Hearing Duanmu Huai's words, the man in the helmet gave him a suspicious look.
"You're not trying to scam me out of my shrimp, are you?"
"If I wanted to, I'd just take them."
Duanmu Huai stared intently at the pot of shrimp in front of him.
"There's my special secret recipe in there, you know. You think you can do better than me?"
"Of course."
Duanmu Huai nodded confidently.
"I promise you'll love it. Well? Want to give it a try?"
"Hmm..."
The helmeted man hesitated for a moment.
"All right, fine. I'll see what you can do. But if you ruin my shrimp, I won't let it go! I might be just a lowlife, but I'm not that easy to mess with!"
"Leave it to me! Can you handle spicy?"
"Of course I can."
"Then that's perfect."
As he spoke, Duanmu Huai pulled a small red packet from his pocket, tore it open, and dumped the contents straight into the pot. Then he grabbed a large ladle and began to stir. With each turn of the spoon, a wave of rich, spicy aroma filled the air. Smelling it, the man in the helmet's eyes widened.
"Hey, what did you just put in there? Why does it smell so good?"
"Spicy hotpot base. It's perfect for eating crawfish."
Even Duanmu Huai was drooling now. The packet he'd thrown in wasn't anything ordinary—it was spicy hotpot seasoning he'd brought back from that planet where he had advanced into a Doom Slayer. Luckily, this stuff had a ridiculously long shelf life and hadn't spoiled, so he had no qualms about using it now.
He wasn't picky about food, but whether it was the starter village or Manaria, everything was always way too plain. Dried meat every day got boring fast. If that was the case, why not use some hotpot base and enjoy a proper meal once in a while?
Even if it did burn his backside afterward.
"Sluuurp…"
The spicy fragrance grew stronger and richer. The man in the helmet was already drooling.
"Hey, isn't it done yet?"
"Give it a bit longer—let it soak up the flavor."
Even Duanmu Huai was getting impatient. He took off his gauntlet and sat down on the other side of the pot. The two men exchanged a look.
No words were needed—silence spoke louder than speech. The fiery red shrimp in front of them were already begging to be devoured.
"Well then, let's begin."
Duanmu Huai spoke as he picked up a large shrimp, and the helmeted man immediately reached for one too, peeling it with eager hands.
The shrimp meat was unbelievably tender, its spicy numbness burning just enough to make Duanmu Huai nostalgic—it was almost like those late-night street stalls where he used to eat spicy crawfish. Except this…
This was way better than those crawfish!
Satisfied, Duanmu Huai nodded as he savored the meat. The usual small crawfish were far too tiny for his massive hands—barely thicker than earthworms. He could never peel them properly and always had to pay extra for someone to do it before eating.
But these? These were perfect—big enough to grab comfortably, juicy, tender, and bursting with rich spicy flavor.
Too bad there wasn't any beer or soda to go with it, or it would've been perfect.
"Phew…"
The pot wasn't small, but the shrimp were enormous. Before long, everything was gone. The helmeted man leaned against the wall, belly full, and let out a satisfied burp.
"That was damn good. Didn't think you had that kind of talent. You're not taking the broth back, are you?"
"Of course not."
"Then good! I'll call that a fair trade."
He rummaged in his coat, then tossed a necklace to Duanmu Huai.
"Here, this must be what that woman wanted back. She's kind of dumb, but at least she didn't get herself killed."
"Thanks."
Duanmu Huai took the trinket, packed up, and turned to leave.
"Hey! Let's eat together again sometime!"
Hearing the man shout behind him, Duanmu Huai waved without looking back.
"Count on it."
——
When he returned to the pavilion, the woman was still there, waiting nervously.
"This is what you were looking for, right?"
He handed her the necklace. Seeing it, her eyes instantly brightened with relief and joy.
"Yes! This is the pendant that was stolen from me! Thank you, you're truly my savior…"
"Nothing that dramatic. Just getting a necklace back."
And getting a good meal while at it, he added silently.
"Ah, right—I haven't even introduced myself yet."
The woman looked a little embarrassed as she straightened up.
"I am Raya, servant of Lady Tanith, mistress of Volcano Manor. My duty is to travel the lands and invite those with heroic potential to join our ranks."
As she spoke, Raya took out an envelope from her robes and handed it to him.
"Please accept this."
"What's this?"
Duanmu Huai glanced down at the letter.
"This is an invitation from Volcano Manor. O hero blessed with strength—please journey to the Altus Plateau beneath the Erdtree. Once your might has been proven, Volcano Manor will formally invite you to stand among its champions… as kin."
"Hmm…"
Duanmu Huai wasn't particularly impressed. But then, something clicked in his mind—he remembered Odell once told him she'd been teleported to a mansion inside a volcano. Could that be this Volcano Manor?
"I've got a question for you."
He looked straight at Raya.
"Have you seen a beautiful girl with long black hair?"
"Ah—you mean Lady Odell?"
Raya's eyes widened in surprise.
"She appeared at Volcano Manor unexpectedly, and Lady Tanith is personally taking care of her… Wait, so you're the master she mentioned?"
"That's right. So if I go to Volcano Manor, I'll be able to see her?"
"Of course."
Raya nodded quickly.
"Please rest assured, Lady Odell is perfectly fine."
"Good to hear. Thanks."
Finally learning Odell's whereabouts, Duanmu Huai let out a sigh of relief. At least one of his people was accounted for. Raya also explained in detail how to reach Volcano Manor on the Altus Plateau—though she warned that the Grand Lift hadn't worked in ages, suggesting he take the mines instead.
But to Duanmu Huai, squeezing through a cramped tunnel was worse than climbing a cliff.
After chatting a bit longer, he said his goodbyes. He still had plenty to do, but for now, at least one worry was off his mind.
Unfortunately, he still had no clue where the others were.
Augis said she was in "a cave with a starry sky," which told him absolutely nothing. Lorena mentioned a white snowfield filled with giants, constantly buried under blizzards—not much help either.
And poor Bambi… she was still hiding inside some temple, shivering. She'd sent out a bat to scout once and learned only this: the temple stood on red soil, with a great bridge ahead—and a dragon perched upon it. That was all she knew.
"Master, please come save me! There's this big scary guy here—he keeps going berserk for no reason!"
Bambi's voice over the link was almost in tears.
Too bad Duanmu Huai still had no idea where she was.
Red soil and a bridge with a dragon… once I find that place, she should be nearby.
After parting ways with Raya, Duanmu Huai continued onward toward the Magic Academy.
The whole region was half-submerged—flooded ruins and collapsed buildings everywhere. It looked like a massive flood had once swept through, leaving only the elevated academy intact while everything below was destroyed. Broken walls and shattered towers were scattered as far as he could see.
For some reason, the layout reminded him of the Manaria Academy of Magic. That place was built the same way—academy on the high ground, a long bridge connecting it to the outside world, and a lower city at its base.
Do all magic schools in the universe follow the same blueprint?
Night had fallen. Under the dim sky, only the Erdtree's golden glow still shone bright. It was strange, really—the underground had both day and night, even seasons. But it seemed to be the Erdtree's doing. In the daytime its radiance burned like the sun, and by night it softened into a warm, dreamlike glow.
"...…"
Duanmu Huai narrowed his eyes.
Clip-clop. Clip-clop.
The sound of hooves echoed through the mist.
Under the pale moonlight, a towering figure emerged from the shadows—a knight clad in pitch-black armor, riding a massive horse draped in a dark shroud. Its entire form was like a ghost wrapped in black mist, and from beneath the helm gleamed a glint of murderous intent.
Not a friendly one.
Duanmu Huai smirked, gripping his warhammer tight as he stared at the approaching foe.
"Perfect. I ate too much anyway… time for some post-dinner exercise."
(End of Chapter)