It was time for the next step.
Selion had reached the phase of his training where he needed to master multi-tasking. He had to learn how to focus on more than one thing at a time. In order to use mana circulation as effortlessly as breathing, this was essential.
When his teacher told him to maintain his mana flow while cooking a meal, Selion knew this wouldn't be an easy task. But he whispered to himself:
"There is no beauty without hardship."
His first step was to go home and ask for help.
"Mom… can you teach me how to cook?" he asked, determination shining in his eyes.
Zenith gladly accepted her son's request."What kind of meal do you want to learn?"
Selion thought for a moment. In the wild, meat-based meals would be more useful — both for their nutrition and for making use of the animals he hunted.
"Anything with meat is fine," Selion replied with a soft smile.
Zenith did her best. She showed him all the meat dishes she knew. And she didn't stop there — she even wrote him a small recipe book so he wouldn't forget. Holding the notebook filled with her graceful handwriting, Selion hugged her tightly.
"I love you, Mom."
Zenith couldn't hold back her tears as Selion walked away. Pride and worry shimmered in her eyes.
When Selion returned to school, he had trouble finding his teacher. The staff room was empty. He wandered through the hallways until he finally found him — in the chemistry lab.
"What are you doing here?" Selion asked in surprise.
His teacher smiled.
"Where did you think you'd be cooking?"
Selion immediately stepped up to the counter. But something was missing.
"What about the ingredients?"
The teacher raised an eyebrow and said,
"You expected me to bring them too? Get out there and gather them from the forest!"
With a deep sigh, Selion set off. He already knew what he was going to cook:
Radish Kimchi Bossam.
He began his search for radishes near the spot where he had once met the masked man. After a bit of wandering, he found what he needed.
Next came the meat. He remembered the boars the man had left for him. He returned to that place — but he was too late. Nothing was left but bones.
"I'll hunt one myself."
He ventured deeper into the forest. Before long, a Horned Wild Boar appeared before him. He had fought this beast before. But this time, there was one difference — Selion had completed his mana circulation.
He channeled mana into his legs and activated Quick Steps. Leaping from tree to tree like a phantom, he moved so fast that the boar couldn't even see him — it only felt the wind.
And every gust was a blow.Eventually, the beast collapsed.
An easy victory.
Now, he needed cabbage. As he bent down to lift the boar, he heard the sound of water nearby. He followed the sound and found a river. Walking alongside it, he finally came upon some cabbages.
Everything was ready.
When he returned to school, the teacher looked out the window and raised his eyebrows. Selion was standing there, a massive boar behind him. It was too heavy to carry upstairs.
"Guess I'll have to cook in the garden," Selion muttered.
He was excited — it was his first real meal.
"If you tell me where to focus my mana while cooking," he asked his teacher, "I'll be able to react faster to sudden changes."
Selion got to work.
He washed the radishes and began chopping. The teacher told him to focus his mana into his hands. As he did, he moved faster, more precisely. He salted the radish slices and left them to rest.
Next, he carved out the pork belly section of the boar and placed it in cold water to keep it moist. Meanwhile, he prepared the broth — adding soybean paste and coffee into a pot of water and bringing it to a boil. Once it bubbled, he added the meat and let it boil for 45 minutes.
An hour passed. He washed and squeezed the radishes, then mixed them with chili paste, sugar, and sesame to make the kimchi.
The final touches.
He plated the sliced pork. On the side, fresh cabbage leaves and a bowl of radish kimchi.
He presented the meal to his teacher.
The teacher stared at the plate, stunned. He took a bite. Chewed slowly. Closed his eyes and murmured,
"Have you had training in cooking before?"
Selion smiled faintly.
"No... I just watched my mom do it. Before starting this training."
The teacher didn't respond for a long while. The only thing running through his mind was:
Just how much more is this boy going to surprise me?