Ding Ding Ding
[Task 3 completed: Skill 'Precise Knife Skills Lv1' acquired.]
The system's notification echoed in Perry's mind as a blue orb danced joyfully in front of him, twirling around him as if celebrating the completion of the task. At that moment, Perry noticed that the information on the Sleepy Mushroom had been updated. He immediately opened the system page to check.
[Item: Sleepy Mushroom
Grade: D
Attributes: None
Introduction: Dark blue when not frightened, smooth as velvet, plump and cute. When frightened, the mushroom will expand rapidly, and delicate light blue carvings will gradually emerge on the surface, like a totem of secret magic. At this time, it will continue to release smoke with hypnotic effect, and will gradually shrink and fall into deep sleep until the surroundings become quiet.
Function: The dark blue part can remove the coma; the liquid in the light blue part can make people fall into a deep sleep.
Warning: Excessive intake of the light blue part may cause a deep sleep from which one cannot wake up.]
Perry only glanced at the details briefly before his attention was caught by the newly acquired skill. His curiosity piqued, and he eagerly opened the skill description.
[Precise Knife Skills Lv1: You can quickly grasp and learn basic knife techniques. Automatically activates when a knife is needed. The higher the skill level, the more complex and refined the knife techniques you can master.]
Perry raised an eyebrow, chuckling to himself. "Oh, so it's this skill. This is perfect timing! I've never been that great with a knife, but with this skill, my cooking skills are definitely going to improve!"
As he spoke, the rich aroma of mushrooms still lingered in the air around them. He was about to delve deeper into the new skill when he noticed Toto slowly waking up nearby, seemingly drawn by the enticing scent. Toto blinked his sleepy eyes and, with a raspy voice, asked, "What are you cooking? It smells amazing…"
"Oh, Toto, you're finally awake!" Perry breathed a sigh of relief and quickly handed over a piece of freshly roasted blue mushroom meat. "Good timing, eat this while you're still awake."
Toto looked skeptically at the piece of blue mushroom meat Perry handed him. "Is this... a mushroom? And it's blue? I've never seen anything like it before."
"Don't worry, it's an antidote," Perry explained patiently. "Even though it doesn't look very appealing, it will counteract the sleep-inducing mist we inhaled. If you don't eat it, I'm afraid we'll be asleep for three whole days."
Hearing this explanation, Toto frowned and looked around at the bizarre blue mushrooms growing nearby. "Are you sure this mushroom is edible?"
"Of course it is!" Perry nodded emphatically, trying to ease Toto's doubts. "It's normally a sleep inducer, but when processed correctly, it turns into an antidote. Trust me, I've already tested it!"
Toto hesitated for a moment before cautiously taking a bite. His expression instantly twisted, and his brows knitted tightly together. "Ugh, what is this strange texture?! It smells so good, but it tastes like I'm chewing on wet sponge!"
Perry scratched his head with an embarrassed grin. "Ah, I guess I didn't cook it all the way through…"
He quickly took back the half-raw mushroom meat from Toto's hands and placed it over the fire again, carefully roasting it this time. He paid special attention to the heat until the mushroom's surface turned golden and crispy, finally satisfied with the result. "Alright, this time it's perfect. Give it another try!"
Toto eyed the newly roasted mushroom meat suspiciously, casting a sideways glance at Perry. "You're not tricking me again, right?"
Perry laughed openly, grabbing a piece of the cooked mushroom for himself and taking a demonstrative bite, a crisp crunch echoing as he chewed. "See? Even the sound is different! It's really delicious!"
Encouraged by Perry's demonstration, Toto finally made up his mind and cautiously took another bite. This time, his eyes widened with surprise. "Wow, it's completely different now! The texture is crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and there's a subtle salty flavor—it's actually really good!"
Perry's smile grew even brighter. "See? I told you! With a little care, any ingredient can be turned into delicious food!"
Toto finished the mushroom meat, looking a little reluctant that it was gone so quickly. He rubbed his hands together. "Perry, will you make this mushroom dish again in the future? I think it's actually pretty great!"
Seeing Toto's energy restored, Perry patted his shoulder reassuringly. "Of course I will! As long as you don't turn your nose up at weird ingredients anymore, I'll keep cooking them for you!"
The aroma of roasted mushrooms still lingered in the air, and the group gathered around the campfire broke into cheerful laughter at Toto's recovery.
Seeing Perry and Toto eating so happily, both Rufus and Larkin's stomachs growled audibly.
"I want to eat something too," Larkin said, rubbing his stomach with a hint of longing on his face.
"Me too," Rufus agreed, though he cast a wary glance at the mushrooms they were holding, his brow furrowing slightly. "But I don't want to eat those mushrooms. Just thinking about them kills my appetite."
He glanced around, and suddenly his eyes lit up, his gaze settling on the flowing water by the river. An idea struck him: "Hey, Larkin, how about we go fishing? Freshly grilled fish has to taste way better than mushrooms."
Larkin's eyes sparkled, and she quickly nodded. "That's a great idea! I've been craving fish for a while," she said enthusiastically, almost as if she could already smell the delicious aroma of grilled fish.
"Then let's make it a bet," Rufus said with a mischievous smile, patting Larkin's shoulder. "Whoever catches a fish first, the loser has to clean them up. Deal?"
Without hesitation, Larkin agreed. "Deal! A bet it is!" she said confidently, getting up. The two of them, eager for an exciting challenge, walked towards the river as if about to engage in a fierce competition.
Watching them run off to fish, Perry chuckled and shook his head. With some free time on his hands, he decided to practice his newly acquired "Precise Knife Skills". He went back to the pile of Sleepy Mushrooms, carefully moving them to the riverbank to prepare them. Toto, curious about Perry's diligent work, came over.
"Are you planning to work on those mushrooms again?" Toto asked, clearly intrigued by Perry's knife skills.
Perry smiled and explained, "I thought I'd take this chance to practice my new skill. I want to see if I can handle them more precisely." With that, he began slicing the mushrooms' outer layers with swift and clean movements.
The difference after gaining the skill was remarkable. What had once been a clumsy task was now an effortless operation. Perry deftly cut away the pale blue portions of the Sleepy Mushroom without tearing them.
Toto watched Perry's actions intently, clearly impressed. "Looks pretty professional. Once you're done, I'd like to give those mushrooms another try."
As Perry concentrated on his practice, Larkin's excited shout came from the riverbank. Shortly after, she emerged, holding a fish nearly two feet long, looking thoroughly pleased with herself.
"Look what I caught!" Larkin beamed, proudly raising the fish high, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "This fish is big enough for a feast!"
Perry was surprised, chuckling as he looked at the fish. "You managed to catch such a big fish in a shallow river? That's some luck."
Larkin laughed heartily. "It wasn't just luck! I'm a fishing pro! I actually went to the deeper part of the river where the bigger fish hang out. Just wait till Rufus gets back—I'll definitely beat him."
The big fish that Larkin caught looked very ordinary, very similar to the carp on Earth.
She placed the fish down and looked around, puzzled not to see Rufus. "Is Rufus still not back?" she asked.
Perry shook his head. "Not yet. But this fish looks impressive. Want me to help prepare it?"
Larkin raised an eyebrow and grinned. "You know how to prepare fish? That's great! I was planning to wait for Rufus, but I'm starving. If you're offering, be my guest."
Perry nodded, took the fish, and headed to the riverbank to figure out the best way to prepare it. A thought crossed his mind, and he asked the system, "System, do you have any information about this fish?"
The system responded quickly.
[Item: Puli Fish
Grade: C
Attributes: None
Introduction: It looks like an ordinary carp, a freshwater fish that lives by the river and usually hides under rocks. The fish's eyes are blue and the scales have silver spots.
Function: After eating, it can temporarily enhance the ability to hold breath, allowing people to stay underwater for up to 10 minutes.
Warning: When handling, the internal organs cannot be broken open, because the fish blood will rot the flesh. ]
Seeing the details, Perry couldn't help but sigh, "Looks like this fish is more special than it seems." He was a bit disappointed that no new task had been triggered.
He relied on his experience, carefully cleaning Rufus's knife before scraping off the fish's scales and cleaning out its guts. Larkin, meanwhile, chatted with Toto, discussing the taste of the Sleepy Mushrooms and other strange, intriguing topics.
Perry looked at the fish in front of him and took a deep breath, silently planning each step of the preparation. He pulled out Rufus's knife and carefully wiped the blade with a cloth, making sure it was clean and sharp. Not wanting to risk any mistakes, he checked the knife's edge thoroughly to ensure it was sharp enough to avoid errors during the process.
He then started scaling the fish. The scales surprisingly came off easily, but Perry kept his focus, taking extra care not to rush or make mistakes. Once he finished with the scales, he concentrated on the next step. Removing the toxic internal organs was the most challenging part, as one wrong cut would release poisonous fluids that could contaminate the entire fish. Gently turning the fish over, he inspected its abdomen, pinpointing the ideal spot for the incision. He gripped the knife handle firmly, pressing his fingers against the fish to steady it, and held his breath, making a delicate, shallow cut along the belly.
The knife tip barely broke through the fish's skin, creating a small opening that let out a faint, fishy scent. Next, he needed to widen the cut carefully. Perry used the tip of the knife to make slow, precise movements along the fish's abdomen, his eyes locked on the blade's every move, cautious not to make even the slightest slip. As the cut widened, he spotted the transparent membrane covering the internal organs, resembling a fine gauze that shielded the toxic fluids inside.
Setting the knife down, Perry carefully inserted his fingers into the opening to extract the organs. When his fingers touched the slick membrane, he felt its slippery texture and couldn't help but grimace slightly. It was soft and damp, like seaweed, but had a disconcerting, sticky feel. Steadying himself, he began gently detaching the organs from the protective membrane. His movements were extremely delicate, his fingers gliding along to pull the organs out intact, ensuring the membrane remained undamaged.
Finally, with a last, gentle tug, the organs came free. Perry let out a quiet sigh of relief as he set the toxic organs aside with great care. Looking down at the now-empty fish cavity, a sense of accomplishment filled him. Though the process had been tense and difficult, his expertise and steady hands had allowed him to handle the fish perfectly, readying it for the next stage of cooking.
Frowning, Perry asked Larkin for some cooking advice for the fish. Larkin shrugged and replied casually, "Don't worry about it. This fish doesn't have much of a fishy smell; you can just grill it as is."
After a moment of thought, Perry was about to proceed when the system's voice interrupted him again: [I recommend host try using the surrounding plants. It might trigger a new task!]
Perry's eyes lit up. "Alright, let's give it a try!" he said, and started searching the riverbank for herbs and plants that looked safe. He hoped to trigger a new task and, more importantly, make the fish taste as delicious as possible.