Jack studied the girl as he approached.
What is she—fourteen? Thirteen? he wondered.
Her gear was impressive. Every piece shimmered with a thick blue aura.
She’s fully covered in mid-imbued gear! He gulped. How much did this loadout cost?
She stood still, hands folded in front of her, glossy black hair falling in a neat curtain short of her shoulders. Her skin looked pale against the glow of her armor, and her eyes tracked the NPC chef’s every move.
As Jack passed behind her, her gaze flicked toward him—and she jumped, hand flying to her chest. “Oh—hello. I didn’t think anyone else was here.”
“Sorry. Didn’t mean to sneak up on you.”
“It’s alright,” she answered, her voice a touch breathy.
He gave a small nod and continued to the end of the hall, where a plaque marked the final door.
President of the Cooks’ Association
He paused, then turned the handle. It was unlocked.
The room beyond was warm and richly furnished. Collections of polished copper pans and knives hung on wood-paneled walls. A massive desk stacked with culinary books and neatly sorted documents occupied much of the room. Two full shelves lined the side wall, packed with thick, well-worn tomes.
At the far end stood a woman—blonde, blue-eyed, statuesque. She was the first NPC Jack had seen in the building without a hat. She held a perfectly red apple in one hand, studying it like it held a secret only she could see.
She glanced at him. “Hello, sir. Welcome.”
“Thank you, Mrs. President. It’s an honor to be here,” Jack said with a nod.
“Feel free to check the library. We keep some rare recipe books and manuals up here.”
“I’ll take a look.”
She turned back to the apple, still searching it for something. Jack watched the apple for a moment. There really was something special about it. It was perfectly red. But it had an almost blue glow to it. He tried to focus on it, but a voice cut through the quiet.
“Who are you?”
Jack turned. The girl from before stood in the doorway, arms crossed, all shyness gone. Her voice was steady. Too confident for someone that young.
“Just a passerby,” Jack said, keeping his tone light. Jack glanced back at the apple, but the glow was gone. Maybe I was imagining it.
She stepped into the room. “I thought I was the only Grandmaster in town. I couldn’t believe it when I saw you walk in. Funny that we haven’t met.”
Grandmaster? She’s max leveled in cooking!
“Name’s Nari,” she continued. “I’m an elder in the Basilisks Guild. What about you?”
An elder? She barely looks fourteen! He kept that thought to himself. “I’m not in a guild, if that’s what you’re asking, and I’m not looking to join one. I already have a team.”
“What a waste! You could do so much more in a guild like mine. My leader could set you up with anything you want—gear, gold, even rare recipes and ingredients. You won’t get a better offer. Look—”
She spun, showing off her gear. “All of this was gifted by the guild. We’ve got the best imbuers in the game. Better than what you’ve got,” she added, nodding at the red hue of Jack’s terracoated armor.
“Enough,” the president said, without taking her eyes from the apple. “Some of us are trying to think here! Quiet!”
Nari straightened instantly. “Sorry, Mrs. President,” she whispered, giving a respectful dip of her head.
She gestured for Jack to follow her outside, but he shook his head and nodded toward the library he’d come to visit.
Nari sighed—exasperated, like she couldn’t believe she'd been told no. She signaled she’d wait for him outside and finally left.
Jack chuckled.
This girl clearly assumed that anyone allowed in this room had to be a Grandmaster cook. She couldn’t have guessed he was here because of a legendary title—one related to bushcraft of all things.
He turned toward the two shelves. As he approached, the cooks’ XP store opened.
Jack studied the list with a frown. It wasn’t that long. He recognized some of the skills from the Bushcraft XP store: [Survival Cooking], [Smoking], [Smoking Rack], [Spit Roast]. Those seemed to be here just for convenience, so that he could access anything related to cooking in a single menu.
Everything below that was new. There were food-related skills like [Egg Handling], [Oil Infusion], [Meat Glazing], and [Spice Mastery], among others. And then came the real surprise.
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Recipes. Not variations of [Survival Stew], not new ways to elevate the same old base with smoked meat or sautéed roots. Actual recipes. Three of them.
[Survival Bread], [Survival Omelet] and [Survival Kebab].
Jack stared at the names, blinking. That shouldn’t have been possible. Bushcrafters didn’t cook other meals. That was the iron rule of the minor—no matter how many ingredients or tools you unlocked, all you ever served was stew. Smoking and roasting could improve the ingredients, sure, but the final dish never changed. It was always stew.
Until now.
This felt like a door cracking open. A way to bring real variety to the table, not just another flavor of slop in a bowl. Something about it stirred him. He’d been doing his best to keep things interesting with pickled meats and sautéed mushrooms, but the truth was, everyone had to be tired of stew. Even he was tired of stew.
He checked the prices and winced. The cheapest recipe cost 300,000 XP. The kebab cost a full million!
That was enough XP to buy several upgrades at the Bushcraft XP store. He took a screenshot and closed the menu. No way he was deciding this now.
Cooking kept the party buffed and happy. It even helped with camp morale. But it couldn't compete as a source of income. It was better to visit the Bushcraft XP store first and weigh his options.
He headed out, leaving the president to her silent apple meditation.
Nari was waiting for him in the hallway, clearly trying to play it cool. “So,” she asked, leaning in, “got anything good?”
“I’ve purchased nothing for now,” Jack said. “Just checking what’s available.”
“Cool, cool,” she replied.
Jack could see it in her eyes. She thought he’d just become a grandmaster, and this was his first visit here.
“Is it OK if I get your player tag?” she asked.
Jack sighed. “I like to keep my privacy. Can I have yours instead? If I’m ever interested in your offer, I’ll contact you.”
She nodded and flicked her wrist. “Here!”
A system prompt appeared:
BasilisksNariLovesCakes83 wants to befriend you.
“You like cake, huh?” Jack teased.
“And I’m not ashamed to admit it.”
Jack dismissed the request without accepting. If he ever wanted to talk to her, it’d still be there. “Well. Nice meeting you.”
“Wait! Even if you’re not interested in joining my guild, we should still exchange contact information. For cooking stuff! Tips, discoveries—we can help each other out.”
Jack paused and glanced back at her. She’d gone from recruiter to recipe buddy in seconds. It wasn’t the worst idea. He had something similar going with Ariadne, the bushcrafter with the gibbon.
“And how do I know you won’t spam me with guild invites if I accept?”
Nari huffed and stomped her foot. “Excuse you—I’m a grandmaster. I have my pride! I’d never pull something that cheap.”
Jack studied her for a second. She looked genuinely offended.
He sighed. Having a grandmaster cook on speed dial might be useful someday.
“Fine.”
He accepted the request.
“But don’t tell anyone about me. Not your guild leader, not your friends. If I hear even a hint that you leaked my info, I’ll block you so fast your interface will crash.”
“Geez, uncle. You’re so intense.”
Jack’s eye twitched. “Uncle?”
“Have a good day! Back to work for me!”
She spun on her heel and trotted back to where she’d been when he arrived, all smiles.
Jack exhaled slowly and headed out.
It was time to visit the Bushcraft XP store. Once he wrapped up this XP tour, he could focus on his next goal.
*
Ashengate’s guards flagged Jack down at the gate.
“Hello, sir,” one of them said brightly. “Care to do some acrobatics for us? We’re dying of boredom out here.”
A week ago, he might’ve humored them. Back then, a gold coin felt like something sacred, something to hold onto. But now? Now he had 2,500 gold in his inventory, and more importantly, zero time to waste.
He reached into his pouch and tossed a coin to the guard. “I’m in a hurry.”
The guard caught it and blinked. “Thank you for your patronage, sir.”
Jack was already walking.
Behind him, the guard turned to the next group in line. “You there! Let’s see a human pyramid!”
Groans and laughter followed as the players scrambled to comply.
Jack didn’t look back. He stepped through the gate and paused just long enough to take in the landscape beyond Ashengate’s towering walls.
To the south, the volcanoes he’d seen in the painting loomed. One of the larger ones was mid-eruption, spewing incandescent lava.
He’d expected a stark land, only ash and dust, but instead he found an impressive forest between him and the volcanoes. The ground here was rich and lush. Supercharged by volcanic nutrients.
It couldn’t be more different from the jungle outside Embersgate. This place had a darker, denser look, and everything grew from the ash and was covered by it. Everything grew large—too large.
There were more fungal outgrowths than plants, too. The underbrush was thicker and leaves had odd hues—purples, blues, and gray. Jungle vines coiled thick around blackened stone.
As usual, a cluster of players hung just outside the gate, freshly arrived from an adventure, or on their way to one. A few weeks ago, Jack might’ve watched them with awe, thinking they were leagues ahead of him. But now they didn’t seem so different. His levels, his loadout, and even his confidence didn't feel any less than theirs. He’d caught up with them.
He oriented himself, checked the minimap, and took off into the forest toward the XP store. The vegetation swallowed him almost immediately. Strange sounds echoed all around: calls of small flying dinosaurs and rustling that came from things much bigger than rabbits.
This close to the gate, most of the creatures were low-level. Jack didn’t fear them, but he still checked the shadows to make sure no one from IronIre was following before calling his mount.
Summon!
Snowy missed you and is happy that you’ve summoned her again.
+1 affection.
Snowy materialized. Jack swung into the saddle, and she bolted forward, heavy paws thudding against the packed earth.
The forest stirred in response to Snowy’s march. A pack of feathered raptors trailed them for a while just out of reach, yellow eyes flickering in the underbrush. Porkies ran in panic into their burrows. Once, a massive shadow moved above the canopy, horns catching a sliver of light before vanishing again.
Jack pressed low in the saddle, letting Snowy’s speed carry them past.
Ten minutes in, something pale broke the rhythm of green and black. It was a giant tree with bark the color of bleached bone. Deep scars ran across its surface as if storms or claws had tried and failed to bring it down. Large roots sprawled outward in ridges and arches, rising taller than a man.
Jack found the rope ladder dangling from the branches, just like the online forums said he would.
Unsummon!
Snowy gave a short snort before dissolving into smoke. Jack gripped the first rung of the rope ladder. The hemp was rough beneath his hands, but solid. He began to climb.
At the top, a well-built treehouse waited. A weathered bushcrafter sat just inside, absently sharpening a stick with a curved knife. A few other players browsed the menus.
Jack stepped in, offered a polite nod, and joined the others. The XP store shimmered open, and he scrolled through the available upgrades.
There were the food-related perks he’d seen earlier at the Cooks’ Association.
There were also equipment-crafting recipes and skills, such as sticksmithing and ropeweaving. Now that he knew Horace was a carpenter, investing in sticksmithing felt redundant, but ropeweaving was a solid choice.
Finally, there were upgrades aimed at gathering, camps, and survivability.
Jack leaned back slightly, considering.
What should I do? What will help me make the most money the fastest?
