swept through the entire passage. The airflow surged along the trajectory of the sound, scattering gravel on the ground in all directions, and causing the rock walls to crack continuously.
Lefiya raised her staff to block in front of her, but the moment the shockwave arrived, her slightly thin frame was almost blown away.
As for Lili, who was positioned slightly behind, she managed to barely stand firm by relying on the weight of her backpack.
"Damn it!" Zephyr cursed.
Is this thing hard to fight? Certainly not.
After all, the capture level is only 7, far below the monsters he faced at the very beginning.
But in his first confrontation with the Mont Blion, he could still clearly feel that hidden within its roar was powerful destructive force.
It was not just a normal stun effect. It also carried a physical shockwave capable of tearing flesh apart.
If one were too close and faced the roar head-on, injury would be unavoidable.
"Everyone be careful. Lefiya, if you want to coordinate with magic, remember one thing. Try your best not to attack its head."
"?"
The expression on Lefiya's face was full of confusion and she couldn't help but ask back, "Why? The monster's head... I feel like that is the core where it emits the sound shockwave?"
"That is indeed the case." Zephyr nodded.
"Those manes on top of its head, don't you think they look like soft and fluffy cake? If we use magic to blow its head to pieces, wouldn't this cake be wasted?"
"?!"
This was definitely not the Dungeon battle she was familiar with!
Lefiya felt her brain's processing frequency start to become extremely sluggish, and the corner of her eye twitched inadvertently.
"So you mean... When we fight the monster next, we need to control our strength to protect its mane?"
Zephyr said, "To be precise, it is to protect the cake on its head."
Lefiya quickly adjusted her mood and nodded. "Okay. I will try my best to avoid its head."
"Thanks for your cooperation."
Subsequently, Zephyr locked his gaze on the Mont Blion ahead, which was charging up again, and strode forward to launch a sprint.
At the moment the Mont Blion opened its mouth again, attempting to release a sound wave, he lunged forward.
Dragon Roar!
Both were battle cries, but thanks to the higher status of the Infant Dragon, the Mont Blion had its roar drowned out and was frozen in place.
Seizing the moment when the Mont Blion was forced to interrupt its attack and showed obvious stiffness, Zephyr activated Overheat!
The special ability brought to him by the Barbecue Pig boosted the flow rate of the blood in his body, increasing his power.
Zephyr strode forward. The distance of more than ten meters he originally had from the Mont Blion was compressed in an instant, his speed so fast that only a blur remained.
The axe in his hand slashed with full force along the throat and collarbone position.
Pfft!
The blade pierced the throat of the Mont Blion.
To defeat a monster quickly, it's simple. You must completely restrict its most threatening combat method.
The intense pain made the Mont Blion want to let out a mournful roar, but because its throat had been shredded, it couldn't make a complete sound at all.
The Mont Blion, which had just wanted to use its claws and mouthparts to launch a counterattack, hadn't even had time to adjust its massive body when Lefiya finished chanting.
Arcs Ray!
A white trail shot straight toward the chest of the Mont Blion.
Boom!
The Mont Blion didn't have as high defense as the Crab Pig, and since Lefiya's magic possessed Level 3 firepower, the result was quite significant.
After the explosion ended, only the head and the mane remained, preserved perfectly
To say Zephyr wasn't envious? That would definitely be a lie.
Compared to real magic, Blaze obtained through Gourmet Cells had a significant gap in terms of effect.
Zephyr raised his hand to shake off the bloodstains on his axe as he looked at the Mont Blion lying on the ground ahead.
Lefiya felt a sense of accomplishment. After all, when facing the Crab Pig back then, she couldn't pierce its defense even with all her might, but now, she could achieve this level.
However, when she saw Zephyr crouching beside the Mont Blion's corpse, she felt an indescribable sense of exhaustion.
At this moment, Zephyr's attention was not on the sense of accomplishment from defeating the Mont Blion at all. His entire mind was focused on that fluffy mane.
Raising his head, his gaze met with Lefiya's, and he immediately looked toward Lili in the distance who had already taken off the backpack.
"Lili. Bring my kitchenware over."
"Okay."
Lili took out the dagger that Zephyr had specifically selected from the backpack, and after handing it to him, she crouched beside him to help.
She had done this kind of work many times. Each time, the ingredients captured in the Dungeon needed to be properly processed, and her technique had gradually become proficient.
She took out the oil paper and opened it. But thinking that the ingredient to be processed this time was not monster meat, but the mane, and recalling what Zephyr had just said, she couldn't help but examine it carefully.
She had just wanted to ask something but seeing Zephyr's serious demeanor, completely immersed in Ingredient Processing, she ultimately swallowed all her questions.
The blade followed the connection point between the Mont Blion's mane and its skin, carefully slicing open that connecting area.
After all, this thing was a delicacy in itself. Even if it wasn't processed and cooked into a chiffon cake, its appearance and taste wouldn't be bad at all.
The severed mane was carefully spread out, and it was indeed no different from what Zephyr had imagined. Fluffy, with fine air pockets, and as the amount of cut mane gradually increased, the scent emitted became more and more obvious—mixed with the egg aroma, cream aroma, and faint sweetness that a freshly baked cake should have.
"It looks pretty good, doesn't it?"
Zephyr carefully examined the finished product he had cut. After cutting a piece, he placed it on clean oil paper and spread it out.
The overall color of the cake presented a perfect golden hue, and when he pressed it with his hand, it even had the unique springiness of a Mont Blanc cake.
Zephyr reached out to tear off a small piece and put it in his mouth. The first thing he felt was the delicate, melt-in-the-mouth texture.
This could be considered a very high-grade cake, many times more delicious than what was sold in those dessert shops on the North Street of Orario.
After reaching this conclusion, he shifted his gaze to Lefiya and asked, "Lefiya, do you want to try some?"
Lefiya pursed her lips, her eyes filled with curiosity. "Um... Is it really edible?"
"Of course. Don't worry, whether it's poisonous or not, I'll taste it first."
Zephyr didn't think it was a big deal. After all, tasting monster cuisine, especially Gourmet Creatures from other world, was essentially a form of mental pollution for them.
He tore off a small piece of Mont Blanc cake and held it out in front of her. "I think you girls will definitely like it."
Lefiya looked at the small piece of cake in front of her. She struggled internally for a long time before putting it in her mouth.
Immediately after, her pupils contracted. She felt the delicate, fluffy texture that melted in her mouth, along with that natural, high-grade flavor.
She remembered the crepe she had bought on the streets of Orario some time ago. It couldn't compare at all to the taste of the soft cake in front of her.
After realizing her loss of composure just now, she hurriedly looked away.
"This is... the best dessert I've ever eaten in my life. It's just... why does it have to come from a monster?"