Becoming a god by raising witches

Locke shook his scarf and coat to make sure no insects landed on him before heading towards Old Tom's apartment.

Nowadays, the only thing Locke can boast about is his cooking skills.

No, he also has a handsome appearance.

But seducing a cat is a very strange thing.

Back at the apartment, Hannah had already come out of her room and looked at Locke in surprise, who had several bumps on his face.

"Locke, where have you been?"

"I went for a run to exercise. Look, my sweat is pouring down like a waterfall. We should exercise more after meals."

Locke said with a smile.

"Your face."

"I encountered a few enthusiastic bees."

Hannah covered her forehead with one hand, surprised that her younger brother, who was so old, still liked to do childish things like stirring up hornet's nests. She turned and went into the room, taking out a bottle of ointment from the drawer.

At this moment, Locke had already slipped into the kitchen.

I was planning to make stock tonight anyway, so now I can start preparing.

Wash the beef bones and some offal and put them in a pot. First, blanch the offal and beef bones in boiling water, then rinse them with cold water.

Thanks to Bedem's generosity, there's enough leftover offal to make skewers.

Cut them up and skewer them with homemade bamboo skewers.

These bamboo skewers were made by Locke during his first year in this world. Once, Hannah received a bonus, and the siblings made a meal of grilled meat on bamboo skewers.

After that, due to financial difficulties, it was never used again.

Now, in order to please the witch, they'll start shining and generating heat again.

Eileen watched with a puzzled expression as Locke skewered the beef offal piece by piece with bamboo sticks.

"Why not coat them with honey and sauce and put them in the oven? What are the bones on the side for? Why throw away the broth?"

"I'm sorry, madam, we don't have an oven at home, so we can only grill over charcoal. Only this primitive method can be called barbecue. Also, the bones are for making stock, which we can drink tomorrow. A good stock needs to be simmered for at least 4 to 6 hours. If we simmer it all night, the result will be even better."

Locke explained in detail that he was now very patient with Eileen, and one could even say that he dared not slack off in the slightest.

Hannah also went into the kitchen and happened to hear her brother talking to the cat, Ai. A strange expression appeared on her face.

She walked over to Locke. "Here, let me put the medicine on. Doesn't it hurt?"

It hurts, but the thought of almost losing my life makes it less painful. Saving my life is the most important thing.

Locke answered his sister's question in his mind, lowered his head so that Hannah could easily apply the medicine to him.

After applying the cool ointment, the pain on my face lessened slightly.

Locke said,

"Hannah, help me put these skewered meats on the charcoal brazier."

"Oh, are we having barbecue today? But we ate a lot for dinner."

Hannah pouted, noticing that her younger brother Locke was becoming increasingly greedy.

Although she will soon be able to return to being a reporter, Locke's daily diet is not a sustainable solution. He can't save any money, and how will he ever get married?

"I'm not full, I'm sorry, Hannah. Besides, you'll be earning money soon, so you won't be stingy with this midnight snack, right?"

Locke raised an eyebrow.

Hannah immediately felt guilty, suspecting that she had eaten too much and that her younger brother hadn't eaten enough.

So she took the meat skewer from the bamboo tube and walked out of the kitchen.

Suddenly, she turned to look at Locke and reminded him, "Don't discuss cooking with Xiao Ai anymore. If others hear you, they'll think you're out of your mind, my dear brother."

"Okay, I know."

Locke nodded and said perfunctorily.

Locke put the onions, cloves, carrots, celery, bay leaves, green garlic, pork stalks, and other ingredients, along with the selected offal and beef bones, into a pot, poured in water, and then turned the heat to the highest setting. Watching the gas meter tick up continuously, his eyebrows twitched rhythmically in sync with the meter readings.

Making broth requires not only time but also money.

The charcoal brazier on the table was already filled with skewers.

Hannah had seen Locke roast it once before, so her movements looked quite professional.

"Give it to me, Hannah."

Locke reached out his hand.

Hannah handed the skewers to the family chef, asking, "Is soup simmering in the kitchen? Do you need my help?"

"Yes, go check if the water in the pot has boiled. Call me in when it has."

Hannah nodded; she could still manage something this simple.

Locke began his barbecue.

Eileen watched from the sidelines, her black cat tail swaying occasionally.

Fifteen minutes passed, and the aroma of grilled beef offal filled the entire room.

The grilled offal, coated with a roque honey sauce, developed a golden-brown color and a rich meaty aroma.

Hannah, who had initially felt quite full, suddenly felt her cravings return.

Eileen couldn't wait to taste the first bite of grilled beef offal on bamboo skewers.

Locke handed the roasted offal to Eileen.

Eileen stuck out her tongue, tasted it, and her eyes lit up.

"How about it?"

Locke asked.

"Generally speaking, it barely ranks 136th among the delicious foods I've ever eaten."

The haughty Eileen used her cat paws to scrape away most of the skewered beef offal, leaving only a few scattered pieces.

Locke took the remaining skewers to the kitchen to reward Hannah, who had been watching the fire the whole time.

He then lied and claimed that he had eaten the rest.

After Hannah finished eating, she gave a thumbs up.

"It tastes even better than plain roast meat, and it's much cheaper too. Locke, you're a genius."

Locke was used to his sister's praise. When he returned to the living room, he found that Miss Witch had already finished all the skewers.

She patted her bulging belly, wagged her tail, and decided to wait until Locke's broth was ready, take a sip, and then decide whether or not to kill him.

Chapter 29, Hiding a Big Secret

[Ding! Successfully fed the witch!]

[Witch favorability +1]

[Witch Irene Mostia's current favorability rating: 17/100]

Locke heard the system's crisp notification sound.

If the witch's favorability rating reaches 100%, can I be 100% sure she won't kill me to silence me and successfully help me?

Yes! This is definitely a way out!

But this meant he had to use all his possessions and ask Hannah for money to buy enough food to feed her 83 times a night.

Even if Locke could unleash his full potential and cook 83 dishes in one night, Eileen might not be so kind as to eat them all.

Although she has a sweet tooth, she's not a complete glutton.

In addition, a meal only counts as one feeding.

Damn it! Why can't a single peanut count as one instance? Or even a sip of soup count as one instance?

Therefore, this path is clearly not feasible.

If you can't max out the witch's affection level, you'll have to win by focusing on quality.

The grilled skewers I just had have bought me time. Tonight, I'll stay up all night to simmer a pot of delicious broth and make the witch completely submit!

Locke watched the water boil, then turned the heat down to a simmer and focused intently on skimming off the foam from the stock. These oils and impurities would affect the taste of the stock and were a crucial factor in determining its quality. A slight oversight could lead to failure and the production of inferior stock.

This process can take anywhere from 4 to 6 hours to 12 hours.

Locke's task was to stay awake for 12 hours straight. Sleeping would lead to being invaded by dreams, and he didn't want to sleep anyway.

Making broth is a perfect excuse not to sleep, a way to procrastinate.

On this night, you can also let the witch experience how knowledgeable you are as a gourmet, increasing her affection for you.

Late at night, Hannah was already asleep, but Locke and Eileen were still in the kitchen.

If Hannah hadn't eaten too much that evening and needed to go to the restroom, she probably wouldn't have discovered that Locke was vividly describing his strange and wonderful dishes to the black cat, complete with many stories.