CH 14

Three weeks after he got Ray out of the picture, Zel who was wearing casual white shirt and brown shorts was sitting on a blanket in the Green Woods while helping Emilia who was wearing a plain white dress in preparing their lunch. They brought out two pairs of utensils, a pair of plates and three varieties of food. Everything was cooked by Emilia based on what Zel's description of the food he likes.

"First food of the day! Tada!"

Emilia took out a tupperware the size of a shoe box and Zel couldn't help but sweat a little. He had promised himself to finish everything and doing so turned out to make it a side quest. He knew that even with mana on his side, finishing this picnic would be harder than anything he had ever faced before.

"You said you liked pasta, so I made you Spaghetti Bolognese! My own recipe that's based on Italian flavors. I put a little bit more cheese on top cause you said you liked that."

The moment Emilia opened the lunchbox, Zel knew that he made a mistake.

'Easy.'

The dish she presented had smell reminiscent to how it was prepared by her then. It was only when he saw it if front of him that he knew he was wrong about it being too much and might even be too little. He tried to use his fork to get some on his plate but was stopped immediately by another fork.

"Hold up! I still have more to show you. Don't get too hasty!"

Though she was not happy at being interrupted, the look of hunger that Zel was showing was enough to make the work she did to put all this together worth it. She browsed the web for the most basic recipes she could find so she can learn the essentials of cooking these dishes and built up recipes to suit Zel's taste. The next recipe was made to complement the Bolognese, so she wanted him to see all of them before digging in.

"I made this when I was making the Bolognese and thought about how much you like eating bread. Presenting: Parmesan Garlic Bread!"

Zel was now drooling from hunger, he didn't care about manners as he tried to use his secret weapon. He smiled at Emilia with the now trademark smile which caused her to flinch for a moment before composing herself.

" Ahem. Take it easy tiger, this is the last one anyway. What's going to make it so that a belly hurting due to eating heavy food gets better? Tada, it's our dessert: Red Velvet cupcakes!" Emilia gave Zel a face full of smiles as she took out a couple of glasses and filled them with water.

"Can I try them now?"

"Wait, I'll fill your plate up for you." Emilia took the plate from Zel who was watching her every move. She used a large fork to scoop up some bolognese and looked at Zel's reaction to confirm whether he thinks it's enough.

Zel shook his head vigorously and Emilia put some more. Zel was still shaking his head and Emilia just continued to follow through until she heard Zel yell.

"Stop! Perfect!"

Emilia was happy to serve Zel and see that he was willing to eat her cooking. This was her first time cooking for him after all and first impressions always last long. She didn't realize it herself but the plate was practically towering with bolognese. A portion that is usually seen served at a restaurant with the tag 'family size' written over it.

"Delicious! Give me some of the bread too." Zel devoured that plate like a thirsty man finding water. He was halfway through the whole thing while Emilia was just half a normal person's portion in.

The bread was now held with the left hand while the other hand was twisting the fork to deliver the pasta to the mouth. A combination that screams classic was now being hailed as the 'best in the world' by Zel's stomach. So good that he needed seconds even after that massive portion was handed over earlier.

"Slow down, there's plenty more if you're so hungry." Emilia was not expecting him to finish it so quickly. She was not even finished with her plate but he had already finished his.

'We might have trouble with planning a food budget later.'

Still, she gladly filled it up again until both of them were finished. Well, she was full but he seemed to be satisfied by what he ate. Though he was a little too enthusiastic when he used the remaining bread to scoop out the sauce.

"Was it good?" Though she had expectations, she still wanted his confirmation. If he did say that it wasn't, she didn't mind doing her best to improve her cooking.

"Good? It was the best! I want you to cook me breakfast, lunch and dinner for the rest of my life!" Zel enthusiastically reached for Emilia's hands and placed them on his chest while giving her a smile. Emilia was thrilled at the approval and kissed him with glee. He kissed her back while keeping her balanced so that they won't accidentally lie down outside the blanket.

"I don't know about that, I only have these three recipes you know?" Emilia was afraid of finding out the results of her hard work today as she had really no prior experience. Her eyes lowered in embarrassment.

"Then I'll have them every meal! If something is this good, there is no way I'll get sick of it." Zel saw her down and gave her chin a little push so he can look her in the eyes with a grave expression on his face.

"Huuu... You sure can talk you playboy, how many girls fell for that one?" Emilia couldn't help but laugh at his antics, throwing a light punch on his chest that he felt a need to tease her.

"Only one."

It was of course, immediately followed by another punch in the chest.

" Smack ."

"Hey! I'm holding her right now." Zel took her lips to change the topic. She seemed so easy to tease that he couldn't help but do it every chance he gets. He knows she loves to be complimented so he showered he with them everyday. The only reason she doesn't find them annoying is because he always did it when she wouldn't expect it.

The two lied down in each other's embrace while only taking nature as their music. She lied on his chest while he placed one arm over his head while playing with her hair with the other one. His heart beat calmed her heart while her sweet fragrance calmed his. This was a moment they hold dear, but moments don't last forever.

"You know. Doing good things should mean getting a reward, right?"

"Oh yeah, what's my reward then?" Emilia left her position on his chest to cheekily look up at Zel. He had a pondering look on his face which caused her to frown because she knew that he was going to tease her again.

'Just kiss me you buffoon!'

"I've got something in mind, but I don't know if you would like me to do it" Zel placed a finger just below his chin while looking towards the sky. Never letting his eyes land on her.

"Then don't do it." Emilia was not about to be led by the nose again so she hurriedly shut him down.

"I also don't know if you would ever let me go if I ever did do it."

"Then do it."

Only to come back around.

"Hmmm. I don't know…" Zel switched their positions so that Emilia was now below him while she is looking up at his face. He held her face with one hand while using the other to prop himself up. Emilia used her hands to wrap around his neck and pulling it close to her.

"Easy there, tigress." Zel stopped just a few millimeters away from Emilia when she heard him call her out. She was so startled that she let go of his neck and he lost balance from the absence of the force she exerted before.

"Ow." Zel rubbed the elbow that got scrapped a little when he fell to the ground, but strangely, not a single scratch was left after he did.

"Sorry, are you ok?"

"Don't worry about it." Zel fell to the side because he didn't want to fall on Emilia and hurt her. She knew this because he practically punched the ground just to get out of her way. She saw his blistered hand and felt bad about it.

"So yeah, I know you want to think that me kissing you is a reward. But I don't want it to be like that."

"You don't want to kiss me?" Emilia knew that's not what he meant but times like this where she can tease him were rare. She leaned in but stopped herself when he was just as close as he was before he fell. Though she was surprised when he took a quick peck at her lips.

"Hey! That's cheating!"

"I love kissing you, but I don't want you to think it's something you have to earn." Zel said this as he placed his hands on her lips. He didn't want anything to put their affections on the back lines, no matter how important it would seem at the time.

"I understand." Emilia gave him a nod, knowing exactly what he meant. She knows what he thinks after all.

"Well, maybe you do, maybe you don't. But the matter is still not resolved."

"What matter?" Emilia was about to think of an answer when she felt a pair of hands moving from the blanket towards her body and it couldn't help but tense up.

"The matter of your reward."

"My reward?" Emilia gave a visible gulp as she looked at where his hands were going. She closed her eyes when she felt Zel's hands about to reach higher, more intimate places.

"I have something I wanted to give you a long time ago, but I think it's about time I gave it to you."

Zel took out a vial of liquid that glowed blue out of nowhere. It's bottle was made with intricate patterns on it while the cap was a wooden cork. It looked like an expensive liquor bottle.

"What is it?" Emilia who felt the hands leave her body disappointedly opened her eyes only to be greeted with a bottle.

"You want to drink right now?"

"I promise you that you will never have something like this anywhere else!"

Her disappointed face looked so cute that Zel couldn't help but smile. This Emilia was different from the one he knew and yet so similar in many ways.

"You're not going to drug me right?"

"I won't do something like that! Besides..." Zel held her face in his hands and placed his forehead against hers. He closed his eyes while thinking about his next words while Emilia only patiently smiled.

"I don't want to lose you like that, I don't want to lose you ever!" Emilia's disappointed face was replaced by one of happiness as she watched his very blank face speaking in such a serious tone.

" Pfft . You corny boy! Fine, let me taste it." Emilia took the bottle and was about to use the glasses they used to pour one for him and herself.

"Here, just use the bottle. Don't use a cup."

"Don't you want a taste?"

"It won't be as effective if you don't drink it all."

"Are you sure it's not a drug?" Emilia's suspicion was growing. Seeing that his thoughts were still purely for her, she had no reason to doubt but asked anyway.

"Yes! Just do it!"

"Fine, fine." Emilia unscrewed the cork and felt like the surrounding became calmer. She saw Zel smiling at her with his trademark smile and she smiled back while downing the bottle in one go.

"Oh God!" Emilia was now looking at Zel with a flushed face as she held her stomach. The thoughts got louder but since only Zel was there, it wasn't anything she can't handle. Still, though the new feeling was foreign to her, it was quite pleasant. Like her empty stomach was being filled just enough that she was hungry and full at the same time.

"I'm telling you it's not a drug!"

"But why is my body feeling so good?"

"Take it easy and just breathe slowly. Good."

Emilia followed Zel as he told her what to do. Her body now felt lighter than it used to, maving movement feel 'unclogged'. The more she followed his instructions, the more relaxed she felt. Eventually, he asked her to come closer to him and he hugged her while placing her head on his chest.

"Take a rest for now, I'll keep you safe."

"Mmm..."

Zel sighed in relief when he saw that she didn't blow up or something. He had read how other rankers had tested it with other people but you can't say that it would work on everyone. The dream has always been a place where he could do as he pleased without regard for other people, but his morality never allowed him to take advantage of that fact to hurt others. Even if they would vanish without a trace afterward.

The forums was basically an information dump when he spends a few months in the dream. He would read the information with all of his time, even neglecting to meet up with Emilia and his family in the dream.

'But that's not something that matters to me, the people I care about are here. Not in the dream"

Zel's been trying to separate the reality of his life with the possible reality of his dreams. He was getting too complacent with how he should live his life by basically copying over what he wanted to happen and changing what he didn't. It would have been perfect if not for the fact that it seemed less genuine when he does it here.

But that doesn't mean that he would stop using it, just that he would rely on it less. Even his knowledge about a possibility in Emilia's future would help him to completely avoid undeserved pain.

The Emilia he knew didn't cook before she was told about her condition. She told him she did it because 'at least you get to have a family meal everyday, even if it's only the two of us'. Zel never felt bothered by the fact that she couldn't have kids, especially when it meant more time for just them. Though he did know that she felt more than a little depressed about it, with how much she wanted to babysit their niece and nephews.

'I was helpless then, but I got it fixed before it even happened with the thing I I got from the Store Function yesterday.'

The ever useful Forums Function had given him enough information regarding the merchandise available in the Store Function to know that they have miraculous abilities that you won't be able to explain with science. At least not yet.

'Love Potion # 9 - a tonic used by the elves to ensure pregnancy. Used by applying the potion over the male's member and have it serve as a lubricant if the problem is the male or consuming the potion if it is the female.'

This potion liberated Emilia from the future he once saw. He wanted her to be happy which makes him happy. It was enough to prepare the item now so that he won't have to be worried about finding it in the future.

He checked his status when he was that Emilia fell asleep.

[#0616 Zel Huertazuela

Age: 22       Race: Human

Gender: Male   Class: N/A

Vessel Limit: (25/25)   Level: 3 (500/500)

Exp: 50

Class: N/A

Mana: 150(+650)

Titles :

Prophet - A user with the power to see through the lens and gaze at the fogs of time.

*Unlocks Clairvoyance

Rebirth - A user who has had met with death yet still lives.

*Gives +5 in Endurance and Will Power

Stats:

Strength - 4(+5) Endurance - 4(+7)

Agility - 3(+7) Will Power - 3(+5)

Intelligence - 3(+13) Charisma - 3

Dexterity - 3(+2) Luck - 0(+1)

Stat Points Available: 5

-For reference, a regular mortal human has a baseline of 1 in each stat. Each succeeding point in stats showcase the user's capability in comparison to that.]

[Skills:

[2] - Unarmed Combat - Level 2 (Exp 98.22%)

- The ability to fight with only the use of the body with mastery. Gives the user +2 in Strength, Agility and Endurance.

- Active Ability: Grants + (Level) Strength, Agility and Endurance while fighting.

Requirements: Unarmed [Mana Cost: 10 to activate and 1/second to keep active]

[3] - Cold Weapon Specialist - Level 3 (Exp 0%)

- The ability to fight with the aid of cold weapons with mastery. Gives the user +3 in Strength and Agility.

- Active Ability: Grants + (Level) Strength and Agility while fighting.

Requirements: Armed with cold weapon [Mana Cost: 20 to activate and 1/second to keep active]

[2] - Hot Weapon Specialist - Level 2 (Exp 15.5%)

- The ability to fight with the use of the hot weapons with mastery. Gives the user +2 in Dexterity and Agility

- Active Ability: Grants + (Level) Dexterity and Agility while fighting.

Requirements: Armed with hot weapon [Mana Cost: 20 to activate and 1/second to keep active]

[3] - Basic Mana Storage - Level 3 (Exp 0%)

- The ability to observe and handle mana. Gives the user + 6 in Intelligence

- Active Ability: None

Requirements: None

[2] - Basic Mana Control - Level 2 (Exp 0%)

- The ability to manipulate and manifest mana. Gives the user + 4 in Intelligence

- Active Ability: Imbuing - Impart an item with limited mana. [Mana Cost: 50/Cast]

Requirements: None

Skill Points Available: 3 pt.]

[Equipment: (3/3)

-Basic Storage Ring

-Scholar's Bungle (+3 intelligence)

-System Watch 1.0

Reputation:

Kanada - 1

Talents:

[15] - Clairvoyance (Future Sight) - Blue

- The ability to participate in a future that ceases to be after death.

- Active Ability: Future Passage - Take part in a possible future.

Requirements: Asleep [Mana Cost: 100 to activate and 2/year to keep active]

Skills and Talents Available:

[2]Basic Mana Regeneration - Level 1 - 3 pt.

[5]Basic Fire Control - Level 1 - 10 pt.

[2]Basic Civil Engineering - Level 1 - 2 pt.

[1]Basic First Aid - Level 1 - 1 pt.

[1]Basic Cooking - Level 1 - 1 pt.

[1]Basic Singing - Level 1 - 1 pt.

[1]Basic Drawing - Level 1 - 1 pt.

[1]Basic Weapon Crafting - Level 1 - 2 pt.

[3]Basic Language - Level 1 - 4 pt.

Mastery Points Available: 1 pt.]