The Lazy Bear Tavern was finally quiet.

After the chaos of the day—refusing a royal summons, Cedric’s never-ending fanboying, and Anna’s emotional breakdown—Ryo could finally relax.

The warm glow of the lanterns flickered across the wooden walls as the last customers stumbled out, drunk and satisfied.

Anna yawned. “We should close up now.”

Ryo, already stretching, nodded. “Yep.”

“...And you’re just going to sleep right after this, aren’t you?”

“Yep.”

Anna sighed.

She had long since given up trying to understand Ryo’s mindset.

Outside, in the shadow of a tall oak tree, a figure watched.

Draped in a dark cloak, they remained motionless, their golden eyes gleaming beneath the mask covering their lower face.

This is the place…

The rumors had reached even the underground world.

An unknown "legendary chef" had rejected the king himself—something no sane man would do. But the true whispers among the shadows told a different story.

"He's not just a chef. He's a monster in disguise."

"He dodged a bandit's sword without even trying."

"Some say he's actually an exiled war god."

The assassin scoffed. Ridiculous.

But still… there was something unnatural about this man.

Inside the tavern, Ryo was already half-asleep.

His bed—a simple wooden cot—was surprisingly comfortable. The air smelled of fresh wood, and the faint sounds of crickets outside made for the perfect sleeping atmosphere.

As he drifted off—

A knife flashed in the dark.

A shadow slipped through the open window, moving without a sound.

The assassin struck.

Swish!

The blade sliced through the air—

Only to hit nothing.

Ryo rolled over in his sleep.

The assassin froze.

He dodged? Without even waking up?

Their eyes narrowed. This time, they aimed lower—for the legs. Even if he had sharp reflexes, no normal human could—

Ryo shifted again.

Swish!

The assassin’s dagger missed by a hair.

A cold chill ran down their spine.

What… what is this?

The assassin tried again. And again.

Each time, Ryo unknowingly dodged.

A blade toward his throat? He yawned and turned his head.

A precise strike at his heart? He scratched his stomach in his sleep and rolled over.

A final, all-out attack? He sneezed, completely dodging it.

By the end, the assassin was sweating.

This… this isn’t possible.

They had infiltrated countless castles, killed kings, nobles, and warriors alike. No one—not even high-level adventurers— had ever dodged them in their sleep.

This wasn’t skill.

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This wasn’t luck.

This was something else entirely.

A monster.

The assassin backed away slowly.

They had seen enough.

This man—this so-called "lazy chef"—was something beyond human.

They needed to report this to their employer immediately.

As they reached the window—

“Mm…”

Ryo shifted slightly.

The assassin froze in terror.

D-Did he notice me!?

Ryo's half-asleep voice mumbled, “Mmm… add more garlic…zzzz…”

Silence.

The assassin stood completely still.

Then, as quietly as possible, they vanished into the night.

The next morning, Ryo stretched and yawned. “That was a good nap.”

Anna, wiping down the counter, glanced at him. “I hope you’re ready for another busy day.”

Ryo shrugged. “As long as no one tries to kill me in my sleep.”

Anna blinked. “...Why would someone try to do that?”

Ryo thought about it.

Then shrugged again.

“Dunno.”

Far away, in a hidden underground chamber, the assassin knelt before a robed figure.

“Well?” the employer asked.

The assassin, still shaken, swallowed hard.

“…We should not provoke him.”

The employer frowned. “What? I heard he’s just some tavern owner.”

The assassin’s hands trembled. “He—he dodged everything. In his sleep.”

The employer froze.

"...Impossible."

The assassin shook their head. "He's not normal. I fear he may be a god in disguise."

The employer’s eyes narrowed.

“...Then we must investigate further.”

The Lazy Bear Tavern was packed.

From the moment Ryo opened the doors that morning, a wave of adventurers, merchants, and travelers had flooded in, all desperate to try the legendary cooking.

The line stretched out of the village.

Anna, holding a tray of steaming bread, gasped. “H-How did this happen!?”

A villager near the door whispered, “He rejected the king’s invitation.”

Another added, “They say he defeated a noble in a cooking duel.”

A drunk adventurer slammed his mug down. “I heard he dodged an assassin in his sleep!”

The crowd exploded.

“HE MUST BE IN DISGUISE S-RANK WARRIOR!”

“WHY, HE’S HIDING AS A CHEF!”

“LET ME CHALLENGE HIM TO A DUEL!”

Ryo sighed.

“…I just wanted to make food.”

Windmere Village had a small but active Adventurer’s Guild. Normally, it handled local monster requests, herb collection, and the occasional bandit hunt.

Today, however, a crisis was unfolding.

A Guild Receptionist sprinted into the office of Guild Master Garreth, a towering beast of a man with arms like tree trunks and a grizzled beard.

“G-Guild Master! We have a problem!”

Garreth raised an eyebrow. “What kind of problem?”

The receptionist gulped.

“The Lazy Bear Tavern.”

Silence.

Then—Garreth stood up so fast his chair broke.

“That place again!?”

The rumors had already reached him.

An unknown man appeared in the village.

His food was legendary.

He defeated a noble in a duel.

He dodged an assassin in his sleep.

And worst of all—he REFUSED the king’s invitation.

Garreth gritted his teeth.

“This is getting out of hand.”

The receptionist trembled. “W-What should we do!?”

The guild master slammed a fist on his desk.

“I’ll go see this ‘Ryo’ myself.”

Back at the Lazy Bear Tavern, the atmosphere was chaotic.

Anna ran back and forth with plates. Cedric was taking orders, writing everything down like a devoted disciple. And Ryo?

He was cooking at his own pace, completely ignoring the madness.

That’s when the door opened.

A massive, armored figure stepped inside.

The room fell silent.

“That’s… that’s Guild Master Garreth!”

Anna paled. “T-The Guild Master!?”

Garreth strode forward, his presence alone commanding absolute authority.

He stopped at the counter.

Stared Ryo down.

Then—

Slammed a fist on the table.

“I CHALLENGE YOU!”

Ryo blinked. “To what?”

“A BATTLE!”

Ryo tilted his head.

“…Why?”

Garreth clenched his fists. “There are too many rumors about you. We can’t have an unknown figure causing this much chaos!”

Ryo sighed.

“Let me guess.”

“You think I’m hiding insane combat skills.”

“You believe I might be a retired hero.”

“You assume I secretly trained in the mountains.”

Garreth grunted. “So you admit it?”

Ryo took off his apron.

“No.”

The tavern erupted.

“HE’S REALLY GOING TO FIGHT THE GUILD MASTER!?”

“IS THIS THE BIRTH OF A NEW LEGEND!?”

“DOES HE HAVE SECRET TECHNIQUES!?”

Anna grabbed her head. “YOUNG MASTER, JUST SAY NO!”

But Garreth was already preparing.

The giant man cracked his knuckles. “We’ll keep it simple. One punch each. Whoever lands the stronger blow wins.”

Ryo blinked.

“…That sounds like too much effort.”

The entire tavern froze.

Then—Ryo turned toward the stove.

“Let’s do this instead.”

Garreth frowned. “What are you—?”

Ryo lifted a pan.

“Let’s settle this with food.”

The rules were set:

Garreth would make his best dish.

Ryo would make his best dish.

The crowd would vote.

The guild master’s honor was on the line.

Garreth grinned. “Fine. Let’s see what you’ve got, kid.”

He grabbed the best cut of wyvern meat, seasoned it with rare herbs, and seared it perfectly. The smell alone had adventurers drooling.

Anna nodded. “A-Amazing…”

Cedric wiped a tear. “Truly worthy of a Guild Master.”

Then—Ryo casually tossed his steak onto the pan.

Ding!

[Skill Acquired: Meat Perfection → Proficiency Maxed!]

[Passive XP Growth Applied: Heavenly Cooking Activated!]

The moment Ryo flipped the steak—

A golden glow burst from the pan.

The scent shattered reality.

A low-ranking adventurer collapsed on the spot.

“I-IT’S TOO POWERFUL—!”

Garreth dropped his knife. “W-What the—!?”

Cedric was crying. “Master Ryo… what realm of cooking have you ascended to…?”

Anna?

Anna was completely numb.

The moment both steaks were served, the judges took a bite.

Garreth’s steak? Delicious. Perfectly cooked. A meal worthy of a high-level warrior.

But Ryo’s steak?

The moment the first judge took a bite—

They fainted from sheer bliss.

“D-DIVINE—!”

One by one, the crowd collapsed in euphoria.

Even Garreth, a man who had fought dragons, took a bite and nearly dropped to his knees.

“…I… I have lost.”

Silence.

Then—

The entire tavern exploded.

“RYO DEFEATED THE GUILD MASTER—AGAINST HIS WILL!”

“HIS COOKING OVERPOWERED A WARRIOR!”

“HE’S NOT A MAN—HE’S A MYTH!”

The guild master sat at the counter, completely broken.

Ryo sipped his tea.

“…So, we good now?”

Garreth nodded slowly.

“…Yeah.”

Then, after a long pause—

“…Can I be your apprentice?”

Anna let out a long, painful groan.