The kitchen was filled with determination. Zarkrion Volcanius took a deep breath, the white apron tied around his waist, resolved to face something he never thought he would do again: cook.
After many bitter memories, buried insecurities, and a past stained by adversity, he now stood at the point where he had to move forward… or run away again.
But this time, he chose to move forward.
With determination, he opened his infinite inventory and took out a handful of ingredients: fresh lettuce, juicy tomatoes, firm potatoes, gleaming radishes, and a carrot with a color almost as orange as the fire of dawn.
Zarkrion sighed, relaxing the tense muscles in his shoulders a little, and gripped the knife between his fingers. The shine of the metal reflected his draconic gaze for an instant… that mixture of intensity and hidden fragility that only he understood.
"Alright," he murmured. "I'll just cook. Just that… nothing out of the ordinary."
But he knew perfectly well that, for him, it was an entire world.
...
...
With a quick and fluid motion, he began slicing the carrots. The rounds fell one after another onto the cutting board, perfectly thin, almost identical in size, as if he had practiced those cuts all his life. And he had, even if he had abandoned it a long time ago.
The sound of the knife tapping against the wood echoed throughout the kitchen. He quickly took a pan, poured in some of the special oil he had bought from the infinite shop, and turned on the heat. The oil began to bubble softly, releasing a warm aroma. As if by reflex, Zarkrion added the freshly cut onions. Instantly, the smell spread throughout the dwelling, intense and sweet.
It felt strange… but also good.
The system appeared near his vision to check the situation.
["Wow, I see you haven't lost your touch yet."]
Zarkrion ignored the comment, but deep down, his chest vibrated with a small spark of emotion.
After finishing the sauté, he crushed the tomatoes, creating a thick, reddish sauce full of life. He carefully poured it into a pot, while in another he gathered the sliced radishes, chopped lettuce, and potatoes cut into medium cubes that quickly began to boil in the hot water.
His kitchen was alive.
Every sound, every bubble, every aroma… were like memories reviving after years buried.
After that, he walked toward a shelf where he stored ingredients from previous hunts. He took the meat of a Mountain Bird, a fresh, thick piece that he himself had hunted days before. His hands did not tremble this time. With precision, he cut it into equal portions, carefully measuring each piece so the cooking would be perfect.
"To boil with lemon…" he said as he submerged it in another pot, adding the bright pieces of fruit.
While the meat softened, Zarkrion returned to the main pan, where the fat from the sauté was beginning to turn orange. He took the boiled meat, soft as a cloud, and placed it into the pan, letting it absorb the mixture of tomato and onions. The combination sizzled intensely.
It was a beautiful sound.
"Hmm… something's missing," he said, bringing a hand to his chin.
Without thinking much, he walked to the storage room behind the house. There he found two enormous watermelons. He lifted one easily with just one arm, examining it as if he had found a jewel.
"That's it… watermelon juice to go with it."
He returned to the kitchen with the fruit, and the system appeared floating beside him.
["That girl will eat well when she wakes up."]
Zarkrion placed the watermelon on the board and took an even larger knife. With a single clean cut, he split the fruit in two. The reddish juice dripped over the wood, smelling sweet, fresh, tempting.
With a large spoon, he scooped out the pulp, strained it through a metal colander, and filled a glass cup with the red liquid. He added a pinch of orange juice and a thread of honey, then some crystalline ice cubes. The result was beautiful: a perfect juice, worthy of any banquet.
He returned to the pan, carefully removed the meat, and arranged it on a wide plate, covering it with the thick, glossy sauce. He placed the boiled potatoes, radishes, and vegetables on the sides with impeccable aesthetics.
When everything was ready, the aroma completely filled the dwelling. The light, fragrant smoke spread like an invisible caress.
It was precisely that aroma that reached the nose of the young elf who was sleeping on the living room sofa.
Her eyelids began to tremble. Her hands moved slightly. And a second later, she slowly opened her eyes.
....
....
Zarkrion, satisfied with his masterpiece, left the kitchen and walked toward her with the plate and the drink.
The girl, still half lost, murmured softly:
"It smells… so good…"
Quickly, the girl instinctively rose from her deep sleep because of the gourmet aroma.
Zarkrion placed the plate and the juice on the glass table in front of the sofa. Steam rose, filling the air between them.
"You have nothing to be afraid of," he said in a calm voice. "I'm not going to hurt you. You can relax."
The elf pursed her lips, looking at him with distrust.
"It's you, the monster."
"I don't trust you… I don't even know who you are. You surely want to hurt me. That's why… you kidnapped me."
Zarkrion blinked. In his mind, he thought:
'Does this girl think a kidnapper would keep her as comfortable as she is right now? As if I were an idiot…'
He took a deep breath, keeping his patience.
"I'm serious. I don't want to hurt you. Just look around," he said, pointing to the place.
The elf slowly looked at the immaculate house, the comfortable sofa, the warm aroma… and her expression wavered a little.
"I didn't kidnap you," Zarkrion continued. "I rescued you. I found you inside the belly of a black serpent in a cave."
The young woman opened her eyes in surprise. She tried to remember… at first she couldn't. But then, a blurry image came to her mind.
"Yes… that… that's true," she murmured. "The last thing I remember is that I was running away from a black serpent. I tripped over a rock… and then it swallowed me…"
Zarkrion nodded slightly.
"That explains many things… but it still doesn't tell me what you were doing there."
Just as he was about to keep asking her questions, the elf's stomach growled. Loud. Very loud.
She immediately looked at the smoked fillet. Her pupils dilated as if she were seeing a treasure.
"Oh, right," Zarkrion said. "You must be very hungry. Go ahead. That food is for you."
The elf hesitated.
"Is it really for me? What if you're trying to poison me?"
"It wouldn't make sense," Zarkrion replied. "I also ate the same thing."
"Aren't poisons supposed to be individual?" the elf replied without a hint of ignorance.
The elf swallowed. A drop fell from her lip as she looked at the juicy meat. And in less than a second, she grabbed the fork, pierced a piece… and brought it to her mouth.
Instantly, her expression completely changed.
It was like watching someone be reborn.
"T-This meat… it's way too delicious!!! I can't stop!!"
Her mind plunged into an ocean of flavors. She imagined herself floating among waves of tomato sauce, wrapped in a warm and delicious tide. The sautéed mushrooms seemed to explode in small sweet notes. The potatoes were so tender they melted effortlessly. The meat had the exact point where it was firm yet soft.
It felt like a divine experience.
Zarkrion watched in silence, surprised but also proud.
Then the girl took the glass of watermelon juice. The moment the liquid touched her tongue, her eyes shone.
"I… I've never tasted anything like this… what is it?"
"Watermelon juice with honey and orange," Zarkrion replied, in an almost professional tone.
"And what was it that I ate…?"
"Smoked Mountain Bird fillet with tomato sauce and slow-cooked vegetables."
The girl finished everything. Every drop. Every piece.
Finally, she sighed, letting herself sink back against the backrest.
"This is… the best thing I've eaten in my entire life…"
Then she added, looking at him intently:
"I've never tasted that kind of meat. I'm surprised that a draconian knows how to cook."
Zarkrion raised an eyebrow.
"I'm not a draconian. I'm a dragon in human form."
"A WHAAAAAT?!!?" the girl shouted, almost jumping.
Zarkrion sighed. Great. She's going to faint again…
But no. This time she took a deep breath and calmed down.
"Although I already suspected it…" she admitted. "I can tell the difference between a draconian and a dragon in human form."
"Exactly," Zarkrion confirmed. "Dragons adopt human skin, we retain our draconic traits and mana. Draconians are more like lizard men with wings and fire."
"You're a living encyclopedia," she joked.
Zarkrion ignored that.
"You still haven't told me your name."
The elf lowered her gaze slightly.
"My name is Fariella Almont. I come from a village located in the Great Daylight Forest."
Zarkrion opened his eyes in surprise.
"The Daylight Forest!? The forest opposite to the Black Forest?"
"That one," she replied.
"And how did you end up here?"
Tinasha averted her gaze, clearly hiding something.
"I only came to train to level up… I didn't realize I had wandered so far…"
Zarkrion felt that she was lying in part… but decided to let it go.
"I see. Well, Fariella, you are a guest here. Allow me to take care of you until you recover, and then you can return home."
"S-sure…"
Just as she stood up, Fariella felt a chill run through her body. As if a dark substance were leaving her.
The system appeared.
["The poison is being expelled rapidly thanks to your food."]
"Did I do that?" Zarkrion asked, surprised.
"My mana… is restored…" Fariella said. "Was it you, Lord Dragon?"
"Zarkrion," he corrected. "And yes. My food accelerated your recovery and neutralized the poison."
Fariella looked at him with shining eyes.
"Lord Zarkrion… thank you very much for everything…"
"You don't have to thank me," he replied. "Thank you for being my first guest."
Then a system window appeared: .... ....
[Congratulations! – You have completed the Tutorial Mission.
– Survived in the Black Forest (Completed)
– Built your first dwelling (Completed)
– Obtained a guest (Completed)
– Cooked an extravagant dish (Completed)
Rewards:
You have acquired +1000 AP
You have acquired +10,000 EXP
You have acquired +150 AP (for Fariella's satisfaction)
You have acquired +50 AP (extra for completing the tutorial)
You are now a Survivor Approved by the System of Appreciation.
The Infinite Shop has been fully unlocked.]
....
....
Upon seeing the notifications, Zarkrion smiled broadly.
Later that night, Zarkrion rested in his bed while Tinasha slept in the adjacent room. As he checked his statistics, another window appeared immediately:
[You have leveled up – Level 50 → 75]
Zarkrion fell silent.
"I leveled up… that much… just for completing the tutorial?"
"Now I see why the guide was extremely strict with me."
A third window emerged:
[You have unlocked class selection – Please select your Class.]
Zarkrion smiled.
"It was about time…"