Chapter 516

Chapter 516: Not Only Horror Upright Apes Can Play with Fire

“Hmm!?”

“Delicious!”

This was probably Trilobite’s first time eating hot food in another world.

Though the Lufengosaurus was only roasted by strong flames, the fat under the skin wasn’t fully cooked; yet this undercooked taste gave Trilobite a new feeling.

“Hiss…”

“It was warm in my stomach.”

“So comfortable.”

Trilobite felt a warm liquid swirling in his stomach, warming his stomach and lighting up all his nerves and muscles.

His limbs and thoughts seemed to gain more strength.

“Hmm?”

“I didn’t know if it was an illusion, but the roasted meat felt easier to digest.”

“Hmm…”

“It probably wasn’t an illusion.”

Trilobite thought eating cooked food was a key advantage for human brain growth.

After all, even if meat was torn and eaten, raw meat cells kept their membranes; plant cells often had thick walls too.

This meant animals needed lots of time and energy for eating and digesting.

Ungulates were strong and took over ecological niches fast because rumination let them handle digestion during free time.

But eating cooked food was easier.

After high heat, the membranes broke down, releasing nutrients inside.

Food cooked by fire became "predigested," making it more nutritious and easier to digest than raw meat.

With less digestion time, naked apes had extra energy.

This meant they could use that energy elsewhere—like improving heat systems or growing brains for tougher hunts.

Finally, humans became naked apes and evolved into Horror Upright Apes.

“For me, eating cooked food felt more direct.”

Trilobite felt that eating cooked food gave him a buff.

“I felt so refreshed now!”

“Whew…”

“So what were we waiting for?”

“Let’s keep eating.”

“Awu…”

Trilobite plunged his head deep into the steaming corpse and tore at it nonstop.

He continued to devour the undercooked, meaty food heartily.

“But…”

“Is there a way to carry things around and roast them anywhere?”

“Even though my brain is very smart now, my emotions are stable, and my understanding of this world is deep, I don’t need to develop my brain further.”

“But adding a buff to myself after every meal is still quite nice.”

As Trilobite ate, his eyes looked at the flying Trilobite Mantises in the sky.

He remembered that he had spent a lot (probably thousands) of Chaos Energy to change a few Trilobite Mantises into bugs that could "spit fire" from their behinds.

“This counts as Plan One.”

“But…”

“Having only one fire-starting plan isn’t enough.”

“Now that I have a chemical fire-starting plan, let’s try a physical one.”

“Actually, it’s not impossible.”

“And some older ones have already done this.”

“No, based on time, they should be the younger ones…”

In the world, there were more animals than just naked apes that knew how great roasted food tasted and would set fires on purpose; there was also one… or three kinds still around that did this.

By chance, these three animals all belonged to the dinosaur order and were related to Trilobite.

They were the Black Kite, the Whistling Kite, and the Brown Falcon, all living in Australia.

Once, a firefighter saw a Whistling Kite carrying a burning branch and starting seven fires in one day.

That was like a super arsonist, huh…

These raptors knew fire well; they understood that when things burned, small animals would run out, often in a set way, making hunting easier.

They also knew that after a big fire went out, they could always find roasted small animals in the ashes; these fire-cooked foods were easier to digest and didn’t leave their stomachs feeling cold and bad.

In some ways, what these raptors did was as good as early upright humans.

“Very good.”

“Besides changing a few Trilobite Mantises for ‘chemical fire-starting’ when needed, I should also get a spawn to handle ‘physical fire-starting’.”

“From now on, I’ll bring two lighters with me when I go out.”

“Cool!”

“Hmm, let me see…”

While still swallowing the tasty, juicy "undercooked meat," Trilobite opened the "Evolution STEAM System."

He planned to modify his spawn well.

“Actually, it’s pretty simple.”

“If I just boost their capabilities a bit and add a ‘behavior,’ it will be done!”

"Burp…"

"Burp… Hmm…"

Even goddesses could "burp."

Of course, this only happened after they used their Divine Bodies to perform the "Corpse Offering Ritual."

Though this seeming "burp" or "roar" might appear somewhat "undignified" for a goddess, it was actually the ritual’s final component.

When Sotiko and Valaharl opened their huge mouths and emitted loud roars, sending steaming energy skyward from their "forge-bellies," they were offering prayers to the Giant God with boiling energy.

Likely, the Chaos Energy collected by the Giant God from "clients" was retrieved through this "Wilderness" method, using special channels existing in the void or higher planes.

Of course, this was merely Sotiko’s speculation.

"You only say that because roaring at the sky feels great after such a feast."

"Do it yourself—why drag me in?"

Valaharl crouched down, slowly licking his claws with the elegance of a great cat.

"Hahahaha…"

Sotiko chuckled.

"Alright, minor details! Nothing worth fussing over!"

"What truly matters is how the Giant God’s ‘forbidden spells’ will change the Chaos Swamp Realm."

"This is too monumental."

"Impossible to conceal now."

"Must gauge Barbatos’s reaction."

"Speaking of which, Barbatos should be prepared, right?"

Truthfully, Sotiko’s concern was unnecessary.

The attitude of the First Demon God Barbatos?

Barbatos held one stance—"The Giant God!"

"Must be eradicated!"

"No alternative!"

"This is non-negotiable!"

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

At the Core Council of Chaos’s "round table," Barbatos pounded the surface.

His gentlemanly veneer had vanished, leaving only frenzy.

"After all, we retain absolute superiority!"

"Moreover, we’ve won a battle! Yes, a victory!"

"A decisive triumph!"

Barbatos’s crazed eyes swept his surroundings.

The core councilors’ demeanors varied.

Lady Xidi and Gimmerly wore expressions dripping with mockery, yet tinged with anticipation.

Their scorn was understandable—they relished seeing Barbatos falter.

As for the anticipation…

Perhaps both demon gods wondered how Barbatos would spin this colossal defeat into "victory."

Baimon and Shaks averted their gazes when Barbatos looked their way.

But the flicker of fear in their eyes escaped no one.

"Hmph, cowards!"

"Though the mark ensures they cause no trouble."

Morax, Sotiko, and Amon kept their eyes shut, detached.

"These three foxes are waiting to see which way the wind blows…"

"As for…"

Barbatos sighed, glancing at an empty seat.

Another core councilor existed—the self-styled "King of Ether" from the "Endless Ether."

Yet this entity owed no allegiance to "Chaos," merely a title-bound deity deployed against the "Abyss."

Barbatos couldn’t command him.

"Unreliable."

Only Magaxia and Barbatos retained any fervor, eyes blazing with "certain victory."

"Thankfully, I have these two pillars!"

"This battle wasn’t fruitless!"

"Bring forth the captured ‘Will of the World’!"