Another Day

"Haruki, what's up?" Gus's voice snapped me out of spacing out.

"Nothing," I replied.

"You've been spacing out a lot since this morning. Did something happen?"

"I had a bizarre dream yesterday," I explained, recounting the tale of fighting a horde of monsters and defeating them with minimum effort.

"If that's the case, why are you spacing out too much today?"

"Because that dream felt too real to be mere dream," I admitted.

"Is that so, but don't space out now, will you? We have work to do."

"Yes, of course. I'm the cook," I affirmed.

"Sorry to cut your conversation, but we have orders!" Miya-san interrupted suddenly as the customers had ordered meals.

"Let's get moving!" I immediately started moving, and with my newly acquired title, I could do anything beyond superhuman while in the kitchen. Also, most dishes were already cooked; they just needed a little heating.

"Here are the orders of table 5, 1, 4!"

Ten minutes later

"Here are the orders of table 7, 6, 9!"

"Here are the orders of table 2, 3, 8, 10!"

Good thing no one ordered the expensive dish that needed to be made fresh.

Just like that, the day passed by, and it was already night. We cleaned the tavern, and after that, we bid our goodbyes for the day.

"See you tomorrow," said Gus.

"See you too tomorrow," we all replied.

With that farewell, we parted ways. I walked back to my inn, but while walking back, I felt that someone was behind me. I turned around, but I saw nothing.

"Just my imagination, I guess?!"

I turned back and started walking. I deliberately slowed my pace, and I heard footsteps matching mine. I stopped; the footsteps also stopped but a little delayed. I turned around again, and nothing.

After walking for a while, I finally arrived at the inn and greeted the receptionist, then headed to my room to get the towel and clothes before immediately going to the bathhouse to wash myself.

"Today was such a strange day," I sighed while contemplating my dream and the strange presence I felt while going home.

After I finished bathing and putting on my clothes, I immediately headed to the inn to eat.

"Good evening, what's for dinner today?"

"Today's menu is stir-fried chicken with vegetables," she replied while giving me the food.

'Hmm, it looks delicious,' I thought as I began to eat it bit by bit to enjoy the flavors mixed within the food. After finishing my meal, I headed back to my room to rest. I sat on my bed for a while and then lay down, closing my eyes. I was immediately taken to a dream, but this time, my dream was slightly different because the grotesque creatures were no longer there; the only thing left was the big tree.

I approached the big tree and then touched it, and suddenly, it grew a branch that was slightly above my head, and it had a fruit hanging from it.

'Is this tree telling me to eat the fruit?'

"Well, this is a dream, so one fruit wouldn't hurt me, right?"

I grabbed the fruit. "This has the same shape as an apple, but it's black?" I thought, then I bit it.

"Hmm, this isn't bad; it has the same taste as a green apple." Then I finished eating it, but my body suddenly started burning from the inside. "Aghhhhhhhhhh, what the hell?!" As my body continued to burn, all my skin fell to the ground. This pain continued for 4 hours, if I counted it right, then the pain slowly disappeared, and my skin that had fallen from my body got replaced, and my body chiseled.

"Why do my arms look muscular? Do I also have abs?" As I inspected myself.

I asked the tree, "Did you give me a fruit as thanks for the other day?" I looked at the tree, and then it shone.

"I guess that's a yes, then we're even?"

After that shenanigans, I was experimenting with how much I could manipulate in my dream, like creating a castle, sea, sky, land, stars, moon, sun, and other planets. Then I tried to create a human, or at least a living being.

"It's not working; that means I can't just imagine a human, and it will appear. How about an elf?" I closed my eyes and tried to imagine the elf's physical appearance: long ears, lean build, blond or white hair, and the body color either brown or white.

Blood manifested, and then after that, the skeleton, muscles. Then I combined them together, but it only ended up like a statue because it had no joints, nerves, and a brain, which is essential for movement and also organs.

"Oh well, I should add the necessary parts." Touching the forehead of my two creations, I added all the parts, but they still did not move.

"I wonder what I am still lacking?"

Then my dream suddenly cracked. 'Am I waking up?'

Before departing, I resolved to create guardians for my dream world. First, I crafted a humanoid being and endowed it with the ability called "domain," rendering it invincible as long as it resided within my dream. I fashioned its appearance with that of a woman, both in face and body. Following this, I created two additional guardians, this time in male form, to provide an extra layer of protection. I took care to ensure that all three guardians were beautiful and handsome in appearance.

"But they aren't moving, just like my first two creations,"

He was not aware that his stats were increasing at a ridiculous rate.

*Haruki Nakamura**

- Level: 100 → 119

- Title: The One Who Cook, (sealed), (Perfect body), (Creator).

- Class: Caught in a hero summoning, chef.

- HP: 40000+(5000) → 57000+(5000)

- MP: 24000+(4500) → 32000+(4500)

- Skills: Appraisal, inventory, physical enchantment, fast thinking, creation, domain.

- Attribute: (semi-awakened), [God's Body]

"See you tomorrow," I bid farewell to my dream world.

I slowly opened my eyes, then I stood up to stretch my body. Then I headed downstairs to eat breakfast. After I finished eating breakfast, I headed to the tavern.

---

In the dream world:

The tree grabbed both of Haruki's creations using its branch like a hand, then it shone, but light was going into the two. They woke up in a surprised state. "Huh? We're still alive?" they questioned. Then they realized that they were in the presence of the tree, and they immediately knelt down at the tree. "Did you resurrect us, mother?"

"Both of you are half right. I was not the one who reconstructed your body; I only put both of your souls in a new vessel."

"Is that so, mother? Then who reconstructed our body?"

"He's a human, the one who managed to find this realm and also the one who remade this place."

After that statement, they looked around, their eyes wide with wonder and disbelief. The realization of their miraculous resurrection sank in, filling them with a mix of awe and gratitude. They exchanged astonished glances, unable to comprehend the magnitude of the situation. It was as if they had been granted a second chance at life, and the enormity of the gift left them speechless.

Suddenly, a portal ripped open, unleashing a horde of grotesque creatures that surged toward the tree with ferocious intent. Haruki's creations watched in horror as the creatures advanced, their twisted forms casting eerie shadows in the dim light.

Both of them immediately sprinted towards the castle, their hearts pounding with adrenaline as they raced to arm themselves for the impending battle. Bursting through the castle gates, they hurried to the armory, their hands trembling with urgency as they grabbed weapons and gear. Swords, shields, and bows were quickly snatched up, their minds focused on the imminent threat.

With weapons in hand, they dashed back outside, where the grotesque creatures had already begun their onslaught against the towering tree. Without hesitation, they leaped into the fray, their weapons flashing in the moonlight as they fought with all their might.

Each strike was met with fierce resistance, but Haruki's creations refused to back down. They moved with precision and determination, coordinating their attacks to defend the tree against the relentless onslaught.

As the battle raged on, they fought side by side, their bond growing stronger with each passing moment. Despite the overwhelming odds, they refused to surrender, driven by the desire to protect the realm that had given them a second chance at life.

With each enemy vanquished, their resolve only grew stronger, fueling their determination to emerge victorious. And as the last of the creatures fell, they stood victorious, their breath coming in ragged gasps as they surveyed the battlefield.