However, Anby, having received the boost, didn't notice the increasingly strange expression on Andrew's face.
Having finally savored the full taste of the hamburger, Anby felt as if her life had been made whole, that she had found her purpose.
Whether it was the bonus of eating normal food for the first time or simply Anby's fated encounter with the hamburger, she found herself completely infatuated with this food called a hamburger.
If someone had asked Anby what the meaning of life was before this, she would have stared back blankly. But now, she could answer with unwavering conviction:
To go to Andrew's and get some hamburgers!
Anby couldn't lose the hamburger, just as the West couldn't lose Jerusalem, or the 3D world couldn't lose Tifa.
🙌NOBODY, 👐LOVES, 👌HAMBURGERS, ☝MORE THAN ME!!
To be fair, after tasting such delicious food, the nutrient paste—made from who-knows-what and only tasting of salt—and the bland, waxy energy bars she had once accepted as normal had now become difficult to swallow.
There was... no going back. It had been shaped by Andrew now—her tongue, that is.
Anby carefully savored every bite, as if wanting to etch the flavor into her very soul. The sight of her relishing it so earnestly brought Andrew a deep sense of satisfaction.
No chef dislikes seeing their food enjoyed so thoroughly by others.
Even after finishing one whole hamburger, Anby still felt it wasn't enough. She reluctantly licked the last bit of sauce from her fingers before coming to her senses and looking at Andrew.
For a moment, Anby felt a pang of embarrassment.
She didn't know what had come over her, but this thing had truly mesmerized her.
Forcibly restraining her hand from reaching for the tray again, Anby spoke:
"It's delicious. Better than anything I've ever eaten before."
"Of course! I can't speak for other places, but in the Forbidden Lands, my cooking skills are absolutely number one, you hear!"
As Anby finished the last bite of the hamburger, a warm current flowed from her stomach and gradually spread throughout her body. Anby felt better than she ever had before.
Wherever this energy went, it addressed the hidden injuries Anby had accumulated over years of battle and experiments as an artificial human.
Such injuries were already relatively rare thanks to the double support of constant monitoring by researchers and the medical pods, but over the years, they had still built up in various parts of her body.
However, as the energy flowed through her, all these injuries vanished completely. Even the stamina she had overdrawn during the afternoon's battle was fully restored.
Most importantly, when Anby lightly threw a punch, this energy would automatically coat the corresponding point of attack, making her strikes even sharper.
Having been created many years ago, Anby had a deep understanding of the Silver Squad's physiology. She was even permitted to observe the researchers testing the Silver Squad's data, and she knew her own capabilities like the back of her hand.
Based on the test data and her own physical sensations, she estimated that her attack power had increased by a full ten percent.
Don't underestimate that ten percent. In a real battle, that was a qualitative leap.
In this state, if she were to fight that monster from before again, Anby was confident she could pose a real threat. With proper coordination, a successful kill wouldn't be out of the question.
Hopping lightly on the spot, Anby was surprised to find that besides these two effects, the energy also enhanced her endurance and vitality. Such a comprehensive boost felt almost unreal to her.
However, judging by the rate at which the energy was dissipating, the effect would probably last for about three hours.
'For an ordinary hamburger to do this, it's practically no different from a special enhancement drug! Are you sure you didn't put some special concoction from another research institute in this?'
But thinking back carefully, every step Andrew took to make it had been right in front of her. She hadn't seen him add anything strange.
And this, in fact, was the bonus effect of a Canteen Meal, a recommended set from his world. The recovery Anby felt was a hidden benefit of having her maximum health increased.
The potent life force caused her body to automatically heal all its wounds.
But creating a true Canteen Meal wasn't as simple as just replicating Andrew's steps.
When he first arrived in this world, Andrew had discovered that the simple method for turning food into a Canteen Meal no longer worked as it used to.
After a month of experimentation, Andrew finally found the key to making Canteen Meals appear in this world—it was the elemental energy from the Monster Hunter world that resided within his own body.
Ordinary ingredients here lacked the rich energy found in those from the Monster Hunter world. The powerful energy inherent in the food itself was the main component of a Canteen Meal.
Through numerous experiments, Andrew found that only by first infusing the ingredients with this energy and then using the Felyne's Canteen Meal preparation techniques...
...could the two combine, allowing a true Canteen Meal to be recreated in his hands.
However, relying solely on his own energy was far too inefficient. But there was a way to obtain a large-scale supply again.
It was the Ancient Tree Seed he'd swiped from the director of the Research Commission of the New World's botanical research division, originally kept as a memento.
'Who would have thought that in a new world, it would have such an unexpected use.'
Andrew could feel that the energy contained within it was incredibly abundant. It also shared his own ability to convert Ether energy into Dragon Element energy.
If he could just get it to sprout and grow, its unique properties would mean he would no longer have to worry about many unobtainable materials or how to source ingredients for Canteen Meals.
Two months ago, after acquiring his current blacksmith shop as a base of operations, Andrew had been wanting to plant it.
But finding a place that was safe, trustworthy, reliable, and most importantly, spacious enough, was his biggest problem right now.
It wasn't that Andrew hadn't considered planting it in a pot first, but this Ancient Tree would grow into a massive tree within hours of sprouting.
His workshop on Sixth Street was nowhere near big enough to hold something of that size.
And finding a place that perfectly met all the conditions was now one of Andrew's main objectives.
Grabbing another hamburger and placing it in Anby's hand, Andrew pushed the door open and led the way back into the shop.
Pushing open the back door of the video store, the wide-open workshop revealed the entire Silver Squad, all showered and changed into pajamas. Slumped on either side of the doorway were a completely burnt-out Belle and Nicole.
The moment she saw Andrew enter, the previously slumped Nicole shot up like a spring, saying aggressively:
"Andrew! Do you have any idea how much of a pain your request was?! I'm upping the price! You'll have to waive an extra one... no! Two... no, that's not enough! You have to waive an extra three thousand Dennies' worth of ammo for me!"
____
Ready to unlock some bonuses? Our community goals are live!
🎯 100 Powerstones means +1 bonus chapter for every reader.
🚀 55 SUPPORTERS will unlock +5 bonus chapters across all my works!
🎉 A special welcome for you: Join with an introductory price!
👻 Find Walnutchan on the (P) site to get started. You know which one I mean! 😉