Saiyan stowaways on the Ark

"This squeaky thing tastes better than I expected. Because it doesn't move around much, it's accumulated a lot of rich, fatty oil? Not bad, not bad!"

"This hard thing has a spicy kick, and it's flavorful enough even without any seasoning. Not bad."

"If it has a big thorn, rinsing it in hot water for a bit will make it quite good."

Thomas was holding a four-legged dinosaur about a meter long in his hand, gnawing on it while it was still alive, and commenting on the taste of the other dinosaurs.

I went for a swim in the sea and had a lot to share. Although the surface water wasn't very clean, it became clearer the deeper you went, and you could even see many normal species occasionally.

Of course, there are far fewer of them compared to the tarantulas that you can encounter by diving a little deeper.

In addition, further afield, Tomat found a great deal of waste deposited in the ocean—from numerous cans marked with chemical contamination to completely broken, rusty ships; heaven knows just how much garbage the Iberians and Agorians once dumped into this sea.

To the point that Tomat suspected that the current situation might be the result of their excessive pollution or the awakening of some creatures, which then brought about their own downfall.

However, this was not Tomat's concern. He was currently busy with something else: transporting the "food" to Saltwind City.

Thomas was well aware that these foods were not easily edible for normal people, and there was no guarantee that they would not cause any adverse reactions after consumption. Therefore, he was busy processing these foods to make them "harmless".

This method of handling things was taught to him by Nian, who was quite surprised that this man who could eat anything would specifically ask him for advice in order to make others eat certain things as well.

As for the specific steps, they had nothing to do with Originium Arts—she had Tomat inject his Qi into the target without damaging it.

Just like using gas to treat patients with Oripathy.

She claimed that she did the same thing when dealing with the monsters brought back from Rembiton, except that she used something very similar to Kaga, not exactly the same as Tomat, but the effect wouldn't be too different.

Of course, this is a method for dealing with the increasingly frequent appearances of unidentified creatures. These creatures seem to be extremely susceptible to change, even the elimination of, properties that can be abstracted to the point of being described as "evil," when faced with qi.

For example, the suppression of regeneration is why they are unable to move even when their bodies are intact.

"That should be enough. Distribute these to the people in the city first, and catch some more to take with us before we leave."

Now, thanks to Tomat's processing, the Terrorfish have become nothing more than a bunch of creatures that are delicious but have nothing special about them.

Although predation has always been a part of the dinosaur ecosystem, this is the first time it has been used as food by a species outside its own population.

Having always merely imitated everything on land, they are now about to offer up all their flesh and blood to satisfy humanity's most primal and basic survival needs.

eat.

Thomas stared intently at the pile of processed terror fish.

After an unnatural swaying motion, they gradually floated to the surface. Although there are species of dinosaurs that have learned to fly, they were not acting on their own at this moment.

It was Tomat who made them float; this superpower-like technique is also a derivative application of ki.

The dinosaurs could gain the ability to fly by altering their body structure and imitating their surroundings.

Those who master Qi can also derive many incredible abilities from the most basic applications.

A group of dinosaurs floated around him, about to leave the area with Tomat's flight.

"Gurgle gurgle gurgle..."

But just as his feet left the reef, a large amount of water bubbles rose up on the surface of the sea, along with a huge whirlpool that kept stirring the ocean currents.

—A person floated up from the very center of the whirlpool.

To be precise, it wasn't human, because the human body framework woven from a large number of tentacles was merely a poor imitation.

The creature had a basic human-like appearance, but lacked various detailed features. It had no skin or eyes, and only had various fish-like organs exposed.

Yet this creature, which looks somewhat clumsy and morbid, is symbolically draped in a cloak-like fabric.

Is this imitating humans?

Thomas stared at it, squinting and remaining silent.

The creature did not take any action.

"Suck it."

In Dragon Ball, ki is defined as the manifestation of spiritual and life energy. People with evil intentions will also have evil ki. Not all ki can have the same effect. Some ki are so evil that they can cause mental pollution and brainwashing just by being emitted (such as Cumber and Towa). Like Originium Arts, they can affect matter and consciousness.

*This setting is actually inspired by the character Kaiyu from the anime "Cooking Master Boy," who can use his "ki" to alter the properties of ingredients, either to eliminate or enhance toxicity, or even to make them more delicious. You should call him Chef To.

[Event] Beneath the Tide, All is Seafood: Chapter Fourteen - Stirring the Pot

8:00 PM Weather at Yanfengcheng Central Park: Cloudy

At this time of year, people would gather under the only remaining streetlamp in Central Park, taking turns drawing seashells from a large bucket that the bishop had prepared.

They would eagerly choose their own one from among them—whether it was a regular one or a red one, it was all a matter of anticipation.

But then again, does "expectation" truly exist for them?

This place is uninhabitable.

It is inaccessible from other areas.

Blindly trust those who bring food as alms.

Stay away from law enforcement and follow the rules.

Everyone in Saltwind City is going to die sooner or later, so what's the point of trying to make things different?

They will only bring trouble, causing you to lose even what little you have left.

It would be better to think about whether there's enough food and when the next ceremony will be.

Since everything necessary for survival is controlled by others, I might as well give up thinking and simply count the number of tides over and over again.

— What shouldn't be happening has now become the "normal" routine for them.

But some changes have occurred today.

They should have gathered in front of the large barrel, collected their respective seashells, and then returned to their dilapidated houses, which could hardly be called "homes."

But now, everyone is holding seashells—gathered around another large pot.

"Is this food? Why is it warm? Why isn't it bitter? Why doesn't it smell bad? Why isn't it dry or hard? I can't describe the taste, I can't put it into words..."

"Eat...eat...not some smelly stuff I picked up on the beach, not something I'd throw up after eating...it's so strange, why can I eat now..."

"It's so annoying... the salt water in my eyes is making it hard to see what I'm eating!"

"That's not saltwater, are you crying?"

"Liar! People look awful when they cry. I've seen it. He was clearly laughing, but why did tears come out of his eyes when he laughed?"

The sounds of slurping soup, chewing food, and a constant stream of conversations echoed in the usually silent Saltwind City.

The explosion that occurred during the day did not elicit any shouts from them.

But now, even those who have never spoken are choosing to move their long-stiffened tongues.

Time in Saltwind City stopped at the moment the Great Stillness occurred.

Time stood still for the inhabitants of Saltwind when the bishop first performed the almsgiving ceremony for them.

Having no other choice, they accepted the dubious deal and tasted the bounty from the sea.

—Then they forgot themselves.

Just eat, and then wait for the next mealtime.

They believe that the chosen one will go to the bottom of the sea and find eternal happiness.

But now, my stagnant thoughts have been broken by a bowl of steaming soup.

People seemed to have remembered something that belonged to them.

Everyone filled the shells that determined their fate with steaming hot food.

The portion size for each person is not large, and in terms of taste—compared to the recommended way of eating it—it is indeed much less appealing.

But it disrupted the way life should have continued, because a bowl of food that shouldn't have been eaten appeared the day before the food was supposed to arrive.

Instead of obeying the bishop's orders to eat, to be modest, or to hoard.

"Eat to your heart's content, there's plenty more."

Thomas wasn't sure if what he was saying would even reach their ears, but he still spoke to the people who were wolfing down their food.

"Your cooking skills are pretty good. I'm afraid they'll swallow their own tongues."

On the other side, Skadi, with her sleeves rolled up, was stirring the ingredients in the large pot with a wooden spoon, then distributing them evenly to each resident who lined up.

The bishop's "teachings" did have some benefits; at least they only needed Skadi to glare at them, and they would choose to line up obediently instead of scrambling for food.

But this also shows that the bishop's influence was deep enough to reach people's hearts—a group of people who were about to starve to death were able to restrain their "appetite" because of such an order.

If even the basic instinct of appetite has been extinguished, how can we expect them to retain a normal human heart?

However, such worries seem unnecessary.

It wasn't too late when the people eating began to sob and were confused about their behavior.

No longer a blindly part of the collective consciousness, but a regained individual identity with the ability to think.

"Am I dreaming? I'm actually cooking a stew of dinosaurs... For me, only their splattering blood pleases me."

Skadi spoke calmly, but her hands did not stop moving.

The residents' vacant gazes followed the movement, wanting to inhale every last bit of the aroma wafting from the stirring.

Was she stirring the pot?

Wrong! She stirred up the hearts of the residents of Yanfeng City!

"I can only say I miss it. I haven't had such good seafood in a long time, but you said they were all 'fearful fish'... never mind."

The ingredients themselves made Skadi frown.

But there's really nothing to complain about in terms of taste.

If she had to nitpick, she would only blame Thomas for leaving her with the cooking duties.

Logically speaking, she had no interest in doing these unnecessary things, and it was also inconsistent with her identity as a street performer.

But she did not refuse.

It wasn't out of any strategy to capture Hai Si, but rather a deliberate act of defiance against the bishop in Saltwind City.

I just feel that things are alright as they are now.