Absolutely not. "Badly. We need to save those. We can't use them willy-nilly, and I don't see how that would help us."
He smiles mysteriously. "Anything the system gives you has value."
Huh? I try to think. Value. Of course, it has value, that's not the point. They don't just give you money, only certain tasks and quests from the outside world give that. There's also the stuff that you sell in the shop…that gives you…oh. Oh god.
"You want to sell…My rookie bags?"
Is that even worth it?
He nods and tries to explain why it's such a win-win solution. "Well…using rookie bags increases clutter anyway. And the contents aren't always something of use to you. It doesn't have to be just the rookie bags. You can also sell previous rewards. Even the ones from the gatcha system!"
I make eye contact with Mel. "From the gacha system?"
"Except heroes and pets. Those are bound to your soul."
Damn.
Well, I tried.
I mull it over internally. He is making a lot of sense. I have a whole bunch of useless crap I'll never use in my inventory. Besides, I can always buy them in the real world if I'm that desperate. Fine. But I'm not selling my rookie bags.
"Ok. I'll sell some of it."
Penguin cheers, and Mel gives me a lopsided smirk. I huff and open the shop. I have about five slots I can use at any given moment. I collected money from when I sold some eggs and vegetables.
One hundred and four gold. That's painfully pitiful. I really do need to increase my income, especially with the new burdens.
I press the first slot and open my inventory at the same time. I'll keep the arrows, but I have enough blades, so I'll sell those first. The price gauge loads and pulls up.
My eyes almost popped out of my skull. Really? Ten thousand gold for this?!!
I sell them with no remorse and head over to the gauntlets. Once I'm done, all five of the slots are filled with a weapon that I'll never use. I wait in agony and refresh the page. Come on. Buy it. Someone buy it, please!
I chant out loud while biting my fingernails."Refresh. Refresh. Refresh."
Mel and Penguin tower over me so they can watch too. I hit refresh repeatedly and almost went crazy from the anticipation.
Ding!
The twin blades are sold, and I stare blankly in shock. No way. There's no way that worked that fast.
Ten thousand gold coins are waiting in the virtual moneybag just begging to be collected. I shed a tear and shakily pressed collect.
It flies towards me and I laugh maniacally. Money! Money! My one true god!
Mel puffs out her chest."Well done! Now let's buy a cow!"
Penguin's already searching in a separate screen for what he deems essentials."No! We have to buy spices and oil. Oh, and more pans!"
"Let's buy them all!"
Gold blinded us, and we went on a spending spree. So, after we got all of that money, this is what we bought. Four pigs, two cows, another table set, a couch, kitchen tools, toothbrushes, hair brushes, toothpaste, towels, two new beds, two desks, spices, condiments, honey, salt, sugar, plates, cups, bed linen, clothes, seeds, and fish!
Mel drunkenly caressed the cow's hide, and I carefully cleaned my new spatula. Beautiful. Look at that stainless steel. Costs an arm and a leg, but oh, it's worth it! Gold. God, I love gold.
Aja, Nuwa, and Akeso watched with concern as Penguin obsessed over the culinary treasures and muttered in a corner. "Honey bread, egg fried rice, it's all feasible. Look at the return rate. If I could just…"
"..."
"..."
"..."
After the adrenaline wore off, I remembered to place the new furniture in the house. Turns out Nuwa likes the pond more than she thought, and decided to stay there anyway, so the extra bed was left for grabs. Once everyone was settled in their new rooms, dinner became the topic of conversation.
Mel slammed her hand on the table."I want pizza!"
Penguin offered his two cents."We should try the recipes from the book out."
Akeso made her request."I'm a vegetarian."
Nuwa shrugged and flicked her tail."I eat anything."
"I can't eat unless it's something placed in front of my shrine." Aja floated over a chair while playing with a flower on her wrist.
"..."
Five pairs of eyes landed on me and waited for me to make a decision. Although I do have some interest in testing out the recipes in that book. We do have limited materials on hand, and I don't feel like learning a magical recipe right now. I already have pizza dough ready from last time, tomato sauce in a jar, and cheese. However, that most likely won't fill everyone up.
Penguin mentioned something earlier. What was it? Egg fried rice. It's not vegan. Yet it's one of the more doable recipes. What else? Well…I could make sautéed mushrooms, rice, vegetables, and potato puffs. That's doable.
Alright, that settles it.
"Everyone but Mel just stay out of the kitchen. I've got it."
I open the cabinets and my inventory at the same time. Mel skips over to me and notices what I'm taking out. "Eh? You're making pizza?' She smiles victoriously and starts reaching for some oil.
Penguin groans at the table, and I smile. "Not just pizza. We need some mushrooms from the garden and potatoes. Can you?"
She nods and leaves the house to go find them. Penguin's eyes light up, and he flips open the book.
I chuckle and continue taking out ingredients. The pizza will take the longest. Everything else will cook fast. Let's preheat the oven. I pull the dough out of its jar and spill some flour on the counter. Once it's spread out, I slap the dough on the surface and yank it over and over.
"May I help?"
Aja floats over to my side to offer her assistance."This dish…I have not studied it yet, but I am certain I can increase its nutritional value with herbs."
"Herbs?"
"Yes. That jar is tomato sauce. I recommend oregano, parsley, thyme, and garlic!"
I hum and nod. Yeah, I can do that. Lucky for her, I just got an herbal kit thing. I open my inventory and drag it out of its box. I open its contents so she can see inside, and she helps me pick out the right herbs. It's not really necessary, but I get that they're trying to help. It is their job and everything. I'll just go with it.
I add it to the dough and then start lathering sauce over it. I add a couple of the herbs in between and cover it with shredded cheese. Once I'm done with the important bits, I stuff the crust with cheese, oil, and garlic.
Done. Just needs to be put in the oven.
I giggle and place it on a large metal plate to be put inside the oven. My precious. Aja watches with a concerned look as I set the oven on high with a terrifying smile on my face.
That leaves maybe twenty minutes to do everything else. Egg fried rice, puffs, some fries, and the sautéed veggies. Once I was done, I was sweating like a dog and gasping for air. Mel helped me set everything on the table while grabbing bites for herself. She burned her tongue on the pizza crust, though. Serves her right.
Everyone crowded around the table, and I jumped up. Right. After Aja was done giving me her pretty good advice, I asked Penguin about shrines. He said it's really a personal choice and there's no right way to go about it, but…
I still did it the best way I could imagine. It does make me feel like I'm preparing for a funeral, though. On a small end table next to the kitchen and under a window, I set up a bunch of candles, herbs, and grass from outside.
"Dear Aja, this is your shrine. Enjoy. If you have any requests or anything, you can just tell me. Here's dinner."
I offered a plate full of fresh food to her shrine and ended my prayer. "Amen."
I turned around to an entire room of statues. I blinked. "What?"
Melinoë gasped and sputtered with an ugly cry spilling out of her mouth. "You…you. You gave her a shrine! What about me???!!"
She wailed, and I grimaced. Goddamn. "You don't need a shrine. You have a physical body. Now shut up or I'm eating your share." My ears are burning really badly.
Boo wandered in and sat underneath the table. Poor baby. It cried while staring at the table filled with food.
I can make a quick steak for him.