In the forest, naked and alone, I cooked the dragon turtle. It was midnight, but I didn't feel the need to even sleep. For decades I have meditated but never slept. I replenished my body through the energy of the trees; water was given when it rained.

A beautiful dance of nature and man. But I still think I was just testing the waters if I could die through such manners. Who wouldn't want to eat, after all?

Thinking back, was I meditating or trying to kill myself?

'But who would've thought I'd get this hungry from simply naming a cat?' I was sure that it wasn't this taxing when I fought the very Heavens.

[Answer: Naming eats mana, and being a Deva means that you are now a creature of mana. You are flesh and blood still, but you are far more structurally complicated. A Namer feeds the named their mana, meaning a part of you has been given to Nekron.]

'It appears that naming in this world is a little complicated… But wait, what about humans naming other humans? Do they also eat mana from their parents?]

[Answer: information unavailable.]

Not even Ghost knew everything. Well, who cares? Once I get out of this forest, I'd be able to understand how things work anyway. It would be best to just fill my stomach; it's best to keep myself entertained with the mystery to not bore myself.

'Hmm… What am I going to do with this blood? Should I just drink this? But I want to use it as the base.'

[Do you wish to keep the Blood of the Leser Earth Turtle Dragon in your Inventory?]

'...I can do that!?'

[Answer Of course. Unless it is a living being outside of an Evolutionary Cocoon, everything can be put inside the Inventory if you can hold it with your palms.]

Following this logic, I placed the ball of blood on my palms, and it disappeared. I felt the weight of the blood on my being, but it was no more than 60 kilograms, so it was barely an inconvenience for everyday life.

But, more importantly, I was shocked that I could put a ball of blood in this Inventory.

It was like pocketing water!

'Then, by this logic, can I put the water of an entire lake into my Inventory?'

[Answer: Yes, but you must wrap it with your energy and hold it up like the ball of blood. But it is not advisable as that enough water would crush you.]

This thing was filled with mysteries. Just what function did it contain? I wanted to know, but I'll discover it as I go along with my life. For now, screw everything, and let's cook!

I flicked my wrists with my hands freed, and one of the giant trees was cut down. When it touched the ground, it was already cut into different pieces.

[Art: Sword Spirit Body]

Invisible swords cut two parts into two round tables, turning the rest into firewood. After a few minutes of searching, I found three rocks, each a meter high. It was finally time to process the turtle of disappointment.

Now, how to process a freshly caught giant turtle. Let's begin.

First, sever its arms and legs. Its blood would spill, so catch it with energy and gather it just overhead. Turtle Blood was medicine for a worried friend down below, and it's also good for the stomach and heart.

I'm getting sidetracked. After the limbs have been severed, flip it on its back. With herculean strength ripped the bottom shell, and if done correctly, it would show the beautiful and glistening inter organs of the beast.

Of course, I did it perfectly, and from here, I just started cleaning its body. When I was young, I would always catch wild animals for my family.

Turtles weren't spared, and I learned how to prepare them over the course of my younger year. I always found it tedious, but I noticed that eating them gave me a lot of vitality.

Nothing in a turtle had to be thrown away if appropriately cleaned. But even when about to be eaten, the turtle did not fail to disappoint. Its skin was too harsh and dirty like mud.

It was like its skin was the earth itself.

Even after cleaning it with water with the Heavenly Water Congregation, it didn't change.

The skin of the beast remained inedible. But, I did get something in return for my trouble.

[Art: Heavenly Water Congregation]

[New Skill Detected: Create Water]

[New Skill Detected: Lesser Blood Manipulation]

While I was cleaning the turtle, I suddenly received this prompt. It said I learned skills, and from what I understood, these skills were innate abilities that needed little to no energy to use.

'Ghost, what are these skills?'

[Skills: abilities acquired through growth recognized in actions, affinity, and over status. Skills are etched in the soul and can be used instinctively, even without practice. However, they can be improved upon through training and hard work. Talent and affinity to the skill also contribute to its effectiveness and strength.]

One of my skills was Spirit Sense. I gained this skill after I managed to sense my surroundings, and thinking about it, I earned it after reaching a certain level. I already knew how to do it when it appeared, and it grew stronger as I trained it.

So that's how it was.

'So that must mean, Arts are techniques learned from others or external sources.'

[Answer: That is correct.]

The more you know. I could now not create water with little mana expenditure with my newfound ability. Using Heavenly Water Congregation to generate water out of thin air used spirit energy a lot, but this was far easier.

Cleaning every part of the turtle, I finally got my ingredients. Placing three rocks together with leaves and chopped wood at its center, I had the upper-shell act as my pot and tossed everything inside.

After adding a little water, I said the blood until it was almost full.

[Unique Skill: Heavenly Tribulation Serpent]

I called out to a tiny bit of the Heaven;y Tribute Serpent's power and a spark of light started the fire, and now… we're cooking.

For a few hours, I just let the turtle meat cook. When dawn arrived, the turtle was finally ready.

The aroma wafted all over and there. I knew it was complete.

Using a giant bowl I carved while waiting, I scooped up some of my boiled turtles and began eating. Its sweet taste filled my mouth, and perfectly tender chunks of the turtle tasted immaculate even without seasoning. Its blood gave it a bit of a salty taste, but the innate sweetness of the meat made it taste even better!

I finished a bowl, and while I was about to scoop another one for myself, I sensed a small gathering around me.

I could hear their lips smacking, their deep breaths to catch the taste from the smell, and their stomachs growling.

I smiled and called them, "If you want to eat, you can come out and join me."

Hesitant as they were, the bushes moved, and creatures that looked like boars walking on two legs stepped out of the forest. Thus, as dawn arrived, I shared breakfast with a bunch of fur-covered boar people.

It was an excellent way to start the morning… I think.

ElevatedShrimp

 

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