Death had already departed,
yet the pain was still spreading.
Jason had been blown to pieces before,
but to be continuously crushed to dust and still endure the scorching heat was a first for him.
Jason could assure that he had been 'cooked' more than once.
That kind of doneness from the outside in, created a uniquely crisp exterior with a tender interior.
His sense of smell had informed him of this.
For the first time, Jason felt that having a keen sense of smell was also a burden.
Fortunately, Jason wasn't so starved that he wanted to eat himself.
He remained calm and rational.
However, being calm and rational did not lessen the pain.
On the contrary, the more lucid and rational he was, the more pain Jason felt.
He wanted to roar out loud, but he clamped his teeth shut, refusing to let out even the slightest sound.
Because at that moment, Jason had once again returned to the high-backed chair.
In front of him was the familiar, antiquated round table, the dark tablecloth, the silverware, and...that black notebook.
Toward this special place, Jason was always on his guard.
Even though it had offered him considerable help, Jason would never forget the initial scene—
he was 'delivered' here as food.
Moreover, to this point,
he was still 'bound' to this high-backed chair.
The black notebook flipped open automatically, and new words started to appear on the page.
[When you chose it, it was destined to upstage.]
[The bubbles were delightful.]
[They subtly stimulated your taste buds.]
(Note: The unexpectedly frequent aperitif. Its taste... naturally, only you know.)
A few lines of aphorisms casually appeared before Jason's eyes.
Jason's thoughts instinctively turned to Aras.
That woman was unforgettable at first sight.
Tall, strong, and exceptionally skilled in combat.
She's probably continuing her training by now, right?
Thinking of Aras's focused demeanor, Jason couldn't help but sigh lightly.
There was no special emotion; Jason simply knew that it seemed impossible to find such a perfect training partner in the future.
However, Jason didn't think it was Aras who was 'upstaging.'
Was it... Edmund, Esther?
Jason frowned as he pondered, but ultimately shook his head.
But instinctively, Jason felt it wasn't it.
Is there something important I've overlooked?
While Jason pondered, the words on the notebook continued to appear line by line.
[Main quest: Excellent!]
[Hunting performance: Excellent!]
[Cooking performance: Mediocre!]
[Combat performance: Excellent!]
[Search performance: Good!]
[Overall evaluation: Nearly Excellent!]
(Note: Are you ready to drink in one gulp?)
Jason's gaze briefly paused on 'Overall evaluation.'
Then, his eyes moved to 'Cooking performance.'
Clearly, if he wanted to get a good evaluation, he had to master some cooking skills, but... who would tell him how to cook rebar, door panels?
It couldn't be by dipping it in sauce every time, could it?
As for other normal foods?
All things under heaven can be stewed!
All things in the world can be grilled!
Jason firmly believed nothing couldn't be stewed tender, much like there's nothing a skewer meal couldn't solve.
If there was, one would stew and grill skewers at the same time.
Of course, if the opportunity arose, Jason wouldn't mind learning some cooking skills.
But a faster, better solution was to find a chef!
It's just a pity that chefs like Hannibal are so rare!
Jason couldn't help but lament.
Then, his attention was drawn by the brilliance emerging from within the notebook.
With previous experiences in mind, Jason waited quietly.
The next moment, a card of mixed colors appeared.
Unlike the previous cards of solid black, bronze, and metallic sheen, this was a card with an inner layer of black iron and an outer ring of bronze.
The card's face featured an 'esophagus' connecting the mouth to the stomach.
[Esophagus Enhancement: Your esophageal muscles have been specially enhanced, allowing them to work with your strengthened mouth to swallow more and larger morsels at once!]
The Talent [Esophagus Enhancement] was listed alongside [Tooth Enhancement], [Taste Enhancement], [Poison Resistance Enhancement], [Stomach and Intestinal Enhancement], [Mouth Enhancement], all marked as 'Passive' under the Talent [Predator].
Suddenly feeling an itch in his throat, Jason couldn't help but cough a couple of times.
Then, the area at his throat suddenly expanded, becoming thicker than a watermelon, and as Jason breathed, the expansion continued until it was as thick as his body before stopping.
Quickly, his throat returned to normal.
Having already experienced [Mouth Enhancement], Jason accepted this change with a calm demeanor.
After all, he was just a normal person whose mouth could open wider, esophagus could pass through larger, more food, and whose digestion was a bit faster.
As long as it's normal, there's no need to worry about anything else.
"Bronze and black iron together?"
"Somewhere in between the two?"
Then an even brighter light began to emerge from the black notebook,
unlike the previous silver plate reflection.
This time, a crystal-clear glass appeared before Jason, and out of nowhere, layers of fine liquid began to bubble up inside.
The liquid was clear, yet filled with bubbles.