"I won't stand on ceremony then!"
Bai Ye was truly hungry and started eating. Rimuru, as the host, also didn't hold back. Both of them put a piece of roasted meat into their mouths at the same time.
Then...
Rimuru's expression changed drastically, and he looked at a goblin serving him, "Who cooked today's meal?"
"It's Sister Shion," the goblin replied. "She said she misunderstood Mr. Bai Ye and wanted to cook herself as an apology!"
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 began to foam at the mouth.
The next moment...
Rimuru had higher resistance, but he didn't last long either. He turned back into his slime form, and even his jelly-like body began to dissolve.
"Ah, Mr. Bai Ye!"
"Ah, Lord Rimuru!"
The goblins shrieked and then ran out of the room.
"Someone, quickly! Lord Rimuru and Mr. Bai Ye seem to have been poisoned!"
Hearing the commotion, Bai Ye twitched his lips and then, with trembling hands, took out a talisman.
"Purification Charm!"
In the next instant, flames erupted from Bai Ye and Rimuru, forcing out black substances from their bodies, which were quickly incinerated.
The feeling of having brushed past death gradually disappeared.
After barely recovering, Bai Ye was drenched in cold sweat. He truly hadn't expected to use the Purification Charm so soon, and it was all because of a meal.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been picky," Bai Ye said apologetically to the talisman. "The Purification Charm is just too useful!"
Meanwhile, Rimuru watched as a large group of his subordinates rushed into the room and said seriously, "Remember, don't let Shion near the kitchen, absolutely not. This is an order!"
Others cook for money; she cooks for life!
...
At the same time...
The outskirts of the Jura Great Forest!
This was a parched land.
Yellow earth covered with thick sand and gravel, cracked everywhere. Occasionally, one could see a large tree, withered from lack of water, its branches bare and devoid of leaves.
A tall figure in a cloak walked across the dry land. He had a human form, but his head was that of a pig. As he raised his head, a pig-headed man's eyes were filled with sadness.
"The child born yesterday died this morning."
"The child born this morning is also on the verge of death."
"Why are we treated this way? Is it a curse from heaven?"
"A curse upon this land!"
"And upon the pig-headed people!"
"If this is not despair, then what else could it be?"
Suddenly, the pig-headed man roared upwards, appearing extremely unwilling.
"Food, food, food..."
"We need..."
"Food!"
After the roar, the pig-headed man gradually regained his calm. The anger in his eyes receded, replaced by deep sorrow.
Then...
The sky darkened, and the barren Gobi Desert transformed into a vast forest.
Tens of thousands of pig-headed people stood before him, their eyes bloodshot and fierce!
"Is it a dream?"
The pig-headed man with sorrowful eyes murmured, then looked at the armor he was wearing.
"If this is a dream, then I shall shatter it!"
"I will eventually make the land of my homeland grow green grass and bloom with flowers."
"Through war!"
"Kill!"
And on a distant hillside...
Li Jia Yi lowered his binoculars, raised his hand to his ear, as if making a phone call, and said, "Hello, I'm in the parched land on the outskirts of the Jura Great Forest. I've found the Orc Lord!"
"Is the war about to begin?"
Li Jia Yi smiled, "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 the restricted zone is open right now. We don't have any restricted zone quests."
"Restricted zone quests?" Li Jia Yi scoffed. "I think you're afraid you won't die fast enough. Based on my deductions, the Jura Great Forest has more than two or three restricted zones. Even the lowest difficulty ones are enough to tear us to shreds."
"I was just saying it casually, and I'm curious, what can we get from the Orc Lord?"
"Our target is not the Orc Lord," Li Jia Yi said. "It is the power hidden behind the Orc Lord, the power of a Demon Lord!"
...
The Jura Great Forest, the Demon Kingdom.
Bai Ye walked down the street, then his eyes suddenly lit up, and he rushed into a sundry shop.
"Are these talismans? There are talismans here?"
"They were left by a few passing travelers," the shop owner, a rabbit-eared demi-human monster girl, said with a smile. "Mr. Rimuru's friend, do you need any? If you do, I'll get them for you."
"Of course, please get them for me." Bai Ye took out a money pouch from his waist and produced a few unfamiliar coins. "Is this enough?"
The rabbit-eared shop owner smiled, "It'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 didn't have to pay any price. The bag of coins was given by Rimuru; otherwise, Bai Ye wouldn't have the currency of this place.
However, the amount of currency wasn't much. It was only enough to buy small items or maintain daily food and drink. Otherwise, Bai Ye would have gone directly to the weapon shop and magic shop to get them for free.
"Hi, Mr. Bai Ye, would you like a flower cake? It's made with flowers I picked this morning, very fresh."
"Mr. Bai Ye, would you like an apple? It's very sweet!"
"Mr. Bai Ye, this is a limited edition product for this summer, a shaved ice resembling Mr. Rimuru. Would you like a bowl?"
This was the third day Bai Ye had been in the Demon Kingdom.
Although it hadn't been long, given that Bai Ye spent his days idly wandering the streets, the residents around Rimuru's mansion had become very familiar with him. When they saw him, they would greet him warmly.
After all, Bai Ye was different from the humans they had encountered before; he neither feared nor disdained them.
"Flower cake? No, I can't get used to that."
"Give me an apple."
"Shaved ice resembling Rimuru? Rimuru treats you as his subjects, yet you want to eat him."
Bai Ye smiled in response to the people around him, then took an apple and bit into it. It was indeed quite sweet.
To be honest, life in the Demon Kingdom was quite comfortable.
However...
Comfortable as it was, why hadn't the mission arrived yet?
...