Chapter 263: Ascending Stairs and Unexpected Visitors

Facts proved that the Axe-beak Bird was not delicious.

As the largest and thickest muscle block on its body, the fat content of the breast meat was extremely low, the taste was tight and dry, and the fiber feeling was very strong.

If there was no sufficient seasoning and targeted cooking method, it was almost no different from gnawing on tree bark.

The thigh meat was relatively better, but it was limited, the meat quality was too dry, and it appeared dry and rough after the moisture evaporated.

Fortunately, Xia Nan took two pieces of tenderloin located on the inside of the spine when disassembling the corpse.

Its delicate, tender, and juicy wonderful taste, and pure, gentle, and exquisite flavor, even if it was just the simplest production method in a rural village, still appeared exceptionally delicious.

As for the internal organs...

He specially picked a heart of an Axe-beak Bird before leaving, it was a pity that even if Leon's sister "Janis" had some experience in handling animal internal organs, the finished product made after slicing still carried a rich and deep metallic fishy smell unique to the heart.

The taste was actually okay, elastic and chewy, but without the blessing of seasonings, it was estimated that only people with extremely heavy tastes would like this type of food.

Of course, all these were conclusions given by Xia Nan based on past life memories, based on the harsh taste that had already been accustomed to the delicacies of modern society.

For Leon's family, they wouldn't think so much at all, fundamentally it was just three words:

"Meat, delicious!"

Xia Nan could clearly feel the heartfelt love of the people at the dining table for this type of meat, and their gratitude to him for bringing back these monster meat chunks that they originally didn't even dare to approach, but now became delicacies on the table.

Especially after Leon vividly recounted the encounter of the two in Gray Valley, and focused on depicting Xia Nan beheading the Axe-beak Bird with added embellishments.

Tom and Janis's eyes toward him changed, becoming more respectful while being in awe.

On the contrary, the little girl "Lily" appeared ignorant, her cheeks stuffed full like a squirrel, tilting her head, staring with her pure big eyes, looking at Xia Nan beside her.

Xia Nan couldn't help but laugh in his heart at her reaction, shared a piece of tenderloin specially left for him by Leon's family to the other party, and touched the girl's head casually.

Xia Nan's gaze turned to Tom opposite the dining table, and he asked:

"So... the mists in Gray Valley are indeed abnormal, right?"

"At least I haven't heard of it before." Tom nodded heavily, answering with a serious tone.

"Actually, many years ago, Gray Valley was not listed as a forbidden area that villagers were not allowed to approach like it is now, villagers would go there to move stones when repairing houses or building something."

"There was even once an opportunity to develop a quarry, I remember it was almost done at that time, but later, a group of monsters that didn't know where they came from interrupted the progress of the development."

"The merchant originally responsible for presiding also died in the attack, and things related to development naturally came to nothing."

Saying this, Tom looked at the Axe-beak Bird meat steaming on the dining table, his eyes becoming complex and subtle.

"But no matter what, most people in the village know what Gray Valley looked like before, villagers over thirty years old might have even personally been there when they were young."

"Not a single person has mentioned the thick fog deep in Gray Valley, or the building ruins filled with exotic styles."

"All these changes should have appeared in recent years."

Hearing the other party say this, Xia Nan's originally somewhat uncertain conjecture suddenly became clear and definite.

After all, the dilapidated appearance of those ruins he checked in Gray Valley during the day could not be formed in just a few simple years.

The conjecture that a secret realm was hidden deep in Gray Valley was becoming more certain as his investigation progressed.

"Then what about 'Fading Fire', 'Church of Ashes', have you heard of them?"

Xia Nan asked next.

Regarding this, after trying hard to recall, Tom shook his head.

"Perhaps... you can ask the Village Chief?"

"After all, he is the most knowledgeable person in our village, if even he doesn't know, I'm afraid no one in the village knows."

"Okay." Seeing that it was getting late, Xia Nan thought about finding an opportunity to ask after dawn.

"Now is fine!" Seeing Tom wipe his mouth casually with his sleeve and stand up from the dining table.

"The Village Chief must not have rested yet, I will take you directly to find him."

Xia Nan felt surprised by Tom's active performance, but since the other party said so, he naturally had no reason to dissuade him.

Following him, he instructed Leon beside him:

"There is no training content tomorrow, consider it a small holiday for you, rest well tonight."

The teenager had not yet fully developed, his physical fitness was limited, and high-intensity training would only have a negative effect, so combining work and rest was very important.

Leon had been training with him for so many days, Xia Nan saw how hard he worked, and it was time to rest right now, so giving a day off was appropriate.

Of course, on the other hand, it was also because Xia Nan thought about penetrating deep into Gray Valley to explore carefully after dawn, looking for the possible entrance to the secret realm.

And the danger level was a mystery, maybe he would encounter some monsters.

Like the Axe-beak Birds today, it was fine, but if he encountered one with a higher challenge rating, he couldn't guarantee Leon's safety in battle.

It was better to let this kid stay in the village and rest by himself, and if he really encountered any danger that was difficult to deal with, with his current agility and the displacement effect of 【Tooth Hunt】, he would probably be able to escape.

It had only been night for a short while, and the afterglow still remained on the horizon.

So even if there were no street lamps or similar objects in Gray Valley Village, the visibility was still okay, at least he could see the road clearly.

Following Tom who was leading the way in front, Xia Nan looked at the environment around him casually.

Under the night curtain, it was the blurred outline of dilapidated buildings on both sides of the mud road.

In the refreshing evening breeze, mixed with the sound of insects and the swaying of tree branches and leaves, it was the intermittent conversation of villagers coming from the houses on both sides.

After advancing to Lv2, Xia Nan's physical fitness was improved again.

Now that so many days had passed, he could naturally feel the changes in his body.

But it was not just the simple meaning of having greater strength and running faster.

As a whole, the barrel effect was not so applicable to the six-dimensional attributes.

The overly outstanding long board would also lengthen the short board of the six-dimensional attributes in a subtle way, reaching a level matching it.

Take a simplest example, a human with a Constitution attribute as high as 20 points, his vitality and endurance have undoubtedly reached the limit that ordinary professionals can touch, and at the same time, under the effect of this exaggerated strength of vitality, his Strength attribute will definitely not be low, otherwise it would not conform to natural laws.

Similarly, for a strong person whose five-dimensional attributes of Strength, Agility, Constitution, Intelligence, and Perception all reach above 15 points, his Charisma can never be lower than a certain lower limit.