Garrick stepped into the modest kitchen nook like a man entering a battlefield.
He stared at the oversized Furnace-Kiln, a brick-and-metal beast with Vita veins glowing dimly along its base. No touchscreen. No instructions. Just heat and willpower.
> "This is new," Garrick muttered, adjusting the red apron awkwardly.
Blue-ranked Travelers like him didn't often cook. Most preferred buying pre-made field rations or unlocking higher-tier Kitchens through Systematic shops.
But with Ovens costing 400+ locked Mysticoins, and time pressing down with the storm brewing outside—
this ancient Kiln was their best shot.
---
Today's Plan:
🫕 Steamed Vegetable Stew – Field-Fresh, Storm-Warmed.
Using what they'd bought and traded with Mysticoins earlier, Hale had already prepped a rough lineup of vibrant, unusual veggies from the surrounding zone.
---
🥕 Root Vegetable Lineup:
Sunroot: Pale orange with golden tips. It glowed faintly even now on the table, casting gentle halos on Hale's prep board. Garrick picked one up and squinted.
> "This thing's glowing. Is that safe?"
"Yes," Hale replied calmly. "Tastes like honeyed carrots. Cut it lengthwise."
Duskradish: Long and gnarled, its deep purple skin shimmered under the lantern light. When sliced, it released a pungent spicy aroma.
Garrick coughed.
> "What is this?"
"Grows under moonlight," Hale answered. "Adds heat. Don't rub your eyes after cutting it."
Emberyam: The orange skin had veins of faint red. It was slightly warm to the touch, naturally storing heat.
Aurelia peeked in, curious.
> "That one's good for winter. Used to eat it with soup as a kid," she said.
Ironbeet: Thick. Unreasonably hard. When Garrick tried to slice one, the knife bounced off.
> "Is this a rock?"
"No," said Riven, smirking. "Just beat it with the blunt end first."
Grumbleturnip: This one vibrated. No joke. When Garrick held it, it buzzed faintly, like a hummingbird heartbeat.
> "It's angry," Garrick blinked.
"Don't drop it," Hale warned, "they roll into fire if you do."
---
Cooking Process (Kiln-Style):
1. Hale soaked the chopped vegetables in warm Vita water to soften them.
2. Garrick carefully placed them in a steaming tray crafted from boiled bark and metal mesh.
3. Hale summoned a small controlled Vita spark and channeled it beneath the Kiln's base.
4. The Kiln roared awake—heat rippling, steam building.
> "Fifteen minutes," Hale muttered. "Keep it turning every five."
---
Meanwhile…
Aurelia fed Goldie some fresh diced Sunroot, who wagged her tail happily.
Nico stayed curled up, but his ears twitched at the scent wafting through.
Riven, still calm, watched the flickering firelight dance across the floor as he absentmindedly sharpened a blade.
---
By the time the stew finished, the aroma filled the entire structure with warmth—
sweetness, spice, earthy richness, and just a hint of Emberyam's heat.
Garrick tasted the broth from a wooden ladle and blinked.
> "Okay… that's actually good."
Hale gave a rare half-smile.
> "Told you."
Riven raised a brow.
> "Looks like we've found our backup cook."
> "Don't push it," Garrick replied, ladling out more stew for the others, cheeks red—but proud.
As bowls passed around and the storm raged on, they all finally sat, laughed, and ate.
Just Travelers in the rain.
.....
[Continuation scene]
The rain drummed steadily against the roof of the wooden structure, a calming yet constant patter, broken only by the occasional creak of beams and soft crackle of the interior fire node.
Garrick lay sprawled on a woven rug, his boots kicked off, staring up at his phone — scrolling idly through local Systematic updates and notifications.
Riven sat across from him on a low bench, phone in hand, legs crossed with casual elegance.
Aurelia leaned beside Goldie, both girls sharing one screen, whispering occasionally, fingers tapping the screen with giggles and wide eyes.
On the other side, Hale stood focused in the makeshift kitchen nook. A worn wooden countertop, a set of rustic pans, and a floating Vita burner gave him just enough tools to work his calm construction. The smell of grilled root vegetables and soft herbs filled the room.
Nico, of course, was wrapped like a cat burrito in the thick Mysticoin-purchased blankets, a pillow over his head, soft tail barely twitching beneath the fabric. One foot poked out like a lazy flame.
The quiet was comfortable… but maybe too comfortable.
Garrick slowly put his phone down and blinked into the ceiling.
> "It's too quiet," he muttered.
Aurelia looked up first.
> "Too quiet for you? That's rare." She tilted her head. "Something wrong?"
Garrick scratched his chest through his shirt.
> "I dunno. We're just sitting here… all of us, together, and barely saying anything. It's kinda creepy."
Riven didn't look up at first, but his smirk widened. He slowly locked his phone and set it beside him.
> "You're right," he said thoughtfully. "It's almost unnatural."
He stood, adjusted his sleeves, then with precise mischief, turned to Hale.
> "Chef Eryndor," he announced grandly, "you have a new kitchen assistant."
Hale turned his head slightly, eyebrow raising in slow recognition.
> "Excuse me?"
Riven strolled past, picked up a bright red apron from the supply bag, turned to Garrick, and tossed it right onto his face.
> "Congratulations. You're on food duty. Effective immediately."
> "Wait—what—what is this!?" Garrick fumbled with the apron, sitting up in confusion. "I'm not—I'm not kitchen trained!"
> "You'll survive," Riven said, already returning to his seat with an overly satisfied grin.
"Besides, talking starts in the kitchen. Everyone knows that."
Aurelia giggled.
> "I like this idea. Let's see how long until Garrick burns the basil."
Goldie quietly clapped in approval.
Hale, now stirring something that smelled distinctly of citrus and roasted tubers, gave Garrick a tired but amused glance.
> "If you're helping," Hale said, "start by chopping those root caps. Carefully. Don't slice your fingers. They're not ingredients."
Garrick grumbled, dragging himself off the rug and towards the kitchen.
> "This is a setup," he mumbled, tying the apron with mild shame. "I swear Riven's doing this for drama."
Nico mumbled half-asleep from the blanket pile:
> "Can you not yell near the fire node… thanks…"
The storm outside continued, but now inside—
Laughter. Chatter. Knife chopping. Light bickering.
And the warmest smell of food.
The silence had been broken.
(Sorry for the bold words lol....)