The small knife had been made.
Mandy Donovan took it to slice the meat, but discovered that even when she pressed down with all her strength, she only managed to give the piece of Mutated Beast Meat a superficial gash.
According to the burly man who sold it to her, this was meat from a First Rank mutant wild boar.
It was known for its thick hide and tough meat.
Despite its low rank, the boar was difficult to take down, and its meat was the absolute worst to eat.
Mandy: “…I can’t cut through it at all!”
Gary and Etta, who had been eagerly waiting to eat, were left dumbfounded when they saw the little knife couldn’t cut the meat.
“It’s such a big piece.
If we don’t cut it, how are we supposed to eat it?”
“Eat it raw?”
“Eat it raw?
What the hell are you talking about?
You two, go make yourselves useful.” Their home only had a single cast-iron pot, a few basins, and some buckets—the latter two made by the brothers.
They were still lacking many things.
After failing to cut the meat, Mandy finally took a closer look at the little knife.
‘Heh, what knife?
This is just a strip of metal.’
‘And here I was, making things difficult for myself, trying to cut with it for ages.’
Although Etta could use his superpower to form a small knife, his real-world knowledge was limited.
He didn’t know that a knife needs a point and a blade needs a sharp edge.
Without blaming the boy, Mandy sighed to herself.
She got up and went to the storage area, pretending to look for something while she actually retrieved a whetstone from her Space to sharpen the knife.
The distinct sound of the knife being sharpened drew the brothers’ attention.
Mandy held the tip of the knife in one hand and the handle in the other, expertly grinding it against the stone a few times.
She dripped a little water on it and continued.
Noticing the boys were watching her, she didn’t stop.
“Curious?”
“Very curious!” Etta nodded vigorously.
“Can you tell me what you’re doing?”
Mandy looked up.
The brothers, with their identical, charming almond-shaped eyes, were staring intently at her hands.
Their two fluffy-haired heads leaned in in perfect sync, looking quite adorable.
If her hands weren’t full, she would have reached out to ruffle their hair.
“Watch what I’m doing and learn.
It’s better for you to have a skill than to rely on someone else who does.”
After a few more passes on the stone, she carefully ran her finger along the blade’s edge.
The edge had gone from dull to sharp.
“Don’t copy this part.
Prepare a wooden stick to test it.
Don’t use your fingers.”
Although she didn’t like playing the role of a walking encyclopedia, she was willing to impart some essential, basic knowledge.
‘If the silly kids messed up and hurt themselves, she wouldn’t be the one to coddle them!’
With the knife sharpened, she tried cutting the meat again.
Although the mutated wild boar meat was still tough, it was a vast improvement.
She sliced all two pounds of it and left the slices to continue soaking in water.
Mandy went to the designated planting area and used bricks to section off a small “seedling plot.”
She poured in the yellow soil she had brought back, stacked a few pieces of charcoal on top, and lit them.
“Gary, make me ten metal skewers.
They should be about thirty-five centimeters long and 0.2 centimeters thick.”
“Etta, bring over the mutated potatoes you washed.”
“Okay,” Gary said, raising his hand.
A metal skewer materialized in his palm.
“Like this?”
“Yes, very clever.
Metal is malleable.
You can’t just make skewers, basins, and buckets; you can make all sorts of things.
See that chimney I bought?
It’s just a flat sheet rolled into a tube.” As soon as she finished, Mandy wanted to bite her own tongue off.
‘I’m the one who said I don’t want to be a walking encyclopedia, but here I am, teaching them again.’
‘It’s not that I enjoy lecturing people.’
‘It’s the respect for seniority, a concept practically carved into the bones of my people.’
Thinking of her own “real” age of five hundred, her eyes glinted.
“You have to use your own heads.
What other people can teach you is bound to be limited.”
The chimney she bought was being kept as a spare for winter.
The chimney in the house was one she had plastered together with mud.
Its heat conductivity was poor, so it would have to be replaced eventually.
Mandy had learned many things from books and the internet.
She had plenty of theoretical knowledge but no practical experience, so she would have to experiment.
The wasteland wasn’t like the post-apocalypse she knew.
In that world, the basic infrastructure—electricity, water, the internet, even planes and cars—still existed.
Here in the wasteland, they were truly starting from nothing.
Aside from the unnatural existence of superpowers, everything else was on par with the 1970s or 80s.
Or maybe even the 50s or 60s!
Planned food distribution, rationing, starvation, cannibalism…
‘The cannibalism is just my guess,’ Mandy thought.
‘But why else would everyone be so tight-lipped and fearful whenever drifters are mentioned?
It has to be that!’
Etta brought over a small basin.
Mandy grabbed the mutated potatoes and placed them near the charcoal fire.
After that, she started threading the meat onto the skewers!
All two pounds of it made ten skewers.
The meat had already been soaked in saltwater, so Mandy didn’t bother digging out any other seasonings.
Holding five skewers in each hand, she began to roast them over the hot coals.
The rich, meaty aroma immediately drew the two little gluttons over.
The mutated potatoes cooking by the coals were also starting to smell delicious!
“How can it smell so good?”
“Is it ready?
Can we eat yet?”
“What’s the rush?
Flip the mutated potatoes and push them closer to the coals,” Mandy said.
The gamey odor she disliked had faded considerably after soaking the meat.
A charcoal barbecue was a rare treat, and she was just as eager to eat as they were.
“Don’t be impatient.
It needs a little longer to cook.
While we’re waiting, you two can keep working on those things I mentioned.
Whenever you have a spare moment, you should be practicing with your superpowers.”
The overwhelming aroma spread outside.
Quite a few households smelled it.
“Who’s cooking meat?
It smells so damn good!
I’d die happy if I could just have one bite!”
“Whose house is that?
They actually have meat!”
“It smells amazing!”
The commotion outside didn’t affect anyone in the house.
There was no way to control the fragrant smoke, and even though Mandy knew her barbecue was causing a stir, she didn’t care.
As long as her secrets weren’t at risk of being exposed, she wasn’t afraid of trouble.
She would deal with any problems as they arose.
‘If it comes to a fight, it’s anyone’s guess who’ll be the one to regret it!’
Fat sizzled and oozed out, dripping onto the hot coals with a sharp SSSSS.
The air filled with a smoky, slightly charred fragrance.
In a word—heavenly!
“Alright, you two get three skewers each, and I’ll have four,” Mandy called the brothers over, handing them each three skewers.
“It’s ready already?” Etta, who had been desperate to eat just moments before, now gripped the hot skewer and stared blankly.
“We can really eat it?”
Mandy ruffled his hair.
“Of course.
Go on, eat.
Be careful, it’s hot!”
She speared one of the mutated potatoes with her knife, peeled off the skin, and sliced it in her palm.
The fire-roasted potato tasted a bit like a roasted sweet potato.
She took a bite of the grilled meat, followed by a bite of potato.
Surprisingly, it wasn’t half bad.
Gary took the three skewers he was given, held them under his nose, and inhaled deeply.
“Mandy, Mutated Beast Meat is very expensive.
You shouldn’t be the only one spending points.”
‘This kid is such a killjoy!’
‘How many points could two pounds of meat possibly cost?’
Earning points was simple for her.
And while Mandy hated being taken advantage of, the twin brothers were different.
They were people she wanted on her side.
How could she consider what she shared with them as ‘someone else’s’?
She patted Gary’s head as well.
“When it comes to our household’s joint ventures, I’ll ask you to contribute points when the time comes.
That way, you’ll know that the things you’ve pitched in for belong to me, but they belong to you, too.”
Seeing that both of them were just holding their skewers, unwilling to take a bite, she ordered, “Eat!”
Etta was already dying from anticipation.
He took a big bite of meat, his charming eyes narrowing in bliss.
“Mmm—sho ghood!”
‘Just how good could it be?
What a silly kid, he’s never eaten anything decent.’ Mandy lowered her gaze, closing her eyes to savor the taste.
As she swallowed, a faint wisp of energy did indeed spread from her stomach through her entire body.
It was so faint, it would have been unnoticeable if she hadn’t been paying close attention.
Her Wood Ability seemed to have strengthened by the tiniest fraction.
It was better than nothing, but more importantly, it pointed her in a new direction.
‘So, eating Mutated Beast Meat is helpful for improving one’s superpower.’
Etta and Gary each grabbed a mutated potato, peeled it, and began eating, alternating bites of potato and meat.
“I never imagined you could eat like this.
Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could eat like this every day?”
“The roasted mutated potatoes are pretty tasty, too.”
Mandy ate her skewer while quickly pulling the remaining mutated potatoes from the fire.
She used her foot to kick dirt over the charcoal, smothering the flames until they were out.
“When I’m not home, you two are not to play with fire.
The only place fire is allowed in this house is in the stove.
Absolutely nowhere else, understand?”
“We know!”
“We’re adults, we won’t play with fire!”
The twin brothers moved in unison.
But neither of them saw Mandy rolling her eyes.
‘Sixteen-year-old “adults” who haven’t even finished growing,’ she thought.
“Hurry up and eat.
When you’re finished, come to the bedroom.
I have something to tell you—”