After breakfast, Flora didn't immediately clear the table like she usually did.
She stood in the kitchen, fingers pinching the edge of her apron, her gaze falling on a small basket of silver-white leaves next to the stove.
This was the Moonlight Grass harvested just this morning, tied into small bundles and hung upside down by the window to dry.
Upon closer inspection, one could see faint golden veins running through the interior of every leaf.
It was a visible sign that they were brimming with mana.
“Chen Mian.”
“Mhm.”
“You mentioned before that I should try making magical cuisine.”
“Mhm.”
“I have the ingredients now.” Flora took a deep breath, looking as if she were making a major decision. “I want to try.”
Chen Mian set down his water glass, walked into the kitchen, and sat at the dining table. “I’ll watch you.”
Flora nodded.
She wasn't used to being watched while she cooked, but she didn't refuse.
She first washed the Moonlight Grass leaves and placed them in a bamboo basket to drain. Then, she took three magic tomatoes, blanched them in boiling water, and peeled them. A rich, sweet aroma instantly filled the air.
“Smells good.” Loviki’s voice came from the stairs.
She had changed into clean clothes, her thick black hair draped over her shoulders and still slightly damp. She had clearly just showered, and she looked even more relaxed than usual.
She glanced at the busy Flora before turning her gaze to Chen Mian. “What are you making?”
“Magical cuisine.”
Loviki’s eyes lit up, and she sat down across from Chen Mian.
Flora didn't turn around, but she could feel the two pairs of eyes behind her.
Besides a bit of nervousness, she felt... a strange sense of peace.
“Need help?” Loviki suddenly asked.
Flora was startled for a moment before turning around.
Loviki had already stood up and walked to the stove, looking at the ingredients with an expression as serious as if she were studying a complex magical theory.
“What can you do?” Flora asked.
Loviki was silent for two seconds. “I can hand you things.”
Flora couldn't help but smile. “Then help me bring that white bowl over.”
Loviki turned to get the bowl.
Chen Mian sat at the table, watching the two of them busy themselves in the kitchen, and took a sip of water.
Flora first handled the magical chilies.
She placed three thumb-sized, deep-red chilies on the cutting board, lightly slit them with the tip of her knife, and then pressed down with the back of the blade to slowly scrape out the seeds.
Before long, fine beads of sweat formed on her forehead.
The mana in the magical chilies produced a slight burning sensation, making them difficult to handle for Flora, who had lost her mana.
However, her hands were steady, and every cut was precise.
Standing nearby, Loviki watched Flora’s movements, a hint of surprise in her eyes.
She could feel that the mana released by the chilies was very pure. Pure enough to be absorbed directly by the human body.
Flora set the prepared chili seeds aside and began to dice the magic tomatoes. Soon, the tomatoes were cut into small, uniform cubes with perfectly neat edges.
The flesh of the fruit trembled slightly on the knife’s surface, and faint golden specks of light seeped from the cuts, condensing and then dissipating in the air.
“What happens if you eat this raw?” Loviki couldn't help but ask.
Flora glanced at her. “It restores mana.”
“How much?”
“Why don't you pick one and find out?” Chen Mian glanced at her.
Loviki hesitated for a moment before actually standing up and walking to the back of the house.
A moment later, she returned with a tomato. After washing it, she took a light bite, and her eyes narrowed slightly.
Loviki then opened her eyes and looked down at the remaining half of the tomato in her hand. “Just one bite restored five percent of my mana.”
“Can these... be sold?” she asked as she walked back into the kitchen, her voice a bit dry.
“Not for sale,” Chen Mian said.
“Why?”
“I grow them for us to eat.”
Loviki looked at the bitten magic tomato and silently stuffed the remaining half into her mouth. “Delicious.”
Flora looked at her, the corners of her mouth curving slightly as she continued to prep.
Next was the soup base.
Flora put the diced magic tomatoes into a pot and added just enough fresh water to cover them.
Loviki asked in confusion, “No salt?”
Flora shook her head. “The natural umami of the magic tomatoes is enough. Adding salt would actually disrupt the stability of the mana.”
She turned the heat to low and let it simmer.
While waiting, Chen Mian stood up and walked to the window, looking toward the distant forest.
On a branch, a black raven tilted its head, its crimson eyes fixed on the apartment, motionless.
Chen Mian looked at it for a few moments before turning back to sit at the table.
“What’s wrong?” Flora asked.
“Nothing.” Chen Mian picked up his glass. “The soup is almost ready.”
The tomato soup in the pot was already boiling.
Flora lifted the lid and stirred gently with a wooden spoon.
The deep red liquid coated the spoon in a thin, crystal-clear film.
She turned the heat down further and began to prepare the Moonlight Grass.
Chen Mian stood up, walked behind Flora, and looked at the arrangement of ingredients on the counter.
“Don't stack the Moonlight Grass too thick.” He reached out to spread the small stack of leaves back out. “If you cut them while they're stacked, the fibers in the middle will break.”
Flora was stunned for a moment as she watched him rearrange the leaves. He didn't move fast, but every leaf was laid out perfectly flat.
“You know how to cook?”
“I don't.” Chen Mian put his hands back in his pockets.
Come to think of it, the last time he had cooked seriously was probably over forty years ago. Back then, his teammates’ cooking was so terrible it could kill... so he, the captain by default, had to do the cooking.
Flora carefully sliced the layered Moonlight Grass into thin strips and then sprinkled them into the soup.
The silver-white strips of Moonlight Grass unfurled across the deep red surface of the soup, emitting a faint ripple of mana.
Next, she took two spoonfuls of magical chili seeds and lightly sprinkled them over the top.
Throughout the entire process, no mana guidance was used; it was purely the mana of the ingredients themselves interacting.
Chen Mian noticed that the moment the Moonlight Grass strips touched the soup, the faint golden veins flared brightly before quickly dimming as the grass's mana merged into the liquid.
The mana of the three plants blended in the soup, eventually reaching stability and releasing a rich fragrance.
“It’s done.” Flora used the wooden spoon to divide the soup into three bowls and brought them to the table.
Chen Mian looked down at the bowl of soup.
In the deep red base, the silver-white Moonlight Grass strips were spread out, and the golden chili seeds at the bottom shimmered with tiny glints of light through the soup.
A glowing dish?
It certainly fit his idea of magical cuisine.
Probably only they would do this... using magical crops to refine medicine would yield better results, but it would sacrifice the flavor of the ingredients.
Chen Mian took a spoonful. The moment the soup entered his mouth, a wave of warmth spread from the tip of his tongue to his entire mouth.
Now this is what food in another world should be like~
The fresh sweetness of the magic tomatoes bloomed in his mouth, revealing a more complex flavor.
The subtle heat of the chili seeds, the refreshing acidity of the fruit, and the crisp, mellow fragrance of the Moonlight Grass merged perfectly, creating a wonderful balance.
After swallowing, that warm sensation didn't vanish. Instead, it traveled down his throat into his stomach and then slowly radiated into his limbs.
It was very comfortable.
Chen Mian set down his spoon and checked his status.
His mana recovery speed had indeed increased.
For someone at Level 130, it was negligible.
But for an ordinary mage, the effect of this bowl of soup might be equivalent to a medium-grade mana recovery potion.
More importantly, this soup was truly delicious!
“How is it?” Flora’s voice carried an obvious tension.
“It’s delicious.” Chen Mian paused before adding, “The flavors of each ingredient blend together very well. The taste is stunning.”
Flora pressed her lips together and smiled softly. She took a sip, and then a second.
Loviki didn't offer a critique; she just focused on drinking the soup.
However, her ruby-like eyes were slightly narrowed, and the corners of her mouth were unconsciously upturned. She looked like a cat that had just been pampered.
“The mana recovery effect of this soup is even better than a medium-grade potion,” Loviki said with a hint of disbelief. “And it doesn't have the side effects of a potion.”
“To think a dish could achieve the effects of alchemical ingredients...”
“It’s because the ingredients are good,” she said softly.
Flora knew in her heart that for this soup to turn out this way, it was inseparable from these high-quality ingredients. With ordinary magic tomatoes and Moonlight Grass, no matter how good the technique, it wouldn't reach this level.
After all, a dish is just a dish; there's usually a gap compared to alchemical medicines designed entirely for functionality. That was why she never expected Chen Mian to be willing to let her use magical crops as ingredients.
But now, she completely understood.
The crops in this garden... they had only been planted for three days and were already partially mature. There was no need to fear waste.
“Mr. Chen Mian,” she suddenly spoke up.
“Mhm?”
“Is this garden really just ordinary magic soil?”
Chen Mian glanced at her. “Take a guess.”
Flora didn't press further, but she already had the answer in her heart.
This wasn't ordinary magic soil.
In fact, this entire apartment, including the land around it, might be one massive magical creation.
She lowered her head and took another sip. The warm soup slid down her throat, and mana slowly flowed into the depths of her body.
Although it couldn't lift her curse, at least in this moment, she felt at peace.
The three bowls of soup were soon empty.
Loviki took the initiative to collect the bowls and wash them. This time, she didn't use too much dish soap.
Chen Mian glanced at her. “You learn fast.”
“I'm a genius,” Loviki replied without looking back.
Flora sat in her chair, holding her empty bowl with both hands, staring at the remaining deep red soup at the bottom for a while.
“What are you thinking about?” Chen Mian asked.
“I’m thinking about what the next magical dish should be.” She looked up, her pale green eyes filled with a touch of seriousness. “There’s only so much you can make with Moonlight Grass and tomatoes. Once the pumpkins, cabbages, and other vegetables are ripe, I can try more combinations.”
“No rush.” Chen Mian stood up and took the empty bowl from her hands. “Rest first.”
Flora looked at her empty hands, then at Chen Mian’s back as he walked toward the kitchen. Her lips moved, and she finally whispered, “...Thank you.”
Chen Mian didn't turn back. “You’re welcome.”
【Flora has successfully developed a magical dish!】
【Dish Name: Moonlight Grass and Magic Tomato Soup】
【Quality: Basic Magical Dish】
【Effect: Mana recovery speed +20% for 45 minutes after consumption; clears mild fatigue.】
【Reward Obtained: 300 Points!】
【Interaction Quest Complete! Obtained 30 Points.】
【Current Points: 1,830.】
He was more than halfway to the 3,000-point goal.
...
Night.
Deep in the Forest of Death, on the branch of an ancient tree.
A figure wrapped in a black robe crouched there, only half of a pale face visible under the hood.
His gaze pierced through the layers of the canopy, landing on the cream-colored apartment in the distance.
“Found you.” The black-robed figure’s voice was cold. A black raven landed on his shoulder, its crimson eyes also staring in that direction.
He didn't approach.
He pulled a black crystal from his robe and crushed it.
Fine powder drifted from between his fingers, carried away by the wind.
“The Lord will be interested, won't he?”
Rate on N.U.
