Chapter 15: Bolikri the Kobold Chieftain

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In modern times, as more and more women shy away from cooking, the main force of learning culinary skills has gradually shifted to men.

In his previous life, Su Nian was an average-looking, average-height, and average-educated young man. Perhaps his only redeeming qualities were his gaming prowess and the cooking skills he had learned from his grandmother.

Unfortunately, his grandmother passed away early, leaving only him and his grandfather to rely on each other.

As for his parents, those two divorced individuals didn't bring much familial warmth to Su Nian. The only thing they ever did for him was bring him into this world.

After that, they went their separate ways, each forming new families, with no further connection to him.

Bringing his thoughts back to the present, Su Nian had already finished preparing the rabbit meat. Since he didn't plan to keep this dragon's lair, he didn't bother cleaning up the bloodstains on the ground.

After piling up the collected dry branches, Su Nian grabbed the live Fireflame Rabbit cub, pinching its ears and aiming its mouth at the pile of branches. Then, with a swift jab of his sharp dragon claw into its backside, the rabbit let out a sharp squeal, instinctively spitting out a Fireball, igniting the branches in front of it.

Satisfied, Su Nian nodded and tossed the "lighter" aside. The Fireflame Rabbit, subdued by the overwhelming Dragon's Might, lay limp on the ground, unable to do anything else.

The essence of roasting rabbit lies in controlling the heat and ensuring the seasoning is just right. This wasn't a problem for Su Nian. Although the system store didn't offer anything extraordinary, it had all the basic necessities, and at very cheap prices.

Cumin cost only one system point per bag, about half a pound. Salt and sugar were similarly priced, while vinegar and soy sauce were slightly more expensive.

Even in a different world as a black dragon, Su Nian wouldn't compromise on his food. Naturally, the first roasted rabbit would go to Anna.

Su Nian skillfully rotated the skewer, occasionally using his sharp dragon claws to make cuts on the rabbit meat, allowing the spices to seep in better.

Before long, the plump rabbit meat began sizzling under the flames, its juices dripping onto the fire below, producing a tantalizing "sizzle."

The enticing aroma of roasted meat filled the dragon's lair, even making Anna, who rarely ate meat, twitch her cute little nose. The admiration in her eyes almost sparkled like stars.

[Mr. Dragon is amazing~]

[The roasted rabbit smells so good; it must be delicious!]

Hearing Anna's inner thoughts, Su Nian grinned, his claws turning the skewer even faster. In no time, a perfectly roasted rabbit, golden and aromatic, was ready.

He took a deep breath and then exhaled forcefully through his nostrils. The powerful airflow rapidly cooled the rabbit meat to a temperature suitable for consumption.

And not a single drop of dragon saliva touched it.

But he wasn't done yet. Extending his "cat-like paw," Su Nian unsheathed his sharp claws and swiftly stripped the rabbit meat from the bones, placing it neatly on a lotus leaf he had prepared in advance.

The leftover rabbit skeleton was tossed aside. Then, under Anna's delighted gaze, he handed the rabbit meat to her.

"Wow! Is this for me?" Anna exclaimed.

A warm current surged through Anna's heart. The feeling of being cared for so attentively made her unable to suppress her emotions. It was a tingling, sweet sensation, far sweeter than the candy she had eaten the day before.

She had initially thought that the black dragon's meticulous cooling and deboning of the meat were just necessary steps in the process. She never imagined it was all done for her.

This was something Anna could never have imagined. Although her parents had treated her well in the Elven Forest, it was nothing compared to the black dragon's meticulous care.

Of course, Anna didn't know that Su Nian came from Earth, where such actions were considered only "okay." There were even people who went as far as picking out the seeds from strawberries with a toothpick.

Such individuals were collectively referred to as "simps."

But Su Nian didn't see himself as a simp. To him, effort unappreciated was simping. Anna, however, was different—she remembered every kindness he showed her, as evidenced by her increasing Favorability.

[Anna Hathaway's Favorability +3. Current Favorability: 35 (Friendly).]

After Anna accepted the lotus leaf, Su Nian immediately began roasting the second rabbit.

Looking at the golden, sizzling rabbit meat on the lotus leaf, Anna couldn't help but feel her appetite stir. It had been so long since she'd eaten meat, let alone something so carefully prepared.

Rubbing her little hands together, Anna gently picked up a large piece of rabbit meat. But instead of eating it herself, her first thought was of the black dragon, who was busy roasting.

"Mr. Dragon, ahhh—open wide~"

Anna stretched out her hand with some difficulty, but her arm was too short to reach the dragon's head.

Hearing the little elf girl's sweet voice, Su Nian didn't hesitate. Turning his head, he took the rabbit meat from her hand, even licking the oil off her fingers with his dragon tongue, making her giggle uncontrollably.

This heartwarming scene, however, was not witnessed by just Anna and Su Nian. Someone—or rather, something—else saw it too.

…

Bolikri was the chieftain of a small kobold tribe. He led dozens of ordinary kobolds who lived in a cave on the outskirts of the Silvermoon Forest.

As a burrowing, reptilian humanoid species, kobolds always believed they carried dragon blood in their veins. One of their lifelong pursuits was to find a dragon and pledge their allegiance, becoming its vassals.

In truth, their bloodline did contain a faint trace of dragon ancestry.

Despite their name, kobolds bore little resemblance to dogs. Their heads were more dragon-like, with tails and scales covering parts of their reddish-brown or black-brown bodies.

Strangely enough, they were egg-laying creatures.

Kobolds matured rapidly after birth and had long lifespans, theoretically capable of living over a century.

However, most kobolds didn't survive past ten years, as they were incredibly weak—so weak that even forest beasts could overpower them.

Bolikri, for instance, was only Level 7, yet he was the chieftain. This spoke volumes about how feeble the rest of the kobolds were.

Physically frail, they relied on unity and numbers to defeat their enemies. But even then, kobolds often suffered heavy casualties.

Today, Bolikri had led his tribe out to forage. The heavy rain last night had brought the scent of blood, indicating that creatures had died in the forest.

They didn't hope to hunt live prey—just finding some fresh scraps would suffice.

But as they wandered, Bolikri and his kobolds were captivated by an irresistible aroma of roasted meat. Who knew how long it had been since they last tasted meat?

Barking orders to his tribe, Bolikri decided to follow the scent and see what kind of food could smell so divine.

Soon, they arrived near a cliff. Hiding behind a large tree, Bolikri saw a sight that made his heart race:

At the mouth of a cave below the cliff, a dragon was lying there, tending to a peculiar roasting contraption. The enticing aroma of meat wafted from there.

But the meat no longer mattered.

Tears welled up in Bolikri's eyes as his gaze fixated on the majestic, noble creature before him:

A dragon!