After handing out the cultist gear he had looted, including the bolt throwers, which the goblins took particular interest in, Aaron retreated back to his kitchen.

  Settling down as he waited for his ingredients, Aaron closed his eyes, opened up his status page, and prepared to spend his new Skill point.

  It was nice to have some peace while he did this, but he needed to improve his own space. Perhaps a waterfall.

  But for now, it was time to make a decision.

  Head Hunter [ Uncommon ] You don’t just swing wildly, but aim for the head. Passively provides a damage bonus when landing strikes against your opponent’s head.

  Vanguard’s Arm [ Rare ] Charging into battle at the head of the pack, you are the arm that strikes first. When activated, the user’s arms gain considerable toughness and durability, allowing them to be used like shields.

  Empty-Handed Teamwork [ Elite ] The lesser monks of the Empty Hand have found powerful methods of working together to overcome their weaknesses. When activated, this Skill creates an aura that provides users with a Class containing the “Empty-Handed” label to get additional buffs to all Stats, and speed when fighting within a ten-kilometer radius of one another.

  Girth by Length, Power by Volume [ Epic ] Size matters, a fact you know better than most. Passively provides toughness and damage bonus to the user relative to their excess volume, calculated by additional girth and length beyond their usual size.

  Madman’s Psychosis [ Mythical ] People laugh, but you’ve seen the other side. The truth. Let them call you mad all they like; it doesn’t change the fact that they’re all living in a dream. A lie. When activated, the user enters a deep psychosis where their beliefs can become reality, but at what cost? No one knows. Warning: each use of this Skill comes with a small chance of inflicting permanent madness on the user.

  As he got finished reading the options, Aaron swallowed and sighed. The options were good; he couldn’t deny that. Certainly not options he was going to dismiss, but they weren’t what he had expected.

  Also, he was pretty bummed that he hadn’t gotten a Skill mutation or upgrade for his [ Reverse Cycle Faux Core ]. He had been working hard on the Skill, and really believed he was going to be rewarded for it. But he wouldn’t give up just because he failed on the first attempt.

  This just meant he would have to work harder.

  He immediately brushed away any thought of taking the first two, although neither was bad. Head Hunter was a Passive bonus, and Vanguard’s Arm sounded like it’d be helpful in melee. But both were of low Rarity, and neither sounded particularly amazing.

  Moving on, it was a little surprising to see Empty-Handed Teamwork provided as an option again, as seeing the same Skill twice wasn’t common at all. But then again, he had been fighting in a team quite a bit recently. Yet teamwork wasn’t really his thing, and so maybe it was simply that the System didn’t have a lot of teamwork related Skills to offer him?

  However, scrolling down, it was Madman’s Psychosis that really caught his attention, and what was worse, he didn’t even really understand what it did. No doubt he was being rewarded for maddening trances he had a habit of falling into, but it sounded like so much more than what he did.

  Unfortunately, he could just sigh and scroll on. As interesting and perhaps powerful as the Mythical Skill sounded, he simply couldn’t take a Skill that had a chance of turning him permanently mad. Aaron was reckless, but he wasn’t insane.

  That said, it wasn’t as if he wasn’t without other good options. And he found himself settling on Girth by Length, Power by Volume. The Skill wasn’t a bad one at all. Not even close. It sounded like it would make him considerably more powerful when he first entered a fight at his fully ballooned-out size.

  Sure, as he drew down on his adipose reserves, its effectiveness would likely lessen. Still, he couldn’t have everything. And even if the duration of its usefulness was limited, if the boons were good enough while they lasted, it could still be a supremely useful Skill.

  He ummed and ahhed for a second, scrolling over the list just to make sure he hadn’t discounted anything too quickly, and then confirmed his selection, using up his recently freed Passive Slot.

  There was a part of him that had wished to hang onto it for longer. It had been a while since he had an open slot he could fill out without too much thought, and it was nice.

  However, he could always discard it or something else later if he wished.

  He was also a little disappointed about having to discard a Mythical Skill, even if it sounded too dangerous to us. Ultimately, though, what was power if he lost his mind to real madness? He would be a slave in his own body, and that simply wasn’t a risk he was willing to accept.

  Leaning back, he sipped a drink and tried to clear his mind a little. He wanted to relax for a second, as the last weeks had felt like a non-stop rolling battle, going from one thing to another.

  His mind drifted for a moment, considering all the ways he could improve his home.

  He had a feeling that once the temple was completed, it would become his main residence. And with it, he could start placing some of his other items.

  But what else did he need or want?

  I wonder if there’s a masseuse Profession?

  His imagination took over for a moment, wondering what the hands of someone empowered by the System could do to his back, and a wide smile creased his face.

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  I’m definitely going to have to find out.

  Perhaps he could get the goblins to put out fliers, or something. He still wasn’t really rich, but with all the corpses he was collecting, soon he’d be getting a cut from Zach and Marko’s hides. Not only that, but he had plenty of loot to sell, and could have already made some more credits if he hadn’t donated so much to the settlement quest fund.

  Ahh, it doesn’t matter, I’m sure I can grind out some cash quickly if I want to. Then, it’s off to the races!

  Interrupting his fantasies, Marko came knocking. He was faster than Aaron expected, dropping off piles of ingredients sorted from least rare to most. Although he advised that there were still many corpses to process, he had only worked through the most valuable ones so far.

  “Thank you,” Aaron said.

  He had wanted some time to relax, but there was something about cooking that calmed him, and at least he could achieve some levels at the same time.

  “No problem, I’ll try and get the rest of the meat and bones to you as soon as possible.”

  “No worries, mate. Don’t rush yourself. You’ve given me a lot to work with. I’ll be busy for a while just with this.”

  “Good to hear. These were top-quality corpses. Amazing, really,” Marko said. “Zach has already got to work on the hides as I butcher. We’ll throw most in the store, but I’ll bring over the bear hide once it is completed.”

  “The bear hide?” Aaron raised a brow.

  “Yeah. Zach believes it will make quite the piece of equipment. But if you don’t want it, we can sell it. I’m sure it will fetch a good price.”

  “I see. Okay, that sounds promising,” Aaron nodded.

  He hadn’t expected that, not because he didn’t think the powerful bear would create good armor, but because he wasn’t used to having people just helping him with things like this.

  He had made friends in the trials, but he had still had to go out of his way and find craftsmen to assist.

  “Thanks again,” Aaron said as Marko turned to leave. “This is really helpful. You two are really pulling your weight.”

  “Haha. Don’t mention it. You’ve done far more for us. I’m sure we’d be dead if you hadn’t turned up. That jungle was something else.”

  Once Mark had left, he gazed upon all of his ingredients that were laid out before him. Then, he started to pull the remaining ingredients from the trials out of his scabbard, and whatever herbs he had managed to find in the forests.

  Once everything was before him, it was time to get creative. He started by parceling selected ingredients out into piles, mentally creating the dishes they would soon become.

  He paid particularly close attention to soul-strengthening ingredients, but there were a few other things he wanted to get right as well, like the stew that had been on his mind.

  Once everything was ready, his eyes went white, and a familiar madness took over.

  It wasn’t just his [ Spirit Toes ] and [ Spirit Hands ] anymore, either. He was now working entirely side-by-side with his spirit. Embracing his other half in its entirety, and standing somewhere between the mortal and spirit planes.

  He had his special pot from the trials beside him, and as he prepared every dish, he poured off cuts into it. It was thick and dark, bubbling with his own [ Foul Ichor ], which he had added to the rancid broth.

  But surprisingly, it gave off a rather pleasant aroma. At least to Aaron’s senses.

  Meanwhile, dishes started to pile up around him. Some failures, but most were at least partial successes, and hours passed in a flash before his very eyes. In his trance state, Aaron barely noticed the time slipping by, and his mind was entirely absorbed by the task at hand.

  Those in the camp knew better than to distract; he had said as much, and Sooty was proving some value by barking orders at anybody who walked near the kitchen.

  Gradually, he was working through his soul-strengthening ingredients, using concentrated spirit energy, and soaking them with massive amounts of aether as he cycled through his core, pouring the energy into the food in hopes of further concentrating its strength.

  As more and more aether was poured into the dishes, condensed, and then done over again, he could feel the soul-strengthening dishes radiating with soul power, growing stronger and stronger as he tempered his own food.

  In the background, the pot was still bubbling away, and he was constantly adding new ingredients to it, including anything he didn’t need in his soul-strengthening dishes.

  But he wasn’t done yet. He endeavoured to push against his own limits, and in a stroke of mad genius, he began to eat and cycle energy, pulling on massive reserves and pouring it all into aether, which basically screamed at his fingertips as he tried to force more and more of it into his dishes.

  By the time he had finished, and it felt like he was holding an atom bomb of soul energy in his hand, he knew that he had succeeded. These were truly powerful soul-strengthening dishes, and they radiated a power as he had never felt from food before.

  It had cost him all of his greatest ingredients from slaying the beast lords, but there was little doubt that it was worth it.

  Experience rewarded for discovering a recipe!

  Experience rewarded for discovering a recipe!

  Experience rewarded for discovering a recipe!

  Experience rewarded for discovering a recipe!

  Through insanity in the kitchen, he had created truly incredible dishes, but there was one that genuinely stood out among the rest.

  Transcendent Soul Bear Ribeye [ Mythical — E-grade ]

  It would be an insult to compare this soul-marbled ribeye to butter, as its flavor and delicacy transcend mortal comprehension. It is a true delicacy of the multiverse, and one sought out by legendary figures seeking to evolve their race further and to greater heights.

  Provides: Soul Strengthening and Improved Race Evolution options.

  Ding!

  [ Ogre Gastronomist ] has LEVELED UP!

  58 → 68

  Aaron stared in amazement. He hadn’t even finished cooking yet, and to achieve such a thing… it was nothing short of amazing, and exactly what he needed with the upcoming battle on the horizon.

  His mouth fell agape, watering at the mere sight of the marvelous meat. This was something else entirely, and the scent that drifted from it seemed to conquer the air around it like a greedy villain, leaving nothing untamed by succulent and complex waves of perfectly grilled protein.

  “I…”

  He was lost for words, a new kind of trance coming over him as he reached out for it.

  He had wanted to savor it. To slowly enjoy every last bite. But a ravenous desire took over him the moment it touched his tongue, and he turned into something more animal than man as he devoured it.

  And the feeling was instantaneous. It burst within him, flooding his senses and tracing his veins. His heart pounded, and energy flowed stronger than he had ever felt before as his eyes shot wide with blinding light, as if possessed by a divinity.

  He could feel it. It was within him now, planting roots within his body, and mutating his very cells as it flooded him with new energy.

  Race Evolved to D grade!

  Three evolutionary paths are available!

  Patreon!