Chapter 60: The King of the Molten Core
Three days after the Dragon Slayer Selection Tournament in Ironpeak City ended, Livia returned to the Lava Dragon Court.
She didn't return empty-handed.
She brought back three things: a palm-sized Green Dragon scale, a register containing the list of participants (with thirty-seven noteworthy genetic samples marked), and a new piece of intelligence.
The information came from an old mercenary she met during the tournament finals. The old man had drunk too much and was bragging about the places he had visited in his youth, mentioning a certain location—
The Molten Core Plains.
"That's Fire Giant territory." The old man narrowed his eyes, a hint of trepidation flashing in his cloudy pupils. "The leader is named Odrich Seran Dilmullong, known as the King of the Molten Core. He's twenty-five meters tall and can tear through mountains with his bare hands. Back then, we had a mercenary group of two hundred men go in; only seven of us made it out, and that was only because we ran fast."
Livia, holding a wine glass at the time, asked expressionlessly, "So, what are his weaknesses?"
The old man thought for a moment. "He loves to eat. Especially loves to eat. I heard he once declared that whoever could make a roast meat that satisfied him, he would grant that person one request."
Livia's eyebrows twitched.
"Any request at all?"
"Supposedly anything," the old man nodded. "Of course, no one has ever succeeded. He's a Fire Giant; his palate is even pickier than a dragon's. He's gone through over three hundred chefs, and every single one was thrown into the lava river."
Livia fell silent for three seconds.
Then she set down her glass, stood up, and left the tavern.
——————
Right now, she was lying by the Lava Lake, staring at the newly refreshed information on the system panel:
[New Target Detected: Legendary Fire Giant King]
[Name: Odrich Seran Dilmullong]
[Race: Fire Giant (Pureblood)]
[Age: Prime (approx. 2,000 years old)]
[Height: 25 meters]
[Combat Power: S- (Can tear through mountains with bare hands; once solo-killed an adult Black Dragon)]
[Intelligence: C (Short-tempered, gullible, but extremely picky—only regarding food)]
[Territory: Molten Core Plains; throne formed from solidified lava; no living creature dares approach within a three-hundred-mile radius]
[Special Note: This individual once declared, 'Whoever can make a roast meat that satisfies me, I will grant her one request.' So far, 376 challengers have failed; 372 were thrown into the lava river, and the remaining four became his new chefs—though the longest-lasting one only held out for three days.]
Livia stared at the words 'roast meat,' and countless images flashed through her mind.
The barbecue stall at the entrance of her university in her previous life.
Summer nights, wisps of smoke, cumin and chili powder sprinkled onto sizzling, oily meat skewers.
The owner was a man in his fifties, bald, with an apron that was always greasy, but his skill was truly exceptional. The lamb skewers he grilled were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, fatty but not greasy, spicy but not overwhelming—you'd be licking your fingers after finishing them.
She had eaten there for four consecutive years, from freshman to senior year. On graduation day, the owner gave her ten skewers for free and said, 'Girl, come back and visit often.'
Then she transmigrated.
She never ate roast meat like that again.
Livia was silent for a long time.
Then she scrambled up, walked toward the treasure pile, and began rummaging through things.
Kalendil poked his head out from a corner, looking confused. "Mother, what are you looking for?"
Livia didn't look back. "Ingredients."
Kalendil was stunned. "Ingredients?"
Livia pulled a yellowed booklet from beneath the treasure pile. It was the only thing she had brought from her previous life—a handwritten copy of 'barbecue secret recipe' that she had pestered the stall owner into writing for her the year she graduated.
She opened the booklet, and as she looked at the crooked handwriting, the corner of her mouth twitched slightly.
Boss, I'm going to make your craft famous in this other world.
——————
Three days later, Livia's 'tribute' was ready.
The list was as follows:
[Magma Core Giant Scorpion Carapace x10]
These were pulled from a northern crater by the Fire Hawk King. Magma Core Giant Scorpions are one of the primary food sources for Fire Giants; their shells are hard and can be used as tableware. Crucially, Fire Giants love this 'primitive' feel—eating out of scorpion shells is considered very prestigious.
[fire lotus x7]
Fire lotuses grow in the depths of the Lava Lake and bloom only once every three years. Their petals secrete a peculiar juice that becomes fragrant when exposed to fire and sweet when exposed to heat. Livia dived to the bottom of the lake to pick them herself, nearly losing a layer of scales to the heat.
[Honey-Glazed Roasted Kobold Feast x1]
This was the core of the tribute.
When the Kobold Chieftain heard about this, his entire face turned green.
"D-Dragon Queen, you want to use us as a tribute?"
Livia looked at him. "It's not using you as a tribute; it's using the meat you roast as a tribute."
The Kobold Chieftain was stunned.
Livia pointed at a freshly hunted wild ox nearby. "You, pick three of your strongest tribesmen and help me roast this ox."
The Kobold Chieftain hesitated for three seconds, then gritted his teeth and turned back to shout, "A-Da, A-Er, A-San! Get out here!"
Three sturdy Kobold walked out, looking bewildered.
Livia sized them up. They had firm muscles and glossy scales, clearly used to hard labor.
"Do you know how to roast meat?"
The three Kobold shook their heads in unison.
Livia was silent for a second.
Then she pulled out the 'barbecue secret recipe,' flipped to the first page, and pointed at the words. "Learn it now."
——————
Six hours later.
A simple roasting rack was set up by the Lava Lake. The rack was made of a heat-resistant alloy forged by Fire Dwarves, capable of withstanding the temperatures at the edge of the lake.
The wild ox was cut into thirty pieces. Each piece was marinated in fire lotus juice for an hour, brushed with honey (wild honey the Kobold had gathered from the northern forest), and then wrapped in fire lotus leaves.
A-Da was in charge of flipping the meat, A-Er was in charge of brushing the sauce, and A-San was in charge of controlling the heat—he held a long pole with Fire Hawk feathers tied to the end; if the fire got too high, he'd fan it a couple of times, and if it got too low, he'd add a few pieces of charcoal.
Livia squatted nearby, supervising the entire process.
"Flipped too early. Roast it for another thirty seconds."
"The sauce is too thick; scrape off half."
"Not enough heat. Add charcoal."
The three Kobold were drenched in sweat, but none dared to complain.
Two hours later, the first piece of meat was ready.
Livia took it, tore off a small strip, and put it in her mouth.
She chewed.
Silence.
Three seconds later.
"It'll do."
The three Kobold sighed in relief simultaneously, nearly collapsing to the ground.
Livia looked at the meat, then at the secret recipe book, and the corners of her mouth curled up slightly.
Boss, did you see that? Your craft has succeeded for the first time in another world.
——————
Early the next morning, Livia set out.
Not in human form, but in her true form.
The massive Red Dragon took to the skies, her wingspan reaching thirty meters, her scales shimmering with a molten gold light in the sun. In her claws, she clutched a giant bundle sewn from heat-resistant hide, containing ten Magma Core Giant Scorpion carapaces, seven fire lotuses, and thirty pieces of honey-glazed roasted wild ox meat.
Hanging beneath the bundle was a long leather strap with a copper bell attached. As she flew, the bell jingled, as if signaling to those below.
"Mother—!"
On the ground, five heads were huddled together, all looking up at her in unison.
Kalendil shouted at the top of his lungs, "Come back soon—!"
Valerion held up a gemstone, waving it frantically. "Cheer for Mother—!"
Aetheriel crackled with electricity, jumping with excitement. "Mother is mighty—Ow!" He shocked himself again.
Mihariel held her little notebook, recording quickly:
[Mother is setting out to visit the Fire Giant King. Tributes carried: Honey-glazed roast meat x30, fire lotus x7, giant scorpion carapace x10. Note: The goal this time is genes, not fighting. However, given Mother's style, the outcome is hard to say.]
Valensius was disguised as a rock, crouching at Mihariel's feet. But two slits had opened in the rock—those were his eyes, staring unblinkingly at the figure receding into the sky.
Livia didn't look back.
But she heard those voices.
The frequency of her wingbeats slowed for a beat.
Then she continued forward.
——————
The Molten Core Plains.
Looking down from the sky, the plains looked like a giant iron plate that had been scorched by fire for ten million years, turning it black, red, and shiny. There was no grass, no trees, and no water on the ground—only cracked fissures and rivers of lava surging from within them.
The lava rivers meandered like glowing blood vessels, cutting the entire plain into countless fragments. Black smoke drifted over the river, mixed with the pungent, choking smell of sulfur.
In the very center of the plain was a mountain.
No, not a mountain—a throne.
A throne formed from solidified lava, about fifty meters high, with a base covering more than an acre. The surface of the throne was densely carved with runes—not magic runes, but the script of the Giant race, recording the great achievements of giants throughout the generations.
Someone was sitting atop the throne.
No, not a person—a Fire Giant.
Twenty-five meters tall, he sat there like a small mountain. His skin was dark red, like thoroughly burnt charcoal, covered in black patterns—marks left by cooling lava. He wore clothes sewn from some unknown beast's hide—though calling them clothes was a stretch; it was just a few pieces of skin draped haphazardly over his body to cover what needed covering.
In his hand, he gripped an iron rod about ten meters long and as thick as a human thigh, its tip already worn smooth—he used it to pick his teeth.
Livia landed five hundred meters in front of the throne, folded her wings, and placed the bundle on the ground.
The giant's gaze swept over.
Those eyes were like two glowing coals. He stared at her, sizing her up from head to toe, and then spoke, his voice like muffled thunder rolling across the horizon:
"A Red Dragon? Here for a fight?"
Livia looked up and met his gaze.
"No."
The giant raised an eyebrow, looking surprised. "Not for a fight? Then what are you here for?"
Livia pointed a claw at the bundle on the ground.
"To deliver a gift."
The giant was stunned for a second, then looked down at the bundle. It was large, but to a twenty-five-meter-tall giant, it was only about the size of a palm.
He extended two fingers, pinched the bundle, and lifted it to his eyes.
He opened it.
Ten giant scorpion carapaces were neatly stacked.
Seven fire lotuses, with droplets from the Lava Lake still clinging to their petals, shimmered in the sunlight.
Thirty pieces of roast meat were wrapped in fire lotus leaves. Although they had cooled, the fragrance of honey mixed with fire still stubbornly wafted into his nose.
The giant stared at the pile of items, his nose twitching.
It twitched again.
Then he tore the leaf off a piece of roast meat, pinched off a small chunk, and put it in his mouth.
He chewed.
He chewed.
He chewed.
Total silence.
Five hundred meters away, Livia watched him expressionlessly.
Beneath the throne, several crouching Fire Giant chefs looked up, staring nervously at their king.
Wind swept across the plains, swirling up a cloud of black smoke.
Three seconds.
Five seconds.
Ten seconds.
The giant suddenly slammed his hand down and stood up—he literally slammed the "table," the blow cracking the armrest of the throne. The crack spread outward like a spiderweb, and debris showered down.
"Good!!!"
He roared toward the sky, his voice shaking the entire plain.
"The meat is firm, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and the honey flavor has seeped in! It's much better than my chefs'!"
He looked down, staring at Livia, his eyes filled with fanaticism.
"Who roasted this?"
Livia pointed at herself.
The giant was stunned for a second, then burst into laughter. "A dragon? A dragon can roast meat?"
Livia remained unfazed. "Individual variation."
The giant didn't understand, but he didn't care. He looked down at the chefs crouching at the foot of the throne and waved his massive hand:
"You! You! You! And you! Starting tomorrow, you will all learn the craft from this dragon!"
The four chefs nodded frantically, their heads bobbing like woodpeckers.
The giant looked back at Livia, his smile growing more and more radiant—though for a twenty-five-meter-tall giant, "radiant" was a bit terrifying. When he smiled, his entire face contorted, revealing a mouth full of jagged, yellow teeth.
"Speak up," he said. "What do you want?"
Livia looked at him.
Five hundred meters away, those golden eyes were as calm as a pool of stagnant water.
"Mating."
The giant was stunned.