Nameless looked at the purpleish worms in front of him before looking at Ecto who was opening the shells and eating the yellow inside, the process looked very much like eating a shrimp.

Nameless replicated his actions swallowing, opening the shell of the worm before swallowing the yellow core inside.

As soon as he put the worm in his mouth, a burst of flavour rushed through his mouth, he could barely swallow it, it tasted too good!

"What the hell is this?"

"Hehe, first time tasting the magnolia worm. You thought the high mighty Ecto would steal it for no reason?" Ecto talked with pride.

"Hey since when did you get so prideful?"

"Hmph, I, Ecto might be afraid of beasts but I have pride in my food!"

Nameless was speechless, he could have never expected such a shift in attitude.

He continued eating, after three worms however, he felt kinda weird as if there was something lacking.

"You uncultered human, hmph, wasting the potential of exquisite food, why do you think the rainbow oysters are put next to the magnolia worm."

Nameless didn't even waste time retorting immediately eating a magnolia worm followed by a rainbow oysters.

Immediately, a burst of flavour exploded in his mouth, a rush of sour sweet and spicy blend entered his mouth that left him lost for words.

"Hehe, now try both and add the fire grooved bird and the elkhorn corals." Ecto smirked even more as he looked at him.

Nameless didn't even waste time to retort immediately putting them all up in his mouth.

Boom

An explosion of warm, salty, sweet, sour, flowery and icy flavours gently flowed down his throat as he suddenly felt a calmness invading his mind, it was as if he was back in his previous world enjoying some tea with the trees swaying in one of his peaceful days.

"Ecto! You genius!" Nameless couldn't help but pick Ecto up.

Ecto, this time didn't get flustered nor scared, only smirking as if he knew his worth.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

He looked at Nameless and spoke : "Let me use my herbs and the food anima I just got and you will see what true food is like."

Nameless immediately put him down.

Ecto wiped his arms trying to remove the non-existent dirt as if trying to look cool.

"Mm, guest, I advise not to let Ecto go too wild, he goes too hard." The ancestor advised.

"Let him cook." Nameless spoke slowly.

"Guest, what did you just say?"

"I said Let! him! Cook!"

Immediately a giant bowl was brought to ecto, he climbed on a small wooden platform before he began his cooking.

Small tubes of herbs and spices were all around him held by other mushroom minimen.

Ecto rolled up his non-existent sleeves before he began moving his hand opening, taking spices and closing tubes endlessly.

He made fast and cool gestures with his hands, he seemed almost mad, he smirked from time to time as he ordered the mushroom miniman to add the ingredients.

It didn't take long before he added the anima, it looked like an earth worm.

Special anima that could be consumed were very rare and very hard to cook, they needed to be blended perfectly with little to no margin of error yet Ecto didn't seem flustered at all.

"Such skill, I'm afraid he already is a food path master." the will in his mind spoke.

It didn't take long for the bowl to be ready.

Nameless took the bowl and swallowed the soup.

As soon as he drank it, he felt electricity rippling through his entire body, his entire spine tingled with power as the beautiful flavors soothed his soul that had not slept in the week of escape.

Nameless put the bowl down.

He stayed silent for a few moments.

The mushroom minimen were on edge, they didn't know if the refinement in the cooking process was succesful and if the bowl tasted well.

Nameless looked at Ecto and slowly spoke :

"Stand Proud, You can Cook."

Ecto hit his chest before kissing his finger and raising it above his head, the crowd erupted with cheers!

Ecto proudly smirked before he threw himself on the crowd before the crowd moved him along them, Ecto was proudly crowd surfing as the mushroom miniman ancestor sighed at this youthful rebel.

The banquet continued as Ecto returned to his place.

It was only then that he realised that he had wasted the peak rank 1 anima that he wanted to cook for another person, what was worse was that when he returned he found the plates near him empty!

Nameless had eaten everything.

"You bastard!!!" Ecto fearlessly jumped on Nameless before trying to punch him.

Nameless merely held him but Ecto didn't stop trying to punch him.

"Why are you angry? I told you, stand proud, you can cook."

"You monster! not only have you manipulated me to give you the anima I was going to cook for the princess but you also ate all my plates!" Ecto spoke with rage.

"Hehe, it seems someone is trying to impress the princess." Nameless teased him.

Ecto immediately turned red, even his mushroom cap seemed as if it would change colour at any moment.

The princess in the distance hid her face from embarrasment.

"You?!! Ahh!" Ecto attacked Nameless but all his attack failed.

"Ancestor, this monster is trying to eat all our food." Still in between Nameless's hand, Ecto turned towards his ancestor however the ancestor only sighed.

Nameless was about to continue teasing Ecto but he suddenly felt an extremely powerful aura was approaching this part of the cave, so powerful that he knew with certainty he couldn't defeat it!