Post-Apocalyptic Survival Modpack

Chapter 5, Section 05: The New Recipe
Snapped.

Ryder started a fire with a flint and steel.

This surprised Wang Ji a bit; he had thought this guy would use some kind of fire-starting magic to light the campfire in a flash.

I never expected it to be such a simple way.

While the wood burned, Ian moved two stones to support the fire on either side, and then picked up three suitable sticks to skewer the three prepared chickens.

The chicken was marinated briefly, but since there weren't many spices or seasonings, it was just salted to make it salty.

But it's enough.

Before roasting the chicken over the campfire, Ian poured some water into it.

"Bake on the outside and boil on the inside; this makes the chicken taste better."

Seeing how intently Wang Ji was watching, Ian casually offered an explanation.

Roasting chicken over an open flame is a skill in itself.

It's a bit more difficult than grilling over charcoal; it's easy to burn the food if you're not careful.

But both Ian and Ryder seemed quite experienced, and they started chatting casually while keeping an eye on the chickens.

Most of the time it was just reminiscing and talking about the past.

It seems these two acquaintances don't see each other often.

Wang Ji stared at the roast chicken, the nearby woods, and the mountains not far away, his desire for development growing stronger.

I really want to chop down trees, mine, and build a house right here...

"And you, Wang Ji."

While they were chatting, Ian suddenly turned the topic to Wang Ji.

"What do you think Imperial University, the school we're taking you to, will be like?"

Wang Ji raised his head and blinked twice.

Don't ask me, I don't know, I'm just a seven-year-old child.

Even though that's what he thought, he still replied, "Like Uncle Ian teaching us to read, but with more teachers and classmates?"

"Hahahaha-"

Hearing Wang Ji say that, the two of them laughed.

Ryder said, "The schools in the capital are much bigger than you can imagine. Don't worry, Wang Ji, the places we're going to will definitely broaden your horizons."

On the other side, Ian, who was staring at the roast chicken, suddenly thought of something and said:

"Don't worry about not seeing your family and children. When you grow up a bit, you might be able to bring them all to the capital. Then you can live a happy and fulfilling life together."

"They might even come out on their own without you having to pick them up."

Is it really that wonderful?
Wang Ji scratched his head, feeling a little as if he had developed some prejudice against the city due to a lack of knowledge after hearing these words.

On the other side, Ian glanced at Ryder as he spoke.

Ryder gave him a reassuring look.

Judging from their appearance, it seems they have made some contingency plans in case something unexpected happens to the village.

"By the way, child, besides the magic of tilling the land, do you know any other unusual magic?"

Ian suddenly asked another question.

Wang Ji paused for a moment, unsure how to respond.

Seeing his reaction, Ryder smiled and continued the conversation:

"There's no need to be so anxious."

“The awakening of talent is often intermittent. You are still young now, and your talent has just begun to emerge. As you grow older, you may suddenly have an inspiration that allows you to understand something new.”

"Many talented people are like this. When their talents are first discovered, they can only do a few unusual things. But as they get older, the ways to use their innate abilities will slowly emerge from their hearts."

"Just like a newborn baby, whose body is not yet mature and needs time to grow before it can do more."

"Similar cases are recorded in the Empire's Great Archives, so, child, don't worry, just do your best."

Your future is sure to be bright.

Wang Ji nodded seriously, without saying anything.

Roasting chicken is a very time-consuming task.

The three chatted and waited, and before they knew it, quite a while had passed.

It's getting dark.

Ian suddenly picked up a chicken, broke off the wing tip, and handed it to Wang Ji.

"It'll burn if we bake it any longer. Let's eat this as a snack before our meal."

"Try it and see how it tastes."

Wang Ji took it and slowly began to eat it.

A salty and savory flavor bursts in your mouth.

It smells so good!

This is...it's been so long since I've had meat.

A roasted chicken wing tip can only be considered a small appetizer.

My satiety level didn't change after eating, and I even felt hungrier subjectively.

"as always."

Looking at Wang Ji's expression, Ryder knew that the roast chicken was a success.

He said with a smile, "Looks like my skills haven't deteriorated yet."

As darkness fell completely, only the campfire smoldering around the three men remained lit across the vast wilderness.

At this point, the chicken was finally cooked.

Wang Ji took the roasted chicken that Ryder handed him and couldn't help but swallow.

The whole chicken leg is torn off; the outer skin is crispy and charred, while the inside is tender, falling off the bone, and white and shiny.

It looks like it's been boiled, but the savory flavor is locked inside the meat and doesn't escape.

One bite reveals a crispy, caramelized outer layer, followed by a tender, savory-sweet flavor that is incredibly satisfying.

It's fair to say that Wang Ji has never eaten anything this good in his entire life, since he was born.

Today I'm finally breaking my fast and eating something really good.

Ian and Ryder clearly don't eat big meals often, but they ate with great relish, wolfing down their food.

He had only eaten half the chicken when suddenly, Ryder stood up and looked at the distant mountains.

"what happened?"

Ian looked up and asked.

Ryder squinted and said, "There's some noise. Put out the fire first."

Ian did as instructed immediately.

Then darkness returned, and the mosquitoes that had gathered there were no longer guided by the light, so they were finally less bothersome.

pat.

Suddenly, Ryder tossed a dagger to Wang Ji.

"Hold it to defend yourself."

Ryder gave Wang Ji a few words of advice, then turned to Wang Ji and said, "Ian, you stay here, I'll go check over there."

Then, they made their way into the mountains in the dark.

Ian watched Ryder's retreating figure in silence, then looked at Wang Ji and comforted him, "Don't worry, child, eat first. The meat won't taste good if it gets cold."

Wang Ji nodded, holding the dagger, and suddenly his eyes widened slightly.

"what?"

The new recipe 'Dagger' has been added.

When he held the dagger in his hand and it appeared in his inventory, a notification popped up in the lower left corner once again.

Wang Ji immediately opened the crafting table and found that there were indeed a few more pages, all of which recorded the crafting of 'dagger' type weapons.

Wooden daggers, stone daggers, iron daggers, gold daggers, diamond daggers…

These recipes didn't exist originally, but they appeared after coming into contact with a dagger.

The specific crafting method involves using a wooden stick and a corresponding material, placed at an angle.

The dagger in his hand was made of iron.

Damage +4, Attack Speed ​​+50%.

Some faint sounds came from the mountains.

Ian stared intently at that spot, seemingly ready to take action at any moment.

However, he didn't take any action until the very end.

A while later, just as Wang Ji was finishing his meal, Ryder returned, carrying a faint smell of blood.

Seeing that he had returned safely, Ian breathed a sigh of relief and asked:

"what happened?"

Ryder dismissively set the bone bow aside, picked up his still-warm roast chicken, and replied:
“Some thugs and robbers mistook me for an ordinary traveler.”

"and then?"

"And then? Then, of course, we let them sleep peacefully, the kind of sleep where they never wake up."

"These environmental scoundrels do nothing but steal other people's things."

Ian shook his head, sighed, and said softly, "Perhaps everyone has their own difficulties."

"They have their difficulties, but don't those who were robbed have theirs?"

Ryder rolled his eyes.

"You're such a wimp."

Sometimes I really feel like you're like those naive little nuns in the church back in the day.

Ian responded quietly, "I did spend a few years at the church."

Ryder turned his head, utterly speechless.

"There are no churches in the world anymore. Forget about things that make you too kind."

"I know."

Ian relit the campfire and said, "I was just sighing; I'm not really going to do anything stupid."

"and…"

His gaze shifted towards Wang Ji's direction.

"Moreover, perhaps soon everyone in the world will no longer have to go hungry, and at that time there should be fewer hooligans and robbers like this."

"Hard to say."

Ryder shook his head and said nothing more.

Wang Ji listened silently, while dealing with the roast chicken in front of him, eating it bite by bite.

(End of this chapter)