The Cornflower Witch Chapter 164

On the small iron rack, slices of meat, kissed by charcoal flames, slowly turned from blood-red to crispy, golden-brown. A small amount of grease seeped out, giving the meat a subtle sheen.

Then, salt and spices were sprinkled, blending with the original meaty oils, and an enticing aroma filled the air.

【Charcoal-grilled Venison】 (Rare): Excellent food made by grilling venison with a special fire to remove “twisted” impurities and fishy odors, stimulating its nutrition and deliciousness. (Stamina Recovery +3, Blood Circulation +2)

Watching the venison on the rack gradually take shape, Hylial stopped pumping the small bellows, used tongs to remove a slice, placed it on her plate, and cut off a small piece to taste.

‘Whew~’

After swallowing the hot piece of meat, she exhaled softly, allowing it to cool slightly, and then slowly savored its warmth and aroma, as well as the delightful texture of biting into the meat.

Soon, a subtle warmth spread from her stomach to her bloodstream, making her feel slightly hot. At this moment, if she used the “Breathing Method,” the effect would probably be twice the usual, which was the effect of “Blood Circulation +2.”

The other stamina recovery effect was about three times that of “Excellent” grade food, because the nutrients had been stimulated in advance, making them very easy to absorb.

‘Stamina Recovery +3’ seemed to be the limit, as the original ingredient quality was only “Excellent.” Only with “Exceptional” quality ingredients could it achieve the effect of “Stamina Recovery +4.”

“Gold Steam” was merely a remolding, not creation from nothing. The quality of the raw materials still limited the ultimate potential of the product.

“Jade Nectar” was better in this regard, as it could indeed achieve a certain level of “creation from nothing,” cultivating “perfect” quality products from ordinary crop seeds, spanning five stages.

After cutting the entire slice of meat and enjoying it in small bites, Hylial left the house and went to the small courtyard behind. She drew out her Jade Tree Spirit Sword, took a deep breath, and then, darting like a shadow, moved swiftly through the trees.

She moved like a blur, leaping and twisting through the treetops, adapting to the speed that far exceeded her usual.

Finally, the girl leaped into the air, her graceful waist arching like a new moon, turning and bending with the blade in her hand, describing a flawless and perfect arc.

Then, she spread her hands lightly, and her clothes and skirt slowly drifted down as she landed on her toes, while the large tree behind her slid gracefully and fell into several pieces.

Feeling the slight surplus of energy, Hylial couldn’t help but feel a little excited and joyous, like a child with a new toy. Although she was no longer a child, this pure and simple happiness remained.

Looking at it this way, “Blood Circulation +2” brought about a change in strength that far exceeded her expectations.

For example, her speed was previously only 30% faster than others, but now it was about 80% faster. This data was complex to calculate, likely involving various factors such as individual weight and agility, differences in original speed, changes in relative speed, and so on.

If described in terms of Earth’s terminology, “blood circulation” acceleration was akin to CPU overclocking, increasing the processing frequency within the same time to achieve a stronger effect.

However, this “overclocking” also required energy support. If stamina was insufficient, one would quickly tire. An additional 50% overclocking would consume approximately 200% of the original stamina.

Food was also different from potions; its effects were not as quick. If one were to eat it during a battle, it would be too late, as it would likely take three minutes to gradually take effect and ten minutes to fully manifest.

Battles between high-level Transcendent were extremely dangerous; life and death could be decided in three minutes. Therefore, food couldn’t完全 replace the rapid boost provided by potions in this regard.

After summarizing, Hylial returned to her room and wrote down what she had just organized. As she put down her pen, she suddenly remembered something.

That big tree outside seemed to belong to the town, and she wondered if she would have to pay for cutting it down.

At this thought, Hylial, who had been very happy, deflated like a small ball and slowly slumped onto the table.

Ugh, I’ll ask Bona later if I have to pay.

…

In the evening, Hylial arrived at Bona’s house with a small lunchbox and knocked on the door. “Just a moment, I’m coming.” The girl heard Bona’s pattering footsteps inside, and then the door opened.

“Lia, it’s you! I thought it was the others.”

“It’s me. The captain and the others probably aren’t back yet.” But it was almost time, probably in the next few days.

“This is the food I grilled today. Would you like to try some, Sister Bona?” She took out the lunchbox from behind her back.

“Oh? Lia, have you finally plucked up the courage to show me your finished product?” Bona’s face showed a playful expression.

A few days ago, when Hylial first taught her how to cook, the girl was particularly embarrassed because her skills were poor and the results were too different from expectations. So she said then that she would bring her satisfactory work to Bona to taste when she had made it.

“Yes, I’ve made something I’m somewhat satisfied with.” The girl walked to the table with Bona, then she opened the lunchbox, took out the plate inside, and lifted the lid.

Steam filled the air, and the freshly grilled venison emitted an enticing aroma—a perfect blend of spices and oil that made one’s mouth water.

“Let’s not talk about how delicious it is, but this presentation alone is very satisfying,” Bona praised, giving a thumbs-up. Then she used a fork to pick up a piece, bit into it, and slowly savored it.

“Mmm, the texture is really good, Lia,” she praised again.

After finishing the grilled meat, she put down her knife and fork, sat at the table, closed her eyes to feel, and only reopened them after a while.

“It has an effect of restoring stamina and accelerating blood circulation, so it should be a rare quality,” she said, her eyes shining. She jumped up and hugged the girl.

“As expected, I wasn’t wrong. Little Lia is indeed a genius.”

“Hehe, you look so young, you must be under 20, right?” She guessed the girl’s age.

Hylial wasn’t entirely sure of her exact age, but from her appearance, she was definitely between 16 and 17.

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

Three days later, the team members, who had been separated for almost two weeks, gradually returned and regrouped at the tavern.

Yarn hadn’t changed much from before, except that his armor was much shinier, indicating it had been well-maintained. Captain “Bad Apple” was playing with his newly forged Serpent Sword, whose elegant yet dangerous curved blade, complemented by the natural handle carved from a snake fangs, was like a work of art.

【Serpent Sword】 (Tier 2 · Exceptional): Forged from the fangs of a Blood Coil Python, it has excellent armor-piercing and bleeding effects. (Armor Piercing +2, Bleeding +3)

On the other side, Karl also sat at the table, with a living dark strange cat in his arms, currently sleeping on his lap.

【Spectral Black Cat】 (Tier 2 · Dead Ember): Through a special ritual, after significantly increasing the cohesive force of the soul consciousness, it can transform into a solid spectral cat, possessing the ability to switch between solid and ethereal forms, and ghostly, unpredictable attacks.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, “Bad Apple” flipped his finger, put away the dagger, and inserted it into the leather sheath on his waist. Then he spoke.

“Now, let’s prepare for our next expedition. This time, the target is the ‘Gate of Distant Mountains’.”

—

“Gate of Distant Mountains”: Starting from the north of the town, travel 50 kilometers to the depths of the continuous mountains, where thick fog surrounds and the situation is dangerous. If you can find the right direction, travel 100 kilometers to a natural stone gate between two mountains. Behind the gate, you can find a clear spring pool containing precious “Stone Mist Spring Water.”