Dungeon? This Tree? Why Don't You Join Me for Lunch? (Dungeon Core) Chapter 2: To the test!

The bread was crispy and golden. Slled of the onions I fried it in. But I was not done.

I needed sothing to turn this orc from a would-be lumberjack to a dear friend.

It was ti for the cheese to enter the world stage.

The orc's eyes were wide, as I began to grind the mozzarella. Pure white, like freshly fallen snow. Falling on the two slices of bread so, as if it was ant to be together with the bread.

A love story which was going to end up in the orc's stomach.

The fire under the pan crackled rrily. I placed the other slice of bread over the one with the cheese. Joined them together in a tasty union.

"Sylvan," Mael said, his hand hovering over the pan. "I'm hungry."

I had him! His soul was mine to do with as I pleased.

"Let the cheese lt," I told him, gently slapping his hand. "Let it lt and stretch. Let the bread soak up all the aromas of the onions. Let them... be reborn. Reshaped!"

Mael whimpered.

"And while we are waiting for that," I had no rcy for him. He had co here with a two-handed axe. His intention towards my old girl clear. "Let just see if I have so apples."

Mael closed his eyes, his hand going to a dallion around his neck.

Man... I was beginning to like this.

Maybe...

No! I had to see what would happen with the orc after he ate the food, before taking such a big step!

Before I began to defend my tree with campfire cooking!

I already knew I had apples. Golden ones. So sweet, they didn't even need sugar. They were for the dessert. Best eaten when warm.

I busied myself with goring them. Then I took so walnuts and crushed them. So honey went in with the walnuts.

Soon, the holes in the apples were filled with walnuts and honey. Just in ti, too because the grilled cheese sandwich was done.

I smiled at Mael.

Mael smiled back.

"I am not done yet," I told him. My eyes were probably twinkling. They always did so when I was torturing people with food porn.

"Sylvan, if I don't get anything to eat in the next five minutes, I will swing you over my shoulder and carry you to my tribe. My wife will kill to eat like this every day!"

I resisted the urge to breathe out a sigh of relief. Sotis, the romancing with food backfired.

I was not interested in such things anymore. Sure, I looked young, but there was sothing wrong about a ten-thousand-year-old nymph getting together with people, not even a tenth of his age.

"I can pack a little sothing for her, if you'd like?" What can I say? If bribing is the na of the ga, one had to play it.

"Sylvan... I'm hungry," he looked at so, as if he was considering really carting off to beco his personal chef. I really needed to be careful with this one.

"Give a minute," I told him, as I took the grilled cheese sandwich, and then placed the pan with the apples in its place. Soon, the lid was on and burning logs were placed on top of it.

Now, for the finishing touch.

I cut the grilled cheese sandwich in half. I placed so of the at on top, and then because I was evil, I cut up so cabbage.

This sandwich was not for . There was no way it would fit in my mouth.

But Mael was twice as tall as , and his head was massive. Besides, if the noises his stomach made were any indication, he'd polish the sandwich in a minute.

"Mael," I said, as I placed a single mind-altering mushroom on top. It looked like a normal white one.

I had created it during my early years, while I still cared that my old girl was a dungeon. Back before the barrier.

"Yes? Is this all for ?" The orc reached out; I gave him the sandwich.

"Yes. I'll just eat so apples when they are done," because I was a dungeon core and ate the mana produced from my tree. That is not to say that I couldn't eat food.

I did. I liked it too.

It was more of a comfort eating thing. It did nothing for my hunger.

I watched on, as Mael ate half the sandwich in one bite. He closed his eyes, so of the cabbage fell on the ground.

As he chewed, I considered my options.

It was important that I placed my order as soon as possible. The mind-altering mushroom was on the half he was chewing now!

"Mael, would you like to learn how to cook like ?" I asked him because an orc would be dead useful in chasing tourists away. That two-handed axe had enough scratches on it to prove it was well-used.

Mael swallowed, his eyes glazed over. I could see he was considering it.

"Can I bring my wife too?" He asked.

"And your children as well!" He looked like the type to have children. Small orcs grew up to be big and strong orcs.

And with the food I planned on feeding them, they were going to end up just as strong as their father. If not stronger!

Mael looked at my old girl behind , then at the half of the sandwich he was yet to eat. Did he not eat the mushroom? Or maybe he did not chew it?

I ran a hand through my blonde hair. Darn it, did I ss it up?

"Let eat so of the apples, and then we can talk," he ate the other half of the sandwich, closing his eyes and forgetting all about .

I was sweating bullets. The sandwich was not enough! What if he cuts my tree? My immortality was in danger!

I stared at the pan with the apples. Prayed to the heavens that I had not put too much honey.

But as I served one apple to Mael and looked on as he all but swallowed it whole, I knew that I had to go back to being a dungeon core.

Food alone was not going to cut it.

Not in the quantities I could produce by myself.

And I... wanted to live at least to one million years, darn it all! To see my old girl covered with blossoms and leaves once more.

Just like in our youth.