With a bright smile, Fenix gathered the st of the vegetables and carefully pced them in a woven basket. Suddenly, he heard the sound of wheels crunching over gravel behind him. He turned to see Macaroon approaching with a medium-sized wagon in tow.

  "Oh, you're done already?” she asked, surprise evident in her voice as she gnced at the filled baskets. “I was just coming over to help since I thought it would take longer. Now I can hurry home and start dinner."

  Fenix smiled and lifted the heavy basket onto the wagon with ease. As he finished, a notification appeared on his screen.

  [Skill: Quest Completed!]

  [Skill: You gained 25 exp and 25 bronze coins!]

  He opened his character information box and checked his recent stats:

  Name: Chaotic Nexus Title: Unavaible

  Level: 1 EXP: 45/100

  HP: 50/50 MP: 60/60 Stamina: 30/30

  Stat points: 0

  Strength: 1 Dexterity: 3

  Intelligence: 2 Luck: 1

  Coins: 0 Gold 0 Silver 40 Bronze

  Fenix shook his head as he saw how low his experience was. He had been pying for an hour and was still at level one. However, he wasn't upset about it. Once he had his skills in pce, he knew he could level up quickly.

  With a smile, he turned to see that Macaroon had finally finished loading her portion of ingredients onto the wagon and was walking over to him. "Thank you so much for your help. Would you be interested in coming to my mother's birthday surprise?"

  "I would be honored," he replied, trying to sound earnest.

  [System: Quest Triggered!]

  Falling for his sincerity, Macaroon looked down shyly. "Actually, I could use some assistance in cooking the meal for the party, as well. Would you mind helping me?"

  “I wouldn’t mind at all,” Fenix smiled, knowing a new quest was about to begin.

  [System: A Quest Has Been Created!]

  Preparations

  Quest Description: Macaroon needs your help to cook a special mb stew for her mother's birthday party. The dish requires precise preparation and careful attention to detail. Assist Macaroon in chopping vegetables, and perfectly seasoning the stew to create a memorable birthday meal. Time is of the essence, as the party begins soon.

  Reward:

  15 EXP

  10 Bronze Coins

  Learn:

  ??

  ??

  After following Macaroon back to her family’s restaurant, she led him past clusters of tables to a rge kitchen at the back. The sweet scent of cake filled the air as she guided him to a cozy corner where a young boy was diligently decorating a towering cake.

  Ethan's eyes were fixed on his task, completely absorbed in meticulously decorating the cake. He didn't even notice them entering, lost in his own world of frosting and sprinkles.

  Fenix couldn't help but smile at the sight—it reminded him of when he was younger, baking a cake for his own mother.

  "Let's get to work," Macaroon said, pulling Fenix out of his nostalgia.

  She directed him to a nearby counter where she had id out ingredients for their dish. Nearby, a stove was already heating up.

  "Wash and chop these vegetables we harvested," she instructed him.

  With a nod, Fenix got to work—this was easy compared to some of the tasks he had done in the past when he was working as a chef.

  Fenix's hands moved swiftly and efficiently. He diced the potatoes, sliced the carrots, and washed the rice, all while keeping an eye on Macaroon’s progress.

  He saw how she expertly trimmed and seasoned the mb, her movements quick and precise. If this was real life she could be a top chef.

  The kitchen was filled with the sound of chopping, the sizzling of meat, and the occasional exchange of instructions.

  “Next, the vegetables need to be sautéed,” Macaroon instructed as she lit the stove and pced a rge pot on top. “I'll handle the mb. Can you stir the vegetables and add some seasoning?”

  "Sure," Fenix replied, trying to hide his nerves.

  He picked up a bottle of oil and slowly poured it into the pot, his hands trembling slightly. As soon as the oil touched the hot surface, it began bubbling and spitting dangerously.

  Despite knowing that this was just a game, he couldn't hide the flicker of fear in his eyes as the oil began bubbling.

  Macaroon must have noticed because she quickly handed him an apron and some arm guards. "I almost forgot, put these on," she said kindly.

  Fenix put them on, feeling slightly more protected but still wary of the hot oil. Memories of being covered in boiling oil flooded his mind, but he pushed them away and focused on the task at hand.

  As he sautéed the vegetables, their aroma filled the air, making his mouth water. It smelled ten times better than the frozen food he bought.

  Fenix really did miss cooking without the fear of being burnt gnawing at him. Shaking his head, he added the spices Macaroon had set aside, stirring them in and watching as the vegetables began to soften and caramelize.

  With the mb browning to perfection, Macaroon added it to the pot, mixing everything together. “Now, we let it simmer,” she said, covering the pot and lowering the heat. “It just needs time to cook now.”

  Fenix wiped his hands on a towel and leaned against the counter, feeling a sense of accomplishment. “Thanks for your help,” Macaroon said, giving him a grateful smile. “I couldn’t have done this without you.”

  “Happy to help,” Fenix replied, returning her smile. “I’m looking forward to seeing how it turns out.”

  Fenix wasn't joking; he was genuinely curious. In Haven Online, life skills (skills that can be found in real life) are enhanced by a pyer's existing abilities. For example, if someone was a terrible singer in real life, gaining the singing skill would only make them decent at best, even after leveling it up all the way.

  However, he hadn’t cooked like this in a long time. So he was kind of curious to see if his skills got rusty.

  It didn't take long before the food was finally done. All it needed were some final touches to be just right.

  Macaroon stood over the pot, stirring with a look of pride on her face. Fenix couldn't deny that the aroma wafting from the pot was heavenly, and he could only imagine how it would taste.

  As she closed the lid on the pot, Macaroon walked over to him, wiping her hands on her apron. "Thank you again for your help. With your help, I was able to finish the stew just in time for my mother's birthday."

  [System: Quest Completed!]

  [System: You gained 15 EXP and 10 bronze coins!]

  [System: You have gained two new skills. Please check your skill bar for more details.]

  Checking his skill bar, he saw that he had finally acquired the Cooking skill and Production Mastery, which could only be obtained in the beginner town.

  Cooking: Allows pyers to cook using various food ingredients. Recipes can be learned by finding them in the world or from monster drops. There are numerous specializations in cooking; to master them all, pyers must visit different chefs throughout the world. A cooking journal has been added to your character tab. Achieving a 5-star rating for all dishes in the journal earns the title of Grandmaster Chef.

  Fenix whistled softly as he checked out the extensive list of dishes in his cooking journal. He knew becoming a Grandmaster Chef would take time. Closing the tab, he turned his attention to the other skill, the one he always wanted to have.

  Production Mastery: Crafting involves choosing materials, shaping them, and putting them together correctly. People who can do this well become more patient and determined, which improves their Stamina. Production Mastery shows how passionate someone is about creating things. Being able to imagine the final product makes their skills more precise, and their strong desire and imagination help them succeed in real life. The more they create or discover, the better they get at crafting. This skill passively boosts the success rates of gathering and production across all life skills.

  Fenix clenched his fists with glee. This skill was exactly what he needed. With Production Mastery, he would have an easier time getting the ingredients he needed for cooking as well as helping him produce potions.