"Cry all you want I only get one meal a day."

"I wasn't talking about that," she said, "I want an evolving ability ring."

This girl was truly outrageous "What's your original ability?" I asked

"I can make people more comfortable with my presence."

So that's why she had such a comforting presence the first time I met her.

"Aren't you kind of old for an evolving ability ring?" I asked with a smile, and it was kind of true evolving powers were best if they were cultivated from childhood.

"I'll have you know I'm still in the prime off my life."

"I'll consider it," I said

The rest of the time I spent leaning against her and staring off into the sunset.

Eventually, I went home, another day had passed just like that.

The week passed with nothing out of the ordinary happening between training and cultivating mana there wasn't much too do. And since grand elder had secured enough hundred year food for a while. He had been practicing his techniques instead of going anywhere interesting.

I checked my arm I now had 640 mana.

That was enough now to go get the ever grumpy cannon man.

My walkout to the wall was as pleasant as ever.

"How ya doing," I asked him

"Let me guess your here because you want to make that dumb ring for the chef. You do know if you get him that ring hes just going to have to work harder?" Cannon man said

I hadn't considered it but if he was truly a chief he would be happy about cooking right?

"Do you want to come with me and protect me while I craft it?"

"Id rather stand here for endless years then watch your tom foolery."

Fine, if he wanted to be that way I would go by myself.

Wait, "Can I take morgan with me?" I asked

"No you most certainly cannot the crafting room is only meant for crafters."

Alright, whatever I walked off towards the beast vault.

I found a piece of a tree monster that constantly regrew.

Then I tossed it into the chest and thought about what I could do that had to do with growth and food.

I figured it out eventually.

Maximum Growth Food~Use mana to grow the potential of your food to its maximum value.

That was the power of higher tiered ability rings you could be vague.

I grabbed the ability ring out it had a colorful and vivid image of a chef cooking a sapling.

I guess it was kind of fitting.

Time to go give him his present.

I went and found him he was cooking behind the grill as normal.

"Hello, Id like to thank senior for cooking all my wonderful meals."

He looked up kind of surprised and said "Well it is my job and I'm not bold enough anymore to venture out into the forest."

So cannon man wasn't lying he did have mana.

"As a thank, you for all the meals you've cooked for me I made you this."

I took out the vividly colored ring and handed it to him.

His eyes sparkled as soon as he saw it after all everyone could tell how valuable a ring was just based on how alive it looked.

He unequipped his current ring that much to my surprise was of the rare grade.

"Now that I have this I can finally take on an apprentice and hand down to them my ring. Although my rare ring really just makes it so I don't burn stuff it doesn't add anything to the food. But this ring should allow me to explore a whole new realm of cooking!"

This was the first time I had ever seen him excited he seemed to sit behind the grill all day with a straight face.

"You do know it runs on mana so once you run out you can burn the food?" I said

"I may not be strong but back in the day I had more mana then my peers. And if that's the cause then I'll just figure out my limit and cook that much a day." he said

"Fine by me just promise that you will always try and cook my meals to the maximum potential first," I said

"I am the head chef here so I don't know if I can do that all the time but you have my word that I will try my best."

He said that as he handed over bison that he had cooked the day before.

Man was I sick of eating bison.

Now that another essential step of my plan had been fulfilled it was time to explore another area of the outpost.

I would go to the bar first and pick up some company and then I would explore the weapons area of the outpost and the crafters guild.

After eating my food I sat out, too the bar I go.

I walked out and made my way down the road.

I could see the tavern sign up ahead. I couldn't help but compare the bar too the winery.

They both had their own benefits I suppose.