The shop owner began to bless Ian.
Ian was a bit confused.
Did I just become Ash from Pocket Monster?
He clicked his tongue inwardly.
And right at this moment—
"Since you've come here in search of legends, I can't let you hit the road on an empty stomach. I'm treating you to a meal." The shop owner showed the simple, down‑to‑earth enthusiasm of the locals.
The people on this island all seemed like this. Maybe when that Titan created them, he stripped away some of the bad traits that had been implanted into Wizards when the Titans created Wizards.
"What about me, what about me?"
Xiao Ya couldn't help getting greedy too.
"You get some as well."
The shop owner spoke with a squinty‑eyed smile.
He turned and went into the kitchen, and soon came out with a big steaming platter of food—golden, crispy "Thunder Fish" paired with fragrant "Star Fern Cake."
There was also a bowl of soup glowing faintly blue.
Ian learned all this from the shop owner's introduction.
"This is made from our local specialty, Thunder Fish. It holds trace amounts of electric energy in its body. Stewed together with Star Fern, not only does it taste great, it also strengthens the body."
The shop owner was clearly very proud of his own Culinary Skill.
"And this Star Fern Cake is made from my family's ancestral recipe. Eating it boosts stamina; for someone about to embark on an unknown journey, it's the best kind of blessing."
His words made Xiao Ya instantly overload.
"Yeah, Star Fern Cake stands for a smooth journey." I had to admit, this island really had quite a few of its own customs; it looked like they'd been developing them for many years.
"Smells pretty good." Ian scooped up a spoonful and put it in his mouth, and immediately felt a warm current of energy circulate through his body, making him feel completely refreshed.
He understood.
The shop owner had added Magic Potion Materials into the dish and stewed them together; the Magic Potion Materials had fully released their medicinal properties. The most primitive Magic Potions were brewed exactly like this.
This wasn't just ordinary food, but a dish carrying a Magic Attribute.
"Thank you for the meal."
Looking at the food on the table, Ian was moved. From the moment he set foot on this island, almost everyone had treated them with warm hospitality, sharing knowledge and resources without reservation.
It felt as if the people here were born with a kind of plain, honest kindness.
"You're welcome! Your enjoyment is my greatest reward!" The shop owner was still smiling, and he looked very happy watching Ian and the now‑silent‑from‑eating Xiao Ya.
It was a lavish meal.
After leaving the inn, they headed to the square. Maybe it was because the islanders really did eat a lot—despite already having eaten, Xiao Ya still dragged Ian over to a stall that looked like a barbecue stand, where the owner turned out to be a massive crocodile!
It held a charcoal fork in its mouth and deftly flipped chunks of meat skewered on branches.
"This is Uncle Thunder Fang Crocodile. His 'Lightning Dragon Meat Skewers' are the best on the whole island!" Xiao Ya said excitedly, as if drool was about to leak from the corner of her mouth.
"Two skewers!"
She shouted to the crocodile.
"Got it."
This answer came from an old granny beside them. The crocodile couldn't speak, but the human working in partnership with it could. She seemed to only be responsible for taking money and prepping the ingredients.
Very soon.
The two meat skewers were grilled and ready.
Ian looked at the skewers before him. The meat chunks were a deep red, with a charred aroma, occasionally letting out a wisp of blue smoke, as if something inside was still smoldering.
"This…what meat is this?"
Afraid he might be eating some kind of dark cuisine, Ian asked cautiously.
"Dragon Meat, of course!"
Xiao Ya replied as if it was obvious. "You've never had it?"
"Didn't you say Fantastic Beasts are partners?" Ian was silent for a few seconds, then ultimately took the skewer and bit into it. The meat was tender and juicy, with a hint of spiciness and the aroma of charcoal.
The delicious taste made him nod again despite himself.
"This is great."
This was pure Culinary Skill and ingredient choice working together to create a delicacy.
No Magic had been added to it.
"Evil Dragons aren't partners, and they're not Fantastic Beasts either! They're just Evil Dragons, that's all!" Xiao Ya corrected Ian's wording, all while wildly wolfing down her grilled meat.
The two of them ate as they strolled.
They arrived at a circular plaza.
A stage had been set up in the center, and a crowd had already gathered around it. Xiao Ya dragged him into the crowd, where they saw several young people onstage, each holding onto a Fantastic Beast.
"Look!"
Xiao Ya tugged Ian's arm. "They've started another sparring match over there."
Following her voice, he looked over.
Ian once again got a strong sense of déjà vu from Pocket Monster.
What he saw was—
The two combatants were a red, fox‑like creature called a "Flame-tailed Fox," and another known as a "Frost Feathered Eagle," a giant bird covered in blue‑white feathers. Their movements were swift and precise, every attack accompanied by a shudder in the air.
"Use 'Flame Dance'!"
A girl in a red Cloak shouted.
The Flame-tailed Fox suddenly leapt up, spinning once in midair. Its tail swept around, dragging a ring of flames that wrapped around its body. The Frost Feathered Eagle beat its wings, taking to the sky as it breathed out a blast of cold air, trying to freeze its opponent.
The two collided, bursting into a billowing cloud of steam; the scene was spectacular.
"Boom!"
With a dull bang, the Flame-tailed Fox was hit and slammed to the ground, a minor scrape appearing on its right leg.
"It's injured!"
The referee stopped the match.
The girl in red immediately took a small vial from her belt, quickly popped the lid, and smeared the pale yellow liquid inside onto the Flame-tailed Fox's wound.
In just a few seconds,
the fox's wound healed at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"What a waste!"
As a Magic Potion expert, Ian's heart ached watching this. The effect of that medicine was indeed excellent, but it couldn't really be called a Magic Potion—just a blend of herbal remedies.
Such a powerful effect
was entirely thanks to the strength of the raw ingredients.
"You guys really…have insanely rich resources here. Way richer than back home." Ian was truly impressed; he'd finally seen what it meant for a tiny place to be bursting with resources.
"Of course."
Xiao Ya was very happy to hear someone praise her hometown.
By dusk.
She led Ian to a tree house on the outskirts of town.
As soon as the girl pushed the door open, she saw her five‑year‑old little brother, Xiao Dou, doing weightlifting with a burly Iron Palm gorilla—using real granite dumbbells.
Ian was left dumbstruck.
"Sis, you're back!"
The little boy easily lifted what looked to be over two hundred kilos of stone.
"King Kong taught me a new move today!"
He spun in circles on the spot.
It really broadened Ian's horizons. The big gorilla named King Kong scratched his head sheepishly, about to turn around and show off. But the moment it saw Ian, it immediately struck a Defense pose.
"He's a guest!" Xiao Ya hurried to introduce him, then turned to explain to Ian, "King Kong's a bit shy… Last time the mayor's Thunder Dragon came over to visit, it got zapped so bad it didn't dare climb trees for three days."
This explanation
honestly left Ian at a loss for words.
"Sis, I'm hungry."
The little boy spoke up to Xiao Ya.
"Okay, I'll go cook right now."
Xiao Ya immediately dashed into the kitchen.
A tempting aroma drifted out. Sword-toothed Tyrannosaurus ribs were crushed into patties by her brute strength, coconut juice was simmered together with Flaming Mushroom into a soup, and the main course was the roasted hind leg of some kind of giant insect.
It looked like a blown‑up version of a Kairos.
No idea if it was called the same thing in this world.
"Still eating?"
Ian was a foodie.
But even he couldn't handle a third big meal in a row.
Yet Xiao Ya still seemed extremely enthusiastic about eating.
"Normally we eat ten meals a day, but Mom and Dad went to Storm Canyon on an expedition, and my Culinary Skill isn't that great, so we can only manage eight meals." Xiao Ya said as she set out the dishes.
"..."
Hearing this,
Ian fell silent again.
He suddenly felt that people here having brute strength at five or six years old wasn't unreasonable at all.
At least they were respecting conservation of energy, right?
At the dinner table,
Ian really couldn't eat much more.
He watched Xiao Ya calmly gnaw her way through a Dragon rib bigger than his face, then down a whole glass of bubbling purple juice, while the little boy clutched a hind leg bigger than himself and chomped away.
"Odin, slow down, don't choke again."
Xiao Ya reminded her little brother.
"????????"
Ian had been drinking his juice, and when he heard that name, he almost spat the whole mouthful out.