Chapter 281: Maybe I Should Reward You...
Chapter 281
Alex watched with growing interest as the sound got closer and closer. He estimated that whatever was coming had to be maybe a deer, no the footsteps sound much heavier than that of a deer. Just then the bushes parted, and a mature moose looking all big and tasty stepped out from between the bushes.
Alex stared at it heatedly like a man staring at his first jackpot, after losing countless times.
For an animal, it sure was enormous, with thick brown fur that covered that broad body of it, and a pair of impressive antlers.
It paused beside the spring, seemingly unaware that it had just walked into the worst possible situation for a hungry man.
For several seconds, Alex just looked at it. Then his eyes moved over its body, and for a second he didn’t know when he started to drool.
’Roasted meat.’
For just a second he swore he could already taste the sweet sweet taste of roasted meat. A mature moose like this was not something one commonly found in this part of the Catskill Mountains. It had most likely wandered a considerable distance before finding the spring, probably drawn here by the sound and smell of fresh water.
Unfortunately for the animal, it had also found Alex.
The moose lowered its head slightly and took another step toward the water. It seemed to notice him at last, but before it could react, Alex moved.
With his current speed and strength, killing an animal weighing at least thirteen hundred pounds was no more difficult than killing an ant. He crossed the distance in an instant and struck it with a light blow, and watched as the moose dropped down dead to the ground without having the chance to make a proper escape.
"Sorry, buddy. It’s nothing personal. I’m just really hungry. No hard feelings, right?"
At least for now he would not have to worry about finding food for a while.
The next task was the hard part, preparing it.
Alex had never considered himself an animal expert, but he was not completely clueless either. Back when he had been an ordinary man in his previous life, he had watched a fair number of survival shows and nature documentary. So it wasn’t too difficult to pick up a few useful things from them, including how to skin an animal and gut its inards.
Of course, watching someone do something on television and actually doing it were two very different things.
Pushing those thoughts away, he took out a pocket knife from his Spatial Storage Space and got to work.
The process was not particularly pleasant, and he had to stop more than once to check whether he was doing things correctly. His first attempt at skinning the animal was far from clean, and there were moments when he wondered whether he should have just looked for a restaurant instead.
But there was no restaurant in the middle of the mountains, and his stomach was not in the mood to wait a second longer.
After a while, he managed to remove the hide and gut the animal. He then made sure to separate the parts he wanted to keep, clean the meat, and washed it carefully with water from the spring.
It was not as neat as the work of a professional butcher, but somehow he had managed to do it.
"Looks pretty good enough to me."
He looked at the prepared meat with a satisfied expression. It was a little rough around the edges, but that did not matter. He was not preparing a fancy meal for a restaurant.
After that, Alex gathered several dry branches and pieces of wood from the surrounding area. He arranged them into a small pile, then raised one finger, and made a tiny flame appeared at the tip, before using it to light the wood.
He then moved on and found a stick which looked sturdy enough, secured a large piece of meat on it, and placed it above the flames. After adjusting the height, he began turning it slowly so that every part of the meat would cook evenly.
Next, he opened his Spatial Storage Space and took out a few small containers of seasoning, that he had stored away for convenience, never really expecting that they would become so useful in the middle of a mountain.
With Lazer focus, he sprinkled some dash of cumin over the meat, followed by salt and a dash of fine pepper. Then added a few other seasonings to give it that rich taste, rubbed them properly into the surface before turning the meat again.
In the end it didn’t take long for the sound of fat dripping into the fire to ring out. Followed after by the rich aroma of roasting meat that filled the entire area. The scent alone made Alex’s stomach growl even harder.
Grrrrrrrrrrhhh...
"Would you just relax. It’s almost ready."
Just then, a familiar little figure, cute as it could be, appeared right beside him.
The tiny little gremlin floated over the fire, with her tiny nose moving as she sniffed the air hard. Even she couldn’t help widening her eyes.
[Wow! That smells so goooood! With something this heavenly I wonder why people are even vegetarians in the first place.]
Alex glanced at her. "You’re here again."
[Of course I’m here. Do you think I’d miss something like this?]
The little gremlin sniffed again, looking delighted.
[You may be bad at a lot of things, but you’re not half bad at cooking]
"Thanks for the very generous compliment."
[I’m serious! I can already see it. Nyx making you cook for her and your child, or your other wifeys forcing you into the kitchen whenever they want something delicious.]
Alex slowly turned his head toward her.
"Doesn’t your mouth have an off switch or something? Because sometimes I wish you had one so I could just press mute."
The chibi made a face at him and crossed her tiny arms.
[Welp, too bad you can’t]
Alex shook his head and returned his attention to the meat. By now the outside had turned a lovely golden brown, and the smell was becoming almost unbearable. He checked the thickest part to make sure it was properly cooked before finally deciding that he had waited long enough.
So without a moments worth of delay, he pulled the meat away from the fire and let it cool for a moment. Then tearing off a generous piece he handed it over to the little gremlin.
"Here. Since you’ve been sniffing it like a hungry dog, have some."
The system’s eyes lit up.
[Thank you! You know, maybe I should try and reward you with more Desire Energy whenever you’re with a woman]
She said while grabbing the piece with both hands before immediately digging into it. Next Alex tore off another piece for himself and took a large bite.
The taste was better than he had expected.
The meat was tender enough to draw juice, the seasoning was just... muah, and the smoky flavor from the fire made it even more enjoyable. It was not the sort of meal he’d be served at a fancy restaurant, but after all the hard work he had done, this tasted like heaven.
"Now this is what I’m talking about."
The system nodded enthusiastically while chewing.
[Mmm! Delicious!]
Alex continued eating, tearing off one piece after another, but the little gremlin was no slouch either. Despite her tiny appearance, she seemed to have an appetite that could compete with his own.
They did not spend much time talking after that. Within a couple of minutes, the two of them had devoured the entire moose. All that remained was a collection of pristine white bones beside the fire.
Alex leaned back and rubbed his stomach.
"Now that’s a meal fit for a king."
Though he was not completely full, which was a little disappointing considering how large the animal had been, but at least the terrible hunger had eased. So he no longer felt as though his stomach was preparing to start world war 3.
The system floated beside him, looking just as satisfied. For a little while, they simply enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere like two old grandpas.
Then the little gremlin suddenly turned toward him.
[By the way Alex, now that you’ve reached the Master Realm, when exactly are you going to bring Nyx and Jade back?]
Alex’s relaxed expression slowly disappeared, turning solemn. He looked at the flames for a long time before answering.
"That’s been my number one priority long before I broke through."
His voice was quieter now. The thought of Nyx and Jade had never really left his mind, even while he was fighting inside the Training Realm. He wanted to bring them back, and now that he had reached the Master Realm, he finally had the strength to make that possible.
"I plan to go soon," he continued. "But there’s one problem. I still don’t know where the Von Aurelian family is staying."
The system tilted her head.
[Can’t you just find them?]
Alex gave her a look.
"Wow, of course. Why didn’t I think of that?"
[You’re welcome!]
He ignored her response and rubbed his chin. Finding the Von Aurelian family was the first step. He could not simply walk around asking strangers where one of the most powerful families in the world lived.
Then his eyes suddenly widened.
"Wait." He raised a hand and smacked his forehead. "Of course! How could I forget? Doris should have an idea."
The system blinked before nodding.
[Oh, right. Since she and Nyx go way back and are as close as fish and water, then it shouldn’t be hard for her to know here the Von Aurelian s are located]
"Exactly. I’ll ask her when I get back."
[Well, I think it’s best we start heading back now] the system said, floating a little higher.
[You still need to check up on Doris and Celine, and don’t forget that we have to buy a new place to stay]
Alex stood up and stretched his arms.
"Yeah, I haven’t forgotten."
"Good! And since you have tons of money now, we should buy a big mansion. A really big one, with a large swimming pool where I can relax whenever I want."
"You don’t even know how to swim."
[Doesn’t mean I can’t learn!]
[Now where did I stop? Ehen... So it absolutely going to have ultra-fast internet. I don’t want to live somewhere with slow internet. How am I supposed to watch my shows on your computer if the connection keeps buffering?]
The little gremlin continued listing her demands, adding more things every few seconds. She wanted a large television, comfortable furniture, a spacious kitchen, and a room where she could watch her shows without anyone disturbing her.
Alex listened for a while before letting out a long sigh. This system of his really was something else.
With that, Alex began walking through the forest, leaving the spring behind. He had a few things to take care of, and the sooner he returned to the city, the sooner he could begin making arrangements.
Meanwhile, along the way the little gremlin kept blabbing beside him like a broken record on repeat.