"That really did the trick. Saunas just hit right after taking a swim. I feel full of energy!", I happily said, coming out of the wooden sauna placed off to the side on the veranda. Can I even call it a veranda? It's basically one giant floor that's housed entirely outside. Picture a rooftop swimming pool, but with a lot of added features. As I felt more relaxed than ever, I saw a Gamer Notification come through, which drew my gaze to the blue screen. I've gotten used to these guys randomly appearing, so I checked its details.
[Ding! Through a special Action, a new Field Skill has been generated. Resilient Body - LV1 (0.0%).]
[Resilient Body]
You have learned how to relax your body under physical strain, allowing you to reduce the impact of incoming attacks.
Name: Resilient Body
Level: 1
Proficiency: 0.0%
Special Effect 1: Attack Damage Reduction increases by 1%.
A/N: I could....have named it Copper Body or Iron Body to sound more eastern, but I decided to keep the name neutral and went with Resilient Body.
"I was wondering when such a Skill would show up. Damage Reduction Skills are a classic when it comes to the Gamer System. This one only reduces Attack Damage, but it will help in the next Dungeon, the Kobold Nest. They're quite well known for attacking on the physical side of things, I could use this as a chance to level that Skill up quite high...", I murmured while reviewing its details. "And it is a good one to have. In some games, 100% is true damage reduction, where you don't take damage from attacks ever again, but this is real life, and Attack Damage for my Skills go well beyond 100%. I doubt it will negate all damage I receive, but it will let me take more hits. This is good!"
[Ding! You have come to an understanding of the Gamer System.]
[Ding! Your INT has increased by 20!]
[Ding! Current INT: 225.]
Neat. That means 100% really isn't the end when it comes to damage reduction. For now, I was satisfied with its details, and closed the window. I had a white towel around my waist now. Taking a moment, I took a gander at my own body, and to my surprise, I was already developing a six-pack. Is this the effect of the Gamer System? Most likely. I only put in two days worth of effort while having it and compared going to a gym, it would have normally taken a couple months. I'm not foreign to gyms, but I basically don't have a need to visit one.
Unless I want to grind some proficiency and be a social butterfly. I'm not against doing that. It'll help me build connections, which is key here in the MCU.
"Welcome back, Alex. During your free time, your requested blue lobster package successfully arrived at Azure Point and the package was brought up. Since then, it has been around an hour, and dinner is about ready to be served. I hired one of the finest chefs in the city to prepare it, and since you like knowing the details of the purchases I do, it used ten grand.", Jarvis said, greeting me from the veranda. That made my heart skip a beat.
"...Fifteen grand for a single meal? Now that's fine dining!", I murmured, becoming shocked. I was quite looking forward to tonight's meal and seeing what Consume will do. Perhaps I might even get to see the birth of a Rainbow-grade Dish? I can't wait!
I could only meet the taste with the appropriate attire, right? I saw the pool close up on its own without me needing to place the cover over it. It is fully self-sufficient. Thanks again, Tony. Once I'm living in this place permanently, I'll be sure to honor you, haha!
I didn't go with a full-blown tuxedo, but I put on a nice, navy seal polo shirt that was a good brand, and some slacks. No jeans this time. I soon made my way toward the dining area. It wasn't a simple meal where I could enjoy it on the kitchen island with a raised up stool. No, I took the time to appreciate what was prepared, and it did not take long before the smell of the ocean wafted around the room. My eyes lit up the moment I could smell it. You definitely can't get this on Asgard!
Ding! Sparkle. Sparkle.
There it was. A rainbow sparkle. I didn't feel this giddy even when I obtained that Death Blade item from unlocking Gathering earlier! I saw a full-course meal laid out before me, and Jarvis even said there were seconds, wasn't there?
"I hope it will be to your liking. This marks the third day of our seven day arrangement. You have four days remaining. I would also like to mention the cleaning crew came by earlier in the day. You can rest well tonight without worry.", Jarvis said.
"Thanks, Jarvis. Everything looks delicious.", I happily said. I really meant it. I am very much looking forward to sleeping in that bed. I got into a chair, and observed the meal before me.
[Ding! Observe has leveled up! 11 -> 13.]
[Five-Course Blue Lobster Michelin Set]
A succulent, five-course meal catered around the illusive blue-tailed lobster, a known rarity with a one-in-two million chance of being found. Jarvis used Tony Stark's connections to bring in the three-star Michelin Chef, Gordon Ramsay, to prepare the Rainbow-Grade Dish for you. This course made sure not to waste a single bit of the blue lobster!
Chef: Gordon Ramsay
Grade: Rainbow
Dish One: Blue Lobster Caviar
Dish Two: Blue Lobster Fish and Chips
Dish Three: Blue Lobster Ravioli
Dish Four: Blue Lobster Tail Bisque
Dish Five: Pure Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Three-Star Effect: Additionally increases all Stats by 30.
Special Effect 1: Fully Recovers HP and MP.
Special Effect 2: Grants Passive Skill, Mariner.
!?
"Jarvis...", I uttered, sighing.
"Yes, Alex?", Jarvis asked me. "Is it not to your liking?"
"Not that. It all looks so good I don't even know where to start. But seeing this is a course-meal that is just all laid out for me instead of brought out one by one, I'll start with the beginning. But that is beside the point.", I replied. "Why does Tony have Gordon Ramsay on speed-dial!?"
"It would seem you are still under estimating how far wealth and fame can reach, Alex. While Mr. Stark may not be in the upper echelons of the world's richest like Bill Gates, he has solidified his position, and has a personal net worth of over $3.5 billion dollars. Compared to Mr. Stark, Bill Gates' net worth sits around $50 billion, whereas for Michelin Chefs like Gordon Ramsay, he is around $125 million. The difference between being a billionaire and your average millionaire is like going to the bottom of the ocean and swimming back up to the surface.", Jarvis explained. "And before you ask, this is all on public record. Just the numbers."
"A personal net worth of over three-and-a-half...billion!?", I exclaimed. I didn't know Tony had that much. He was already on track to climbing the rest of the ladder, and boy I have a long way to go to meet his level. I'm at a mere fifty-grand, an average of a person's yearly salary when it comes to decent-waged jobs...
I mean, I do have the Welcome To Asgard Quest that will net me $100,000 USD after I complete all three tasks, but I feel by that point, I might already be at my first million. It depends on what the Kobold Nest does. I feel I can tackle it in a few hours before bed, so yeah, I think I am going to go ahead and open that Instance Dungeon up once I finish this amazing dinner.
"Oh, and Mr. Ramsay personally came up and cooked the meal for you while you were enjoying your free time. I requested him not to bother you.", Jarvis explained. "You were quite in a lucky position. Mr. Ramsay is in the middle of filming Hell's Kitchen Season 2, so he has been residing in LA as of late. It did not take him long to venture down here to Long Beach. As I did not want to interrupt you, I figured you wanted to remain anonymous. Because of that, I placed the order in Mr. Stark's name. I hope you don't mind."
"Not at all. Thank you for that.", I happily replied. "Until I know where I stand amongst people like Tony, I would rather remain an anonymous person. I don't want too many targets on my back, even though I had garnered enough attention in these couple days alone...", I uttered.
"Did you say something just now, Alex?", Jarvis asked.
"It's nothing. I'm going to enjoy this meal to the fullest. To compliment Mr. Ramsay's work, I'll go ahead and consider purchasing the first season of Hell's Kitchen, haha!", I chuckled.
Looks like I found another thing to pass the time with. All the good shows that have many seasons in the 2020s are just starting to air in the 2000s! Hell's Kitchen is one of them. Gordon Ramsay should be working on Season 2, but that should mean Season 1 is up for grabs. I'll have to check out a nearby Blockbuster. A practically non-existent store when the 2020s roll around, but your absolute go-to spot for renting classical American movies and tv shows, amongst other goods. You can even get video games there.
I'll need to look into acquiring all three from the big tech giants, the Xbox 360, the GameCube, and the PlayStation 2! I'm getting an itch to play Zelda. Wind Waker should already be out with Twilight Princess releasing later this year. Hell, Jarvis might already have a fully-installed entertainment system down on one of the lower floors of Azure Point, I haven't even checked out any of its floors yet. I might do that this weekend.
And apparently the concept of working a nine-to-five job like people do here on Planet Earth isn't exactly a concept in Asgard, so I'm stuck studying under Frigga over the weekends too. It is what it is, and I don't dare against the precious time she is willing to give me.
For now, I heard my stomach growl like a roaring lion. I had worked up quite an appetite!
"Give Mr. Ramsay my regards if you can, Jarvis. With you know, being the whole anonymous person thing.", I said, smiling.
"Of course, Alex. Enjoy your dinner.", Jarvis said, before I heard his comms cut off, leaving me to my own devices.
Let's dig in and reap the rewards of a Rainbow Dish!