Starting With SSS-rank: I Get A New Skill Every Livestream

Chapter 192: Preparing dinner

While Amanda enjoyed a warm bath, Kyle had already changed into fresh clothes, cleaned the kitchen, and sprayed room freshener throughout the apartment to remove the lingering scent of their passionate lovemaking.

He made a mental note to stop being so reckless especially whenever they had guests coming over and keep such activities confined to the bedroom instead.

While he knew all rationality tended to fly out the window whenever his girlfriend was in the mood, he still needed to take the initiative and handle things more responsibly.

"Let’s see what I can make."

He was craving rice and saucy chicken. Thankfully, the kitchen had been fully stocked, so he quickly found everything he needed.

[Host, high-calorie food? You already broke your streak yesterday.]

The system’s notification appeared as he washed the chicken and placed it into a bowl.

"Well, have you seen me?" Kyle replied. "I’ve gone through months of changes in just a few days."

[The system is merely trying to spare the host from any future guilt.]

Kyle chuckled.

"Then I thank you for your concern. I’ll probably go for a walk later anyway."

The apartment was located in a busy urban area, with no quiet alleys or community paths suitable for a peaceful stroll. Because of that, he planned to head out later at night, when most of the traffic had died down.

As he took out the mushrooms, he let out a quiet sigh.

’Should I use God’s Eye here?’

It wasn’t exactly a difficult task. All the mushrooms looked fresh and perfectly edible. Besides, the system had clearly advised him to use his special eye during combat to improve its proficiency.

However, it had been a long time since he had used God’s Eye for something on his own.

This could probably count as preparation.

Taking a deep breath, he activated God’s Eye.

Instantly, his vision sharpened.

The colors of the world became far more vibrant than what a normal human could perceive.

He could see everything with astonishing clarity. The ridges on his fingertips. The tiny cuts scattered across the chopping board. The minuscule organisms crawling over the mushrooms...

Wait.

"Ah, it’s all spoiled," Kyle remarked, already preparing to throw them away.

Before he could, the system notified him.

[Those are harmless bacteria, Host. They will die during the cooking process. Also, adjust your vision settings so their size does not appear exaggerated.]

Kyle blinked in surprise.

Then he willed his vision to pull back from its magnified state.

It was strange.

No matter how many times he experienced it, the sensation never became normal.

It almost felt as though he were a cyborg, capable of adjusting his vision in real time without placing any strain on his eyes.

He realized the system had been right about him overreacting.

Even so, he still ended up throwing away a few mushrooms that contained denser colonies and more aggressive varieties of microbes.

After dicing the remaining ones, the first thing he did was boil them for a minute.

Meanwhile, he sliced the chicken into thin strips and prepared the flour mixture and batter.

As the oil heated up, he watched tiny golden bubbles begin to form across its surface.

He seasoned both the chicken and the batter before coating each piece in the wet mixture and then the dry coating. Only then did he carefully lower them into the pot.

The oil immediately erupted with bubbles.

They enveloped the chicken strips, crisping the outer layer while the heat gradually penetrated inward to cook the meat.

Through God’s Eye, Kyle could actually see the juices being released as the heat reached the tender flesh.

He watched tiny cracks form across the coating as the exterior slowly deepened into a rich golden color.

Carefully controlling the temperature, he waited until he was satisfied that the inside had reached the perfect pale-white shade without losing too much moisture.

Only then did he remove the chicken from the oil.

"Haah... cooking like this feels more like a science experiment than making food," he muttered.

Picking up a piece, he brought it close to his mouth.

The bacteria that had previously occupied the meat had completely vanished, giving both him and God’s Eye a strange sense of reassurance.

He took a bite.

Crunch.

The crisp coating shattered instantly, revealing tender, juicy meat beneath.

Nodding in satisfaction, he approved of his work.

"Nice job, me."

He then proceeded to fry the remaining chicken strips. At the same time, he heated a pan on the other burner and tossed the vegetables into it. After that, he poured rice into the cooker and set the timer.

Next came the sauce.

He prepared a rich coating for the chicken while lightly crisping the vegetables and cabbage, ensuring they retained just enough tenderness to pair perfectly with the rice and fried chicken.

Just as he was finishing up, a voice came from behind him.

"She hasn’t arrived yet?"

Kyle shook his head.

"No, but I think she’ll tex-"

Bzzz.

His phone vibrated, cutting him off.

He pulled it out and, as expected, found a new message.

[Arriving in ten.]

Amanda leaned over his shoulder and read it as well.

Narrowing her eyes, she said, "Haven’t you been chatting with her a lot lately? Let me see..."

"Ah."

Her words were cut short when Kyle stuffed a piece of crispy chicken into her mouth. Turning off the phone, he pointed toward the bedroom.

"Go get dressed."

Amanda angrily munched on the chicken.

"Hiding messages now, are we?"

Kyle chuckled.

"I can show you all the texts, but you have to promise me something first."

Amanda hummed.

"What is it?"

"You can’t mention any of it to Veronica. It would be a breach of her trust."

Letting out a slow sigh, he continued,

"She’s... been vulnerable with me. A few times, she’s shown sides of herself that you, as her cadet, have probably never seen."

His expression softened.

"So once you read those messages, there’s a good chance you’ll start seeing her differently. And if Veronica ever found out that I’d shared them..."

A faint smile appeared on his lips.

"...she’d never trust me again."

Amanda fell silent at those words.

She stared at him for several seconds. The stubbornness that had risen within her moments ago seemed to dissolve into thin air.

With a huff, she said, "You... are far too kind to people."

Letting out a sigh, she added,

"Well, I understand. I won’t force you to show them to me."

Kyle gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

"Thanks for understanding. Now go put something on. As much as I enjoy seeing you in nothing but a towel, I’d rather not have you passed out before Veronica arrives."

Amanda’s cheeks immediately flushed.

"That’s so rude, baby."

She punched his shoulder lightly.

"You’re making me sound like some lightweight amateur."

Kyle chuckled.

"Well, I think I’ll refrain from commenting on that any further. Now go."

Amanda pouted but eventually turned and headed toward the bedroom.

A few moments later, his phone buzzed again.

Veronica was here.

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A/N:- Thanks for reading. If you have been enjoying the story so far, mind dropping a review to help future readers?