[(Ding!)]
As they all moved further into the dungeon, a flurry of notifications began to appear before Nuel.
[The player has leveled up!]
[Quest I had been completed]
[The player has received reward onyx]
[A reward onyx is a monument for persevering system rewards till time of need]
[Reward onyx I: 10x ability on current stat for a specific timing]
[Quest II has been unlocked]
'Just about time!' Nuel marveled in his thoughts. The excitement of getting the guide to make an elixir of life dawning on him.
[Quest II: Defeat the dungeon boss]
[Time limit: 12:00:00]
[Failure to defeat the dungeon boss may lead to the death of the player]
[Survive #*+-$)]
'Death, again?' Nuel pondered, breathing out like he was tired.
'Show me my current status.'
[(Player's current status)]
Name: Nuel Ainsworth
Class: Summoner
Race: Half Human [50%], Half ¿~•‽°~[50%]
Level: Lv 11
Affinities: Lightning
Mana: 1000
-Attributes-
Strength: 62
Agility: 74
Intelligence: 72
Endurance: 67
Luck: 91
Available stat point: 10
'I never got curious about my race. What exactly does it mean? I'm not fully human?'
[Affirmative, player]
'What am I then? Because that's not even plausible.'
The system went blank, failing to give Nuel an answer, then it came back on, displaying a flurry of characters he wasn't familiar with.
[√×¢¶¢¶°£`^π¢, Nuel Ainsworth &+#+✓{¢}]
"The hell?"
"Did you just swear at me?" Aria who was still walking beside Nuel asked, her eyes filled with an expression puppies make.
"No, I didn't." Nuel replied, turning back to the system at once.
He shared his available stat point by dousing a chunk of seven points in his strength and the rest— three stat points in his endurance.
The party members ahead of him suddenly stopped walking and Nuel shifted his focus from the system interface.
Ahead of them were two dungeon floors, skillfully etched together like two circular doors.
"A dead end, I must say." Aria said, huffing.
Kanji turned around to face the others, a little glimmer of hope shimmering in his eyes, just like he had been expecting to arrive on that floor.
"Guys, we have been walking through this dungeon for a while. We should take some rest now and continue our journey after recovering."
Thorne didn't wait for the opinion of the other party members as he had found a quick spot for himself to rest.
He dropped hard on the uneven floor, making a mass of dust escape from the spot as he sat.
Lila and Aria shrugged, giving up on any attempt to make him reconsider his action.
Kanji walked into the center and he summoned some items out of his storage ring, forming a little table with a variety of items landing on it as well.
"Kael and I will walk into one of these floors and see if it leads to the chamber of this dungeon's boss. If it does, we will call out for help so we can take the boss down together and if not,..."
"Saves us all the stress of looking twice." Nuel said and he received a nod from Kanji.
"While we are gone, Nuel, can you prepare a meal for us all? Kael will light the fireplace, so that should make things easier, right?"
Nuel frowned, not sure why Kanji had suddenly assigned that task to him. Not that he was lazy or bad at cooking, but it just felt a little wholesome.
Or perhaps that was a lie, he had never been a good cook.
"The girls need to rest, so we can't force any form of gender role on them right now and Thorne doesn't look like he can bulge from where he's resting." Kanji continued with a very conspicuous smile playing on his lips.
Kanji needed no meaning to the twisted look Nuel casted into Kael's direction.
"Ah, I need to speak with Kael while we journey, so he's off the hook."
Nuel sighed, finally giving in.
"Alright." He walked towards the crafted table Kanji made and looked at the items on it.
Olive oil, onion, garlic, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, vegetable, thyme, salt, pepper, mushrooms and bread were all liked on the crafted table, awaiting Nuel's chef hands to bless them.
"We will be back pretty soon." Kanji announced, almost sure of the outcome of venturing into the dungeon floor.
"We will be waiting." Lila called out after Kanji and Kael.
"Stay safe, leader." Thorne's bass voice hauled after the duo as they disappeared into one of the floors.
Nuel heaved another sigh with one finger placed under his chin as the thought of what to prepare dawned on him.
Both girls seem to be interested in watching him cook and not offering any single help, so he felt hopeless.
'What do I turn all these into?'
[(Ding!)]
[The player can purchase a recipe from the system on what meal to prepare and how to prepare it]
A sense of relief washed over Nuel as he received this notification with a small smile brooding on his lips.
He searched through the system tab, navigating through the culinary database where he saw different recipes on what to prepare.
Some were simple recipes but their cost was expensive while some had elaborate cooking skills he probably won't be able to work with.
Finally, Nuel caught sight of a hearty, warming meal perfect for the party. It was the perfect pick, so he opted for it.
'Dungeon soup.'
[Would you like to purchase this recipe?]
'Yes.'
[The player has purchased the 'dungeon soup recipe' which cost 500 Gold Coins]
With the ingredients list in hand, Nuel set to work in the makeshift kitchen area Kanji had created before he left.
He chopped the onion, carrots, and potatoes like he was a pro at it, the aroma of fresh herbs filling the air.
As he sautéed the vegetables in olive oil, the sizzle and crackle made him look like he had been at it for years with Aria moaning quietly as he made a move.
Lila tried to hide her surprise, but Nuel noticed her body language to his performance.
The diced tomatoes and broth went in next, followed by a sprinkle of thyme. Nuel stirred the pot, watching as the soup transformed into a rich, golden brew.
Nuel's lips curled into a smile as he prepared for final touches.