Chapter 10: Stir-Fried Biting Cabbage

The bitterness represents the taste, its semi-vegetative nature defines its origin, the magical ingredient is its classification, and the last term—high activity—refers to the magical activity found in this organism.

This is what Allen understood after analyzing these characteristics. Biting cabbage doesn't possess any particularly special abilities. Even when consumed, it only grants a small boost in strengthening points.

Allen examined the biting cabbage in his hand and gave it a light squeeze. It felt strange—somewhere between rubber and cartilage.

"This doesn't feel right." Allen's face twisted in disgust. "The crisp texture you expect from vegetables is completely gone."

The cabbage squirmed in his grasp, its leafy mouth opening wide in an attempt to bite him. Without hesitation, Allen drove his knife directly into its mouth and twisted the blade with practiced ease. The cabbage instantly split into two limp halves.

As if mourning their fallen companion, the other two biting cabbages in the basket quieted down, their aggressive energy completely subdued.

Allen took the split cabbage and deftly removed the teeth along with the internal oral and digestive structures. He selected one half and tore it into thin, uniform slices using only his hands. With a flick of his wand, he conjured a pan, heated oil, and began to stir-fry.

The scent of sizzling oil quickly filled the room, causing the two remaining cabbages to visibly shiver.

Allen sprinkled in a few basic seasonings. Within a few minutes, the sliced cabbage, still nearly as green as when raw, had softened slightly in the pan. After a brief hesitation, Allen plated it using his past culinary instincts.

A serving of emerald-green, stir-fried, chewy cabbage was ready.

Perched on Allen's shoulder, Bran—the crow—tilted his head curiously at the dish.

At that moment, Allen's eyes shimmered faintly, and a line of magical information about the dish appeared in his field of vision:

[Stir-Fried Biting Cabbage]

Effect: After consumption, grants the status [Magic Active E-]. The host gains an additional 7 strengthening points.

This was new.

Allen had been living in the wilderness for quite some time and had prepared all kinds of wild ingredients, but this was the first time a dish he cooked triggered a magical feedback message like this.

"Looks like using magical ingredients in cooking actually produces different results," Allen murmured to himself.

The dish in front of him steamed enticingly. The aroma was... decent. A pity he hadn't bought any dried chili peppers in Diagon Alley—adding them would've enhanced both the color and fragrance.

Allen conjured a pair of chopsticks with his wand, picked up a slice of cabbage, and brought it to his mouth.

The aroma from the stir-fry was pleasant. Despite not having cooked in a while, it seemed his skills hadn't dulled much.

He took a bite.

"Ugh—"

Bitterness flooded his mouth. The juices exploded like a bomb of earthy mud. It had none of the refreshing crispness typical of vegetables, nor the satisfying chew of meat.

It was like chewing on bitter rubber soaked in swamp water.

Allen frowned and forced himself to swallow. Thankfully, the unpleasant experience didn't last long. As soon as the cabbage entered his stomach, a warm current surged through his body, softly activating his magical energy. The effect—[Magic Active E-]—did indeed work. But the boost was minimal.

Still, the unique, revolting flavor left a deep impression.

It reminded him of his previous life when he once tried cooking Brussels sprouts—cut in half, drizzled with salt, pepper, and olive oil, and roasted in the oven for five minutes... before throwing the entire batch out.

"This ingredient just isn't meant to be cooked. No, it's not meant to be eaten at all!"

Frustrated, Allen angrily glared at the dish. Even with its magical benefit of +7 strengthening points, he didn't want to eat another bite. He was seconds away from dumping it into the trash.

Just then, Bran, who had been sitting on Allen's shoulder, leapt onto the table. He examined the plate, then tilted his head once more. With a decisive motion, Bran took a bite.

One bite.

And his eyes lit up.

Bran began pecking furiously, devouring the dish with a ravenous appetite.

Allen blinked. "Uh…"

Crows didn't have the same palate as humans, so it wasn't too surprising he could tolerate it—but why did he seem to enjoy it so much?

Just then, Allen noticed something odd. The hunting level of Bran—visible through the Eye of Discrimination—had changed. It had gone from Level 5 to Level 6!

"This dish actually increased his strength?" Allen muttered.

Was it because of the [Magic Active] effect?

To confirm, he immediately started a timer. Sure enough, five minutes later, Bran's hunting level dropped back down to Level 5.

"So the magic activation does enhance strength, but the effect is minor—hardly noticeable for someone at my level. But Bran's base level is much lower, so even a small buff has a more visible impact."

Allen pondered further. Perhaps the real reason Bran enjoyed the dish wasn't the stat boost, but rather the abundance of magical energy in the food itself.

He reached out and gently picked up Bran, who had just finished preening himself after his meal. Activating the Eye of Discrimination, Allen examined the bird closely.

Bran squirmed, visibly uncomfortable under Allen's scrutinizing gaze. He gave a few irritated caws but didn't resist too much.

"Quiet down. Let me check your stats," Allen muttered.

[Crow]

Name: Bran

Hunting Level: 5

Special Abilities:

Curse of Solidifying Human Traces – C

Hatred – A

Attributes: Sour, Poultry, Magic Ingredient, Secret

As a magical crow, Bran naturally possessed the Curse of Solidifying Human Traces, a tracking ability used to follow the residual traces left by people. This ability made crows ideal messengers in the magical world.

Allen had noticed a similar trait in the owl that once delivered his Hogwarts acceptance letter. That owl had a much stronger version of the same ability—rated at B-.

But Bran had another special ability.

[Hatred] – Level A

This was unusual.

Apparently, this skill stemmed from the crow's innate grudge-holding nature. Unlike the standard human trace curse, Hatred could lock onto a specific target and relentlessly track them. Even concealment or cloaking magic would struggle to shake off such a focused grudge.

"Very impressive," Allen muttered. "This bird might be more useful than I thought."

No wonder Bran had been such a loyal companion. Not only was he a natural tracker, but he could also enhance his strength through magic-infused food. The dish Allen had nearly thrown away had significantly helped him.

Still, no amount of stats could convince Allen to eat another bite himself.

He glanced back at the mostly empty plate, then at Bran, who looked quite content after his bizarre feast.

"You're weird, you know that?" Allen said, sighing.

Bran cawed once and flapped his wings proudly, seemingly unfazed by the insult.

Allen chuckled despite himself.

"Well, one man's trash is another crow's treasure."

He waved his wand, cleaning the dishes and disposing of the inedible remains. Then, looking at the remaining two biting cabbages still cowering in the corner, Allen smirked.

"Oh, don't worry. I'm not eating you. He is."

Bran gave an approving caw, already eyeing his next meal.

End of Chapter 10