Ch.58 : Nic's Cooking Style

Back with Nic and Viona, she had finished packing her things and was now walking with Nic. On the way, she asked, "So, where exactly are you planning to find me a place to stay?"

Nic answered calmly, "Still an apartment, but way nicer. And one of my other girlfriends lives there too."

When they arrived, Viona stood speechless in front of a high-rise that looked more like a five-star hotel than an apartment. She blinked in disbelief. "Is… is this the place? It looks super expensive."

Nic crossed his arms with a relaxed smirk. "Don't worry about the cost. I got it."

From the upper floor, Monica and Bella had spotted Nic arriving. They quickly came downstairs to greet him.

"Good morning! What brings you here?" Monica asked, smiling. "You don't usually drop by."

Nic explained, "Viona's looking for a place to stay. I thought this would be perfect since you two are here too."

Monica clapped her hands once and glanced at Viona. She had already heard from Charlotte and Julia that Viona was officially one of Nic's girlfriends now.

Bella chimed in, "Leave it to us. We're close with the owner of this building."

Nic raised an eyebrow. "Who's the owner?"

Monica and Bella exchanged glances, suddenly realizing Nic might get jealous if he thought the owner was a guy. With a teasing smile, Monica acted nervous and said, "The owner is... a guy."

Nic narrowed his eyes at her. "Are you lying?"

Before Monica could reply, Emily showed up and cut in, "The owner's actually an old lady."

Monica froze and quickly looked away from Nic. He smirked and stepped closer, teasing, "Oh? Lying to me now, huh~?"

Monica immediately grabbed his arm, clinging to him in mock apology, hoping he wasn't actually mad. Nic just chuckled and patted her head gently, before returning to the real reason they were here.

"Emily," he said, "Can you take care of Viona's housing?"

Emily nodded. "Leave it to me."

With that settled, they all went up into the apartment while Nic headed off alone to check the progress of Unity HQ's construction.

---

At the construction site, Leona and Vivi were sitting by a shaded table, locked in a chess match. They were down to their last few moves—and Leona won.

Vivi puffed her cheeks. "How are you so good at this? It's our first game!"

Leona smiled casually. "I've been watching the workers here play during their breaks. I picked up a thing or two."

Vivi nodded, then asked, "By the way, why is the head builder here today? Doesn't she usually skip visiting the site?"

Leona found it odd too, and called out, "Hey! Come over here for a sec!"

Gina, the construction manager, walked over. "What's up?"

Leona asked, "What brings you here today?"

"I'm supervising the workers," Gina said. "Some of them have been slacking lately."

Leona narrowed her eyes. "Why only now?"

Gina hesitated before replying, "Because… your friend asked me to."

Leona and Vivi glanced at each other. "Friend? Who?"

Gina scratched her head awkwardly. "If I'm not mistaken… his name's Nic."

Leona instantly frowned. "Nic's not my friend. He's my boyfriend!"

Gina panicked and bowed slightly. "I'm so sorry! I didn't know!"

Leona just sighed and let it go. Moments later, Nic finally arrived at the construction site.

Nic walked in with his usual confident stride, greeting the workers as he passed. The moment his eyes landed on Gina, the system sent him a notification.

[Ding! Gina now has 100% affection toward you. Skill "One-Sided Love" has been activated. Her skill will now be transferred without needing to become your girlfriend.]

Nic's eyes narrowed slightly. "Interesting…"

[Ding! New skill obtained: 'God of Dictator.']

Nic checked the skill's description mentally. With this ability, he could dominate and command anyone weaker than him—especially those younger. Even older individuals could be affected, as long as he managed to instill enough fear or weaken them enough.

A subtle smirk crept onto his lips as his eyes rested on Gina again. Gina, feeling his gaze, shifted nervously and blushed a little.

"What's with that creepy grin, Nic?" Leona asked, watching from her seat.

Nic shrugged. "Nothing. Just thinking about something."

He turned to Vivi and Leona. "You two eaten yet?"

Leona shook her head. "Just snacked a little. We were gonna eat later with the others."

"Perfect." Nic smiled. "How about we eat at my place? I'll cook. Let's invite the others too."

Vivi raised a skeptical brow. "Wait—you can cook?"

Nic struck a confident pose. "Of course! Is there anything your boyfriend can't do?"

Right then, Nia showed up and threw her arms around Nic from behind, laughing. "For real? You're cooking now, Chef Nic?"

"Yup. Not sure what yet. Let's all meet at my place first—you can request anything you want."

They all agreed. After calling the others, they made their way to Nic's house. Some girlfriends couldn't make it due to their schedules, but most showed up excited.

---

Back at Nic's house, the group rearranged the living room to make more space. Since there were a lot of them, they decided to sit on the floor and eat picnic-style.

Zestia approached Nic, looking a bit hesitant. "Are you really cooking? I can help if you want."

Nic pinched her cheek playfully. "Let me handle it this time. I want to cook for all of you."

He turned to the circle of girls seated and asked, "Alright, what do you all want to eat?"

Immediately, a chorus of different requests flooded the room. The overlapping voices made Nic dizzy, but one stood out above them all.

"Make something special—your signature dish!" Mika shouted eagerly.

Everyone turned toward her, and a few nodded in agreement. "Yeah! We want to taste Nic's special recipe!"

Nic chuckled. "Alright then. I'll make something special. Just wait."

He walked into the kitchen and began thinking. With his "God of Cooking" skill active, every time he touched an ingredient, techniques and ideal preparations flooded his mind. After browsing his options, he decided on a simple but symbolic dish—heart-shaped pizza.

Even without a professional oven, he used his skills to compensate. His hands moved with expert precision as he kneaded dough, prepped toppings, and layered everything perfectly. Occasionally, a few curious girlfriends peeked through the kitchen door, watching him with amused smiles.

Soon, the rich aroma of freshly baked pizza filled the house. Everyone waiting in the living room perked up and turned their heads toward the kitchen.

"That smell… it's amazing," Olivia whispered in awe.

Zestia smiled softly. "If it smells this good, even I might not be able to top it."

Nic finally emerged from the kitchen, carrying two large plates of heart-shaped pizzas. With style and confidence, he cut each one into smaller heart-shaped slices and served them.

Mika, who had been bouncing in place with excitement, couldn't wait any longer. "Can we eat now?!"

Nic laughed. "Go for it."

As everyone took their first bites, their faces lit up. Leona froze mid-bite, savoring the flavor with wide eyes. Even graceful Olivia couldn't hide her impressed expression.

"This… this is amazing!" Jenny mumbled with her mouth full.

Yui giggled. "You suddenly being good at cooking like this… Nic, aren't you a bit too perfect?"

Nic smiled contentedly. Deep inside, he knew the "God of Cooking" skill didn't just make him a good cook—it amplified the flavors far beyond anything normal.

As the warm atmosphere continued, Vivi turned to Nic. "Oh, I talked to Violet earlier. She couldn't come—her grandma just got back from the hospital, so she's taking care of her."

Lily added, "Then how about we visit her later?"

Nic thought for a second and shook his head. "I'll go alone. If we all show up, it might be too much for her grandma to handle."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Once they finished eating, Nic got ready to visit Violet's place.

To be continued…