“True to its name, the Mountain of Demons. Looks like there’s no shortage of prey around here.”
After spending about three hours scouting the area, I had defeated around 28 magical beasts and monsters. Starting with a large bird of prey, a magical beast called a Rock Bird, I encountered groups of orcs, high orcs, kobolds, hobgoblins, and even a Goblin Knight.
Using the [Presence Detection] skill, I could notice them first and launch preemptive strikes from a distance. I used a bow obtained as loot from one of the monsters for practice, making them my targets.
The [Physical Enhancement] skill strengthens the body by circulating magic throughout it. I wondered if channeling magic into a weapon instead could enhance the weapon itself. After several failures and much practice, I finally succeeded.
“A wooden bow and stone-tipped arrows wouldn’t normally be able to take down magical beasts, would they?”
However, an arrow strengthened with magic could pierce straight through an orc’s forehead. By imbuing magic of different elements into the weapon in addition to [Material Enhancement], I felt I could further increase its offensive power.
“That’ll be tomorrow’s test.”
Enhancing arrows and shooting them consumed less magic and was more efficient than using offensive magic directly. I wanted to master this technique.
“Alright, time to convert the prey into points.”
The Rock Bird, which seemed to be carnivorous, was deemed edible and delicious upon appraisal. Delicious meat is always welcome, so I decided not to convert it into points but to store it in my [Item Box] for personal consumption. Of course, I also secured the meat from the orcs and high orcs. Materials and magic stones from kobolds, goblins, and other monsters were converted into points.
My current point balance is 4,370,028P. Unfortunately, houses were still unavailable for purchase through the Summoning Magic Online Shop.
“Nothing to do about it. I’ll just keep saving for now. It’s tough to earn during the rainy season, but I can endure the rain and wind for now. Let’s think of it as a vacation and take it easy.”
The forest darkens quickly. By around 5 PM, it was already pitch black. I aimed to return to my base before it got too dark, but anything can happen in the wilderness. To prepare, I had placed solar garden lights I’d bought at a 100-yen shop near the entrance to the cave. They weren’t as bright as lanterns, but their soft glow was enough to act as markers.
“I’ll keep two lanterns lit inside the cave, but I want lights along the passageway too.”
The two lanterns I brought from the other world were blessed by the Creator God. They wouldn’t degrade, break, or run out of energy no matter how much I used them, so I utilized them freely.
“Even the 100-yen shop sells battery-powered LED lanterns. 300 yen? Seriously? That’s cheap…”
Though it felt wasteful to use battery-powered lanterns all night, batteries could also be bought for 100 yen. I decided to see it as a necessary expense for safety. I placed one of the 300-yen LED lanterns in the passageway leading to the toilet, which I only used during the day.
“Yep, it’s bright enough. Perfect.”
Under the glow of the lanterns, I began preparing dinner. Since I had Rock Bird meat, I decided to make karaage (Japanese fried chicken). I cut the meat into bite-sized pieces, coated them with seasoned flour, and let them rest.
While the meat marinated, I boiled potatoes to make potato salad. I tossed potatoes into a large pot of boiling water and sliced cucumbers and onions. The cucumbers were salted and rubbed, while the onions were soaked in water. I finely chopped some fish sausage too.
“Alright, time to fry the meat.”
Once the flour had set on the meat, I fried it while simultaneously working on the salad. Using my double-burner stove, which I was glad I brought along, I fried the meat in plenty of oil.
“Looks like the potatoes are done too.”
He drained the water and began mashing the potatoes directly in the pot. With a masher from the 100-yen shop, it was a simple task.
For a secret ingredient, he sprinkled in some consommé powder and continued mashing. While chunky potato salads were apparently popular, he preferred a smooth texture, so he mashed the potatoes thoroughly.
Next, he added the squeezed cucumber, sliced onion, and sausage, seasoning the mixture with salt and pepper. He used plenty of mayonnaise, not skimping on it.
“I’m not exactly a mayo enthusiast, but the more mayonnaise in potato salad, the better it tastes.”
“Oh no, the fried chicken almost burned!”
Caught up in making the salad, he hurriedly rescued the fried Rock Bird from the pot and added the next batch of meat into the oil.
“Looks like I made plenty of potato salad and fried chicken. I’ll portion it out and eat it over the next few days.”
The potato salad filled two large containers from the 100-yen shop, an impressive sight. The fried chicken, made using an entire Rock Bird, was also a large batch. He arranged it on a big, deep plate lined with kitchen paper, and even a large serving seemed like it could last over ten days.
“Considering my plan to live frugally for a while, making meals in advance might be a smart idea.”
The rainy season left him with spare time. Using the meat he hunted to prepare various dishes was both a way to pass the time and an efficient use of resources.
“There were recipe books in the convenience store’s book section too. I’ll use those for inspiration and try making a few more dishes.”
At the very least, he wanted to move beyond simple “manly cooking.” Fortunately, the recipe books he summoned included a variety of interesting themes, such as a popular chef’s camping recipes, snack dishes to pair with alcohol, and hearty meat recipes. He appreciated the variety and was eager to try them out.
The most intriguing book featured recipes using a hot sandwich maker, with simple yet appetizing photos that excited him.
“For now, today’s dinner is fried chicken and rice. It’s just pre-packaged rice and instant miso soup, though.”
Since white rice was available at convenience stores, he considered cooking it in an earthen pot as a future option. Pre-made miso soup and other soups would also be convenient for meal prep.
“Since I’ve got plenty of meat, making homemade curry or stew sounds like a good idea too.”
The 100-yen shop’s ready-made curry wasn’t bad, but for a budget-conscious lifestyle, cooking from scratch was the better choice. Magical beast meat was delicious, after all.
The heated pre-packaged rice and instant miso soup were decent, but the fried Rock Bird and potato salad were outstanding. The Rock Bird had a texture similar to free-range chicken, with a rich, satisfying flavor. While the meat was slightly tough due to its muscular nature, it paired perfectly with frying.
“Coating it with potato starch and boiling it at a low temperature to make translucent chicken might be great too.”
He recalled making that dish—a favorite when he was into cooking with chicken breast for muscle-building. He used to make a full container of it, serving it with grated daikon radish sauce.
“Yeah, Rock Bird has a distinct flavor compared to regular chicken. It’s really interesting. I’ll make sure to hunt more if I find any.”
Its larger size compared to regular chicken was also a plus. With less fat, it felt like a guilt-free indulgence.
“…Oh, I just remembered—I forgot to contact them. I should let them know I’ve settled into a base.”
After dinner, he pulled out his smartphone, which he hadn’t touched all day. Seeing the flood of notifications made him grimace.
With a sense of foreboding, he opened an app and found scolding messages from three different people.
“Ah… Well, it’s understandable they’d worry if I wasn’t responding. That’s on me, but seriously, five-minute interval messages?!”
And from all three of them, no less. Grimacing, he wrote a quick “I’m alive” message in their group chat, adding a fluffy “Kesaran Pasaran” sticker for good measure.
Despite it being dinnertime, his three cousins immediately sent a barrage of reprimanding messages, making him shrink back and endure the scolding.
With promises of freshly fried Rock Bird as a bribe and a vow to check in at least once a day, he managed to placate them.
