Boom!
A vague fragment that had long been forgotten in the corner of memory suddenly became clear!
A bright corner of the university cafeteria, with light and shadow divided by the sunlight.
A ponytailed, shy-looking junior from the association blushed as she pushed a plate of steamed fish drizzled with amber sauce in front of him. "Senior... Happy birthday! I... I made this myself..."
She still had a Band-Aid on her finger.
Same freshness, same sauce!
But the fish that day... didn’t taste like this!
Her cautious eyes, her clumsily bandaged fingers...
At that time, Mark laughed at her why she didn't find a boy to join the Gourmet Association like other girls...
Click.
A drop of boiling water fell on the edge of the plate in front of Mark without warning, splashing a small salty splash of water.
Anna and Monica stopped chewing almost at the same time and looked up in surprise.
Mark lowered his head, and his broad shoulders trembled uncontrollably.
His knuckles were white from the force of his grip on the fork.
Tears fell like beads that had broken off the string, rolling down silently and violently, smashing into the dish that carried the memories of hometown and also stung the forgotten wounds.
He wiped his face roughly with the back of his hand, but he couldn't stop the hot tears from pouring out.
The voice was choked and hoarse, with a strong nasal tone, as if talking to himself, but also as if questioning something:
"Fuck... why am I spending my birthday in the university cafeteria? And the most important thing is, I have to taste test the food for the new members of the association!?... It's like... It's like they didn't even say thank you properly..."
Of course Mark would never admit that he was homesick!
Because as he ate mouthful after mouthful of steamed fish, he found that the memories of the past seemed to gradually fade away from his mind.
Tears are just an unnecessary farewell.
After enjoying the steamed sea bass that contained the power of soul harmony and had an unparalleled taste.
Monica's identification skills keenly captured the changes that were quietly emerging in everyone.
【Status: Tide affinity】
Description: By consuming special food imbued with the essence and harmonizing power of marine life, the body's adaptability to water, especially seawater, is temporarily enhanced. Effect: Movement speed in seawater is increased by 20%. Duration: 6 hours.
"Interesting." Monica's wine-red eyes flickered with a faint identification array as she looked at Mark with a hint of inquiry. "Mark, what exactly is the principle behind your 'Soul Harmony'? The increase is surprisingly different from other chef-related professions. It doesn't directly increase attribute values."
"We all have a 'tide affinity' state. Within six hours, we can swim 20% faster in the ocean."
Enzo, who was licking the amber sauce left on the edge of his plate with unsatisfied interest, smacked his lips. "Swimming fast? I'm not a fish! But... if I can make a dish that makes my hands steadier and my strength greater when forging, that would be real skill!"
Having said that, a hint of novelty flashed in his little eyes.
To be honest, he can't swim...
If it weren't for Xiao Mu, he probably wouldn't have been able to get out of the mine under the Falling Star Lake.
Anna felt the strange cool flow in her body that seemed to resonate with the waves, and a rare hint of imperceptible surprise appeared on her cold face.
Although the elves are close to nature, they prefer forests.
She had also heard that the tribe had a marine branch, but this was the first time she felt the familiar breath of the ocean.
Mark rubbed his forehead, and the brief sadness seemed to be diluted a little by the ultimate deliciousness and the sense of accomplishment brought by everyone's feedback.
He looked at the identification results shared by Monica, and his mind suddenly became clear.
The Soul Harmonizer's ability goes far beyond replicating the taste of memory; it imbues food with a deeper, almost magical effect!
This means that the team's range of food choices will be greatly broadened in the future. As long as he can find ingredients containing specific energy or characteristics, he can try to "blend" them into various unexpected effects.
At the same time... he could finally legitimately reproduce those delicacies from another world in his memory that were unheard of on this continent.
The team was filled with the satisfaction of satisfying their appetite, but Anchor Bay City, a land filled with the salty and coppery smell, would not stop functioning because of their momentary pleasure.
The next morning, taking advantage of low tide, Mark's team arrived at a relatively flat, rocky inner bay beach on the west side of Anchor Bay City.
Enzo had little interest in "junk picking" and stayed in the hotel to maintain his beloved hammer.
Mark, Monica and Anna brought Xiao Mu, carrying buckets and simple tools, and joined the local fishermen and children in going to the sea.
The Adventurer's Guild and the temporary commander of the Holy Knights were all forgotten by them.
When you're on vacation, who cares about your 'boss' all the time?
The wet beach glowed golden brown in the morning light, and the air was crisp.
Pry open the oysters tightly attached to the reef, and the plump oyster meat trembles in the shell.
When the moist gravel was turned over, the plump bamboo clams sprayed out tiny streams of water in panic.
In the shallow tidal pools, crabs of all sizes wave their blue-black claws and scurry quickly under the rocks.
There are also many lively and translucent shrimps...
Compared with the skilled fisherwomen and children, Mark's team, led by an appraiser, also reaped a great harvest.
Even Xiao Mu, who was acting alone, was splashing around excitedly in the shallow water.
Its pink body is covered with sand, and it occasionally uses its tentacles to roll up a small shrimp and puts it into its mouth, making a satisfied "mumm" sound.
But as the sun rose, the tide began to rise back to the shore.
Just as Mark and his friends were putting the last few plump mussels into the bucket, preparing to return with a full load.
Several strong men wearing the same indigo-blue short jackets, with scimitars and sailor axes hanging from their waists, walked over on the beach with arrogance.
The leader was a bald man with a ferocious beast tattooed on his face, fierce eyes, and a crude wave emblem embroidered on the indigo short coat on his chest.
Although they hadn't deliberately looked into it, Mark and the others still recognized it. This was the logo of the Haichao Chamber of Commerce, a well-known chamber of commerce founded by a foreign boss in Anchor Bay City.
The bald man's eyes greedily swept over the half bucket of lively seafood at Mark's feet, especially lingering for a moment on the plump mussels and a few struggling prawns.
He spoke in a gruff voice, "Hey! Outsider, do you understand the rules? This mudflat is owned by our Haichao Chamber of Commerce! According to the rules, anything you pick up must be purchased by the Chamber of Commerce!"
A sharp-nosed, monkey-faced henchman behind him immediately chimed in, his tone undeniably arrogant: "That's right! Be smart and put the bucket down! We'll settle it at the 'going price' to save you the trouble!"
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