***
"TRTRRNNRNRNRNGGG!!! WAKE UP B####"
I jolted awake and smacked my head straight into the underside of the bunkbed above me.
"What the FUCK?!" I yelled. "Who the hell set that alarm?!"
Something shuffled above.
"What the heck…" Luna's groggy voice drifted down. "Why are you screaming again? And you did. You're the one who set it."
The words hit me. My chest actually hurt as the memory came back, and I swear it's not because I thought it was someone who set that alarm up and not me.
"…Yeah," I muttered. "Forgot. My bad."
"Mm. Don't worry about it," she replied lazily.
She yawned, then whispered to herself, barely loud enough for me to hear.
"I'm… kinda hungry. Also, can you turn that thing off? It's killing my ears."
I grabbed my phone and shut the alarm down.
11:23 p.m.
"…Oh."
Right.
That's why I set it.
I slowly turned my head.
Beside my bed, the black window floated silently, outlined in faint pink light.
The text had now changed.
───────────────────────
[FIRST QUEST — ACTIVE]
OBJECTIVE: 「PREPARE A MEAL FOR ANYONE」
TIME LIMIT: 03:59:47
FAILURE CONDITION:「DEATH」
───────────────────────
"Wait… what? That's it?"
From above, Luna leaned over the edge of the top bunk and looked down at me.
"Why are you talking to yourself again, bro?"
"Yeah—don't worry about it," I said quickly. "Just… don't mind me."
An idea clicked in my head.
What if I just cook something for Luna…?
I stood up and slowly looked at her.
"How hungry are you right now?" I asked.
She blinked.
"That's kinda creepy," she said, then shrugged. "But probably a nine out of ten. I still haven't eaten since registration earlier."
Sure.
Without another word, I turned around and left the bedroom, heading straight for the kitchen.
"…Huh?"
A moment later, I heard a soft thump behind me as Luna jumped down from her bunkbed and followed.
"Why?" she asked, walking beside me. "Yu gonna cook for me?"
"Yeah."
She paused, then sat down at the table.
A small smile tugged at her lips.
"That's nice."
"Sure," I replied flatly. "I'm nice."
I turned toward the refrigerator and froze.
It was packed.
Not just stocked. Fully STACKED.
Shelves lined with neatly labeled containers. Vacuum-sealed meats glowing faintly with preservation runes. Fresh vegetables sealed in mana cooled drawers. Even the freezer hummed with a low magic sound, like it was maintaining something far more serious than ice cream.
…Right. Of course… A-Class dorm.
Priority supplies. Emergency rations. High-grade ingredients meant for students who could accidentally level buildings before breakfast.
Beside me, Luna leaned in and stared too.
"Wow…" she muttered. "It's filled. Like—actually filled. With food and etc."
"That's usually how fridges work," I said.
She ignored me, reached in, grabbed a chocolate bar without asking, then casually walked back to the table and plopped down on a chair.
A second later, I heard the wrapper tear.
Crunch.
"So," she asked around a bite, "what are you gonna cook?"
I scanned the shelves again.
"Whatever floats my boat, I guess."
She nodded like that was a perfectly reasonable answer, pulled out her phone, and immediately started doom-scrolling through something called kotkit or… idk.
"Cool," she said cheerfully. "I'll wait for the food then. Hehe."
I turned back to the fridge and leaned in closer, actually inspecting the contents this time.
Eggs. Normal ones, thankfully.
Then…
Komodo Fire Lizard foot, still faintly warm, sealed in a heat-suppressing bag.
Purple mana infused bean sprouts, pulsing softly like they were still alive.
A slab of sharkfin from some kind of hybrid monster, thick, veined, and very much not something I trusted to be edible without a license.
And more.
Way more.
Ingredients meant for alchemists. Battle cooks. Probably people who could kill you with a frying pan.
I sighed.
"Yeah..."
I grabbed whatever items I could find, eggs, vegetables, and something labeled Processed Monster Meat Beginner Friendly and dumped them into the sink.
The water ran.
I started washing them carefully.
Behind me, Luna hummed softly, phone in hand, chocolate disappearing one bite at a time.
And somewhere in the corner of my vision—
the quest timer ticked down.
「3:26:19」
…Why is it dropping so fast?
The numbers felt wrong. Too eager. Like the system was leaning forward, elbows on its knees, watching me cook.
I frowned, but kept going.
Let me Cooked.
I tore open the plastic seal around the processed monster meat. A sharp hiss escaped as the preservation rune dissolved, releasing a faint metallic smell mixed with something wild. Not rotten. Just… alive-adjacent.
Oil hit the pan.
TSSsshhh—
The meat followed, and the sound instantly filled the kitchen. I stirred it slowly, deliberately, letting the heat seal the surface before it could fight back. The pan glowed faintly, I see… an A-Class cookware, is reinforced to handle volatile ingredients without exploding.
This is making me addicted.
On the second burner, I cracked the eggs.
Yolks bright. Clean.
A pinch of salt.
Whisk. Stir. Scramble.
Simple one.
The vegetables came next. I chopped them piece by piece, careful not to nick the mana veins running through the purple bean sprouts. Too rough, and they'd turn bitter. Too gentle, and they'd stay raw.
"Thank god I watched alot of tutorial in tubyou." I whispered to myself.
Then another pan. Another rhythm.
Oil. Heat. Toss.
The kitchen slowly filled with scent, savory, warm, grounding. Something normal. Something good.
Behind me, Luna had gone quiet.
No humming.
No doom scrolling.
Just… watching.
After what felt like forever, and somehow not long enough, I plated the food.
Scrambled eggs, soft and golden.
Vegetables glistening lightly with oil.
I carried the plate to the table and set it down.
Luna looked up from her phone.
Froze.
"…Wow," she breathed. "That actually looks… really good."
She leaned closer, eyes sparkling. "Can I eat now?"
"No."
Her hand stopped mid-air.
"Huh?"
I turned back to the stove.
The monster meat was done— dark, tender, soaking in a mixture of vinegar, soy sauce, and spices I'd improvised on instinct. The smell had changed. No longer sharp.
Rich, it was now rich.
I transferred it to a cutting board and, instead of a knife, grabbed the kitchen scissors.
Snip. Snip. Snip.
I cut the meat into neat, bite-sized pieces and layered them carefully on top of the eggs and vegetables.
Luna gasped.
"WOAHHH— okay, okay, can I eat now?!"
"Wait."
"Faster, I'm hungry!!!" she whined, cheeks puffing out, pouting. "I haven't eaten since registration!"
I ignored her.
Took a spoon.
Scooped the sauce.
And poured it slowly over the plate.
The liquid soaked into the eggs, clung to the vegetables, coated the meat in a glossy sheen that steamed faintly as it hit the hot surface.
Only then did I step back.
I bowed slightly.
"Now," I said calmly, "you may eat, Miss Ebonveil."
"Oh, please~" she laughed, rolling her eyes.
She picked up her fork.
Took one bite.
And froze.
Her eyes widened.
Her shoulders stiffened.
"…Oh."
Then—
"Oh my god."
She took another bite. Faster this time.
"…Oh my god oh my god???"
She looked at the plate like it had personally betrayed her expectations.
"What the heck is this?!" she demanded. "Why is this so good?!"
Another bite.
Then another.
"This is monster meat," she said, incredulous. "It's supposed to taste weird! Or chewy! Or—"
She stopped herself, staring at me.
"…Rex."
I leaned back against the counter.
"What?"
She swallowed.
"…You'd make a terrifying husband."
I snorted. "Relax. I'm just cooking so I don't die."
"Lol, what do you mean about that?"
Well she laughed, shaked her head, and went back to eating— happily, enthusiastically, completely unaware of the way the pink-edged window flickered in my vision.
Quiet.
────────────────────────
「QUEST COMPLETE」
Reward will be delivered shortly.
Please remain patient, Rex Knox.
────────────────────────
"…Wait. What?"
Reward?
That caught me completely off guard.
I didn't do this for some bonus.
I cooked because I didn't want to die.
And yet—
Another window slid into view, smoother, colder.
「REWARD HAS BEEN DELIVERED」
[Please check your mana.]
"…Mana?"
I blinked.
That word made my chest tighten.
I glanced over at Luna. She was still eating, completely absorbed, fork moving like the food might escape if she slowed down.
I tapped her shoulder.
"Hey. I need to go… uh… take a shit."
She froze mid-bite.
"…What…?" She wrinkled her nose. "Why would you tell me that? Ew."
"Just—keep eating," I said quickly. "Don't mind me."
She waved me off.
"Sure, sure. Go, my husband."
"Disgusting."
She laughed.
Then whispered to herself. "…You're seriously the first guy who's ever said ew to me."
***
The bathroom door shut behind me with a soft click.
The dorm bathroom was way too clean. White tiles. Mana-drain runes etched into the walls. Even the toilet looked expensive, like it expected respect.
I sat down at the toilet
Exhaled.
And stared at the floating window still hovering patiently in front of me.
「REWARD HAS BEEN DELIVERED」
[Please check your mana.]
"…Okay," I muttered. "And how exactly am I supposed to do that?"
Almost immediately—
A new prompt appeared, like it had been waiting for the question.
「VOICE COMMAND AVAILABLE」
[Call out: STATUS]
My throat felt dry.
"…Status," I said.
The world responded.
A large, dark interface bloomed open in front of me, layered windows unfolding one after another, far more complex than anything I'd seen so far.
And the moment my eyes landed on the first line— My breath stopped.