Luke opened the nearby restaurant listings. There were several places serving beast meat, though the prices quickly explained why most people still ate ordinary livestock. He stopped at one entry.
"Eight hundred credits for a steak?" He looked at the details. It was the meat of a level 20 thunderbird. "Hmmm... Thunderbird meat is supposed to be very good for lightning affinity."
Luke continued scrolling and then finally stopped at a new one. The dish was a stew made with level 15 Ironhide Boar meat.
Now that sounded promising. After spending yesterday trying not to become a boar’s lunch, there was something deeply satisfying about considering the reverse.
"How about this?"
Emma read the description. "Slow-cooked Ironhide Boar? It tastes very good, young master. I have once had the leftovers."
"Alright, come. This time you can have the full course meal."
The two of them walked over to the restaurant and were greeted by the smell of roasting meat before they even reached the entrance.
Luke’s stomach growled. He had eaten breakfast not that long ago, but apparently being publicly humiliated worked up an appetite.
Inside, the restaurant was warm and busy. Servers carried heavy trays between wooden tables, and a row of pots simmered behind an open counter. A man near the kitchen was slicing a slab of meat so tender that it barely seemed to resist the knife.
Luke once again heard his stomach growling. Thankfully, a waitress approached them. "A table for two?"
"Please."
Her gaze moved to Nibbles on his shoulder. "He’ll stay with us," Luke added.
"As long as he doesn’t get into anyone else’s food."
Luke nodded. He was not sure how much the mouse would obey him, so he could only wait and see what happened. For now, Nibbles simply sniffed the air, looking around here and there.
They were shown to a table beside the window. Luke sat down while Emma carefully took Nibbles from his shoulder. She laid a handkerchief on her lap and placed him on it with another piece of shell.
The waitress handed them menus.
"The Ironhide Boar course," Luke said. "For both of us."
"Certainly. Would you like the usual preparation or the gentler one?"
Luke paused. "What’s the difference?"
"The usual preparation retains more mana. For customers who aren’t accustomed to beast meat, we recommend the gentler version."
"Does that include people who haven’t awakened?"
"Yes, sir. Our chef draws out most of the excess mana during cooking."
Luke nodded. He thought for a moment and then decisively answered. "Bring the version that has the most mana in it."
"But young master?" Emma immediately spoke up.
Luke let out a breath. "Don’t worry. I have a plan. I think."
The ring had worked. He was able to see the details of the beasts. Perhaps he already had mana and simply didn’t know how to sense it. A meal seemed like a reasonable place to start.
The first dishes arrived quickly. Warm bread, pickled vegetables, and a light soup with thin slices of mushroom floating on the surface.
Luke reached for the bread. Across from him, Emma tore off a tiny piece and held it near her lap. The little mouse immediately jumped for it and began nibbling on it.
"He is very cute." Emma giggled.
Luke shook his head in amusement. "As long as he makes you happy."
Soon the waitress brought over two clay pots and set them on the table. When she lifted the lids, a cloud of fragrant steam rose between them.
Chunks of boar meat sat in a thick gravy alongside potatoes and mushrooms. Luke pushed his spoon into one of the pieces, and it fell apart without any resistance.
"Careful. The pots are hot," the waitress said before leaving them to their meal.
Luke blew on his first spoonful and tasted it.
Fuck. He immediately understood why people were willing to spend so much money on beast meat. The meat was tender, the gravy rich, and the taste made him want to scrape every last drop from the pot.
Across the table, Emma took a bite and went quiet.
"Good?"
She nodded, already preparing another spoonful. Luke smiled and returned to his own food. He worked his way through the stew, pausing only to dip bread into the gravy. Then he felt it. A warmth in his stomach that lingered after he swallowed. Was that mana?
Luke slowed down. He did not want to eat too much. This was just a test. He did not plan to go overboard.
He set his spoon aside and concentrated. The sensation spread beneath his ribs, faint but distinct. It was different from the heat of the food. That had faded almost immediately. This seemed to be gathering. Pain followed a moment later.
At first, it was only a dull ache. Luke shifted in his chair, expecting it to pass. Instead, the warmth tightened beneath his ribs, and a sharp cramp made him suck in a breath.
Emma put down her spoon. "Young master?"
"Hold on." He pressed a hand against his stomach. The sensation was getting stronger.
Luke gripped the edge of the table. Sweat gathered along his hairline. He had wanted to feel mana, and apparently his body had decided to make the experience fucking memorable.
"I am fine." He mumbled through gritted teeth as he felt the pain quickly subsiding. He slowly lowered his hand. The pressure beneath his ribs loosened, then faded so abruptly that he almost doubted it had been there. He took a careful breath. Nothing stabbed. Nothing cramped.
Emma was still gripping his arm. "Young master?"
"It’s ok. I am fine. I am fine." He waited a few more seconds before straightening. A faint warmth remained in his stomach, but even that was disappearing. What the hell had just happened?
Luke opened his status panel. His gaze swept over it, searching for a change. But there was no change at all. He sucked in a breath and went back in for seconds. He had already decided to try this out, so there was no point in pussyfooting around. Another bite went down, followed by a mouthful of gravy.
Emma caught his wrist before he could scoop up more. "Young master."
"I know. Just this one." He set the spoon down and waited.
The warmth returned sooner this time. Luke held still, concentrating on the spot beneath his ribs where it gathered. A dull ache followed, enough to make his stomach tighten, but it didn’t become the sharp cramp he expected. Then it was gone.
Luke frowned. Had that been easier? He checked his panel again, and this time too, nothing had changed. Was his body getting used to it? Or had he simply eaten less the second time?
He paused for a second and took another bite. Then another. He had a slight discomfort but otherwise, nothing else happened. In fact, he was only feeling hungrier. He continued eating and within seconds ended up finishing the whole meal.
"Young master? Are you really fine?" Emma stared at him in utter disbelief.
Luke nodded. He then suddenly held his stomach and mouth. Emma quickly shot up in worry, but the next second, Luke burped loudly.
He then awkwardly reached for his water and drank. The pressure was gone, and there was no trace of the earlier pain. He felt surprisingly comfortable for someone who had just emptied an entire pot of stew.
Suddenly, a notification popped up in front of him.
[Ding! You have unlocked a new attribute]
[Ding! You have gained +1 mana]
Luke blinked. Wait, what? He reread the notification again and then opened up his status panel.
[Name: Luke Ashford]
[Age: 18]
[Class: Unawakened]
[Title: Marked by Fate]
[Physical Strength: 3]
[Agility: 4]
[Stamina: 3]
[Mana: 1]
[Mental Strength: 3]
[Mental Acuity: 5]
[Mental Resilience: 5]
[Physical Defense: 0]
[Magical Defense: 0]
[Soul Defense: 22]
[Soul Strength: 25]
[Luck: 4]
[Unique Talent: Infinite Luck - Generate one Luck Point each day.]
Luke immediately opened up the social panel in the system interface and started digging around. The more he read, the more shocked he became. It looks like something like this was indeed possible.
When eating high-grade beast meat, there was a chance to gain some amount of mana, either permanently or temporarily.
"Temporarily?" Luke suddenly had a bad feeling. He once again flipped open his status panel, and just as he feared, the new attribute was no longer there. His +1 mana disappeared.
"What the fuck!" Luke straightened up and hurriedly took out his experience gain potion.
"Young master..." Emma asked worriedly. "Is everything okay? Are you in pain or..."
Luke simply nodded. "No. No. I am fine. I... will explain it to you in a bit. One second." He quickly emptied his potion bottle. The liquid was thick and sweet, with a bitter aftertaste that made him grimace.
He set the bottle down and stared at his status panel. "Come on."
He had used the ring. He had gained mana, even if it had disappeared almost immediately. Surely that meant his body could do more than the awakening results suggested.
Emma looked at the empty bottle. "Was that the EXP potion?"
He nodded without taking his eyes off the screen. A few seconds passed. Then a familiar chime sounded.
[Ding! You have gained 100 EXP.]
Luke’s heart jumped. "Yes!"
A diner at the next table glanced over. Luke barely noticed. He hurriedly checked his panel, searching for a level, an experience bar, anything that hadn’t been there before.
Then another notification appeared.
[Ding! You have lost 100 EXP]
Luke’s face twitched. "You have got to be kidding me!"