Gourmet Hunter - Chapter 276 (Patreon)

Chapter 276: Priceless

Linne Horsdoeuvre possesses treasures so valuable that no one can truly ascertain their worth. Maha Zoldyck, too, is the same. An assassin from an older generation, with many years in the dark business, he owns treasures that no other killer can compare to. Both have treasures that have undergone a long period of accumulation, much like a tree planted by predecessors, now grown large enough to shade the sun.

Linne's inheritance is not just her culinary skills but, more importantly, the experiences, knowledge, and recipes she has accumulated throughout her long life. These form her true 'life recipe.' This began the moment she pursued her dreams and has continued to evolve, drawing from countless past experiences to select the most valuable elements that make up her life's recipe today.

Consider this small dish of seasoning, appearing insignificant yet unique, crafted by Linne over two years. Just like a skilled builder cannot construct a beautiful house without plans carefully designed by an architect, these two years represent not just time spent, but also the foundation laid by her age.

"Plant trees for the next generation to enjoy the shade" – this is the essence of inheritance.

Linne has nurtured a giant tree with her long life, the question is, who will rest in its shade?

It doesn't necessarily have to continue… but if there's a suitable person, that would be ideal.

Linne thinks so, and if there isn't a suitable successor, even if the lineage ends with her, it's not a pity.

At the square table, the bowls and plates of three settings are emptied, not a grain of rice left, nor a trace in the condiment dishes, all perfectly clean.

Netero, Maha, and Linne have all finished their portions, while Luo left half of his.

Radishes, bean sprouts, seasoning, rice, clear soup – a simple meal born from Linne’s hands is a unique delicacy, challenging to stop eating once you start until it’s all gone.

"Why... did you stop eating?" Linne asked, her eyes clouded and unfocused, yet her gaze intensely tangible, hitting Luo squarely.

Despite her age, she wasn’t angry but wanted to know why.

Maha and Netero exchanged glances, like bystanders, indifferent.

"Since knowing Linne, I've tasted countless delicacies, but there were also many failures at the beginning…" Netero recalled the distant past. Now, seeing Linne calm as a cold stone, he realized that over the long years, humans always gain something and lose something.

Now, Linne probably doesn’t get overly excited about food anymore. It’s not desensitization or numbness, but rather, exciting things have become increasingly rare in her eyes.

Perhaps this is the loneliness that comes with reaching high places, or maybe… she has truly aged.

"If there were something still capable of exciting her, it would probably only be the outside world," the vast world they hadn’t fully crossed the threshold into yet.

Knowing there’s no longer a chance to venture out, the pursuit has slowed down, and eventually, it stops, like a heart that has grown old.

"The heart has aged, so the body loses its drive."

"If... no, there’s never an 'if.'" Netero looked at Linne, shrouded like dusk, silent.

Netero, who had ventured into the Dark Continent with Linne, at this moment, wished he could inject her with a dose of vitality like the rising sun.

Luo, would you be the one?

Whether or not it doesn’t matter, as it’s Linne’s decision.

Being sentimental isn’t typical for Netero; he quickly broke free from it, focusing again on Linne and Luo.

Facing Linne’s natural question as the host, Luo candidly shared his thoughts, responding, "This is... too delicious, I want Machi to taste it too."

"Machi?" Linne calmly said, "The little guy who's with you but couldn’t make it?"

Luo nodded silently, Machi indeed didn’t have the capacity to come at that time.

Linne was silent for a moment, then exhaled as before, covering the remaining half of the meal in front of Luo.

That breath seemed to have a preservative effect far superior to any fridge.

After releasing her breath, Linne pointed to the remaining bit of seasoning in front of Luo, "Sea Words, that’s the name I’ve given this seasoning. Do you know how many ingredients it takes to create this small portion?"

"I don't know." Luo glanced at the seasoning, still aromatic even sealed by her breath. In fact, the White Smoke ability provided information about radishes, bean sprouts, and rice, but nothing on this seasoning.

This was the second time since acquiring the White Smoke ability that it had shown 'unknown.' The first was the tablet

 in Stajy's tomb, which also showed 'unknown.'

This indicated that White Smoke isn’t omnipotent. The world is vast and full of wonders, some beyond White Smoke’s comprehension.

Whether it's the relief stone door related to the Dark Continent or the seasoning Linne created, both are extraordinary.

Moreover, this simple meal boosted his statistics by over 50%!

After reaching 40%, progression had been as slow as an ant's...

"One hundred and one types, all from the deep sea." Linne, unaware of Luo’s thoughts, spoke without emotion.

One hundred and one types of deep-sea life culminated in such a small amount of seasoning.

But with so many ingredients, how many trials were needed to ensure that the amount of any ingredient did not conflict with the flavors? How was a reasonable structure determined?

Luo couldn’t imagine the massive effort embedded in such a small dish of seasoning. If assisted by Nen abilities… maybe, but undeniably, it required an enormous amount of energy and time.

If an acceptable price could be paid, could he obtain this recipe?

Watching Luo’s astonished expression, Linne’s eyelids drooped slightly and said, "Let her come over."

Without using extravagant adjectives for the rarity of the seasoning, she explained straightforwardly, letting Luo understand its value.

There would be no second tasting opportunity.

Linne announced this to Luo, and then, whether to let another person enjoy the delicacy meant for him was up to Luo to decide.

True delicacies don’t require careful appreciation but are about sharing…

Linne's eyelids drooped slightly, with a tendency to continue, one can easily share ten from a million wealth, but can they share the whole million?

Comparing it to wealth might be inappropriate, but it’s precisely because it can be done that it’s so precious.

Luo’s choice... was naturally to share.

That's why he, having tasted the flavor, was willing to share this meticulously crafted supreme delicacy, allowing Machi to also enjoy it if possible. If circumstances allowed, he’d like Buhara to try it too.

Seeing Luo’s slightly excited smile as he made his decision, a faint smile emerged deep within Linne.

...

Meanwhile, a team of two hundred and thirty-five, tasked with retrieving 'samples' from Devil Island, faced an unprecedented crisis.

The situation developed unexpectedly, surpassing what they were psychologically prepared for.

Exterminate, exterminate!

The method of dealing with foreign invaders has always been expulsion, with many ways to enforce it.

Kill them all, eat them all, make them disappear completely!

The native species of Devil Island, under certain transformative circumstances, demonstrated the word 'expulsion' thoroughly.

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