Chapter 64
Honestly, it’s a method I don’t want to choose, but…let’s at least consider “that option.”
“Melt, Melt. Can I talk about a ‘what if’ for a bit?” (Shizuma)
“What is it? What kind of story is it?” (Melt)
The most efficient method if I ignore all risks. The potential ‘problems’ that might arise from it.
I explain that possibility to Melt.
“What if I ended up becoming a ‘cruel, heartless monster who couldn’t turn back’? What would you do?” (Shizuma)
“…Why are you asking something like that?” (Melt)
“If I take the fastest path to getting stronger, I might end up not being myself anymore.” (Shizuma)
“No, absolutely not. I’ll cry. If someone in my family turned out like that, I’d cry. I probably wouldn’t be able to stop it or save you… I’d just be so sad…and cry…” (Melt)
Yeah, that’s a no-go. As I thought, slow and steady wins the race. “Got it. I absolutely won’t do it. I kind of figured it was a bad idea myself.” (Shizuma)
“Yeah, absolutely don’t do it. My family is only you guys, Shizuma and the rest.” (Melt)
“Sorry for bringing up something weird. I promise, I’ll never go down that path.” (Shizuma)
Among all my characters, there’s one who’s the strongest.
It’s a character so broken that the developers had to put restrictions on the entire class.
As a result, that class got wiped out in PvP by specially made meta counter classes, and on top of that, it was heavily weakened in most dungeons.
But in this world, that nerf likely doesn’t apply.
With its broken unique skills, it could literally take over a country solo with ease.
However, there’s one massive downside.
In the preset storyline, that class is evil and meets the worst possible end.
In other words, it might come with a personality that curses the world.
“Mmm…”
“You’re thinking about something really complicated, huh, Shizuma? Here, have some water.” (Melt)
“Ah, thanks. Come to think of it, the water in this house comes from a tap, but where does it come from originally?” (Shizuma)
“I think it’s groundwater. It tastes different, you know?” (Melt)
“Whoa, really? I can’t tell the difference in water taste at all.” (Shizuma)
“Hehe~ I’m picky about my water, you know?” (Melt)
She really is adorable. Her behavior is like a precocious little girl.
…Yeah, there’s no way I could show up around her in a form that might have a dangerous personality.
For the same reason, I’ll reject the “second strongest character” too.
Not a villain. But their story is definitely twisted.
In fact, the story of that class ends in a bad end.
A tale where the character is forced to shoulder responsibility due to their overpowering stats, ultimately leading to a tragic death…
Their personality is undoubtedly warped. So that’s also a no.
“Here’s a refill of your water.” (Melt)
“Thanks. gulp… gulp… Man, this water is really good. So cold too.” (Shizuma)
“Maybe it’s because it’s a cold season? Plus, groundwater tends to be cold, you know?” (Melt)
“I see, that makes sense.” (Shizuma)
Come to think of it, I’ve heard that’s common in rural homes back on Earth.
I lived in an apartment, so I never got to experience it.
“Hmm… Melt, do you know anything about this country’s religion or beliefs?” (Shizuma)
“Huh? Religion… Like what people believe in?” (Melt)
“Yeah. I mean, the country’s name is Lendia, which sounds kind of like a religious state. I was wondering if there’s a dominant religion.” (Shizuma)
“Umm~ I don’t know much about this country, but I think the main religion is the worship of the Earth Mother Goddess. It’s called the Elkood Church.” (Melt)
“Oh, right. Now that you mention it, I might’ve heard that before.” (Shizuma)
That last incident where the fake Elkood Church Company was involved.
So Elkood was literally the name of the religion.
“There are also some minor tribes, I guess? Religions that are practiced in small regions. One I’ve heard of is the Flying Hamster Church, maybe?” (Melt)
“There it is again, hamsters… Flying, even…” (Shizuma)
“Right? I mean, if flying is normal, they didn’t need to name their religion after it, right?” (Melt)
“Eh?”
“Eh?”
…Let’s stop thinking too deeply about this.
Still… So this world really does have religion and the concept of belief…
That means the third character might also be dangerous.
The third strongest character is violent and scary.
Their setting is scary, and their story is pretty grim too.
And on top of that, they’re a complete lunatic.
Not evil. In fact, their official character profile leans more toward a good person…but they’re scary.
By the way, in terms of strength, they’re the best in PvP. Best at single-target damage, and best at mob clearing.
Of course, they were nerfed too, but even then, back during the game, this class always had a spot as a DPS in major raids.
Honestly, my strongest and second-strongest characters were both “situational power” types, and with their nerfs, they were practically sealed away.
That’s why this third character is actually the “strongest in practice.”
But…they’re dangerous. They’d probably be a bad influence on Melt.
To put it in one word, that class is a zealot.
“Alright. Melt, starting today, I’m switching to a new ‘form’ again. It’s one you’ve seen before, the one who’s good at cooking.” (Shizuma)
“Ah… you showed me that one at the inn, right? The name was… um…” (Melt)
“Seira. My appearance will change, but inside, it’ll still be me, just like with Seimu. So don’t be nervous or anything. Just be careful not to get the name wrong.” (Shizuma)
“Okay, got it. Wow, so you’re good at cooking… This house has a great kitchen, and even one in the yard, right? …I’ve got high hopes!” (Melt)
“Leave it to me! I’m looking forward to it too…!” (Shizuma)
My conclusion…
It’s to inherit the combat-oriented skills exclusive to crafting classes.
In the online game I played, Elder Sea Online, combining classes created unique combo skills, unlike the common systems where you just pair a job with a subclass.
But it also came with clear restrictions and rules.
The most notable were:
-Crafting classes cannot be set as a subclass.
-If a crafting class uses a combat class as a subclass, it cannot learn that class’s skills.
In other words, crafting classes could never become top-tier fighters.
They also had low base stats, and even if you could equip weapons with subclass effects, it didn’t mean much.
But still, there were stories and scenarios where combat was unavoidable.
That’s why crafting classes were given their own “compensation skills.”
They had unique effects that reflected their specialty. Extremely powerful, but couldn’t be used by combat classes.
And I…can inherit any skill regardless of its class.
“Looking forward to the food~ I wonder what kind of dishes you can make.” (Melt)
“Probably anything. Let’s find something you’ll love.” (Shizuma)
“Yay! I’m so excited! I wonder what kind of food I’ll get to eat!” (Melt)
For example, the cook’s exclusive skill: [Gourmet].
Its effect is simple: eating food gives you regen for a set time and stops stamina from decreasing.
Stamina, in this game, affects field movement speed, skill cooldowns, and stat debuffs.
If your stamina never decreases…that’s just absurdly broken.
And during the game, that effect lasted “five hours of real time.”
If this works in the real world…wouldn’t that mean I can train endlessly without ever getting tired?
Even with my current low stats, I might be able to keep moving and fighting nonstop like Seimu and the others.
“Alright! Time to transform!” (Shizuma)
“Y-Yeah!” (Melt)
I switch my character to Seira.
My vision is engulfed in light, and I feel my height increase.
My consciousness…is still mine. I can think like myself, no problem.
“Phew… Alright, no issues.” (Shizuma)
“Wow… You’re really big, huh?” (Melt)
“Don’t comment on the chest. Now, let’s try cooking something.” (Shizuma)
Come to think of it, I never actually used the kitchen as Seira before.
All I did was peel an apple. Just that gave me Cooking Lv1.
Even when I was Seimu, inheriting that Cooking Lv1 made recipes pop into my head just by standing in the kitchen.
So with Seira, who’s a master—
“Augh… ah…”
The moment I stood in front of the kitchen, my knees gave out.
A headache surged through my entire body.
“Shizu— Seira!?” (Melt)
“Guh…”
My brain trembles. It’s hot. My head…feels like it’s going to split open.
Unknown images I’ve never seen before are being force-fed into my mind.
A swirl of knowledge squeezes my head tight.
The sheer volume of information makes me feel nauseous.
“Seira… Here, have some water.” (Melt)
“Thanks… Melt…” (Shizuma)
Delicious. Cold, soft water.
It must be natural groundwater, not mineral-rich, but filtered through fertile soil and lush greenery.
It even has a faint sweetness to it. Perfect for making broth. This water quality is a huge help.
“Hm?”
“W-What is it, Seira…?” (Melt)
“No, just… This is amazing… Cooking knowledge is flooding into my brain like a waterfall…” (Shizuma)
“U-Uhhh…?”
“Melt, what do you want to eat? Something refreshing, or oily, or whatever. Just say it.” (Shizuma)
Right now, I am…invincible…!
This is amazing! I feel omnipotent! Just for cooking though!
The amount of knowledge is insane. Clearly, the developers researched all the recipes they implemented.
Even viral recipes and seemingly unrelated stuff are in here.
I’m sure of it, this includes stuff the devs watched while procrastinating.
“T-Then…meat! Beef!” (Melt)
“Oh right, we got caught up in that auction mess and it all got pushed aside. Let’s cook some meat, as promised.” (Shizuma)
“Yay! Then let’s go buy some meat!” (Melt)
“It’s getting dark, so let’s use some of the ingredients I already have today.” (Shizuma)
“Ah, right. Then we’ll go shopping tomorrow~” (Melt)
Honestly, it’s better to use this world’s ingredients than the game ones in the long run.
If I’m going to live here, I should get used to local food, not rely on game items that will eventually run out.
A bit different in meaning, but I guess it’s like a “local production for local consumption” mindset.
“Alright then, let’s grab some beef. There!” (Shizuma)
I pull out a bright red hunk of beef from my item box and drop it onto the cutting board.
This chunk covers everything from the flank to the back. It’s my first time seeing a cut this big in real life.
And yet… I know exactly how to butcher it.
“Wow! That’s some fresh meat! Seira’s magic tool must be embedded not just with a spatial stone but also a time stone… That’s a super rare artifact, you know~?” (Melt)
“Based on the name, maybe it’s not a stone that expands space, but one that ‘slows down time’?” (Shizuma)
“No waaay! There’s no way it has such fantasy-like powers. It just halts changes in nearby items, so it looks like time has stopped.” (Melt)
“Eh… Isn’t that basically the same as stopping time…?” (Shizuma)
“Nope. If it’s something that can move on its own, it won’t work. It only halts the state of non-moving objects.” (Melt)
“I see…?” (Shizuma)
Still, that’s amazing… So such materials exist here too.
Well, items in the menu screen do seem to be in a frozen state, though some have timers that keep counting down…
“Anyway! I’ll cook this giant hunk of beef!” (Shizuma)
“Yay! I’m already starving~!” (Melt)
Then it has to be a quick dish.
As romantic as cooking a whole roast sounds, for now…let’s just slice out the best part and make a simple steak.
Sirloin or filet? Let’s go all out and pick the best.
The filet…and from that, the most tender, moist, and center part…
The legendary Chateaubriand! I’ll make a steak from it!
I want to go with the classic Madeira sauce.
But I can’t make the required fond de veau today.
Then I’ll just use the meat’s own juices as a substitute.
The problem is the Madeira wine… I guess regular red wine will have to do.
“Amazing… All this knowledge I didn’t have is just pouring out of me…” (Shizuma)
“M-More importantly, how are you cutting the meat so perfectly while thinking about all that?” (Melt)
“Eh? Oh, wow, you’re right.” (Shizuma)
I finished butchering the massive meat and extracted the Chateaubriand before I realized it.
Only this little can be taken from such a big piece, huh…!
“Alright… Time to cook this piece…!” (Shizuma)
“Y-Yeah…!” (Melt)
Thus, the [Chateaubriand Steak with Madeira-style Sauce] was completed.
—————-
“I-I’m so glad I made it out of the dungeon alive… I’m so glad…!” (Melt)
“M-Melt… You don’t have to sob like that…” (Shizuma)
“B-Because…! It was just too delicious…!” (Melt)
“…I mean, fair.” (Shizuma)
Thirty minutes later, she was drowning in tears.
Alright… now I know how to bring Melt to the peak of happiness!
To inherit that skill, I have to feed Melt delicious food every day from now on…!
I’m gonna make Melt cry every single day! …That sounds awful on paper!
—————-
(´・ω・｀) And with that, Arc 4 ends.
(´・ω・｀) Time to write Arc 5… (as of 4/16)
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