CHAPTER 28 - FISHING AND COOKING

As Natalie looked around, her eyes landed on the strange little fish and shrimp swimming nearby.

Their shapes were bizarre, some long and skinny, others with flat bodies. A few even had a pair of upright ear like fins.

Strangely enough, these sea creatures didn't seem scared of her presence. Instead of fleeing, they curiously circled around her.

"Whoa! These fish are so cute, they're not scared of people at all!" Natalie exclaimed in surprise. "They must not have any natural predators here. Otherwise, there's no way they'd be this fearless!"

"Don't touch them, Natalie!"

"What if they're poisonous? One nibble and you're dead!"

Seeing chats warning Natalie quickly retracted her hand and used her bracelet to scan the nearest fish.

Ding!

[Species: Rabbitfis][Herbivorous. Keen hearing. Assessment: Non-aggressive, edible.]

"Yo! Just got here and already found something I can eat!" Natalie said excitedly, then pointed her bracelet toward other nearby creatures.

Ding!

[Species: Dartfish][Streamlined body. High speed. Assessment: Mildly aggressive, edible.]

Ding!

[Species: Bubblefish][Special inner membrane can filter seawater, storing purified freshwater in the body.Assessment: Edible. Membrane functions as a natural filtration device for clean water.]

"Wait, what? It makes purified water?! Yooohooo!" Natalie cheered. "This Bubblefish is amazing! It's food and a water bottle!"

"Sorry, little guy... it's for survival!" she said with mock guilt before swiftly grabbing a Bubblefish. With a second movement, she caught a Dartfish too.

"Haha! These fish are so dumb. Caught two just like that!"

Then a realization struck. "Wait, ugh! I forgot my backpack!"

She could only carry one fish in each hand and hurriedly swam back to the escape pod. But another problem quickly surfaced.

"Now what? I mean, I caught the fish, but... how do I eat it? I can't eat it raw..."

She looked at the live fish still wriggling in her hands and frowned.

"Natalie, what are you doing? Remember this is a game. You can actually eat it raw!"

"Yeah, whether it's raw or cooked, you're not really eating it!"

"It's the action of eating that counts."

Natalie snapped out of it. "Right, right! I almost forgot I was in game again..."

To be fair, the fish looked incredibly lifelike, down to the slick, heavy feel in her palm. It was almost too real.

Still, there was no point hesitating. She brought the Dartfish up to her mouth.

"Warning, eating raw fish may result in illness," Cortana's voice cut in.

"Then how do I eat it if not raw?" Natalie asked, puzzled.

"It needs to be cooked, of course." Cortana replied calmly.

"I don't have the tools for that..."

"Have you forgotten the 'Mobile 3D Printing Station' inside the pod's storage cabinet?" Cortana said.

"Wait, what?" Natalie blinked and rushed to check.

Digging through the storage, she pulled out what she had thought was a simple backpack. It was boxy, metallic, and heavy, clearly some kind of advanced equipment. This had to be what Cortana was talking about.

"What exactly can this thing do?"

"Using 3D printing and thermal fusion tech, it can convert collected materials into usable tools or processed items," Cortana explained.

"And... how do I cook with it?"

"Leave it to me," Cortana replied. "Activating cooking mode now."

The bracelet on her wrist flashed. In the next moment, the 'backpack' unfolded automatically, revealing a mini array of mechanical arms. Several tiny drones flew out and beamed energy rays onto the Dartfish.

Within seconds, the smell of grilled fish filled the air.

"It's done?!"

"WHAT?! Is this black magic or alien tech?!"

"No fire, and it still cooked it?!"

As chat blew up with awe, a system message popped up.

"Processing complete. Bone structure, fluids, and internal organs have been removed. Safe for consumption."

"Ahhh it smells soooo good!" Natalie moaned, holding the grilled fish in both hands, her mouth watering. "Too bad I can't actually eat it!"

"Why doesn't this VR system come with a taste sensors?! Seriously!!"

In the end, she could only lift the fish to her virtual lips. The fish vanished, and the hunger bar on the screen shot back to 100%.

"Well, that's that... Now what about the Bubblefish? Cortana, you said it produces fresh water, how do I use it?"

"It can also be processed through the 3D printer," Cortana replied. "The platform has been optimized to support all essential survival needs."

Just as before, the tiny drones activated again. The Bubblefish was broken down quickly and reassembled, into a sealed bag of clear water.

The packaging? Made from the Bubblefish's own skin.

"...?"

"This just turned into a water bottle?? Is this science or wizardry?!"

"Future tech is just insane!!"

"I NEED THIS GAME!!!"

The chat erupted with excitement again. The advanced in-game technology was blowing everyone's minds.

After all, real world 3D printing is still limited to basic items with single materials. But in this game? You could cook, purify water, and craft survival gear on the fly.

Survival in the wild? More like a high tech camping trip!

Still, some viewers had a thought.

"Hey, Natalie! Ask Cortana to explain the actual mechanics of the 3D printer tech!"

"Yeah! Challenge her, let's see how far the devs really went!"

The barrage was followed by a generous tip. Natalie grinned.

"Alright, let's do it for the science bros!"

She drank the water and turned to ask, "Cortana, can you explain the science behind this 3D printing tech?"

Cortana responded without hesitation.

"3D printing is a rapid manufacturing technique. Based on digital modeling, it reconstructs materials at the atomic level and builds new objects layer by layer using molecular assembly."

"WHOA she actually answered?!"

"Why does that sound... legit???"

"I don't get a word, but it feels smart!"

"Hold up, did the New World devs actually invent future tech just for this game?!"

"Natalie, ask her for the detailed tech specs next!!"

More messages came flying in, and Natalie happily obliged curious herself.

"Cortana, can you tell me the specific methods and research behind this technology?"

But this time, Cortana's tone changed.

"I'm sorry. That information involves top-level identification. You do not have the clearance to access it."

The audience collectively let out a sigh of relief.

"Whew! Okay... so they didn't invent the future after all!"

"Man, I really thought we were about to unlock the next generation of tech from a game..."

"Same. I feel dumb now, but that was WILD!"

No one could blame them. The visuals were hyper realistic, and Cortana's explanations had sounded way too convincing.

"Well then," Natalie clapped her hands. "Time to go exploring again!"

With that, she dove back into the sea.

"Let's scan some plants and see if there's anything useful down here!"

Back near the limestone ridge, she found all sorts of seaweed and fungi growing. She raised her bracelet and scanned them one by one.

Ding!

[Campanula]

[Inedible. No practical use.]

Ding!

[Cordyceps x3]

[Inedible. No practical use.]

Ding!

[Sea Clover]

[Rich in vitamins and dietary fiber. Assessment: Edible.]

"Nice! But I'm full for now, so I'll leave them for later."

Then her eyes landed on some strange purple mushrooms shaped like bowls.

Ding!

[Acid Mushroom]

[Fungus containing acidic compounds. Not edible. Usable for crafting batteries. Recommendation: Collect multiple specimens.]

"Batteries? Damn, I'm entering the electric age already?" Even Natalie, terrible at science, knew that meant real progress.

There were plenty of Acid Mushrooms nearby, she wouldn't run out anytime soon.

Before long, a glint on the rocky wall caught her eye.

Ding!

[Titanium Ore Located]

[Can be used to craft oxygen tanks for prolonged underwater activity.]

"Got it! Let's go!"

Natalie grinned, pulled out her dagger, and began chipping away at the titanium.

1281 Words.