32: Crisplet
It took Liane a little over an hour before she reached her twenty-second kill, going by the notifications I saw, and with it.
Notifications:
You have earned 100 bonus experience for a buff used in combat
You have earned 100 bonus experience for a buff used in combat
…
You have reached Level 15 in Arcane Chef
You have +2 unspent stat points
You have a new ability selection
Aw, no free ability this time around, I excitedly pulled up my ability selection.
Congratulations on Level 15!
Choose from the following options:
Mana Pan
Skill type: Active
The perfect tool does exist.
Allows you to create a pan of various sizes out of Mana.
Fiery-sous
Skill type: Active
Add some extra heat to the kitchen.
Allows you to call forth a fiery helper to assist in cooking.
Gourmand's Insight
Skill type: Active
Everyone has taste.
Identify your target’s favourite and most hated ingredients.
Flame Control
Skill type: Active
Feel the burn.
Able to control your cooking fires and coals, allowing you to get the precise heat.
The first thing I noticed was that I had lost Handle the Heat, which was slightly disappointing. But going over the options, I figured I probably wouldn’t have chosen it anyway.
Mana Pan was incredibly tempting. It would solve the equipment issues I was currently having. However, it would also be easy to fix that problem once we reached the city. Between that and Milo’s ability over stone, it wasn’t an unsolvable situation.
Fiery-sous was very interesting. It sounded almost like a summoning ability. According to the description, it called forth a helper—but it said “fiery helper,” and I wasn’t sure what that meant. I figured I might need to ask Milo.
Next was Gourmand’s Insight, and honestly, I couldn’t see much use for it. I could just ask when I needed to know something. It seemed like a very odd thing to be a skill.
Lastly, there was Flame Control again. After reading through the cookbook I purchased, I could absolutely see the appeal. So many recipes required a consistent and precise temperature. But would it really be worth picking?
“Hey Milo, would you be able to give me some advice on new skills?” I asked.
Milo shuffled closer. “Absolutely. What’s up?”
I decided to read off all four options to him and share my thoughts.
“Hmm, well, Gourmand’s Insight isn’t as simple as you think. You couldn’t exactly ask Sable what her favourite food is, could you? In most cooking situations, you won’t know exactly what people like or dislike, and you can’t always ask,” Milo explained.
“So you think I should take that one?” I asked, confused. I hadn’t really considered any of that before.
Milo laughed. “I didn’t say that, no. Even with that knowledge, I agree the Mana Pan would be nice, but it’s not overly beneficial. The Fiery-sous though—a summoning ability, even if restricted to cooking—seems incredibly helpful. Plus, it implies it’s fiery. That could mean temperament or temperature. If it’s the latter, that might make the last skill pointless.” He sounded deep in thought.
I hadn’t really considered the implications of Gourmand’s Insight. It was true. Wait, could I know what the cat’s favourite food was? I quickly scratched that thought from my mind. Hopefully, we wouldn’t run into it again—we were long gone anyway.
“Okay, I know what I’m going to pick,” I said, before selecting Fiery-Sous
Congratulations! you have gained the ability Fiery-Sous
Immediately, a small burst of fire erupted next to me. I jumped back in fright as the ball of flame settled. In its place was something... I didn’t quite know how to describe it—a fist-sized fire creature.
This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.
Milo looked on in awe.
“Wow, that’s a little fire elemental. I’ve only seen those in books,” he said, leaning in for a closer look.
I pulled up the skill information, worried it would quickly drain my mana or something. But then something very odd appeared..
Fiery-Sous (Active)
Crisplet
Level: 1
Experience: 0/100
Abilities:
Flame Control
Fire Immunity
Fire Conjuration
Add some extra heat to the kitchen.
“Crisplet?” I said.
As I spoke, the little flame elemental turned toward me, letting out a small burst of sparks before floating over, bobbing up and down as it hovered. It said nothing, just hovered in front of me.
“Um, I think its name is Crisplet, and it looks like it has its own level and abilities?” I said, while Milo continued inspecting the little elemental.
“How curious. And it just stays out?” Milo asked.
“I guess so? It’s not using any mana to stay out right now. Er, hold on—let me try to dismiss it,” I replied, attempting to dismiss the summon.
Would you like to dismiss Crisplet for 100 mana? Yes/No
I selected no. Woah, that was expensive just to dismiss it.
“Well, I can dismiss it, but it will cost me 100 mana,” I said. As I spoke, a little spark flew out of the elemental and hit me in the face.
“Ow! Hey, what did you do that for?” I said, rubbing the spot.
Milo burst out laughing. “It has a name. Fire elementals are known to be prideful,” he explained.
At that, a tiny burst of bright yellow sparks appeared around the elemental as it started to move away—exploring, maybe?
“Will Crisplet be okay just wandering around like that? Won’t stuff catch on fire?” I asked, a little worried, watching it head toward the campfire and catch the attention of everyone else in the room.
“No, I wouldn’t worry. Of all fire creatures, they have the greatest control. Does it say what abilities it has?” Milo asked.
I pulled up the information again—I'd forgotten some details in all the excitement—and repeated the abilities to Milo.
“Interesting. So, yeah, as expected, it has full control over fire. And it seems to be essentially a newly spawned fire elemental, not one summoned from elsewhere.” Milo leant back, deep in thought. “Your class gets more and more interesting,” he said.
My mind immediately started racing with possibilities. “Wait, do you think it could fight for me?” I asked excitedly.
Milo laughed. “Normally, a fire elemental would be able to fight, yes. But I suspect that because of the nature of your class, this little elemental won’t do any fighting.”
Just then, there was a burst of sparks at the campfire as Crisplet dove into the coals, sending a cloud of ash and sparks into the air. I saw Jordan and Saddie move back a little from the fire.
“It’s okay, Crisplet is my new summon—companion?” I said, trying to ease their nerves. The little flame elemental seemed to be playing in the fire, flinging puffs of coal gleefully into the air.
I couldn’t help but laugh as it settled comfortably among the coals. Jen had come over and sat next to us by now, watching with rapt attention and giggling at Crisplet’s antics.
After a short while, it seemed to find a spot it liked and settled among the coals. It was quite a sight—the coals around it would brighten and dim rhythmically, like breathing.
I spent a long time just watching before finally going to sleep. Liane hadn’t stopped hunting either. I couldn’t help but feel I’d wake up to another bag full of creatures.
The next morning, when I woke up, the first thing I noticed was that the fire hadn’t lost any heat. In fact, it looked like it was still burning at the same rate as last night, which surprised me—I’d figured the coals would have burned out by now.
I walked over to the fire and saw Crisplet still nestled in its spot. The coals had built up around it, almost like three small walls encircling the little elemental.
Pulling out the leftover porridge from yesterday’s breakfast, I saw there was still enough for at least one more meal for everyone. I topped it up with some fresh fruit and a little more milk to keep it from drying out, then placed it next to the coals.
My movements seemed to rouse the little flame elemental. Crisplet floated toward me and the pot I had set down. I wasn’t entirely sure what to do with the little guy, but the skill said he—or she, or it?—was my helper, right? So, I decided to explain what I was doing.
“Morning, Crisplet. I’m heating breakfast for everyone. It’s already cooked from yesterday, but it just needs to warm up again.”
I felt a little ridiculous talking to a fire elemental that didn’t speak back, but it had seemed to understand us yesterday.
To my surprise, the little elemental floated closer, and a wisp of flame—an arm?—extended to touch the pot. In less than thirty seconds, the porridge was gently simmering.
“Woah, that’s amazing, Crisplet!” I said in awe, then quickly added, “Er—but not so hot. We can probably leave it now; it doesn’t need any more heating.”
Crisplet glowed a little brighter, almost proudly, before drifting back to its place in the fire.
This was certainly going to change things. Then the thought struck me—how was I supposed to travel with it? There was no way Crisplet could keep up.
I headed outside to say good morning to Milo and Jen, who had been on second watch as usual. I figured I could also ask for advice on what to do with Crisplet during travel.
What I didn’t notice was the little fire elemental darting after me. As I stepped out into the cool morning air, I spotted Milo sitting in his usual place.
“Morning,” I muttered, stretching. Before I could even sit down, an orange blur zipped past my leg with a tiny burst of sparks. I nearly jumped out of my skin before my brain caught up with what I’d just seen—Crisplet had rushed past me to explore outside.
“Uh, Crisplet? Don’t wander off too far!” I called out, not sure if it would understand me.
Another little burst of sparks answered me. I guess that was a yes? Shaking my head, I dropped onto the stone bench Milo had just summoned for me.
“Crisplet is definitely going to make things interesting,” I muttered.
Milo chuckled. “Honestly, it’s more intelligent than I expected. The higher-level elementals are sapient. They don’t like other races, mind you, but they tolerate some. It’s not unheard of for them to communicate.”
“While I remember,” I said, leaning forward, “I was going to ask how you think we should handle travel with it. It definitely won’t keep up, and it’s way too expensive if I have to dismiss it every time, right?”
Milo stroked his beard, thinking. “I’m not sure. But have you tried asking Crisplet? It clearly understands a lot of what we’re saying. Maybe it has a way to keep up.”
I froze, then groaned inwardly. Why hadn’t I thought of that? I’d been treating Crisplet like an object, not a living creature that could actually understand me. Shame burned in my chest.
I let out a deep sigh, and Milo seemed to pick up on where my mind was going.
“Don’t beat yourself up,” he said. “Having an elemental is rare—even for the summoner class. I doubt you’ll find many instructions on what to do. But judging by that dismissal cost, I’d say you’re not supposed to dismiss it unless absolutely necessary. Just ask it questions. If you get answers, great. If not, we’ll figure it out.”
I nodded, watching Crisplet zip around the clearing, examining plants and trees. Every so often, a leaf or piece of bark would burst into harmless flame.
As the sun rose, Jen emerged from the treeline. She passed by Crisplet and gave it a wave. Another quick burst of sparks shot out in response.
“I guess that’s how it says hello,” Milo said with a chuckle.
We headed back inside, and I called out, “Crisplet, we’re going in for breakfast. You coming?”
A moment later, the little ball of fire came racing after us and zipped inside. I laughed. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
After getting myself a bowl of porridge and watching Crisplet settle back into the firepit—rekindling the coals that had cooled without it—I decided now was as good a time as any.
“Hey, Crisplet,” I said. “We’ve got to travel today. Should I dismiss you, or do you have another way to come with us?”
The little elemental floated closer, then paused. After a brief crackle of sparks, it collapsed in on itself with a flash. In its place, sitting on the ground, was a glass-like orb.
I hesitated. It looked delicate, almost fragile, but inside it was a constant swirling flame, trapped like a raging fire in a crystal shell.
Cautiously, I reached out and touched it. Warm—not hot. Mesmerising. I couldn’t look away.
“I guess you got your answer,” Milo said with a laugh.
The moment I glanced up, the orb suddenly burst apart in a small flare of fire. Crisplet reformed above my hand, bobbing happily in the air. Another playful shower of sparks followed.
What surprised me most was that even this close, with the little elemental hovering right above my palm, there was no searing heat—just a pleasant, steady warmth.
This was going to take some getting used to.