Chapter 381

Chapter 381

The process of ascending to the surface took longer than Lorant had anticipated.

On one hand, Shenuska thoughtfully slowed down Mechanical Unicorn Whale, allowing Lorant to adapt to the changes in water pressure by floating horizontally for a while after each ascent.

Although the protective shield prevented the water pressure from harming Lorant, the discomfort was still inevitable.

On the other hand, the seabed reached via the ocean current was much deeper than Lorant had imagined.

By the time Lorant sensed the faint light from above, about an hour had already passed.

Mechanical Unicorn Whale surged straight towards the direction of the light, letting out a joyful cry as it leaped out of the water.

In that instant, Lorant felt as if he had broken through a barrier, and his vision suddenly brightened.

The world had never been so clear to him as it was at this moment.

Both Lorant's eyes and ears felt relieved, and he experienced a sense of liberation.

Fa Meng also seemed to relax, leaping up through Mechanical Unicorn Whale's protective shield. The little fat dragon spread its small wings and flew straight towards the setting sun in the distance.

It was as if it was pouncing towards the sunlight.

Under the sea, although the discovery of never-before-seen interesting plants and aquatic beasts was quite novel, allowing Fa Meng and Lorant to become engrossed and even lose track of time initially.

However, the deep, lightless seabed brought a sense of oppression that was hard to understand for those who hadn't experienced it.

The sudden relief, both physically and mentally, upon leaving the water was difficult to describe to others.

It was at this moment that Lorant realized how much humans crave light.

Humans are indeed phototropic creatures, Lorant thought with a sense of happiness as the sunset bathed his face.

Lorant and Lancelot were making their way here through normal channels, naturally not as fast as Lorant and Shenuska who took the shortcut via the ocean current.

So when Lorant climbed onto the beach, the surroundings were still empty.

This was not the westernmost beach of the continent where he and Lancelot had initially taken Michael, but according to Fa Meng's perception and description, the westernmost beach of that continent was not far from here, separated only by a small mountain.

From a straight-line perspective, it was merely tens of kilometers away.

To wait for Michael, who was heading to this beach, Lorant decided to set up camp here temporarily and move to the westernmost beach after Lancelot arrived. From there, they could dive deeper into the water, perhaps more accurately locating the source of the transparent coral, potentially saving some time.

After silently planning the next steps in his mind, Lorant was the first to set up his portable tent on the beach.

Since his trip beyond the Lopulo Mountains, this specially made space tent had always been stored in Lorant's spatial ring for emergencies.

Lorant was now quite familiar with outdoor living. He skillfully found a clean spot on the beach and set up the tent.

He wasn't worried about the appearance of beasts here. Firstly, with Fa Meng around, Lorant was very confident about his safety. Secondly, this place, directly connected to the ocean from the mermaid's secret realm, was quite hidden according to the maps, surrounded by mountains, and even beasts rarely appeared here. If not for Shenuska's guidance, finding this paradise would have been a strenuous task.

Basically, walking a few kilometers inland from this beach, there would be no living beings other than Lorant and Shenuska.

It was a very hidden and safe place.

Finally, Lorant busily pulled out a large number of cooking utensils from the tent.

Including an outdoor grill, a bonfire, a cooking pot, and a dining table filled with various jars, ladles, and pans.

The preparations looked so thorough that it didn't seem like a simple picnic, but rather as if he had moved his entire kitchen from home. One could imagine that preparing a full Manchu-Han Imperial Feast here wouldn't pose any inconvenience.

However, even so, Lorant decided to prepare the simplest, quickest, and most picnic-standard barbecue today.

During a casual chat on Val's back with Shenuska, the formidable warrior of the Merpeople mentioned his fondness for barbecue. However, due to their innate fear of fire, few among the Merpeople are skilled in handling flames, resulting in underdeveloped culinary skills.

In the Merpeople community, most food is simply processed and eaten raw.

The physical structure of Merpeople differs from that of ordinary humans; they find it harder to tolerate hot food. Except for practitioners, most ordinary Merpeople can only consume cold food, leading to a long-standing habit of eating cold meals.

But Shenuska is a Merperson who has trained outside the Merpeople's realm and has a lingering attachment to the various delicacies of the human world.

Although most human delicacies don't quite meet Lorant's standards, the chefs in the homes of noble lords and formidable warriors are quite skilled. Naturally, during his travels, Shenuska mostly interacted with individuals of equivalent strength.

Thus, he has a rather favorable impression of human cuisine.

Moreover, compared to the bland and monotonous dietary habits of the Merpeople, even the rough foods that Lorant doesn't fancy are considered rare delicacies by Shenuska.

Therefore, Lorant decided to showcase his culinary skills today for this Merperson who hasn't seen much of the world for a long time.

The freshly caught aquatic beasts were encountered by Val during its ascent from the deep sea.

This fish-like beast, over a meter long, is called the "Swordtooth Bullfish." Besides a pair of exaggerated sword-like teeth, their flat bodies also feature a bull's nose.

The meat of the Bullfish is tender, and Fa Meng specifically selected a few that were not too large and looked fresh.

Being a level four beast with not much energy, and considering the appetite of practitioners, Lorant prepared a total of four.

Lorant directed the baby to use silk to hoist the four Bullfish, efficiently gutting them and discarding the innards. He then turned to the array of jars and bottles, meticulously coating every inch of the Bullfish's flesh with a large bottle of homemade barbecue sauce.

This barbecue sauce was Lorant's own creation, using three types of plants that produce spicy elements, mixed with some aromatic and deodorizing spices.

Then, by pouring hot clear oil over it, all the flavors were preserved.

Next, fragrant fruits were mashed into a paste and mixed in to add some sweetness, finally sealed to become Lorant's exclusive barbecue sauce.

This sauce is quite popular in the beast pet shop.

The batch in Lorant's hands was specially made by him, adding the juices of two more flowers, which perfectly neutralized the slight sea smell unique to aquatic beasts, making it ideal for marinating them.

After marinating, the four Swordtooth Bullfish were skewered crosswise with bamboo sticks and hung aside to marinate further. Lorant then turned to the two giant sea snails Fa Meng had just caught.

These sea snails, known as "Shallow Hammer Snails," are a common level three beast in shallow seas. Their shells resemble a giant hammerhead but are not very hard.

Instead, they are somewhat fragile.

Lorant appreciates them for the exceptionally delicious and tender meat inside.

After smashing the two-meter-high hammerhead-shaped shell, the tender snail meat was carefully extracted with bamboo skewers. A large amount of snail meat was soon suspended in front of Lorant by silk.

The pale pink snail meat, separated from the body, was still twitching, looking extremely fresh.

After removing the inedible parts, the amount of snail meat was significantly reduced.

Lorant placed the fresh snail meat into large, hollowed-out seashells, using them as plates filled with the meat.

He then used seaweed to close and tie the large shells together, slowly sinking them into a boiling pot of water over the bonfire.

The snail meat was blanched briefly, just enough to cook it without making it too tough.

The texture of the giant hammer snail is firm yet not rubbery, making it perfectly prepared after this step.

After a quick blanching, Lorant set the snail meat aside. Little Qing and Little Black were diligently using their silk to string up a large bunch of fresh vegetables taken from Lorant's space. The little ones swiftly dipped the fresh vegetables into clear water and spun them vigorously, using centrifugal force to clean every leaf thoroughly.

They then tore the vegetables into small pieces and set them aside.

Next, Lorant moved the well-marinated sword-tooth bullfish next to the bonfire, enclosing them on all sides to ensure even heating.

Shenuska sat on the beach chair Lorant had set up, watching Lorant cook with unblinking eyes, much like a schoolboy.

For some reason, after Lorant started handling the ingredients, a sense of professionalism emanated from the previously gentle young man, making it impossible to resist his aura.

That, perhaps, is the essence of expertise!

The side of the bullfish skewered on wooden sticks quickly took on color from the heat. Lorant flipped them over and brushed a thin layer of sauce on the other side.

Taking advantage of the grilling time, he mixed the vegetables and diced snail meat together. A light brown soy sauce and fragrant vinegar were added, followed by a sprinkle of sesame-like plants, completing the delicious snail meat salad.

Seeing that the grilled fish was almost done, Lorant began the final preparations.