Zephyr crouched by the Soldier Frog's chest cavity. He processed the meat he had previously cut off with precision, selecting the most delicate and elastic prime cuts.
The cut pieces of meat displayed a tender pink hue. The texture of the muscle fibers was clearly visible, and it was so fresh that it was still twitching slightly, which immediately whetted Zephyr's appetite.
"Hmm... Let's try making a simple dish first."
Lili had long since taken out the set of cookware packed from the Loki Familia headquarters, including the iron pot, seasoning bottles, plates, firewood, and so on.
As for the environment, although it wasn't as well-equipped as the Familia headquarters kitchen, it was more than enough for preparing simple dishes.
Zephyr simply cleaned the cut Soldier Frog meat and repeatedly pounded the surface of the meat with the back of a knife to make the muscle fibers looser. This would make the texture much smoother and more tender when cooked.
After pounding, he cut the meat into uniform cubes and added salt, cooking wine, and cornstarch for a simple marinade. Immediately after, he lit the fire and set up the pot.
Once the iron pot was heated to the right temperature, he poured in an appropriate amount of cooking oil and evenly added the marinated frog meat cubes into the pot.
Sizzle...
The moment the hot oil touched the surface of the meat, a rich aroma filled the entire cave, and the fresh sweetness of the frog meat was thoroughly unleashed during the high-temperature cooking process.
Zephyr quickly stirred the meat in the pot. Once the surface turned completely golden brown, he poured out the excess oil and added the seasonings: dried chili peppers, minced garlic, and ginger slices.
Zephyr poured the previously fried frog meat back in and stir-fried it quickly with a spatula, ensuring every piece of meat was evenly coated with the color of the chili oil.
Sprinkling in a little white sesame, this dish of Spicy Soldier Frog was considered complete.
The surface of the frog meat was evenly coated with a layer of vibrant red seasoning, with dried chili peppers peeking out between the pieces of meat, and the rich aroma was mouth-watering. Just the appearance alone was enough to make one swallow their saliva.
"Done."
Zephyr lifted the iron pot and served the finished dish onto a portable plate.
"I'll try it first, and if it's edible, I'll call you guys."
Regarding this, both Lefiya and Lili had no objections. After all, during the time they had spent with Zephyr, they had gradually, through a subtle process, come to accept the dishes cooked by him.
Waiting for him to taste it first before trying it themselves could be considered a form of [
Quality Control Assurance.
Zephyr picked up a piece of frog meat soaked in chili oil and put the meat into his mouth. Relying on the effect brought by [Absolute Taste], his tongue instantly felt all the layers of flavor in the dish.
The chili oil coating the outside delivered a rich, numbing, and spicy impact. The fresh sweetness of the frog meat was gradually released during the chewing process, and the meat was firm and elastic, which could be felt with every bite.
The delicious juices that seeped out from between the muscle fibers carried a faint, bird-like meaty flavor. It matched the description in the system prompt perfectly.
The so-called texture of High-Grade Bullfrog meant the meat was firm and the natural sweetness contained within the meat was not completely masked by the spiciness. Overall, it formed a taste experience with extremely rich layers.
Zephyr chewed, enjoying the feast of flavors brought by this dish.
"It's quite delicious."
If it were the old him, he certainly wouldn't have been able to make it this good. Relying on the culinary skills rewarded by the system, he could control the portions of seasonings to an extremely precise degree, and each flavor formed a perfect balance at this moment.
Immediately after, just as Zephyr was savoring this dish, accompanied by the absorption of Gourmet Cells, he suddenly felt a distinct warmth coming from his eyes, followed immediately by a very brief, stinging sensation.
He felt that the colors of the vision before his eyes were gradually becoming clearer under the effect of this stinging sensation.
[Acquired Talent: Dynamic Vision]
[Effect: Simulates the visual nervous system unique to frog-like creatures, accurately capturing moving objects within the field of vision in slow motion.]
Holy sh*t!
Does this count as getting what I wished for?
He hadn't thought that he could obtain the most core talent from the Soldier Frog. If this thing were used in battle, it would be a considerable auxiliary effect.
He raised his head and cast his gaze toward Lefiya who was organizing her equipment not far away. At this moment, she was standing next to the temporarily lit campfire.
Dynamic Vision!
The stationary things around him gradually became blurred, but on the contrary, Lefiya's subtle movements were completely captured by his vision.
During the process of her organizing her equipment, every angle of her fingers bending and stretching was clearly visible. It even included the slight trembling of Lefiya's eyelashes, the vibrations imperceptible to the naked eye, and the rise and fall of her chest caused by breathing.
The entire visual scene seemed to be cut into countless frames of continuous slow motion, and each frame allowed him to accurately analyze the other party's next move.
Dynamic Vision could precisely identify the starting motion of any attack. By detecting the signs of muscle contraction in enemies, it could predict the specific trajectory of their attacks.
By utilizing it, he could compensate for his lack of experience in battle, raising his overall combat reaction ability to a whole new level.
Lefiya turned her head, and their eyes met. Under the glow of the campfire, a distinct blush appeared on her cheeks, and she asked, "Um... Is there something on my face?"
"No." Zephyr shook his head.
After pondering for a moment, he answered truthfully, "It's just that I suddenly felt... Lefiya, you're actually a very pretty girl."
"!"
Lefiya stood frozen in place.
Faced with this compliment, she had no idea how to respond to Zephyr's words.
Recalling the experiences of spending time with Zephyr during this period, complex emotions inexplicably surged within her heart.
From the moment she came to Orario and met Zephyr, she had paid special attention to this boy of the same age.
As for what touched her, it was actually the tough trait Zephyr possessed of never giving up and relying on himself for everything.
When encountering danger in the Dungeon, he would disregard his own safety, step forward to shield her, and take care of her.
However, she had her own troubles. Zephyr seemed to treat her as a little sister, whether it was the way he would proactively pick food for her when they ate together or his concern for her during the process of exploring the Dungeon.
In every detail of their time together, she could feel that gentleness from Zephyr, but it was more like the care of an older brother for a younger sister. It lacked the subtle romantic feelings between the opposite sex that her heart longed for.
Every time she thought of this, she would fall into an inexplicable sense of disappointment.
But now, after hearing Zephyr's praise just a moment ago, it was as if extremely bright stars were contained within her eyes.
So, he was finally prepared to treat her as someone of the opposite sex?
"Um... Th-thank you."