The Gastronomist class is a unique blend focused on the fine art of culinary mastery, with a touch of deadly precision and survivalist skills. Members of this class possess a sharp sense of taste, keen observation, and tactical prowess in both the kitchen and in combat. While not a typical combat-focused class, Gastronomists are good in enhancing their abilities through carefully prepared meals and utilizing their culinary knowledge to manipulate enemies' weaknesses. They possess a versatile skill set that allows them to support their allies and outmaneuver enemies in the heat of battle.
Dexterity +05, Wisdom +05, Adaptability +04, Vitality +03, Toughness +03,
You learned the skill Gastronomist Eye.
Gastronomist Eye (Magical): The Gastronomist Eye allows you to detect even the most subtle flavors, textures, and ingredients in any dish. This perception grants you the ability to analyze food for its nutritional value, potential effects on your body , and hidden properties that may otherwise go unnoticed. You can also assess the quality of ingredients or food for cooking, making you highly proficient in creating meals that boost your performance or give you a tactical advantage in battle.
You learned the skill Gastronomist Technique.
Gastronomist Technique (Magical): The Gastronomist Technique grants you the power to improve the effects of your dishes. When creating new dishes, finding new ingredients, you can improve your skill as a gastronomist.
I fell on the ground thanks to the relief and the tension leaving my body, but soon I began to feel bad again.
“Ugh, I feel so sick… but I don’t want to throw up and I am too tired to move.”
‘Hey, it looks like the Gastronomist class is in the same rank as the rogue class. It needs the same amount of experience to level up.’
“Really? Considering the amount of status it gives, I was expecting more. Maybe despite the crazy bonuses, it is only in the same rank. Hopefully, the evolutions have even greater bonuses.”
I was getting ahead of myself, but I couldn’t care less… after this weird ordeal, I was too relaxed to care for now. After a while, I fell asleep and when I woke started to feel much better and then when I got up, I saw a wooden stair in the middle of the table. I could see the hole in the ceiling and I could see the light of the day coming from it.
‘My claustrophobic senses are going to kill me here… Well, better to move on than dwell on it.’
When it comes to that, I knew that fighting those fears head-on was the best answer. Without hesitation, I began to climb the stairs and after a couple of minutes, I found myself in that old swamp. The hole of the dungeon closed like the damn traps and then I felt relieved… that ordeal was finally over.
‘What is the plan now? Hunting more undead goblins?’
‘I want to complete the quest to get the claws of the four armed bears and then get another in the same area. I want to experiment with the class and see how much experience I can gain with it.’
‘You can call me when there is any real fight involved.’
‘Maybe I won’t.’
I decided to open my inventory and check the apple and the honeycomb again and soon I found some interesting things.
The Gastronomist job received 02 EXP.
The Gastronomist job received 05 EXP.
Apple (Common)
Restores 02 points of health and 05 of stamina.
It can be used to create juices with water or honeycomb to create a powerful drink.
Honeycomb (Common)
Restores 20% of your HP, MP, and SP.
It can be used with apples to create an effective and nutritious meal.
‘Gaining experience just by analyzing ingredients, huh? This can be good, but it has some limitations.’
I couldn’t gain experience analyzing copies of the same ingredients… The real power of this class was to gain experience by making drinks and meals. I wondered if alcoholic drinks would count. In any case, for starters, I had to get some tools to cook as well. It would be better if I find some type of monster that leaves behind ingredients that can easily become a meal.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
While thinking about my situation, I decided to leave the swamp and return to the forest. Fighting the undead goblins was easy enough, but the constant gloom of the swamp was just too annoying. The oppressive atmosphere, combined with the eerie stillness and decaying environment, made every encounter feel more depressing than challenging.
I needed a change of scenery after that ordeal in the dungeon, something that didn’t feel so suffocating and devoid of life. The forest, with its vibrant green and fresh air, felt like a much-needed respite. To continue fighting at my best, I needed to keep my morale high, even more so considering that I was fighting alone.
After five hours, I was back in town. I didn’t have the chance to level up the Rogue class, but at least I got some honeycombs since I used most of them to survive the trial… it didn’t make sense to me at first, but now I can understand why it was called Gastronomist Gladiator… or was it the other way around? In any case, my stomach certainly had a hard time fighting all the food.
“... Took you long enough.”
You received a quest: Hunting Quest - Go to the Sweet Wind Forest and kill as many four armed bears as possible to get their claws.
You received 255 EXP.
You received 255 Origin Coins.
Congratulations! You have leveled up!
Strength + 02, Wisdom + 02, Toughness 02, Dexterity + 02, Adaptability + 02, all other parameters + 01, + 02 free points.
“I had to head to another area before returning… Does the delay get in the way of the guild?”
“Not really.”
Then why are you complaining? I wanted to ask that or at least sigh, but I decided to hold back on it. I could pick another quest, but it was better to wait and avoid hearing that kind of nonsense again.
“I can see that you were the first to get a class too… and one very special at that. When you get your next skill on it, I can offer you some work here.”
“When will I get the next skill?”
“At level five.”
That was good to know… the class already reached level four, the Rogue class, at least. It was obvious that I would get a new skill soon, and I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be. Still, it was better to focus on leveling up the Gastronomist class for today.
“All right then. I will be waiting for it.”
I decided it was time to leave the rogues’ guild. I needed to get out and take care of some other things. I headed toward the nearest shop, hoping to find some basic cooking utensils. The store was surprisingly well-stocked, and I quickly found what I needed: a few pots, pans, and knives.
Nearby, something caught my eye: a display of fresh meat. It wasn’t the best cut, but it would do. I hadn’t had a proper meal in a while, and I couldn’t resist. I grabbed a few pieces, then thought about the other things I’d need to go with it: bread, vegetables, some salt to season the meat, and a few other basic ingredients.
Before I knew it, my basket was full, and I was ready to pay for it. The total quickly added up, and when the clerk told me how much I owed, I was shocked. I had spent nearly all the coins I’d earned over the past few days. It was only a simple shopping trip, but it felt like I was back to square one. Once again, I was broke.
‘The good thing is that I don’t need to find all the ingredients… and that isn’t enough. I can basically trade money for experience in my job. That was a good investment, even more considering the effects that the food would have.’
The Gastronomist job received 02 EXP.
The Gastronomist job received 03 EXP.
The Gastronomist job received 06 EXP.
‘Let’s start with something simple and then go for the difficult stuff later.’
I went back to my room in the inn… it was better if I didn’t make a fire there, but the innkeeper said that I could use his kitchen as long as I didn’t destroy anything. That was uncalled for, but I was no master at cooking, so it couldn’t be helped.
I began to prepare the juice with apples… that was difficult without a blender, but I made it somehow work.
The Gastronomist job received 03 EXP.
Apple Juice. (Common)
A delicious fruit juice that can restore 09 points of HP and 15 of SP over five seconds.
I received the message when I put it into a one liter bottle. Drinking that much was a bit hard, but at least it was easier than chewing three apples and faster too.
The Gastronomist job received 07 EXP.
Vegetable Soup (Common)
A warm, comforting soup made with mixed vegetables and salt. Restores 10 points of HP and 30 points of MP over ten seconds.
The Gastronomist job received 10 EXP.
Meat Stew (Common)
A hearty stew made by simmering meat with vegetables and seasoning. Can restore 30 points of HP and 15 points of SP over ten seconds.
The Gastronomist job received 08 EXP.
Roast Meat and Bread (Common)
Tender roasted meat served with freshly baked bread. Restores 15 points of HP and 15 points of SP over five seconds.
I always felt like cooking was such a pain and always ordered food out for myself, but it was quite fun to make all of that and stock it in my inventory. Who needs potions when you can make food like that?
‘More than one thousand origin coins only gave me 150 experience points… I really need to look for monsters that can leave some easy ingredients.’
The food also came at the common rarity rank, so it shouldn’t be bad… As my skills level up, or perhaps my dexterity, it would become tastier and food is an important source of comfort as well before and after battles.
‘Oh, yeah… I can do that too.’
I can buy apples from others like me and that will help them become stronger. Doing much more than that would be a hassle, but this much would be fine since I would be gaining time instead of looking for it in the town. With those thoughts in mind, I stopped making the food and then finally had the chance to sleep.