By the time night fell, JP and Lyra had made camp outside the city walls. The guild hall had been too crowded, and JP wanted to avoid the sharp eyes of certain merchants anyway. Better to sleep under the stars with a fire crackling than risk another "accidental" bump in the market.
Lyra had set up a simple perimeter with snares. JP, on the other hand, sat cross-legged by the fire, satchel in front of him, grinning like a kid about to open a toy chest.
"Alright, let's see what we've really got…" he muttered, opening his status board.
[Status Board – JP]
Level: 15HP: 240/240MP: 180/180Strength: 31Endurance: 36Dexterity: 20Intelligence: 47Luck: 15
Skills:
Appraisal (Advanced) – view properties, hidden traits, crafting potential
Alchemy Touch – merge/refine materials with mana
Material Insight II – enhanced detail on components
Reinforce – temporary boost to durability
Inventory (Satchel Merge) – seamless storage, reduced carry strain
Inventory (Key Items):
Slime Cores ×2 (standard, already submitted others to the guild)
Slime Cores ×3 (Conductive Essence, hidden trait – kept secret)
Ironfang Tusk (Conductive Veins) ×2
Wolf Hide ×4
Pulse Stake Prototype ×2
Self-Boiling Pot (Prototype) ×1
Basic Knife ×1
Rope, bedroll, spare herbs, coin pouch (10 silver, 24 copper)
JP's eyes locked on the three glowing slime cores. Unlike the ones he turned in, these shimmered faintly blue with an extra note in their appraisal: "Highly reactive to heat and mana."
"Jackpot," JP whispered.
Lyra tilted her head from her seat by the fire, bow at her side. "You hid some."
"Not hid—strategically invested for R&D," JP corrected with mock seriousness.
Her lips quirked. "Uh-huh."
He set one slime core into the small bronze pot he'd been fiddling with for days. The "Self-Boiling Pot" prototype had only succeeded in overcooking stew once, but now…
"Alchemy Touch."
Mana flowed, binding core to pot. The metal warmed, faint blue lines crawling across its surface like veins. A faint hum filled the air. JP poured in some water from his pouch. Within seconds—bubble bubble bubble—steam wafted into the night.
"Yes!" JP punched the air. "Ladies and gentlemen, dinner just got automated!"
Lyra leaned closer, cautiously peering at the humming pot. "So… it boils without fire?"
"Exactly. Imagine villagers cooking meals without chopping wood every day. Portable kitchens. Or kettles that never go cold!" JP's grin widened. "We're sitting on the future, Lyra."
She chuckled softly, stirring her own portion of herbs into the pot. "You sound like a traveling merchant when you talk like that."
"Hey, merchants want to squeeze me dry. I'd rather feed people and make coin."
For a moment, the fire crackled between them, warm and calm. Lyra's face softened in the glow, though her eyes still carried that distance he'd grown used to.
"You're reckless," she murmured, "but I've never met anyone who could turn monster guts into cookware."
JP grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck. "Reckless keeps dinner hot."
They ate in silence after that—simple stew, but hot, filling, and flavored with quiet laughter whenever the pot gave an unexpected pop.
For once, the night didn't feel dangerous. It felt… almost like home.