TSA Chapter 46

Although Yue Na managed to create three dishes, neither their taste nor their attributes could compare to the food crafted by the anonymous expert. Moreover, players weren’t gullible—they could tell that her dishes were essentially slight modifications of the anonymous expert’s creations, which made her approach feel somewhat opportunistic.

Previously, players had mistaken her for the anonymous expert, which earned her their enthusiasm. She hadn’t denied it either, instead leveraging the hype to recruit more people.

But now, the consecutive system announcements—seventeen in total—were like seventeen slaps across Yue Na’s face. The remarks made by Night Owl and Sword at Fleeting Time in the World channel completely overshadowed the prominence of the Moon Shadow Guild.

Everyone now knew that the anonymous expert belonged to the Invincible Guild. Thanks to Night Owl’s efforts, however, no one attempted to investigate the expert’s identity. Instead, they were captivated by the seventeen dishes whose names alone seemed mouthwatering. As a result, Yue Na and the Moon Shadow Guild were utterly forgotten.

Regardless of whether they met the requirements or not, countless players bombarded Sword at Fleeting Time with private messages, hoping to join the Invincible Guild. His private message channel nearly exploded from the sheer volume, making it impossible to manage.

He had no choice but to send another message in the world channel, asking everyone to email their personal information and life skills screenshots to him for later screening.

Meanwhile, Night Owl noticed Ran Qi still looked somewhat dazed. Unable to resist, he reached out and ruffled Ran Qi’s hair, softly asking, “Feeling better now?”

Ran Qi finally snapped back to reality. No wonder Night Owl had asked him to prepare extra dishes earlier and then suddenly posted in the world channel—it was all to help him vent his frustrations.

A warm, bittersweet bubble swelled in his chest. The corners of his mouth couldn’t help but lift, though he mumbled, “Actually… I wasn’t really upset…”

“Sure, you weren’t upset,” Night Owl chuckled softly and ruffled his hair again.

Ran Qi touched his mussed-up hair, and the little bubbles in his heart seemed to multiply. Hastily changing the subject, he said, “I made so much food today. How about we invite our guild members to join us for a feast? Consider it a guild benefit!”

Since the ingredients were readily available and cost little, sharing the food as a benefit could also strengthen guild cohesion.

“Sounds good,” Night Owl agreed readily. “But with so many members, there might not be enough. Let’s have them exchange contribution points for it instead.”

Ran Qi nodded. “Alright.”

“Sword at Fleeting Time, go make the announcement,” Night Owl instructed Sword at Fleeting Time, who had been silently standing nearby like a statue.

Sword at Fleeting Time nodded. “Got it.”

[Guild] Sword at Fleeting Time: In half an hour, we’ll be distributing guild benefits in the guild territory hall. All members can exchange guild contribution points for any dish. 20 points per dish.

[Guild] Cain: OMG!!!!!! Long live the Guild Leader! Long live the Vice Guild Leader!

[Guild] A Lone Boat: Can we choose from all seventeen dishes announced earlier?!

[Guild] Alice: Ahhhhh, I regret it so much! If I’d known, I wouldn’t have exchanged for that weapon!

[Guild] Unbreakable Mountain and River: Haha, I’ve saved up over 400 contribution points. I’ll exchange for all the dishes!

[Guild] Alice: No worries! I’ll head out to the fields and mine right now. I can rack up points quickly!

Contribution points could be earned by completing guild tasks. Most NPC-requested materials were everyday monster drops or items that could be gathered. Submitting even a low-tier material could net two points, making it relatively easy, so everyone was highly motivated.

Half an hour later, the guild hall was packed.

The long conference table had been transformed into a dining table. Dozens of members were holding plates of food, eating heartily either while seated or standing.

“This Grilled Fish is amazing!” exclaimed a bun-haired priestess as she sat at the table, carefully using a fork to savor a piece of fish.

The fish’s pearly-white flesh came from its most succulent part. The fish skin, containing a touch of fat, had been flame-grilled to a lovely golden hue. Seasoned lightly with salt, its flavor was incredibly fresh and melted in the mouth, with not a single bone to be found.

“This Pan-Seared Fishcake is even better!” retorted a nearby warrior dismissively.

The fish cakes were made by mashing fish into a paste, mixing in chopped scallions and diced carrots, forming patties, and frying them gently in oil over low heat. The edges were crispy, the inside soft, and they exuded a delightful aroma of fish. The crunch of the carrots added a refreshing contrast, making them irresistibly delicious.

“No, no, the seafood soup is the best! It’s so rich, and the ingredients are amazing—fish, shrimp, fish balls, and clams!” said a black-robed mage as they sipped the soup, relishing the intense seafood flavor that filled their mouth.

“I think the Stir-Fried Shrimp is the tastiest!” chimed in an assassin.

The shrimp had been sautéed until the oils infused the dish, giving it a bright and appetizing color. The crispy shrimp shells could be eaten without peeling, combining perfectly with the tender, juicy meat for an addictive bite.

“This Clam Custard is the best! The custard is so silky, and the clams are so fresh—I almost want to swallow my tongue along with it!”

“What’s the point of arguing? They’re all delicious!” The bun-haired priestess glared at them in mock annoyance. “I suggest you exchange for more dishes before the ones you want are gone!”

The group quickly snapped out of their daze, hurriedly finished their food, and rushed to find No Happiness and Raphael to exchange for more dishes.

Since it was a game, food couldn’t just be placed on the table for anyone to take; if it were stored in a warehouse for direct redemption, it would lose the atmosphere of guild activity. So in the end, the food had to be distributed manually through transactions.

The guild management team took turns, and now it was No Happiness and Raphael’s turn.

No Happiness was awkwardly holding a pair of bamboo chopsticks, trying to eat a piece of sweet and sour fish.

“You might as well use a fork…” Raphael watched his awkward attempts and felt speechless.

“No way! If Ran Qi and Night Owl can do it, there’s no reason I can’t!” No Happiness was determined to master the chopsticks, leaning over the plate and desperately trying to break apart the fish.

Interstellar citizens, who were used to eating nutrient solutions, obviously didn’t know how to use chopsticks. At most, they could use knives and forks, but those weren’t ideal for eating fish as they tended to fall apart. When they saw Ran Qi skillfully using chopsticks to eat the fish earlier, everyone was stunned and tried to learn. However, only Night Owl succeeded, while the others all had awkward grips on the chopsticks.

Raphael gave up and ate fish balls with a fork, enjoying them one by one, while only No Happiness was still struggling with the chopsticks.

Meanwhile, Night Owl and his group gathered in the guild master’s room. This was a space only accessible to guild management, unlike the regular members who were restricted. Everyone could eat whatever they wanted. Since this private gathering wasn’t something the other members should see, they hid away in the guild master’s room.

However, the scene inside was almost identical to the guild hall: everyone focused on their food, occasionally sharing thoughts and discussing which dish to try next.

With seventeen new dishes, it took quite a bit of time to eat through them all.

“Sigh, eating like this isn’t satisfying. It’d be nice if we could have all the dishes on one table and share,” Soul Chaser said, frowning.

They were all sitting together, but each was eating alone, which felt a little lacking.

“Yeah, it would be so lively if we could all eat together,” Plume Ink agreed.

Ran Qi had an idea and asked, “Have you ever used exchange coupons to get food?”

“Nope… I’ve been saving my coupons to exchange for a new mech,” Soul Chaser answered while biting his fork.

“Me neither. Even if I did, I wouldn’t know how to cook it. What’s the point?” Plume Ink said, looking at Ran Qi with curiosity. “Have you redeemed anything?”

Ran Qi nodded and answered directly, “Yes, the fruit from the exchange store is ready to eat, and it tastes great. Lele and I always share it.”

“Yeah, we’ve redeemed a lot of stuff, and Ranran can cook. Last time, he made braised pork and potato rice—it was so delicious!” Gu Le added.

“What?! You two have been enjoying food offline without sharing!” Soul Chaser exclaimed dramatically. “Boss, next time we’re on break, let’s redeem some fruit too, okay?”

“Sure,” Night Owl agreed without hesitation. After all, fruits only cost one exchange coupon per kilogram, so they were very affordable.

Plume Ink immediately protested, “That Braised Pork and Potato Rice sounds amazing. Brother Ran, why haven’t you made it for us?”

“Seventeen dishes aren’t enough for you?” Ran Qi asked in surprise.

“Not enough!” everyone answered in unison.

Ran Qi was speechless but finally agreed. “Fine, I’ll make it for you next time.”

“By the way, boss, which planet are you from?” Gu Le suddenly asked.

“Capital Star,” Night Owl replied.

Ran Qi paused, his chopsticks stopping mid-air as he stared at Night Owl.

“We’re from there too!” Gu Le exclaimed excitedly, sitting up straight. “Our school is about to hold a combat competition! Maybe we’ll meet you during the regional matches! Ranran can make something tasty for you then!”

The annual combat competition at the Imperial Military Academy was a grand event involving all 140 military schools from across the Empire. Contestants who placed highly in the competition were considered elite talents.

The preliminary rounds took place within each school, with the top ten advancing to the regional competition.

Though Ran Qi and Gu Le couldn’t participate, their school would organize students to cheer on the competitors, as it represented their academy’s prestige.

Since they were all on Capital Star, it was certain that the regional competition would take place in the same location.

Who knows, they might actually have the chance to meet!

“Really?! That’s awesome! We’ll provide the ingredients!” Soul Chaser and Plume Ink immediately said excitedly.

“Take us along! Take us along!” No Happiness and Raphael hurriedly added, “We’re from the same school!”

“Yeah, we’ll go too,” Smoke, Windstorm Jiangnan, and Four Seasons also looked over at them.

It looked like a large-scale online community about to meet in real life…