The small kitchen was quiet now, the scent of simmering broth mingling with the dampness leaking through the cracked ceiling. Kai wiped his hands on his apron, heart pounding with a strange mix of exhaustion and exhilaration.
[System Notification]
Congratulations!
Level Up: Level 2 Achieved!
XP Reset: 0 / 150 XP
Stat Points Available: 3
Skill Slot Unlocked: 2 / 3
Kai's vision flickered as the glowing Status Window reappeared before him.
📜 Status Window: Kai Elgren
Name: Kai Elgren
Age: 19
Class: Apprentice Cook
Level: 2
XP: 0 / 150
Title: None
Reputation: 4 (Whispers Begin)
System: Culinary Ascension Protocol
🧠 Attributes
Culinary Sense: 7 (+1)Knife Technique: 6 (+1)Heat Control: 5 (+1)Stamina: 7Focus: 8Mana: 1
🎓 Skills
[Basic Knife Mastery] (Passive) – Boosts cutting precision and reduces mistakes.
[Flavor Sense I] (Passive) – Detects basic flavor imbalances in food.(Skill Slot 2: Locked)
🎯 Active Quest
Savor the Start
Progress: 3 / 10 satisfying dishes
Reward: +50 XP, unlock [Ingredient Recognition I]
🎒 Inventory
Iron Knife (Dull but manageable)
Potatoes (x1)
Salt (Low-grade)
Cabbage Core
Pork Scraps
Old Onion
Chipped Ceramic Bowl (x2)
Kai blinked away the glow, his mind buzzing. Three dishes down—seven more to go. But with the new level came a new challenge. More skill slots meant more power. More stat points meant faster progress.
He knelt beside the battered crate, fingers trembling as he chose how to allocate the precious points.
"More precision," he whispered. "Knife Technique and Culinary Sense. And Heat Control... I'll need it soon."
He tapped the glowing interface to assign points:
[Allocate Stat Points: 3 Remaining]
Culinary Sense: 7 → 8
Knife Technique: 6 → 7
Heat Control: 5 → 6
[Stat Points Allocated]
The window blinked, then unlocked the second skill slot.
[Skill Slot 2 Unlocked]
Select a Skill to Equip:
[Heat Control I] (Active – Costs 10 MP)
[Ingredient Recognition I] (Passive – Unlocks after quest completion)
Kai stared, breath shallow. Heat Control would give him the ability to modulate flame intensity—a skill crucial for cooking the perfect dish. Ingredient Recognition was locked until he finished the quest, but he could prepare.
"Heat Control, then."
He equipped the skill.
[Skill Equipped: Heat Control I]
Effect: Allows fine control over cooking temperatures. Cost: 10 MP per use.
The small kitchen seemed to grow warmer. A quiet hum thrummed through Kai's body, as if the fire itself answered his command.
The door creaked open again. This time, it was an older man, clad in soot-stained leathers, with a hardened gaze that measured Kai like a blade.
"You're the kid the guild's been whispering about," the man said, voice gravelly. "Thought you might need some real fire."
Kai's pulse quickened.
The man tossed a small pouch onto the counter.
"These are coals from the Ironfire Arena. Use them well. They burn hotter, but smoother."
Kai picked up a glowing ember, heat radiating through his fingers but not burning. He closed his eyes and summoned Heat Control, feeling the warmth spread, bending the flame like a living thing.
A new chapter had begun.
[System Notification]
New Item Acquired: Ironfire Coals
Effect: Burns at higher temperature, reduces cooking time by 20% when used with Heat Control skill.
Kai looked at his equipment, skills, and the dim room around him.
He was no longer just scraping by.
He was ascending.
[Quest Update]Savor the Start: 3 / 10 Satisfying Dishes Created
[XP]Current XP: 0 / 150
Kai grabbed his iron knife, the coals, and the ingredients he had left.
"Four more dishes," he whispered. "Let's see what I can really do."