Chapter 17 - No More Sushi!

The next morning, Nexha and Lilay were awakened together by Krahs. The two little ones hadn’t grown as much as the day before, but they were still slightly bigger.

— Lilay, you're at an ideal size to learn how to hunt,

announced Krahs, his gaze serious.

— Today, I've decided to take you with me to teach you. And don't even try to pretend, I already know you both can understand me.

Lilay didn’t seem very excited about the news, unlike Nexha, who was finally going to be left alone. However, to avoid seeming too eager about the separation, he feigned indifference.

— Nexha, you're still too small. I’ll teach you when you're bigger.

Lilay snickered softly.

— Shorty.

Nexha got irritated and threw a piece of crab at Lilay. The two seemed ready to fight again, but Krahs's severe glare made them back down immediately.

As soon as Lilay and Krahs left, Nexha sighed in relief. Finally, he was alone after so many days with his clingy brother. But for some reason, the silence felt... strange.

He bought a milk from the system shop to try to relax, but the discomfort didn’t go away.

— I've gotten too attached to them...

he murmured, looking at his claws.

Trying to shake off the feeling, he turned his attention to the crab shells he hadn't managed to grind the day before. He noticed that the crabs were slow to climb into the nest in the morning, meaning he wouldn’t be able to gain XP from them so early. He decided to focus on something else.

While grinding, something unexpected happened: sparks leaped from the powder! He jumped back, startled. Upon closer examination, he realized he had mixed pieces of broken obsidian with the shells, causing the reaction.

If sparks appeared... then...

With his heart racing, he brought a piece of dry seaweed close and continued grinding. Slowly, a small flame emerged, flickering before his astonished eyes.

It was fire.

{Technology Acquired: Fire}

Congratulations! Keep learning to gain more bonuses. You earned 600 MD.

— Wow... That was way more than I earned with alchemy!

Nexha opened his dimensional wallet, his eyes shining.

— 1596 MD! My balance is growing… If I keep earning achievements like this, I'll be able to buy a skill soon. And with the alchemy knowledge I gained, maybe I can create even more efficient mixtures.

Looking at the flame and the slab where he ground the crabs, he had another idea. He dug a small hole under the stone slab, filled it with dry seaweed, and placed the small flame among them. He had created a heated slab.

In the crab powder, he mixed a little water and ground it on the heated stone. Gradually, the bright red powder darkened and blended with the water.

He ground all the crabs, replenishing the water as needed. He only stopped when the fire died out, realizing he had no more dry seaweed to fuel it.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

— It’s so hard to keep anything dry in this world full of water...

Frustrated but proud of his mixture, he decided to analyze it.

[Lucky Crab Powder]

Rating: Exceptional

Defense: +5

Ability: Glows in the dark, increases defense when consumed.

"Powder made from the exoskeletons of lucky crabs. Its rating was elevated due to the excellent quality of these animals’ shells. It gained the 'exceptional' property when heated along with seawater, improving its purity. It can be used to increase defense, but its effect weakens over time. Its terrible taste repels most species, except for the most resilient ones, which detect a bittersweet flavor when absorbing the powder. It can also be used to craft strength and defense potions."

Nexha's eyes sparkled as he read the description. Without hesitation, he grabbed a handful and tasted it. The bittersweet flavor spread through his mouth, filling him with an unexpected joy.

— Wait... If I made fire and can use this as a seasoning... I can cook!

His heart pounded. Without hesitation, he opened the system shop and started spending money without guilt.

First, he searched for something that could serve as a pan. Unfortunately, none of the options seemed suitable, so he bought a simple basin to remove the excess powder from the stone slab.

Next, he bought dry seaweed. To his surprise, a generous amount arrived, which pleased him. He lit the fire again and waited for the slab to heat up. Finally, he bought a large fish and a new obsidian knife.

— Thirteen coins spent on a meal... It's already more expensive than my milk. But it’s worth it! After so much raw fish, I'm sick of sushi every day!

He cleaned the fish, separated what he thought was fat, and spread it over the hot slab. He tossed the internal organs to the pool cleaners. The smell attracted crabs into the nest. Without hesitation, Nexha killed a few and set them aside for Lilay to eat later.

Once the fat melted and the slab was hot enough, he placed the fish and some crabs to cook. The sweet and delicious scent made his mouth water, but the smoke started to bother him.

— Ah, I forgot about that. Maybe if I open a hole at the top of the nest, the smoke will escape...

He took the obsidian and made small holes in the nest’s wall. They weren’t large, but they worked well enough to let the smoke out.

When he flipped the fish, he noticed the crabs weren’t cooking properly. So, he moved them closer to the flame. Within minutes, the fish was ready. He coated it with the bittersweet powder and took a bite. The flavor was so good that tears rolled down his face, turning into tiny pearls as they touched the sand.

— My first real meal in this world...

As he ate, the pearl-like tears piled up around him. When he finished, he licked his fingers, satisfied, and remembered the crabs on the fire. Using the obsidian knife, he skewered and pulled them out one by one. The smell was even more delicious.

{Technology Acquired: Cooking}

Congratulations! Keep learning to gain more bonuses. You earned 400 MD.

— 1983 MD! I’m getting rich! Long live the bonuses!

A wave of knowledge invaded his mind. Fortunately, he didn’t pass out—just felt a slight headache.

At that exact moment, Krahs and Lilay returned. As soon as he smelled the food, Lilay lunged without thinking. However, the crabs were still hot, and he ended up burning his fingers. He shoved them into his mouth and looked at Nexha with teary eyes, as if it were his fault.

— Don’t look at me like that. Just wait a little, and you can eat.

Krahs, on the other hand, seemed curious about everything that was happening. He slowly approached, observing the cooked crabs with sharp eyes. He lowered his head and sniffed the air, as if analyzing every detail of the dish Nexha had prepared.

— What exactly did you do here, Nexha?

he asked, his voice filled with curiosity and a hint of suspicion.

Nexha puffed out his chest, proud.

— I cooked! I used fire, fat, and a bit of my new special seasoning.

Krahs raised an eyebrow. He picked up one of the roasted crabs and spun it in his claws before taking a careful bite. As soon as the flavor hit his palate, his eyes widened.

— This is... impressive.

He chewed slowly, savoring the crispy texture. Lilay, still rubbing his burned fingers, grabbed a piece of crab and finally tried it. The moment the flavor exploded in his mouth, he let out a small squeal of surprise and started devouring it without a second thought.

— This is so good! Why don’t we eat like this every day?!

Nexha laughed, crossing his arms.

— Because before, I didn’t know how...

Krahs cleaned his claws and looked at Nexha with a scrutinizing gaze.

— You’ve discovered something powerful... this thing called fire. If you learn to master it properly...

Nexha blinked, feeling a chill down his spine as Krahs pointed to the dying flame beneath the slab.

— This fire can make better food, but it can also harm. And worse, it can attract unwanted attention... Be careful with what you're creating here.

Nexha felt his excitement fade into a shiver.

Lilay, however, didn’t seem worried. He just kept eating, mumbling with his mouth full:

— Careful or not, all I know is... I never want to eat raw fish again!