[Task: Feed your family your homemade food.]
[Reward: Absolute Cooking (S-rank)]
[Absolute Cooking: Provides the user with the skill to identify the best ingredients and grants access to thousands of recipes. Additionally, the magical effect of the skill enhances any food cooked by the host, making it highly nutritious and beneficial for recovery, fighting common illnesses, and improving overall health.]
"What happened, Kai?" Jean asked when she saw him pause before taking his first bite, his eyes staring blankly into the air.
He finally took the bite before speaking. "...Nothing. Is the baby eating properly?"
Jean nodded as she looked down at the child, who was happily chewing the food and spilling a little of it in the process.
She wiped the rice from her chin before saying, "She is. I think she likes the new taste of the food." Smiling, she added, "She got a perfect first proper meal and I believe she likes it very much."
As she brought another spoonful closer, the baby parted her lips and eagerly accepted the bite without making a fuss. She clearly loved what her father had made for her.
Kai smiled faintly and said, "Glad she liked it. It was my first time making rice porridge, especially for a child."
He reminded himself to thank the content creator in the comments later.
As he ate, he asked Jean, "I never asked you, but did you awaken any skill back then?"
A person usually awakened their skill around the age of eighteen. Since they all graduated from high school around that time, only a few students had been awakened back then.
He remembered that Jean had not been one of the special ones.
Jean briefly lowered her head before shaking it. "I... did not awaken mana."
That caught him off guard and immediately made him feel guilty for asking.
He was surprised, though. Jean had been so physically gifted back then that everyone had expected her to awaken a monstrously powerful talent.
Physical ability and talent in different sports often played a role in determining what kind of skill a person awakened.
"What about you, Kai?" Jean asked as she raised her head. "What guild are you working with?"
She asked because she knew he was awakened. He had confirmed it yesterday when she mentioned that his injuries were probably caused by raids.
Kai was silent for a moment before revealing, "I... am not a part of any guild. I’ve just been freelancing these past few months, helping out other hunters and getting paid by them, you know."
He smiled wryly before telling her, "I awakened a Rank-F skill, you see. And I’m not very athletic either."
Jean felt concerned upon hearing that, realizing she might have made a mistake by digging so deeply into the subject.
Now, both of them fell silent, regretting asking each other about their professional lives.
The silence, however, was soon broken by an adorable noise from the third member of their little family.
"Bababa!" The little girl slammed her tiny hands against the table, her eyes fixed intently on the bowl of porridge.
Jean immediately realized that the child was hungry and scooped up another spoonful.
The tension between them eased a little as Kai muttered, "Sorry... I shouldn’t have asked about your awakening."
Jean shook her head. "No, it’s fine... And I’m sorry that I assumed your injuries were because of a raid."
Kai chuckled. "Guess we’re both sorry, so let’s forget about that now and focus on dinner."
Jean’s shoulders relaxed as well, and she nodded before the two of them soon fell into a comfortable silence.
As Kai nearly finished his food, he suddenly received a call.
He took the last bite before glancing at Jean.
She was still eating while the baby played with her hair. The little one was full of energy.
Smiling, Kai moved toward the door and answered the call. "Why is a newly married man calling me at eleven at night?"
Mark clicked his tongue from the other end.
{Just checking on you. Our flight is early tomorrow morning, so I might not be able to pick up my phone until later in the evening.}
Kai grinned. "Hopefully, you upgraded your flight arrangements now."
{Yeah, yeah. I’m using that money wisely. I even got Mia a new bag. She was jumping for joy.}
Kai nodded in appreciation. "Did the right thing. Now, tell me. Why did you call?"
Knowing Mark, Kai knew the man wouldn’t have called this late if there wasn’t something concerning him.
And just as he thought,
{Drake called me this evening, asking for you.}
Kai frowned. "What does he want now? We clearly banned him the last time."
Kai instantly knew who Mark was talking about. That particular customer had been the worst one they had dealt with so far, someone Kai would rather never see again.
{Yeah, I told him that. But he was insistent on seeing you one last time. Apparently, he was kicked out of the guild recently. The humiliation was... haah. Well, knowing Drake, he probably just wants to beat the shit out of you.}
Kai rolled his eyes. "Because I look like his older brother? That guy is sick."
{He literally is. He’s sick in the head, and he’s searching for you. That’s why, be careful, okay? And if he somehow comes across you, don’t take whatever amount he promises. You might not survive the wrath he’s carrying.}
Kai shook his head. "I’m greedy, but I’m not foolish enough to sacrifice myself for some bucks."
Glancing at Jean and the little life in her arms, he added, "And now, I have more than one reason to lead an ideal life and pay attention to myself."
Just a day ago, he had been a man simply living for the sake of it. No family, no responsibilities, no one waiting for him at home, and no one who would be there to cry at his grave. Yes, Mark was a good friend, but he had a family of his own too.
But now, things had changed for Kai. He couldn’t simply allow himself to get beaten black and blue every day just to earn some cash.
It might seem like he was becoming proud now that the system had credited him with such a hefty amount. But it wouldn’t be wrong to say that, thanks to the system, his entire mindset had changed.
He now wanted to lead a better life for his family... to give them a secure future.
{You almost sound like you got a wife and a child all of a sudden.}
Kai was flustered when he heard that.
Shaking his head, he chuckled and said, "Well, when are you returning?"
{In five days. Do you want me to bring you something?}
"Nah. Just use all your time to be with Mia. She deserves it."
{Yeah, you are right. Anyway, I’m going to sleep now. Make sure you stay as much indoors as possible.}
"Mm."
Kai disconnected the call, only to be met with an instant question.
"Your friend?" Jean asked, apparently having paid close attention to the conversation.
Kai felt a little embarrassed. Hopefully, she hadn’t listened to their entire conversation.
He made his way back to the table before responding, "Yeah. Someone I work with. We met a few years back."
Jean looked surprised. "You can make friends now, huh? Back then, you were too proud to even talk to someone with a straight face."
Kai was taken aback. "How rude. I always talked to my classmates with the utmost respect."
Jean snickered. "While looking down on them." A teasing smile appeared on her lips as she narrowed her eyes. "You always rolled your eyes the moment someone finished talking to you. You’d patronize everyone for their idiocy and act like you were surrounded by fools."
Kai was momentarily taken aback. Yet, rather than deny it, he raised a brow and said, "Exactly how closely were you watching me to notice all that?"
"..."
This time, Jean fell silent. Her lips parted slightly, but no words came out. After a moment of awkward silence, she simply got to her feet and said, "It’s time to sleep, baby."
Kai rolled his eyes at the response, only to immediately hear her say, "I saw that."
Kai chuckled.
"I know."