Morrigan chuckled at Kit's confident assumption that he was the master chef.

The short man interrupted their conversation and asked, "How did you know it wasn't me? I thought you were watching me."

Kit pointed to the chicken he had been cutting, and the short man pouted, "I'm pretty good at this though."

But Kit explained, "You were sawing the meat instead of slicing downward."

Disappointed, the short man admitted his mistake, "Damn... It's because this part is so tricky. Most people can't guess who's who until we're almost done. Morrigan gives himself away with his famous sauce for the skewers. By the way, I'm Toby and this lovely lady is Monique," he gestured to Monique.

Kit couldn't contain his excitement - he had passed their test and was one step closer to becoming a chef. The realisation made him a little lightheaded with glee.

He could just imagine how proud his late father would have been of him now. The thought brought a smile to his face, and he couldn't help but wonder what his father would have said. He was always overly sentimental with his compliments.

Kit's excitement grew as he watched the staff bustling around, preparing for breakfast service. Despite wanting to rush over to the guild to accept his sub class, he held himself back and continued observing the kitchen in a happy blur.

As things began to wind down, he noticed a pile of marinated chicken skewers waiting to be grilled. Morrigan caught his eye and motioned for him to come over. "Would you like to learn how to grill these skewers? It's quite magical."

Kit eagerly nodded, unable to believe that he was going to learn from a master chef. He was just as excited about this opportunity as he was about becoming a chef in the first place. It was definitely a big deal, and he couldn't wait to get started.

Kit's gaze fell upon the metal grill in front of him. It appeared to be a halved barrel with a rack placed on top, and inside was a pile of white wood with flames dancing around it. He wondered what type of wood it was, but didn't want to interrupt Morrigan to ask. The man seemed to take his grilling seriously.

"The type of wood you use is crucial for the flavour of the meat," Morrigan emphasised. "Use the wrong kind and it'll ruin the taste. Remember that."

Kit nodded, determined not to forget a single piece of advice from this experienced griller. "Next, turn the grill to medium heat. If it gets too hot, the meat will burn. We want a light golden brown colour, not charred. Cooking time should be between 10-14 minutes, and only turn them once."

"And don't make the mistake of thinking you need to cook all four sides over the flame," Morrigan added. "The flame will naturally lick up the sides occasionally, so you won't need to brown each side separately." With that, he handed Kit a pair of tongs. "Are you ready?"

"Yes," Kit replied eagerly, feeling like he could conquer any grilling challenge.

He looked at the grill again. "Medium heat." The flames rose slightly under the rack, occasionally reaching up to kiss the chicken skewers. Kit placed each skewer carefully on the grill, savouring the satisfying sizzle as they hit the hot surface.

As he watched the chicken cook, Morrigan pointed out something important. "See how the cooked white part is traveling up towards the raw meat? Once it reaches just over halfway, it's time to flip them."

Following Morrigan's advice, Kit flipped the chicken skewers over when they were cooked on one side. The aroma of the spicy chicken made Kit's mouth water. As he checked the tops of the skewers and saw they were golden brown, he noticed how the sauce enhanced their colour. He couldn't wait to try one.

"Now look at the sides of the skewers," Morrigan instructed. "When the meat is white all the way to the wooden skewer, it's ready to be taken off the grill." Kit watched as the raw meat turned white and a blue swirl appeared, indicating that they were done. He carefully removed them from the grill.

"Next, we'll plate the cooked skewers and store them in our time freeze shelf," Morrigan said. "Arnold splurged on a large one with six bays that can hold up to three hundred meals each." The skewers would be served with a salad, which Monique had prepared earlier.

Morrigan announced with a grin, "This part's all me. Your cooking skill isn't high enough to multiply the plates yet." He carefully arranged three chicken skewers on a pristine white plate that had a colourful salad.

As he reached for a jar filled with a fine red powder, the blue swirl returned and began to cover the plate. Morrigan sprinkled the powder over the meal, causing the swirl to intensify and pulse before settling into a number: 526. Kit's jaw dropped in awe. Morrigan must be at an incredibly high level.

Laughing at Kit's expression, Morrigan boasted that he was a master chef, albeit a lower rank one. He teased about the even higher levels in the city and then placed the plated meal in a time freeze storage shelf, where it quickly displayed 300.

Moving the plate to another bay, Morrigan repeated the process until every bay was full. Kit noticed a smaller time freeze storage shelf nearby and asked Morrigan about its purpose.

“This shelf is reserved for our famous chicken skewers, our best-selling item. They're so popular, they have their own designated space in the time freeze storage unit. The other dishes from our restaurant can be found in the smaller shelf next to it.”

Kit was amazed by the demand for these chicken skewers in such a small restaurant. If he could achieve this level of success with his own restaurant, he wouldn't have to worry about making enough money to survive in CAL.

There were two chicken skewers left on the shelf. Kit couldn't resist eyeing them, the golden-brown sticks calling out to him. He desperately wanted to taste the savoury chicken and its enticing aroma only made it harder to resist. Morrigan noticed his longing gaze and handed him a skewer.

Kit didn't even bother saying thank you before taking a bite of the juicy chicken. A burst of spicy peanut flavour filled his mouth, and he welcomed the heat from the spices. He didn't care if it burned his mouth, he was determined to devour every last morsel of this delicious chicken.

Kit was smacking his lips together, a result of both the heat and the mouthwatering taste. He could feel the slight swelling of his lips from the spice. As he ran his tongue over them, he noticed a bit of sauce lingering on his face, causing a tingly sensation at the corner of his mouth.

But none of that mattered as he devoured the skewer of chicken. Once finished, he wiped his mouth with satisfaction. That was by far the most deliciously spicy chicken he had ever tasted.

After finishing his meal, Kit decided to check his stats and see what benefits he had gained from consuming such a delectable dish.

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Kit + immune to all venom 24hrs

Level: 10

Class: Swordsman

Sub class:

Money: 43 silver 904 bronze crowns

Restaurant capital: 45 silver 709 bronze crowns

Free points: 20

Culinary points: 42

Health: 320/320 + 2000 24hrs

Stamina 22/22 + 50 24hrs

Magica: 62/62

Experience: 100/12,000

Attack + 59 (30)

Speed + 69 (5) + 200 24hrs

Intelligence + 72

Agility + 131 (5)

Defence +18 (5)

Weapon: Beginner Sword

Clothing: White apron

"Wow, this meal gives a +2000 boost to health, +50 to stamina, and +200 to speed. And it makes you immune to all venom types for 24 hours? What kind of dish is this?" Kit exclaimed. He had only eaten one chicken skewer, what would have happened if he had eaten three?

"Yeah, it's pretty great. This is why Arnold hired me." Morrigan smirked.

Kit's eyes glimmered with admiration as he gazed at Morrigan. "It's amazing. No wonder you're a master chef. How long did it take you to perfect this dish, Morrigan?"

"It took me five years. This was the last recipe I needed to master in order to become a top-level chef. I spent seven years as an expert, never thinking I could reach the highest level. But this dish pushed me over the edge. The buffs it provides are considered average, but its ability to resist venom is what makes it a high-level dish." Morrigan humbly replied.

Kit couldn't believe Morrigan thought the stats were only average. To him, they were amazing. Then he realised that since he was still at a low level, the increases seemed much more significant to him.

He wondered what would be considered a good stats-boosting dish for a higher-level player. But he decided not to worry about it just yet; after all, he was just starting his journey and had a long way to go before he could create such an impressive dish.

Kit realised that he had forgotten to thank Morrigan for teaching him how to grill. "Morrigan, thank you for the grilling lesson," Kit said sheepishly.

"No problem. Consider it a reward for guessing the master chef before the end of your shift. Now, what would you like to learn next as a reward for completing your task?" Morrigan asked.

Kit felt excitement rush through his body at the thought of being able to ask Morrigan anything. He thought about what he wanted to know. How could he increase his level? No, that was too basic. Maybe he could ask about a stats dish? But he wasn't sure if Morrigan would be willing to share that knowledge.

It was difficult to decide what to ask. Kit looked around the kitchen, hoping for inspiration. His eyes landed on a jar of fine red powder. Could that be related to the stats dish? Taking a chance, Kit asked, "Morrigan, can you tell me about the jar of fine red powder over there?"

Morrigan studied him intensely, his expression giving Kit a glimmer of hope. He crossed his fingers behind his back, hoping for some luck in learning the secret of the jar.

"Alright," Morrigan finally said. "I'll tell you, but you must sign a contract first."

Kit's heart soared with excitement. He was about to gain another valuable ingredient for his stats dishes. Morrigan conjured up a piece of paper and placed it on the counter.

"This is a binding contract," he warned. "Once you sign, you cannot break it. Think carefully before making your decision."

Kit read over the terms and conditions. Essentially, he couldn't share the knowledge of this spice with anyone unless it directly related to one of his own dishes that incorporated it. Kit thought this was a fair arrangement; he wouldn't want to give away his creations anyway. It was also a clever way to keep the spice a secret while still being able to teach his future employees how to make his dishes.

With a provided quill, Kit signed the contract and handed it back to Morrigan, who used his stamp to seal the deal. Kit couldn't help but dream about having his own signature stamp someday. Maybe one day he would have enough success and fame to justify getting one as well.

Ding!

[CAL]

Binding contract.

Player Kit will be unable to break the contract with master chef Morrigan without his permission.

Knowledge gained: Bloodroot.

Morrigan walked over to the cupboard and retrieved a white flower, leaving Kit momentarily puzzled. Wasn't there red powder in that jar? Morrigan placed the flower on the chopping board and motioned for Kit to join them.

"This is called bloodroot," Morrigan explained. "It gets its name from the deep red colour inside the roots."

With a snap, Morrigan broke off a piece of the root, revealing a brilliant red interior beneath the brown outer coating.

"You see, this plant has red sap throughout its entire structure," Morrigan continued, pointing out tiny red veins on the petals and leaves. "But only the root has any value."

Morrigan demonstrated by breaking one of the veins on a petal, causing a bright red spot to appear. The flower had eight white petals with red veins, attached to a yellow centre. The stem and leaves were green with visible red veins as well.

"Even though the sap is present throughout, it's the root that contains all the beneficial properties," Morrigan explained further. "To turn it into powder, you simply boil it until soft, slice it into thin pieces, and dry it out in the oven with an air-drying rack."

After they have dried, pulverise the plants using a food multi tool. If you don't have one, a mortar and pestle can also be used to grind the powder.

The bloodroot is crucial for prolonging the effects of my skewers. Without it, they would only last for 3 hours. But now, with the addition of this ingredient, they provide a full 24 hours of benefit.

Ding!

[CAL]

Quest complete: Qualification Chef Quest.

Rewards: Chef sub class profession available. 1000 experience, 100 culinary points, 10 reputation points with master chef Morrigan.

Kit's heart raced as he completed his qualification test. The discovery of an ingredient that extended the duration of a stats meal was a major breakthrough. He couldn't wait to try it out with the meals he had already created.

"Morrigan, where can I find these flowers?" Kit asked eagerly.

Morrigan simply shook his head. "Now, now, Kit. I can't make things too easy for you. I've already given away one ingredient in my stats dish. I won't reveal any more secrets."

But Kit wasn't disappointed. Morrigan had already given him enough valuable information. He now knew the name of the flower and could ask around to find out where to purchase it. His feet were itching to return to the culinary guild and hand in his completed quest.

"Thank you so much for your help today, Morrigan. Can I assist with cleaning up before I go back to the guild?" Kit offered.

"No need, lad. You'll want to hurry back and show off your success. Here, take this letter as proof of passing the test. And give my regards to your instructor," Morrigan replied with a smile.

Kit beamed with gratitude as he took the letter from Morrigan and headed out the door. As he entered the restaurant, he was greeted by a bustling scene - tables filled with customers and a line forming outside the window. Kit couldn't believe his eyes - just this morning, the place had been empty.

He looked around for Arnold to bid him farewell, but saw him behind the bar making drinks. Kit waited patiently until Arnold finished so he could say his goodbyes and head back to the guild.

“Arnold, I've completed my task. Thanks for letting me work at your restaurant,” said Kit when he caught Arnold between making drinks.

“Anytime, Kit. Remember to come back and sign a contract with Snickers once you finish your chef training,” reminded Arnold.

Kit had completely forgotten about promising Snickers a job. He nodded in understanding as Arnold was called away by another customer. Taking the opportunity, Kit quickly left and headed back to the culinary guild.

Feeling elated, Kit almost skipped all the way to the school's entrance. As he reached for the door handle, he noticed that the CAL carving on the door turned towards him and blinked. Startled, Kit stared back in shock.

The cat's eyes narrowed at him. “Oh, it's the clueless one. Did you make use of your time in Sweet Meadow?”

Kit's eyes widened at the realisation that this was not an ordinary carving but CAL itself speaking to him. Glancing around to make sure no one else was around, Kit became nervous. He had never heard of CAL appearing in the game before. Trying to compose himself, Kit replied cautiously so as not to offend CAL. “Hello CAL, it's nice to see you again.”

CAL ignored his greeting and examined Kit's appearance. Its gaze landed on the pouch hanging from Kit's side. “So, do you think you're capable of handling that?”

Kit's heart raced at CAL's response, CAL had just proven there was something to this map. A fit of giggles escaped Kit as he tried to contain his joy.

Kit couldn't contain his laughter as he looked at the cat, who was glaring at him with intense determination. He knew it was inappropriate to giggle, but he couldn't help himself; he was just so happy and excited in that moment.

"They always let me down." CAL sighed with disappointment. The spark of life that Kit had given the wooden carving faded away, returning it to its original state.

Kit realised that he may have offended the AI, even though the carving had gone back to normal. He quickly bowed and apologised. "I'm terribly sorry, CAL. It was my fault. My emotions got the best of me, and I couldn't control them. I was just so overjoyed to see you again."

Kit lifted his head but the cat holding the knife remained still. He let out a small sigh, hoping that his actions wouldn't have a negative impact on his relationship with CAL. But for now, he needed to focus on the task at hand and not worry about anything else.

Today, nothing could dampen Kit's mood. With trembling hands, he pushed open the door to the culinary guild.