"Wow, that's enough! Too much!" Kang Kai exclaimed as Punk hurled a massive water ball toward him. Overwhelmed, Kang Kai struggled to manage everything at once with his wind energy. He quickly set aside the iron pot, then used his wind energy to strip away part of the water ball, wrapping the excess around Bahanger.
"Well, it's time to show off some real cooking skills," Kang Kai declared, shaking the iron pot filled with water before placing the prepared rabbit inside.
"Next up: dicing."
The rabbit was too large to fit into the pot whole, so Kang Kai used his wind energy to cut it into three-centimeter cubes, bones and all. With the main ingredient prepared, he bent down and plucked a handful of wispy, tender grass from the ground.
"Although this kind of weed is common, it's an excellent seasoning. Back home, we often use it for soups," he explained, holding up the emerald-green grass. Its white roots were clean, and the curved blades looked elegant in the fading sunlight.
Kang Kai chopped the grass, roots and all, and tossed it into the pot.
"Alright, your turn to handle the heat. Remember to control the temperature—this is just an ordinary iron pot, so don't burn it!"
"Relax, I'm a mage skilled in alchemy," Punk replied with a glance. He conjured a flame in his hand, which danced to life beneath the pot. Kang Kai used a bit of wind energy to fashion a makeshift lid. Soon, the pot of grass-stewed rabbit was ready.
Kang Kai eagerly removed the lid, leaned over the pot, and took a deep breath. "Mmm, what a wonderful aroma. I can't wait to taste it," he said, his mouth watering.
Punk, too, peered into the pot. The rabbit meat, cooked by the high-temperature flame, had turned a tender pinkish-red, while the green grass leaves floated in the broth. The scent of grass and meat mingled in the air, creating an irresistible aroma.
Even Bahanger, still unconscious and half-wrapped in the water ball, stirred at the smell.
"Ahem, by Moradin, that smells amazing! It's as good as the noodle soup from our tribe's chef, Keke... Wait, something's not right. Where's my Bahanger?"
At some point, Bahanger had woken up, his head poking out of the water ball. Though his muscles and nerves were still scorched and immobile, his first concern was the delicious broth.
"I never would've guessed he's a hidden foodie," Punk remarked, eyeing the dwarf with mild disdain. Bahanger's golden eyes gleamed with hunger, as if he hadn't eaten in days.
"It's strange, though. How did Bahanger recover so quickly? Is it because of the healing potions Kang Kai has?" Punk wondered. While dwarves were known for their resilience, Bahanger's recovery from such severe magical burns seemed unusually fast. It couldn't have been just a couple of ordinary healing potions.
Kang Kai, delighted to see Bahanger awake, set the pot aside and pulled a nondescript healing potion from his ring. He strode over to the dwarf with a grin.
"Haha, I knew a tough dwarf like you wouldn't go down so easily. And you woke up just in time—the broth's ready!"
While Kang Kai tended to Bahanger, Punk remained by the fire, his gaze lingering on the potion in Kang Kai's hand.
"That potion must be something special," he thought, his suspicion of the ranger growing. A ranger who could both deal damage and heal efficiently was a formidable opponent.
But now wasn't the time for conflict. Punk decided to bide his time, focusing instead on the broth in front of him. As a semi-prime elf, he typically preferred fruits, but the aroma of the grass-infused stew was undeniably enticing.
Using his magic, Punk secured a generous portion of the broth.
"Mmm, not bad," he murmured, savoring the tender, flavorful meat and the subtle herbal notes. The combination of Kang Kai's cooking and Punk's alchemical expertise had created a dish that captured the essence of the grassland.
Soon, the three of them—well, two sitting and one standing—gathered around the fire. Bahanger, still immobilized in the water ball, had to crane his neck to drink his soup.
The moment he got his bowl, he devoured the meat, bones and all, in seconds, then gulped down the broth.
After finishing, Bahanger set the bowl down with a satisfied sigh.
"That was delicious. It reminded me of home… home… Wait, where's my hammer?"
"Only now you remember? What kind of follower of Moradin, the god of forging, are you?" Punk and Kang Kai exchanged glances as Bahanger frantically searched for his missing hammer.
Finally, Punk broke the news.
"Your hammer was destroyed by Tishachar. If you hurry back, you might still find some pieces…"
"Damn it! That was my ancestral hammer! How am I supposed to explain this to my father in the kingdom of the gods? My grandfather always said the battlefield is the best place for a weapon, but what am I supposed to use now? I don't even have any materials!"
Bahanger ranted, his eyes darting to Kang Kai's and Punk's storage items, clearly hoping for a share of the loot.
The silence that followed was awkward. Tishachar, being a warrior rather than a mage, hadn't carried much of value—just a few hundred gold coins, which even Kang Kai found unimpressive.
After a long pause, Kang Kai spoke up.
"Well, Mr. Bahanger, I'm afraid there's not much to share. Tishachar didn't have much on her—just some poisons and antidotes. You'll have to forge a new hammer."
Kang Kai didn't mention the legendary equipment they'd acquired. On one hand, Bahanger had no memory of his time in madness, and on the other, trusting a dwarf with such a treasure seemed unwise.
Punk remained silent, content to let the matter rest. The fewer people who knew about the legendary equipment, the better.
And so, the greatest prize of their battle was quietly tucked away, known only to Kang Kai and Punk.
They watched as Bahanger's face twitched with frustration.
Finally, Kang Kai scraped the last bit of soup from the pot and handed it to the dwarf.
"How about it? Want some more soup?"