Chapter 253: Effect and Distant Rescue

Chapter 253: Chapter 253: Effect and Distant Rescue

Seraphina Sullivan worked deftly, her process methodical and clear.

After all, from living alone before the apocalypse, cooking was a basic skill for her.

She wasn’t the type to shy away from getting her hands dirty.

When all the steps were complete, she poured the paste-like mixture of mashed potatoes and Energy Crystal Stone Powder into the pot.

As she added a suitable amount of water and began to simmer it over a low flame, a strange change occurred.

The once-ordinary mixture in the pot began to emit an indescribable, faint fragrance as it heated—a blend of the rich aroma of potatoes and a certain fresh energy.

What was even more stunning was that the surface of the thick soup began to emit a soft, continuous, moon-like white glow.

"Did we tune into the wrong channel?"

Looking at the pot of self-illuminating potato soup, Seraphina Sullivan couldn’t help but facepalm and complain.

"This doesn’t fit the theme! Where’s the post-apocalyptic survival aesthetic I signed up for? How did it suddenly turn into a cooking show? And you’re even throwing glowing food at me?!"

Despite her griping, Seraphina Sullivan’s hands never stopped moving.

She carefully turned off the heat.

Then, with a clean ladle, she served a bowl of the alluringly glowing [Growth Potatoes Recovery Soup] to everyone: her pets—Moe, Flora, Ruby, and Chubbs and Tubbs—who had gathered around eagerly, and even Sean Chandler, who was still diligently kneading dough for buns.

Even Seraphina Sullivan herself couldn’t resist her curiosity and picked up a bowl.

The pearly white glow illuminated her face.

The rich aroma and the gentle fluctuations of Energy it contained all pointed to how extraordinary this soup was.

Everyone was eager to taste it, to find out what a dish documented by the "God of Cuisine"—one that glowed on its own—actually tasted like, and what kind of magical Effect it had.

Seraphina Sullivan carefully lifted the bowl of "Zengzeng Recovery Soup," which radiated a warm, gentle halo.

She brought it to her lips, blew on it gently, and then took a small sip.

The first taste was the expected soft and smooth texture of potato soup, with the simple aroma of the vegetable itself. The flavor wasn’t particularly amazing—just decent.

However, as the warm soup slid down her throat and into her Stomach Bag, a wondrous sensation began to spread.

It was as if her entire body was immersed in a hot spring of the perfect temperature. A gentle, persistent warmth spread from her abdomen to her limbs, dispelling deep-seated fatigue and bringing an indescribable sense of comfort and relaxation.

The feeling was intoxicating. After one sip, she couldn’t help but want a second, then a third... as if her body was instinctively craving this nourishment.

And so, enveloped in that warm, comfortable feeling, Seraphina Sullivan unknowingly drank the entire bowl of soup.

Only when the bowl was empty did she snap back to her senses.

She patted her cheeks. "Wait! I was so focused on how comfortable it felt, what about the soup’s recovery effect?"

Seraphina Sullivan immediately focused on her own condition.

The deep-seated exhaustion accumulated from the successive fierce battles and high mental stress in the Death Arena was now completely gone!

Not only did her body feel as refreshed as if she’d had a good night’s sleep, but her mind also felt clear and sharp, her thoughts much more active.

"Could it be that the warm feeling just now was the soup repairing my body and replenishing my energy?"

Seraphina Sullivan looked at the empty bowl, her eyes filled with pleasant surprise.

This effect was gentler and more thorough than the system-produced Recovery Potions she had used before!

In contrast, Flora, Chubbs, and the other small animals were much less refined.

They didn’t bother savoring it, simply burying their faces in their bowls and licking the soup and potato mash clean.

Chubbs flapped his wings energetically, puffed out his chest, and crowed loudly at his partner, Tubbs: "Bawk bawk! Honey, after drinking this soup, I feel full of energy! We could go three hundred rounds in the coop tonight!"

Tubbs lowered her head in mock shyness and gently tapped Chubbs with her wing. "Bawk bawk~ Hubby, you’re so naughty!"

Seraphina Sullivan: "..."

She facepalmed in resignation. It seemed the recovery soup’s effects were the real deal, seeing as even the animals had become so "full of vigor."

Sean Chandler had also finished his bowl. Feeling the abundant energy within him, he made a suggestion: "This soup’s effects are incredible. If we can produce it consistently, we could totally open a small stall in the safe zone’s Player trading area, just like Forrest Sterling and the others. We could trade this special food for information or items we need."

But Seraphina Sullivan shook her head and said cautiously, "Better not."

"The Player community might not be short on regular food, but the safe zone is mostly filled with ordinary survivors, and supplies are still scarce.

If we bring out food with such obviously extraordinary effects, it’ll be too conspicuous. We’d easily attract unnecessary trouble and greedy eyes. At that point, it wouldn’t be a trade; it’d be a disaster."

However, she recalled her previous conversation with Justin Brooks about trading the "Growth Potatoes."

"We can, however, continue preparing to promote the Growth Potatoes. My deal with Justin Brooks was interrupted when the Kaelen safe zone was destroyed, so now is a good time to pick it back up. A high-yield crop like this is far more significant for a Survivor Base. Players in the safe zone aren’t short on food, so it won’t attract as much attention when we introduce it later."

Sean Chandler nodded. "Let me handle the communication and arrangements. My Blue Gem Storage Bag has enough space, and it’ll be more convenient and discreet for this kind of trade." He took the task upon himself; after all, his abilities and experience made him better suited for external negotiations.

Seraphina Sullivan agreed, but her thoughts also turned to Forrest Sterling’s powerful information-gathering abilities.

"We still know too little about this post-apocalyptic Disaster Game,"

she mused.

"It seems like every time we go up a Level, we encounter completely different things, like peeling back a new layer of the system. We need our own information channels too; we can’t always rely on others. Secrets of high-level dungeons, rumors about the Divine... that kind of information might be even more important than supplies."

Seraphina Sullivan realized that while they were striving to survive and hoard supplies, they also had to start consciously collecting and organizing intelligence about the game itself.

Sean Chandler nodded.

Having eaten and drunk her fill, Seraphina Sullivan went to rest.

Meanwhile, the other Players who had returned from the dungeon also began to resume their lives.

...

The dungeon instance ended.

The other Players also returned to reality.

A bitter wind howled, carrying flurries of goose-feather snow and reducing visibility to near zero.

At the edge of some ruins blanketed in ice and snow, Forrest Sterling stopped, an unconcealable tension on his face. He spoke to Philip Jensen beside him:

"Captain Jensen, we can’t go any further! According to the last message from my friend, the activity range of those monster Rabbits likely extends to this area. If we go any deeper, we’ll probably have to face them directly!"