Whether it was the garlic oysters or the oyster omelet, Bai Mo's dishes received unanimous praise from everyone. As for the remaining marinated armored oysters and crispy fried armored oysters, they were completely devoured.
Meanwhile, Senxi's stir-fried oyster meat and soup were also quite decent. Only the steamed armored oysters, which had absorbed a metallic, rusty taste from the steam, were undeniably unpalatable.
The amount of oyster meat obtained from dissecting a single Silver Lion Armor wasn't much—just enough for a taste. So even after eating all of it, everyone was still far from full. Not to mention, the sky outside was still bright, and their adventure had only just begun.
Taking advantage of the still-burning charcoal fire, the group quickly simmered a pot of Walking Mushroom and Mandrake Root soup before heading down to the third level of the dungeon.
The first level of the dungeon was the Village Graveyard, the second was the Castle Tree Sea, and upon entering the third level, they officially stepped into the castle grounds.
The monsters active in this area mostly resembled creatures from their past lives—skeletal soldiers, zombies, ghouls, ghosts, gargoyles, and so on. In other words, most of these monsters were inedible.
As an oddball, Lai'ousi could even identify the type of monster just by the sound of its footsteps. Such an ability was truly suited for dungeon exploration.
Under Lai'ousi's lead, Bai Mo and the others encountered almost no monsters on the third level, weaving through the maze-like corridors as they made their way deeper.
At a crossroads, just as they were about to bypass a dungeon golem, Senxi suddenly stopped everyone and said, "Wait! Let's go this way!"
"Hold on, let me make this clear—golems, or magic constructs, are 99% made of earth! I really can't stomach dirt!"
"Ahem~ If 99% are earth, what's the remaining 1%?"
At Bai Mo's question, Maruxier's expression stiffened, and she refused to answer. "In any case, golems are absolutely inedible. They're definitively artificial magical creatures. Even I can make golems, so I know this for a fact!"
Despite Maruxier's insistence, Senxi wasn't annoyed. Instead, he led the group toward the golem. "Don't worry, I'm only interested in the golem's body parts, not eating it."
Though unsure of Senxi's intentions, the others trusted him and quickly followed.
Meanwhile, Bai Mo sidled up to Maruxier and asked curiously, "Maruxier, you said you can make golems too? Can you teach me?"
"If I could make golems, my estate wouldn't be short on labor!"
"Es… estate?" Maruxier raised an eyebrow. "Bai, are you rich? You own an estate?"
"I suppose you could say that~"
If he had to compare, the entire Gourmet World could be considered his estate.
But Bai Mo didn't reveal too much, simply saying, "It's about a few mountains and roughly 200 square kilometers of farmland."
"Hey hey hey, are you some kind of lord?" Qierchake couldn't help but interject. "With that kind of wealth, no wonder you weren't interested in the gold and treasures earlier. But why are you adventuring in dungeons?"
"To eat!" Bai Mo declared resolutely. "I want to taste monsters, and they're delicious, aren't they?"
"Ah~ A true comrade!" Lai'ousi said happily. "Bai and Senxi's cooking is amazing. Pretty much every monster we've encountered so far has been delicious!"
"This is really…"
Was Bai Mo just indulging in his whims because he had nothing better to do?
After all, only those with secure livelihoods could afford to focus on such bizarre pursuits.
But Qierchake didn't voice these thoughts. After spending these past few days together, he had grown quite fond of Bai Mo.
As a teammate, Bai Mo was strong, unpretentious, and willing to share his spoils with others. Who wouldn't like someone like that?
So Qierchake didn't interrupt further, letting Bai Mo pester Maruxier.
"Maruxier, teach me the magic to summon and control golems. As payment, I'll give you half of the treasure we've collected so far. How about it?"
"H-half?!" Maruxier was stunned. "The ritual to control golems is taught in magic schools. It doesn't cost nearly that much!"
"Well, I don't have time to attend magic school, do I? Private tutoring should cost more, right?"
"Are you really serious about learning?" Maruxier looked conflicted. "If you're just planning to use golems as labor, the price is a bit steep…"
But then she thought about Bai Mo's vast estate and sighed. "Fine, I get it. I'll teach you when we rest later. It's actually pretty simple—just create the golem's core and summon it."
"That's great!"
Golems!
If he had tens of thousands of golems in his Gourmet World, he could cultivate even more farmland and even have them tend to orchards!
Though, regular golems probably weren't that intelligent, right?
As the group chatted, Senxi led them to a hidden small room.
Inside were supplies and tools, suggesting someone had been living there.
"This is a camp I usually use as a base, though I've rarely stayed overnight. Food is scarce on this level—just skeletons, zombies, ghosts, and gargoyles."
"So I usually hunt and rest on the second or fourth levels, then head to the surface once a month to gather ingredients and seasonings."
"That's also when I met all of you!"
"But the third level does have one noteworthy monster—the golems!"
"Their bodies are packed with nutrients, always maintaining the right temperature and humidity. They don't attract bugs and can even absorb moisture on their own!"
"So if you plant seeds or transplant seedlings on them, you can just sit back and wait for them to grow!"
"I may not like magic, but golems are truly marvelous creations!"
After saying this, Senxi gave Bai Mo a thumbs-up.
"They're the best guards—they can even fight off thieves on their own. I fully support you summoning golems to protect your estate!"
"Hey hey hey, this guy is literally using golems to farm, isn't he?!"
"The former residents and mages of this castle would cry! They'd absolutely cry!"
Faced with Maruxier's complaints, Senxi simply averted his gaze.
If he didn't make eye contact, then she definitely wasn't talking about him!
Maruxier was too exhausted to argue further.
With the explanation out of the way, Senxi no longer hid anything, leading the group to the room where he kept his golems.
Three four-meter-tall golems stood motionless. With practiced ease, Senxi pried out the cores from their heads using a shovel.
Deprived of their cores, the golems collapsed and reverted to piles of earth.
"This guy is way too skilled at this…" Maruxier muttered. "I don't even want to mention how illegal unauthorized golem summoning is."
"What's the big deal? We're in a dungeon, after all. Hey, Maruxier, now's the perfect time to teach me how to summon golems!"
"Ugh… fine, fine."
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T/N:
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