Paul had barely stepped out of his house when he sensed curious gazes on him. None of them seemed malicious. Yet, he was scared out of his mind. It was as if an audience was scrutinizing him while he stood naked before them.


    The odd feeling made him halt in his place and when he looked around, his face scrunched up in confusion.


    ''Why are so many people looking at me? Is there a circus show going on here?'' he wondered, completely forgetting how tantalizing his food smelt.


    Paul was oblivious to how everyone in the crowd was salivating as they eyed the pot in his hand. They were waiting for a moment to snatch it from him. They had never smelt anything that delicious before and wanted to test if the food tasted as wonderful as it smelt.


    Frowning lightly, Paul ignored them and quickened his footsteps as he hurried to the house beside his.


    Knocking at the door lightly, he glanced at the people who had now moved closer to him to take a good look. It was then he noticed that their eyes were lingering more on the pot in his hand than him.


    Confused, Paul couldn''t decipher what was happening. Before he could dwell more about it, the door opened and Lily appeared before him.


    "Paul, what happened? Is something wrong?" Lily couldn''t make out why the lad had come to her when it had only been some time ago she had spoken to him. Her mind started to run wild and she imagined the worst case scenario.


    "No, no. I was here to see Hugo. I couldn''t control myself when you told me he was sick," Paul explained his visit, masking his confusion behind his concern. "Also, I prepared some soup for him."


    Lily sighed heavily and opened the door for him to enter. "Paul, I do not know what to do. He has not left his bed since he caught the flu. I am scared."


    Paul entered the house which was no different than his, only that the kitchen was in the opposite direction.


    "He will recover soon. Do not worry." Paul didn''t know how else to comfort her. He wasn''t lying. It was the truth. He believed in the soup he had prepared. Hugo was bound to recover soon.


    "Thank you. Please come in." Lily kept the door open as she led him inside.


    "I prepared some soup for you two." Paul lifted the pot and smiled faintly.


    Lily sighed heavily and shook her head. "Thank you, Paul. His appetite has been poor lately and I am uncertain if he wants to eat anything. He barely eats anything. I had to force him and he barely ate two spoonfuls of congee today."


    Paul heard a violent cough from the room and pursed his lips in worry.


    "May I see him?" He didn''t know why he wanted to see Hugo. He had intended to hand over the pot of soup and return home. But now, he couldn''t bear to leave just like that.


    "I do not know." Lily hesitated. "I do not want you to get infected."A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    "It is fine. Do not worry," Paul assured her and once he got her acceptance, he entered the room.


    Paul was taken aback to see Hugo''s condition. He hadn''t expected it to be this bad. The man had been reduced to just skin and bones and looked unsightly. He kept coughing and Paul had an inkling that he''d cough himself to death if this continued.


    "When was the last time he ate anything well?" Paul questioned, his brows narrowing into an anxious frown.


    Like Lily, Hugo too was a good man. It was he who had helped the host to build his house and even find a job. Otherwise, it would have been difficult for Paul who had no kin nor friends to survive by himself.


    "Yesterday noon. I had to force him to eat."


    "Can you bring me a bowl and a spoon?" Paul didn''t know when Hugo would recover after having the Healing Soup. He just hoped it''d at least reduce some of his discomfort.


    Lily didn''t hesitate. Although unsure how effective the soup would be, she was willing to try anything.


    As soon as Paul opened the pot lid, Lily who was closer to it felt her exhaustion dwindle. The mild headache she had started to develop after having not slept well for the last few days gradually faded away and she felt energized instantly.


    Lily licked her lips. The aroma of the food made her salivate and she was just short of pouncing on Paul to snatch the pot from him.


    Not just Lily, even Hugo who hadn''t opened his eyes when Paul entered woke up when the mouthwatering aroma hit him. His stomach growled loudly, loud enough for Lily and Paul to hear.


    While Paul smiled to himself, Lily was shocked. Her eyes rounded as she stared at her husband in wonder.


    Paul poured some soup into the bowl and handed it to Lily, gesturing her to feed her husband.


    It took a minute or two for the woman to react. When she finally did, she held back her desire to have a taste and fed her husband instead.


    Hugo''s appetite was ignited and he drank the soup with relish. He finished two bowls without stopping and licked his lips once he was done. He would have continued if Paul hadn''t stopped him.


    "Thank you, Paul. Thank you so much," Lily cried tears of joy and gratitude as she looked at the man who was a head taller than her. "It has been a long time since he ate anything with such relish. I cannot thank you enough."


    "Not a problem. I am sure he will recover soon." Paul patted her hand, sending her warm smiles. "There is some soup left in the pot. You must be tired. Have it first and rest for some time."


    "Yes, yes. Thank you."


    Lily poured the leftover soup into a bowl and washed the pot. After wiping it dry, she handed it over to Paul.


    When Paul returned home, the sun had already set. Although the crowd had lessened, the remaining people continued to gawk at him, making him wary.


    ''What''s wrong with them? Why are they looking at me as if they want to loot me?'' he thought as he closed the door.


    Paul shook his head when he opened the pot lid. Lily hadn''t returned an empty pot. Instead, she had filled it with uncooked rice. He smiled at her warm gesture and placed the pot aside, focusing on the soup he had kept for himself.


    Although the soup had turned cold, he didn''t mind it and finished it in no time. It was the best soup he had ever eaten and he licked his lips in satisfaction.


    [Host analysis started]


    [Host analysis complete]


    Paul noticed that there was a change in the stats again.


    Health: 93/100


    Mana: 13/15


    Strength: 20/20


    Paul hadn''t noticed it before. All the ingredients he had bought previously were listed in the Ingredients sections while the Vital Leaves were in the Inventory.


    Moreover, the Quest and Mission Tracking section too was unlocked, with his two new missions yet to be completed.


    Paul ran a hand through his hair. Although he wanted to plan how to accomplish his mission, the day''s exhaustion was getting in on him.


    Cleaning the kitchen quickly, he retired for the night. Although the bedding was thin, he had to make do with it, and in no time, he was out.


    Paul pulled the blanket over his head and cursed the person disturbing his sleep. Rolling to his right, he covered his head, hoping for them to leave on their own.


    However, the knocks only became louder and Paul gnashed his teeth and kicked his blanket in anger.


    ''I am going to kill you. Why are you disturbing my sleep?'' Paul grumbled as he dragged his body to the door.


    But the moment he saw the man on the other side, all his sleep vanished and his eyes widened in shock.