Mars took charge and approached a person for directions. He gestured for Kit to follow him, leading him to a building similar to the library. Although it was larger and made of stone, unlike the neglected library, this building appeared well-maintained.

Instead of stained-glass windows, it had clear panes that allowed passers-by to see inside. Kit could make out several workstations through the windows, with some people cooking at them. Surprisingly, there were no strong smells emanating from the building, which was unusual for a place where cooking was taking place.

Intrigued by what he saw, Kit wanted a closer look at the creations being made. He knew he wouldn't be able to properly observe their cooking techniques from such a distance.

“Kit, stop gawking and come inside. The sooner you become a chef, the sooner we can depart.”

Despite the urgency in Mars voice, Kit couldn't tear his eyes away from the scene in front of him. But when he finally turned to look at the entrance, he was filled with excitement. The door was made of sturdy wood, adorned with an intricately engraved cat holding a knife and wearing a chef's hat. Strangely enough, the cat looked oddly familiar to Kit.

He approached the door, eager to get a closer look at the cat. As he stood in front of the door, he recognised it as the same feline he encountered during the login process. “Mars, CAL is on the door.”

Mars remained stoic, showing no signs of sharing his excitement. But Kit's heart was racing at the sight of the adorable cat.

Snowball was undeniably adorable, but CAL's sharp tongue ruined the cute illusion. Kit eagerly opened the door, wondering what awaited inside. His hands were slick with sweat as he gripped the handle and stepped into the room.

Disappointingly, it was a plain and simple space. Kit had expected something more grandiose. A large, sturdy desk sat in the centre of the room, drawing his attention. Behind it sat a stunning young woman. Plush red velvet chairs lined one wall, likely serving as a waiting area.

Kit took a deep breath to calm his nerves. This was the beginning of his dream, and he couldn't believe it was finally happening. The quiet room only amplified his racing heart and laboured breathing. He placed a hand over his chest to try and steady himself.

With another deep breath, Kit approached the desk where the young lady sat. In a blink, he was standing right in front of her. She smiled kindly at him, her eyes crinkling into half moons.

The young lady's soft, sweet voice asked, "Hello. Are you here to become a chef?"

Kit blushed and replied, "Yes, I'm Kit." His nerves were causing his voice to be much louder than he intended. Mars chuckled behind him at Kit's outburst.

The young lady also laughed. "Feeling nervous?"

"Yes," Kit whispered this time, suddenly self-conscious of his volume.

"Don't worry, you're not the first person to be nervous in this situation. Some people have even more extreme reactions," the young lady reassured him with a smile.

Kit sensed that she was trying to calm his nerves, and he appreciated her effort. However, it did little to ease his growing anxiety. He could feel his heart pounding in his ears.

"Can you guide me through the process of becoming a chef?" Kit's voice sounded steadier this time.

"Yes, of course." Replied the woman.

"I should mention that becoming a chef is not as simple as just signing up. It takes a certain set of skills and determination to succeed in this field. I want to make sure you are fully aware before you commit to this path." Although her words were harsh, her voice was soft.

"That's understandable. Please continue." Kit made a motion with his hand that he was listening.

"The first step towards becoming a chef is passing a test from one of our instructors. You will need to showcase your cooking abilities and have at least one advanced beginner skill to pass." Kit felt relieved upon hearing this. He knew he had two advanced beginner skills already, so he wouldn't have to worry about the first task. This realisation helped calm his nerves slightly.

“The second task is to make a stats dish. You only require one to pass, and it can be a recipe you've learned from another chef or one of your own inventions. Then, the final part is completing a task chosen by the instructor.” The young lady gave Kit an encouraging smile. “That's all there is to it. Are you ready to start the qualification test?”

Kit took a deep breath. The first two tasks didn't worry him; he was confident in his abilities to pass those. It was the unknown task chosen by the instructor that made his heart race. Before his nerves could get the best of him, Kit replied to the young lady. “Yes, I am ready to start the qualification test.”

She beamed up at him. “Great. Just take a seat in one of the chairs and I will see if an instructor is available.”

Kit walked over to the chairs on unsteady legs, grateful for the chance to sit down. Mars noticed his nervous behaviour and patted him on the shoulder. “You'll do great, just calm down. You already have two out of three tests in the bag.”

“Yeah, but it's the unknown task that worries me. I have no idea what it could be about,” said Kit.

“Don't sweat it. You're a fantastic cook, so no matter what it is, you'll excel at it.” Kit felt reassured by Mars' unwavering belief in him at that moment; it gave him the push he needed to collect himself. He could feel his pulse slowly starting to calm down. Suddenly, he heard footsteps approaching him, and he turned his head towards the sound.

A tall, thin man with a stern expression was walking towards him with the young lady by his side. Kit had a feeling this man would be strict and intimidating from his appearance, and when he glanced at the young lady, she seemed slightly shaky on her feet.

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Kit couldn't help but feel uneasy as the tall man stopped in front of them.

"Which one of you thinks they are a culinary genius." The man's posture and tone exuded sarcasm, making Kit's nerves tighten and his tongue feel heavy.

Despite this, he mustered up the courage to respond. "I am interested in taking the qualification test, sir."

Kit decided to use a formal approach when addressing this intimidating man. The tall man leaned in closer, invading Kit's personal space.

"You don't strike me as someone who can become a chef. But I suppose we'll see. Follow me." He gestured towards a door behind the desk and began walking. Kit quickly got up and followed suit, with Mars trailing behind him. The tall man noticed Mars and addressed him directly. "Are you also taking the test?"

Mars shook her head. "No, sir. I just wanted to observe."

"Observing is not permitted. Find something else to occupy yourself with." With that, the tall man turned and continued on his way. Kit shot Mars an apologetic smile before handing him Snowball and hurrying after the tall man. He didn't think having a dog present during the qualification process would be well received.

As they made their way through the door, he was led down a seemingly endless corridor. Kit's eyes scanned the numerous doors they passed, wondering when they would finally stop. Finally, they reached the last door at the end of the hall, It was their destination.

The man opened the door and gestured for Kit to enter a kitchen. It was similar to the one at Iris' Inn, but with more modern appliances that caught Kit's eye.

A silly grin spread across his face, and he couldn't contain his excitement to try out all the new equipment. The tall man noticed Kit's reaction and his stern expression softened slightly. But Kit was too scared to ask about the new items.

"This is a basic kitchen. To pass, you must demonstrate at least a beginner level chef skill," the man said firmly.

Kit's heart sank as he remembered being told by the girl at the counter that he only needed an advanced novice skill to pass. Was this man stricter on the qualification test? Any wonder and excitement about the kitchen quickly faded as Kit's heart rate increased once again.

"Cecile must have already told you that only an advanced novice chef skill is required to pass, based on your facial expression. However, I hold my students to a higher standard. Is this going to be a problem for you?" Kit felt his tongue sticking to the roof of his mouth. He was so nervous that it was a miracle he could still stand.

Gathering his courage, Kit took a deep breath and forced himself to speak clearly. "N-No, sir." Despite his best efforts, he couldn't help but stutter.

The instructor nodded in approval. "Good. Let's get started." While the instructor gathered some ingredients from the fridge, Kit took the opportunity to survey the kitchen. There were counters lining one side of the room and an oven with a stove top nestled between them.

In the centre of the room, there was a large island counter with a marble top and three neatly spaced chopping boards on it. The glimmer of the steel kitchen knives caught Kit's eye from where he stood, and he knew they had been cleaned to perfection.

Underneath the counter were cupboards that piqued Kit's curiosity; he longed to know what was inside. Despite his desire to explore the room further, Kit couldn't calm his nerves enough to take everything in. He let out a sigh, hoping for another chance to satisfy his curiosity about this room someday.

But for now, all his attention was drawn to the instructor on the other side of the room, who was rummaging through the fridge and storage cupboards before placing various ingredients on top of the counter. Kit could see carrots, onions, potatoes, parsley, and meat among the items.

When the man turned to him, Kit felt his fingers tremble in nervousness as he approached the counter. “What skills will you display? Be mindful you only have three chances.”

Kit opted to demonstrate a skill he had already learned; he wasn't foolish enough to try something new in front of the instructor. Slowly, he approached the countertop and declared, "I will attempt my chopping skill."

“Unfortunately, the chop skill is not an option for this assessment.” The man stared down his nose at Kit as he spoke.

Kit's eyes widened in surprise. Did this man already know his level of proficiency in chopping? Kit felt his nerves rattle with anxiety. Was this man purposely making things difficult for him?

Instead of mentioning his skills, Kit decided to ask the man what he was looking for. "I-I mean, sir, w-what skill would you like me to demonstrate?" Kit's voice trembled uncontrollably. He could feel anger bubbling up inside him towards this arrogant man. Kit glanced down at his hands, which were now shaking uncontrollably. He couldn't calm himself down.

"There are three chopping boards here for a reason. As I stated before, I want to see your skills in plural form, not just one singular skill. You will need to demonstrate proficiency in three different skills. I will be evaluating your performance at each station and at least one must meet beginner level criteria."

Kit's heart rate skyrocketed, and he took a deep breath to try to calm himself. He had already decided he didn't want to talk to the instructor anymore; it was only making him more anxious and frustrated. Ignoring the man's presence, Kit focused on his task at hand.

This was his happy place - the kitchen - where he could escape from the stressful reality of his exam preparation. It occurred to him that the instructor hadn't even introduced himself yet.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Kit went over to the sink to wash his hands before beginning. Once back at the island counter, he picked up a knife from the chopping board and adjusted its position until he was satisfied.

Taking a look at the ingredients laid out in front of him, Kit realised that chop had been ruled out as an acceptable skill for the exam. With no other options left, he decided to attempt dicing - a skill he had not yet unlocked. If he failed at this, he still had slicing as a backup plan.

Placing an onion on the chopping board, Kit's hand trembled as he held the knife. But after taking a few deep breaths and mentally going through the steps, he was able to calm himself enough to start cutting.

Although there was still a slight tremor in his hand, it was manageable and didn’t affect his technique. Kit cut the onion in half from root to end, peeled off the outer layer, and proceeded to make horizontal incisions followed by vertical ones.

As he continued chopping along the onion, a smile started to form on his face and his hands moved with more control. He couldn't believe how much his skills had improved thanks to his increased stat levels.

Losing himself in the rhythmic movement of cutting onions, Kit began to enjoy himself again. Being in the kitchen was something he loved doing for pleasure, but now it also served as a welcome distraction from his nerves. He appreciated the weight and balance of the sharp knife in his hands, which only added to his confidence.

As he finished dicing one onion and moved on to the next, Kit's hands automatically sped up and his technique became more precise. It was a drastic improvement from his skills in real life, all thanks to his increased stats - something that still amazed him.

Ding!

[Skill learnt: Beginner Dice]

Player can make accurate incisions with a knife. Competent at basic Dice skill.

+ 20 Agility

+ 15 Speed

+ 15 Intelligence

As Kit was focused on his task, the notification jolted him back to reality. A huge grin spread across his face, and he couldn't help but let out a joyous laugh. His heart was now pounding with excitement. He had successfully unlocked another skill and was filled with happiness.

However, before he could fully revel in this achievement, the stern man interrupted. “Stop there, that's enough. Move on to the next station.”

Kit glanced at what he had already completed, noticing there was only a small portion of the final onion half left to dice. He really wanted to finish it off, but reluctantly sighed and moved on to the next chopping board.

His spirits lifted as he learned a new skill. Perhaps he could acquire another before completing the challenge. Kit double-checked the list of ingredients in front of him, determined to succeed.