Chapter 30: Little Ai, You Want More?

“Next.”

From afar came Esdees’s voice, followed by the sound of a massive object tearing through the air, drawing nearer.

When he saw what was flying toward him, Jia Ji, who had been lounging against a tree with one leg crossed over the other, leapt up instantly, his half-lidded eyes snapping wide open.

“Shit!”

It was a dangerous species corpse weighing several tons, about to crush his head under its own gravity!

A vast shadow swallowed Jia Ji’s vision. At his current cultivation level, he certainly couldn’t lift such a weight as if it were nothing—and now there was no time to dodge.

What else could he do?

Only endure it!

Jia Ji leapt without hesitation, spreading his arms midair, tilting his head slightly, and using his well-developed trapezius muscles to catch the mountain of flesh descending from above.

His heart pounded powerfully, flooding his muscles with scalding blood. Though he looked clumsy, his speed was lightning-fast—otherwise he could never have held his own against Esdees for so long.

Thud!

That was the sound of his intimate contact with the still-warm corpse of the dangerous species.

Boom!

That was the impact as he and the dangerous species, dozens of times his size, hit the ground together.

His feet sank into the earth, one on each side. With all his strength, he slowly straightened his knees, his face flushed crimson, teeth grinding audibly, every muscle in his body trembling violently. He hadn’t been raised on beast milk—how could a fifteen-year-old bear such a burden?

He shook his arms, muscles straining, and hurled the hairless, armored behemoth onto the ground ahead. It crashed with a thunderous boom, shaking the surrounding trees and sending leaves swirling in all directions.

“Don’t dirty it—this is our food for today.”

The girl appeared from nowhere, still clutching a smaller dangerous species in her hand. Even “smaller” meant a thousand or eight hundred catties—yet to Esdees, it was as pliable as a doll.

The larger one stretched seven meters from head to tail, resembling a giant panther, its entire body covered in green hide, fangs sharp as blades, eyes the size of fists still wide open, glinting with unextinguished menace. Three of its four claws had been broken, but the fatal wound was clearly on its crown.

Warm blood poured from a hole the size of a washbasin, quickly pooling into a small puddle. Jia Ji needed only one glance to know: this wound had been gouged out by Esdees’s bare hands.

The smaller one resembled a weasel but was as large as a tiger, with a small patch of white fur on its forehead and pure black fur everywhere else. Its ears were pointed, its claws jet-black and razor-sharp, and it bore three eyes. Now, the blue-haired girl gripped its back, while the rest of its body hung limp.

Judging by its posture, its spine had been shattered by a single blow.

Dangerous species—this world’s unique term.

A collective name for ferocious creatures inhabiting the entire Empire. They are targeted for extermination due to their danger, yet sometimes serve as food and sustenance.

Classified by threat level into “Level Four,” “Level Three,” “Level Two,” “Level One,” “Special,” and “Super,” with higher levels indicating greater strength. “Super” is considered a mythical existence.

“This classification… I get it. So they’re edible cursed spirits.”

“What are you talking about?”

Both were Level Two dangerous species—beasts so fierce ordinary people couldn’t even escape them. Now they were merely ingredients to fill their stomachs.

Esdees had been an expert hunter of dangerous species since childhood. With an otherworldly guest now present, she returned to her old trade, showing off just a little.

Skinning, bleeding, bone-removal, cutting, organ removal, blood cleanup—all done in one seamless motion.

Before Jia Ji could react, silver flashes darted through the air, and the two dangerous species had been reduced to unrecognizable chunks of meat—truly divine skill.

With such mastery, even if she didn’t become a General, she could easily be a master chef.

Meeting Jia Ji’s stunned gaze, Esdees declared proudly: “The big one for roasting, the small one for stewing.”

Sizzle,

Sizzle,

As the meat’s aroma spread, seeping into their minds, it stole their souls.

Previously unnoticed, now that the scent reached them, their weary bodies surged with renewed vitality—appetite and hunger exploded simultaneously.

“Oh my, this roasted meat is just…” Jia Ji shoved a nearly-done piece of giant panther meat into his mouth, grease dripping down his chin, thumb raised in sincere praise: “Authentic.”

Chewy, juicy, bursting with flavor that shot straight to the crown of his head.

Esdees nodded vigorously, her ice-blue eyes gleaming, but she had no time to answer him.

As a child, she often hunted terrifying dangerous species alone; every time she returned, her father and clan would praise her endlessly. But since then, Jia Ji was the first person to compliment her.

Her cheeks bulged with meat, so full she couldn’t even be seen chewing—pieces vanished one after another, leaving afterimages, devouring like a whirlwind.

Jia Ji considered himself half a glutton, but compared to this monster, he was nothing.

His expression shifted from solemn to stunned to vacant as he watched the blue-haired girl devour a mass of meat equal to her own weight, leaving only a slight swell in her abdomen.

“I’ll leave the two-dimensional world to itself,” Jia Ji muttered, awed. So Akira really could take down a dangerous species alone—not anime exaggeration, but pure, unadulterated appetite.

Chew, chew, chew—the girl finally stopped, not because she was full, but because the roasting couldn’t keep up with her eating speed.

She turned her puzzled gaze toward Jia Ji, as if asking: Why aren’t you eating more? Already done?

“I like spicy.”

“Eat less.”

“If you’re still hungry, ask for more.”

Jia Ji waved his hands frantically. In his view, Fist of the North Star was too conservative. Sure, it had “one punch shatters the sky” moments, but it was still a fighting manga, bound by real-world physics.

Unlike Black Blood—this otherworldly realm where the weak twist the laws, and the strong beat the laws themselves, radiating pure fantasy beauty.

“Then drink the soup.”

Ding-ding-ding-ding~

Esdees brought forth a pot of fragrant three-eyed arrow-weasel bone broth, steaming hot, containing ingredients that had been alive just hours ago, sprinkled with exotic spices found only in this otherworld. The entire pot shimmered as if glowing with radiant light.

It… it glows?!

Jia Ji rubbed his eyes, sucked in a sharp breath—the illusion vanished. Was it his imagination, or had it truly happened?

But a dish that doesn’t glow isn’t a good dish!

Dangerous species slow-simmered broth—let me taste it!

This silky texture fused perfectly with the tender, melted bones. The meat’s natural fishiness was skillfully masked by the spices. The timing and heat control were flawless—everything was perfectly balanced, as if he were sitting deep in the forest, breathing in wild vitality and life!

The richness was unbelievable, making him crave another spoonful. When he came to his senses, his bowl was empty. A warm current surged through his body, warming every limb and bone.

Even if his uric acid spikes—so be it!

Sigh… Little Chef… no, Little Ai, I lost this round.

“Finished eating?”

Esdees wiped her mouth, stood up, and wore an expression that made Jia Ji’s heart sink.

“Train.”

Brief and absolute—no refusal allowed.

“Little Ai, you want more? Then come on…”

“L-Little Ai?”

Esdees nearly stumbled in place. No one had ever called her that.

The sparring continued—and continued for a long time. As for the outcome? When Esdees, looking utterly satisfied, resumed feasting, while only a faint groan came from the fallen man, the result was clear.

And from then on, that nickname stuck to Esdees.

Wonder if anyone notices whose chapter title this pays homage to ()

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(End of Chapter)