click

When Luke entered the house, he found his family gathered on the floor. Large pots of rice, baskets of bread, and generous portions of meat had already been laid out.

"Ah, Luke. You’re finally back." Gustav greeted him with a grin. "Come, let’s eat."

Luke blinked in surprise.

"Why haven’t you all started yet?"

He had left nearly two hours ago. Between gathering firewood, chatting with the system, and spending a considerable amount of time with Thea, he had been gone far longer than intended.

He had assumed they would have finished eating and be resting by now.

Instead, Zuri grinned and said,

"We were waiting for ya. Come, let’s start."

Luke froze for a moment before letting out a quiet sigh.

Back in his previous world, there had been a common saying:

A man’s importance rises with how much he earns.

The same truth seemed to apply here.

The people who had once treated him lightly and rarely cared for his opinions, including Zuri and Terek, had waited for him before beginning their meal.

Naturally, he didn’t dwell on it or bring it up.

There was no point souring everyone’s mood.

Walking over, he took a seat beside Laila.

"Well, since everything’s already been served, why are Ginna and Monica still standing?" he asked. "Come, join us."

Ginna and Monica exchanged uneasy glances.

Before either could respond, Zuri spoke up.

"He’s right. If we need anything, we’ll get up and grab it ourselves."

The two women were accustomed to tending to everyone’s needs during meals, so their hesitation was understandable.

Still, with everyone urging them to sit down, they didn’t resist for long.

Monica took the seat beside Luke, which... didn’t sit well with Terek.

For some reason, the situation was beginning to irritate him.

Glancing toward Gustav, he decided he would talk to him after the meal.

Once everyone was seated, the feast finally began.

Luke grabbed a roasted rabbit leg and tucked the meat between two pieces of bread before gently pulling it apart.

"Goddamn..."

The sigh escaped him in pure appreciation.

The meat came off effortlessly.

Tender.

Juicy.

Perfectly cooked.

Rich juices immediately soaked into the bread, and Luke paused for a moment to savor the aroma rising from it.

Across from him Ginna and beside him Monica watched with barely concealed anticipation.

Their eyes remained fixed on him, waiting for his verdict.

Finally, Luke took a bite.

The moment the flavors hit his tongue, his expression softened.

The crispy exterior gave way to tender meat, while the juices blended perfectly with the bread.

For a brief moment, he forgot about dungeons, quests, and everything else weighing on his mind.

This...

Was heaven.

Luke chewed a few more times before finally swallowing the bite.

Then he took another.

And another.

By the time he was done, an entire loaf of bread had disappeared in just three large bites.

That alone told Monica and Ginna everything they needed to know about how much he enjoyed the meal.

Luke missed many things from his previous life.

Air conditioners.

His bike.

His collection of games.

Food, however?

Not at all.

This was on an entirely different level.

He scooped some rice into a small bowl, piled on a generous amount of meat, and immediately dug in.

Each bite was rich and satisfying, the flavors blending together perfectly.

Before long, he also tried the special drink Dalia always prepared.

The cool liquid slid down his throat, washing away the richness of the meal without diminishing it.

Instead, it complemented everything.

Luke closed his eyes for a moment and let out a content sigh.

The food was incredible.

The drink was incredible.

Together, they were so perfect that he felt as though his very soul was being purified.

He turned toward Monica and then Ginna, flashing them a smile that conveyed exactly how he felt about the meal.

The two women visibly relaxed, their efforts more than rewarded by his reaction.

Just then, Zuri called out,

"So, Lex, are you going to participate in the hunting contest tomorrow?"

The question immediately drew everyone’s attention.

Heads turned toward the man.

Lex offered a wry smile. After briefly glancing at Dalia, he replied,

"Not sure. While I’m healed now, I haven’t hunted in a long time."

Gustav chuckled.

"A tiger never forgets how to hunt, no matter how rusty its fangs become."

A faint smile appeared on Lex’s face.

Just then, Terek added his own opinion.

"Yeah, and don’t participate just to win. There’s no rule saying you have to aim for first place in every contest."

He gestured toward Luke.

"I mean, look at your brother. He’s participating just for the sake of it."

Silence fell over the room the moment those words were spoken.

Even Lex looked caught off guard.

Luke, however, merely smirked.

He calmly finished chewing the food in his mouth before turning toward the older man.

"You sure are confident in yourself."

There wasn’t a trace of hesitation in his voice.

Nor did he make any effort to hide how ridiculous he found the statement.

Terek grinned.

"You can’t seriously be thinking about winning a contest that I’m participating in."

Luke let out a short snicker.

"Old man, you’re forgetting something."

His gaze locked onto Terek’s.

"You may have been born here, but right now you’re a guest. A visitor."

His voice remained calm, but the confidence behind it was unmistakable.

"I live here."

He leaned back slightly before adding,

"I can walk into the most dangerous corners of this forest with my eyes closed."

The statement carried a startling amount of confidence.

Calling Terek a guest in the very village he had been born in took nerve.

A lot of nerve.

Even Zuri was momentarily taken aback by the boy’s boldness.

Terek didn’t take offense in those words and told the boy, "Let’s see then, whether your courage or my experience wins tomorrow."

Luke shrugged and didn’t offer any response.

Though, his ego was definitely triggered. And now, Luke knew he was going to take this much more seriously..