By the time they reached the riverbank, the sun had begun to dip, staining the water in gold and crimson.
Ron's eyes widened. "It's so beautiful…"
Syl clasped her hands, her stomach growling again. "Brother… food…"
Ainen chuckled. "Alright, alright. Let's eat."
He set them down near a flat patch of stone and unloaded the spoils. With practiced ease, he summoned a thin line of fire and shaped it into a neat campfire. Dry twigs and leaves ignited instantly.
From his Inventory, he took out slabs of Dire Flame Wolf meat. He washed them in the river, the cold water steaming faintly as it touched his heated hands, then skewered the cuts with long branches.
The meat sizzled the moment it touched the fire. Ainen controlled the flames with precision, neither too high nor too weak. The rich scent of roasting flesh soon filled the air.
Ainen had also picked up some herbs and other plants that he identified with his innate talent, using them as seasonings.
"Waaah…" Ron leaned forward, eyes wide and shining.
"It smells so good!" Syl's mouth watered, her gaze glued to the meat.
"Patience," Ainen teased, rotating the skewers. "Good food takes time."
Golden oil dripped into the fire, sending up sparks. Ainen sprinkled crushed herbs he had gathered earlier, their fragrance mixing with the savory aroma.
When the meat was done, he tore off pieces and handed them to the children. "Here. Careful, it's hot."
Ron blew on his piece before biting in. His face lit up instantly.
His face turned dazed as he chewed, "dhis is sooo delifious!"
"Don't talk while eating."
Syl followed, her small hands trembling as she nibbled, her eyes tearing up from bliss. "Brother… this is… so good…"
They had never eaten meat this tasty!
Ainen smiled faintly, his own portion still roasting. Watching them eat filled him with a warmth no fire could match.
He took a bite of his own share, chewing thoughtfully. The Dire Flame Wolf meat was tougher than rabbit, but juicy and rich with faint traces of fiery energy.
"Brother, I feel strange. It feels hot inside me."
Ron said, radiating slight heat.
Syl also felt the same thing.
But it wasn't that uncomfortable.
"Relax and eat. It's nothing. Eating this will actually make you stronger."
Ainen's body also felt warmer and stronger. His wound pulsed, then began knitting together at a visible pace. The children didn't notice, too lost in their feast.
[Strength +1 gained.]
[Vitality +1 gained.]
[You have gained +10% Fire Damage Boost and +10 resistance to Fire and Ice for 1 hour.]
Syl licked her greasy fingers, then giggled. "Brother, can we eat every day?"
"Of course. We'll eat good food every day from now on. That's a promise."
Ron laughed, his cheeks puffed out with meat. "Awesome!"
The river glimmered beside them, and the fire crackled—things were peaceful.
Ainen leaned back, letting the night air brush against his face.
'Let's open the Mystery Box.'
"What is that box, brother Ain?" Syl curiously asked.
Ron blinked twice. "It looks magical."
"Indeed. It is a magical box. Let's see what's inside." Official source is novel⸺fire.net
Ainen opened the box.
The kids were startled upon seeing the colorful sparks bursting out.
[Congratulations. You have acquired Silverend Twilight Bow (Rare)]
A magnificent bow with crystalline silver structure and purple patterns with sparks appeared.
It was a longbow style and looked magical.
"Is this a magic weapon?! It's so beautiful!"
Ainen looked at the bow, getting its details.
[Silverend Twilight Bow]
Requirement: 25 Strength
—> Stamina Recovery +30%
—> When pulling the string to maximum, damage +10%.
—> Mystic Arrow: Conjures an arrow at the cost of 10 Mana. This arrow can acquire any attribute depending on the user's attributes. +10% extra elemental damage.
"It's powerful." Ainen smiled. "I guess this is my first weapon."
Ainen remembered the training area in Adventurer's Yard and decided to practice there with a normal longbow.
"Brother, you shouldn't show this to others," Ron said with a concerned face."
Syl nodded and added. "Yes, brother Ain. There are some bad people who will try to take it away from you."
Ainen chuckled. "Okay. I will not show it to others."
He stored away the bow and stood up. "Let's go back now. It's already night."
Looking at the sky, Ainen saw not one, but three moons, one blue, one light pink, and one silver that glowed more than the other two.
"Brother, we have a lot of meat still. What do we do?"
"Should we give it to others? There are some people who helped us before," Syl said.
"Yep. Let's go back and feed others. We can give it for free today, and then we can also start the business."
Ron's eyes lit up. "Yes, brother Ain! Your food is so tasty. Everyone will eat!"
'I guess this is my new life.' Ainen looked forward to the future.
Now that he was in an unknown world of magic, armed with newfound powers, his hunger to grow stronger and carve a path forward echoed the same fire he once felt when he first discovered that cooking was not just a passion, but a means to his survival itself.
In a world where magic and power reigned supreme. Where individual might was the pinnacle of authority, Ainen had arrived at the machinations of the unknown.
Armed with a system and means to get strong, he ignited new desires. But in this world teeming with people having similar desires, small or big, it was inevitable that Ainen would face choices that would shape his new life.
And unbeknownst to him, the first variable in his life was approaching in the form of beasts spoken of in legends on Earth.
Approximately three thousand kilometers away from this remote town of Belrik Kingdom, the large capital of Belrik was bustling with people and myriad forms of arcane.
In the underground part of this capital, a powerful beast was captured and suppressed with the most powerful magic items of the kingdom.
A Nine-Tailed Glacier Starlight Fox, with snow-white fur and a magnificent golden coat resembling its snow-gold eyes.
"We lost three Adventurers from our kingdom's strongest party and our court mage to capture this bitch. This better be worth it."
The blue-haired crown prince spat with an ugly expression.
"Don't worry, prince. We have made our move at the perfect time. This fox is pregnant and about to give birth soon. We will gain lineage of one of the strongest monsters from Mount Star Heaven."
"Crown Prince Maurin. I assure you that we will get at least two pups. Once we have trained them and cultivated them properly. Conquering Ouino Kingdom will be a breeze."
Suddenly, the arcane chains binding the fox began to brighten, indicating that the fox was struggling.
"This…it's about to give birth!"
"Loosen some restrictions. She will be extremely weakened while giving birth and even more after giving birth, so we don't have to worry."
Suddenly, the majestic fox glowed brightly and covered herself in a mystical silver-white orb.
"What's going on?!" Crown Prince frowned. 'I have a bad feeling."
"No need to worry. The magic items' restrictions are still in place. She can't escape."
A minute passed by, and then, the orb began fading.
'Please, I hope I am not wrong.' The fox's eyes were reflecting a scenery of a small town and forest. 'The mystical power I sensed…perhaps that's the safest place.'
Right then, a powerful pulse shot out from the fox, shaking everything as it passed through.
Suddenly, everyone heard a voice in their heads, weakened yet unbending and sharp.
'You vile humans. You will never get my children.'
Crown Prince looked at the fox, his lips trembling, his eyes filling up with fury.
"WHERE DID YOU SEND THEM?!"
He grabbed the middle-aged man's neck next to him, eyes furious. "What happened just now!?"
"P-Prince. She t-telported them away, but she shouldn't have spa-space powers…"