Meanwhile, Rayelle hummed a cheerful tune as she strolled back toward the city.

She had no clue that the person she’d tricked into heading to the Flesh Wall wasn’t the Chaos Cultist she’d imagined—but Aerin.

“Huh?”

Rayelle suddenly froze mid-step.

A wave of exquisite energy surged into her body, slowly filling her once-empty mana pool.

Wow!

So much mana!

Rayelle’s eyes sparkled with delight.

That unlucky guy—who totally looked like a villain—must’ve realized he’d been duped.

The corners of her mouth curled up uncontrollably.

Right now, he was probably trapped in a pile of tentacles, fuming helplessly.

By the way, those tentacles were insanely strong. Rayelle doubted he’d survive. Even if he did, he’d just become a power bank for them.

Since he wouldn’t make it out alive, Rayelle figured she’d never face any karma.

She’d restored her mana and rid the world of a bad guy.

Perfect!

Rayelle savored the blissful rush of mana while humming her tune.

She noticed something: tricking someone into anger restored dozens of times more mana than ordinary deception.

Plus, since the victim was an Extraordinary Being, the mana recovery was staggering.

Extraordinary Beings gave dozens of times more mana than regular humans.

As Rayelle happily hummed, a delicious aroma drifted from the bushes, slipping into her nose.

So fragrant!

It smelled like roasted meat!

Rayelle stopped without thinking, mouth agape, glistening drool trickling from the corner.

For Dragon Kind, the lure of meat was overwhelming!

Especially since she’d eaten nothing since morning—her stomach had been empty all day.

She hadn’t felt it before, but now, under the meat’s spell, her belly gurgled loudly.

Rayelle wagged her plump tail excitedly, sniffing the air.

The source seemed outside the city?

Someone was barbecuing beyond the walls?

Curious, Rayelle followed the scent.

Soon, about a hundred meters past the city wall, she spotted a campfire puffing white smoke.

Above it, a chunk of meat sizzled on a spit.

Flames gently licked its surface, releasing a steady hiss of oil and waves of mouthwatering fragrance.

The crimson, crispy skin, the glistening inner layers, and the sprinkled cumin powder—all held Rayelle’s gaze captive.

It looked so delicious!

Like a soul-snatched puppet, Rayelle drifted out of the bushes.

Only when she snapped back did she realize she’d already reached the fire, mouth open wide, ready to bite.

“Hm?”

A curious voice sounded beside her.

Startled, Rayelle flinched and turned nervously toward the sound.

By the fire sat a petite girl.

She wore a simple black robe, a shiny double-bladed axe pendant around her neck. Her pale green hair spilled like blossoms over the grass, shimmering in the firelight.

“Uh… hi?” Rayelle scratched her head awkwardly, meeting the girl’s calm gray eyes.

She’d wandered over without noticing anyone—and nearly devoured the girl’s barbecue…

Sensing Rayelle’s tension, the green-haired girl waved casually, her expression warm.

“No worries. I don’t mind. You’re the first person who’s ever approached my barbecue with interest.”

“Huh? Why’s that?” Rayelle blinked, puzzled.

But the girl didn’t answer.

Her full attention returned to the roast—a half-meter-tall slab of meat. She turned it evenly over the flames, sprinkling cumin with focused gray eyes.

Rayelle sat quietly nearby, watching the girl barbecue.

Something felt oddly familiar about her.

But just a faint sense—Rayelle couldn’t place her.

This character wasn’t in the story’s early chapters. Maybe a late-game addition?

While Rayelle pondered, the girl finished cooking. She placed the meat on a wooden rack, then pulled out two wooden plates and a small metal knife.

“For me?”

“Mhm.”

Rayelle accepted the plate with wide-eyed joy.

After a busy day, stumbling upon a cute girl grilling outside the city—and getting free food?

Heavenly.

A young dragon’s happiness was this simple.

Under Rayelle’s eager gaze, the girl expertly sliced the sizzling meat, plopping generous portions onto both plates.

“Thank you!” Rayelle gobbled it down ravenously.

Before the girl could sit, Rayelle had emptied her plate.

“Want more?” The girl smiled faintly at Rayelle’s satisfied expression.

“Yeah!”

So the girl set aside her own plate and refilled Rayelle’s.

Seconds later, that plate was gone too.

After countless refills, Rayelle lay sprawled on the grass, face glistening with oil, utterly content.

A full belly felt amazing.

“I’m stuffed—thanks for the barbecue!”

“Glad you liked it.”

The girl’s faint smile deepened as she saw Rayelle’s bliss. Then she picked up her own plate to eat.

Full and relaxed, Rayelle lounged on the grass, eyeing the remaining roast.

“Huh?!”

Her eyes widened.

Tentacle shapes were visible on the meat!

Rayelle sat up, noticing piles of Extraordinary Being carcasses around the fire—each as tall as a small hill.

They shared two traits:

A single, brutal wound splitting them lengthwise.

And strange tentacles sprouting from their bodies.

“Why do these things have tentacles?!” Rayelle felt a chill.

But the meat’s flavor was too good—no nausea stirred.

Probably because Dragon Kind loved meat too deeply.

“Hm? I thought you’d noticed earlier and just didn’t care.” The green-haired girl tilted her head curiously.

Rayelle studied her—still calm, no hint of hostility.

“Well… your barbecue smelled too good…”

“I see.”

“Yeah! I didn’t even look!” Rayelle insisted earnestly.

The girl nodded. “Still, you don’t seem scared. Most people—even Extraordinary Beings—find these disgusting. Yet they’re meant to be close companions.”

“Huh? Really?” Rayelle blinked, her gaze clear but confused.

She hadn’t understood a word.

“Do you know what these are?” The girl’s smile turned cryptic.

“What?”

“Failed experiments by the Chaos Sect. They love testing on Extraordinary Beings—hard to catch regular ones. Those tentacles? Just byproducts.”

“Are you a Chaos Cultist?” Rayelle asked curiously.

Unexpectedly, the girl shook her head.

“No.”

“Then how do you know so much? And why eat this stuff?”

“My friend researches this field. As for eating—it’s delicious. Especially the tentacle meat: chewy and tasty, right?”

Rayelle nodded slowly, agreeing.

It really was good.