Chapter: 21 Caffeine Overdose

Slurping cup noodles while watching TV after a hard day of shopping was the best! or so she would like to say but...

"CUP NOODLES AREN'T HALF AS HEALTHY OR NUTRITIOUS AS A SIMPLE MEAL YA' KNOW!"

A certain former yakuza was feeling a bit nosy today.

It turns out Tatsu made a bit too much for lunch and wanted to share with Renko but he caught her slurping on Cup Noodles, seriously, who visits their neighbors through the fucking balcony!

Now Renko was kneeling in front of a fuming Tatsu as he lectured her on the importance of a balanced diet.

"Seriously, how the hell can a kid living alone not cook her own meal?!"

'Well, you are seeing one do exactly that aren't you?'

And so, her cheeky look got her kitchen duty.

"By 'peel the potatoes,' I meant peel their outer layer. NOT PEEL THEM INTO OBLIVIAN!"

Shouted Tatsu as Renko ended up using the peeler to peel the entire potato into thin layers.

"My bad."

Renko apologized before starting with the next task.

"Dice the onions. NOT CUT THEM IN DICE SHAPES!"

"Sorry!"

Next up, carrots.

"What's this?"

"Carrot?"

"NO! THIS IS CARROT PASTE NOW!"

"Sorry!"

Put the water on the stove to boil and add salt.

"*Phew* At least you can do something... is that salt?"

*Lick*

"IT'S THE FUKIN SUGAR YOU MORON!"

"Sorry!"

Tatsu continued lecturing Renko, attempting to salvage what was left of the meal. The kitchen was filled with the clatter of utensils and the occasional frustrated sigh from Tatsu.

"Alright, you still got a chance with the meat. Just don't mess up cutting it."

"Got it, boss."

Renko took the meat and, with utmost concentration, began slicing it. Tatsu watched like a hawk, ready to intervene at the slightest misstep.

"Not too thin, not too thick! And for heaven's sake, don't turn it into minced meat!"

"Understood."

Surprisingly, Renko managed to handle the meat-cutting task without turning it into a disaster.

"There you go. Maybe there's hope for you yet."

Tatsu took a moment to calm down.

"Now, toss the veggies and meat into the pot. We're making a stew, not a potion."

Renko followed the instructions, carefully placing the diced (and overly processed) vegetables and meat into the pot. The aroma started to fill the kitchen, and despite the initial chaos, things seemed to be coming together.

"Good, good. Now, just let it simmer. And for the love of everything, don't add anything weird to it"

Renko grinned,

"You got it, boss."

Tatsu sighed, he had finally managed to guide Renko into cooking a stew. It had been an arduous journey but he was happy to pass his skills to the next generation.

"OK, time to eat!"

"LET IT COOK YOU IDIOT!"

*BONK*

Tatsu swiftly bopped Renko on the head with a ladle.

"Ow! Okay, okay, I get it!"

Renko rubbed her head. 

Tatsu continued to lecture Renko about the importance of a balanced diet, occasionally mixing in stories from his yakuza days.

Finally, the stew was ready. Tatsu served it into bowls, and they both sat down to enjoy the fruits of their labor. Surprisingly, the stew turned out quite delicious, and Renko couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment.

[Vegetable & Meat Stew:

Description: As its name suggests, this is a stewed dish that consists of vegetables and plenty of meat. Not a bad first attempt but the salt is a bit too much and the dish is a bit over-spiced.

- HP +30

- CP +25]

[You have cooked a dish under the tutelage of a Level 100 Chief]

[Cooking: +500 EXP]

'Huh?'

"See? Cooking isn't that hard. You just need to pay attention and not turn everything into a kitchen disaster."

Renko nodded absentmindedly, savoring the flavorful stew.

"Thanks, Tatsu. I guess I owe you one."

Tatsu grunted in acknowledgment, his strict demeanor softening just a bit. They continued to enjoy the meal in silence.

As the afternoon peaked, Tatsu bid Renko farewell, reminding her to eat healthier meals in the future.

Alone in her apartment once again, Renko couldn't help but feel... tired as fuck.

'This cooking business is a bit tiring isn't it.''

With a tired groan, Renko thoroughly cleaned up the kitchen, throwing the wasted material in the trash can, cleaning up the dishes, and placing the utensils in their place. As she settled on the couch, she reflected on the events of the day, appreciating the unexpected turns life could take. But she was forgetting something...

'Wait! The fukin quest!'

[Quest Log]

[Congratulation]

[Quest: Shopping Spree/Preparation: Completed

Description: Acquire or purchase essential items such as high-calorie food, energy drinks, protective gear, tools, etc. Ensure you are well prepared for everything thrown your way.

Objectives:

- Purchase High-Calorie Snacks. (10/10)

- Purchase Drink Containing Stimulant Compounds. (10/10)

- Purchase Additional Edible Items. (20/20)

- Acquire Knives or any other weapons. (5/5)

- Acquire Protective Gears. (2/2)

- Visit A General Store Or Supermarket For Additional Supplies.

Rewards:

- +1*40 EXP +5*7 EXP +10*6 EXP +50 EXP

- +140 EXP]

[Congratulation]

[Level Up]

[+5 Stat Points]

[Max HP: +50]

'That's nice! Now where should I use these points.'

[Strength: 7(+3)

Vitality: 9(+1)

Dexterity: 10

Spirituality: 10

Wisdom: 10

Luck: 100

Free Stat Points: 1]

'Where should I put this spare point in?'

She still had one point to spare, maybe she ought to put it in Dexterity or in Spirituality to increase the upper limit of her CP.

Renko took a moment to ponder where to allocate her remaining stat point. Considering her experiences in the 'Nest' she decided to put it in Dexterity. No point in bulking up if you can't hit or dodge. 

[Strength: 10

Vitality: 10

Dexterity: 10(+1)

Spirituality: 10

Wisdom: 10

Luck: 100]

At least now she should be slightly faster than before or maybe not... either way she didn't want to get hit for two reasons. 

First, because it hurts like hell.

Second, she already had to throw away one school uniform and one casual dress because they got torn up. 

'Buying a dress is a pain in the ass.'

She stretched her limbs and checked the time.

[03:30 PM]

'Malevolent Arsenal: Create Inferior Cursed Musket'

[-80 CP]

[CP 20/100]

[CP Regen: 1CP/Per Min]

'Hah, even if I did increase my CP Regen, it's still not enough!'

Indeed, if she wanted to stockpile a large number of ammunition, she needed either a huge CP capacity or an extremely high CP regeneration rate. Naturally, she did what was most efficient!

*POP*

*PPSSSCH*

*FWOSH*

*ZZZZ*

She popped open a can of Red Bull and lit a cigarette. If she was gonna buy a shit ton of stuff, then she might as well use it.

[ +0.9HP/Per Min (30 Min)]

[ +2CP/Per Min (30 Min)]

[HP: 200/200]

[HP Regen: 1.9HP/Per Min]

[CP: 20/100]

[CP Regen: 3CP/Per Min]

'Hmm, it takes 15 CP to make one paper cartridge, cloth patch, and a projectile of my choice. Guess I can make one while waiting for the CP to regenerate.'

[Nessler Ball Ammunition (Available) (Lv. Inferior: 10/100)

- Advantage: +10% Armor Penetration]

She clenched her fist and felt the curse energy concentrate, a moment later she felt the bullet materialize. It took a mere five seconds for her to create a bullet.

Sighing again, Renko turned on the TV switching between watching the show, sipping the energy drink, and smoking. As it turns out, even if she does finish the energy drink and the smoke before the thirty-minute effect limit, it still lasts the whole while.

Kinda helpful after the fourth can and the third smoke, she simply chugged the can down in a single gulp and took one drag from the cigarette before letting it lie down on the ashtray.

[06:00 PM]

'SIGH!'

'TV Channels sucks!'

'Energy Drink sucks!'

'Smoking sucks!'

'The system sucks!'

'My Curse Energy sucks!'

'That perverted celestial entity sucks!'

"LIFE FUCKING SUCKS!"

As the evening settled in and Renko basked in her self-pity, a sudden beep from her phone caught her attention.

'Ah right, I have to go to that shitty place right.'

Glancing over at her inventory list, she spotted the new addition to it,

[Inventory]

[30*Paper Cartridge]

[30*Cloth Patch]

[30*Nessler Ammunition Projectiles]

[1*Inferior Cursed Flintlock Musket]

'Glad that's dealt with at least.'

Renko reluctantly got up from the couch, dragging herself to get ready to return to the mountainside cemetery. She took a quick shower, changed into a fresh set of clothes, and stuffed her weapons and foodstuff into her inventory.

"This will be a drag..."

Renko mumbled as she walked out of the building, making her way to the nearby mountainside cemetery. She tried to keep her thoughts positive. Maybe she'd find some cool, new monsters to kill... or at least some items she could salvage from the deceased.

After a bit of walking, she arrived at the bottom of the mountain. Looking up at the mountain, she couldn't help but mutter,

"Do I really have to go up there?"

She sighed yet again, the caffeine and sugar rushing to her head as she stared off into space. A slight grin formed on her face thinking of the Yuki and how fluffy she was and how she was going to meet her tomorrow. 

Maybe the world wasn't that bad after all...