Saiyan stowaways on the Ark

"what!"

On the beach, Thomas chose a spot a little away from the crowd to prepare, carrying some meat for what he called "harmless disposal."

Nian, who was supposed to be guiding him, has disappeared. Apparently, he wanted to help prepare the meal but was chased away by Xi, so he left with his cheeks puffed out.

The pure white energy was injected into the piece of meat in Tomat's hand. After a flash, it returned to its original form. But just when Tomat thought he had succeeded, the piece of meat in his hand immediately turned into a pile of sand as if it had been weathered into stone.

The force is too great; the energy will go out of control after being injected and turn into a bomb.

If the power is insufficient, sand formation will occur after the gas is injected.

Thomas was confident in his ability to control his breath, but he kept running into obstacles.

This made him even more curious about how Nian managed to handle such a large body so quickly.

This technique has become completely unrelated to the amount of strength, and is purely related to skill and experience.

"What are you doing, wasting so much meat?"

Bardak walked over from the crowded beach, holding a skewer of meat the size of a club. Looking at the charred sand and the mangled pieces of meat, he spoke with a mixture of confusion and dissatisfaction.

He then handed another skewer of grilled meat to Tomat.

"Some things you're not good at."

Tomat gave Bardak a disapproving look and casually took the skewer of meat.

Thanks.

It should be said that the operators on Rhodes Island who are skilled in cooking are not ordinary people—except for Hibiscus, of course.

Ingredients like these, which can be enjoyed for their delicious flavor when eaten raw, will lose their freshness if cooked carelessly by the average person.

But nowadays, with superb cooking techniques and the combination of various spices, the taste has been elevated to a whole new level.

It wasn't just simple barbecue; other dishes were also transformed into an unlimited feast by many logistics operators or operators who treated cooking as a hobby.

After taking a bite of the kebab coated with a rich sauce that didn't mask its original deliciousness, Tomat thought he might as well put all this aside for now and eat and drink his fill first.

"You said you want to learn some combat techniques or energy manipulation skills, then I can understand. Anyway, that's what you've always done, learning a bunch of little tricks for combat."

Bardak casually tore off a piece of the uncooked meat that had been left for Tomat to practice with years ago, and stuffed it back into his mouth without swallowing the rest, chewing as he spoke:

"What's the use of you learning this? We'll just eat it directly anyway, it won't do any harm. Do you want to become a chef?"

Each piece of roasted meat was big enough to fill a normal person's entire mouth. The two Saiyans swallowed it down in no time. Bardock, who had only wanted to strike up a conversation, immediately returned to the other side after finishing what he had in his hand and continued to eat.

After all, Bardock knew that a large group of people would be coming to eat soon, and the place would be very busy.

He disdained to compete with a group of hungry refugees for food, so he planned to make sure he was well-fed and watered before they arrived.

As Tomat was about to put down his practice and get up to go over there, a figure brushed past Bardock and walked toward him.

However, the person was holding dozens of stacked fast food boxes in front of him, which blocked his face like a wall.

Even Bardock raised an eyebrow in surprise as he brushed past the man.

Tomat, who could sense presence, immediately recognized the person carrying a large number of bento boxes as Skadi.

She had previously been made to reconsider the necessity of group activities by the giant ape, but when it came to meals, she seemed to still maintain her habit of eating alone in less crowded places.

After she put down the mountain of bento boxes that was wobbling in front of her as if it were about to collapse, Skadi noticed that the less crowded corner she had chosen was already occupied by a familiar face.

"You have a good appetite."

Tomat explained to Skadi in a concise and clear manner.

"You seem to be in good spirits, enjoying the sunset with a piece of meat."

Skadi glanced at Tomat and the large lump of flesh beside him, and spoke in a calm tone, saying something somewhat off-topic.

Tomat was located on a protruding scenic rock not far from the beach.

At this time of year, some people would choose to lean against the side of this rock facing the sea and leisurely enjoy the sunset.

"Although I don't understand matters of the heart very well, I can somewhat understand why that woman from Carter thinks you're too dull."

"Frostnova? Did she say anything about me?"

Thomas immediately recognized who the Carter's woman was referring to.

His immediate reaction demonstrates that he has at least some self-awareness regarding his attitude towards other people's feelings.

"It's nothing, just a misunderstanding. She seems to be overcomplicating things."

Skadi didn't intend to say much, after all, her main purpose in coming here was to enjoy the tempting bento box, not to chat with another person about family and feelings.

Thomas didn't ask any further questions, but moved out of the spot he was already planning to leave in, and then turned to leave.

I'll go and say hello to Frostnova, who's helping out there.

Before taking a step, he pointed to the piece of meat that was still about the size of a person.

"Don't eat this, it's not ready yet. But what you brought yourself should be enough to feed you, right?"

Skadi unceremoniously took the spot that had been facing the setting sun and began shoveling rice into her mouth with a blank expression.

She was eating a large portion of tongue meat bento that would fill a normal person's stomach in one box. Thick slices of Tok-style teriyaki whale tongue were served with rice soaked in rich broth. There was also a whale tongue pressed sushi bento. Both dishes were made by two veteran operators from Tok who love to wear masks.

According to them, there are accounts in the ancient legends of the Eastern Kingdom of capturing and eating giant sea monsters, but of course, these are just legends.

"I don't have a good appetite or mood, so I'll just eat something to tide me over."

Skadi's expression always gives the impression that she's in a bad mood.

However, her appetite wasn't as convincing as she claimed.

"So what exactly are you doing? You're not actually developing feelings for a piece of meat, are you?"

Skadi, with rice grains stuck to the corner of her mouth, asked Tomat a question, but her eyes were fixed on the piece of meat.

[Main Text] Siesta's Hottest Holiday: Chapter Seventy-Three That's why I hate kids with keen intuition!

"You clearly possess the power to break the rules and remain unpunished, yet you still abide by them, even considering the needs of others. You know that others will distort your intentions, make malicious assumptions, or launch various attacks against you under the guise of achieving their own goals... yet you still live in this way."

"...It feels like we've said similar things to each other."

"I think so too."

After briefly explaining their reasons, the two exchanged a conversation that felt very familiar.

The reason Thomas hadn't explained anything to Badock earlier was because he knew Badock asked questions but wasn't actually interested in his reasons.

"To put it bluntly, it's because we want to. We follow the rules not because 'the rules tell us what to do,' but simply because we want to do it."

"I feel like I've said that before."

"It really is...when exactly?"

After their conversation, the two fell into deep thought.

However, Skadi quickly returned to eating, and Tomat didn't take it too seriously. They shared a common language and topics, and even empathized with each other on some issues, but there wasn't a strong enough emotional connection to keep the conversation going.

Without dwelling on the topic that had already been discussed, Tomat returned to the distant beach where the crowds were gradually increasing.

The number of refugees is still not very large. This is because most refugees are more concerned with finding food than with returning to their original homes after realizing that cities are indeed safer.

Some people headed to their own accommodations, while others chose to stay elsewhere.

After all, because the incident happened so suddenly, many people left the original place without any preparation, leaving their belongings behind in the corresponding places.

Once they confirmed that it was relatively safe, they put the potential dangers aside and rushed back to retrieve their belongings.

During this period, theft and even robbery can occur.

It's not surprising that some shady characters are mixed in with tourist cities.

This naturally kept the operators busy, to the point that most of them forgot they originally came to Siesta for a vacation.

After a series of events that were not particularly significant, the entire city of Siesta finally calmed down as the two moons gradually rose into the sky.

Of course, if nothing else happens, Siesta should be exceptionally chaotic tonight.

The main concert of the Obsidian Festival opened, with various well-known bands showcasing their talents. Whether it was the singers' performances, the fans' support, or the chaotic brawls caused by overly enthusiastic enthusiasts, the city's emotions were pushed to their peak.

However, now, more people are gathering along Siesta's long coastline, enjoying food they've never tasted before, under the glow of streetlights and torches, with a mix of melancholy and relief.

There are tens of thousands of people gathered here—that sounds like a lot, but it's still far fewer than the number of people who should be in the city.

Many tourists left Siesta by various means during the period after the refuge was established, while the remaining indigenous people had no interest in going out and were mostly trying to manage their now-ruined homes.

Having survived the ordeal, and still shaken, the people gathered here not only for the so-called disaster relief supplies, but also to better adjust their mindset and enjoy the unexpected liveliness in a different way.

However, this complacency is more or less too accommodating, which has left many people who were originally full of expectations feeling disappointed from the bottom of their hearts.

"Tsk, they're all eating my barbecue with such miserable faces..."

With ample ingredients and space, Ifrit showcased her grilling skills. This vacation was indeed much more exciting than she had imagined, as she demonstrated her culinary prowess and overall abilities.

However, compared to when she grilled seafood for the people of Rhodes Island during the day, although more people now come to eat her cooking, she finds it difficult to gain a sense of accomplishment from their reactions.

"The natural disasters are all over now!"

Ifrit pouted and said with dissatisfaction, while shaking the fuel canister in her hand, shooting out fierce tongues of flame from the nozzle, scorching the food that had been skewered on the huge barbecue grill.

"Food alone is not enough to provide emotional comfort."

But when Himer's voice came, Ifrit, who had been complaining, immediately put on a surprised smile. She turned around to look at the beach behind her, and the nozzle of the fuel canister in her hand also changed direction with the movement, letting the flames sweep across the hair of the silver-haired Liberian man sitting next to her chatting with Thorns.

"Aaaaaah!!!!!"

The Liberian men, with ferocious expressions and their hair ablaze, charged towards the sea.

Then, using a very standard diving motion, he plunged his head into the nearby shallows.

"Ifrit, be careful with fire."

After Saria, who was next to Himer, reminded him, Ifrit quickly shut off the valve on the fuel tank and continued what Himer had said earlier:

"What else can we do? There's food, fun, and a lively atmosphere... By the way, what brings you here? Didn't you say you were taking care of a patient?"

"The actual number of injured is much less than we thought, which is why we have time. However, it is still a high-intensity, continuous medical treatment job. I originally planned to let Himer rest for a while, but she said she wanted to come to the beach."

Saria explained in a fairly clear and calm tone, while Himer coughed and nudged Saria with his elbow, whose toned abs were now exposed after she changed into a beach shirt.

"...Anyway, Ifrit, you've had a tiring day too. Don't just focus on grilling meat, take a break too."