Chương 67

The heavy stone doors of the Volcanic Salamander Labyrinth groaned as they pushed open. Rudra stepped out into the cool night air of the Ultina borderlands. He was covered head to toe in ash, and his clothes smelled like burnt rubber. He let out a long, tired breath and stretched his sore shoulders. Elysia was waiting under a large oak tree nearby. She stood up when she saw him, while Kratos stayed happily asleep inside her cape.

She looked at the soot on his face and the faint embers still trailing from his new boots.

"You actually cleared it alone."

"Yeah," Rudra sighed, walking over and flopping down on a thick log near her campfire.

"My arms feel like jelly, but the loot was worth it." He didn't waste any time resting. He opened his inventory, pulled out his heavy iron cauldron, and set it over the fire. Elysia crossed her arms.

"Are you really cooking right now? You just fought an entire dungeon."

"I have to," Rudra said. He looked at the faint purple veins showing near her collarbone.

"I've fed you nine Epic meals so far. We just need one more to finally cure that poison. And I just got the perfect ingredient." He pulled the [Salamander Lord's Heart Meat] out of his inventory. The moment the meat hit the open air, the campfire flared up. The meat was practically buzzing with heat. Elysia took a step back.

"Careful. That's basically a fire bomb. If you cook that wrong, it will blow up in your face."

"I know," Rudra nodded.

"I just have to cool it down." He grabbed his cooking knife. He chopped the spicy meat as fast as he could so the heat wouldn't build up. Then, he quickly tossed it into the pot along with some icy deep-water truffles and Sweet River-Kelp he found in the sunken temples. Finally, he sprinkled in a pinch of Epic Fire-Crystal Salt. He focused completely on the pot. He really wanted this to work. He was tired of seeing Elysia sick and hiding her pain. He just wanted her to be healthy again.

He stirred the broth until it turned a rich, golden color. It smelled amazing. Suddenly, a bright platinum light flashed from the pot. [A unique-rated item was produced, so all stats have permanently risen by +12 and reputation throughout the continent has risen by +300.] [You have successfully created 'Spicy Ocean-Heart Stew'!] [Rating: Unique] [- Instantly cures all known status ailments and poisons. - Permanently increases Max Health by +100 and Fire Resistance by +0. 1%.] Rudra grinned. He actually did it.

But the system messages kept coming. [You are the first player to cook a Unique-rated dish!] [You have acquired the Title: First Unique Maker] [First Unique Maker] The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. [- Dexterity +200] [Intermediate Cooking (Lv. 9) has leveled up to Advanced Cooking (Lv. 1)!] [You have acquired the Title: Chef Who Touches the Soul] [Chef Who Touches the Soul] [You have reached the pinnacle of culinary artistry before any other player. Your dishes transcend mere taste; they are a vessel for your spirit. - Skill [Empathic Cuisine] is generated. - Skill [Sage's Eye] is generated.] [Empathic Cuisine] [Passive] [People who eat your food will feel the exact emotions and intentions you had while cooking it] [Sage's Eye] [Active] [You can now see the flow of mana in ingredients, making it easy to remove impurities. Resource Consumption: None Skill Cooldown: None] The moment he got the title, Rudra's vision shifted.

When he looked at the leftover herbs in his inventory, he saw faint, glowing lines inside them. He could clearly see the good parts and the bad parts. It all suddenly made sense. [Your understanding of ingredients has broken your bottleneck!] [Beginner Alchemy (Lv. 9) has evolved to Intermediate Alchemy (Lv. 1)!] [Beginner Medicine Making (Lv. 9) has evolved to Intermediate Medicine Making (Lv. 1)!] [You are the first player to reach the Advanced tier in both a Combat and Production skill!] [The Title 'Forerunner of the Twin Paths' has been Enhanced!] [- Increases the skill acquisition and leveling rate of all skills by 20%. - Increases the growth rate of all stats by 20%.] Rudra blinked the messages away. The jump in his production skills felt great. He scooped a big serving of the hot stew into a wooden bowl and handed it to Elysia.

"Here," Rudra said.

"Eat up." Elysia took the bowl. Her hands were a little shaky from the cold poison in her system. She picked up a spoon, blew on the hot broth, and took a sip. Her eyes widened. Because of his new title, she didn't just taste the spicy meat and the salty kelp. She felt Rudra's honest, simple wish for her to get better. The warmth of the food spread through her chest, chasing away the cold feeling she had lived with for months. She wiped a quick tear from her eye and ate the rest of the bowl in a hurry.

When she finished, a bright light washed over her. The sickly pale color left her face. The dark purple veins on her neck faded away completely. [You have fed the patient 10 Epic-or-higher rated meals!] [Quest 'The Red Knight's Recovery' has been cleared.] Elysia stood up. She looked completely different. Her posture was straight, and she looked healthy and full of energy. She was finally back to her old self. She looked at Rudra, then drew her silver sword.

She knelt on one knee and pressed her fist to her chest in a standard knight's salute. She looked at Rudra, then drew her silver sword. She knelt on one knee and pressed her fist to her chest in a standard knight's salute.

"The poison is gone," Elysia said, a real smile forming on her face.

"Thank you, Rudra. My sword is yours. Where to next?" The moment she spoke the oath, a series of bright golden windows flooded Rudra's vision. [Affinity with 'Elysia' has reached the maximum!] [You can now recruit Elysia as your Knight!] [Warning: Elysia is a Named NPC possessing limitless potential in both Swordsmanship and Alchemy. Her future growth depends entirely on the support and direction of her liege. She must be raised properly to reach her absolute peak. If neglected, her talents will stagnate.] [As a Marquis of the Murray Kingdom, you have the authority to appoint up to 10 Knights. Currently appointed: 0/10.] [Would you like to accept Elysia as your Knight? (Y/N)] Rudra looked at the glowing text, a huge grin spreading across his face. He didn't even have to think about it. He tapped 'Yes'. [Elysia has officially become your first Knight!] [Your Charisma and Dignity stats have risen by 50.] Rudra closed the windows and looked down at the silver-haired knight.

He reached out and pulled her to her feet.

"First, we make it official," Rudra said, pointing to the new knight emblem appearing next to her name in his party window. Then, he looked out into the dark, uncharted woods of the Ultina Kingdom.

"Next, we have a lot of work to do. We need to find the remaining Ocean God Temples, and according to my new quest, we need to go hunt a Great Demon." Elysia's smile didn't waver. She just sheathed her sword with a sharp click.

"Understood. Let's go hunt a Great Demon."