A Veteran of Infinite Buffs - Chapter 64

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 64

After Turan was summoned back, I collapsed onto the ground and immediately adjusted my status.
At this rate, I’d perish from a gentle breeze.

[Strength: 10 Agility: 10 Stamina: 10 Wisdom: 10 Luck: 563]
[Eternity: 36 Mana: 6]

I restored Strength, Agility, and Stamina to 10.
Double the base stats of 5 granted when first creating a character.
Even in reality, this was the condition I’d be in after receiving excellent IV fluids—a perfectly balanced figure.
“Phew. Now I can actually breathe.”
While Turan gathered suitable ingredients, I decided to explore the area around the Portal.
First, I wondered whether the Portal had appeared after this Hill had formed at such a height.
“Ah, what a shame.”
There was something I could only understand in this place.
Various types of monsters had congregated around the Hill.
They appeared to have fled here instinctively to escape the Sand Storm.
“That worm-like creature would definitely yield plenty of experience points. Such a waste.”
I considered reverting my status and hunting for a quick haul, but I couldn’t bring myself to squander the Luck I’d worked so hard to raise.
I believed in the superstition that the first object I interacted with at maximum Luck would grant the greatest fortune.
“Sigh.”
I sprawled out on the ground and gazed at the sky, letting time drift away.
The sky I could see anywhere in this game was like a masterpiece captured by a professional photographer after decades of work.
Simply watching the clouds drift lazily by intoxicated me with their grandeur, and time slipped away unnoticed.

* * *

“Grrrrr….”
Moreover, napping within this game was far sweeter than in reality.
I suspected this too was an effect of my condition.
“…Mm.”
Whether it had been minutes or longer, my body had returned to optimal condition.
By now, Turan should have gathered sufficient ingredients, so it was time to summon him.
“Ancient One. Come out.”
I lifted Sumoq and infused it with mana.
A dimensional gate opened—entirely different in appearance from the Portal.
Thud. Thud.
Majestic footsteps reverberated outward.
Footsteps that hadn’t existed before.
Beyond the dimensional gate, a silhouette even more colossal than before began to emerge.
“I’m back!”
A confident cry echoed forth.
Had he procured some rare ingredients?
“The hunt was successful!”
“Ah.”
Hunting.
That meant meat.
And meat typically granted increases to strength and stamina.
It meant I was guaranteed a status worth converting to fortune.
“Welcome back, Turan.”
“Yes! Kael! I’ve brought delicious meat!”
Boom!
Turan emerged bearing something on his shoulders, then promptly dropped it to the ground.
Visually, it resembled something between a massive bull and a water buffalo.
It was certainly a luxurious ingredient for the Ancient One to consume.
I understood Turan’s triumphant return.
The fact that no parts were missing meant Turan had also refrained from eating and waited silently for my summons.
“You must have worked hard hunting.”
“Yes!”
“How should we prepare this?”
“Just bite and tear into it! It’s delicious!”
There seemed to be no established cooking method.
In that case, I decided to roast it properly.
Silverpenn had included some firewood in the camping set he’d prepared.
“Very well. Let’s begin cooking.”
“He said it’s delicious even if you just bite and tear into it raw.”
Perhaps this creature was suitable as raw meat.
Even if it were acceptable by the Ancient One’s standards, my body had little resistance to raw meat and would likely fall ill from it.
Besides, I had no idea what debuffs might afflict me through consuming raw food, so I wouldn’t abandon the idea of cooking.
“I’m going to grill it anyway.”
“Tch. Do as you please.”
In the previous game, basic butchering and trimming were fundamental survival skills.
Otherwise, you’d grow weak living on vegetables alone.
Besides, since the buffalo also counted as an interaction, I planned to have Turan handle most of the cooking.
“Alright, let’s start by dividing it into sections. Try cutting from here to here with this knife.”
“You said you’d be grilling it.”
“Trust me. I’ll show you what real delicious meat tastes like.”
“Meat is meat. It all tastes equally delicious.”
“Trust me. You’ll see delicious meat come from this.”
“…I’ll trust you.”
Teaching the Ancient One to appreciate truly delicious meat wasn’t difficult.
From the tender tenderloin, to the ribeye with its perfect balance of juiciness and flavor, and finally the strip steak grilled to perfection—I was certain Turan’s perspective would change dramatically once he tasted them.
After all, our country had Hanwoo, premium beef of the highest caliber.
Thwack. Scritch. Scritch.
“There. This right here is the tenderloin. See how fine the grain is?”
“Gulp.”
Even Turan seemed to find the tenderloin he’d separated appetizing, swallowing hard.
“Next is the outside of the spine. This is the ribeye.”
Scritch.
“Now cut in this direction, right up to here.”
“Like this?”
“Exactly. Behind the ribeye, this is the strip steak. The more you chew it, the richer the beef flavor becomes.”
I’d separated the tenderloin, ribeye, and strip steak.
But the butchering wasn’t finished yet.
Since the buffalo had appeared in its raw form, I needed to claim every edible part.
“Cut the ribs from here to here. I’ll marinate them later once I find some seasoning.”
I was curious whether aging occurred within the subspace, so I set aside the parts that marinated well and the bones separately.
The fact that restaurants existed selling the same menu in both the game and reality meant that even marinades could be recreated.
“Why are you keeping the bones?”
“Huh? To make broth, obviously.”
“That’s a strange habit.”
“Sheesh.”
Turan had added another karmic debt to his record.
I resolved to teach him a lesson later by brewing a rich bone broth.
“Don’t throw away the organs either. I’ll use those too.”
“You’re strange, Kael.”
“You’re the strange one. Why does an Ancient One have so many preferences anyway?”
The beef offal was far too good to waste—there were plenty of edible parts worth utilizing.
Especially in games, every dish provided buffs, so I needed to experiment with offal preparations across the board.
Particularly, stir-fried offal dishes boasted an exquisite umami and depth of flavor that was simply sublime.
Moreover, since these were ingredients from an ancient beast, the quality grade would be quite high.
If I could recruit a skilled enough chef, I could obtain some truly excellent buffs.
“Ah, and leave the tongue. I can’t resist tongue.”
“…Kael, you’re really strange.”

* * *

The butchering work—whether long or short in duration—had finally concluded.
While Turan cleaned up, I wrapped the cut meat in clean cloth to remove the excess moisture.
Afterward, I started a fire.
Given how muscular this beast was, it wouldn’t need long to cook—a respectable grilled dish would emerge quickly.
“Let’s start with the tenderloin.”
I melted butter in a pan, placed the tenderloin—cut to an appropriate size—onto it, and sprinkled salt generously.
Sizzle!
The heat was weak, but for outdoor cooking, the sound was quite satisfying.
By current fire standards, I’d managed decent steaks in previous games with this level of heat.
“….”
Of course, for Turan, who preferred raw meat, this situation would be disappointing.
So I cut a portion of the rump steak I’d dried off and handed it to him.
Rump steak made excellent raw beef after all.
“Eat this while you wait.”
“Oh!”
Turan couldn’t hide his satisfaction, his expression lighting up.
He was already someone who tore into raw meat, and I’d given him a cut that even modern people recognized as prime for raw beef—his reaction was inevitable.
“Delicious! This is definitely the meat I brought!”
“Indeed. The meat quality is quite good.”
“It tastes even better than what I’ve eaten before! How strange!”
“Heh heh.”
I considered taking a piece myself, but I wanted to ensure my first meal was something I could rely on—properly cooked.
Sizzle! Sizzle!
The surface of the meat had cooked through somewhat.
This should yield a rare to medium-rare doneness.
The weak heat meant there was no risk of overcooking beyond my expectations.
I finished the grilling by repeatedly basting the meat with the melted butter that was bubbling away.
“Ah. It’s been a while since I’ve had proper cooking.”
I retrieved two suitable wooden bowls and placed a piece of tenderloin in each.
“Try it.”
“Hmm.”
Turan’s first taste of the medium-rare tenderloin steak had begun.
“…!”
I couldn’t even hear the sound of teeth sinking into the meat.
The outcome had been predetermined from the start.
The Ancient One’s palate would be struck profoundly by the tender steak, its flavor refined yet unmistakably rich.
“Hngh! Kugh!”
“Heh.”
And then he bestowed upon me a tenderloin steak as my reward.

[Active Buffs]
[Paikam Tenderloin Steak (Ancient)]
[Strength +6 Stamina +8]
[Eternity +1]
[Duration: 4 hours]

“Huh?”
A shocking message materialized before me.
I could overlook the fact that the cow’s name was Paikam, more or less.
But here, a food grade I’d never seen before had appeared: Ancient.
The Ancient-grade dish granted a substantial buff to both Strength and Stamina.
“This is… insane.”
Yet the shocking revelation didn’t end there.

[Eternity +1]

Eternity itself was woven into this mere steak.
Eternity was a legitimate special stat—until now, it could only be increased through the waters of the Fountain, making it an extraordinarily precious attribute.
“Good heavens.”

[Name: Kael]
[Class: Eternal Adventurer (Hidden)]
[Level: 62]
[Unallocated Points: 0]
[Strength: 16 Agility: 10 Stamina: 18 Wisdom: 10 Luck: 563]
[Eternity: 37 Mana: 6]

My status window had updated properly as well.
Eternity had risen from 36 to 37, proving that what I was seeing was no hallucination.
“Is this really happening?”
“What are you talking about, Kael?”
“Turan! You bastard!”
I embraced Turan, who could continuously supply ancient ingredients, and commended his efforts.
This was truly a magnificent discovery.
“Ah.”
The meat in my mouth vanished before I could even taste it properly.
It seemed I had swallowed it reflexively from the shock of the message.
I belatedly picked up the remaining tenderloin steak and chewed it carefully.
“…This is incredibly delicious. Is it really okay to just savor the sweetness like this?”
“Sweetness? Is there honey? I love honey too!”
“Really? Okay then. I’ll buy some honey next time.”
“Excellent!”
“Of course, next time. Let’s finish eating and clean up first.”
“Understood. The grilled meat was delicious too. I admit it, Kael.”
Now the time had come to achieve the Achievement.

[Strength: 5 Agility: 5 Stamina: 5 Wisdom: 2 Luck: 600]
[Eternity: 37 Mana: 6]

I had hit exactly 600 Luck.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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