Endless Evolution: Last Star

Did the dishes made from monsters taste different? Sure, but was flavor the only thing that people gathered at Red Feast and went to great effort to get there?

Well, Adam was about to find out.

Zakira had prepared a somewhat simple but extremely appropriate dish to fully experience the pure flavor of the Yellow Oro's eggs. There were few spices and other ingredients, just a light sauce to accentuate the flavor and vegetables to diversify the dish.

Gulp.

Adam swallowed a bite of the whites, covered with warm yolk and his eyes went wide. Strangely enough, his Evolution Tree actively trembled as if in delight. Never before had this happened, even when Adam had been to the luxurious restaurants of the Fist Ring, there was no reaction.

"Oh, I guess you felt it, didn't you?" Magnus smirked, taking a sip of wine.

Adam nodded as he glanced at Silvana.

She was all shaky with a puzzled expression on her face, her pupils dilated, and she got goosebumps.

"Hey... Are you okay?" Adam asked, not understanding what was happening to Silvana.

Magnus reached forward, stopping Adam, who wanted to touch Silvana's shoulder.

"Wait. It happens to every commoner who first tasted the monster dishes. One way or another, the genes are in all of us, standard biology. It's just that ordinary people don't have the energy or Evolution Tree and other important components." Magnus smirked.

"And...? Does that have any implications?" Adam raised an eyebrow in confusion, while Silvana was still regaining her senses.

Magnus shook his head.

"Even if it's a monster dish it's still food and not a magic potion capable of altering reality. However, she might want to go to the gym more often or have sex, the activity of the cells should go out somewhere." Magnus uttered with a calm face.

Adam and Silvana tried not to show it, but Magnus's words made them slightly embarrassed. After all, sex was something personal to everyone, but Magnus said it like something casual, like breakfast. However, it was unknown which one of them had inappropriate emotions.

Nessa turned to Adam, while they were talking, she had already eaten everything, finishing the dish first.

"How active was your Evolution Tree shaking? How much pleasure did you get from your first bite?" Nessa asked seriously.

Adam tilted his head.

"Is this some kind of interrogation?"

"Kind of. I hope you don't mind answering, considering you're here, thanks to Mr. Magnus." Nessa said in a stern voice.

Magnus said nothing, he just smirked, clearly pleased with his assistant's actions.

"Well... I'm delighted, at first the taste seemed ordinary, but... I soon realized that the differences are drastic, being on another level that affects not only the taste buds but also the genes, nevertheless..." Adam sighed heavily.

Magnus and Nessa looked at him intently.

"At the end, like an aftertaste, I felt disappointment, but it didn't come from me, but from my Evolution Tree, it seemed it was expecting something more just like my body. Agh, that's how I really feel." Adam shrugged.

"Interesting... So the flavor was decent, but you were missing something else. Well, there are other dishes ahead, Zakira's skills are impeccable, we just have to hope for the right ingredient."

Twenty minutes later, two Guardians brought the next ingredients hiding under a massive iron dome.

The cooks lifted the dome, revealing many different ingredients. The first of the three main ingredients was an unusual human-sized fruit - something between an apple and a pomegranate, with spikes on the rind, a twisted shape, and varying colors, green on the bottom and purple on top.

"Oh, Spiky Fruit of Loss. They're not often found at this time. Looks like someone from the Phantoms and Harvesters went to a lot of trouble." Magnus said thoughtfully.

Magnus knew what Adam had asked, so he didn't wait and went straight to explaining, "Spiky Fruit of Loss only grows in a few regions and only in places of bloody battles. The rarity is that they must grow in the center of the battle, soaking up the blood without being eaten by any monster."

Magnus continued, "In other words, it's only possible if some powerful monster has been defending the fruit all along, wanting to eat it at the end, but... having defeated all the enemies before he could start eating it, dying of exhaustion or at the hands of the Phantom."

Adam nodded with a deep gaze, as he gulped, wanting to taste it.

The second ingredient was strangely enough a vegetable, long and stretched out with a pointed end as if the carrot had become a giant sword. The color was purple, with bright blue spots illuminating everything around it.

"Void Carrot. This ingredient doesn't have as interesting a history as the last one, but it's worth paying attention to the number of spots. The more of them the richer the flavor and more energy. This is a worthy sample. I can assure you of that. I hope your Evolution Tree recognizes that." Magnus waved his hand with a serious expression.

Then, all eyes went to the last of the three ingredients - a piece of white meat with a natural reddish-dark color on the outside, very similar to the meat of a regular crab.

"Oh, this is the meat of the Water Guardian of the Depths." Magnus said, "Not bad, not bad at all."

Adam glanced at Silvana.

"It's a Purple Threat Level Monster, Red Book, Crown Type. Pretty strong, ranks Top-45. It would be a standard opponent for you, though."

"I see... But there's something I don't understand."

"Hm?" Magnus raised an eyebrow.

"You could say that from the ingredients from Dead Lands, there's a vegetable, a fruit, and a seafood. Is Zakira going to use all of them together and other common ingredients to create one dish? It's just going to be a mess..." Adam scratched the back of his head uncertainly. He didn't know much about cooking, but even for him, this was strange.

"Hahaha." Magnus laughed heartily.

"Of course not. Zakira will prepare three dishes at once, specifically soup, salad, and dessert." Magnus waved his hand.

Adam tilted his head. Magnus's answer baffled him even more.

"Wait... Doesn't that mean the Water Guardian's meat is the main course? That's... That's disappointing." Adam sighed heavily.

Magnus's corners of his mouth turned upward.

"Look. No one knows what will be on the menu, not even me, but... those who have been to Red Feast at least once know two rules regarding the dishes." Magnus said seriously while pointing two fingers.

"First - the last course is always a single dish, and strangely enough, it's never dessert. Second - the last course is always exactly meat, not eggs, not a vegetable or fruit or seafood, meat as it is." Magnus grinned, anticipating the last course, which at Red Feast was always the main course.

While the conversation continued, Zakira had already cooked three meals, which were soon distributed to the guests by the Soldiers.

The broth of the soup was white and thick, with sparse vegetables and weighty chunks of white, tender meat. From the Void Carrot, Zakira prepared an unusual ragout that due to the peculiarities of the vegetable shone brightly as if contaminated with radiation, perhaps it could be repulsive to some, but the flavor was simply captivating.

The Spiky Fruit of Loss was sliced into thin slices covered in salted caramel, resting on an airy jelly that trembled with every movement.

"Well, bon appetit!" Magnus exclaimed.

...

Just like the first time, Adam was in true ecstasy from the taste, but his genes desired something more, affecting his overall sensations.

Nessa, Silvana, and Magnus were actively chatting, while Adam looked around bored, waiting for the last course.

It was worth realizing that Adam had gotten what he wanted and was generally satisfied with Red Feast, but in the process, he realized that he needed something more. There was one last detail he missed in order to feel complete satisfaction.

Crackle.

The massive doors opened again, this time Zakira was alone, there were no chef assistants or Guardians to help carry the heavy objects.

Something was hidden on a tray under a massive lid, and it was obvious to everyone that it was the main course.

Everyone immediately smelled the overpowering odor of blood that could only come from meat, dense, and full of energy when alive.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I won't waste your time, as you all know what is behind me." Zakira said confidently, holding tightly to the handle of the lid.

Then, Zakira's lips came into motion as she revealed what was on the tray. However, Adam didn't hear her, for his mind clouded, and his pupils narrowed as he saw the ingredient of the main course.

On the tray were massive chunks of meat, with Thunder Demon's head in the center!