MTLNOVEL Chapter 182: Protector
Without wasting another second, Lucian grabbed the flask's cork with his thumb and index finger and pulled.
Following a pop sound, the cork was removed, and milky white steam rose out of the flask.
Lucian then tilted the flask over the pot and began pouring the Low-Grade Mana Water.
Seconds went by, and astonishingly the hand-sized flask never emptied. The stream of Low-Grade Mana Water continued flowing into the pot.
'Another Artifact?' Mei was dumbfounded as she gazed at the continuous flow of Low-Grade Mana Water.
Even after a minute, the flow of water never ceased.
Only after what felt like an eternity, the flow of water ceased. And as soon as the flask was empty, it disappeared.
As for the pot, it was filled with just the right amount of water, perfect for poaching the Siren's Melody Eggs.
Lucian then took out another flask from his Inventory. This time, the color of the liquid was absolutely stunning. Multicolored starlight swirled in the bottle, mesmerizing Mei.
Lucian uncorked the bottle and added it to the pot. Immediately after, multicolored starlight infused into the milky white Low-Grade Mana Water, and waves of sweet, aromatic fragrance gushed out of the pot and suffused the kitchen. Accompanied by the salty and fishy aroma from the Siren's Melody Eggs, it was an overwhelming sensory experience.
For Lucian, it was a familiar environment.
But the same could not be said about Mei, who had taken a few unconscious steps toward the delicious aroma. Her mouth constantly salivated, forcing her to swallow repeatedly to keep herself from drooling.
With the addition of the Starlight Vinegar, the System's voice followed immediately after:
[Host, the water is at the optimal temperature for poaching. Please crack the eggs and lower them into the pot.]
Lucian nodded his head while cracking his knuckles. He then controlled a floating Siren's Melody Egg to slowly descend onto his palm. Tapping it against the hard surface of the countertop, he made a small insertion in the shell of the egg and slid the egg into the liquid.
Instantly, the egg disappeared into the milky white, starlight-infused liquid. There was no chaos. No frantic boiling. No splattering water. Instead, everything was perfectly controlled.
Not even a shadow of the egg could be seen until Lucian activated his Mana Sense.
There at the bottom of the pot lay the egg he had just poured in.
[Please continue lowering the eggs. Time is of the essence. Even a second too late can ruin what would have been a perfectly poached egg. Food waste is unacceptable!] The System reminded its Host, and without waiting for his reply, it took control of the liquid within the pot to create a firm water bubble around the pink membrane that held the yolk intact.
Slowly, the bubble started to spin diagonally, and a vortex was soon created.
*Woosh*
The vortex increased in speed, but the rest of the water in the pot remained still.
Following what the System instructed, Lucian lowered two Siren's Melody Eggs onto his palms, swiftly cracked them against the countertop, and slid the eggs into the pot.
One by one, the Siren's Melody Eggs, which hovered around him like beautiful blue pearls disappeared as the contents within their shells entered the large pot.
[By the way, Host, since my Artifact Rank is only Novice-Grade Low-Quality and my Transformation Mastery is at Level 1, I am currently unable to utilize the Spatial and Time Dilation Runic Symbols at the base of the Dragons Rule The World.] The System explained in an apologetic tone, while it perfectly controlled the liquid within itself to create a vortex around each egg.
This way, the eggs could poach without accidentally bumping into each other, preventing any tears to the delicate membranes surrounding them.
[However, do not worry. I have a solution to compensate for my limitation.]
Lucian raised an eyebrow as he continued cracking eggs into the large pot. [And what's your solution?] He asked in a less-than-pleased tone.
[Duan Mu.] The System said, slightly surprising Lucian, since he had not expected the System's method would involve the crippled young man he had just met.
But he remained quiet as he continued cracking eggs into the pot.
[Ever since the Host met Duan Mu, I felt a peculiar aura emanating from his body. However, I dismissed it, thinking it was irrelevant. That was until you received the Disciple Recruitment Quest. Everything seemed too coincidental; therefore, I took the time we had to analyze the aura constantly releasing from his body and realized what it was. It's the Time Element.
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[Oh?] Lucian was surprised, but his hands continued cracking eggs and sliding them into the water.
The Time Element was exceedingly rare. Still, Duan Mu did not seem capable of using such power. Or could it be he was wrong?
[Duan Mu is likely unaware he possesses the Time Element. In fact, I'd wager no one in this world knows such information either. After all, he's a cripple, therefore, he's incapable of possessing an Element. Of course, such thinking would have been normally correct, but Duan Mu seems to be an outlier to the norm.]
[Then, how did you sense the Time Element from him?] Lucian asked.
[As the Host's System, it is my duty to elevate you to your rightful position as the Transcendent Chef. To do so, I must protect you at all cost. Therefore, I always intently observe anyone who gets too close to the Host.] The System replied in a proud tone.
Lucian could not help but chuckle, [Always watching my back, huh? Sounds creepy. So, how do you plan to use Duan Mu's Time Element?]
[It's quite simple. Since Duan Mu is currently incapable of using Time Element, I can bend the Time Element emanating from his body, similar to how I am bending the Starlight vinegar-infused Low-Grade Mana Water. Of course, I wouldn't have been able to do so had he been stronger.] The System explained seriously.