“This thing doesn’t look very tasty, and it actually tastes terrible.”

The man, wearing only a sleeveless shirt, was holding a bug leg in his hand. The leg was covered with tender white meat. The meat was sizzling over the fire and giving off a strange smell.

In Lu Ban's words, it was like the smell left on the palm of your hand after you slapped a stink bug to death.

That is to say, it stinks.

Under the bright starry sky, five people sat around a campfire, with towering sand dunes on the side. The firelight reflected on the silver sand, making the surroundings brighter.

The sturdy man in a sleeveless shirt is called "Giant Wrist" who can control fire. The short man is called "Flame Heart". The last thin and pale man is called "Old Dream".

"Hey, you two are newbies, and you may not know the rules of this wilderness. The names of wilderness hunters are secret. We prefer to call ourselves by nicknames. Of course, a resounding nickname is sometimes easier to remember than a name, isn't it!"

The giant arm gave a hearty laugh and gave a simple explanation.

It can be seen that although his hands look like humans, there are countless gravels on the skin of his arms. These gravels grow on his hands like crystals, shining brightly.

Similar to the giant wrist, the entire palm of Yanxin's right hand is wrapped in crystals, like a prosthesis, and Jiumeng has the same crystals near his eyes, and even his two eyes shine like gems.

"Crystal Core Disease..."

Lu Ban knew from their conversations that this was the reason for the destruction of the world.

Yes, this foreign land of wasteland is somewhat different from other foreign lands in that it has indeed been destroyed.

This world was once extremely prosperous, with a technological level far exceeding that of Lu Ban's world. However, a disease swept the world, and brilliant crystals appeared on the bodies of the sick. These crystals would continue to spread over time, and eventually turn the sick person's entire body into hard crystal.

After experiencing disasters and wars, the wasteland became what it is today.

Juwan and the other three are patients of crystal core disease.

Crystal core disease is the source of this world's supernatural powers.

Once someone has crystal core disease, certain lesions will occur in the body, thereby gaining power beyond the limits of ordinary humans. Some people's bodies mutate and can grow strong giant arms, some can control fire for their own use, and some can influence the minds of others.

However, as time goes by, the extraordinary abilities of patients with crystal core disease become stronger and stronger, and they will also move closer and closer to their end. The more they use their abilities, the faster the crystal core will spread. Eventually, when their abilities fully blossom, they will become a crystal flower in the desert.

"Nicknames? I think we should get two, don't you?"

Lu Ban looked at Xia beside him.

“…Yes, indeed.”

Xia was still a little dazed by the strange situation in this world. When she heard Lu Ban's words, she nodded.

"My nickname is... The Mage, then."

She answered immediately.

Although Lu Ban wanted to complain, now was obviously not the time. He thought about it and said his nickname.

"Clown, you can call me Clown."

"What a funny nickname, hahaha."

The giant arm laughed and handed the roasted insect meat in his hand to Lu Ban and Xia.

"Here, eat it while it's hot. It will stink more if it gets cold."

"……Thanks."

Xiaya took the skewer and looked a little unhappy.

Lu Ban took his own string and sniffed it with his nose close to it.

It really smells like bedbugs.

He confirmed again.

Then, Lu Ban took a bite.

"Um?"

The taste was totally unexpected to him, it was like seafood that had been dead for several days, fermented and rotted, thrown into a pot, boiled, and then dipped in mustard and soy sauce and put into the mouth.

The taste is really hard to describe with the word "delicious" or its synonyms.

Especially when the meat entered his throat, Lu Ban could even feel it beating.

In fact, even after being roasted over the fire, the insect flesh continued to wriggle, as if it felt it could still be rescued.

When Xia saw Lu Ban's face turn pale, she subconsciously stopped the skewer of meat that she was about to put into her mouth.

"What's wrong? If you don't eat enough, you won't have the energy tomorrow."

The giant wrist urged.

Under his eager gaze, Xia swallowed and gently took a bite of the insect meat.

Puff puff puff——

When she bit it, the worm meat suddenly struggled violently, like a carp trying to escape from a fish tank.

"Ha, this piece of meat looks very fresh. You are lucky. Fresh meat tastes good."

The giant wrist said with envy.

The female mage took a little effort to get the meat completely into her mouth. Even when she was chewing, Lu Ban saw the piece of meat jumping in her cheek.

"……tasty!"

However, when Xia swallowed the piece of meat completely, the expression on her face suddenly brightened.

"?"

A question mark popped up in Lu Ban's mind.

He saw Xia's surprised look, and savored the taste of the insect meat, as if it were some tomahawk steak or high-end barbecue.

Could this person be the kind of guy who pretends that something tastes good even though it clearly doesn't taste good in order to trick others into continuing to eat it?

Lu Ban was thinking.

Xia took another bite of the bouncing insect meat, and in less than three minutes, she had finished the whole piece.

"It tastes really good and makes me feel full of vitality. It's just like my mother's cooking."

The wizard girl patted her belly... and the armor on her belly, and said with satisfaction.

"Haha, it seems like you are the one who can enjoy this meat, you are so lucky!"

The giant arm laughed loudly and tore off another piece of insect meat. He chewed it directly without roasting it, making a crisp chewing sound.

"Is it... really delicious?"

Lu Ban put the piece in his hand aside, and picked up a piece of lively insect meat, took a look at it, closed his eyes and took a bite.

Gurgle gurgle, Lu Ban swallowed the piece of meat.

"…One of my sense of taste and yours must be seriously ill."

He commented on Shia.

The bonfire was burning. Lu Ban and Xia Ya volunteered to keep watch. The two sat beside the fire. The three wilderness hunters slept separately in a posture that they could wake up at any time, wrapped in blankets, and the camel-like creatures used for riding were tied near the luggage.

It was the first time for Lu Ban to spend the night in the desert. He looked up at the starry sky and found that the star map of this world was very different from that of the Earth. He tried to find Aldebaran, but to no avail.

At this moment, Xia, who was resting with her eyes closed, suddenly opened her eyes.

"It's a new day."

She said this, and then took out an old book from her bosom.

Turning to one of the pages of the book, Xia began to slowly recite something silently, as if she was praying.

"What are you doing?"

Lu Ban asked.

Xia did not answer. Instead, she waited for several minutes until she finished reading, then closed the book and looked at him.

"I'm praying for a spell to be used today."