I Reincarnated With A Game System

After returning to the cabin, Ryan headed straight for the butchering table. He placed the dead rabbit from his inventory onto the table, and a holographic outline appeared over the carcass, showing precise lines for skinning and cutting.

"Alright, let's get to work," he said, rolling up his sleeves.

A small holographic knife and a butchering knife materialized beside the table. Ryan picked up the small knife first, carefully tracing the lines to skin the rabbit. The system guided his hands, making the process smoother than he expected.

"This is oddly satisfying," he muttered, peeling back the fur to reveal the meat underneath.

Next, he took the butchering knife and followed the lines for the perfect cuts, removing the organs with precision. As he finished, the organs disappeared, leaving behind the meat, a piece of leather, and a small, glowing crystal.

Ryan picked up the crystal, turning it over in his hands. "What is this?" he wondered aloud.

A holographic window appeared:

[ Direfang Hare Crystal

Contains 30 Mana ]

"Ooooohh, magic," Ryan said, his eyes widening. "So the animals here have some sort of magic crystals inside them? That's… kinda cool."

He stored the crystal in his inventory, then turned his attention to the meat. "Let's cook you for now," he said, his stomach growling in agreement.

Ryan opened the Construction Management menu, navigated to Structure, then Production, and tapped on Simple Cooking Station. A transparent model of the cooking station appeared, and he placed it just outside, near the balcony.

The system displayed the requirements:

[ Required:

3 Stones

1 Cooking Pot

5 Wood ]

Ryan quickly gathered the materials—his cooking pot from inside the cabin, some stones from the riverbank, and wood from his inventory. He placed them in the designated spots, and the cooking station materialized.

He touched the station, and a selection of available meals appeared:

[ Simple Stew [ 5x Any meat ] ]

[ Roasted Meat [ 5x Any meat ] ]

[ Vegetable Soup [ 5x Any vegetable ] ]

[ Vegetable Soup with Meat [ 5x Any vegetable, 3x Any meat ] ]

Ryan's mouth watered as he read the options. "It's my first meal in this world," he said, grinning. "I wonder if it's gonna taste good, though."

He tapped Simple Stew and placed 5 pieces of rabbit meat into the pot. A holographic sign appeared:

[ Please start the fire ]

"Oh, right. I forgot," Ryan said, smacking his forehead. He grabbed the fire starter from his cabin and a dead bush from nearby, placing them beneath the pot where the wood logs were stacked. He struck the flints together, sending sparks flying until the fire caught.

[ Please wait 10 minutes

 09:59 ]

Ryan sat back, watching the flames dance beneath the pot. The smell of cooking meat began to fill the air, making his stomach growl even louder.

"Ten minutes," he said, leaning against the cabin wall. "I can wait. I've waited this long, haven't I?"

As the stew simmered, Ryan's mind wandered. He thought about the Direfang Hare crystal, the magic it contained, and what it might mean for this world.

"Magic crystals in animals… mana… this world is full of surprises," he said, staring at the fire. "I wonder what else is out there."

Ryan took the Direfang Hare crystal from his inventory and held it up to the light, turning it over in his hands. The crystal glowed faintly, its mana pulsing like a heartbeat.

"Hmmm… magic crystals," he muttered, his curiosity piqued. "I wonder if I can use this for something. Maybe the system will let me unlock magic later."

As he pondered, the holographic screen above the cooking station transitioned from the countdown to a new message:

[ Cooking Complete ]

Another holographic screen appeared, this time with a cheerful chime:

[ Achievement Complete: First Meal

Cook your First Meal

Rewards: 5 Customization Points ]

"Ooohh, nice!" Ryan said, his eyes lighting up. "I thought quests were the only source of CP. This is a pleasant surprise."

He closed the achievement screen and turned his attention back to the cooking station. The smell wafting from the pot was… underwhelming. It was meaty but bland, like boiled water with a hint of rabbit.

"Alright, let's see how this tastes," he said, lifting the lid. Steam rose from the pot, carrying the faint aroma of unseasoned meat.

He paused, realizing he had no way to serve or eat the stew. "Oh right, I forgot again," he said, smacking his forehead.

Ryan quickly went to his crafting bench and crafted three wooden bowls and three wooden spoons. He returned to the cooking station, filled a bowl with stew, and took a cautious sip.

The moment the bland, watery broth hit his tongue, he gagged. "Blergh!" he exclaimed, spitting it out. "Why does it taste so bad?!"

The system popped up with a message:

[ Host, you have put no seasoning. ]

"What?? Why didn't you tell me?" Ryan asked, glaring at the screen.

[ Host, you didn't ask. ]

Ryan sighed, rubbing his temples. "It would make sense, though. I thought it would magically add seasoning or something. Guess I was wrong."

He looked down at the bowl of stew, his stomach growling despite the terrible taste. "Let's just eat this first. The roasted meat wouldn't taste that bad, but I have no choice," he said, resigning himself to the bland meal.

He forced himself to finish the stew, spoonful by spoonful. It was far from enjoyable, but by the time he was done, he felt a sense of satisfaction. His hunger was finally sated, even if his taste buds were disappointed.

"Well, that was… an experience," Ryan said, setting the empty bowl aside. "Next time, I'll remember to add seasoning. Maybe I can find some herbs or spices in the forest."

He leaned back against the cabin wall, staring at the cooking station. "At least I got my first meal out of the way. And hey, I earned some CP. Not a total loss.

Ryan glanced at his cabin, which was still missing windows, doors, and floors. "Let's just finish the cabin," he said, opening the Structure Tab. He navigated to the Doors section, only to find it empty. The Windows and Floors sections were also blank.

"How does this make sense?" he muttered, scratching his head. Then it hit him. "Right… research. Ugh, of course."

He opened the Research Tab, and a wide grin spread across his face. "Hehe, I can finally peek at the research options," he said, his excitement growing.

The screen displayed an extensive list of research options, branching into independent and interconnected paths. Some branches required small research points, while others were more complex.

[ Stone Cutting ]

[ Plank Crafting ]

[ Smithing - Machining - Gunsmithing - Blowback Operation - Basic Optoelectronics - Gas Operation - Gun Turrets - Precision Rifling ]

[ Electricity - Sub-Branches (Battery, Lights, Generators, Solar Power) - Main Branch (Microelectronics) - Multiple Sub-Branches (Television, Shields, Heavy Auto Turrets, Long-Range Mineral Scanner) ]

[ Basic Vehicle Development ]

Ryan's eyes widened as he read through the options. "Hahahaha, guns and cars, baby… welcome to the 21st century!" he said, laughing. "This is insane. I can literally build a civilization from scratch here."

He scrolled through the list, his mind racing with possibilities. "Well, first things first. Let's research Plank Crafting. Wood is easily accessible, and I need planks for the floors, doors, and windows."

He tapped on Plank Crafting, and the system displayed the requirements:

[ Plank Crafting

Required:

Research Points: 100

Time: 2 hours

Prerequisites: None ]

"Two hours, huh?" Ryan said, nodding. "That's not too bad. I can work on other things while it researches."

He confirmed the research, and a progress bar appeared on the screen.

[ Researching: Plank Crafting

Time Remaining: 1 hour 59 minutes ]

Ryan leaned back, a satisfied smile on his face. "Alright, while that's cooking, let's see what else I can do."

He glanced around his cabin, noting the unfinished walls and the lack of proper furniture. "I've got time to kill. Maybe I'll gather more wood or hunt for some herbs to season my next meal. Or… I could start planning for the future."

His eyes drifted back to the research tab, lingering on the Smithing and Electricity branches. "Guns, turrets, solar power… this is gonna be fun," he said, grinning. "But one step at a time. First, planks. Then, the world."