A water-type trainer who specializes in dragon-type water.

Chapter 443 Making Soup! A Top-Tier Genius Chef!

Ah Min nodded his head vigorously, his face plastered with a fawning smile.

He said, "Ah, yes, yes, Zhang Heng is right! With a formidable enemy at hand, these trivial matters are indeed unnecessary to concern ourselves with!"

Before he finished speaking, his finger had already quietly reached for the faintly glowing Venusaur Poké Ball, and his Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily.

"Snapped!"

A flash of cold light appeared, and Evan, without anyone noticing, grabbed the measuring ruler that researchers always carry with them, and swung it down sharply, accurately striking Amin's hand just as it was about to touch the Poké Ball.

The sudden, sharp pain made Amin jump half a meter into the air, letting out a miserable "howl" like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

He clenched his red hands, tears welling in his eyes, his resentful gaze almost tearing a hole through Evan.

"What's wrong with you! You attacked me without even saying a word!" she said angrily, taking half a step back.

"Alright, alright, I won't touch this Venusaur. I'll just take this one to get rid of it, so you won't act like a possessive Growlithe!"

Zhang Heng's Adam's apple bobbed, and he subconsciously took half a step closer to A Min.

He thought to himself, "Is this old guy going to get stuck on something again?"

As a researcher, Ai Wen has strong professional and research abilities, but researchers often have a common problem: they are very stubborn and particularly obsessive.

However, if this personality trait is applied to scientific research, it is indeed a very good thing.

However, this personality trait has significant flaws in daily interactions and when facing unexpected events.

Evan wiped the measuring ruler slowly and deliberately, the metal surface reflecting his cold profile.

At the same time, Evan reached out to scoop up the Poké Ball from the steel tank. However, the moment his fingertips touched the cold metal shell, his eyes showed dissatisfaction.

Zhang Heng nervously gripped the hem of his clothes, watching Evan play with the Venusaur Poké Ball, his heart pounding in his chest.

Is this guy really going to ask them to hand over Blastoise and Charizard? Just as he was thinking this, he was already prepared to argue his case.

Evan suddenly tucked the measuring tape into his waistband, put one hand in his pocket, and laughed freely: "Zhang Heng's words have reminded me—with a formidable enemy at hand, what's the use of arguing about these trivial rules?"

He reached out and precisely scooped up the Venusaur Poké Ball, twirling it beautifully between his fingers. "You guys caught Charizard and Blastoise, and I'm also a member of this field team, so I can't go back empty-handed, can I?"

Amin's eyes widened as she lunged forward: "So you hit someone just now to steal the ball?!"

“This is called ‘courtesy before force’,” Evan said, dodging the two with a smile.

"Besides, without my 'ruler,' would you be willing to hand it over obediently?" He raised the Poké Ball, its metal surface reflecting a sly smile. Evan's appearance just now had indeed intimidated the two of them.

"Consider it a field service perk for researchers. Come on, I'll treat you to some fresh milk when we get back to base!"

Amin stood frozen in place, clenching her fists, watching Aiwen hum a little tune as he walked towards the exit. After a long while, she finally managed to utter a sentence.

"That old bastard... he even dares to steal things so brazenly!"

Amin was so angry she was jumping up and down, but looking at Aiwen's swaying head, she could only helplessly curse and follow after him.

Zhang Heng stood rooted to the spot, his feet seemingly nailed to the ground, his gaze fixed on the surging Dynamax energy within the nest, his voice trembling slightly with excitement.

"The Dynamax energy fluctuations here are unusually active, and I feel it is necessary for me to complete an experimental hypothesis here."

Hearing this, Evan, who was about to leave, turned around abruptly. He was still very interested in the research project, and the measuring ruler made a crisp sound in his palm.

He asked Zhang Heng, "Is it an experiment related to Dynamax?"

Zhang Heng nodded, stroking his chin, and said, "That's right, the experimental hypothesis of turning Dynamax into Gigantamax."

Evan quickly realized what was going on and asked, "Do we need some key item?"

Zhang Heng pointed to the spot next to where the steel hull had landed, where several strange mushrooms were quietly growing.

These mushrooms are entirely pink, with tiny golden spots on their surface, like stars scattered across their caps.

The stipe is thick and sturdy, firmly supporting the slightly large cap at the top, and it emits a faint glow, as if telling the story of its extraordinary nature.

Zhang Heng could not hide his excitement and shared his own understanding.

"Look at these mushrooms. The energy they contain is similar to that of the Gigantamax Blastoise we just saw. I feel that they are the key to Blastoise's Gigantamax transformation!"

Upon hearing this, Evan's eyes lit up instantly. He quickly walked over to the mushroom, squatted down, and carefully observed it.

“Interesting. There is indeed a special energy fluctuation, completely different from ordinary Pokémon items. If what you say is true, the value of these mushrooms is immeasurable.”

Amin also came over, his anger replaced by curiosity: "Really? These few mushrooms can have such a big effect?"

Then Evan raised his left hand, looked at the watch on his wrist, and frowned slightly.

He said, "I'd also like to see if your theory is feasible, but let me be clear—we only have half an hour at most. If the first attempt fails, we must retreat immediately, because our time is running out."

Zhang Heng nodded easily, but he also had other doubts in his mind. According to the game's settings, after capturing a Dynamax Pokémon, the space should collapse rapidly.

But the nest in front of them was not only completely still, but the flowing energy even seemed to be converging into a vortex, as strange as if it were alive.

Zhang Heng shook his head, trying to clear his mind of these extraneous thoughts.

A Poké Ball was thrown out, and "whoosh!" A white light flashed by.

The figure of the Aluminum Steel Dragon appeared in the Giant Nest. After it appeared in this space, it felt that the energy here was particularly compatible with it and made it very comfortable.

The aluminum-steel dragon stretched out its metallic body, with a fine electric current emanating from its surface.

"Aluminum-steel dragon! Cannon beam!"

Zhang Heng gave the order, and the aluminum-steel dragon's metallic body suddenly collapsed, the metal at its neck emitting a harsh scraping sound, and the steel patterns all over its body suddenly lit up, as if a circuit had been electrified with high voltage.

Aiven clutched the energy detector, while Amin subconsciously frowned. The two exchanged a glance, both looking puzzled.

Silvery-white steel-based energy gathered wildly in front of the aluminum-steel dragon, initially appearing as a fine stream of particles, but quickly condensing into a metal block the size of a soccer ball.

The surface of this metal block was filled with steel-based energy, and it expanded at a visible speed—the size of a basketball, the size of a bucket, and finally grew into a steel block with a diameter of more than half a meter, about the size of a small car tire, which floated in the air.

"Alright! That's it! Aluminum Steel Dragon!" Zhang Heng shouted at the top of his lungs.

The aluminum-steel dragon shook its body, stopped transmitting energy, and the giant steel block crashed to the ground with a "boom," instantly cracking the ground of the nest and sending dust billowing several meters high.

"Charizard! Breath fire!"

Without hesitation, Zhang Heng gave the command to the Charizard beside him. The effect of the clear sky was still in effect, and the fire-type energy permeating the space continued to gather on the Charizard's body.

It then opened its massive maw, and a torrent of flames carrying intense heat poured down, instantly engulfing the steel block completely.

White smoke rose from the originally silvery-white metal surface. Under the scorching heat of the flames, the steel block turned red from the edges, gradually spreading to the entire surface.

The final product is completely translucent, resembling refined iron just taken out of the blast furnace. The surface patterns are twisted and reorganized under high temperature, radiating a scorching flame.

Zhang Heng snapped his fingers, and Martial Arts Master Xiong flashed to the front of the red-hot steel block.

"Close combat!"

At Zhang Heng's command, dark golden fighting energy surged around Martial Arts Bear Master.

These energies surged and converged like living things, condensing into thick energy gauntlets on its arms, even causing visible ripples in the air.

With a low roar, Martial Arts Master Xiong slammed his iron fist, imbued with astonishing power, heavily onto the scorching steel block.

"Dang! Dang! Dang!"

The sound of metal clashing was deafening. Martial Arts Master Xiong's punches were as fast as lightning, each strike sending out dazzling sparks.

Its figure blurred into afterimages within the nest, and the air currents stirred up by its fists swirled the surrounding rocks into the air.

Under continuous hammering, the originally round steel block gradually deformed, the edges were hammered into regular arcs, and the center slowly sank in, and the prototype of a soup pot gradually appeared.

"Quenching!"

Following Zhang Heng's command, Martial Arts Master Xiong suddenly retreated, pushed his palm forward, and a thick stream of water shot out like a rushing river.

The moment the water touched the red steel block, a piercing "sizzle" sound suddenly rang out, and a large amount of white mist shot into the sky, instantly enveloping the entire nest in a white mist.

Fine bubbles continuously rise from the surface of the steel block, and it cools down at a visible speed under the scouring of the water flow.

As the white mist gradually dissipated, a specially made steel pot with an antique shape stood steadily on the ground. The pot had a deep bluish-gray luster, and the surface still bore the marks of martial arts master Xiong's punches.

While Martial Arts Bear Master was forging the steel pot with all his might, Zhang Heng kept his eyes tightly closed, and the veins on his forehead throbbed slightly—his consciousness was frantically browsing the Giant Soup recipe that the system had rewarded him with.

The densely packed recipes and steps flashed through my mind like a data stream.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes wide, his gaze burning with excitement: "Aluminum Steel Dragon, Metal Claws!"

The forelimbs of the aluminum steel dragon were instantly enveloped in steel-based energy, transforming into three sharp steel claws that gleamed with a cold light.

It strode over to the giant mushroom, and with lightning speed, its claws slashed down, severing the entire mushroom in one fell swoop.

Immediately afterwards, the metal claws left a series of afterimages in the air, precisely cutting the mushrooms into uniformly sized pieces.

"Ow~"

The aluminum-steel dragon raised its head and let out a dragon roar. Dragon-type energy gathered around its body like a vortex, and a purple tornado suddenly rose from the ground.

The whirlwind lifted the mushroom chunks and tossed them steadily into the newly crafted steel pot.

At the same time, Martial Arts Master Xiong pushed lightly with one palm, and a crystal-clear stream of water appeared out of thin air, slowly pouring into the pot. Tiny bubbles rose on the surface of the water, as if foreshadowing a magical change that was about to happen.

As a medical student, Zhang Heng always carries a bag containing various kinds of medicinal herbs.

Take out various medicinal materials of different colors from them—vital roots that glow with blue light, all kinds of tree fruits, and medicines.

These precious medicinal herbs are the auxiliary ingredients in the Max Soup recipe. As long as the herbs are added in order during the heating process, Max Soup can be made.

"Charizard! Keep the flames burning!" Zhang Heng shouted the order.

The fire-breathing dragon flicked its tail in dissatisfaction, spewing out two streams of scorching air from its nostrils, as if protesting that it was always assigned such "odd jobs"—either as a blacksmith heating steel billets or a cook tending a fire.

But when it caught sight of the martial arts bear master standing guard to the side, it could only reluctantly take a deep breath, and flames gathered in its mouth.

Orange-red flames cascaded out like a waterfall, completely engulfing the steel pot. The ingredients inside began to churn under the high temperature, emitting a strange aroma.

Zhang Heng was very satisfied with the scene. In the handheld game in his original world, he could easily make five-star dishes with any sandwich recipe he randomly selected.

"Actually, I should be a culinary genius, haha!"

Under the continuous intense heat of the fire-breathing dragon, the soup in the steel pot simmered and bubbled.

Zhang Heng stared intently at the churning liquid, large beads of sweat rolling down his forehead and soaking his collar.

He meticulously followed the recipe provided by the system, his gaze shifting back and forth between the ingredients in the pot and the formula in his mind. At each crucial moment, he would unhesitatingly and precisely toss the medicinal herbs into the pot.

The boiling soup splashed hot droplets, burning tiny red spots on the back of his hand, but he was completely unaware.

Thanks to the amplification from the Sunny Day ability, the power of the jet flames far exceeded that of normal, and the reaction inside the pot became increasingly intense.

The giant soup, which normally requires a long simmering process, was nearly ready in just over ten minutes. The broth was boiling violently, and a strange luster was faintly visible in the rising steam.

"It's done!" Zhang Heng straightened up abruptly, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

He let out a long sigh of relief, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and excitedly approached the pot.

However, the giant soup in the pot did not have the dazzling light described in the recipe, but rather an eerie dark green color, with bubbles of different sizes constantly churning on the surface.

"Although the color is a bit off, probably because the firepower is too strong, Charizard's level is still not up to par with a top-tier culinary genius like me, but it's still not a big problem!"

Aiwen and Amin exchanged a glance and simultaneously noticed that the other's forehead was covered in a fine layer of cold sweat.

Green bubbles rose continuously from the pot, releasing bursts of purple mist as they burst. The pungent smell was mixed with an indescribable strange odor that made people frown.

This is hardly a magical giant soup; it looks more like a pot of bizarre poison that sends chills down your spine just by looking at it.

"Which lucky person will get to try it first?"

Zhang Heng rubbed his chin, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the fire-breathing dragon and the martial arts bear master like a searchlight.

In the rising purple mist, the fire-breathing dragon suddenly shrank its neck, its wings instinctively protecting its head, and a hint of bluish-white showed through its orange-red scales. A pitiful whimper came from its throat—it had just been tamed and had been doing blacksmithing and soup making, and now it had to be a poison tester?

Even the mighty Martial Arts Bear Master, a divine beast, turned its head away in a rare move, its paws pawing nervously at the ground, its ear tips drooping so low they almost touched its head, unable to maintain its signature majestic stance.

"Ah~"

Zhang Heng sighed softly and strode toward Martial Arts Master Xiong.

The mythical beast tensed up, its back teeth clenched so tightly they made a "clunking" sound, and surprisingly, it took half a step back.

However, the expected coercion did not come; Zhang Heng simply reached out and gently patted its shoulder.

"Fine, since we're here by fate, let's give this chance to Charizard. After it finishes drinking, I'll add Max Sweetness and make you a special version, guaranteed to be much better than this one..."

Martial Arts Master Xiong felt as if he had been granted a pardon. His tense muscles instantly relaxed, and he quickly went to the steel pot, picked up the entire pot, and walked to the fire-breathing dragon.

"You don't need to give it all! This is enough for three people! Your portion is in it too, don't worry!"

Zhang Heng's shout came from behind. The Martial Arts Bear Master trembled, its eyes instantly turning panicked. It turned its head to look at the green-glowing soup, gritted its teeth, grabbed the fire-breathing dragon's slender neck with one hand, and slammed the steel pot hard against its mouth.

The moment the fire-breathing dragon touched the broth, its scarlet pupils dilated sharply, goosebumps erupted all over its body, and it struggled violently to spit out the liquid in its mouth.

The martial arts bear master was prepared. With quick reflexes, it pinched the fire-breathing dragon's mouth shut tightly, while its other hand gripped its upper and lower jaws firmly. It shook the fire-breathing dragon's head from side to side, letting out a low, urging growl.

The poor Charizard was so blinded by the light that it could only whimper as it swallowed the strange Dynamax soup under the "violent feeding" of the Martial Arts Urshifu.

Zhang Heng looked at the scene and shook his head helplessly.

He said, "Damn it~ Even if it's a new partner, you don't have to be so polite. It drank more than half of it, and you still don't have enough."

The Charizard's body began to tremble violently, and it lay prone on the ground, gagging incessantly, but the stench from its mouth was nauseating.

It would leak out of its mouth, and then it would close its mouth again. As this happened repeatedly, everyone present couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.

Besides our genius little chef…