Chapter 242
Yu Xunge watched for a while, feeling that the meat soup she made for the cats in the backyard was far more exquisite. She then lowered her head and busied herself with her own tasks.
Through the chatter in the kitchen, she gradually pieced together the current situation. This world was called Senhai, and the year was 7207 in the Ruinkor calendar. It had been fifteen years since the arrival of Zelan in 5092.
Unlike the brief connection through mobile games during the invasion of Blue Star, the final mode of Zelan's invasion of Senhai also involved the arrival of a dungeon screen, but their entry point was a type of spore that spread rapidly through the winds of Senhai.
One day, a million spores erupted simultaneously, transforming into dungeon screens.
On that same day, all the Oak Owls received game panels and divine talents.
Now, the highest level among the Oak Owls had reached level 80, while the highest-level alien beings that had come over from Zelan had already surpassed level 19. The number of Oak Owls in Senhai had decreased by a third, and the top battlefields relied heavily on Taomian, Songgui, Fengtang, and Songgui's dragon.
Half of the dungeon screens were under the control of the Oak Owls, while the other half were guarded by high-level alien beings. It was unclear what Zelan had done, but the dungeon screens controlled by the Oak Owls no longer dispatched troops. This meant that the Oak Owls' upgrade channels were blocked, forcing them into passive defense. They could either wait for the aliens to gather and attack, leveling up on the battlefield, or muster their forces to assault the dungeon screens occupied by the aliens.
Fortunately, five years ago, under the leadership of the legendary figures Taomian, Songgui, and Fengtang, the attributes and qualifications of all Oak Owls had significantly increased, much like Taoguan.
Yu Xunge learned from another young Oak Owl that Taoguan's divine talent had not originally been D-grade [Fierce Fire], but rather E-grade [Ignition]. Then one day, a public announcement was made in Senhai, stating that thanks to the efforts of Taomian, Songgui, and Fengtang, all citizens of Senhai had achieved a life-level advancement.
She immediately thought of the quest called [Burning Expedition] and recalled the phrase, "Fight for your race and your world."
She asked, "So, can't A-grade talents evolve into S-grade?"
Before the young Oak Owl could respond, the chef cooking in front laughed, "No way! Only D-grade and below divine talents can evolve. Most C-grade and above divine talents just get their skills enhanced a bit." His tone carried a hint of regret.
Yu Xunge glanced at the Oak Owl's talent—[Culinary Adventure] C-grade.
In addition, she heard some news that Songgui had obtained a dragon named Lizhou in the year 7200 of the Ruinkor calendar.
Wait, isn't that the former owner of [Moment of Reckoning]? And didn't the Emperor's Umbrella say Lizhou was no longer needed? Did they have a falling out, or had something happened to Songgui?
Yu Xunge settled comfortably in the kitchen, but to keep her combat instincts sharp, she would take leave every few days to visit the battlefield. Don't ask; just know that "I can't let Taomian down!"
This was clearly against the rules, but who could say anything to her since her last name was Tao? Besides, no one could fault her for voluntarily going to the battlefield.
She discovered that her wings might possess some kind of ability, but she couldn't use it, like having a locked phone that she knew contained games and treasures, yet she couldn't unlock it.
Being new to this place, she didn't dare ask the other Oak Owls, as it seemed they all knew how to utilize their wing abilities, each in their own unique way. The Oak Owls lacked technology, but they had managed to resist Zelan with the power of their wings and fruits.
When she wasn't cooking, Yu Xunge would study the magical fruits of the Oak Owls, experimenting with ideas about [Golden Killer] that she had in her mind, or using fruits with similar effects, attributes, and textures to test methods from [Spring's Not Late] for handling herbs.
Thus, she spent two whole years in this calm and orderly routine.
**Chapter 314: Tower · Taosu · [Monthly New Arrivals]**
It was rare for her to have such a long stretch of time to study potions. Tiaolan found these days boring; she transformed into a little spider to keep Yu Xunge company for a few days before retreating to her pet space to play games. They had experimented and found that time in the pet space was consistent with that outside the tower. For Yu Xunge, it felt like an eternity, while for Tiaolan, it was just a quick game.
During this time, she had intended to play [Mind Snatcher] once a month, only to discover a limitation: no more than three skills could exist at the same time. After unlocking [One Backlash], along with the previous [One Lie] and [One Prank], she had reached her limit.
But fortunately, she could still use the Moon Snipper.
She had no idea where the moonlight she was snipping came from. The piece of land she had created, devoid of moonlight, had yet to recover after two years.
However, she didn't carry much mental burden. She snipped here and there, and each time she sent the moonlight she collected to the Irritable Moon, it would randomly return 1 to 3 points of Essence. She wasn't sure if it was because Taoguan's luck was too low or if the initial 7 points were a first-time bonus.
After snipping once a month, two years later, she had accumulated 55 points of Essence.
Meanwhile, the surrounding Oak Owls appeared increasingly depressed, constantly murmuring about whether Senhai was about to collapse.
During this time, Yu Xunge also met Taomian at the Hazelnut Festival in 7210, where she learned that Taomian was Taoguan's great-uncle.
The younger version of Taomian was already brimming with leadership charisma. Just sitting there, he exuded a sense of calm, his black wings spread wide, creating an overwhelming presence.
However, she didn't see Songgui or Fengtang; they were stationed in other parts of Senhai, each guarding their territory.
After the invasion by Zelan, the three Oak Owls quickly rose to prominence, gaining a formidable reputation in just five years. Yet, it seemed that all the glory of Senhai was focused on these three; no other Oak Owl could compare.
Those Oak Owls either lacked the strength to match their ambitions, quickly perishing in the game of power, or they failed to achieve anything that could lead their entire race to evolve, gradually losing their followers.
Inside the tower, Yu Xunge freely explored the divine talents of Taomian and various renowned Oak Owls.
She took notes, recording everything—this was all valuable intelligence.
Besides Taomian, she also encountered Taosu, whom Lucia had mentioned. Taosu turned out to be Taoguan's cousin, a tiny little thing who couldn't even walk yet, but his talent was impressive—an S-grade [Pharmacist]. Every day, three large Oak Owls took turns training him, so he didn't even need to walk.
He had a skill in his divine talent called [Monthly New Arrivals].
With this skill, he could randomly experiment with the fruits or plants of Senhai, and even if he just squeezed juice, he would discover new effects from the combinations of various vegetables, fruits, and plants each month.
There were no dramatic moments of mutual disdain, but Yu Xunge was envious of that divine talent skill. Not long after that family banquet, she first exchanged her divine talent on the battlefield with other alien beings three times, and only in the fourth month did she disguise herself to "assassinate" Taosu, looking for an opportunity to swap for [Monthly New Arrivals].
After the skill had been washed around outside, it returned to her. Even if the Oak Owls around Taosu noticed something was off, they couldn't trace it back to her.
Using a pocket watch to cover her tracks, she then settled down in the kitchen to study various Oak Owl fruits. This place seemed to gather almost all the edible varieties from the eastern part of Senhai. She felt as if she had stumbled into the world of Plants vs. Zombies:
Alarm peppers that would explode into the sky upon their owner's death, scream peppers that would scream when strangers approached the door, and winter melons that could automatically adjust the indoor temperature to 20 degrees… and so on.
With a little processing, these fruits and vegetables could transform into something entirely different, and some Oak Owls had their own unique secrets.
Until she fully understood the peculiar effects of these strange fruits and grasped the internal structure of the Oak Owls, she was reluctant to leave.
Thanks to [Monthly New Arrivals], she created many new things.
By the end of the year 7217 in the Ruinkor calendar, after ten years in the tower, Yu Xunge finally found a solution for the Pujiao.
During these ten years, Yu Xunge tried her best to avoid forming emotional connections with any Oak Owls. She focused all her attention on her own matters, and now she had become the head chef, wielding her spatula with flair every day.
But to avoid triggering the effects of the Food God skill, she had to cook in a way that made the dishes unpalatable, ensuring the ratings stayed below 80.
This was quite easy. After acquiring [Monthly New Arrivals], she learned various bizarre combinations that could make meals both terrible and surprisingly effective.
Once she had gathered all the information she needed, she began to work hard at being a taciturn Oak Owl. Her personality became a bit eccentric, but after the invasion of Zelan, there were many such Oak Owls.
One by one, the Oak Owls around her disappeared. Eventually, even the chef with a C-grade talent left. The number of dishes she had to prepare increased daily, and an indescribable frustration grew within her.
Every Oak Owl would greet her when leaving the kitchen, handing over their personal utensils for her to keep, asking her to watch over them and not let them be used by the battlefield soldiers, as it was unsanitary.
Yu Xunge also had her own set of utensils: a small bowl shaped like an eggshell, a spoon shaped like a leaf, and chopsticks resembling two pine needles. This was a small perk of the kitchen, allowing her to avoid sharing bowls and chopsticks with the battlefield soldiers.
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