Gone were the towering walls and stone floors. Instead, what Kaiden saw was one of the last things he expected.
“Is this... a farm?” he muttered, blinking in disbelief.
Ahead lay a sprawling pasture with cows and pigs grazing under the open sky. Not a mist-covered one, but a truly open sky. In the distance, wooded areas stretched as far as the eye could see. The vast, open field seemed completely out of place after the oppressive corridors of the maze. There was only one structure—a large building Kaiden initially assumed was a barn or farmhouse. But as the group approached, he realized it was a tavern.
“Recess floor,” Zinnia said with a chuckle, her tone light.
“How?” Kaiden asked, still marveling at the sheer scale and realism of the environment as the group walked toward the tavern.
“Six hours,” Ashkar barked, cutting off any further questions before disappearing inside the inn with Boork.
Kaiden’s awe didn’t fade, even as the swordsman’s harsh time limit sank in. He was utterly exhausted and craved more than six hours of rest, but there was no way he was going to argue with Ashkar. The man was clearly intent on beating General Thorne to the dungeon’s final boss.
“This is another special property of D-O-Os,” Zinnia explained as they neared the tavern. “ Since they can appear anywhere and for anyone, we’re sometimes granted the opportunity to procure our own food—especially for those low on supplies. But sometimes you’ll see these in larger dungeons that take a really long time to clear.”
Kaiden nodded absently, his attention drawn to the livestock milling about. If you were out traveling and suddenly came across a dungeon and you were low on food, this allowed you to take it on and mitigate the risk of starving at least.
“There’s a kitchen inside too,” Zinnia added before slipping into the tavern.
Kaiden stood there for a moment, torn between his exhaustion and his growing curiosity. Finally, curiosity won out. He decided to spare a few minutes exploring before heading inside.
He wandered over to a cow lazily munching on the grass. The first thing that struck him was the smell—the pungent aroma of fresh grass, the earthy scent of the animals, and the nearby cowpies. It was all so real.
“How can this be in a dungeon?” he muttered. Monsters he could understand, but actual livestock, seemingly designed for cooking meals? That was next-level.
He walked up to a cow and hesitantly placed a hand on its flank. Instantly, a prompt appeared in his vision:
Would you like to butcher this brown cow? This cow yields 5 pounds of ground beef.
“Whoa!” Kaiden exclaimed. “It even does all the work for me?”
The realization floored him. It made perfect sense. Skinning an animal, removing organs, and carving it into usable cuts of meat would take a pretty long time—not to mention requiring skills that most dungeon divers likely didn’t have. That kind of expertise was a completely different profession, after all.
Kaiden himself had never hunted or butchered anything in his life. He would’ve been clueless about where to even start. This streamlined system was brilliant.
After declining the prompt, his curiosity piqued, Kaiden decided to try another cow. This one offered 4 pounds of chuck steak. He checked another—and another—each yielding different cuts of meat of various portion sizes. He was beside himself with the possibilities.
“Why didn’t anyone else taken advantage of this?” he wondered aloud.
He quickly came to a conclusion: either the others didn’t care because they had food stored in their spatial devices, or they simply didn’t feel like cooking. That brought Kaiden to a more pressing realization.
I don’t know how to cook.
To be precise, Kaiden knew the basics, but that was it. Cooking a steak to perfection? Forget it. He’d probably overcook it, undercook it, or ruin it entirely. Back on Earth, he’d barely been able to handle basic cookware without burning himself or making a mess, so he’d relied heavily on delivery and microwaveable meals.
He sighed, running a hand through his hair as he glanced at the grazing cows. The bounty was incredible—but what good was it if he couldn’t do it justice?
Perhaps I should give up on the steak for now, Kaiden thought as he wandered over to the pigs. “Pork is much easier to cook,” he mused aloud.
Just like the cows, none of the pigs reacted to his presence, continuing to root around in the dirt or nap lazily. Kaiden reached out and touched various pigs, scanning the various cuts and portion sizes offered by each one: ribs, tenderloin, pork chops, Then something caught his attention:
Would you like to butcher this spotted pig? This pig yields 2 pounds of pork belly and 2 pounds of bacon.
Kaiden licked his lips. Pork belly was essentially uncured bacon. Not only did he realize bacon existed in this world, but he also knew how to cook it! It was one of the few foods he felt confident preparing. The answer was obvious.
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“Yes,” he said to the prompt, and with a quiet poof, the pig vanished, replaced by a small chest on the ground.
Opening the chest, Kaiden found medium slices of raw bacon and pork belly neatly layered with parchment paper separating each layer. Four pounds of meat was far more than he needed for one meal, but that didn’t matter—he could cook as much as he wanted and anyone else could have the rest.
Closing the chest and picking it up, he felt a small sense of satisfaction at obtaining the meat without actually killing anything. But then another thought struck him, halting his stride.
The word killing made him think back to the conversation he’d had with Ashkar about reapers—how they were everywhere in recess areas but invisible to the naked eye. He hadn’t tried to spot them before, but now seemed as good a time as any.
Kaiden activated his Arcane Vision, and his jaw dropped as the scenery around him shifted slightly. There they were: hooded figures, exactly as he’d imagined when Ashkar described them. They floated silently around the pasture, spaced far apart, their spectral forms moving in measured patterns as if patrolling the area.
Then something else caught his attention. At the edge of the woods to his right, a cluster of reapers floated above in tight formation as if huddled together. Unlike the others, they weren’t patrolling or drifting—they were stationary, almost as if guarding something.
Why are they all gathered there? Kaiden wondered, a ripple of curiosity sparking in his mind. He hesitated, torn between exhaustion and the nagging urge to investigate. He was tired, hungry, and eager to cook his bacon, but the mystery gnawed at him.
With a resigned sigh, he decided it was worth a look. This was a recess area, after all, and that meant he was completely safe. If it turned out to be nothing, he’d only lose a few minutes—valuable minutes, sure, but at least he wouldn’t be stuck with a lingering what if.
Placing the chest back on the ground, Kaiden turned toward the cluster of reapers and began walking in their direction. He reached the edge of the woods and spotted a tiny pig rooting around the soil near a tree. A piglet, perhaps? he thought, watching as it went about its business, snuffling at the ground.
He glanced up at the reapers clustered nearby. They hadn’t reacted to his presence, which was a small relief. There was no reason for them to, but something about their silent vigil was unsettling. Better safe than sorry, he reminded himself, keeping an eye on them as he turned his attention back to the piglet.
It was the smallest animal he’d seen here, barely larger than a house cat. Curious, Kaiden decided to see what dish the little creature might yield. As he crunched through the grass, the piglet suddenly turned to face him, its movements sharp and alert. Kaiden froze, taken aback. None of the other animals had reacted to him in the slightest, yet this one seemed... skittish?
The piglet’s wide eyes met his for a moment, and then it squealed. Its tiny body tensed up—and then it collapsed, lifeless.
“What the hell?” Kaiden muttered, confusion flashing across his face.
A second later, the piglet disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving behind a small chest. Kaiden’s gaze darted back to the reapers, half-expecting them to spring into action, but they remained as motionless as before. Still no reaction, he thought, relaxing slightly.
Shrugging, he walked over to the chest and flipped it open. Inside was a single white plate, and on the plate was a single, perfectly cooked, thick slice of bacon.
“Alright, already cooked,” Kaiden muttered, a pleased smile creeping onto his face. He reached in, grabbed the bacon, and brought it to his mouth. It was warm to the touch, fresh as if just made. But before he could take a bite, a notification popped up in his vision:
Bacon of the Strong:
Fully consuming this piece of bacon grants a permanent boost of +20 Strength and +10% Strength.
Kaiden’s jaw dropped as he read the notification, then stared at the slice of bacon in his hand as if it were a treasure beyond measure. A permanent boost? That was massive. This single piece of bacon offered double the stats of the grapeberry—and the grapeberry’s boost was temporary.
No wonder the reapers are here, Kaiden thought, his eyes flicking toward the silent guardians. This is something people would fight to the death over. The presence of the reapers suddenly made perfect sense. They were ensuring no one turned the pasture into a battleground over such a valuable prize. This single piece of food provided the same amount of attributes to that cockroach title he gained and he nearly died for that title 3 times!
This was just an easy meal he didn’t even have to work for. It was a reward for exploring where most wouldn’t even think to. He couldn’t know the answer for sure, but he heavily suspected that dungeon rewards in a recess floor was probably unheard of or perhaps only known to a select few that guarded that knowledge.
With that thought, a creeping paranoia made him glance over his shoulder, but thankfully, no one else was around. Feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness, Kaiden took a bite.
The flavor was astounding—savory, rich, and perfectly balanced. It wasn’t just delicious; it was divine. He devoured the rest in seconds, savoring every bite. As he swallowed the last morsel, he felt an immediate change in his body unlike the constitution boost.
His muscles tensed and flexed involuntarily, bulging slightly before settling back down. Then, like a wave washing over him, a sense of immense strength surged through his frame. He clenched a fist, marveling at the raw power coursing through him.
Stronger than I’ve ever felt before, Kaiden thought, a grin spreading across his face. This was his first boost to Strength, and it was monumental.
His mind raced with possibilities. If there’s another recess area like this one, could there be more permanent attribute-boosting items? The potential gains from this dungeon were staggering.
“Diamond-grade dungeons are incredible,” he murmured to himself, his grin widening.
Overjoyed but resolved to keep this discovery a secret, Kaiden began making his way back to the tavern. His thoughts buzzed with anticipation—not just for the bacon he’d cook in the kitchen, but for the untapped power he might still uncover. He licked his lips again, this time not at the thought of food, but at the prospect of what he could become.
He brought up his status page with a smile. These were his current attributes without anything temporarily boosting his stats:
Kaiden Hayward
Age: 26
Class: Health Weaver (Common) Level 1
Skills / Abilities
Regeneration: Level 2 (Passive)
Mindforge: Level 2 (Passive)
Arcane Vision: Level 2 (Active)
Healing Touch: Level 1
Cure Poison: Level 1
Attributes
Strength: 20 {10%}
Dexterity: 10 {0%}
Constitution: 40 {10%}
Mana: 200 / 200 {0%}
Mana Regeneration: 30 {15%}
He wasn’t sure exactly how his status compared to others at or above his rank, but he knew this was just the beginning.