Chp. 10 They say “The Clothes make the Hunter”

  After noticing the big change in my stats, I was excited to take on more gigas. But first I decided it was time for a wardrobe change. My close had seen much better days, and my Jordans well that was just a travesty. The leather Tunic had more slashes and holes then leather at this point. I knew he needed better protection if I wanted to take on even stronger monsters or even worse.

  After getting a good night’s rest I woke up first, I was excited to find some new clothes. But before we could leave the morning called for a good home cooked breakfast. Since Ava was still asleep, I thought he would take my turn at cooking and throw down a more American style breakfast with a twist that I had been missing here on Astria. I found that while all the spices in Ava’s pantry had different names, several had similar taste to what I had back at home.

  And so, the battle of breakfast began. I decided to try to make a stuffed French toast type of dish. Since this was something, I had come up with at home, I was sure Ava would have never tried anything like it. I began by taking some Snider bacon and frying it up nice and crispy. As I fried the bacon, I found something that tasted like brown sugar, I guess sweets are universal, and sprinkled it on the bacon.

  Next, I grabbed a loaf of bread, one of the few thing so far, I had learned had the same name and was made the same as Earth. I cut 2 thick slices of bread a little over the thickness of two normal pieces of bread from back home. Next, I took a knife and cut a little slit in the top and hollowed out the inside of the bread making sort of a pocket inside the bread. After that I looked through the pantry and found something that was very similar to peanut butter called fistiki and something like a sweet jam called marmelada in the cold box. I mixed the together in equal parts and spooned it into the pockets I had made in two of the slices of bread. Next, I took a couple of hatchling eggs and beat them like I was making scrambled eggs back home and added some of the sweetener that reminded him of brown sugar and something that reminded me of cinnamon called kanela. I dipped the sliced bread in the hatchling eggs covering all sides and placed it in the hot pan with the snider bacon fat. I let both sides cook until they were a golden brown. I placed the stuffed French toast on two plates, I took the cinnamon like spice and mixed it with the sweeter I had found sprinkled it over the French toast. Next, I laid the snider bacon in an x pattern on the top. Finally, I found something like maple that had the name Siropi apo sfendamo and poured a little of it over all of it. I was amazed at how even though everything was different from earth, there were a lot of similarities. Wala PB&J stuffed French toast.

  “What is that smell” Ava asked from behind.

  I had been so focused on cooking he hadn’t noticed her walking up behind him.

  “Here try it” I told her with a challenging look.

  The look on Ava’s face said it all. She looked like her mouth was about to explode, she kept smiling and talking and eating at the same time.

  “This is the best thing I’ve ever at” she exclaimed or a mouth full of food, “can you make more?”

  After breakfast we headed to Enzo’s, I explained on the way that I needed to pick up more clothes and armor since all of mine was worn out, and we planned on working even harder to level up. Ava agreed that it was a good plan, and since she wasn’t struggling for money any more thanks to my loot ability, she would do some upgrades as well. And a quick trip back to the registrar’s office was also in order since she knows they leveled up quite a bit she added. I just hoped she wasn’t going to change those leather pants, but I kept that thought to myself. I stopped in mid thought as she was waiting for his response.

  “Yes, we need to see Barb” I replied.

  I took a moment to look at Ava’s current level noticing that while she had leveled up quite a bit, I had already surpassed her in levels. I decided I would wait for Barb to give her that news so maybe she wouldn’t get quite as frustrated with me.

  When Ava and I got to Enzo’s we explained what we needed and our plain to become much stronger than what we are currently. Enzo told us that he had the basic items they needed such as Shirts, paints, underwear, and socks, even armor made from rinokeros hide, but he made a suggested the armor and even added that we should look for better weapons as well.

  “I’ve got the basic everyday armor and weapons, and my good are by no means cheap and can take a beating” Enzo continued “But since your now on good terms with your mother Ava, I would suggest seeing what kind of armor and weapons they might have to offer. We don’t see too many elves around they keep pretty much to themselves but the ones we do see, always seem to have a special higher quality armor and weapons then I can make.”

  “And since they allowed both you and Jensen to enter their village, they may be inclined to help you with this” he finished.

  After Enzo’s we headed to the registrar’s office, Barb was in her usual place reading another Romance novel.

  “Hey Barb, new book” I asked?

  “May I help you” she asked with a smirk.

  “Oh, it’s you, are you two going to come in every time you reach a level? You were just in here a few months ago” She continued “most hunters have enough respect to at least gain a couple of levels before taking of my precious time”.

  And by precious time you mean The Saurian and Her Prince? I thought as he read the title of her newest read to himself.

  “Sorry” Ava replied, “we will try to keep that in mind next time. Do you mind checking and raising our rank”?

  “Young people these day’s always in such a rush” Barb hissed.

  “Hand” she demanded.

  She opened her desk and pulled out the box she used before to test my level. She then asked Ava for her hunters license she handed it to her without saying a word.

  Ava reached over the desk and gave her, her hand.

  “Let’s see you were a level 5, a respectable level for your age. Making it to level 8 is very uncommon for someone as young as you” she said more to herself.

  Barb touched the pink crystal to her hand once more, it went from glowing a faint pink to hot pink then back to the faint pink. Then she touched the crystal to Ava’s license the number 5 disappeared it was replaced by the number 11.

  “Well, that can’t be right, no one goes from level 5 to 11 in that short of a time” Barb started, “Maybe this crystal isn’t working, they do get weaker over time.”

  She reached back in the box and pulled another box wrapped in paper, she unwrapped it and pulled out a 2nd crystal and touched it to her hand. Then she touched it to the license again, the number 11 disappeared.

  “See just a bad crystal, it was getting weak. Let’s see what your real level is” Barb hissed.

  Then a 12 replaced the 11 Barb’s face went slack.

  “Well, this is a fresh crystal. I don’t know how you managed to do it, but you’re ranked higher than anyone else in your age group. It’s unheard of for a hunter to reach level 12 at the age of 18”, Barb had a little bit of praise in her voice as she said that.

  “That’s one way to shut up those racist jerks”, she whispered where only Ava and I could hear.

  I smirked a little at that.

  “Alright young man, it’s your turn. Don’t be discouraged that your friend was able to level up so much. She has worked hard and been through a lot to get there” Barb said in encouragement.

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  I was taken back that was very out of character for the normally cold-blooded registrar.

  I handed her his license and gave her his hand.

  Barb took the same crystal she just used on Ava touched it to Jensen’s hand, when it stopped glowing hot pink, she removed it and touched it to his license. Just like with Ava’s the old level disappeared and his new level appeared on the license.

  “15” Barb shouted louder then she meant to, and then in a much quieter tone, “most hunters work most their life to reach 15, how is that possible you’ve been a hunter less the 8 months.”

  Jensen looked at Ava he could tell that she was frustrated that he had gotten so far ahead of her, but she was still proud that he had leveled up so much.

  “I guess I just had a good trainer” I replied to Barb while still looking at Ava.

  After that Ava and I left the registrar’s office. Ava was unusually quiet for a while. As they walked towards the edge of town she finally spoke.

  “You know the max level is 20, I didn’t think I would even get close to that,” she continued “To reach level 12 already is amazing.”

  She looked at me and smiled “And for you to already be at 15 well that’s just unheard of. I guess that’s probably one of your abilities, maybe something to do with that rested XP status you told me about.”

  “Now we must work harder, we are so close to level 20 that I can taste it. And now I know it’s possible to reach it” she finished with a determined look on her face.

  We decided to pick up all the bounties we could find that could be completed on the way to Sylveria, since we were both much higher levels now, we could take any of the jobs on the board, and there was no shortage, it seemed to me like the amount of bounties available and monsters showing up in Astria were increasing since I had first arrived, I didn’t know if it felt that way because of his lack of experience or if the numbers really where going up, I decided to asked Ava and she said the number has seemed to increase quite a bit.

  Our travels to Sylveria took much longer than it normally would. Working to finish all the bounties on the way. Some of the bounties where as simple as bringing back 10 karpouzi fruit, these karpouzi looked like watermelons but grew from trees and had a fuzzy outside to them. We picked 10 for the bounty and the I put several more in my storage for us to eat later. The fruit was quite sweet and very filling. Ava told me that humans and elves could survive on that fruit alone if they wanted to, it provided water, protein, and carbs all the things one needed to live on. While the Karpouzi fruit was quite delicious I thought it would be rather boring to only eat that all your life.

  As we hunted, Ava talked nonstop about French toast I had made a while back, and that no one here could cook like I did. As we set up camp she continued “If you wanted, you could open a food hut and be set for live just making the French toast.”

  I thought to myself still about the French toast, you haven’t tasted anything yet.

  “A new side Hussle” I suggested, “If I ever get tired of being a hunter.”

  “Or live that long I accidentally” said out loud, which caused Ava to give me an angry look. And said she was going for a walk.

  While she was gone, I decided to cook up some rinokeros steaks. I took my cast iron skillet along with all the spices I needed, and a few vegetables to go with it. I wanted to make sure I had something good for her to eat when she got back. Good food always cheered me up when I was mad or upset. Then I thought about tacos and pizza, I’m going to have to find out if this world has the equivalent of cheese. Surly a world with intelligent life could survive without cheese I’ll have to ask Ava when she gets back.

  I placed my cast iron in the fire to get it hot, while that was heating up, I took out a flat piece of wood that I could use as a cutting board. I took the steaks out and seasoned them heavily with what seemed to be the equivalent of salt called alas, pepper called piperi, and garlic powder called skordo skoni. I set that aside to let the meat rest with the seasonings. While the steaks where resting I took out a root vegetable called patata, that looked similar to a potato and chopped it up and to small sticks equal in size. Then I took out an onion another thing I had found had the same name here as on earth and diced it up real fine. I took some rinokeros fat I had been saving just for this and put it in the hot pan.

  I put the patata and onion in the pan and put a good amount of alas and piperi on it. I used a large fork I had carved one night from tree branch to stir the patata and check to see if it was tender. I took the patata out of the pan and put it into a container I had in my storage space. I cleaned my skillet and got it hot again. I put the steaks in the pan and to let them get a good sear on both sides, then I moved the pan out of the flame and onto some hot coals I had moved over just for this reason. I took more of the fat I had earlier and put it the pan with the steak. I added some whole skordo and a sprig of dendrolivano which looked and smelt like rosemary. I basted the steak for a few minutes with the melted flavor to give it more of the flavor from the skordo and the dendrolivano.

  I took the steaks out of the skillet and put them on my just washed cutting board and poured the fat over them. Now I just have to let them rest, I thought to myself. I wonder how long Ava will be gone I don’t want this to get cold.

  luckily Ava wasn’t gone much longer so my effort wasn’t for nothing. Ava told me how she was just scouting out around and she smelled this wonderful smell. That smell lead her back to cap.

  “What did you make?” She asked.

  Oh, just some rinokeros steaks and patata I told her.

  “I’ve never smelled rinokeros like that, and patata never has a smell at all. Can we eat?” she asked.

  I handed her a plate with a good helping of the patata and the rinokeros sliced against the grain on it. That frown quickly turned upside down. And with that she declared that we had to make time every night for a good meal. And I was the camp cook.

  The next day we continued hunting some of the bounties where hard, but not as hard as they once were, an orc had taken residence at the edge of the forest and was attacking travelers and hunters as they entered. With Ava and my new strength and the elemental rings which we could use since we were alone, we made short work of the orc and its brothers that had not been reported to be present.

  We had just finished the last of a long list of bounties, when we heard a howl before we had time to prepare a pack of wolves well, I thought they were wolves they looked like wolves but instead of fur they were covered in fire.

  “Oh no this is bad” Ava said to me “these are fotia lykos, they are supposed to be a myth.”

  She barely had time to utter a warning when the first lykos lunged at me with a ferocious snarl. I rolled to the side, drawing my sword in one swift motion. I swung it at the beast's neck, hoping to sever its spine. But the lykos was too fast and agile. It snapped its jaws at the blade, clashing metal with teeth. I felt a wave of heat wash over me, making me sweat and gasp. The lykos was not just a giant wolf; it was a living inferno. Its fur was like a coat of flames, its eyes like burning coals. If I got too close, I would be roasted alive before being devoured. I had to keep my distance and find an opening to strike.

  I backed away from the lykos, keeping my sword in front of me. I scanned the surroundings, looking for a way out. I was in a clearing surrounded by trees. Maybe I could climb one and escape. But then I saw two more lykos emerge from the shadows, flanking me from both sides. I was trapped. I cursed under my breath. I wondered if Ava was still alive, we had been split up as the first lykos attacked me. I shook my head, trying to focus on the present. I had to survive this first. I gripped my sword tighter and prepared to fight for my life.

  I was stunned by the sight of the fotia lykos, the fire wolves that leaped out of the flames. I had never seen such creatures before, let alone fought them. I dodged their attacks, feeling the heat singe my skin and hair. I looked around for Ava, hoping she was safe. I had to find her and get out of this inferno. But how could I fight these beasts? They were fast and fierce, and their fur was like a shield of fire. I racked my brain for a solution. Then I remembered something Ava had told me about the crystals we had collected. Some of them reacted violently when exposed to certain elements. A fire crystal would explode if thrown into a fire. I decided to test that theory. I reached into my storage space and pulled out a fire crystal. It was the size of a rock and glowed red. I used my ring to wrap it in a bubble of water, then hurled it at the nearest lykos. I added a gust of wind to give it more speed and force. I had never combined elements before, but I had no time to hesitate. The crystal pierced through the lykos's chest, killing it instantly. It continued its path and hit another lykos behind it. I released the water bubble and waited for the explosion. It came with a deafening boom that shook the ground and sent a shockwave of fire and smoke in all directions. I was thrown back by the blast, landing hard against a tree. I felt my ears ringing and my vision blurring. I saw the third lykos turn tail and run away, scared by the noise and destruction. I smiled weakly, feeling proud of my improvised weapon. I realized I could have used an earth crystal instead, which I had plenty of, and which would have been more effective against fire. But I liked the idea of fighting fire with fire, even if it was like taking a canon to a knife fight.

  I shook my head to clear my mind and looked around for Ava. M heart skipped a beat when I didn't see her. I hoped she was okay. I called out her name, my voice filled with fear and worry.

  "Ava...Ava, where are you?" I yelled in panic.

  "Over here!" I finally heard her reply. I followed the sound and saw her perched on a tree branch, her bow in hand. She looked unharmed, but her face was pale, and her eyes were wide. She had single-handedly taken out four lykos, their bodies still smoking on the ground. I saw arrows sticking out of their heads and chests, each one a perfect shot.

  "What did you do?" she asked me, pointing at the crater he had created with his fire crystal.

  "I improvised," I said sheepishly, not wanting her to know how panicked I was that she might be hurt or worse. I felt a surge of relief and gratitude that she was alive and well.

  "Well, whatever it was, it worked," she continued. "Two more took off running after they heard that loud explosion. You scared them away."

  I smiled and shrugged, trying to act casual. I was glad I had scared them away, but I also knew I had been lucky. I had used a risky and reckless move that could have backfired on me.

  She had a few cuts and some minor burns on her arms but nothing an Enzo special healing potion couldn’t handle. After that I looted the lykos corps, gaining several very large fire crystals.

  I noticed on my HUD that he had gained a whole level just due to fighting the lykos. I started to tell Ava, but he remembered her not being so happy that I was already a higher level than her, so I decided to keep quiet for now. I did hope to find more of those mythical fotia lykos now that I knew how much XP he would gain.

  “Let’s try to avoid any more of them for now shall we” she said almost as reading my thoughts.