Warlock Apprentice

Chapter 3248: Chapter 3249: Orange Bread

Angel wasn’t afraid of cooking delicious food at all, especially with the Secret Ceremony Box bonus, he had nothing to worry about.

The mutation from the last time with the Secret Ceremony Box... was just an accident.

It’s not like every time using the Secret Ceremony Box would result in a mutation, right? Even the previous owner of the Secret Ceremony Box couldn’t achieve that.

But...

”Even if I’m making delicious food, that’s something for later,” Angel said, looking at Luigi, who was already close to him: ”Aren’t you curious about the blessing effect I received?”

Luigi: ”That’s true. Piu previously mentioned a gourmet enhancement, which was an enhancement on cheese-related spell techniques. Is yours also a cheese enhancement spell?”

Angel shook his head: ”No, this time the blessing doesn’t directly act on a specific type of gourmet. It’s more of a comprehensive enhancement.”

Luigi: ”A comprehensive enhancement? Which aspect are you referring to?”

Angel didn’t keep him in suspense and directly answered: ”Taste!”

”Taste?!” Luigi was a bit stunned.

Angel: ”Exactly, the taste of the food. According to the blessing, any food I make will have a certain exquisite taste enhancement.”

If the food is already flavorful, it becomes even more flavorful. If it’s fresh, it becomes even fresher. Even the less appetizing ones, like some rather bitter Witch’s Soup, can become more palatable under the taste enhancement.

Furthermore, after creating a food with taste enhancement, any future remake of this food will have a certain taste bonus. This boost doesn’t come with a timer.

In other words, even after the blessing effect is gone, this effect will still be reflected in my future creations, not limited by time.

With such an enhancement, why would Angel fear making delicious food?

He’s even thought about it; once the current tasks are done, he will go meet Toby and impress it thoroughly, washing away the disdain associated with Magic Bread.

If enhancements can be gained in the Wilderness of Dreams, then that’s where he’ll meet Toby. If not, he’ll find a way to return to the Barbarian Cave before the enhancement fades.

Washing away the bad reputation brooks no delay.

Luigi: ”Taste enhancement? Isn’t this similar to the effect of the Secret Ceremony Box? It shouldn’t affect the box’s enhancement, right?”

Angel shook his head: ”It won’t. The Secret Ceremony Box is a tool, while the blessing directly acts on the food I make.”

Luigi’s eyes flashed with delight: ”Does that mean with the Secret Ceremony Box, it could be a double taste enhancement?!”

Angel nodded modestly: ”I suppose so.”

Luigi was even more excited. Though he no longer had the so-called ”cravings,” that didn’t mean he didn’t love delicious food. If he can taste deliciousness, it would make him very happy.

Luigi was looking forward to it, and truth be told, so was Angel. —Though he felt the blessing for the gourmet type was not much use for him, washing away past disgrace in front of Toby and Greya counted as useful.

Meanwhile, Piu, who understood the blessing effect, seeing Luigi’s excited expression and Angel’s raised lips, was filled with confusion.

”Taste enhancement... sounds decent, but in terms of practicality, it’s weaker than the cheese spell technique enhancement.” Piu mused inwardly.

Though he wasn’t deeply familiar with Gourmet Witches, he had basic knowledge. For instance, he knew cheese spell techniques involve more than just making cheese.

Like the attack-oriented Cream Gale, the control-oriented Cheese Sticky Board, and various auxiliary cheese boosted delicacies... These all belong to cheese spell techniques.

At least cheese spell techniques go beyond taste; they include many ”interesting” functions.

Whereas Angel’s blessing merely enhances taste, isn’t that a bit too weak?

Of course, Piu thought so only in his heart. If truly delicious food were placed before him, he wouldn’t resist.

”Want to test the taste improvement effect now?” remarked Pika Sage: ”If needed, I can have ingredients sent over.”

Angel thought for a moment and replied, ”Ingredients aren’t necessary; the culinary trick I’m using doesn’t require much material.”

Making food without ingredients? Angel’s words only deepened Pika Sage’s curiosity about gourmet capabilities, eager to witness them.

However, Angel didn’t immediately test the so-called taste enhancement effect; he had some questions to solve first.

”I scoured through the information I obtained. Although some scenes with Demihuman images appeared, the blessing effect didn’t mention anything related to beast transformation.” Angel turned to Piu: ”Are you sure the beast transformation illusion is related to taste enhancement?”

Piu hesitated momentarily, saying: ”Previously, I was certain. But this time, I’m not so sure.”

”Because this time you saw a scene, the first occurrence I’ve seen since blessings began.”

”The scene itself contained Demihumans; if the beast transformation illusion corresponds to the Demihumans in the information rather than Mr. Angele, perhaps it’s unrelated.”

”But if we base it on past experience...” Piu paused at this point, not continuing.

But Angel already got his point.

In previous cases, every illusion appearing with a blessing was somewhat related to the blessing effects.

So if Angel’s blessing is like that, beast transformation... might indeed manifest on him.

”It’s not explicitly stated in the effects.” Angel murmured: ”Does it mean, every time I make food, I transform into a beast? Grow long ears and tails?”

Thinking of this, Angel’s mind began conjuring peculiar silhouettes.

The odd body aside, the faces of those silhouettes were his own, which was even stranger.

Thinking about his beast transformation form, Angel felt awkward, sensing a discord.

Luigi noticed Angel’s murmurs, seeing the troubled expression said, ”If you really do transform into a beast, it’s no big deal, isn’t it? Since transformation isn’t permanent. After a month, it’s gone.”

”Besides, if you do, just mask it with an Illusion Technique.”

Angel thought it over; Luigi seemed right.

Due to the Seed believers, lately, he rarely showed his true face; he even altered his appearance using Transmutation Technique, so why worry about beast transformation?

Considering it, Angel stopped fretting; beast transformation? Let it be, it’s temporary.

Though he stopped fretting, necessary experiments still awaited.

Would beast transformation occur during food-making? Or perhaps there isn’t any transformation, and he’s worried for nothing?

With these two questions, Angel waved decisively: ”Let’s make some delicious food!”

Luigi promptly replied: ”Count me in!”

Laplace glanced at Angel and said indifferently: ”Include me.”

Although Pika Sage and Piu were also eager for Angel’s creations, they didn’t voice it. Regardless, Angel sought no request, saying: ”Everyone present will have some!”

After saying this, Angel thought and added: ”If beast transformation does occur while making food, and it’s extreme, then I’ll only make it once. Who gets that portion is up to fate.”

When Angel said this, he already possessed some of the pride of a top chef.

Luigi: ”...But isn’t it true that all Gastronomy Spells can produce multiple portions at once?”

Moreover, isn’t what you know a culinary trick? For tricks, wouldn’t making multiple portions be even easier?

Angel silently turned to look at Luigi: ”Am I part of the Culinary Department?”

”Besides, the more exquisite something is, the rarer it becomes.”

After speaking, Angel no longer continued to argue, and decided to let his work speak for itself.

What work? Certainly still Magic Bread.

He’s only proficient in this one culinary trick.

Magic Bread - many junior apprentices know this trick because it allows them to use ”magic power” as an ingredient to create food that’s enough to fill their stomachs.

If one happens to be trapped in areas they can’t leave, such as ruins, special spaces, secret realms... and so on, having the trick of Magic Bread at least provides emergency food, preventing starvation from being trapped.

This is not alarmist talk; according to Angel, many apprentices have been trapped in different secret realms for decades or even over a hundred years due to various reasons and have survived difficult times relying on Magic Bread and Water Creation techniques.

Angel initially chose to cross-discipline and practice the Magic Bread culinary trick due to being forced into similar situations.

In essence, Magic Bread allows the use of ”magic power” to create bread to satiate hunger in emergencies.

But if it’s not so urgent, one can choose some consumables as ingredients for Magic Bread.

In this way, it makes the Magic Bread have different textures.

This time, Angel received a flavor boost, and naturally didn’t want to pursue the original flavor of Magic Bread.

Previously, when Angel used the Secret Ceremony Box at the Hundred-Dragon Divine Kingdom outpost to make Magic Bread, he used ”Magic Marrow Meat” as a consumable.

This time, he decided to change the consumable.

Magic Marrow Meat, as good as it is, had caused a mishap last time. Even though the main culprit wasn’t the Magic Marrow Meat, for safety’s sake, Angel decided not to choose Magic Marrow Meat this time.

He scanned the surroundings and finally picked up a roasted orange with scorch marks around the hearth.

The hot orange fell into the ruthless iron hand, with a burn hole at its bottom, emitting a fragrant sweet scent from inside.

Be it the charred fragrant peel or the clear sweet flesh, they are both good consumables.

Angel decided to go with this orange as the casting consumable, and this time, he would challenge a high-difficulty Magic Bread—orange-flavored Magic Bread!

Under everyone’s gaze, Angel’s eyes glowed, showing a full and confident expression.

In his Mind Space, he began to outline the psychic model representing Magic Bread. Although the lines were drawn with a sense of noviceship, it did not affect the overall situation.

With the stable energy output, the model of Magic Bread was completed.

Then, he ”sacrificed” the orange flesh.

As the orange flesh vanished, a radiant and dazzling light began to emit from Angel’s hand.

The outline of a bread began to slowly emerge in his hand.

Initially, everyone’s attention was on Angel’s hand, but as the outline of the bread became more evident, their attention gradually shifted and eventually landed on Angel’s head.

On both ends of Angel’s head appeared the phantom of beast ears.

And these beast ears...like cat ears.

Why ”like” cat ears? Because these delicate cat ears are red in color, and the fur has a bright red hue, akin to the finest pigeon blood gemstones.

Red cat ears have a graceful yet ruthless flair.

But placed atop Angel’s head, who was seriously making Magic Bread with a very confident expression, it looked somewhat incongruous.

As everyone observed the birth of the ”cat-eared youth,” Angel’s orange bread also neared completion.

The graceful outline, the rounded contour, the full shell—all revealed the maturity of this bread.

But accompanying the maturity came not the charm, but... an extremely strange smell.

This smell seemed like the skin of an orange stepped on by sweat feet, left on an over-fermented rack, with the salted smell of sweat feet, the sour smell of fermented orange peel, and the rot smell of bookworms dead on a dusty wooden shelf.

Sour, fermented, and rotten.

In summary, just one word: Smelly!

So smelly that everyone’s attention was momentarily drawn back from Angel’s ears to Angel’s palm due to the extremely pungent smell.

”What is this... such potency...” Piu retreated three steps, looking at the bread in Angel’s hand with shock.

Pika Sage also took a step back; originally sitting by the hearth, now he directly moved to the sofa behind, even shrinking inward and swallowing dryly, saying: ”Is this the legendary Dark Cuisine?”

Similar to how reality spreads some rumors about the Mirror World.

The Mirror Domain also spreads some real-world rumors.

Such as Dark Cuisine.

So-called Dark Cuisine is food that smells bad but tastes good.

Whether Dark Cuisine exists, everyone is unsure. But the rumors spread boisterously.

Not only Pika Sage and Piu, but even Luigi took two steps back.

The smell was too stimulating, and he instinctively stepped back before he realized, wanting to ”discuss” with Angel.

But Angel quickly discarded the bread with a decent appearance but very odd smell.

Discarded into...the bracelet.

The smell comes quickly and disappears quickly too.

The only one not affected by the smell is Laplace, as blocking her sense of smell is easy for her. More than the strange smelling bread, she is puzzled by Angel.

Although the scent of this food isn’t as bad as the one emitted from the Secret Ceremony Box before, it’s still unpleasant.

And both times, they came from Angel’s hand.

She’s now a bit puzzled; Angel’s error rate in making Magic Bread is a bit high.

Should this be considered an accident? Or is it destiny?