40 Roland

[You have created a Magic Dish]!

"Yes! Haha! Finally, I managed to do it!"

Nex threw his fist in the air as he stared excitedly at the meal that was inside the pot.

[Unnamed Dish(Superior) LV : 15]

*Upon consumption :

-All stats +20

-Dragon-Kin Will (Passive) : For the next five minutes, the consumer will receive a medium increase in resistance against negative mental effects. The consumer will also have greater chance to continue moving normally even under the effects of physical debuffs.

*Duration : 30 minutes

*This dish will only have an effect if the consumer is in his First Awakening and is at least at the same level as the dish.

*Note : This is the first Magic Dish created by the new Mystic Gourmet Nexus. It is made from Earth Drake meat along with several rare ingredients and spices.

[Would you like to name this dish?]

"Yes! I will call it Stubborn Drake Stew!"

He declared the name of the dish without any second thoughts.

[Congratulations! You have successfully named this dish to "Stubborn Drake Stew"!]

"This is delicious!"

Nex's attention was no longer on the system's message as he was completely immersed on enjoying his own dish.

"Haha! At last! This is what I was talking about when I said that I wanted to eat fantasy world cooking!"

He celebrated with tears in his eyes. Finally, one of the things that bothered him the most back in Perias is now a thing of the past.

Before he even came to Perias, he had always dreamed of eating dishes that one would only read and see in fantasy world novels and movies. Oftentimes in those stories, they featured cool ingredients or special ways of cooking. This had made him curious and he became very eager to experience such. Thus, when he came to that world he was very expectant.

His dreams were crushed to bits and pieces upon arriving on that place.

The culinary quality of the residents was so low that it was almost, if not the same as that of cavemen! Not to mention how they cook their meals, the total number of different spices that he saw throughout his stay there couldn't be more than fifteen!

Special ingredients? What a joke! All they knew was meat from strong monsters that were always grilled. Special bitter plants that increase one's power level were always taken raw or mashed together with other similar plants and special rocks or demon parts that were normally inedible.

Now, it was different. Ever since Nex tasted the world food back in the Spring Village, he realized that even though this world has a lot of similarities with Perias, the people and culture are not included!

Thus, his desire to experience the leisure fantasy life he has always dreamt about ever since he was a teen came back to life.

And so, for the last three and a half days, as long as he wasn't traveling or collecting ingredients, he would find a quiet and monster-free area so he could cook. His goal is to increase the proficiency of the cooking skills that he has.

His determination is something to be admired. Even if he couldn't find such environment for learning, he just created one quiet and monster-free area for himself. No problem at all!

Although he couldn't see the skill proficiency level because he was in Master Mode, he could still discern his improvements.

Thanks to the countless years of training his mana usage and skill, he could very well know that his proficiency in the skills was increasing in a fast pace. The fact that he just succeeded in cooking a Magic Dish has proved this.

"I am awesome."

He never forgot to praise his own self as he laid back and relaxed. It was one of the better moments he had inside this game.

But his joy didn't last long.

He suddenly heard the sound of a small creature closing in on him. The speed was slightly fast and it seems to be followed by another three sets of footsteps that were made by larger and louder creatures.

"Strange..."

Nex stood up immediately and pulled out his sword.

Normally, he would have ignored this as he can deduce from the noises that they made that none of them was above First Awakening. However, the smaller creature had attracted his attention.

It lacked presence.

To be exact, only a tiny part of it can be felt and what can be felt was weird and different from that of normal creatures.

Yet, it also felt slightly familiar to Nex.

It didn't take long for a small figure of a kid to appear and run directly towards Nex. The kid didn't say anything but hid behind him.

"Hmmmn?"

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He observed the small kid curiously.

The boy was around eight years old with bright azure hair and eyes. He was a little dirty and on the thinner side but if he was cleaned up, he would probably be extremely cute and good looking. He could even rival the looks of Eddie and Iris!

These physical traits weren't really important to Nex. What was striking to him aside from this boy's presence is the capability that this kid is showing.

Despite his young age, the boy was already at the peak of Unawakened stage! Even more surprising is that even if he was still at that stage, the movements that he showed could be compared to those that have already gone through their First Awakening!

"Haha! Found you, you little piece of sh*t!"

Nex didn't even get to interrogate the kid. A vulgar voice was heard and three men dressed in bandit clothes with vicious expressions appeared. The one in the middle had his finger pointed at the little kid as he shouted.

"You think that you could hide behind this weakling? If you come here now, I will only take his arm!"

Despite the threat from the bandit, the kid didn't come out of his hiding place. He instead looked at Nex with pleading gaze, as if he knew very well that this man could defeat those three.

'This kid is interesting.'

Nex gave him a small smile before rubbing the kid's head.

"Hey man, look!"

The bandit on the left side suddenly pointed on the pot.

"The food inside that pot is glowing! I think it is one of those Magic Dishes that increases your power!"

"You're right! If we bring this back to the boss along with the brat, he will surely gift us a woman from that little animal village!"

The bandit on the right noticed the pot as well and he was grinning widely as he announced his plan.

"Excuse me?"

Nex lifted an eyebrow.

"Don't you think you need to ask permission from the one who owns the food?"

"Pft! Haha!"

Immediately, all three bandits broke into hysterical laughter.

"Did you hear that?"

The bandit on the middle had a hard time keeping his breath.

"You fool! We are bandits and you're just a weakling! If we want your crappy food, then we don't need your permission!"

Crappy food.

"Oh?"

Nex's voice was chilly enough to freeze a mammoth. Even the kid froze in place and shivered.

"So you're saying that my food is crappy, huh?"

"Hmpf! Yeah, I did. So what?"

Having more brawn that brain, the bandit didn't notice that he sealed his own fate. He even dared to continue speaking.

"You are just a nobody! You probably just stole this food from a cheap place and didn't make it---"

"That's it!"

Nex ignored the three bandits that were frozen by his sudden release of killing intent and turned to the kid. He crouched to be in the young boy's eye level and smiled at him.

"Listen, pal, I will take care of them for you but I need you to promise me something. Keep your eyes closed until I say so, okay?"

The kid stared at Nex deeply with a pair of piercing azure eyes. He nodded and with a shy voice he added his compliance.

"Okay."

"You champ! Now close your eyes."

Nex rubbed his head again.

"Don't think you can ignore us, you bastard!"

The moment the kid closed his eyes, the bandit who was in the middle appeared behind Nex. He swung his blade down towards the back of the silver-haired man who was still crouching.

'[Intermediate Enchantment]'

*Clang!*

"H-how!"

Instead of hitting Nex and killing him with the blade, the next scene appeared.

Nex turned around. His speed didn't seem fast at all but he was in front of the bandit, holding the blade that should end his life in between his fingers.

"The thing I find funny about bandits…"

Nex opened his mouth while he stood up with the blade still trapped between his fingers. The bandit tried to move it away but it wouldn't budge in the slightest, no matter how much he tried.

"…Is that they will rob and kill the weak but run away from the strong once they see them."

*Crack*

"What the hell?"

The bandit freaked out when he saw his blade begin to crack and break. This blade should be more durable than iron and yet it was treated like a piece of thin wood in the hand of this man.

"And yet they fail to recognize the strong. Should it be written on one's forehead for them to know?"

"Attack him!"

The bandit yelled to his peers desperately but before they were able to get close, Nex swung his sword.

They didn't get to defend or flee, don't even consider offense. An arc of light passed through them and beheaded them all.

Nex looked at the headless corpses.

'Although I would have wanted to teach them a lesson or two, it seems that this kid's village is in trouble.'

He then waved his hand at the bloody area.

'[Cleaning Water]'

As his hand moved, a magic circle was formed. Shining water came out from it and washed all the blood from the place, making it less gory.

He then turned to the kid and rubbed his head.

"You can open your eyes now."

The kid opened his eyes.

Upon seeing the dead bandits, his face became pale. He turned back but unlike the other kids of his age, he managed to hold on and not faint, scream or become afraid. He then looked at Nex with a pleading gaze that said everything.

"You want me to save your village, right?"

Nex smiled at the kid who was nodding in response. He already knew that the kid was going to ask him to do so and because of that, he showed him the corpses in order to prepare this young soul for what might probably happen in the near future.

"Okay then but before we go, may I know your name? Mine is Nex, by the way."

"…"

The kid stared at him shyly but in the end, he managed to gather enough courage to give him his hand and with a small voice, he replied.

"Roland."

'This kid is even more shy and wary than Eddie! He probably had a rough past, as well.'

Nex mentally made a conclusion before smiling again. Without giving Roland any time to do anything, he pulled him up and put him on his back in a piggyback position.

'Kids like him should learn to smile more.'

"Welcome to the Big Brother Nex Express!"

His voice was mechanical, imitating that of a robot's so it was quite funny but it stunned Roland completely. The little one didn't expect any of these to happen at all!

"Destination, Roland's village. Goal, to save it along with the trusty assistant Roland! In order for this express to set off, you must hold on tight and say the magic word, go!"

The young one didn't do or say anything at first but afterwards, he realized that Nex won't move unless he said the "magic word". Burying his completely red face, he opened his mouth to say those words. Unknown even to his own young self, the corners of his mouth curled upwards a little.

"G-go…"

"I didn't hear you! Say it louder!"

Roland's eyes became teary.

"Go…"

"What's that? I still can't hear you!"

"…Go already! You… big bully!"

'I am screwed.'

Nex began to sweat upon feeling the tears on his nape and back.

"Sorry!"

"Sorry!"

"I am going!"

"See, Big Brother is running already…"

"Stop crying!"

If someone were to pass the area in that particular time, they would see a speedy figure flashing by along with the voice of a young man trying to appease a crying kid.