Cornflower Witch

Chapter 164 The Girl Baking Food

On the small iron rack, the slices of meat, licked by the charcoal flames, slowly changed from blood red to crispy and golden brown, with a little bit of oil seeping out, giving the surface of the meat a faint sheen.

Then salt and seasoning powder are sprinkled on top, mixing with the original meat flavor and oil, and an enticing aroma fills the air.

【Charcoal-grilled Venison】(Rare): Venison is grilled over a special fire to remove impurities and gamey smells, bringing out its nutrients and flavor, resulting in a superior dish. (Stamina Recovery +3, Blood Circulation +2)

As the roasted meat on the iron rack gradually took shape, Hiltiya stopped pressing the small bellows, used tongs to take it off, placed it on her plate, and cut off a small piece to taste.

'Hu~'

After swallowing the scalding hot piece of meat, she exhaled slightly through her open mouth to cool it down a bit, then slowly savored the heat and aroma, as well as the wonderful texture of biting into the meat.

Soon, a subtle warmth spread from her stomach into her bloodstream, making her feel slightly hot. If she used the 'breathing method' at this time, the effect would be about twice as good as usual. This is the effect of 'blood circulation +2'.

In addition, its physical recovery effect is about three times that of 'excellent' food, because the nutrients in it have been pre-activated, making them very easy to absorb.

The 'Stamina Recovery +3' should be the limit, since the original ingredient quality is only 'Excellent'. Only by using 'Superior' quality ingredients can you achieve the 'Stamina Recovery +4' effect.

'Golden Steaming' is merely a recasting, not creation from nothing; the quality of the raw materials still limits the limits of the product.

'Cui Mi' does have this advantage; it can indeed achieve a certain degree of 'creating something from nothing,' cultivating a 'perfect' quality product across five stages from ordinary crop seeds.

She cut the whole piece of meat into pieces, ate it in small bites, and then left the house, went to the small courtyard behind it, drew the Tree Jade Spirit Sword she was carrying, took a deep breath, and then flashed through the forest.

Her figure moved like a blur, constantly leaping and darting among the treetops, adapting to a speed far exceeding her usual pace.

Finally, the girl flipped and leaped into the air, her graceful waist like a crescent moon. She turned and, together with the blade in her hand, drew a flawless, perfect arc.

Then she gently spread her arms, and her clothes and skirt slowly fell down. She stood still with her toes on the ground, while the big tree behind her slowly slid down into several pieces.

Feeling that she still had some energy left, Hilti couldn't help but feel a little excited and happy, like a child who had received a new toy. Although she was no longer a child, this pure and simple joy remained the same.

From this perspective, the change in strength brought about by 'Blood Circulation +2' far exceeded her expectations.

For example, she was only 30% faster than others before, but now she is about 80% faster. This data is very complicated to calculate in detail, and it probably involves many aspects, such as their respective weight and agility, the difference in their original speed, the change in relative speed, and so on.

If we were to use Earth-era terminology as an analogy, then accelerated 'blood circulation' would be like CPU overclocking, increasing the processing frequency within the same amount of time to achieve a stronger effect.

However, this kind of 'overclocking' also requires energy support. If you don't have enough stamina, you'll get tired in no time. Overclocking by an extra 50% will consume about 200% of your original stamina.

Food is different from medicine; it doesn't take effect as quickly. If you're really in a fight, eating it on the spot is a bit too late. It's estimated that it will gradually take effect after 3 minutes and reach its full effect after 10 minutes.

Battles between high-level superhumans are extremely dangerous; life and death can be decided in just three minutes. Therefore, in this respect, food cannot completely replace the rapid boost provided by potions.

After summarizing, Hilti returned to her room and wrote down what she had just organized. Only when she put down her pen did she suddenly remember something.

That big tree outside seems to belong to the town; I wonder if she has to pay compensation for cutting it down.

Thinking of this, Hilti, who was originally very happy, slowly slumped onto the table like a deflated balloon.

Ugh, I'll go ask Bonna later, if we have to pay compensation.

……

In the evening, Hilti arrived at Bona's house with a small food box and knocked on the door. "Wait a moment, I'm here." The girl heard Bona's footsteps inside, and then the door opened.

"Tiya, it's you! I thought it was one of them."

"It's me. The captain and the others probably haven't returned yet." But it's about time; they should be back in the next few days.

"This is the food I baked today. Would you like to try some, Sister Bona?" She took out the food box from behind her.

"Huh? Tia finally mustered up the courage to show me the finished product?" Bona's face showed an amused expression.

A few days ago, when she taught Hilti to cook for the first time, the girl was very embarrassed because her skills were not good enough and the result was very different from what she expected. So she said that she would bring it to Bona to taste when she made a satisfactory piece.

"Hmm, I've made something that's somewhat satisfactory." The girl walked to the table with Bona, then opened the food box, took out a plate, and lifted the lid.

Steam filled the air, and the freshly roasted venison emitted an enticing aroma—the perfect blend of spices and fat that made one's mouth water.

"Putting aside whether it tastes good or not, the presentation alone is very pleasing." Bona praised, giving a thumbs up, then picked up her fork, took a bite, and savored it slowly.

"Mmm, it tastes really good, Tia," she praised again.

After finishing the roast meat, she put down her knife and fork, sat at the table, closed her eyes to savor the moment, and only opened them again after a while.

"It has the effect of restoring physical strength and accelerating blood circulation, so it must be a rare quality." After saying that, her eyes lit up, and she jumped up and hugged the girl.

"As expected, I wasn't wrong. Little Tia is indeed a genius."

"Hmph, you look so young, you must be under 20." She guessed the girl's age.

Hilti wasn't entirely sure of her age, but she looked to be only 16 or 17.

Afterwards, the two exchanged cooking tips for a while before Bona let Siltiya leave.

Three days later, the team members, who had been separated for almost two weeks, returned one after another and reunited at the tavern.

Compared to before, Yann hasn't changed much, except that his armor is much shinier, indicating that it has been well maintained. Captain 'Bad Apple' is playing with the newly crafted snake fang dagger in his hand. The elegant yet dangerous curved blade, paired with the natural handle carved from the root of the snake fang, makes the whole thing look like a work of art.

[Serpent Fang Dagger] (Tier 2, Excellent): Crafted from the fangs of a Blood Serpent, it possesses excellent armor penetration and bleeding effects. (Armor Penetration +2, Bleeding +3)

On the other side, Carl was also sitting at the table, with a black cat that looked almost alive in his arms, sleeping on his lap.

【Ghostly Black Cat】(Tier 2 - Death Ash): Through a special ritual, the soul's consciousness is greatly enhanced, and it can transform into a physical ghost cat with the ability to switch between reality and illusion and to appear and disappear unpredictably.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, 'Bad Apple' flipped his finger, put away the dagger, and inserted it into the leather sheath at his waist before speaking.

"Now, let's prepare for our next adventure. This time, our target is the 'Gateway to the Distant Mountains'."

-

Starting from the north of the town, walk 50 kilometers to reach the depths of the continuous mountains, where thick fog surrounds the area and the situation is dangerous. If you can find the right direction, you can travel 100 kilometers to reach a natural stone gate between two mountains. Behind the gate, you can find a clear spring pool containing the rare 'Stone Mist Spring Water'.

(End of this chapter)