CHAPTER 18 — The Hunter's Instinct
Zodac let out a relieved exhale.
"Thank goodness."
He tossed the rabbit's severed head behind him and turned toward the body.
"Hmmm… what can I do with you?" he asked the lifeless creature as if expecting it to answer.
"I could trade the fur—probably valuable. But first, I'd have to separate it. And I have no idea where to even start."
He scratched the back of his head. Then a thought flashed.
Heroes in this world were blessed. Their systems existed to make the impossible feel routine—giving them powers people back home would spend years trying to master.
"And I wonder if that ideology works here too…" he murmured.
He placed his hand on the rabbit's body.
"System: separate."
A bright green light washed over the corpse. Slowly, the light faded—and in its wake lay two perfectly divided pieces.
One was the rabbit's fur, looking like a red-and-white woven coat. The other was the smooth, clean flesh.
It was so perfect it didn't even look real.
Zodac blinked.
"…If I had done that by hand, things would have been a LOT messier."
Then the odor hit him.
A horrible, rotting stink from the fresh fur.
"It reeks!" He gagged, shoving the fur into his cross bag as fast as his hands could move.
He turned to the exposed flesh.
"Well… at least I have something to sink my teeth into."
GROWL
GROWL
His stomach rumbled loudly.
Then it hit him.
"Speaking of food… I haven't eaten since that night I met that bitch—"
GROWL
GROWL
His belly responded again, louder.
Zodac sighed and looked toward the sky—only patches of light breaking through the dense canopy.
"Judging by the lighting… probably noon."
He stretched his neck.
"I should take a quick break. Eat, rest, and strategize."
He grabbed his things and moved several meters away—knowing too well the smell of fresh blood could attract beasts he was in no condition to fight.
"Lucky for me, I was a pretty good cook back home."
He gathered firewood, sat beside a tree, and soon a fire crackled in front of him. He held a stick with the rabbit meat skewered on it, rotating it over the flames.
"I don't have salt… but this'll do."
Hesitant, he took a bite out of pure desperation.
"…Not bad," he admitted.
"I've done better. Back home, I was a master chef. I loved cooking—I hated eating out. And when I did, it was always pizza and drinks. The real delicacy."
A smile slipped out as a memory touched him.
Kera's house. Early in their relationship.
"What? You can cook? I don't believe it," Kera said, laughing. Her black hair framed her face, blue eyes bright with disbelief. She wore a black shirt and a white flared skirt—simple but beautiful.
Alex (then Zodac) grinned like nothing in the world could go wrong.
"What makes you think that?" he asked.
"What, you think men aren't qualified to cook?" he teased, leaning closer.
Kera burst into laughter.
"What?" Alex asked, half-smiling.
"You're funny," she said.
"It's not that I think boys can't cook—I've just never seen it happen."
"You don't believe me?" Alex leaned even closer, their noses gently brushing.
"Hmmm…" Kira tapped her lip. Then a playful spark lit up her eyes.
"Okay then. Here's the deal."
Alex blinked, intrigued.
"Make a dish for me. If it makes me smile… you earn a kiss."
"Come on, K…" he rolled his eyes.
"What? Not a good offer?" she smirked.
"It's not a challenge," Alex said.
"What?" Kira snapped.
"Anything makes you smile," he said with a teasing shrug.
Kira puffed her cheeks adorably.
"Nothing can make me smile that easily!"
Alex chuckled. God, he loved that playful nature.
"Fine. It's a deal."
He removed his jacket and headed to her kitchen.
Minutes later, Alex emerged—apron stained blue, hair messy, holding a tray with three dishes.
Kira scrambled off the couch, hiding her phone as she grinned.
"There's my chef," she laughed.
"You're already smiling from the smell of the food," Alex teased.
"Looks like I won the bet."
"Wait!" Kira cut in.
"The bet was that the dish makes me smile—not the smell!"
She crossed her arms dramatically.
"And maybe you're one of those chefs whose food smells nice but tastes terrible. Without tasting it, we'll never know."
Alex paused.
"…You're playing with a man's pride," he said in a deep dramatic voice.
Kira burst into laughter.
"Alright fine," he said, placing the tray on the table.
"Bon appétit."