My Evil System

Drying and smoking are two of the many excellent ways to slow the process of bacteria that spoils food.

I seriously considered making dried and pickled food. Knowing that I have preserved food that would last me for a lot of days to come would make me feel secure.

"Drying removes the water that is vital for the bacteria's reproduction and survival, and smoking has chemicals that slow bacterial growth. Sunlight and fermentation would transform the fats into an extremely energy-dense substance. They're an excellent way to preserve food," agreed Athena.

"Then, I'll leave it to you to tell Daedalus about constructing a smokehouse. Just a small one would do."

"What will you be doing, my lord?"

"I'll go to the river and see if I can catch a fish to roast and smoke."

"Then, you'll need a fishing pole. You can ask Daedalus to make you one, or he could also make you a fishing net that you can set up in the river. There are all sorts of fish, shells, and crabs there."

"Will do."

I left Athena and headed to Daedalus' location to inquire about the fishing pole and the fishing net. It only took me ten minutes to get what I needed, and I was on my way to the nearest river in the forest.

It took two hours before I found a suitable spot where I could easily reach both banks with a long enough line. The water was clear and cold, and I found several good spots to cast my line into the depths. There was also enough space for me to rest underneath the trees nearby.

After I finished tying both ends of the rope of the fishing net on the rocks, I sat down on the ground, leaning against the tree trunk.

I wasn't idle and started looking for something to use as bait. There was nothing suitable on hand, but fortunately, there were plenty of insects flying and crawling around.

I caught a few and put them in a small bowl that Daedalus made out of coconut husks.

From my inventory, I took out my fishing rod. After attaching bait to it, I cast the rod into the river.

The first hour passed without any luck, and all of a sudden, a large fish jumped out of the water. It was a freshwater Trout, and after a few tries, I managed to land it.

It made me very happy. After all, I didn't even know when was the last time I had eaten some fish meat.

I caught five or six more fish before I had to stop. My arms were sore from holding the rod for a long time.

<Aren't you going to forage, Host?>

No. I think I'll fish the whole day. The material storage was already full, and the breakwater was halfway done. I'll forage some boulders again tomorrow.

Besides, it would be a waste to work on such a beautiful day. I should take this as an opportunity to just laze around and fish without thinking about anything else.

I mean, look. The sun was up, and the skies were clear, showing no sign of rain. It was also comfortably warm, and the sound of animals were like a lullaby to my ears.

This was what I needed — a whole day of relaxation without stressing myself with problems. A recharge like this was a must for my mental health.

As I waited for some fish to tag my line, I checked my screen and looked around.

Little Piggy was still recovering. At least there was no more X sign in its eyes, and its tongue wasn't spilling out from its mouth. It slept in peace, and its HP was halfway full.

I couldn't talk to it, much less ask about what led it to suffer such a terrible fate. If it weren't for the fact that it was my minion, it would have died weeks ago.

My guess was that it encountered something that it shouldn't have.

I shook my head and moved on to the egg in my inventory.

According to the information I know, it wouldn't hatch anytime soon.

I wonder what would hatch from it. In games I had seen, it was usually a powerful pet.

But knowing my life and the system I had, I bet it was nothing more than trouble and a future problem.

. . . Should I just eat it instead?

<NO!>

". . ." Why are you so against the idea? Do you know what would hatch from this?

<As I said to your other self as well — the creature that would come out from that egg will only aid you further.>

If it's evil, then I don't want it.

<You'll know once it hatches. Rather, does your conscience allow you to murder an innocent life that couldn't even defend itself?>

Now you're attacking my feelings . . . and I hate to admit that it worked.

My weakness had always been these emotions of mine.

I took in a mouthful of air and sighed. Whether it was good or evil, I couldn't kill this egg. Like the system said, it was innocent and couldn't even defend itself.

Before a bad spirit took hold of me, I quickly moved on from the egg. If I were somehow tempted to cook that thing into a scrambled egg, it would be irreversible.

As I browsed through my items, which weren't much, the sun took its rest, and with it, darkness soon followed.

It took me the entire day to catch at least ten fish. It hadn't been easy, but at least I managed to get some small, medium, and large ones. The smaller ones were perfect for frying, while the larger ones would be great for stewing soup. As for the rest, they would either be dried or smoked.

The greenhouse was already producing spices and herbs. When they told me that it only took days for the crops to grow, I initially didn't believe it. Now, I did. Shallots, garlic, tomatoes, ginger, and lime were readily available in the vertical garden.

The chickens also reproduced as fast as rabbits, and there were now seven little chicks running around the farm.

There was also milk from the goat and cows. I drank most of it, though, and I gave the leftovers to Florin and the others before it became spoiled.

To my pleasure, the root crops were ready for harvest. There were still plenty of them left, although animals mostly ate them when they roamed free.

Little by little, my property was becoming habitable. Things were progressing smoothly.

I only hope that the breakwater will be a success. I didn't want to see all the hard work done by everyone go to waste because of a natural disaster.

<Don't worry, Host. You can already see the difference when it rains. The water doesn't rise as much anymore. Even if it's just half done, the waters no longer reach the coconuts on the shore.>

I know. But we don't know what an entire week of rain can do.

It was better to be prudent and careful.