Chapter 44: Pure Excitement!
’Distinguished title... that is a first,’ Bruce exhaled inwardly.
He really had Ash to thank for this one, partially. Ash evolved because of him. He got this title because of Ash’s evolution. At this point, their growth was feeding off each other.
Bruce sighed and finally looked up when footsteps approached.
Jordan returned carrying a heavy metal grill, along with a tray stacked with spices, oils, and herbs. He even had a brush and iron skewers tucked under his arm.
Bruce blinked. "You even brought seasoning."
Jordan grinned sheepishly. "High-quality beast meat deserves respect."
Bruce chuckled faintly. "Thanks. That is thoughtful of you."
Ash controlled the massive swirling fireball with frightening precision, lowering it beneath the grill like a living furnace. The temperature rose in an instant. Blood warmed, steel gleamed, and the entire stall filled with heat.
Bruce set thick raw slabs of Bronze-Horned Goat meat onto the grill. The metal sizzled and flames reflected in his eyes. He seasoned the meat casually, like someone who had done this a thousand times. Salt. A hint of ashweed pepper. Smoked lava herbs.
Meanwhile, he handled the rest with smooth efficiency.
Red, the scalpel-dagger, flashed in his hand as he slaughtered the remaining four goats. There was no wasted motion and no blood mess. Red drank every drop greedily, swallowing the blood like it was fine wine. The Devourer Maw appeared once again, silently consuming the discarded guts in midair.
Jordan tried not to be surprised but it still hit him hard...
Soon, the first portion of roasted beast was ready. Bruce set a charred leg before Ash.
Ash inhaled excitedly and lunged.
Crunch! Crunch!! Crunch!!!
The Bronze-Horned Goat, skin, flesh, marrow, bones, vanished in seconds. Crushed like crackers. Gone.
Ash did not even pause before slapping his tail on the ground and staring expectantly at Bruce.
Bruce smirked. "Right. More."
He stacked the next serving, meat from all four goats, onto a massive tray and slid it toward Ash.
Ash’s pupils dilated. The tiny dragon’s expression said it all.
This is happiness. Pleasure.
It dove into the mountain of roasted meat, ripping and devouring without restraint. Flames flickered behind its teeth as it crunched bone like it was sugar glass.
Jordan watched in disbelief and muttered, "That thing eats like a natural disaster."
Bruce only smirked, watching Ash eat with a strange fondness in his eyes.
Let the little monster feast.
He was going to need it.
...
Burp!
Two hours later, Ash finally stopped eating.
Bruce opened Ash’s updated status window.
[Status – Ash]
[Race: Devourer Dragon (Infant)]
[Class: King of Gluttony]
[Rank: B (Evolved)]
[Bloodline Grade: Royal – Abyssal Devourer Line]
[Affinities: Fire, Void, ???]
[Abilities: Devourer Maw, Fire Manipulation, ???]
[Innate Talent: Gluttony (S-Rank, Mutated)]
[Loyalty: 100%]
[Emotional State: Proud, Full, Sated]
[Status Condition: Stable]
[Growth Potential: ??? (Infinite?)]
Bruce stared at the word "Sated."
’Finally.’
A genuine smile tugged at his lips. "What a glutton," he muttered helplessly.
Ash, clearly proud of itself, sat on the floor with its belly round and slightly puffed, tail thumping lazily. It looked like a smug cat who had just eaten a whole banquet. Except this smug cat happened to be a dragon, and had devoured twenty full-grown Bronze-Horned Mutant Goats!
Twenty. Including the bones. Each of them weighs at least two tons...
Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose. "I need to start a hunting budget just for you."
He spoke inwardly. ’Vaelith, how long before he gets hungry again?’
[With its current metabolic rate... around seven days.]
Bruce exhaled in relief. "Good. That works."
He was not planning to take Ash to the trial tomorrow. Not because he did not want to, but because the beast would cause a national panic if it got even slightly cranky. Knowing now that Ash would be fine for a full week made things much simpler. Lucy would not have to worry, and Lily would have company.
As for money...
Bruce checked the total earnings from Jordan’s deal today.
1.2 million gold coins.
A decent leap, but far from the 5 million he needed. Originally, he thought he could hit that amount instantly, but selling too many beasts at once would draw unwanted suspicion. Since the Greedy Jordan was being this cautious, Bruce didn’t push it. He went with the flow... There was still time.
Bruce understood. Money was not the problem. Time was not the problem. Effort was not the problem. He could get that money if he puts his mind to it...
He simply needed a plan. And he already had one.
The Adventurer Trial.
If the rumors were true, the rewards this year would be enough to shake the kingdom. He did not expect to make everything he needed from the trial alone, but it would be the first major step.
He stood up and dusted his pants. "Within four or five days, you will be out of stock," he said to Jordan. "I will come again then."
Jordan nodded gratefully. "I will be waiting, Sir Bruce!"
Bruce thanked him again for the grill, then left, with a satisfied Ash perched on his shoulder like a proud little king.
On the way home, Bruce made a small detour. He stopped by a vendor and bought fifty packets of candy. He already knew what would happen if he did not bring back sweets.
Sure enough, the moment he stepped through the door:
"BIG BROTHER!"
Lily launched at him with her usual flying hug. Bruce caught her effortlessly.
She saw the shopping bag and brightened instantly. "Candy?"
Bruce handed her the bag. "Candy."
"Yay!" she grinned. And what happened next was inevitable.
Ash hopped off Bruce’s shoulder instantly and followed Lily like a tiny shadow.
Bruce watched with amusement as Lily unwrapped candy after candy, happily feeding Ash one piece at a time like a proud candy dealer. Ash, who could swallow a giant beast whole, actually took tiny, polite bites of every piece of candy Lily handed him.
Bruce did not know whether to laugh or sigh.
That night, while Ash stuck to Lily like glue, Bruce pulled Lucy aside.
"Ash will not need food for about six days. Do not worry about feeding him much. Let him rest for now."
Lucy nodded with relief. Like any mother, she immediately calculated meal costs in her head. Not having to feed a gluttonous dragon-child for a week?
That was a blessing.
Dinner was quiet and peaceful. After eating, Bruce washed up, looked once at his little family, and went to sleep.
Tomorrow was a new day. And he would shake the world. He was filled with Excitement as he went to sleep...