Chapter 60: Questing

A whisper in the wind, “Wake up….” Stirring slightly from my covers, I hear it again; “Wake up….” What is that?

Then a bright and cheery voice startles me. “Your awake good, how are you?”

After my heart slowed, I replied. “Couldn’t wait until I woke up hu Felix?”

A snigger echoes around the room, “Where is the fun in that?”

Deciding I’m not in the mood for his shenanigans, “What do you want?”

In a hurt sounding voice, which was clearly fake he speaks. “Am I such a bother? I could cry.” He then immediately returns to his jovial tone. “I am here to give you your first quest. I enjoyed watching you get settled in, so let's have you do something for my amusement hmmm?”

Still tired and groggy, “Why should I?”

I hear another creepy laugh. “Rewards, riches, and I don’t kill you. You owe me for this life, I can take it away.”

Lightly massaging my brows, clearly dying once made me far less fearful of death. “Back to threats, should have left it at rewards and riches; it screams someone who sees violence as the only option.”

In a cheery tone, “It's worked up until now, I had to kill thousands to ascend. Trust me, if you can't fix something a rather large ax will always do the trick. “

Lying back down, “Thanks for the advice, so what's the quest?”

I hear the crackling of fireworks in the background, “I want you to… make a sentient chicken. Alright, have fun with that have a good day.”

Hastily I speak, “Wait! How am I supposed to do that?”

All I hear is a fading echo, “Figure it out.”

I just reply, “Dick.” I don’t even think he has any rewards planned.

Slouching my shoulders, no use worrying about it. I’ll head back to bed and think about it when I am fully rested. Snoozing for the final few hours until my alarm was set. It was annoying, but I didn’t have anything planned so it's fine.

I get a message that Chic is hungry, guess I should make breakfast. They are completely capable of raiding the cupboard, fridge, and garden. They don’t need to wait on me to eat – odd.

I ask them they simply reply, “Eat together better.” “Glad to see they have made strides in connective words, my voice dripping with sarcasm.” Sending a message, I am on the way.

Finding the spider on the ceiling, a few pans have been gotten out. Webbing on the handle tells me what Chic has been up to. “Thanks for getting them out, let’s make omelets being as you got the tools out for it.”

Slicing some onion, garlic, peppers, and spring onions. I lightly cook them off with butter and salt, setting them to the side. I then take a cast-iron pan that I have previously seasoned in my free time. Pouring an egg mixture inside, I add the vegetables before mixing vigorously. Creating a small amount of curdles; I then let the bottom set until it's halfway cooked through before sprinkling cheese on top and putting the whole thing inside the oven. What comes out is a beautifully round omelet with tasty vegetables throughout and a cheesy crispy top.

I prepare 3, one for each of us. Halfway through Sling visited, to which they sat in the corner and jiggled occasionally. I must point out I am grateful slimes don’t leave slime trails as they move. They generally keep their mass close to the core. I give out the dish which results in a unanimously happy atmosphere, I don’t need a bond to see that.

Sling thanks me by jumping on my head and nearly suffocating me before barreling through the halls. They have developed a unique method for moving that involves jump rolling. It’s a very clever form of momentum conservation. Although I doubt the slime knows the advanced theory of its own movements.

With a full belly, I lightly exercise by playing with Chic. Which they adamantly asked to play fetch and hide and seek. I am glad they can now tell me their wishes but hide and seek is exhausting. It would be much more fun with 10 or more people. With just us 2 it’s a massive task involving ripping the island apart.

It took me an hour to find the damned spider after spotting some leftover web in the wind. They were in a tree, one of the many trees on the island. Having satisfied Chics' wish for playing, they huddle into the corner of my study while I work. What I am working on? I mentally ask myself for the distraction. How to make a chicken sentient. I am mostly combing through NEI and jotting down any ideas I can think of.

Including brain juice, a weird drink I found. A potion effect that is called intelligence; and a massive variety of rather ambiguous names that result in obscure or stupid descriptions. Sometimes they are helpfully useless, like brain juice which literally states ‘makes you brainier’ or the intelligence effect which says ‘make you more intelligent.’ Lovely, don’t want to elaborate? No? Of course, you don’t! And I am going so mad I am talking to my won NEI. Come on, throw me a bone… Not a brain bone; what even is that?

Ah, I see a useful description, ‘the bone from the brain of a crystallized brain beast.’ Like its completely useless to me because it neither helps me make a sentient chicken nor do I know where I can find one in the first place. But it at least told me how to get it, and what it is. More than some of these items. I am beginning to think they are intentionally vague to slow me down.

Screw this, I will work on it more later. The witch should be visiting today or tomorrow so I should spend some time at home. They are likely to knock on my door after all. I doubt a foreigner would know I hardly spend any time inside that house.

Heading to my second home, I spent some time at the market. I buy a few varieties of teas, dried fruits, and bags of spices and fruits for fruit teas and infusions. Both for me and any guests. Who doesn’t love tea and sweet dried fruits? Likely many people; I love them though so it's fine.

I should make some chocolate soon; it seems to not be sold here. I suppose that’s likely because a jungle is not nearby. I should use some extreme mutandis to get some cocoa beans and jungle saplings.

While I am just chilling at home, I take some time to craft a variety of tools. Woodworking tools. Taking a log out, I begin to hand carve a table with a chessboard on top. Since I used good materials for my tools, I found removing wood very easy. I use an ax to remove the bark before grabbing a pencil. I mark out an intricate method to cut into it. Leaving a semi-hollow middle with intricate decretive walls to the table. It will stand on these ‘walls.’ They are mostly leaf shapes cuts and a variety of roundish shapes cut into it like decorations leading to the hollow middle. Almost like vines growing around to hold the wooden space above, which holds the chessboard. I quickly started to lose myself doing this, but eventually, I was happy with it after sanding away the rough edges and making each of the intricate lines smoother and more circular.

Coming to the top, I first mentally picture the board. After that failed, I checked NEI for the appearance of a chessboard. I draw out the lines for the chessboard which will be within the middle of the table. I cut down about 1 cm, 1 millimeter wide along the lines creating deep-set squares. Realizing it will be a bitch to clean, I widen them slightly allowing for easier cleaning.

I create an almost moat-like cut around the board for decor purposes. I cut out a square on either side into the table allowing for the pieces to be stored in the table. It's not like those advanced ones with pop-up cavities and all that advanced stuff. Just a hole to put the pieces inside.

Eventually, I finished up by painting the different squares a different color. I also hand-carved the figures using NEI as reference material. They looked far poorer than the table but I am still proud of them.

While I was mindlessly painting, I heard a knock on the door. Answering it, I was surprised to find Cassie rather than a random witch. I invite her in, preparing some fruit tea for both of us. It's just a social visit. She clarified she occasionally knocks on my door but I am never in.

She was understanding in the fact I stay very busy. I remind her she can always use the ender mail. For some reason she got it in her head it was only for the important stuff. I spent a while explaining to her it costs me little to make them and do not worry about it.

Thinking about it, I should also tell Jengal that.

I start the conversation, “So, how have you been Cassie?”

She smiles brightly, “I have been good, even better since you for once answered the door.”

Wincing slightly, as I remove my helmet to drink my tea. She quickly speaks, “Wow, you look different.”

Removing my chest plate to show my wings for my amusement more than anything. “I Just improved my body a little, I was feeling rather weak.”

She meekly asked, “Did it hurt?”

Shrugging, “My first enhancement, which was giving myself iron skin hurt like hell. I learned my lesson and worked around the pain for these enhancements.”

Happy for my health, “Good, I would imagine such changes wouldn’t be fun. What's hell anyway?”

Noticing my error in using Earth slang, I try and fix it. “It's where my culture says you go if you’re evil.”

Recognition passing her eyes, “Like the nether then? Cool, where are you from again?”

I just touch my nose lightly, “Secret.”

She was clearly unhappy with that answer, but that’s all she will get.

I rather enjoyed the company before sending her away. Talking about my new enhancements gave me an idea.

Heading home quickly, I go to my genetic area. I painfully remove a few skin samples from my body. Which was a pain in the arse given my durable body. Eventually, after I got the DNA out of the sample, I got an incomplete cell for… ‘Sentience.’

Bingo, not only does that mean I have a path forward but it also opens a lot of doors for the future. Quickly creating a syringe with this new gene, I go find myself a chicken.

As I injected the poor chicken, I winced; apologizing as I did it. Watching the chicken writhe around hurt my heart. I simply calmed my heart by repeating it will help the chicken immensely. Eventually, I couldn’t take it and cradled the poor beast in my arms as I let the injection do its work.

Once the beast stopped writhing, I heard a rather loud ding. “Congratulations - quest complete – Reward: NE."

“Cheap scape.” Let's hope my future quests actually have rewards. For now, I let the chicken rest in a small coop. Having noted it's getting late, get a light meal before heading to bed. Just some cooked beef with salt and an apple; nothing major. I also took a glass of milk to bed; god I haven’t had a glass of milk in ages.

The milk tasted… a little different. Noting it was raw rather than pasteurized. I should remember that in the future. I should try and make myself some cheddar sometimes. And maybe brew some alcohol; it's great fun making booze. Whether I drink it or not I enjoy the process.

I head to bed hoping the chicken will be alright. It will probably be terrified tomorrow morning. I guess it's now my responsibility. No like I had to feed the small number of animals I have on my island every morning anyway. If it wasn’t on my own personal island, I would hire someone to do it for me. Another day I suppose.

This diary entry was rather full.