Too Stubborn to Die

“So that’s the mortal you’ve been watching?” said a stunning silver-haired woman with spider legs protruding from her back. “I never expected you to take an interest in some F-grade nobody.”

“Oh, you’re back,” said Yendal, not even glancing over. Her eyes were glued to the screens that took over the entire wall of her viewing room.

“You don’t have to act so surprised. Also, you didn’t answer my question.”

“He’s piqued my curiosity.”

“Wow, he must be handsome.”

“He’s interesting,” said Yendal, the barest trace of annoyance slipping into her voice.

The arachnid goddess smirked as she took in the sights on all the screens. The one in the center displayed a live feed, while the others showed various different recordings of the same human from different times.

“Well, he’s not my type, but I suppose dull, boring Yendal would be interested in a dull, boring man,” she said. “Oho, or perhaps not as dull and boring as I thought. Is that an Alpha Trait I see? One related to fate, no less! It sounds… delectable. Ah, but it’s ruined by that filthy brute’s blessing! Still, a fate-related Alpha Trait… If you get bored of him, can I have him?”

“If he fails to live up to my standards, yes,” said Yendal. “But if not… If you lay a finger on him, I’m going to kill you.”

The arachnid goddess laughed to hide the chill that ran down her spine. At her level, there were very few deities that could make her even begin to feel fear, but Martial God Yendal… Well, that was why she had decided to become friends with her, rather than the alternative.

“I would never touch the man you’ve marked,” she said, still laughing. “But I think I might be missing something. Fate-related Alpha Traits are rare, but not so rare as to attract your interest. You’ve only watched a mortal this closely once in the past hundred thousand years. People are starting to think you’ve forgotten how to give blessings.”

“I haven’t blessed him yet,” replied Yendal.

“‘Yet’??” said the arachnid incredulously. “You mean you actually plan on giving it to him?”

“...Maybe.”

“I don’t understand. What do you see in him?”

“Watch.”

Yendal moved her hands so fast even the other goddess could barely see them, and the screens started changing. The ones on the left consolidated into a single, much larger screen showing the weak F-Grade human fighting off a horde of antler roaches. He was certainly powerful for his level, but knowing how many times the man had died to achieve that level of understanding of the monsters’ habits made his feat much less impressive.

Next, it showed the same man fighting in a duel. His opponent was a shadowy form of Yendal herself, and she was toying with him. She effortlessly avoided his attacks while landing humiliating slaps of her own, making the man stumble around like a newborn giraffe trying to hit her.

“I don’t get it,” said the arachnid.

“Watch closer.” Yendal’s hands blurred again, and the fight with the roaches reappeared, this time in slow motion. “The way his feet move. The control over his mana. His form as he punches. No wasted motion. No wasted energy. Watch him run. See? His fundamentals are incredible. I have rarely seen even peak E-grades with that level of coordination, let alone F-grades.

“Even more impressive than his fundamentals are his willpower and focus. He’s as good with that as any of my past disciples, and he only gets stronger with every death. He’s died over a thousand times now, and not only has he not given up, he bounces back stronger after every one.”

“...Yendie, I think that’s the most I’ve ever heard you talk at once.”

For just the merest moment, the corner of Yendal’s mouth curled down in a frown before her face returned to its usual unreadability. This twitch wasn’t missed by the arachnid goddess. She decided not to point it out, though, for her own safety.

She looked back at the screen and watched for a few more minutes. She still didn’t get it. The mortal was certainly skilled, but he was a far cry from Yendal’s most recent disciple. His Alpha Trait was certainly attractive, but that alone would not have been enough to sway Yendal if the rest was not up to par. And as far as she could tell, the rest was not yet up to par, unless she was missing something. She supposed that was just why they called Yendal the Martial God, and not her.

“Wait…” she said after another minute or so. “Did you say he’s died over a thousand times?”

“Yes.”

“His soul should be in pieces by now.”

“Yes.”

“...Yendie, what the hell did you find?”

“Something interesting.”

***

“So this is where you’ve been?” Aaron said from the doorway of the viewing room.

“Oh, ‘ey bossman,” Sooty waved from one of the sofas as he stuffed his mouth.

“Didn’t realize you were such a couch potato.”

“Humy, I’ve been stuck in the void for tens of thousands of years. A little programming goes a long way.”

“Fair enough. How’s the ingredient collecting going?. It’s been a while.”

Aaron kind of wanted to learn more about the so-called void, but had enough to worry about for now. The last thing he needed was something distracting his thoughts.

“Sure have,” Sooty jumped up from the sofa with the pouch in hand. “Me’s got plenty for ye.”

Sooty had pulled everything into a pile, and Aaron took his pouch and deposited it all while inspecting the more interesting items. True to his word, it was stuffed with uncommon and above ingredients and food from the dining hall.

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“A golden gecko?”

Golden Gecko [ Elite — F grade ]

Known for their tender meat, the Golden Gecko bestows luck upon those who consume it.

“Aye, that thing appeared just now. Reward for ye quest, I take it?”

“Must be,” Aaron nodded. “Okay… well, this is interesting. Maybe I should test it with the pot?”

“Pot? What are ye muttering about, humy?”

“Come and find out,” Aaron said and hurried off to the crafting station, with the ball of soot bouncing behind him.

“Can’t ye just be telling me?” Sooty whined as he bounced after.

Unlike before, when Aaron was mastering the control of his body, he now wanted to create something that would boost the power of his strikes. So as he sorted through his ingredients, he kept that in mind. But first, he needed to test the gecko out.

Pot of Flaming Breath [ Rare — F grade ]

One sip of the ingredients from this pot will fill the user’s mouth with flammable liquid that will burst into fire the moment it is spat forth.

Aftereffects: minor

Aaron skewered the golden gecko and then spat liquid from the pot toward it, and just as the explanation had advised, his spit burst into flames, cooking the gecko to a crispy roast.

Hmm, not bad. He eyed the pot inquisitively. It wasn’t the most useful item, but he could barbecue in the wild with it, and it might even provide aid in combat.

BarbequedGolden Gecko [ Elite — F grade ]

Consume the roasted meat of this famed golden gecko for a generous luck bonus. Coveted by the Engadine Frog-footed Reptilians for their chicken-like flavor.

Experience rewarded for efforts toward your Profession!

Eyeing the notification, Aaron wasn’t entirely sure how to feel. He didn’t know how luck was supposed to work, since he hadn’t heard anything about it. But he wanted to try it before going on his cooking binge. He figured additional luck might just help him discover some new recipes, but decided to ask Sooty and Douglas first. Unfortunately, Sooty didn’t know much, and Douglas just confirmed that luck did what it sounded like it did. It improved the chances of positive outcomes.

He noted how easily he had created the recipe as well. Sure, it wasn’t complicated, just barbequed meat, after all. But still, it was his first attempt. He had never been that lucky before. Perhaps it was because of the ingredient’s rarity? Maybe rarer ingredients were bound to provide an output that was at least decent.

Shrugging, he ate his luck-endowing meal. The golden gecko was surprisingly delicious. Probably the best thing he had eaten since the Integration. It was burnt, with a charcoal flavour, but rich, meaty, and a tinge of funky goodness.

He didn’t feel any different after consuming it, and saw no change to his status page. But the System hadn’t let him down so far, so he figured it was probably working.

And boy was it. It wasn’t as if Aaron had no idea what he was doing anymore, but he was still winging it, to some extent, throwing ingredients that sounded like they would work together, and hoping to make something of it. His cooking wasn’t entirely mindless; he based his experimental dishes on the expanded details provided by the System and what those details recommended, but he didn’t have recipes or a strict goal in mind. But that didn’t seem to matter overly much, at least not after eating the golden gecko.

Experience rewarded for discovering a recipe!

Ding!

[ Ogre Taste Tester ] has LEVELED UP!

12 → 13

Experience rewarded for discovering a recipe!

Ding!

[ Ogre Taste Tester ] has LEVELED UP!

13 → 14

Experience rewarded for discovering a recipe!

Ding!

[ Ogre Taste Tester ] has LEVELED UP!

14 → 15

The rewards were, quite frankly, insane. In just about ten hours, Aaron gained three freaking levels, pushed himself to level 15, and discovered three new recipes. He might have used up all his useful ingredients, but it was more than worthwhile considering the gains.

Blue Eggs and Cassarian Scran [ Rare — F grade ]

This nutritious scran is favored by highlanders, who have a penchant for painting their faces blue.

Provides: +50 Strength, significant morale bonus.

Aftereffects: minor

Festive Flue Worm Porridge [ Rare — F grade ]

They’re still squirming, but that only adds to the texture and nutrients—ever heard of going raw?

Provides: +20 Cold Resistance, +20 Vitality

Aftereffects: minor

Velvexalot’s Migraine Cure [ Elite — F grade ]

Don’t ask what’s inside, you don’t want to know, trust me. That said, this is one hell of a cure for a big night out.

Provides: +50 HP Recovery Rate, +50 SP Recovery Rate, +50 MP Recovery Rate.

Aftereffects: minor

Aaron nodded approvingly as he read the descriptions. It was nice to have a little variety, even if the scran recipe was what he had mostly been aiming for.

He also had ten free points waiting to spend, and threw them straight into Strength as well. Sure, the power of his blows wasn’t completely Strength-related; in fact, it was probably just as much about Agility, Dexterity, and Willpower, now that he could use mana with his strikes. However, Strength was definitely the most important element when it came to explosive power, which was what he was trying to achieve.

“Ye done yet?” Sooty whined for what had to be the 20th time. “Them sofas in the viewing room are mighty cozy.”

“Yeah, yeah, we’re going back, just give me a moment.”

“No, no. I ain’t trying to rush you, bossman… I’m just saying.”

“Well, say it in your head. It’s distracting.”

Aaron was done with his cooking for now, but he found the impatient little sootball a little grating. He was meant to be a helper, wasn’t he? Sure, it was great to have his ingredients collected so he didn’t have to do it himself and didn’t need to worry about forgetting. Missing a cooldown ticking over while he was in a trial could stunt his Profession growth. But he sure whined a lot. Or maybe he was the problem. He had been here a while, mostly alone. Sure, there was Douglas and the other two assistants he barely spoke to, but Aaron’s quest to complete the trials was mostly a solo endeavor, and he might have taken that a little too much to heart.

Don’t go losing yourself now, he reminded himself. He still wanted to be a part of society, after all. The last thing he wanted was to turn into a weirdo thanks to his seclusion and not be able to socialise like a normal human anymore.

“Sorry, maybe I’m a little uptight at the moment.”

“Eh, no worries, bossman. Me’s here to serve ye, remember?”

“Thanks,” Aaron flashed a curt smile. “Well, I guess we’re done then.”

“About time,” Sooty groaned. “Me’s been missing me programs. Ye really ought to take a look. Ye’d be amazed at what that assistant can show ye.”

“Sooty, please don’t tell me you’ve been up to anything perverted.”

“What do ye think I ams? Besides, I don’t have reproductive organs, ye mortal! I’m magically formed, ye remember? Why would I want to watch that kind of stuff?”

“Right. Still, that’s comforting to know. But also a little concerning you seem to know what I’m talking about.”

“What? Ye the one who mentioned perverted stuff! We’s not all like ye humys. Some of us have manners, ye know?”

“Wait, I’m not like that! And I didn’t say anything specific. I’m pretty sure you know more than you let on.”

“Sure, sure. Believe what ye want, humy. Me’s innocent. You on the other hand…”

“How did this become about me?” Aaron exhaled. “Whatever, let’s just go see what I unlocked.”

“What about your Profession Skill?”

“Oh yeah, that too. We’ll pick it when we get there.”

“Hey, bossman! Me guess we can also check out the other races joining you on your new world in the viewing room.”

“Wait, other races?”