The morning after his first successful stew, Ken awoke with a fire in his chest and a mission on his mind. The air still carried the warm aroma of last night's garlic-mushroom stew, and the memory of his parents' satisfied expressions lingered longer than the scent.
He sat up and opened the interface.
---
New Skill Unlocked: Seasoning Sense (Lv. 1)
EXP: 0%
Allows the user to passively detect nearby herbs, spices, and ingredients with flavor-enhancing properties. Range: 10 meters.
---
Ken grinned. "Time to put this to work."
He grabbed his basket and slipped out the door just after sunrise, following the marked forager's path beyond the southern tree line. The cool air nipped at his arms, and the morning mist still clung to the mossy undergrowth.
As he stepped into the woods, the system shimmered softly.
[Seasoning Sense Activated – Scanning…]
A faint pulse of golden light caught his eye—a subtle shimmer from the forest floor. He followed the signal carefully, ducking through low branches and overgrown shrubs. There, nestled in rich black soil, was a strange, knobby root streaked with purple.
He dug it out and sniffed.
Sweet. Earthy. Heavy-bodied, like a cross between a parsnip and yam. His modern palate tingled.
---
You've discovered: Crownroot (Common, Edible)
A hearty root vegetable with a dense, meaty texture and a rich, savory-sweet flavor. Excellent for roasting, stews, or mashing.
Ingredient Identification EXP +5% → 10%
Seasoning Sense EXP +6%
---
He found a few more clusters along the path. As he continued, his senses pinged again—wild lemon balm growing near a streambed, along with chickweed and a few peppery wild cress leaves.
By the time he returned, his basket was filled with promise.
Back home, he washed and chopped the Crownroot, seasoned it with lemon balm and salt, and roasted it in a shallow iron pan. The sweet aroma filled the house like a festival.
---
[Ingredient Prep EXP +5% → 29%]
[Fire Control EXP +4% → 15%]
[Seasoning Sense EXP +7% → 17%]
---
His mother entered soon after, arms full of kindling. She froze as the scent reached her nose.
"That smell," she murmured. "What is that?"
"Dinner," Ken said. "Wait until you try it."
By the time the table was set and bowls were steaming, the door opened again. His father stepped inside, his cloak damp and boots muddy—but this time, he wasn't empty-handed.
"Snared a pair of tree hens," he said, holding up two plump, feathered birds. "First luck I've had in days."
Ken's eyes lit up. He took the birds carefully. They were heavier than they looked. Lean but fresh.
"Do you mind if I take care of them?" he asked.
His father raised an eyebrow. "You know how to clean game?"
"I remember the basics," Ken said. Kind of. He had vague memories from both his past life's internet rabbit holes and this body's simpler upbringing.
His father handed them over. "Alright, chef. They're yours."
---
After dinner, Ken sat by the fire with a pair of knives and a small wooden block. He plucked the birds meticulously, grimacing at the fine down that clung to everything. Then he sliced, cleaned, and separated the meat into precise portions. Breasts, thighs, wings—small, but useful.
He rinsed each part and set them on a cloth, thinking carefully.
If I cook all of this tomorrow, it's gone. He glanced toward the pantry, sparse and dark. But if I preserve half… we'll have something for winter.
He lit a low fire under a flat slab of stone and carefully laid half of the meat over it. Using a mix of salt, chopped wild cress, and a light herb wrap from lemon balm, he began the slow process of curing and drying.
---
[Fire Control EXP +3% → 18%]
[Ingredient Prep EXP +6% → 35%]
Seasoning Sense EXP +4% → 21%
New Technique Learned: Basic Meat Preservation (Unranked)
---
The smell of smoking herbs filled the air, mingling with pine and hearthwood. His mother peeked over his shoulder.
"Preserving it?" she asked softly.
Ken nodded. "We'll eat the other half tomorrow. But this might help in winter when game is scarce."
She smiled, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "You're thinking like a provider."
Ken swallowed, warmth rising in his chest.
"Just doing what I can."
That night, as the embers dimmed and Ken sealed the dried meat in a cloth pouch lined with waxed leaves, he saw the system glow one last time:
---
Personal Achievement: Forward-Thinking Forager
+10 EXP
Current Level: 2 (20/40 EXP)
---
Salt. Root. Meat. Fire.
This isn't just survival anymore. This is craft. This is control.
And I'm just getting started.
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