The kitchen felt different with five pairs of eyes watching my every move.
I opened the cabinets, half-expecting them to be empty.
Instead, I found basic supplies...there's flour, salt, some dried herbs that Marcus's memories identified as common cooking ingredients.
Nothing fancy, but the System had apparently stocked the basics when it upgraded the place.
[Kitchen Inventory Available]
[Suggestion: Craft a simple meal to maximize guest satisfaction]
I pulled up the crafting menu, filtering for food recipes.
The list was extensive....way more than any normal person should have access to from a basic kitchen.
But one recipe caught my attention, mainly because it used ingredients I actually had.
[Hearty Vegetable Stew]
[Ingredients: Water, Salt, Dried Herbs, Wild Vegetables x3]
[Effect: Restores stamina, provides minor health regeneration buff for 2 hours]
Wild vegetables were apparently growing within my territory.
The System marked three locations outside where I could harvest them.
I excused myself and stepped out back, finding clusters of herbs and root vegetables that definitely hadn't been there this morning.
Kira followed me out, leaning against the doorframe. "You grow your own food?"
"Started recently actually," i said while pulling up a few tubers that looked like potatoes but had a faint golden sheen. "Trying to be self-sufficient."
She watched me work in silence for a moment. "You're strange for a village greeter."
"Yeah, I get that a lot." I didn't, actually. But it seemed like the right thing to say.
Back inside, I set up at the hearth.
The pot was already there, hanging from an iron hook...
hmm, at least in this world I get to actually cook for myself...unlike in my previous one, I mainly survived off ramen.
I filled it with water from a bucket, added the vegetables after washing them, then tossed in the salt and herbs.
[Cooking in progress...]
[God-Level Crafting bonus applied]
[Quality: Enhanced]
The stew started bubbling, and the smell hit immediately.
It wasn't good.....it was incredible.
Rich and savory, with layers of flavor that shouldn't have been possible from such basic ingredients.
The herbs released an aroma that made my mouth water, and I was the one cooking it.
Elias drifted closer, drawn like a moth to flame. "That smells amazing. What did you put in there?"
"Just vegetables and herbs," I was trying desperately not to shoe my smug expression.
"Impossible." The mage shook his head. "I've had court chefs who couldn't make something smell that good."
Bron appeared next, his massive frame blocking most of the light from the window.
He didn't say anything, just stared at the pot with an intensity that should be reserved for mortal enemies.
I stirred the stew, watching the vegetables soften.
The System provided a helpful timer in the corner of my vision, counting down the last few minutes of cooking time.
When it hit zero, a soft chime rang in my head.
[Hearty Vegetable Stew - Complete]
[Quality: Masterwork]
[Effects Enhanced: Restores stamina completely, health regeneration buff increased to 4 hours, minor strength bonus added]
I ladled the stew into wooden bowls that had conveniently appeared in the cabinets.
Five bowls, one for each guest. I passed them out, trying not to look too smug about the System's obvious favoritism.
Kira took the first bite. Her expression went from neutral to shocked in about half a second.
She chewed slowly, deliberately, like she was trying to understand what she was tasting.
"This is..." She trailed off, taking another spoonful. "Marcus, where did you train as a chef?"
"I didn't," I smiled. What I said was technically true...Marcus definitely hadn't, and I'd only ever made instant ramen and sad sandwiches in my previous life.
Bron had already finished half his bowl. He looked up at me with something approaching religious devotion. "I'll pay you. Name your price. I want three more bowls."
"It's free," I said quickly. "You're guests after all."
The twins, Rook and Sable, ate in synchronized movements that continued to be unsettling.
They finished at exactly the same time, placed their bowls down together, and spoke in unison. "Best meal we've had in six months."
Elias was crying. Actual tears running down his face as he ate. "I forgot food could taste like this. Everything's been rations and whatever we can scavenge. This is... this is actual cuisine."
[Quest Update: Welcome the Wanderers]
[Guest Satisfaction: Exceptional]
[Bonus Objective Achieved: Provide Memorable Meal]
Kira set down her empty bowl and fixed me with that intense stare again. "You're not a normal NPC villager."
My stomach dropped. "What?"
"NPCs don't cook like this. They don't upgrade their homes to masterwork quality overnight. And they definitely don't have the kind of presence you're trying to hide." She leaned forward. "So what are you really?"
The room went quiet.
Bron's hand drifted toward his sword. The twins shifted position, flanking me without being obvious about it. Elias looked nervous but didn't move.
I could lie. Probably should lie. But something about Kira's directness made me want to match it.
"I'm exactly what I look like," I said carefully. "A guy trying to survive in a world that's falling apart. I just happen to be decent at crafting and cooking."
"Decent??," Bron muttered. "Right."
Kira studied me for a long moment, then relaxed. "Fine. Keep your secrets. But understand something...we're hunters. We track Blightborn creatures and clear corrupted zones for the Remnant Coalition. We've seen a lot of strange things since the apocalypse started." She gestured at the cottage. "This? This is stranger than most. In a good way, but strange."
"Noted," I nodded like a lizard.
She stood up, stretching. I heard her spine crack in three places. "We'll stay tonight, and head out at dawn. The Blight Wolves we're tracking have a den about two days north. After we're done, we might swing back this way." She paused. "If that's alright."
"Yeah," I nodded. "That's fine. My Door's open."
The group settled in for the evening. Bron claimed a corner and immediately fell asleep sitting up, which was apparently a skill he'd mastered.
The twins vanished somewhere....I wasn't sure where and didn't want to know. Elias pulled out a battered book and started reading by the hearth light.
Kira joined me outside as the sun started setting, painting the sky in shades of orange and purple.
The Blightlands in the distance looked even more ominous in the dying light, the purple miasma seeming to pulse with its own rhythm.
"How long until it reaches here?" I asked.
She didn't ask what I meant. "Six months, maybe a year. The Blight spreads slowly but it never stops. Villages like this one are on borrowed time."
"And the Coalition? Can they stop it?"
"They're trying. But it's like fighting the tide with a bucket." She glanced at me. "That's why when we find places like this....places with people who have actual skills....we take note. The Coalition could use crafters. People who can make quality gear, grow real food, build defenses."
"I'm just a greeter though."
"Sure you are." She didn't sound convinced. "Look, I don't know what your deal is, and I'm not going to push. But if you ever decide this village isn't worth dying for, find a Coalition outpost. Ask for Kira of the Silver Wolves. They'll get word to me."
She headed back inside before I could even respond.
I stood there in the gathering dark, watching my spirit carrots grow.
The System helpfully informed me they'd be ready to harvest in about two hours. After that, I could probably craft something even more ridiculous.
A notification popped up.
[Achievement Unlocked: First Guests Housed]
[Reward: Building Slot +1, Recipe Book: Traveler's Favorites]
[Territory Reputation: Greenroot Village is now marked as "Safe Haven" on regional maps]
I pulled up my status screen, something I hadn't bothered checking since this morning.
[Marcus - Apocalypse Territory Administrator]
[Level: 2]
[Title: The Greeter Who Cooks]
[Territory: Greenroot Village Sector (55m radius)]
[Reputation: Unknown (Regional), Curious Interest (Silver Wolves)]
The title made me laugh despite everything.
From nameless NPC to "The Greeter Who Cooks" in less than a day.
Tomorrow I'd have spirit carrots to harvest. Adventurers who might spread word about this place.
And a slowly expanding territory in the middle of an apocalypse.
I headed back inside, where Elias had fallen asleep over his book and Bron was snoring like a congested bear.
Kira was still awake, sharpening her sword with methodical strokes.
She looked up as I entered. "Get some sleep, Marcus. Morning comes early."
Even though I don't know her...I felt compelled to do what she said.
I nodded and headed to my bedroom....the actual separate bedroom that hadn't existed twelve hours ago.
As I lay down on a bed that was surprisingly comfortable, one thought kept circling my mind.
This was really happening. There wasn't any wake-up call coming....there's no return to my old life.
Just me, a broken world, and a System...
I could work with that...