novelraw Chapter 3 : Cooked Food
Chapter 3 : Cooked Food
Chapter 3: Cooked Food
Although Apollo did not understand why, he obeyed the god’s will unconditionally.
He announced this new rule from the god to everyone.
“The god says that from now on, we must cook our food before eating!”
Everyone burst into cheers.
They might not understand, but they firmly believed that the god’s guidance must be correct.
Fire was given an entirely new meaning.
Huang Xing looked at the primitive tribe below, rejoicing over such a simple hygienic rule.
A subtle sense of accomplishment quietly arose in his heart.
This dream seemed to be getting more and more interesting.
……
Night fell, and bonfires were lit throughout the tribe.
Because the god had said that from now on they must eat cooked food, everyone instinctively skewered raw meat on branches and placed them over the flames to roast.
But when fat seeped out from the meat and dripped into the fire, producing a pleasant “sizzle”…
An overpowering and enticing aroma, one they had never smelled before, instantly spread through the air. For a moment, everyone’s eyes widened.
That fragrance was like an invisible hook, easily drawing out the deepest desires within them.
Apollo wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth.
He did not know why, but upon smelling that aroma, he could not stop himself from salivating.
But he knew one thing—he wanted to eat.
Apollo swallowed hard.
Suppressing the urge to immediately devour the food, he took a skewer of roasted meat from the fire, its surface slightly charred and glistening with rich fat.
He quickly walked to the base of the totem pole, raised it high as if offering the most precious treasure, his azure eyes shining in the firelight as he called out expectantly:
“God!”
Huang Xing looked at him and found it amusing, though he once again felt a bit of regret.
It was a pity that this was only a dream—he could not taste the food Apollo offered.
Apollo vaguely sensed the god’s emotions. The god seemed pleased, yet also somewhat regretful.
He blinked, confused.
The god was pleased because they had followed his will?
Then why the regret?
His young mind could not comprehend it.
He ran back to the bonfire and looked at the eagerly waiting tribespeople, shouting:
“You can eat now!”
“Wooo—!”
The crowd erupted into deafening cheers. Those who had long been unable to hold back took the roasted meat one after another.
“It’s hot!”
Someone cried out, yet was unwilling to spit it out.
“It’s delicious!”
Another shouted while eating.
This was an unprecedented experience.
After being tempered by fire, the meat became firm and layered in texture. The charred aroma mixed with the juices exploded in the mouth, bringing a satisfaction far beyond that of cold, fishy raw meat.
The entire tribe was immersed in the joy brought by this delicacy.
Huang Xing quietly overlooked the scene.
The dancing firelight illuminated faces filled with satisfaction and innocence.
A strange sense of accomplishment rose within him, as if he were playing an incredibly realistic civilization game.
He thought that if there were truly game notifications, something like this might appear before his eyes:
【Cooked Food: Unlocked.】
【Civilization +1】
The emergence of fire was a miracle of the world, allowing humanity to escape darkness and cold.
And when humans learned to use fire to cook food, they truly departed from the primitive ignorance of consuming raw flesh and blood.
The spark of civilization was quietly ignited amid the curling smoke and the sounds of contented chewing.
He shifted his gaze and carefully observed this dream world.
The purple sky displayed a dreamlike gradient under the bright moonlight.
In the distance, the outlines of strange plants appeared bizarre and fantastical in the night, as if he were in a splendid yet gentle fairy tale.
As the night deepened, the well-fed people, wearing satisfied smiles, fell asleep one after another, their snores rising and falling.
Huang Xing still sat atop the totem pole, yet a faint ripple stirred in his heart.
This dream seemed unusually long.
The previous two times, not long after he became aware that he was dreaming, the pull of reality would arrive, quickly waking him.
But this time, he sat from sunset to deep night, and from deep night until the first light of dawn appeared on the horizon. Even as the sun fully rose, he still remained clearly present here.
A trace of confusion surfaced in his mind, but it was quickly suppressed by his usual calmness.
Like a patient observer, he watched as a new day began in the tribe.
Below, the awakened people, led by Apollo and the old priest, once again gathered by the altar to pray before the hunt.
The old priest now simply stood quietly beneath the altar, completely yielding the leading position to Apollo, the one chosen by the god.
“Warriors!”
Apollo said to everyone, “The god is watching us! The god will bless us!”
“Praise the great Lord of the Stars!” The people’s response was filled with strength and confidence, their eyes burning with fervor.
Before setting out, Apollo seemed to sense something and instinctively turned to look toward the top of the totem pole.
Although he could see nothing, that clear feeling of being watched filled him with surging fighting spirit.
Huang Xing withdrew his gaze, and almost at the same moment his sight shifted away, the familiar sensation of detachment arrived.
……
After waking, Huang Xing did not get up immediately.
He stared at the ceiling, lost in thought.
Although he did not know much about dreams, he was aware that his “dream” was abnormal in many ways.
The overly clear memories and coherent storyline could still be explained, but why, within the dream, was he—the master of the dream—restricted to the totem pole, unable to move freely?
This went against the very nature of dreams.
The alarm rang, interrupting his thoughts.
He got up, washed, and prepared to go to work.
Along the way, and even during breaks at work, he kept thinking about this question.
He tried searching online for keywords like “continuous vivid dreams” and “restricted movement in dreams,” but the answers varied widely—from excessive stress to spiritual omens—none of which could perfectly explain his situation.
He did not want to see a doctor, because deep down, he was reluctant to lose this dream.
In this dull, repetitive, materialistic real world,
that fantastical world…
that tribe which depended on him and worshipped him…
In that world, he could experience a true sense of freedom and unrestrained ease.
Another day passed, and he fell asleep once again, anticipating entry into that dream.
But this time was different.
He did not appear atop the tribe’s totem pole, but instead fell into absolute darkness.
No light, no sound, no direction—he could not even clearly feel his own existence.
Yet strangely, he did not feel panic. Instead, an indescribable sense of peace and warmth enveloped him.
Time lost its meaning here.
He did not know how long had passed. Just as he thought it might continue like this forever, he heard a voice.
“God!”
Then, he saw a purple planet.
A familiar feeling surged through him instantly.
The next moment, he appeared atop the totem pole.