24 A tongue sharper than a demon dagger

[ The first plant is...]

The system listed all the types of plants that could be used for cooking and where they could be found. Luckily for Lucas, there was quite a numerous amount that he could find that was not too far away. However, the higher the grade of herbs and spices, the deeper in the forest you had to venture. Lucas went to the first place the system had said. His eyes shone with excitement, according to the system this plant was called an Everlilith. It had a similar taste to an onion but with a richer flavour. He immediately picked up as much as he could and put them in his treasure box. He didn't pick all of them.

The system led him across the entire beginning section looking for plants. He picked them up and put them in the treasure box. Finally, Lucas was done so he walked back to the safe zone. When he got there he saw Layla Palmer sitting with her legs crossed at the fire. She looked happy. Lucas smiled for a brief moment.

Lucas walked beside her and said, " Are you ready to have your taste buds explode with flavour?"

" I'm sure they will explode but not with flavour." Layla Palmer said.

"Haha, you will see. Dinner will be served in about 30 minutes." After saying that Lucas opened the treasure box. He took a dagger out the treasure box.

Name: Vampiric Demon.

Description: The Dagger has a short double-edged blade attached to a blood red hilt covered in demon hide. It has a pommel in the shape of a demon's face. The face has two red eyes that currently lack lustre. The blade is silver and was made from tungsten. On the blade are three carved runes.

Ability: This dagger can self-heal using blood. The rune changes blood into the required particles to repair the dagger. The higher the quality of blood the less needed to repair.

Rune of blood: Draws in the blood of whatever was killed and converts it into the necessary properties to repair the dagger. If the dagger needs no repairs, drawn blood increases the effects of the runes.

Rune of wind: Increase cutting, slashing and stabbing speed plus efficiency by 100%.

Rune of sharpness: Increase the sharpness of this dagger by 100%.

Requirement: Able to withstand the urge to kill.

Lucas felt the murderous intentions rumbling inside him. He tried to fight back with every bit of willpower he had. But it was taking a lot out of him to do so. He was using so much strength that he fell on one knee.

Layla Palmer saw how much anguish Lucas was in. She wanted to help him this time. But when she got closer to him. Lucas screamed at her, "go away!" in a voice much deeper and sinister than his own. Lucas looked at Layla Palmer with bloodshot eyes. Her knees went weak as Lucas's gaze swiped over her. She fell on her bum and then kicked her legs forward moving away from Lucas. Her heart was beating so fast. She was horrified and scared from the bottom of her heart. For Lucas looked at her as if she was his prey. As scary as this was for her, somehow this feeling felt familiar and it wasn't the feeling she got from the lustful stares...

Lucas realized he was not as strong as he thought he was and immediately went into combat mode's emotion system and increased his feelings of happiness. This countered the murderous intent to a controllable level. Lucas always knew he had this option. If he could not control the dagger himself.

After gaining control over the dagger, Lucas's eyes returned to normal. Soon after the murderous pressure that was inside the safe zone disappeared too. Layla Palmer felt the situation change and saw that Lucas's eyes were back to normal. She was still hesitant to move forward so she sat on the ground looking at Lucas, ready to run at the slightest indifference.

"I'm sorry about that. I overestimated my willpower and succumbed to the murderous intent that this dagger emits." Lucas said in his normal voice.

" Dagger? Murderous intent?"

" I stole this treasure box from the palace. I noticed how evil this dagger felt but I thought my willpower could suppress it. I eventually did but it was a lot more arduous than I anticipated."

" When a cub thinks it's a Lion." Layla Pamer shook her head and said, "How dumb! Why would you even want to use a dagger so evil!?"

" How do you expect me to cut the meat? With my thumb!?" Lucas argued.

" You probably could, judging by the length of your nails." Layla Palmer retorted.

Lucas squirmed inside when he heard her say that. He thought," This chick is basically under my protection but she has no qualms berating me whenever she has the chance. Shouldn't one be more respectful to their saviour? This chick has no manners! Just because she is a little cute. Definitely some ojou-sama (1) from another world."

Lucas put on a fake smile that was obvious it was fake and said, " The murderous intent changed the length of my nails. When it tried to demonify me. But unless you want to eat sleep for dinner. I suggest you let me do my thing."

"Humph," Layla Palmer harrumphed.

Still holding the dagger Lucas walked to the frilled GFP frilled-kneck komodo. Laid it down on the ground and began skinning the creature. All the blood that came spueing out got absorbed by the dagger slowly lightening the murderous intent Lucas felt. After while the entire creature was skinned. It wasn't at the level of the best chefs in the world but it was still skillfully skinned. Afterwards, Lucas gutted the creature and removed all its innards. Lucas stretched out the skin of the creature and placed the gutted komodo on it to make sure the dirt doesn't get on his food. Lucas skillfully cut two pieces of steak out of the Komodo.

Afterwards, he used his F Rank Time skip to age the meat. This increases the saturation of its natural flavour and tenderises the meat. Afterwards, Lucas took the plants he picked, he began chopping them up and made a marinade from it. This marinade was made specifically to remove the gamey flavour of the meat and further tenderise it. Lucas applied this on the meat. He used his time skip spell again to fast forward to when all the marinade was absorbed by the meat. Lucas placed more wood on the fire in the form of a grill. Afterwards, Lucas used his time skip spell on the fire to fast forward to a time where the fire's temperature was optimal for braaing the steaks.

Lucas placed the steaks on the wood. Immediately the juices sizzled when it touched the wood at the bottom. Lucas couldn't keep all the juices contained in the meat. However, in the marinade was a substance that acted like salt. This locked the juices of the meat while enhancing the flavour. Lucas kept 80% of all the juices in the steak. Lucas flipped the steaks at the right time to cook them properly. Once it was nearing the end the smell of the steak and all of its juices wafted from the braai. Lucas was getting excited. He wanted to eat his braai meat. Back in his country people would find any excuse just to have a braai. Braaing was life and life was braaing.

But one never braaied alone so he was happy he could share his first braai in a new world with someone. He knew that there would be many braai's he would have that would be by himself but at least the first one wasn't a Debbie Downer.

Layla Palmer was watching Lucas attentively as he was braaing the steaks for this was her food. She cursed a few times in her mind when she saw what Lucas was doing. The first was when he used his time skip on the meat. The meat that looked new and full of life immediately looked old and disgusting. The second time was when Lucas put the marinade on the meat. In her world, all the arts that didn't pertain to science were seen as irrelevant. So the culinary arts was long lost in time. Nobody knew how to enhance the flavour of food anymore. So what Lucas was doing was foreign to her. She kept wondering if Lucas was trying to give her a stomach ache as retribution for offending him.

However, every doubt disappeared the second the smells started coming from the meat. It was a heavenly smell she had not smelled before. Even if she couldn't understand it, her body sure did. Her mouth began salivating, and her stomach was roaring. As soon as her stomach went off she looked down at the ground. She was not going to give Lucas the satisfaction of knowing she wanted to eat his food.

At this moment the steak was done so Lucas took them off of the braai and put them on the skin of the creature. He cut the pieces of steak against the grain and into multiple pieces. They were now steaming on the skin waiting to cool down. Layla Palmer walked to Lucas and sat crossed legged next to Lucas as she waited for the heat of the meat to cool down. Lucas could have used his time skip to instantly get it to that point but he wanted her to suffer a bit longer. By then even if he failed a burnt piece of wood would taste good to her. Also, she deserved it for having such a sharp tongue.

Lucas didn't even wince for a second. In fact, he revelled in seeing her wait patiently for the meat to cool down. Knowing full well he could get it to optimum temperature instantly.

1. Ojou- sama - Ojou-sama is Japanese. Ojou is used when calling someone else's daughter. Sama is an honorific used when someone is of a higher status than you. In Lucas's case, Layla Palmer is/was a princess where he is an ordinary person.