Apelop brain salad

Kit had limited ingredients to work with, so he had decided on a simple 3-ingredient grilled steak salad. He really needed to expand his variety of fruits and vegetables for future meals. As he looked at the large chunks of Six Limbed Apelop meat, Kit was reminded of how poor he and Kat used to be.

To save money, he would buy meat in bulk and cut it into portions before freezing it for later use. He learned various techniques for cutting meat by watching streaming videos, hoping that the skills would transfer over to this foreign type of meat.

Kit grabbed a towel from the cupboard to dry the slippery meat before trimming off any excess fats and tissues. He carefully removed the fat cap from one side of the strip of meat, following its natural seam with ease after finding it. He set the fat aside for Snowball. Turning the meat over, Kit trimmed off any extra fat from the top before deciding on how thick to cut the steaks.

He knew that drawing his knife backwards while applying pressure would result in a smooth cut, unlike sawing back and forth which would create an uneven surface. He remembered learning this lesson the hard way when trying to cut his own steaks for the first time. "One and a half inches should be a good size," Kit thought as he sliced through the meat, keeping in mind that Mars would likely appreciate a bigger steak as well.

Ding!

[Skill learnt: Advanced beginner Slicing]

Player is proficient at slicing with a knife, adding more variety to knife skills.

+ 50 Agility

+ 30 Intelligence 

Ding!

[Butcher sub class available]

Visit the culinary guild for acceptance into Butcher profession or find a master Butcher to apprentice under. (Locked until level 10).

"Wow, these new skills have really boosted my stats. It's a shame my fighting skills aren't as strong. I didn't realise that butchering was considered its own skill set, but I guess it makes sense. Now, back to the task at hand." Kit focused on the meat in front of him, expertly slicing steaks with ease. He worked through the pile of meat, creating a nice stack of steaks.

As he started cooking dinner, Kit lightly seasoned the steaks with salt and pepper before placing them in a hot pan with some monkey brain oil for added flavour. The sizzling sound and delicious smell made his stomach growl in anticipation. "There's nothing like a good steak," he thought to himself.

Once the steaks were cooked to perfection, Kit removed them from the pan and prepared two plates for himself and his companion. He chopped up some Pink crunchy loaf and pears for the salad, then sliced the steaks into thin pieces. As he looked at the blood oozing cuts of meat, he couldn't wait to taste it, but he knew he had to restrain himself or risk spoiling his appetite.

Kit debated whether or not to drizzle some more monkey oil over the salad, but ultimately decided against it and instead added a light dressing made with purple heart stalks. The ingredients started glowing with a soft blue light, similar to how they did with the monkey oil. Kit sprinkled on some crushed purple heart as a finishing touch.

Ding!

[Apelop brain salad created]

A simple 3-part creation, with a colourful garnish, succulent juicy meat, and light nutty flavour, perfect for a light meal.

+ 20 Intelligence

+ 20 defence

for 1hour.

Reward: 2000 EXP, 50 silver crowns, 30 culinary points.

Ding!

[Congratulations, you are now Level 6]

"Potato pancakes! Today has been amazing, so many great things have happened. I'm afraid my face will hurt from smiling too much tomorrow." Kit's heart was beating so fast from all the exhilaration that he couldn't stay still. He felt like he might have a heart attack if he didn't calm down.

But then he remembered the extra stats he had gained from his culinary success. Not only would they help him in cooking, but also in fighting. It was a shame he hadn't added any to his attack stats though.

Kit decided not to tell Mars about his latest creation; he wanted to surprise him instead. As he picked up the plates, his hands were shaking slightly with adrenaline. Looking around, Kit spotted Mars and headed towards the campfire where Mars had been hard at work.

There was now a table and chairs next to the tent, and a large stone on the table was emitting a faint glow that would surely become brighter as night fell. A fire was going in a circle of rocks, with two camping chairs set up in front for them to relax in. Under a nearby tree was a makeshift shower using a shower curtain and frame.

Kit couldn't help but feel dirty since he hadn't showered since starting the game, and he missed warm showers. He placed the meals on the table and Mars eagerly joined him once he saw them. Suddenly, Kit remembered that he had planned to make a fluffy dragon head tea after dinner but got too caught up in all the excitement.

"Looks good." Mars must have been hungry because he started to tuck in as soon as his bottom hit the chair. After taking his first bite Mars' eyebrows instantly shot up. "D-did you do it again?"

"Haha, yes I officially have a meal I can sell when I open my restaurant." Kit felt proud of his achievements so far in the game. He was on his way to making his dream real. He would have to help Mars with his dream as well, he wanted Mars to feel this good too.

"Plus, I noticed the first time I created something, I gain experience, money, and culinary points for making a stats dish. I have no clue what the culinary points are used for though".

"You got money? Ahh lucky, maybe I should try creating food too." Mars contemplated as he looked at his meal.

"If you want to try, I'm all for it." smiled Kit.

Mars started shaking his head. "Nah, I will leave creating to you I just want to find some famous treasure. When I was young, I loved pirate stories. I would sit for hours reading them, going on adventures with a bunch of friends, then living happily ever after once the treasure was found, that's my goal."

"Mars you do realise you're currently living your dream, right? We have a treasure Map, and we are adventuring together to find said treasure," pointed out Kit.

"Ha, Kit I think you're right. I really am living my dream. It feels like I thought it would, I'm having fun every day." Mars forked another piece of meat into his mouth. "Mmm, this is delicious. The meat is juicy, the leaves are crispy, the pear adds a nice touch of flavour, and the dressing is just right." Mars was too busy enjoying his meal to talk to Kit, so he spoke out loud to himself.

Kit couldn't help but laugh at Mars' monologue. "Do you like it, Mars?"

"Yes, can we have this again tomorrow?" Mars looked at Kit with hopeful eyes.

"Haha, sure thing." As they continued eating dinner, Kit noticed that one member of their group was missing. "Hey Mars, have you seen Snowball?"

"Now that you mention it, I haven't seen him since we arrived. He's probably off exploring; he's a wild creature after all," surmised Mars.

"I hope he doesn't get lost. He's so small, maybe we should go look for him." Kit worried about the little fluff ball's safety.

"He'll be fine. He lived in the forest on his own before we found him. He'll come back when he's ready." Replied Mars.

"I guess you're right." Kit felt reassured after Mars reminded him of Snowball's independence. They finished their meal and Kit washed the dishes with water from a nearby barrel. He also boiled some water in a pot to make fluffy dragon head tea.

While waiting for it to boil, he examined the flower they had found earlier. It looked exactly like a dandelion – a yellow, fluffy flower atop a long green stem. But Kit was more interested in its roots, which he planned on using to make the tea. They were thin, spindly, and brown in colour. After washing them off, he placed them in a teapot and poured boiling water over them.

Ding!

[Fluffy dragon head tea]

A tea with a similar resemblance to coffee in appearance and taste.

+ 1 Stamina for 10 minutes

Rewards: 200 EXP, 200 bronze crowns, 2 culinary points.

The familiar aroma of tea filled the air, reminiscent of coffee but not quite the same. Kit's heart raced with excitement once again.

He noticed that his dishes had low stats and he would need to work on improving them. Perhaps he could find some rare ingredients to add to his recipes.

Despite their low levels, Kit was still proud of his creations and now had all the necessary items for his menu. He hoped to have at least five dishes by the time his restaurant opened. But as he played the game, his dream grew bigger - he no longer just wanted to open a restaurant, but wanted it to become the best in the game.

Sipping on his tea, Kit smiled to himself before joining Mars by the fire. "So, what are our plans for tomorrow," Mars asked.

"Considering the Six Limbed Apelop and the monkey brain nuts are what I need to make the Apelop brain salad. I want to take some extra time to harvest a supply. I don't know if they'll be common everywhere, so I would rather get a good store now." Stated Kit.

"It's ok to get a good supply of the nuts. The meat will spoil in a bag, they have a limited time to be used before they decompose." Mars informed Kit about a problem with his plan.

Kit remembered he had seen in his first pouch that the bread had 10 days before it was spoiled. Since I have obtained Credula's pouch this has not appeared, was it because it was an epic item? Is it similar to the time freeze storage shelf where food doesn't spoil because it is frozen in time?

Kit decided to share his thoughts with Mars. "Hmm, maybe it might be more special than that. I wonder if you could keep living things in there as well then. We should try it out with a fish, that way we can see if it lives. If it does, it would be handy for fresh sea food." Mars greedily rubbed his hands together.

Mars went off into a day dream after speaking about sea food, Kit left him to it. Being reminded of his pouch, he remembered he still had to cover the brown blobs on his pouch. With materials from Boots, he began patching it up.

"What are you doing Kit?" with Mars question he realised he had forgotten to tell Mars about his conversation with Boots, Kit quickly filled him in.

"Lucky you found out now. Imagine if it had been someone with bad intentions."

Kit agreed. "Yes, I was extremely lucky it was old Boots who told me. Though I'm still nervous he knows about my bag."

"I think it will be ok. He won't want you telling others about his bag. Your secret should be safe with him." Mars surmised.

Kit hadn't thought about it that way. Now he was regretting not asking Boots more about the story of his great grandfather. He sighed, he didn't want to turn around and go back just in case he was wrong, and Boots did have bad intentions.

Finishing up his stitching, Kit inspected his handiwork with satisfaction. The mold blotch was covered. The earlier rush of excitement wore off, Kit began to feel exhausted. They could discuss their plans for tomorrow in the morning.

With a quick goodnight to Mars, Kit entered the tent. Inside, there were two sleeping bags laid out on cots, each with a pillow at the end. Kit couldn't remember ever seeing such a welcoming sight. After spending nights in the straw, this felt like a luxurious bed.

Climbing into the sleeping bag, Kit drifted off to sleep almost immediately after closing his eyes.