Douluo Continent: Gourmet Prisoner

Day 16

clear

The sun was shining brightly outside the window, and the cicadas' chirping was so noisy it was irritating, but my heart was filled with gloom, making it hard for me to breathe.

I stared at the jellyfish swimming leisurely in the aquarium, my fingers unconsciously rubbing the still-swelling redness on my arm, muttering under my breath, "What am I supposed to do with this! This damn electric jellyfish!"

It's been fifteen days. I've tried countless methods: dissection, extraction, temperature control, seasoning. The result is either numb hands from electric shocks or red, swollen hands from stings, and the final product is indescribable.

and many more.

Discharge?

I slapped my forehead suddenly, and my eyes lit up instantly.

That's right! How come I didn't think of that before! The special thing about these jellyfish is that they can release electricity, right? Perhaps their cooking method isn't about eliminating the current, but rather about utilizing it!

This thought was like a ray of light, instantly piercing through the fog in my mind.

I immediately pulled out my lab notebook and began frantically jotting down my thoughts, my fingertips trembling slightly with excitement.

Perhaps it's about cooking at a specific current frequency? Or perhaps it's about making the jellyfish's current resonate with a certain ingredient?

Countless speculations exploded in my mind, and the irritability that had been building up for more than ten days finally dissipated a little.

Day 17

Overcast

The sky was overcast, just like my mood right now.

As expected, I was too naive.

I couldn't wait to start experimenting with the hypothesis about electric current that I came up with yesterday.

I asked the dean to have the people in the Soul Guidance Department help me modify the equipment in my office, in an attempt to simulate the current of the same frequency released by the jellyfish, and then place the jellyfish in the current to observe their changes.

The results of it?

As a result, the jellyfish seemed to be greatly frightened. Their previously relaxed bodies tensed up instantly, and their transparent bodies lit up with a blinding blue light. The frequency and intensity of the electric currents released were even more intense than when I had provoked them before! The entire aquarium crackled and sparked with electricity, almost burning down my office.

I frantically turned off the power, and looking at the restless jellyfish in the aquarium, I was so angry that I almost tore up my notebook.

"Jellyfish! Those damn jellyfish!" I slumped into my chair, unable to hold back my growl. "They can release electricity themselves, so why are they afraid of it?!"

Did I go in the wrong direction from the very beginning?

I lay on the table, looking at the new red marks on my arm, and my nose started to sting.

But just then, a voice suddenly rang in my mind—it was the firm tone I used when I made my promise to the dean.

"Go for it, Lu Xiaoxiao." I forced a smile that looked more like a grimace at the mirror. "You're Shrek Academy's top nutritionist! This little difficulty is nothing!"

There must be other ways.

for sure.

Day 18

partly cloudy

The weather remained gloomy, and my mood plummeted.

I didn't step into the lab today, and I didn't even want to look at the jellyfish.

I curled up on the sofa in my dorm room, hugging a cushion, watching the clouds drift by outside the window, feeling incredibly restless. Those thoughts about jellyfish were like a tangled mess, giving me a headache.

Am I being too stubborn? Maybe these jellyfish aren't some special culinary ingredient at all? Or maybe I just don't have the talent to find a way to cook them?

The thought had barely crossed my mind when I forcibly suppressed it.

No, you can't think like that.

Day 19

clear

Sunlight streamed through the window, falling on the calendar on the table, so bright that I dared not look directly at it.

There are only a few days left before school starts.

Dean Xuan said that after the start of the semester, he would ask me to lead the students in studying these ingredients.

But right now, my cooking progress is almost zero, and I don't even have a clue.

Can I really be a good teacher for children?

I looked at myself in the mirror. My eyes were bloodshot, my hair was messy, and my hands were wrapped in bandages.

I used to be Shrek Academy's most respected nutritionist, having treated countless Soul Masters. But now, I'm stumped by a group of jellyfish.

Perhaps I am just an ordinary nutritionist, not qualified to be a culinary professor, let alone research any special culinary ingredients.

A wave of frustration washed over me, overwhelming me.

Day 20

(I.e.

It started raining heavily outside the window. Large raindrops pounded against the glass, making a pattering sound, as if they were crying for me.

I sat on the laboratory floor, with the aquarium containing jellyfish right in front of me.

I watched them swim slowly in the water, touching each other's bodies as if comforting one another.

An indescribable sense of grievance and frustration suddenly welled up in my heart.

I've tried so hard and put in so much effort, why can't I find a solution? Why are these jellyfish so difficult to handle?

"Wow--"

A long-suppressed sob finally burst from my throat.

Tears streamed down my face like beads from a broken string. Sadness, resentment, and grievances all erupted at that moment. I covered my mouth and cried like a lost child.

How many years has it been since I cried like this?

More than ten years? No, it should be several decades.

I've long forgotten what it feels like to cry.

Since becoming a Soul Master and embarking on the path of a nutritionist, I have told myself to be strong, to be brave, and not to be defeated by any difficulties.

But today, I just couldn't hold back anymore.

As I was crying, I suddenly froze.

Why... do I feel other kinds of sadness?

The emotion was subtle yet clear, mirroring my current mood.

But besides me, there are only these jellyfish here.

I lifted my tear-streaked face and looked at the jellyfish in the aquarium, my voice choked with emotion: "Could it be... that you're pitying me?"

I, Lu Xiaoxiao, don't need anyone's pity! Not even the pity of a group of jellyfish!

I wiped away my tears and tried to stand up, but the sadness only grew stronger, as if it were gently enveloping me.

wrong.

This feeling doesn't seem like pity.

It is a kind of... deep helplessness and sadness.

What exactly is causing your sadness?

I looked at the jellyfish in the aquarium and muttered to myself, finding it all absurd.

I was actually talking to a group of jellyfish.

Is it because they've lost their freedom? Confined in this small aquarium, unable to see the ocean or their companions.

It seems to be somewhat related, but not entirely.

Not being understood?

The moment the thought crossed my mind, my heart skipped a beat.

Yes! It must be because of this!

As special culinary ingredients, you possess secrets, yet no one can understand your language, and no one can find the correct way to cook you.

You are destined to be locked up here, watching your companions die because of my misguided attempts, and watching me misunderstand you time and time again.

I looked at the jellyfish in the aquarium; their bodies swayed gently, as if responding to my words.

A feeling of guilt suddenly welled up in my heart.

I reached out and gently placed my hand on the cold glass, my voice hoarse: "Oh, I'm so sorry."