Chapter 15 Hot Pot

After absorbing today's crystal core energy, Ruan Ning's fatigue vanished. Although her body was no longer tired, her mind needed to relax.

At this moment, she needs some comfort, a comfort that belongs to "human beings," not just for survival.

What could be more comforting to a weary, cold heart in the apocalypse than a steaming hot pot?

Once the thought arose, it could no longer be suppressed. A rare glimmer of light flashed in Ruan Ning's eyes, a faint glow belonging to the ordinary life before the apocalypse.

She walked into the living room and turned on the small table lamp. On a whim, she took out a portable gas stove and a small gas canister that she had previously stockpiled from her storage space.

Next up was a heavy, metallic-looking hot pot with two separate broths—one side with a fiery red butter broth, where you could see the dense clusters of Sichuan peppercorns and chilies in the solidified fat; the other side with a milky white mushroom broth, where you could almost smell the fresh aroma of mushrooms.

These were all custom-made by her at a specialty store before the apocalypse.

Arrange the pots and pans, light the portable gas stove, and the blue flames lick the bottom of the pots and pans.

Soon, the butter began to melt, releasing an enticing red oil and a powerful, spicy aroma; the mushroom soup pot also began to bubble and steam, filling the air with a delicious fragrance. This familiar aroma instantly filled the entire room, almost dispelling the pervasive smell of disinfectant and blood.

Ruan Ning moved even faster. Like a magician, she continuously produced ingredients from her spatial storage:

Thinly sliced ​​beef and lamb rolls, as thin as cicada wings, are neatly arranged on a clean white porcelain plate.

Tender and smooth duck blood, bouncy and chewy shrimp paste;

Crispy tripe and beef aorta;

Frozen tofu and crispy fried tofu rolls become incredibly delicious after soaking up the broth;

There was also a vibrant vegetable platter—lettuce, garland chrysanthemum, enoki mushrooms…

Finally, there was even a small bowl of prepared sesame oil and minced garlic sauce!

These ingredients are so fresh, as if they were just taken off the supermarket shelf, and remain completely still in the space.

Looking at the dazzling array of hot pot dishes before her, almost identical to the one before the apocalypse, Ruan Ning's long-dormant heart seemed to have a warm pebble thrown in, rippling outwards.

She sat cross-legged on the carpet in front of the coffee table, listening to the cheerful bubbling of the hot pot, smelling the mouthwatering aroma of spicy and savory flavors, picked up her chopsticks, took a slice of red and white fatty beef, and gently dipped it a few times in the boiling red oil.

The slices of meat instantly changed color and curled up, soaking up the spicy broth.

Dip it in sesame oil and minced garlic, then put it in your mouth.

In an instant, the spicy and savory flavors exploded on her taste buds! The tender beef, the rich broth, the fragrant dipping sauce... the complex and exquisite flavors instantly conquered her senses.

It's so...delicious!

This long-lost sense of satisfaction and happiness from a normal life almost made her want to cry.

Since the apocalypse, she has been eating foods that are easy to store and provide quick energy replenishment, and has long forgotten the pure joy that food can originally bring.

She then cooked a piece of tripe, dipping it in and out of the pot several times until it was crisp and chewy; she drank a small bowl of mushroom soup, the warmth flowing from her throat all the way to her stomach; she ate frozen tofu that had soaked up the broth, so hot that she kept breathing out gasps for air but couldn't bear to spit it out...

A person, facing the blood-red moonlight and the deathly silent city outside the window, quietly enjoys a steaming hot pot.

The scene conveys an extreme sense of loneliness, yet also a stubborn warmth that refuses to succumb to despair.

The languidness and happiness after a satisfying meal flowed through her body. Ruan Ning leaned back in the soft sofa cushions, her fingertips still seemingly carrying the warmth of the hot pot and the aroma of sesame oil and minced garlic.

This long-lost pure satisfaction brought by food stirred a few warm ripples in her cold heart.

However, this warmth was quickly replaced by a clearer sense of reason.

She frowned slightly, trying to recall fragments of her past life. The army...rescue...the memories were very vague; she only remembered that it was about half a month after the apocalypse that the army entered the city to search for survivors.

She couldn't remember the exact date or the direction from which she came. In her past life, she was just an ordinary person struggling at the bottom of society, isolated from information and living in constant fear.

"Half a month..." Ruan Ning murmured, savoring the timeline. Today was already the eleventh day, and she didn't have much time left.

The arrival of the army meant temporary order and relative security, but it also meant exposure.

She possesses the secrets of a spatial dimension and a spiritual spring, which must never be revealed!

She can display her water-based abilities as a means of survival, but the existence of her spatial abilities is her greatest trump card. The principle of "possessing a treasure is a crime" applies equally to the apocalypse, and is even more blatant.

More importantly, she needs to make the most of these last few days of relatively "free" time to improve her strength as quickly as possible!

Strength is the foundation for survival in any environment.

Thinking of this, a sharp glint flashed in Ruan Ning's eyes. The relaxation brought on by the hotpot meal vanished completely, replaced by a sense of urgency.

She stood up, walked to the window, and looked out at the desolate world shrouded in blood.

"I must reach level two superpowers before the army arrives!" She set a clear goal for herself.

Although the level one water-based ability has already begun to show its power, its attack methods are limited and its energy reserves are insufficient when facing a slightly larger horde of zombies or a powerful ability user with ulterior motives.

Only by breaking through to level two will the power of the ability, the ability to sustain combat, and the precision of control over the water element experience a qualitative leap.

She returned to the center of the living room and sat down cross-legged. Instead of immediately entering the space, she first reviewed every detail of using her supernatural abilities today—the condensation of the water arrow, the instantaneous construction and transformation of the water shield, and the final, precise counterattack with a triple shot.

"Energy compression can be pushed to even greater limits, the speed of form transformation can be accelerated, and the consumption of mental energy also needs further control..."

She kept simulating and deducing in her mind, looking for nodes that could be optimized.

She must seize every minute and second to have enough power to protect herself and even deter others before the army arrives.

Time waits for no one.

She had to outrun fate.