Chapter 37: Seeing the Competition
Vincent took out a few things and left them on his bed. They were the daggers from Gina. He also left out some basic supplies on his bed. He also took a bag full of arrows and potions out. 'This should be enough temptation for my roommate.'
He left the room to see the rest of the ship. He made mental notes of everyone he saw. He made sure to note the set of twins who whispered and pointed at people with guns.
The following people who made his list were different. They each gave him the chills individually, but something spiked when they were gathered together.
He glanced at them in passing and kept walking. He found himself in the canteen entrance. 'Why do I always end up here?' He sighed and went through the doors. 'I hope nothing cliche happens this time.'
Vincent looked around. Everyone was eating and chatting. A few looked at Vincent. Vincent made eye contact with the ones who looked directly over at him. Most looked away, but a few smirked and then returned to chatting with their friends.
Vincent went to the front of the counter to swipe his card. "Hey, this isn't the academy or school you come from. Fix your food yourself. This counter is only for supplies." Vincent went to the side and saw the sign kitchen.
He stepped inside and saw other people already cooking with their supplies. 'Man, that is ruthless.' He returned to the counter and bought enough ingredients to feed a family of eight for an entire year. He knew that made a target on his back, and he released a smidge of his bloodlust.
That seemed to get the message across since the prying eyes stopped looking at him. He went to the kitchen and started to cook some spaghetti and meatballs. People watched as he seasoned the meat and rolled it into balls. He put the noodles into a big pot and sprinkled salt inside the water.
He cut up tomatoes, onions, and garlic. He put them inside of a blender. He tasted the sauce and added more seasoning. He put the noodles inside a strainer and added them to the pan of meatballs. He poured the sauce on top and stirred everything together.
The smell wafted out of the pan. Everyone looked over, and a few of their stomachs growled. Many were children of nobles who had never done a daily chore and were boiling noodles or warming up frozen dinners in the microwave. Vincent slapped himself on his forehead. 'I forgot about the garlic bread.'
He took out some dough and molded it by hand. He put the dough in the refrigerator and set it to five minutes. He made the garlic butter spread in the meantime. He heard the ding and took the dough out.
'Perfect. Nice and fluffy.' He molded the dough in the shape of bread and then coated it. He opened the oven and set the timer for five minutes. He took the lid off the pan and smelled the food. He sighed when he smelled it. 'A piece of home from home.'
The oven dinged, and he took out the garlic bread. This was the last weight that broke the camel's back. A boy stepped forward.
"Excuse me, but is it possible for me to have some of your food? I am willing to pay you, of course." Vincent fixed two plates and two more to take back to his room.
"Sure, there should be enough for at least three more plates. You don't need to pay me. You can give me all the information you have on people instead." The smile that the boy had on his face went away. His face kept changing, and he wasn't sure if he should trade the information he had for food so early.
"Here, this is everything I have on people. If you cook again tomorrow, I will give you any information I find out." A girl walked up, handed Vincent a folder, and fixed her a plate. "There is only enough for two plates left!" He shouted inside the kitchen.
The older people ignored him and walked away with their noodles and warmed-up dinners. A few kids left after them. Vincent shrugged his shoulders. "If no one wants the food, I will throw it away." He picked up the pan and walked over to the trash can.
"Wait! I will give you my information, but you must provide me with the whole food pan. The girl before was only a B- citizen. I am an A+ citizen, so my information is more valuable." Vincent passed him the pan, and the kid gave him a more extensive and thicker folder.
Vincent bagged the food and took his plate to sit and eat. He knew he had made himself public enemy number one with the stunt he had just pulled, but he ignored them. 'Who told you not to learn how to cook?'
Vincent sat down and opened the folder the girl gave him. He was reading the information. A girl and a boy sat down in front of him. He didn't pay them any mind and continued to eat. The boy moved his hand towards the other plate. Vincent smacked his hand without looking up.
"Do you want to form a team with each other?" The girl asked Vincent. Vincent closed the folder and looked at her. "Why?"
"I am sure you have noticed how some people are already friendly with each other. They want to make it through the awakening process. Everyone's system will give them missions or tasks to complete. Some of those tasks are killing other people."
"I have realized that. That doesn't explain why I should make a team with you." The girl frowned. "What empire are you from?" Vincent twirled spaghetti on his fork and ate some while making eye contact with the girl.
The girl was about to storm away, but the boy beside her stopped her and smiled at Vincent. "Listen, man, we didn't come here to annoy you. We just saw that you had a good head on your shoulders. I would want a dependable teammate rather than a dumb one."
"I am from the Regorian Empire. My name is Vincent." The girl rolled her eyes. The boy sighed and relaxed. "My name is Trent, and this is Isabell. We come from the Utopian Kingdom. We go to school in the Regorian Empire."
'Utopian Kingdom? That's a state of the Regorian Empire.' Vincent nodded and pushed the other plate of spaghetti over to them. Trent tasted the food first.
'Isabell is a princess, and Trent is her bodyguard.' Vincent saw how Isabell tensed as Trent took a bite.
"Mhmm! This is so good! Dude, you have to teach me the recipe." Isabell relaxed and took a bite, too. Vincent chuckled and ate the rest of his food. "Here is my room number. Come see me tomorrow at two o' clock." He left them there to enjoy the food.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone