Chapter 6 - The Dumpling Test
After handing in the ingredient procurement report to Rimuru, Shiro dove into a frenzy of research like a madman. The moment his samples were secured, he barricaded himself in the test kitchen and unleashed a blizzard of notes, boiling theories, and flavor hypothesis diagrams. He was obsessed—and thrilled. With the new ingredients now catalogued, the culinary possibilities buzzed through his mind like a swarm of bees on sugar.
The Food Research Kitchen—Tempest's experimental culinary lab—was more impressive than Shiro remembered. Enchanted stoves hissed with magical precision, alchemical cookware shimmered, and rare spices from across the Jura Forest lined the shelves. Runes flickered along the countertops, reacting subtly to magicule presence, while vents breathed in sync with mana activity.
Shiro floated in like a child in a candy shop.
"I feel like a kid in a candy lab," he muttered.
He unloaded his haul at one of the ingredient prep stations: root tubers, forest herbs, gleaming fungi, and rich monster meat.
[System Notification: Ingredients Catalogued. Nutritional Viability: High. Culinary Potential: Promising.]
[Ingredient List Updated: Wild Starch Root, Sporeleaf bundles, Lumo-Fungi, Glowbloom Fungus, Razorhog Meat, Moss Cabbage, Mana Bark, Wild Onions, Root of Fire Powder, Hornet Honey, Sun-Berry Pulp.]
Shiro began with testing. Boiled, mashed, and blended with goblin wheat flour and ogre egg, the Wild Starch Root transformed into a springy dough. His slime tendrils moved with the confidence of a seasoned chef.
[Analysis: Wild Starch Root Processed. Texture: Elastic. Taste: Mild. Suitability: Ideal for dumpling wrappers.]
Three distinct fillings took shape:
Razorhog Firebite: Spiced boar meat, wild onions, garlic, and Root of Fire powder.
Herbal Medley: Sporeleaf, moss cabbage, and mana bark—an earthy vegetarian mix.
Glowbloom Delight: Caramelized Lumo-Fungi with hornet honey and sun-berry pulp—a glowing dessert variant.
[System Notification: Dumpling Variants Created — Razorhog Firebite, Herbal Medley, Glowbloom Delight.]
He rolled, stuffed, and sealed them with artisan precision before placing them in the enchanted steamer. Simultaneously, he carved basic rune circuits into an iron pan to test heat retention over time.
[Skill Activation: Circuit Synthesis] [Magical Conduction Stable. Heat Distribution Efficiency: 83%]
Mana pulsed softly through etched glyphs. The steamer hissed, the rune-pan shimmered, and his mental map tracked the micro-adjustments in heat and moisture.
[Skill Activation: Moisture Mapping — Sub-Skill of Forager's Mapping]
[Skill Activation: Thermal Modulation]
The kitchen filled with an aroma so potent that Gobta poked his head in.
"Shiro-sama, it smells like victory."
A moment later, Rimuru appeared like a shadow drawn by scent.
"What's this? Smells amazing."
"Dumpling test," Shiro said. "Razorhog's the flagship."
Rimuru devoured one. His entire form rippled with bliss.
"I could cry. This is gourmet-level insanity."
A goblin assistant clapped. "He's got the hands of a god—tentacles, but still!"
Shiro jiggled with pride. "Used [Thermal Modulation] for perfect steaming, [Moisture Mapping] for juicy fillings. Might've instinctively fermented the honey-fungi too."
[System Notification]
[Title Acquired: Tempest Test Kitchen Innovator]
[Effect: Enhanced flavor sensitivity and preparation speed in culinary zones.]
Gobta raised a dumpling. "To Shiro-sama! Tempest's Slime Chef Supreme!"
Shiro jiggled proudly.
He eyed the steamer, mind alight with possibilities: dumpling towers, mana sauces, Lumo-Fungi glazes, fermentation clocks. Even basic mana-stabilized cookware could revolutionize Tempest's food economy.
He carved another rune, testing delay-trigger enchantments. Magic and gastronomy were no longer separate fields.
They were his canvas.
He had research to do—and flavors to engineer.
[Milestone Achieved: Research Foodie Madman]