"It's dead! Quick, put it into the pot for scalding!"
A cheer erupted from the crowd.
With a flurry of hands, they tossed the blood-drained black pig into a specially made container.
Boiling water, controlled by a Water-type ability user, was poured over the pig's body.
The once jet-black skin gradually turned red, and the hair on its hide started falling off strand by strand under the hot water.
A faint aroma of at even began to waft out.
As the pig was scalded in the container, it suddenly struggled violently, almost flipping the container over with its imnse strength.
The crowd gasped in shock.
"This pig is tenacious!"
"Of course it is! It's a mutated black pig—its vitality must be mutated too."
"I rember last year's pig-slaughtering feast when one pig actually escaped from the boiling pot and almost ran out of the central zone. This one still doesn't compare to that one."
"Is that so? What a pity I wasn't around then to see it."
"Hurry up! Stop just standing there watching—get it back in. Be careful not to splash yourself with the boiling water."
"Oh, co on! There are so many people here. It'll be fine, no problem."
The lively crowd was entirely unfazed by the scene; they were long used to it.
Sure enough, it didn't take long before the struggling black pig was forced back into the boiling pot and transford into a thoroughly lifeless one.
The onlookers breathed a collective sigh of relief, their faces relaxing into smiles.
Nearby, the chopping board for butchering was already set up.
The freshly scalded black pig was hoisted onto the board with everyone's combined effort.
Standing at the ready was Do Seungjin, whose years of experience were evident.
Before the apocalypse, Do Seungjin had been a butcher.
Now, he had already donned a professional butcher's outfit: a waterproof, stain-resistant apron that matched his aura perfectly.
Even mbers of the plant research institute ca over to join the commotion.
Director Jang Dojung stood by the chopping board with his arms crossed, watching Do Seungjin intently.
"Tut-tut-tut, I have to say, being the director of the Animal Research Institute doesn't suit you at all. What you're truly cut out for is being a butcher."
"Ha! Well, you're standing on equal footing with a butcher now," Do Seungjin replied smugly, twirling the wide, sharp butcher's knife in his hand like a flourish.
Jang Dojung scoffed dismissively, not bothering to argue.
The mont the black pig was placed in front of Do Seungjin, he beca invigorated. "Watch and learn! Let show you what true mastery looks like: Do Seungjins art of pig butchering!"
With that, Do Seungjin's knife began moving swiftly over the pig's body.
Kim Haru could barely track the blade's movents, yet chunks of at from the massive black pig began separating and falling aside, revealing its belly and bones beneath.
It was as if Do Seungjin's knife t no resistance, gliding effortlessly.
His unbroken rhythm, combined with the haunting cries of other black pigs eting their fate nearby, created an oddly srizing scene.
In no ti at all, the black pig was nearly fully dismantled.
The head was cut off and set aside, as it was too tough and required a different blade.
The entrails were removed and placed in a separate pile.
Then ca the limbs, followed by the various cuts of pork being separated into their respective portions.
From dawn until dusk, five large black pigs were slaughtered.
When it felt like the ti was right, the logistics team arrived to collect the pork designated for distribution to the residents for the New Year.
Those who remained didn't seem in a hurry to leave either.
After all, a pig-slaughtering feast wasn't just about the slaughter—it had to include a feast too.
The group continued their work near the earthen stove that had been used earlier to boil water.
After swapping out the large pot, the more skilled researchers banded together to prepare the dishes for the banquet.
Even Go Okrim enthusiastically joined in.
Others kept themselves busy as well, either cleaning up the area where the pigs had been slaughtered, processing the pork, or lending a hand to those cooking.
For those with little to do, they pulled a few stools from the Animal Research Institute, found an open space to sit, and gathered for a chat.
In the center, a small bonfire was lit.
When hunger struck, they tossed a couple of potatoes or sweet potatoes into the flas.
Once the food was roasted to a soft, steaming perfection, they fished it out, shared it among themselves, and ate just enough to tide them over, savoring the warmth in their hands.
The atmosphere was particularly harmonious.
The Cryo Wolf had been excitedly rolling around nearby during the pig slaughtering earlier.
By now, the blood-stained water left from the process had been licked clean by them, despite Kim Haru's repeated expressions of distaste.
Of course, Kim Haru didn't really try to stop them.
While dealing with scraps of at unfit for human consumption, he casually tossed so to the Cryo Wolf.
The Cryo Wolf were overjoyed, they were leaping and bouncing with excitent.
It wasn't as though they had never eaten black pig at before.
On so occasions, they'd even feasted on an entire black pig, eating to their hearts' content.
Yet, this ti they seed particularly thrilled—not because of the at itself, but because it was given to them by the human they like the most.
Luna, however, didn't share the Cryo Wolf and Cresent's enthusiasm for black pork.
She perched gracefully atop Kang Hose's head, it rested with its eyes closed, occasionally licking its paws or flicking its tail, all the while casting disdainful glances at the frolicking Cryo Wolf and Cresent.
The animals knew their boundaries and didn't dare ss with the pork in the humans' hands.
Kim Haru, seeing no harm in their behavior, let them play freely.
Before long, the Cryo Wolf found their way to the pig pen.
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