Chapter 16 : I’m Going—A Heavenly Treasure
Chapter 16: I’m Going—A Heavenly Treasure!
That heart… was beating.
With every pulse, the dark red viscous liquid rippled in slow, spreading circles.
Lilia felt something in her stomach churning wildly.
She wanted to vomit.
She wanted to run.
She wanted to slam the lid shut and pretend she had seen nothing.
What the hell is this thing!
Who in their right mind would soak a living, beating heart in their kitchen?!
Are you kidding me?!
This was clearly some ultimate prop straight out of a horror movie!
Lilia’s body instinctively stepped back, her heel bumping into the kitchen counter behind her with a soft thud.
No.
Absolutely not.
She would rather figure out how to deep-fry Burrow Worm Dried than touch this thing!
However, just as she turned to flee—
In her mind, the newly acquired 【Culinary Mastery】 skill seemed to be activated by the heart’s pulsation, beginning to operate frantically.
【Ding!】
【Detected high-tier magical ingredient: Behemoth Heart (Fragment)】
【Culinary Mastery Annotation: A fragment of the heart of the ancient creature “Devourer.” It contains extremely vast and pure magical power, making it one of the top nourishing sacred ingredients among the demon race. Its beating is the residual magic within performing a self-sustaining cycle to maintain energy activity.】
【Edibility Value: Greatly replenishes and refines the consumer’s magic power, strengthens the physique, and stabilizes the connection with energy. For high-tier demons, it is a priceless treasure rarely encountered.】
【Processing Suggestion: The energy within this heart is too violent to be consumed raw. It must be cut along its “magical veins” to release excess impact force. The optimal cooking method is to use its own energy for “self-consistent cooking,” maximizing nutrition and flavor while neutralizing its violent properties.】
【Warning: Improper handling may cause a minor magical explosion.】
She… she, she, she…
What was she seeing?
Lilia’s eyes widened like copper bells. When she looked again at the still-beating heart, her expression had shifted from pure fear and disgust into something far more complex… a mixture of shock, greed, and fervor.
This… wasn’t this the legendary heavenly treasure?!
And in Hera’s kitchen, something like this was just casually soaking here?
She suddenly understood.
Why Hera had only commented “novel” on her breakfast.
For a Demon Queen who might casually snack on something like this heart, her fried eggs and grilled meat probably really were just child’s play.
Pressure.
An unprecedented pressure surged over her once again.
Ninety unique dishes.
Every meal had to reach at least “satisfied.”
If she only used ordinary ingredients from the Demon Realm, she might barely scrape by, but she would never consistently amaze Hera.
But what if…
She used this?
Used this heart—recognized even by the System as a “treasure”—to create a one-of-a-kind minced topping noodle dish…
Lilia’s heartbeat began to accelerate.
The punishment for failure was tasting Lao Ba’s private cuisine together with Hera.
The reward for success was becoming an Official Maid and obtaining the B-rank divine skill 【Absolute Control】.
Risk and opportunity coexisted!
Do it!
A surge of determination instantly filled her mind.
It’s just a beating heart, isn’t it!
Lilia took a deep breath, her gaze becoming incomparably resolute. She walked to the knife rack, and guided by 【Culinary Mastery】, she unhesitatingly pulled out a boning knife.
The blade felt cold in her hand, yet a peculiar magical flow coursed through it, as if it were alive.
【Absolute Senses】 activated!
Holding her breath, Lilia gripped the boning knife tightly in her right hand. Her left hand… hesitated for a moment before finally pressing onto the cold, slick surface at the edge of the heart.
The intuition from 【Culinary Mastery】 pinpointed the exact cutting position in her mind.
Without the slightest hesitation, she exerted force through her wrist, driving the tip of the knife precisely into the junction of two magical veins.
“Puchi—”
A soft sound.
There was no spray of blood, no disgusting fluids.
Instead, what burst forth from the cut was a visible, pitch-black mist of energy. It swirled briefly in the air before dissipating completely.
And the heart’s pulsation slowed slightly.
It worked!
Lilia was instantly invigorated.
Following the guidance in her mind, she wielded the knife rapidly, slicing along the intricate veins. Her movements were precise, as if she had practiced them countless times.
Soon, a fist-sized, flawless piece of heart tissue was cleanly separated.
This “meat” was as deep and lustrous as obsidian, yet within it seemed to flow starlight.
It no longer pulsed, lying quietly in Lilia’s palm, emitting a strange sweetness and dense energy.
Carefully, she placed it onto the cutting board.
Next came preparing the minced topping.
She diced the heart tissue into uniform cubes. With each cut, she could feel the marvelous sensation of energy being perfectly divided beneath the blade.
Then, she began processing the previously inventoried ingredients.
Using White Bone Root Powder and the egg whites of Shadow Crow Egg, she kneaded a snow-white, elastic dough. With the assistance of 【Culinary Mastery】, she even learned a special noodle-pulling technique—her hands moved swiftly, forming strands of noodles that were uniform and springy.
She minced Air-Dried Boar Meat and mixed it with pungent Demon Realm spices.
She heated the wok and added oil—rendered from some abyssal fish, carrying a nutty aroma.
Once the oil was hot, she added the minced meat and spices, releasing a rich fragrance.
Then, she slid the obsidian-like “heart cubes” into the wok.
“Zila—”
A sharp burst!
An aroma far more intense than before exploded outward!
It wasn’t just the scent of meat, but a complex blend of richness, spice, sweetness, and even a faint metallic sharpness. Just smelling it made Lilia feel the magic within her body become active.
The minced topping was done and set aside.
She added water to the pot, tossed in a few slices of dried Abyss Moss, and a pinch of salt crystals. The once-clear water quickly turned into a translucent jade-green broth.
The noodles went in, and after a few rolls, they were cooked. She scooped them into a large black ceramic bowl.
She poured the green broth over them, layered a generous portion of the fragrant “heart minced topping,” sprinkled thin strips of golden egg skin from Shadow Crow Egg, and finally garnished with a few unknown purple herbs.
A bowl of otherworldly “luxury minced topping noodles” was complete.
White noodles, green broth, red-black topping, golden egg strips, purple herbs.
Five colors intertwined in harmony.
The rich aroma lingered in the small kitchen, almost becoming tangible.
Looking at her creation, a sense of unprecedented accomplishment rose from deep within Lilia.
Carefully, she placed the bowl onto a black lacquered wooden tray.
She glanced at the System clock.
It was time to go.