(Elena's POV)
Elena was a complete amateur when it came to playing games.
Unlike the rest of her family, who were proper fighters, she was too clumsy to even kill a rabbit and hence her first experiences within the world of Terra Nova could only be described as funny.
When she first logged into the game, she realized that the game world was astonishingly realistic.
The feel of the breeze, the rustling of leaves, the vibrant colors—it was like stepping into another reality, yet despite her awe, she recalled Leo's advice to level up as quickly as possible within the first week, and hence wasted no-time in trying to gain levels by subduing monsters.
Unfortunately for her however, the class that she was assigned was 'Gourmet Chef', which meant that the only weapon she had within her welcome pack was a wooden spoon and a simple pan, both of which were unsuitable for killing monsters.
"Alright, let's give this a try," she muttered to herself, spotting a small rabbit hopping nearby as she approached it with her wooden spoon raised high.
Seeing her approach, the rabbit tilted its head at her, almost mockingly, before scampering away, as Elena chased after it while screaming mom insults.
"Ayy little rabbit don't run!"
"Ayy little rabbit, my knees are not the best–"
"Oh my god, I haven't ran like this since Leo was a dangerous toddler"
After half an hour of futile chasing and flailing, Elena gave up, panting, as she crashed on the grassy fields feeling tired.
"This is hopeless, I can't even catch a rabbit." She muttered, feeling disheartened, when she suddenly saw a shining green flower, nestled amongst two nearby trees.
Curious, she reached out to pick it, and when she did, a notification suddenly popped up on her screen:
[ System Notification:- Congratulations player 'Elena Skyshard', You have discovered Wild Sage!
Quest Activated: Herbal Essence ]
[ Quest Notification :- You have triggered the quest 'Herbal Essence'.
Quest Description: As an aspiring Gourmet Chef, you must learn how to cook meals with spirit herbs.
Cook an edible meal with the Wild Sage herb and kickstart your cooking career!
Quest rewards :
+5 levels!
+1 Cooking utensils set
+1 Firewood set ]
Excited by this unexpected development, Elena read the quest details. She needed to collect a few more herbs and cook a simple meal to gain 5 levels, which seemed much more like her forte.
She eagerly set off to gather the required ingredients, feeling a sense of purpose for the first time since entering the game.
The quest led her through the open fields, and she found herself enjoying the peaceful exploration.
She discovered Wild Thyme and Fresh Rosemary, and soon her basket was full.
"Let's see," Elena murmured, as she took out her beginner cooking pan and used it as a clean chopping surface for her collected herbs.
Since she had no tools to create a fire, she could only make a simple salad like dish with the ingredients given to her in the beginner kit and those that she had collected, which she garnished with the wild herbs to create somewhat of an appetizing meal.
[ System Notification :- Quest Completed: Herbal Essence! Rewards: Basic Cooking Utensils, Firewood, +5 levels….. ]
Elena beamed with pride as she collected her rewards as from that moment on, her journey as a Gourmet Chef truly began.
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Two weeks later, Elena had settled into her role within Terra Nova. Her initial struggles with combat and monster subjugation had given way to a more fulfilling path as she focused on completing cooking-related quests, slowly but steadily improving her culinary skills.
One of her first major quests as a beginner cook was to prepare a feast for a group of NPC villagers celebrating a local festival.
The task seemed daunting at first, but Elena took it in stride as she gathered ingredients, tried out recipes, and even learned how to bake bread and brew ale.
Her dishes were simple but hearty, and she watched with satisfaction as the NPCs enjoyed her food. The villagers praised her efforts, and Elena earned both experience points and in-game currency.
Encouraged by her success, she began to seek out other opportunities to use her cooking skills.
She stumbled upon a group of homeless NPCs in the game's Southern Duchy and moved by their plight, she decided to help.
Using her newfound skills, she prepared large pots of stew and handed out bowls to the grateful NPCs. Each smile and word of thanks boosted her confidence.
One day, as she was serving stew to a group of homeless NPCs, an elderly woman approached her. She had a kind face and a warm smile. "I couldn't help but notice your cooking skills, dear," she said. "My name is Maribel, and I run the local bakery. We're always in need of good help. Would you be interested in working with us?"
Elena's eyes lit up. "Yes, I would love to!"
Maribel took Elena to her bakery, a cozy little shop filled with the delicious aroma of freshly baked bread and pastries and under Maribel's guidance, Elena learned to bake a variety of breads, cakes, and pastries as the veteran baker taught her new recipes and techniques, which Elena was quick to learn.
Although working at the bakery was hard work, Elena found it incredibly rewarding.
She was hired for a fixed wage, which gave her a sense of accomplishment and stability within the game and while each day at the bakery brought with it new challenges and learning opportunities, Elena enjoyed the little struggles, which gave her a chance to improve her craft.
Despite her initial clumsiness and doubts, Elena had found her place in Terra Nova Online, completing the First Evaluation with a flying score and being promoted to Sector A alongside Jacob, which came as a relief to her husband who was worried to death about her.
With the second evaluation being a year away and the theme being 'Skills', Elena was not worried about it, but instead looked forward to spending everyday inside Terra Nova Online, as her time spent in real life was quite boring without anything meaningful to do.
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/// A/N - Chapter 7/15. Halfway mark! ///