"I won't be polite then!"
Bai Ye was indeed hungry and started eating. As the host, Rimuru naturally wouldn't be constrained. Both of them put a piece of roasted meat into their mouths at the same time.
And then…
Rimuru's expression changed drastically. He looked at a goblin serving them and asked, "Who cooked today's meal?"
"It was Shion, the big boss," the goblin replied. "She said she misunderstood Mr. Bai Ye and wanted to cook herself to apologize!"
Bai Ye trembled, "Are you sure she wanted to apologize, not assassinate me?"
Bang!
As soon as Bai Ye finished speaking, his head hit the table, and he started foaming at the mouth.
The next moment…
Rimuru had higher resistance, but he didn't last long either. He returned to his slime form, and even his jelly-like body began to dissolve.
"Ah, Mr. Bai Ye!"
"Ah, Lord Rimuru!"
The goblins screamed and ran out of the room.
"Quick, someone! Lord Rimuru and Mr. Bai Ye seem to be poisoned!"
Hearing the shouts, Bai Ye twitched his lips and then shakily took out a talisman.
"Purification Charm!"
In the next moment, flames ignited on Bai Ye and Rimuru's bodies, forcing out some black substances from within them, which were quickly incinerated.
That feeling of having brushed past death gradually disappeared.
Finally recovering, Bai Ye was drenched in cold sweat. He truly hadn't expected to use the Purification Charm so soon, and all because of a meal.
"Sorry, I shouldn't have been picky about your cooking," Bai Ye repented to the talisman. "The Purification Charm is just too useful!"
On the other side, Rimuru watched as a group of subordinates rushed into the room and said seriously, "Remember, don't let Shion near the kitchen. Absolutely not. This is an order!"
Others charge money for their cooking; she charges lives!
…
Meanwhile…
The outskirts of the Jura Great Forest!
This was a barren land.
Yellow soil covered with thick sand and gravel, cracked everywhere. Occasionally, a large tree could be seen, shriveled from lack of water, its branches bare, completely leafless.
A tall figure in a cloak walked across the dry land. It had a human form, but its head was that of a pig. As it looked up, the pig-headed person's eyes were filled with sorrow.
"The child born yesterday died this morning."
"The child born this morning is already close to death."
"Why must we be treated like this? Is it a curse from heaven?"
"A curse upon this land!"
"And a curse upon the Orcs!"
"If this is not despair, then what else can it be?"
Suddenly, the pig-headed person roared towards the sky, filled with utter unwillingness.
"Food, food, food…"
"We need…"
"Food!"
After the roar, the pig-headed person gradually calmed down. The anger in his eyes receded, replaced by deep sorrow.
Then…
The sky overhead darkened, and the barren Gobi desert transformed into a vast forest.
Tens of thousands of Orcs stood in front, their eyes bloodshot and fierce!
"Is this a dream?"
The pig-headed person with sorrowful eyes murmured, then looked at his armor.
"If this is a dream, then I shall shatter it!"
"I will eventually make the land of my homeland covered in green grass and blooming flowers."
"Through war!"
"Kill!"
And on a distant hillside…
Li Jia Yi lowered his binoculars, raised his hand to his ear, making a calling gesture, and said, "Hello, I'm at the barren land on the outskirts of the Jura Great Forest. I've found the Orc Lord!"
"Is the war about to begin?"
Li Jia Yi chuckled, "Of course!"
"But… boss, can the Orc Lord really destroy the Jura Great Forest? And what benefits will we get? That guy is impossible to communicate with, and it's not like a restricted area is opening now. We don't have any restricted area quests."
"Restricted area quests?" Li Jia Yi sneered. "I think you're afraid you're not dying fast enough. Based on my analysis, the Jura Great Forest has more than two or three restricted areas, and even the lowest difficulty ones are enough to tear us to shreds."
"I was just saying it casually. Besides, aren't I curious? What can we get from the Orc Lord?"
"Our target is not the Orc Lord," Li Jia Yi said. "It's the power hidden behind the Orc Lord, the power of a Demon Lord!"
…
Jura Great Forest, Monster Country.
Bai Ye was walking on the street when his eyes suddenly lit up, and he rushed into a general store.
"Is this a talisman? There are talismans here?"
"Those were left by some passing travelers," said the shop owner, a rabbit-eared monster girl. She looked at Bai Ye and smiled, "Mr. Rimuru's friend, do you need them? If so, I can get them for you."
"Of course, please get them for me." Bai Ye took out a coin pouch from his waist and took out a few unfamiliar coins. "Are these enough?"
The rabbit-eared proprietress smiled, "That's enough, thank you for your patronage."
Bai Ye nodded and left the shop with a large stack of talismans.
Bai Ye truly hadn't expected to be able to buy Eastern talismans in the neutral zone of the fantasy region. This was a pleasant surprise, and Bai Ye hadn't paid anything for them. The bag of coins was given by Rimuru, otherwise, Bai Ye wouldn't have had the local currency.
However, the amount of currency wasn't much. He could only buy small things or maintain his daily food and drink. Otherwise, Bai Ye would have directly gone to the weapon shop and magic shop to get things for free.
"Hi, Mr. Bai Ye, would you like some flower cake? It's made from flowers I picked this morning, very fresh."
"Mr. Bai Ye, would you like an apple? It's very sweet!"
"Mr. Bai Ye, this is this year's summer limited product, a shaved ice in Rimuru's likeness. Would you like a bowl?"
This was the third day Bai Ye had been in the Monster Country.
Although it hadn't been long, given that Bai Ye was aimlessly wandering the streets every day, the residents around Rimuru's mansion had become quite familiar with him. When they saw him, they would greet him warmly.
After all, Bai Ye was different from the humans they had met before. He wasn't afraid of them, nor did he look down on them.
"Flower cake? No, I can't get used to that."
"Give me an apple."
"Shaved ice in Rimuru's likeness? Rimuru treats you as his subjects, and you want to eat him."
Bai Ye smiled and responded to the people around him, then took an apple and bit into it. It was indeed quite sweet.
To be honest, life in the Monster Country was indeed quite comfortable.
However…
Comfortable as it was, why hadn't the mission arrived yet?
…