A few more floors and a few more near-death experiences later, Kaiden found himself in another farm-type recess area. Relief and excitement bubbled up inside him, though he did his best to keep his expression neutral.

Before Zinnia could say anything, Kaiden quickly said, “I’ll be looking for my dinner. You can go on ahead.”

Zinnia sighed, clearly expecting this. “I figured,” she said, her tone tinged with mock disappointment. She shrugged and headed inside the tavern with Ashkar in tow.

Kaiden’s excitement faltered when he noticed Boork didn’t follow. Instead, the man made his way toward the field. Panic immediately began to rise in Kaiden’s chest.

Does he know about the special food? Is he on to me?

Kaiden quickly dismissed the thought. No, that’s impossible. There’s no way he could know. Boork was probably just out of rations and looking to stock up. That made sense, Kaiden reasoned as he turned toward the pasture.

The setup this time was slightly different. There were no pigs, which Kaiden had hoped for, but in their place were chickens wandering the field alongside the cows. No bacon this time, but chicken’s not bad at all.

Boork didn’t so much as glance in Kaiden’s direction. He simply moved around the pasture, placing his hand on some of the cows and chickens, scanning for cuts or portions he wanted. Kaiden did the same, though his focus was more on keeping one eye on the mercenary.

What’s taking him so long? Kaiden screamed internally. He wanted Boork to finish up and leave so he could hunt for the perma-boost item without being noticed. If the mercenary lingered too long, Kaiden wouldn’t get any sleep.

Just hurry up already, Kaiden thought, doing his best to appear casual while his impatience simmered under the surface.

A few minutes later, the mercenary finally made his way into the tavern, a small chest tucked under his arm from a cow he’d settled on. Kaiden could barely contain his excitement, fist-pumping the air as he mentally shouted, Finally!

Now it was time to find those reapers.

Activating Arcane Vision, Kaiden scanned the area, ignoring the scattered reapers stationed throughout the farm. His focus was on finding the cluster. His eyes narrowed as he spotted them—just as he expected, they were hovering over the wooded area.

Of course, he thought. The reapers always seemed to guard the perma-boost foods deep in secluded spots. It made sense, he supposed. If the items were too easy to find, that would defeat the purpose.

Without hesitation, Kaiden trudged toward the woods, keeping his sights locked on the cluster. The walk was longer than he anticipated, the trees growing denser as he went. Eventually, the woods began to thin, and he found himself stepping into a slight clearing.

This time, the area opened into a marshland—or perhaps a swamp; Kaiden wasn’t entirely sure. The ground beneath him softened, squelching under his boots with each step. It was soft and uneven, dotted with pools of still water surrounded by tufts of tall grass. Stunted trees with pale bark and exposed roots twisted across the landscape, their surfaces slick with moss. The air carried the faint scent of seawater, mingling with the occasional call of unseen birds and the hum of insects.

Kaiden hesitated at the edge of the clearing, taking in the dreary yet strangely serene landscape. He muttered to himself, “My first time in a swamp.” and then pressed on toward the cluster of reapers.

Kaiden kept trudging along the marshy terrain until he finally spotted it—a golden lobster crawling along the edge of a waterbank. His eyes widened, and he couldn’t help but lick his lips at the sight of the shining creature. But his excitement was short-lived as the lobster suddenly dipped into the pool and vanished beneath the surface.

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“No!” Kaiden yelled, his voice echoing across the marsh. His eyes darted frantically across the water’s surface, scanning for any sign of movement. He waited a few tense moments, his heart sinking with each passing second as the lobster failed to reappear.

Kaiden stared at the murky pool, his nose scrunching up in distaste. It looked like he’d have to go in after it.

He glanced up at the reapers hovering silently above the area. They hadn’t moved, which reassured him. They could probably sense where the lobster was, so it likely hadn’t gone far—just decided it was a good time for a swim.

After another hopeful few seconds, he let out a sigh that quickly turned into a resigned groan. Yeah, it wasn’t coming back up anytime soon, and there was no way he was leaving without it.

“Fuck it,” Kaiden muttered under his breath as he began removing his armor, placing each piece carefully on the ground nearby. Once down to his clothes, he took a deep breath to psych himself up and waded into the water. If it got too deep, he’d have to give up since he didn’t know how to swim.

The cold hit him instantly, sending a shiver up his spine, but it wasn’t unbearable. Not like it mattered—he needed that damn lobster.

Thankfully, the water wasn’t as deep as he feared. It rose to his shoulders, but the murkiness made it impossible to see below the surface. Kaiden gritted his teeth and took a deep breath before completely submerging himself. The water was still too murky to make out much, but he pressed on, slowly walking and periodically ducking beneath the surface to search.

He stayed within the area marked by the hovering reapers, making sure he wasn’t going too far. Then, just as his hope began to waver, his foot struck something solid at the bottom. His heartbeat quickened.

Could this be it?

Kaiden immediately dove down, feeling around with his hands. His fingers brushed against something hard and unmistakably smooth. His face lit up as his hands closed around it—a chest.

“Yes!” he exclaimed to himself as he resurfaced, his pulse pounding with relief and triumph.

He didn’t need to catch the lobster. He just needed it to see him and it did.

“That’s right,” Kaiden muttered, grinning as he hauled the chest to the edge of the water. “You’re mine now.”

He walked out of the water, boots squelching on the muddy ground as he carried the chest to a relatively dry patch. Crouching over it, he opened the lid with one hand while wiping water from his face with the other. Inside was a single plate, just like the previous ones, which held a perfectly cooked lobster tail.

The aroma hit him instantly, rich and buttery, with a hint of herbs that made his mouth water. He reached in, carefully lifting the plate, and as he did, a notification flashed before his eyes:

Lobster Tail of the Sturdy

Fully consuming this lobster grants a permanent boost of +20 Constitution and +10% Constitution.

Kaiden grinned from ear to ear. Another massive gain! He was about to take his first bite when a voice cut through the air, nearly making him jump out of his skin.

“Whatchu got there, boy?”

Kaiden turned sharply, wide-eyed, to see Boork striding toward him, a dagger glinting in his hand.

What the hell is he doing out here? Kaiden screamed in his mind, his grip tightening around the plate.

“It’s just a lobster,” Kaiden stammered, trying to play it off as casually as he could. “Apparently, there’s more ingredients out here than cows and chickens.”

Boork’s eyes narrowed, his expression darkening. “Don’t lie to me, brat. I can smell it. That’s a cooked lobster tail. It’s no ingredient.” He pointed his dagger toward the plate. “You think I’m stupid? Is it stat-boosting? Give it here.”

Kaiden gulped as a thousand thoughts ran through his mind. No way. I can’t just give it up. But would he really risk getting violent over it?

He activated Arcane Vision again, his heart hammering in his chest. The familiar figures of the reapers came into view, visible only to Kaiden as they hadn’t made themselves visible yet. To his relief, they were drifting closer to the pair. Their ominous presence sent a chill through him, but Boork remained completely unaware of the danger lurking nearby, his focus entirely on Kaiden and the lobster tail.

Wait… does their punishment come before or after an attack? Kaiden’s stomach twisted as the question struck him. Would the reapers step in to stop an altercation, or would they only punish whoever struck first?

The plate in Kaiden’s hand suddenly felt like a ticking time bomb. He weighed his options, none of them ideal. Should I just eat it now and hope the reapers intervene? Or give it up and try to avoid an outright confrontation?

Boork took another step forward, his dagger gleaming dangerously. “I won’t ask again, boy. Hand it over, or I’ll take it myself.”

Kaiden’s grip tightened. He was running out of time to decide.

He glanced around at the reapers, now hovering within arm’s reach. Screw this mercenary, he thought bitterly. Screw everyone taking everything of value in this dungeon. Who was Boork to take what was rightfully his? The boost was too good to give up without a fight—or at least an attempt. Kaiden could only hope he’d live to regret this decision.

“What the hell are you looking at?” Boork snapped, his voice sharp with suspicion.

Reapers, help me! Kaiden pleaded silently as he lifted the lobster tail to his mouth.

Boork’s eyes widened in fury, and with a roar, he charged.