Great, now we are dead!

Instinctively, the man's gaze fell on the backpack Ye Shou had placed on the ground. His limbs tensed naturally, and as he turned his head, he clenched his teeth, his expression turning fierce.

The movement suddenly stopped.

He was shocked to find that he couldn't turn his head!

Because Ye Shou had appeared behind him at some point, his companion, who was clearly within two meters, was unable to stop him. Now, in addition to the hand on his shoulder, there was a finger pressed against his neck like a short knife.

It's unbelievable! With just this one movement, he felt completely powerless, as if a nail had been driven into his neck, trapping him and leaving him utterly helpless!

"Hey! What are you doing!"

"Boy!"

"……stop."

The man, who was being restrained, trembled slightly in the eyes, and his lips murmured, "Stop...don't come any closer..."

"Big brother!"

"What's wrong? There are more of us!"

"...In short, don't act rashly!"

The man's breathing became rapid, he couldn't help but blink repeatedly, his heartbeat became erratic, and his voice sounded very flustered.

Why is that? Even though a knife wasn't held to his throat, he had this feeling that the slightest movement would kill him!

For the man, eyeing the boy's backpack was an opportunity:

It's either a big prize or just some junk.

But these travelers, who look like they come from wealthy families, often carry some hard currency for emergencies. If they can steal a portion of it, they can make a fortune!

As for this dwarf, he seemed unfathomable before, but now he doesn't seem like a master at all. The axe he carries is not even as sharp as a kitchen knife, so there is no need to be wary of him.

But how did things turn out this way?

How come my life and death are suddenly out of my control?

Who exactly is this kid?!

"Sir, do you know?"

Ye Shou whispered in his ear, "In my hometown, we call this area the carotid sinus. You might not understand, but you can think of it as a valve that controls the flow of blood. With just a little force, like now..."

"what"

"That's right, the human brain will mistakenly think that internal blood pressure is rising, thus dilating your cerebral blood vessels and lowering blood flow and heart rate... Ah, can't you think anymore?"

Ye Shou moved his fingers away, and the man immediately felt the heat that had accumulated on his head being released. He breathed a sigh of relief, but for some reason, his eyes were moving around uncontrollably.

"Don't be nervous, take a deep breath, dizziness is normal."

Ye Shou comforted him, "However, if this place is really attacked, dizziness and feigned death are quite normal. You must be careful in the future."

"You, hmph, who are you...?"

"Just a cook."

Ye Shou said calmly, "As a chef, isn't it normal to have some understanding of animal anatomy?"

Animals? Chefs?

This guy!

In an instant, the man's legs tightened, and his eyes were filled with terror. The fishermen around him looked at their boss, whose expression had changed drastically, and were at a loss for what to do.

They are not good people. Although there are rules against adventurers killing each other in the labyrinth, it is practically impossible to prevent such things from happening, and their hands are not clean either.

However, there are also differences in the degree of evil!

The man, whose body and mind were both broken, didn't even know when Ye Shou left from behind him.

I don't know if it's due to lack of oxygen or something else, but my legs are a little unsteady...

When he came to his senses, a fragrant aroma wafted into his nose, making him look down in surprise and see fish-man meat steaks served in a wooden bowl.

"Since you're not after my backpack, then you must be interested in this, right? Don't be shy."

Ye Shou raised his head and smiled, "Please."

Gum!

His throat bobbed as he stared intently at the bowl, his hands trembling as he took it.

Despite having gained his freedom and having the numerical advantage, having experienced what it felt like to have death looming behind him, he had absolutely no intention of resolving the issue by force.

"Fishman flesh..."

Do you want to eat? Do you really want to eat?

"That's right, you must savor it carefully. This is the last echo they leave in this world. After that, they will become our flesh and blood, and one day they will enter a new cycle."

Ye Shou's smile was full of gentleness and elegance, and his voice was like a teacher instructing a child.

"Eat with gratitude—for the life that nourished us."

Chapter 59 Gu, just kill me!

The anglers couldn't quite describe their feelings—was it fear or excitement?

But ultimately, they were still as if possessed by demons, and in a daze, they ate the monster food in front of them. Because they couldn't refuse Ye Shou's words, those gentle words without any threat seemed like some kind of command that touched the depths of their hearts, making them unconsciously accept them.

To put it another way, they may be unwilling to think about the consequences of "resistance," as if lambs would obey the shepherd's instructions.

The fish fillet and congee... weren't particularly amazing in taste, but you could feel the chef's dedication. The rough cooking methods and limited seasonings, under careful and meticulous control, were transformed into delicious food that warmed the body, replenished energy, and soothed the emotions.

Incredible... They calmed down after finishing their meal.

Perhaps because all the blood had rushed to their stomachs, their thinking slowed down, making them unwilling to think about anything too complicated.

Finally, until they left this place, they all had a dazed, dreamlike feeling...

"I think I scared them."

Ye Shou glanced at the silhouettes of the fishermen in the distance, which were gradually shrinking into black dots, and shook his head.

Actually, he didn't have that much killing intent. It's not uncommon for adventurers to steal and cheat. He just wanted to give these people a warning.

However, he underestimated the deterrent power of the "human killer"!

This skill allowed Ye Shou to understand the anatomy and weaknesses of humanoid creatures better than the doctor, including the best way to attack them and the resulting effects. Whether it was to incapacitate them or kill them instantly, he could devise numerous contingency plans in an instant.

Having experienced life and death, the adventurers' instinct to seek advantage and avoid harm made them realize how vulnerable they were in Ye Shou's hands. So, the fisherman in charge surrendered decisively after being subdued by Ye Shou.

Of course, it wasn't just the "human killer" that left these people so disoriented.

Ye Shou used his "Ghost Brain" to imitate the actions and tone of a certain psychologist. Combined with his own strength, temperament, and charm, he achieved a wonderful suggestive effect.

Those fishermen were essentially lured and even hypnotized—after all, they weren't exactly strong-willed people, and the monster food had shaken their minds, making it easy for the fishermen to take advantage of their weakness.

Interestingly, Ye Shou's memories of "Hannibal" came from a movie; he had never actually met the real Hannibal.

Normally, movie interpretations would contain fictional and exaggerated elements... but Ye Shou's "Ghost Brain" was not limited by this, and even enhanced the movie character, with unexpectedly good results.

This made Ye Shou quite proud:

Baki Hanma imagined "giant mantises" and "chimeras" that do not exist in reality as his enemies, and even constructed a complete set of fighting methods for these fantastical behemoths.

He can now depict a fictional character that only exists in novels and movies. Although movies provide him with a perfect reference, his "Ghost Brain" is already on par with the original!

"Let me clean it up."

Senxi collected the dishes and took them to the dock to wash them, and Ye Shou came over to help.

"If you are exploring the maze alone, be careful. The danger here is not only the monsters, but also your own kind."

Food scraps attracted small fish, and Mori would usually wash the dishes while feeding the fish, and also take the time to give Ye Shou some pointers.

He didn't dwell on the previous conflict; after all, he had lived in the labyrinth for over fifty years before the entrance surfaced, practically a native. The most experienced adventurers, on the other hand, had only been there for five or six years!

It could be said that Sensi witnessed firsthand how this labyrinth was discovered and then "prospered." He had seen countless instances of adventurers scheming against each other and even killing one another.

He felt that Ye Shou didn't seem like a bad person; he had a kind of aristocratic elegance that seemed out of place in the maze, so he kindly offered some advice.

"Living here isn't just about being good at fighting. You must remember to always have a sense of awe for the maze and be wary of strangers... It's best to find a reliable team, as there are limits to solo exploration."

As Senxi spoke, he also became emotional, inevitably thinking of himself.

The difficulty of a maze is directly related to the number of people inside. Senshi could have explored deeper levels, but as the number of adventurers increased, the number and strength of the monsters also increased, and now he can no longer break through the fourth level.

"I'd like to, but no one wants to team up with me."

Ye Shou said with a puzzled look, "Everyone thinks I'm crazy for thinking about eating monsters all the time. Because of this quirk, I can only be a lone wolf."

Senxi listened in silence for a moment, then asked curiously, "Why would you study monster cuisine? I mean, most people wouldn't have this idea, there must be a reason, right?"

"...Yes, it's a little complicated."

Ye Shou scratched his head sheepishly: "It started as a child's dream... those heroes in fairy tales who bathed in dragon blood and devoured dragon flesh, thus becoming incredibly strong."

Because I love all kinds of heroic tales and legends, I also started researching monsters and gradually became obsessed with them... I found that in most books about monsters, the descriptions of taste and toxicity are just the author's imagination, and the author himself has never actually eaten them.

So, I became a gourmet, wanting to travel the world, eat my way through all sorts of monsters, and write a "Monster Food Guide" to fill in the gaps in my knowledge.

"Oh! That's a great idea!"

Senxi's eyes lit up: "I've also thought about recording all my knowledge, but not many people are interested in monster cooking, and I don't have anyone to teach, so for now I'm just writing casually in the form of a diary."

You're still just a child, but you have such lofty ambitions! That's amazing!

"Oh, you flatter me... Mr. Mori also has some knowledge of monster cuisine?"

Ye Shou seemed to suddenly realize something.

"Of course!"

Mori nodded: "I've lived in the labyrinth for decades. About twenty years ago, I started to seriously study monster cuisine."

"Amazing! I never imagined there were others in the world who shared my passion!"

Ye Shou looked excited, as if he had found a kindred spirit. After a pause, he had a sudden inspiration: "By the way, is Mr. Senxi also alone?"

"Ok!"

Senxi looked at Ye Shou's joyful face. From his dwarf perspective, most humans looked rather young, and Ye Shou looked like a twelve or thirteen-year-old boy. He couldn't help but feel a sense of elder's care for the younger generation.

He has always liked to help young people.

correct!

This child seems very cultured and enthusiastic. Could I entrust my cooking recipes to him to spread them?

Although I don't have children, I can still have successors!

……bite!

【Destiny Coin (Senshi) 1】

Plans are in place!

For a moment, Ye Shou's smile was full of smugness, but it was forcibly suppressed.

Is it aristocratic arrogance? We can't let negative connotations cause trouble at a time like this.

……

Mori is more than just a cook. In fact, as can be seen from the original work, he has a great understanding of the habitat of monsters and is quite calm in battle. You can hardly see him panicking.

His unique experiences in his early years, along with his solitary journey over the past half-century, have long since transformed him into an adventurer among adventurers!

Even with the combined bonuses of "Monster Hunter" and "Humanoid Slayer," Ye Shou was still able to learn something from him, which fully proves the dwarf chef's worth.

He managed to suppress his negative emotions of "pride" and humbly accepted Senshi's teachings during the hunting and cooking process. Senshi also felt a long-lost sense of security after teaming up with him.

This kid is incredibly skilled!

Putting aside obvious metrics like wrist strength and explosive power, what surprised Senxi was that Ye Shou never showed any signs of strain, nor did he suggest taking a break.

He wasn't just putting on a brave face; he was genuinely handling things with ease!

In addition, most of Ye Shou's weapons and equipment have "enchantment" effects, and some may even be relics of ancient elves, such as short guns with paralysis magic, crossbows with fire blast magic, and magic swords that can cut through steel.

Any one of these items could be exchanged for wealth that would allow one to enjoy life for several years, right?

Yet Ye Shou used such things so casually, completely disregarding the wear and tear, his wealth and extravagance reaching an astonishing level!

Senxi doesn't care much about wealth. He has long since given up all worldly desires, otherwise he wouldn't have survived for so long in the "labyrinth of devouring desires" without being digested. But that doesn't mean he doesn't know the role of money, so he becomes even more curious about Ye Shou's background.