The contents of Lucas'' original bag were no longer as abundant as before.


    Aside from the first aid kits like the disinfectants he usually carries around, the now jumbled weblines, the torn clothes that he did not throw yet, and the water canteen that was now brimming with water from the creek, the damaged phone, there were also the Armadon Tonfa, the Sylvan Snake''s fangs, as well as the Sharp-Tusk Boar''s tusks inside the bag.


    The other items were mostly damaged and no longer usable; hence, he left them behind to lessen the weight of what he was carrying.


    On the other bag made of the yed skin of the boar, Lucas has stored the meat strips as well as the newly gained fur and tufted tail of the me-Head Lion.


    The meat strips had already beenid over to an empty spot and were now basking under the heat of the sun.


    The fur that came from the mane was folded along with the yed skin it rooted on. Lucas then inserted the tufted tail inside of it.


    At this moment, the fur as well as the tufted tail wafted out an unpleasant smell. It was then that he recalled that he had not washed them yet. The pungent smell assaulted his nose, and after some hesitation, he decided to wash them over the creek.


    However, just as he was about to dip the tufted tail into the water, the mane suddenly ignited into mes.


    "What the-"


    Startled and afraid of getting burned, Lucas hurriedly threw them away.


    Spot saw themotion and immediately jumped in front of Lucas, as if trying to cover him from the me''s temperature.


    He snarled toward the me, looking quiteical in his Gentle Dog form.


    Seeing that there was no danger, Lucas pacified Spot by stroking his head gently. Spot seemed to like it a lot, easing his posture to a more rxed one. His gaze, though, was still focused on the burning mane in front of them.


    Seeing the mane of the me-Mane Lion burst out into mes, Lucas also could not help but stare at it curiously, but also with worry.


    Curious about how it burst into mes and worried that the valuable parts would be damaged.


    After a minute, though, the me began to wane down until it eventually extinguished by itself.


    Regret shed his eyes as the fire disappeared from his sight.


    However, after seeing the me die down and realizing that the mane was not damaged, he heaved a sigh of relief.


    Recalling who the mane was ming before, though, Lucas thought that it was only normal. Maybe they have some sort of resistance against mes.


    He cautiously walked toward the mane and the tufted tail to inspect them once more.


    He had been searching for fire ever since he was sent here in the wilderness. Eating raw food has never tasted good to him.


    He thought that even without condiments, as long as it was cooked, the meat would still taste better.


    Unfortunately, he had not brought any lighter or anything that could start a fire, as there was nothing to cook inside the regted dungeon, and he did not think that he had any use for it inside at all.


    The me that was right in front of him, though, has already died down before he could even react.


    Inspecting the two parts of the me-head Lion, Lucas recalled what he had done earlier to cause such a reaction from the two parts.


    Lucas cautiously repeated his movements from earlier, trying to discern how the mane and the tufted tail had ignited all of a sudden.


    He recreated what he had done earlier. He inserted the tufted tail back into the folded mane before he put them near the creek.


    Like what he had done earlier, he unfolded the mane and then took out the tufted tail, preparing to dip it into the water to rinse.


    The mane ignited after he did thest part earlier. At this moment, though, the mane and the tufted tail showed no reaction or even a slight sign that they would burst into mes just like what happened earlier.


    Lucas frowned, not knowing what he had done wrong.


    ''Could it be that it was just a one-time thing?''


    This crossed his mind for a second.


    However, recalling how the mane had been burning with the same me when it was worn by the me-Mane Lion before, Lucas thought that it should be the mane''s special property.


    Beasts were magical creatures to begin with. Although something like this was iprehensible during his previous life, this was definitelyprehensible in this one.


    Items or materials like this that retained certain properties when they were alive were more valuable than those that do not have it.


    For example, the mane could be used as material for a weapon, and the resulting weapon might produce mes all of a sudden duringbat.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Not wanting to give up, Lucas repeated his movements once more.


    The next few tries ended in failure.


    The mane remained unlit without showing any signs of igniting into mes.


    However, just as he was about to give up, thinking that it was indeed just a one-time thing—like a release of rigor mortis sort of thing—the mane suddenly ignited during hisst half-hearted try.


    Lucas moved away from the mane immediately. He could feel the heat produced by it, indicating that it was indeed fire and not an illusion conjured by the mane itself.


    Startled yet happy, Lucas observed the me for a few moments until it died off a minuteter.


    Although it had died down once again, Lucas was no longer as disheartened.


    After allowing the fire to settle, Lucas went back beside the mane and the tufted tail. He stared at the two parts as he reviewed what he had done differently during thest try that caused the mane to ignite into mes.


    Repeating his movements once more, Lucas jumped back in joy, the mane in front of him having ignited to mes once more.


    ''Do I need to rub the tail to the mane itself?''


    Spot, who had been observing at the side, looked at the mane incredulously and with wide eyes. It let out a confused bark, not knowing what was going on.


    Seeing his look, Lucas could not help but chuckle.


    "Rx bud! If all goes well, we should be able to eat tastier meatter," he said.


    However, Lucas was suddenly reminded of how Spot had enjoyed eating the raw meat of the snake and boar before.


    Lucas did not know if Spot preferred raw meats over cooked ones.


    ''Well, only one way to find out.''


    Hearing him mention tasty food, though, Spot''s eyes still widened in excitement, even though he did not fullyprehend the full extent of Lucas'' words, just focusing on the ''tastier meat'' part.


    After the me died down, Lucas went over and crouched near the mane and tufted tail once more.


    With a clear mind on what he should do, Lucas took the tufted tail and then swiped it at the top of the mane''s fur.


    "It worked!"


    He eximed in tion, seeing that the mane had indeed burst into mes.


    Without waiting for the me to die down this time, Lucas hurriedly looked around, searching for dead twigs that he could use as firewood.


    Since the mane''s me would die down after a whole minute, he could not cook directly above it.


    To sustain the fire, he must find some dead twigs or wood to let it continue burning.


    After a while, Lucas gathered a small pile of dead twigs.


    Igniting the mane once more, Lucas used the dead twigs to create a fire away from the mane.


    After seeing that the firewoods were starting to be embers, Lucas ran toward the spot where he basked the meat strips, took a handful of them, and then ran back toward the embers of the burning wood.


    Skewering the meat strips to a stick made from a thin branch, Lucas put them above the me to cook it.


    Enduring the hot temperature, Lucas'' nose was assaulted by the smell of cooked meat a few minutester.


    He did not know if it was from the smoke or from joy, but he was almost teary-eyed as he smelled the aroma of the cooked meat.


    Even Spot had also curiously walked over after smelling the grilled meat strips of the Sharp-Tusk Boar.


    With a smile, Lucas handed him a few meat strips after seeing that they were already done being grilled.


    He himself took a bite off the grilled meat strips as well.


    As the hot meat strips entered his mouth and touched his tongue, Lucas was ted to finally be able to taste cooked meat once more.


    Even though the taste was nd without salt and other condiments, like what he had assumed before, the grilled meat indeed tasted better than when eaten raw.


    On his side, Spot seemed to be also having the same sentiments. Even after knowing that it was still hot, he still devoured the grilled meat greedily after he tasted it for the first time.


    "Come,e, eat some more," Lucas remarked in joy.


    As he was eating, he also discovered that the little pungent smell of the dried meat strips was also now gone. Instead of the pungent smell he usually endured when eating it raw, the grilled meat was now wafting out the smell of aromatic premium meat.


    Not satisfied by the amount of grilled meat strips they had eaten, Lucas went back to the drying spot and took some more to cook for him and Spot.


    It was only a few minutester that the two of them were finally satisfied.


    The firewood had already turned to ash, but its presence proved that, for the first time in a while, Lucas had indeed eaten a normal, cooked meal once more.