Culinary God in Wilderness

Chapter 385: Chapter 242: Indigenous Hunting Permit

Taking the two heavy branches, Erica gazed at the peculiar crepes, their surfaces covered in countless pockmarks left by air bubbles. She leaned in and sniffed.

The distinct, fresh aroma of sweet potato filled her nostrils, followed by the rich umami of oyster sauce, and finally, the smoky scent of charcoal and a subtle fermented tang.

’So it really is a complex flavor profile!’

She licked her lips and eagerly took a small bite from the top of the sweet potato crepe.

This part had no filling, just the pure sweet potato crepe.

As she bit down, its unique, soft, chewy, and resilient texture made her raise an eyebrow. She’d never imagined a crepe made from sweet potato starch could have such a mouthfeel.

A slight pull could stretch it several inches, and she had to deliberately bite through to tear it off.

"There’s less seasoning on that part, so it doesn’t have much flavor. You need to eat the bulging middle section."

"I know," Erica mumbled, "I just wanted to taste the sweet potato crepe by itself."

"Never had a texture like this before, have you?"

"Never," she said, nodding emphatically while chewing nonstop. "I thought it would have the texture of a flatbread, but it’s as chewy as a gummy candy. It’s such an amazing texture. If you chew it long enough, you can even taste the faint, characteristic sweetness of the starch."

She had never imagined that a food with the texture of a gummy candy could be used in a cooked dish. Her anticipation for the next bite grew even stronger.

After swallowing the piece of crepe, she glanced at Lin Chen before taking a bite from the fullest, middle section.

"Huh?!"

It was completely different from the first bite. The middle section of the crepe had been cooked more evenly, causing more bubbles to form on its surface. When rolled up, it trapped all the steam inside. The savory oyster sauce, the juices from the Lobster, and the subtle sourness of pickled peppers all blended together, seeping into the pockmarked surface of the crepe.

With that one bite, she felt as if a flavor grenade had exploded in her mouth.

Sour, salty, sweet, spicy, and savory.

Crisp, tender, springy, soft, and resilient.

It wasn’t just five distinct flavors, but five distinct textures as well.

Her eyes widened, filled with utter disbelief.

Though she said nothing, Lin Chen could see the question in her eyes, as if she was asking him just why this thing was so delicious.

"Don’t look at me like that. You know this flavor is, at best, only about sixty or seventy percent of what the original tastes like. It’s missing the most crucial sauces and ingredients."

"What are they?"

Erica swallowed the food in her mouth, eagerly took another large bite, and chewed vigorously, looking at him with anticipation.

"Chili oil, a special seasoning sauce, pickled radishes, and scallions."

"All I’m using right now is oyster sauce, so the flavor is too one-dimensional. A complex sauce mixture would provide a more diverse taste. Same for chili oil—it would elevate the aroma of this thing by several levels."

"Pickled radishes have a nice, crisp texture. I’ve substituted them with pickled peppers and diced bamboo shoots, but there’s still a noticeable difference."

"And I don’t even have to mention the scallions, right? They add aroma and also help cut through any greasiness."

’Even though she couldn’t imagine the specific taste of the chili oil and special sauce he was talking about, she was sure they would make this thing even more delicious.’

"Take your time and eat. I’m going to go look for Andre."

Before she finished eating, Lin Chen dusted his hands off, stood up, and headed straight for the Mangrove Forest.

Come to think of it, he hadn’t once visited Andre’s shelter since the competition started, while Andre had come looking for him several times.

It was time to return the courtesy.

He hadn’t gotten far when his watch flickered a few times and suddenly lit up.

Lin Chen didn’t notice, but Erica, who was still gnawing on the crepe with both hands, was drawn by the change on his wrist and instinctively turned her head.

"Lin!"

"Check your watch!"

’My watch?’

Lin Chen stopped in his tracks and raised his wrist, confused.

The previously dark screen had lit up on its own, with several lines of text floating on its surface.

[Survival End Countdown: 18 Days]

[Starting from Day 7 of the countdown, native hunting permits will be enabled. All contestants will be granted temporary native status and may hunt for non-commercial purposes (i.e., subsistence). Over-hunting is prohibited. Violators will have their points nullified and may face heavy fines.]

’?’

Lin Chen froze after reading the message.

’There’s a time limit now?’

’They never mentioned anything like this before the competition. Could it be because I discovered the shipwreck?’

His mind raced, making the connection almost instantly.

’But this is good, too. A time limit will put pressure on the other contestants, forcing them to take more risks.’

’Contestants with really low scores won’t have to risk it anymore; they’ll probably just choose to withdraw on their own.’

’My score is definitely high enough. The advantage I gained from the saw alone puts me far ahead of what the other contestants can manage.’

’The raft, the fish trap, the water channel... and I can see about making some furniture later. All of that can surely be converted into points.’

’Plus all the seafood I’ve caught diving. How can the contestants who can’t even go in the water compete with me?’

’Most importantly, I can make a slingshot and a bow and arrow. Now that I’ve heard hunting will be allowed, if I were to catch a crocodile...’

At this thought, he squinted, his gaze fixed on the nearby Mangrove Forest.

He had actually eaten crocodile meat before. For a while when he was a kid, a type of hot pot called *doulao* was very popular, and some places served fresh crocodile. The meat tasted similar to soft-shelled turtle but was richer and fattier. The skin was especially good, with a wonderful, gelatinous texture full of collagen.