The Equestrian Gourmet

by Gamel_Lightshow

You and Me and the first dungeon

Richard pulls the iron cast pan off the fire before taking a knife and cutting open a part of the steak to see if it is cooked to Blake's standards. Blake, who might be dangerously close to said fire, seems to be drooling over said steak despite gorging himself on food minutes earlier. Food and stories of cooking from Richard's own world as well as talking about differences and similarities.

The gist of it goes along the line of that in their world magic was a thing along with technology, but the ones that proved to be land expanders would be their version of Native Americans otherwise known as Deerfolk. Apparently being so close to nature gave them advantages of being able to ride through even the roughest of seas, being able to always find food and make more of it, and even use the land against their enemies. They weren't blood grazed savages, but they were ambitious with uniting the world under the prospect of making sure that industrialization never goes too far.

There were some... drawbacks from this. Mainly with dealing with creatures and other people that would see to destroy such a place as well as predators that never wanted to back down to prey. So the Deefolk had to prove themselves in various ways that they're just as good as any predator. Some even went to extreme lengths. Such as in the case with Blake and a few others like him who were bred to basically be a predator version of their people. But with all things different, it wasn't received well that their people were trying to play god with a species and were scorned.

One thing led to the next over years and years and well. Not everybody can handle such scorn and torment.

"But yea. That's the basics of my skills. Other than helping plants grow and enchanting things with fire attributes, I can't say that there really isn't much to the Chef category." Richard says handing over the steak to the deer morph who devours it immediately.

"I can't really fight with this power other than making others fight better in my stead. It's been useful, but I want my own fighting skills for sure.

Richard believes his words go unheard as he watches Blake suddenly shoot up invigorated by the stats the meat has brought to him.

"Ohhhh!~ I feel like I can take on even a giant!" Blake says throwing a few jabs into the air most of his fur as well as his tail bristled.

"That's attack up, health up, and increased stamina regen. They're not big boosts, but they seem to have a notable effect on both regular people and Champions. I can't help but wonder what would happen if I really put magic into it and what are the conditions for-"

"This! Is! Ballin!"

"Just don't let the power go to your head." Richard says shaking his head, getting up, and flicking the deer boy on the forehead, "The effects can stack for sure, but I don't know if there is a cap limit or not. I would need a safe guinea pi-"

"I volunteer as a sacrifice for this delicious test!" Blake announces taking up a salute.

"No no. If we're going to do this we are going to do it in a controlled environment in case of anything bad happening. But since you have these buffs on you, I am interested to know if those buffs transfer over to anything you make or do with your own powers. That way you won't feel awkward showing off your own powers."

"Alright!"

Blake walks over to a tree and slaps his hand on it and just keeps it there. Blake closes his eyes as his hand begins to glow a pale yellow-green causing the tree to do the exact same. A smile seems to play over Blake's face as the tree proceeds to uproot itself. The limbs begin to intertwine and forms into functioning arms and the roots seem to twist together with bark to form legs. The ends of both sets of limbs end with sharp looking claws made of bark. What may resemble a face starts to appear on the front side of the bark complete with eyes and mouth of darkness.

"Hey! Feeling alright? Sorry to wake you up like this, but we wanted to test something out." Blake says proceeding to hug the tree.

The treant doesn't reply but Blake laughs nonetheless as if he can hear it. Richard chalks it up to either magic or just something a person can be born with. After all, the world is very magical in nature. And often cruel to what other creatures and races are allowed to do and control. Like the horrible weather that's still going on.

"Alright big guy! I just need you to tell me if you feel stronger and healthier than usual. I know you just wanna sleep for the season, but I gotta make sure everything will be fiiine. "

The treant doesn't act right away simply standing there as if registering the command. The treant opts to go and pick up a nearby boulder bigger than both Richard and Blake by quite a margin. The treant seems to be lifting it like a weight before making a sound, which may be its speech, of bark and wood creaking and rubbing together.

"Oh wow! Looks like it does work Richy!" Blake says scampering over to the treant and hopping up it to sit on top of the rock.

"Huh... Well, that's interesting to note. The other thing I wanted to test is if I give you something to eat with stats will the stats transfer over or will they only apply to a new one that's made." Richard says rummaging through his pack for food he's already made.

Blake's eyes sparkle at the prospect of more food as he orders the treant to put the rock back down. He happily bounds over and basically snaps up the black of food, a granola bar, from Richard's hand as he gets it out. Richard blinks for a moment before sighing.

"Always an eager one huh?"

Blake nods his head vigorously whilst chewing the bar. After he swallows and waits a bit before shaking his head, "I don't feel any different."

Richard blinks and looks at him curiously, "Check your stats. You should have increased Con and Str again. In fact, does the treant have stats that you can check?"

"No? I also kind of don't really know how to do that maybe."

Richard rubs the bridge of his nose, "Yea... Alright, don't worry we'll work our way through it."

---

"Alright! Seems we have everything in order then! But question. You said there was something you needed to show me out here as well as your own powers." Richard says keeping a mental note that even if its an old summon, the summoner's buff still transfers over.

He can't help but wonder if there is an exception to the rule. More importantly, if the increased vigor allows them to stay longer or reduce the mana consumption they most likely have. Perhaps a mana line between summoner and summon. For now, just more questions for later. Actually, if it applies to all summoned things, wouldn't his tool and fire-

Blake tilts his head slightly before shooting up more erect, "Oh right! There is a cave that we need to go and check out. It uh wouldn't let me in by myself... It uh. I guess you'll see what I mean."

Richard follows behind Blake shaking himself out of his thoughts filled with the ever-growing mound of questions he's been compiling and Blake's two treants as they make their way through the forest. The walk there is rather peaceful compared to when he first arrived here to take on the task of meeting with more Champions and... now that he thinks about it, the mission at hand really doesn't have any clear end goals.

It takes merely fourty or so minutes for the pair to reach their destination. The Cave in question seems to have two lion shaped black creatures prowling around in front of it. The entrance of the cave is covered in blood and a few animal bodies lay around them. The shadows don't seem to be eating the bodies, meaning that the darkness the Champions are fighting most likely hunt for fun and nothing else. Either that or they hunt to eradicate all life.

"They come from the cave behind them..." Blake says crouching down and whispering as the two grow closer, "All manners of creatures come from out of there and we I went to go enter it to confront it, I was stopped."

"Stopped how? Because if there's an army down there."

"No no. It's nothing like that, but I figured you might have more knowledge about what came up..."

"Was it a box with words?"

"Yea. How did you know?"

Richard says nothing as the shadow lions continue to prowl around. Richard looks over to Blake to ask how they should go about this to already see that he is going about this the way that he likes.

Blake is smiling his fangs in full view as vines snake their way across the ground from the treants that are doing their best to be trees. The vines manage to go unnoticed before they wrap themselves around the neck of the wolves and drag them across the ground to the treants that emerge from the woods to crush their bodies beneath their root feet.

"That... That works. Yea. You can do that." Richard says standing up with Richard and making his way to the cave.

As they approach the cave with trants in tow, a box with words appears before the two.

[Recommended level for dungeon 5-10 and requires 2 to enter]

"Huh... That's something to note then... If its anything like video games that means there is most likely a boss at the end of this to test our strength. But why? This doesn't make any sense."

Black shrugs while frowning, "But what's important is that there is a portal down there letting these creatures out. So we have to beat them in order to close it so the forest and its inhabitants are safe.

"Can you even use your powers underground?"

"I mean you've buffed me up quite a lot. Even if I can't use my powers, " He shows off his fangs, "I've got these and my fists to do just as much damage."

"How about using a potted plant to carry around."

Blake gasps as if offended, "I'll just pretend I didn't hear you just suggest I use a nature slave."

Richard just stares at Blake for a moment in disbelief, but upon seeing that he is in fact not joking on this Richard lets it drop.

"Alright. Well. I'm ready whenever you are I guess."

Blake smiles and then charges right on in with Richard behind him. As they enter, the treants slowly dig into the ground and once again become trees.

Author's Note:

Richard: level 15 1: Create Cooking Fire, 5: Green Thumb, 10: Enchant With Fire, 15: Summon cookery,

Blake: level 10 1: Vines 5: Bark Armor 10: Summon Treant.

As a side note I just really hated writing this chapter for some reason.