Chương 68: Master Chef

Although Arthur had a ton of things swirling in his mind, a pleasant surprise had happened to him through the Miner Skeleton. The Contract Payment of the Skeleton was surprisingly cheap. If all the other Skeleton workers possessed a similar cheap Contract Payment, wouldn't life be at peace?

[Worker Status] Name: Cross Designation: Miner Specialist: Mining Professional Status: Beginner Monthly Maintenance Cost (MMC): 500 Credits Contract Payment: 75 Alpha Standard Core In addition to Cross, he hired two more Skeletons named [Gerard] and [Fulbert]. They were also Specialists in Mining, and they all possessed similar abilities. [Pickaxe Mastery], [Weak Point Strike], and [Stone Resistance] were all abilities necessary for Mining. With these three, he could mine enough [Faunite Crystal] for Alchemy.

Even more so, he could sell the excess outside for a big fortune. Arthur's eyes shone with overwhelming greed. Following which, he ordered Dolph to lead these three to the mining chamber where they had found the core. He gave a clear command to the Miner Skeletons regarding their job as he showed them the Faunite Crystal. As usual, the Skeletons did not affirm his command. However, he had enough experience to know they would do their job perfectly. Now, he had to decide what to do with the materials.

With the current materials, he could only hire one Skeleton that he had already planned earlier, which was Errol the Cook. Since the meat harvested from the Ant was overwhelming, the pile of cubes that currently stood was more than enough to contract Errol. However, Arthur thought for a while if any other profession Skeleton was urgently required now. That Skeleton could be hired using the Meat Material, because a Cook was currently not needed at that Master Status.

He considered a few other professions he might need. An Alchemy Skeleton came to mind, but he doubted he could acquire a high-status one using only Alpha-standard meat, so he quickly dismissed the idea. Besides, he shouldn't hesitate to spend the meat. The pile was massive—far too large for his current skeletons to carry with them. Spending the materials now would significantly ease the burden of storing and transporting it all.

Furthermore, hiring a Master Status Skeleton would bring him one step closer to completing the First Quest. Currently, his roster consisted of: 9 Beginner Status Skeletons: Bathory, Antrae, Brog, Gere, Sheba, Zero, Cross, Gerard, and Fulbert 1 Intermediate Status Skeleton: Maan 1 Expert Status Skeleton: Dolph Out of the 41 skeletons required for the quest, he had hired 11 in total—or at least 10, if he excluded Bathory.

Since that skeleton had been destroyed, he wondered whether its contract still counted toward the quest's progression. Ultimately, it didn't matter; he would hire plenty more sooner or later. By hiring a Master like Errol, the difficulty of the quest would plummet from Hard to Easy. Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators! With his decision made, Arthur willed the contract into existence.

Instantly, a large portion of the stacked meat cubes vanished into thin air. Even then, the remaining pile of harvested meat was enormous. He had more than enough left over to hire a few additional skeletons that required meat as their contract payment. [Contract Payment Successful] [Worker Status] Name: Errol Designation: Cook Specialist: Steak Professional Status: Master Monthly Maintenance Cost (MMC): 12, 000 Credits [More Details...] Arthur clicked for more details and saw a list of skills far exceeding the mere three abilities typical of Beginner Skeletons: [Meat Appraisal], [Steak Mastery], [Seasoning Mastery], [Grill Mastery], [Perfect Sear], [Smoke Infusion], and [Perfect Doneness]. That was a lot of abilities, for sure. However, as a Master in its Professional Status, it made perfect sense that the Skeleton came with more than double the skills of a Beginner or Intermediate worker.

The recipes the Skeleton could cook numbered over fifty; it truly lived up to its title as a Master. [Herb-Crusted Roast], [Crown Roast], [Soul Braise], [Smoked Steak] —the list stretched on and on. Now, he could finally understand why higher-status Skeletons demanded such staggering Contract Payments. He summoned his new worker, and a pristine-looking Skeleton stepped out of the magic diagram. Just by looking at it, Arthur could sense an immense poise in the way it stood.

Fittingly, it wore a tall chef's hat and a spotless white apron. The atmosphere it exuded was so intense that it felt as if Arthur were the one working under the Skeleton, rather than the other way around. Its authoritative aura alone was enough to make him feel like a lowly kitchen laborer, but he quickly shook off the strange sensation.

"Errol, jump for me," Arthur commanded, just to check whether his authority worked on this new worker. Without any hesitation, the Skeleton jumped. Even mid-air, it maintained its distinguished, poised posture, which looked incredibly strange.

"Errol, please prepare lunch for me. Choose any recipe you like." Arthur was famished, which was why he had ordered the Skeleton to cook a steak. He didn't have any spices for the meat, but it didn't matter; just a plain steak seared over a fire would be enough to satisfy his hunger. However, before he could resign himself to eating a bland meal, Errol summoned a large hard-case out of nowhere and opened it. Inside, Arthur saw all kinds of utensils, knives, and other necessary cooking items.

Soon, the Skeleton pulled out a tiny stove and ignited it. It seemed to work magically, without the need for cooking gas or firewood. Once the burner was ready, Errol placed a thick skillet over the flame. As the pan heated up, the chef selected a fine cut of Ant meat and began to season it. To Arthur's surprise, the Skeleton had come equipped with its own basic seasoning ingredients, like salt, pepper, and animal fat for greasing the skillet. A Master Skeleton was truly superior to the others.

He realized he should aim to hire more Master or even Grandmaster Skeletons in the future; the sheer convenience was undeniable. Within ten minutes, the massive steak was ready, and a mouth-watering aroma permeated the surroundings. If his other Skeletons had been ordinary pets, like dogs or domestic animals, they would have come running the moment they smelled the cooking meat. Fortunately, they didn't need to eat, so they simply continued their gathering work, which was now almost finished.

Meanwhile, the meal was ready. The Chef Skeleton retrieved a small serving plate, transferred the perfectly cooked steak onto it, and pulled a fork and knife from its hard-case. With a highly professional flourish, Errol served Arthur his lunch. Arthur instinctively swallowed the saliva pooling in his mouth. Between the incredible aroma of the steak and the fact that he hadn't eaten all day, he was practically drooling.

Unable to wait a second longer, he sat on a nearby rock, picked up his knife, and sliced into the meat. Instantly, a beautifully juicy, red interior was revealed. He skewered a piece with his fork and eagerly popped it into his mouth. Arthur had never been to a fancy steakhouse to eat an expensive meal, but he knew he had never tasted anything like this in his entire life. The meat practically melted in his mouth, a testament to the impeccable cooking and the high-quality cut.

It was a truly heaven-defying steak, proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Skeleton was indeed a Master of its craft.