Chapter 14 : The First Meal

"Rufus, can I borrow your knife?" Perry approached Rufus with a focused gaze, holding out his hand to request the blade.

Rufus had just finished cleaning the knife and paused for a moment, slightly surprised. Then he handed it to Perry with a curious look. "What do you need it for?" he asked.

Without hesitation, Perry replied, "I need to cut the sleeping mushroom."

"What?!" Rufus's eyes widened in shock. "Are you doing this for revenge or something?" He stared at Perry, baffled by the request.

Perry chuckled at the absurdity of the question, shaking his head. "Not at all! Where did you even get that idea?" he said, amused by Rufus's wild assumption. "I just read up on the mushroom. While I'm still awake now, I'll pass out soon. The sleeping fumes from this mushroom could put both me and Toto under for at least three days."

"Three days? That's a long time." Rufus's expression turned serious. "But what does that have to do with cutting it?"

"Everything," Perry explained patiently. "The mushroom itself contains the antidote. I need to slice off its stem and cap, and eating them will neutralize the effects."

With that, Perry walked over to the mushroom, which stood nearby, its blue cap swaying gently in the breeze, as if warning them to stay away. Perry positioned the knife and carefully sliced the cap in half, then severed the stem with equal precision.

Rufus leaned in, watching closely. "I see… is there anything I can do to help?" he asked, clearly intrigued.

Perry glanced up at Rufus, realizing an extra set of hands would be useful. "Sure," he said. "Could you help me pull out the rest of the stem?"

"Got it!" Rufus agreed enthusiastically. He stepped forward, grasping the mushroom's sturdy stalk, and with a firm tug, he uprooted the thick white stem. It came out of the soil with a soft pop, resembling a hefty root vegetable.

Grinning, Rufus handed it to Perry. "Here you go, the stem! I've never pulled one of these out before. So, what's next?"

Perry examined the stem in his hands, his mind racing. Unsure of what to do next, he silently called out to the system for guidance: "System, how should I prepare this? Any suggestions?"

[Host, the task calls for simple cooking. I suggest roasting the mushroom and stem over a fire to make them safe for consumption.]

"Sounds good," Perry thought, nodding in approval.

Rufus noticed Perry lost in thought and waved a hand in front of his face. "Hey, you're zoning out! What's the plan with this mushroom?"

"Oh, right," Perry snapped out of it. "I'm going to roast it. Do you have a firestarter?"

Before Rufus could answer, they heard approaching footsteps. Larkin appeared, carrying several large, papaya-like fruits.

"Hey Perry, you're up already! Look what I found—fruit water!" Larkin said, offering the fruits to them.

Perry took one, curiously shaking it. The sound of liquid sloshed inside, piquing his interest.

"What exactly is fruit water?" Perry asked.

Larkin smiled, proud of her discovery. "It's a fruit that contains the purest mineral water. It's common, but very expensive!"

"Wow!" Rufus immediately unscrewed the top and took a sip, letting out a satisfied sigh. "That's refreshing!"

Perry followed suit, twisting off the fruit's cap and drinking the cool liquid. It flowed across his tongue, crisp and slightly sweet, refreshing him completely.

Larkin's attention then shifted to the mushroom stem in Perry's hand. "What are you two up to?" she asked, eyeing the peculiar sight.

"I'm planning to roast this sleeping mushroom to use it as an antidote," Perry explained.

Larkin nodded thoughtfully. "Got it. I'll go gather some firewood then," she said, eager to help. As she placed Toto's fruit water beside him, she noticed Perry holding a knife. "Wait… why didn't you use your own knife?"

Rufus grinned sheepishly. "Because Perry borrowed mine! Just let me borrow yours for now."

Larkin sighed in mild exasperation but handed him her knife anyway. "Fine, but don't lose it. I just bought that one."

With the knife exchange settled, Rufus headed out to gather firewood, while Perry took the opportunity to cut the mushroom into smaller pieces, perfect for roasting. He walked to the nearby riverbank and cleaned the pieces carefully.

It wasn't long before Rufus returned with a bundle of sticks. He built a small fire, and Perry placed the mushroom slices on sticks, holding them over the flames. As they roasted, a rich aroma filled the air. The smell was reminiscent of cheese, even more tempting than the mushroom's sleeping fumes.

Unable to resist, Perry took a bite. To his delight, the mushroom tasted incredible—crispy on the outside, tender and creamy on the inside, almost like a gourmet cheese snack.

"Wow, I didn't expect this," Perry said, pleasantly surprised. "It's actually delicious!"