Chapter 57: Evolution Fruit
On the dining table, a sizzling beef steak and an iron pot of stewed goose were bubbling with hot oil. The low heat of the electric cooker kept them simmering, making the aroma grow richer and more intense.
The unique, rich fragrance born from the Maillard reaction—a blend of fat and protein—was like a warm awl, precisely and powerfully drilling into the senses of the group that had just returned home.
Their mouths instantly began to water, and everyone hurried to their seats.
Wayne Dawson immediately went into the kitchen and brought out a whole clay pot of radish and lamb soup. The soup was bubbling in the pot, and the milky-white broth rushed toward them, carrying a rich, meaty aroma.
No one held back. A flurry of activity ensued as they all ladled soup and grabbed pieces of meat.
The lamb ribs were stewed until they were fall-off-the-bone tender, savory and deeply flavorful.
The radishes, having soaked up the broth, were sweet and tender. They scooped up a spoonful, blew on it gently, and slowly savored it, a comforting warmth spreading from their throats throughout their entire bodies.
The richness of the lamb fat intertwined with the freshness of the radish, creating a savory flavor that wasn’t gamey and a warmth that wasn’t greasy. Every bite was a soothing comfort against the winter chill.
After finishing a large bowl of lamb soup, everyone finally served themselves rice and began to eat more leisurely. The spicy beef steak was also stewed until tender and coated in a rich sauce, its numbing, spicy, and savory flavor a direct hit to the taste buds.
The sauce for the stewed goose was thick, and both the meat and vegetables had soaked it up, becoming incredibly flavorful. A single hot bite begged for a large mouthful of rice, and everyone ate with immense satisfaction.
As they ate, Miles Dawson told them about the massive scale of the army’s zombie-clearing operation and how they had all gotten into the zone while killing them.
But when he mentioned that they had also brought back several hundred Crystal Cores from this trip, everyone was so shocked they forgot to eat.
Luna Dawson gave everyone a reassuring smile. "See? I told you not to worry. Next time, our whole family can go out and kill zombies together."
"Deal. Next time, these old bones can fight, too. Our whole family will go."
Mrs. Dawson replied happily. If she hadn’t been afraid of worrying her children, she would have wanted to go along this time.
"After dinner, everyone come get Crystal Cores from me and go to your rooms to level up," Luna Dawson continued. "Oh, right, Sister Wendy and Brother Ian have also reached the First Order. Those of you at the First Order should focus on consolidating your power for now. You need to completely exhaust your superpower every day to build a solid foundation. Once your superpower has solidified enough, we’ll all work on breaking through to the Second Order together."
"Alright."
"Okay."
Everyone nodded in unison.
Everyone received Crystal Cores matching their own attributes and was incredibly excited. They examined the translucent cores in their hands, which shimmered like actual crystals.
"I’m heading back to my room. I’m so sleepy."
Luna Dawson announced. She had only slept lightly last night, not daring to fall into a deep sleep. She had constantly been using her spiritual power to scan the area, afraid a zombie horde might attack.
’Tonight, I need to get into my space and take a good look at my precious Little Sweet Potato.’
Afterward, everyone dispersed. It had been a tiring day, so they quickly washed up and went to level up.
Aaron Palmer, who was on watch duty tonight, also returned to the surveillance room to level up.
Luna Dawson returned to her room with Little Tiger and Rollo, and together they entered her space. She lay back on a recliner and took stock of the remaining Crystal Cores. There were only ninety-one First-Order Crystal Cores; the rest were all low-level.
’Far too few!’
She had just given everyone twenty-five cores each to ensure the entire group could level up.
’The next time they wanted to advance to the Second Order, each person would need about seventy or eighty cores.’
’The later the stage, the more Crystal Cores were needed to level up—and High-level Crystal Cores, at that. She currently had less than four hundred cores on her.’
’That was nowhere near enough. I need to start planning a second sweep as soon as possible.’
Looking at Little Tiger and Rollo sleeping in their small bed next to her recliner, Luna Dawson placed a hundred Crystal Cores under each of their bellies for them to slowly absorb.
’After all, she had no idea what level the two of them were. She couldn’t sense it at all. Perhaps animals and plants started out at the First Order.’
She got up, intending to check on Little Sweet Potato, but a sudden idea struck her. She placed Crystal Cores of various colors into separate cups of water to see what would happen.
She then dug a hole and buried fifty attribute-less Crystal Cores at the base of the withered tree to see if she could revive it.
’After all, I’ve been watering it with spirit spring water for months with no results. This time, I’ll try using Crystal Core ’fertilizer’.’
’Luna Dawson had a feeling that if the only dead thing in this otherwise vibrant space could be revived, it might bring some wonderful changes.’
The space didn’t actively consume Crystal Cores; they remained completely inert whenever she brought them in.
’It was a source of endless frustration for her. This time, all she could do was try her luck with the withered tree and by soaking the cores in spirit spring water.’
With a mere thought, Luna Dawson appeared in the planting area of the black earth.
Little Sweet Potato was quietly putting down roots and sprouting there. Its two small, pale purple leaves at the tip of the vine had grown plump with nutrients and were slowly opening and closing.
Luna Dawson found this increasingly adorable and gently touched them with her finger.
"It’s like a little succulent. So plump."
As if woken by her voice, Little Sweet Potato lazily stretched out its vine and shook its leaves as if it were stretching.
Upon sensing it was Luna Dawson, the little vine hugged one of its own fruits, gently plucked it off, and stretched up to place it in her palm.
"Eat..."
Luna Dawson gazed at the cherry-sized mini-tuber in her palm, her thoughts drifting.
’She recalled her past life. Many Superpower Users had said that the leaders of Southen Base had paid a great price to have their mission teams find and collect Evolution Fruits.’
’Different Evolution Fruits had different effects. Some accelerated recovery from internal injuries and chronic ailments, some strengthened the body and prolonged life, others had cosmetic benefits, and some could even enhance one’s superpower!’
’Back when she saw all those zombies swarming the mall, Luna Dawson’s first thought had been that it had to be either a Spiritual System zombie, a mutated plant or animal, or an Evolution Fruit.’
Seeing that she was just staring blankly and not eating, Little Sweet Potato grew anxious. It disconnected from its main body, transforming into a delicate wisteria vine that coiled around Luna Dawson’s finger and tapped the fruit, urging her to hurry up and eat.
Luna Dawson snapped back to reality. Under Little Sweet Potato’s expectant gaze, she rinsed the fruit with water and popped it into her mouth.
It was soft and smooth, completely free of any fibrous texture. The flavor was rich and sweet with a hint of freshness. As she chewed, the sweetness slowly melted on her tongue. Each bite coated her taste buds with a rich, earthy fragrance. After she swallowed, a faint, sweet aftertaste lingered in her throat.
"This is delicious!"
Luna Dawson’s eyes sparkled, completely amazed by the taste and texture of the Evolution Fruit.
Immediately after, she felt a warm current rise from her lower abdomen. This warmth transformed into countless tiny motes of light that surged through her entire body and into her superpower meridians.
The once-narrow meridians were slowly widened and nourished, and all blockages were completely cleared!
After the tingling, aching sensation passed, she was left with a feeling of unprecedented clarity.
"Delicious, haha!"
Hearing her satisfied reply, Little Sweet Potato bubbled with joy.
It joyfully transformed into a pale purple ring and delicately coiled around Luna Dawson’s right index finger. The band was even adorned with two tender little leaves, giving it a whimsical, lively look.
"Together... want to be together!"
Little Sweet Potato had not yet grasped the complexities of language, so its speech was still hesitant and childlike.
Luna Dawson watched with a fond expression, happy to see Little Sweet Potato learning to talk like a baby.
’From now on, I’ll let it listen more and I’ll talk to it more. I’ll just have to teach it carefully, like raising a baby. I’m sure it won’t be long before it can speak fluently.’
Luna Dawson thanked it warmly, "Thank you."
As soon as she finished speaking, the two small leaves trembled gently in response before Little Sweet Potato fell into a peaceful slumber.
Luna Dawson also took out some Crystal Cores and began to absorb them quietly. By the time she had absorbed the twenty-third one, she could clearly feel her superpower surging even more powerfully through her meridians.
Every inch of her newly widened superpower meridians was saturated with energy. Her whole body felt full of vitality, and her mind was clear and refreshed.