A powerful aura permeated the cave as a figure moved through the darkness and began to appear.
It slowly walked as the light gradually illuminated it.
It was blue with a unique white mushroom cap on its head wearing classy white pants.
It held a small stick which at its end was a snail.
It looked harmless yet its aura indicted the exact opposite.
"Prince! You came back!!" Mushroom minimen jumped and rushed before they threw themselves on the mushroom miniman that had appeared.
He, however, dodged all of them, the minimen had a confused look on their faces.
He, however only pointed at the end of his stick.
At this moment, a profound aura manifested itself.
a Rank 5 Anima!
"Tribe leader? you?!" the mushroom minimen ancestor was startled.
"Hey, Ecto, come learn how to cook with your daddy!" He spoke.
"Ecto escaped from Nameless's hands and rushed towards the mushroom minimen."
"Hehe, eager to learn from a food path grandmaster. Get us a pot and some bowls, let us cook!" the miniman spoke.
"But! Tribe leader where are the rest of our tribe that were with you?"
The miniman tribe leader only turned his head : "You dare interrupt my cooking?"
"No, I dare not." the ancestor softly spoke lowering his head.
"Let's Cook!" the tribe leader spoke with eagerness, he didn't even pay attention to Nameless.
However the ancestor still interrupted : "Tribe leader, what happened to the immortal snake that nearly killed us?"
"I ate it."
"You did what?!"
"I cooked and ate it, best meal of my life."
The ancestor had his mouth agape, a rank 6 immortal snake was cooked just like that!
A giant pot was brought as the tribe leader stepped on the wooden platform, he had a cool blue cape on his back, all types of spices and herbs were brought up glowing in all sorts of unique colours as all types of fragrances emerged from them filling the cave with intoxicating smells.
There were about two hundred ingredients lined up, it was without saying that the minimen emptied most of their savings for this one meal.
The tribe leader moved, all types of spices and herbs were thrown in just a few seconds in the boiling water.
His hand was so fast that it was impossible to follow with the naked eye.
He threw the last few herbs and as the boiling water came into contact with the spices, an intense fragrance spread rapidly permeating the entire cave.
All the minimen and even Nameless swallowed their saliva, the rank 5 anima was not even used yet!
The cooking continued, the minimen tribe leader threw all types of ingredients, even those that didn't make sense, throwing what looked like poisonous corals and snake venom, before circling back to the magnolia worms, rainbow oysters and fire grooved birds.
He even added several of the rank 1 anima earthworms that Ecto used before.
As he was cooking, the miniman tribe leader had a serious expression as the minimen wore nervous expressions.
All sorts of bioluminiscent ingredients were thrown next, red, blue, yellow, orange, purple even white and black.
He then threw ingredients that looked like alienoid eggs, lettuce, onion, rice and fish using them in all sorts of unique ways, the minimen tribe leader even used what looked spells and techniques on the meal.
"Wtf is even happening anymore? am I dreaming? is that really a rank 5 anima?"
"Yeah it seems, the suprising part isn't the anima but the tribe leader himself, to have this much skill, I'm afraid he might already be an immortal but the crazier part is that he is a food path immortal."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Food path immortals are extremely rare, don't be fooled by appearences, he could effortlessly sweep all the beasts you nearly died to. What's even scarier is food path immortals can increase their power just by consuming and cooking stronger flesh obtaining their dao marks. A food path immortal can make a meal more nutritious than even a beast core."
"That powerful?!"
"The tribes that can survive in this danger zone will of course be powerful, this is one of the most menacing danger zones in the world."
The tribe leader continued his cooking while doing all sorts of cool and classy moves before he screamed : "Now!"
Minimen moved, rapidly putting the pot cover yet nonetheless some of the fragrance still escaped making everyone in the cave salivate.
Time passed before suddenly, a purple light emerged from Nameless's body before it spoke to the tribe leader.
The tribe leader sensed it turning towards it.
The purple figure slightly bowed before speaking : "I wonder if I can extend an invitation to senior to join the Guardians. We only accept immortals after all, I believe you would fit right in and we can help you in your quest for ingredients and cultivation."
The tribe leader put his hand under his chin in a thinking motion.
"I refuse."
"I see, can you atleast give us a reason for refusal?"
He removed his cape before turning and pointing at his back :
"I'm not purple, I'm blue."
"What?!"
She was flabbergasted retorting : "What does that have to do with anything? the purple attire of the Guardians is merely a look."
"I'm blue!"
At this point, the tribe leader looked more like he was flexing the fact that he was blue rather than considering the offer.
The purple figure could only sigh before she vanished.
The minimen looked with admiration towards their tribe leader.
"I wonder what's your name?" Nameless casually asked.
"My name is Yugo." the tribe leader spoke.
He was about to continue speaking but at this moment, he moved, removing the lid!
An explosion of fragrance erupted rushing and intoxicating the entire cave, even the minimen that were resting beyond the walls were drooling.
The rush of flavours permeated every fiber of their being, even minimen who were asleep woke up!
Everyone was salivating.
"Not yet." the tribe leader closed the lid.
"Wait for a bit."
Yugo spoke making everyone sigh in lamentation.
Nameless just stood there watching the show and he couldn't help but admit that he was enjoying it.
The eagerness of the minimen and the eccentric personality of the tribe leader made for a good show.
"It's ready!" the tribe leader immediately moved his hand removing the lid, this time once and for all!
A giant explosion of flavors filled the whole cave as a powerful wind emerged from the pot sending all the minimen flying in the air!
even Nameless had to use his body weight and hold to the ground to not be flung away.
He now knew that cooking a rank 5 anima was no joke.
As the minimen were sent flying, an immortal aura suddenly helped them descend gently to the ground.
The minimen's faces however weren't filled with fear but with gluttony as they frenzily salivated.
"Bring the bowls!" the tribe leader screamed as the minimen responsible moved the bowls to everyone present.
The tribe leader put the meal in hundreds of bowls.
Every three minimen shared a giant bowl.
Nameless, Yugo, Ecto and the Ancestor alone had their own giant bowls.
Ecto spoke gently as he begged : "Tribe leader, can I get the protection spell please?"
"You dare?!" the minimen ancestor retorted.
"Granted! Everyone can have it." the tribe leader spoke before the minimen erupted in cheers.
A blueish membrance begin to appear on their bodies before they jumped in the bowl!
It didn't take long before they all took a bite of the meat soup as they swam in it, cheers erupted filling the cave.
"Nyaaah." Ecto couldn't help as he tasted this unique meal, he only ate one bite before he was forced to float on top of the meal in peace and happiness.
Nameless didn't touch the meal, first waiting for everyone to eat to see their reactions before he dug in!
He drank a sip.
Drip
Pure Silence
"What?"
Nameless opened his eyes as he felt as if he was in a white world in front of a gentle tree that dripped drops on the lake below it as the water rippled.
It didn't stop there, as he returned to his senses, he felt as if he was experiencing the four seasons, autumn and winter flavours permeated his tongue cooling it before spring and summer heated it delivering it from the cold and sending flowing warmth all over his being.
A few minutes had to pass before Nameless returned to reality, he couldn't help it.
"Hey tribe leader, shake my hand, you deserve it, what a supreme meal!" Nameless shook his hand with passion.
This wasn't a meal with explosive flavour like the previous times, it was gentle and soothing yet there was something deeper than it.
He even felt he was getting stronger after he drank from it, most of the previous hunger and tiredness of his body disappeared.
The tribe leader didn't even hesitate before shaking his hand back, however a small dark light couldn't help but emerge in his eyes for an instant.
Nameless then took another bite and sipped the soup.
He kept drinking again and again, almost as if he couldn't stop.
"It's better for you to stop eating too much, a rank 5 anima meal is too much to abuse even when cooked to be bioavailable to all ranks, it will take too much time to digest." the will in his mind spoke.
Nameless however ignored her and kept on eating till he began to feel sleepy.
Finally finishing his bowl, he laid on his back as he went to sleep.
"Sigh." the purple will in his mind lamented.
A few meters from him was Ecto who also had also went to sleep.
It didn't take long before the banquet and everyone went to sleep except the tribe leader.
The tribe leader had already finished his bowl but it didn't affect him in the least.
"Hey guardian, can we have a talk?"
"What? finally considering my offer." The purple figure spoke as she emerged.
"No."
"Then what?"
"I'm just curious for how long are you going to keep hiding it from him."