Chapter 1511
Chapter 1511 - 1507: Integration
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"...Another day, another fish dish," groaned Big Cat... Chris, clearly dismayed at the sight of the fish feast that Lu Ping’an had brought to the table.
"Last week you were complaining about the toughness and lack of flavor in the sea beast meat; fish is a bit more tasty, so let’s make do."
Chris’s new body was almost entirely lifelike, and the sensation of hunger she had not felt in a long time was overwhelming, even for a former Quasi-God.
Due to the circumstances, especially since Lu Ping’an no longer had his "Portable Space" and had naturally forgotten to bring any seasoning, the taste of the food was a disaster, yet it had to be eaten...
"You eat first!"
The woman pushed it away irritably, noticing that the grilled fish was smeared with various "jams," "roe," and "meat sauces"... This man’s take on creative cooking was even more outrageous than his own "daughter."
Lu Ping’an picked at his fish patty and grilled (sea beast) meat, looking like yesterday’s "crab sauce" had made a particularly deep impression on Chris.
But there was no helping it, the most fundamental aspect of seasoning was to extract and mix materials, and Lu Ping’an had too few ingredients, so he had to experiment more.
As Lu Ping’an chewed, he nodded his head, seeming quite satisfied with this attempt.
After watching for a long time, Chris picked it up with some skepticism... It should be fine, right? This time he surely learned from his mistakes; not just anything can be made into an edible sauce.
She put it in her mouth and took one bite, then another.
"Pfft!" Stars burst forth in the air.
Luckily, Lu Ping’an dodged quickly, bending over in advance.
"Cough cough, cough cough, what the hell! This is even worse than yesterday’s!"
"...Uh, did it fail again?"
Lu Ping’an sighed, regaining his sense of taste... As a high-level life series, blocking or enhancing a sense was effortless for him.
But this time, the young man looked up at the sky and resolved to remember to bring a cooking kit next time he went out.
Lu Ping’an wasn’t really trying to torment Chris, it was hardly worth it... But obviously, going from nothing to creating a reliable cooking method from scratch, out of the myriad forms of life, was a bit of a challenge for him.
Why not use the local cooking methods? Lu Ping’an smiled.
"...Do you want to try it?"
Lu Ping’an looked outside the window, where the Fishman children... and the young men, were all eagerly piled up.
The failed dish was sent out once again, leading to a frenzy of grabbing and thanks.
"It’s got flavor!"
"What’s this taste? Is it spicy?"
"Well, it’s a bit strange... but delicious!"
For most of the local residents, who were not only used to eating raw, stinky flesh but had never even conceived of the concept of seasoning, the mere taste of "cooked meat" was enough to leave them yearning for more.
Thus, every mealtime brought a few extra people outside.
Lu Ping’an didn’t refuse to sell "Lamp Flowers," but obviously, the villagers here didn’t have such luxuries... In modern times, when getting enough to eat was a struggle, the pleasure of taste was too extravagant. In fact, many of the "off-cuts," "scales," and "fish bones" that Lu Ping’an discarded were picked up and shared by them.
In return, they would come over and help Lu Ping’an with some tasks... Upon discovering that this hunter liked to collect odd and unusual plants, they often brought seeds and seedlings with them while helping out.
Sometimes, Lu Ping’an even heard many "legends" and "myths" from them.
But unfortunately, the few times Lu Ping’an managed to track down the prototypes of these stories, they were either mere rumors or so-called "Divine Beasts" with only the strength of a third or fourth tier, which were fundamentally of little value.
After several fruitless active searches, he became more patient and waited for others to bring things to him... Some plant templates were not strong in themselves, but met Lu Ping’an’s requirements for "resisting water pressure" and "not withering due to water contamination," among others.
The most valuable find was probably a type of "Sea Bandage," a long strip of seaweed that could heal and stop bleeding to some extent when wrapped around wounds.
Lu Ping’an was surprised to find that it was actually a "parasitic blood-sucking plant." The "Bloodsucking Vine" that Lu Ping’an initially developed had grown wild here... It had formed a symbiotic relationship with the local life forms, obtaining nutrition as a form of "beneficial insect." Wounds were its delicious cuisine, and the "regeneration module" in its excrement turned out to be more than just a simple anesthetic and pain relief factor.
"Life forms always find their own path..."
The environment shapes life, nurtures it, and weeds it out. As primary producers, plants are the most sensitive.
Lu Ping’an’s harvest wasn’t small, including "Purification of Contamination (he had obtained many of these)," ones for pain relief, and even some that could serve as deep-sea bombs.
These plants coexisted with the local Fishmen, who would even subconsciously cultivate many varieties, such as the poisonous water grasses surrounding their villages.
Intentionally "demonizing" them and then extracting valuable factors for grafting was a basic skill for a Gardener.
In the past, it took an average of a month to half a year to obtain a stable standard trait Magic Plant, whereas at Lu Ping’an’s side, it was a matter of one second to half a minute to obtain a "functional module" that was ready for immediate use.
"It’s quite interesting, this mixture of my own flesh and blood can actually tame sea beasts. Isn’t this just an ocean version of the ’Momotaro Rice Ball’..."
Lu Ping’an was reaping significant gains, and since Big Cat had come personally, she wasn’t idle either.
Although her body was just a tragedy subjected to eating as a form of torture daily, her knowledge remained intact, and her scholarly insights and research approaches were still at the Quasi-God level.
Using the simplest, most common materials to extract their medicinal, edible, and damaging effects was a basic ability, and Lu Ping’an had also caught quite a few Sea Beasts for her to test medications and test out the Beast Taming series’ abilities.
As a "Witch Doctor," she was not short of various active "volunteers."
Worth mentioning, she had confirmed that the local Fishmen and those at the frontline were not of the same species... The frontline Fishmen had too much hybrid blood, and the level of contamination was generally higher.
With the help of various informants, she had also compiled a plethora of medications and attack methods "specifically targeting Fishmen" based on descriptions of various disasters and diseases.
Materials, medications, knowledge, Beast Taming, Magic Plants, and more, were all meticulously recorded by Lu Ping’an and Chris. Of course, the most important were always the various samples.
Equipped with these materials, once Lu Ping’an returned, he would be able to produce a large number of products. He could even specifically improve the Lamp Flowers... This meant that when warriors stepped onto the battlefield, they could obtain a vast array of tailor-made military supplies, weapons, and logistics, significantly reducing casualties.
"Is it enough?"
Having spent some time in this remote town, the two of them bid farewell and left.
A single visit wasn’t easy, and just this much couldn’t satisfy either of them... They were preparing to head to the main population centers in the area, possibly even to the headquarters of the Octopus Forces.
Now, they had completely assimilated into the appearance of the local Native Fishmen in all aspects, from accent to habits and customs, without any giveaways.
Despite the many risks... for the current Lu Ping’an, the risk was probably just a waste of points, of not being able to bring materials back.
But just the thought of the Fishman Legion’s own military supplies and the wealth of the local Warlord lords made Lu Ping’an feel it was a bet worth making.
He packed a portion of the materials and hid them as a backup just in case, and headed straight towards the deeper parts of this world.
"Fishmen cities and Kingdoms... Or perhaps, the military camps of the Octopus."
— End of Chapter 1511 —