Oil hissed violently in the pan, flames licking up like hungry tongues.
"Damn it, not again!" Ethan Lee yelled, snatching a damp towel and trying to smother the fire spreading across his stovetop. The scent of burning oil filled the cramped kitchen. His hands shook as he turned off the gas valve, coughing as black smoke poured out of the frying pan.
He was exhausted. Thirty-six hours straight without sleep, working in a restaurant that barely made enough to pay rent. He hadn't eaten properly in two days, but the delivery orders kept coming in.
He grabbed his phone with an oil-stained hand and saw a message from his landlord.
> "Final notice. Rent overdue. Eviction in three days."
Ethan laughed bitterly. "Perfect timing."
He was thirty-two years old. Once, he'd dreamed of becoming a Michelin-star chef. Now, he was a burned-out nobody running a takeout joint in Seoul called Lee's Little Kitchen, surviving on instant coffee and crushed hopes.
He turned back to the stove—
—and that's when it happened.
A small hiss.
Then a flash.
Then—
BOOM!
The gas ignited with a violent explosion. The world turned white. The sound of shattering glass echoed through his ears before everything went silent. He felt himself being thrown backward, weightless, and then—
Darkness.
---
A dull ache throbbed in his skull.
Ethan groaned, blinking against sunlight streaming through a wooden window. His nose twitched—was that… hay?
He sat up slowly. He wasn't in a hospital bed. The floor beneath him was rough, uneven planks. A draft blew through a cracked window. Dust floated lazily in the air, catching golden rays of light.
He rubbed his temples. "Where the hell am I?"
He looked around. The room was small and shabby. Wooden beams lined the ceiling, half-rotted. A cobweb hung from the corner. On the wall, a faded signboard leaned precariously:
"Crescent Moon Inn."
"What kind of old medieval dump is this?" Ethan muttered.
Then he caught his reflection in a cracked mirror.
He froze.
The face staring back wasn't his.
The man in the reflection looked older—late thirties maybe—with a short beard, broader shoulders, and rough hands that had seen years of labor. His hair was dark brown, not black. His eyes were sharp but weary, as if they'd long forgotten hope.
"Okay… either I hit my head really hard or…" He swallowed. "This is one weird dream."
Before he could say another word, a cold metallic chime echoed in his mind.
> [Ding! Legendary Chef System Activated!]
Ethan jumped, glancing around wildly. "Who said that?!"
> [Welcome, Host! Binding process complete.]
[Host Name: Ethan Lee (Soul Transferred)]
[Current Body: Owen Crestfall, Owner of Crescent Moon Inn]
[Inn Status: Bankruptcy Imminent]
[Reputation: 0/100]
[Customer Satisfaction: 0/100]
[Kitchen Condition: Appalling]
[Main Quest: Revive the Crescent Moon Inn within 7 days or face permanent deletion.]
Ethan's jaw dropped. "Permanent deletion? You mean… death?"
[Affirmative.]
He rubbed his face, muttering, "You've gotta be kidding me. I die from a gas explosion and wake up in… fantasy bankrupt hotel hell?"
> [Correction: Inn. Not hotel.]
"Oh, great, it talks back."
The system ignored his sarcasm.
> [Tutorial Initiating...]
[You have inherited a failing establishment in the Kingdom of Aranthia.]
[Your goal: Become the world's first Legendary Chef and rebuild the Crescent Moon Inn into the continent's No.1 culinary landmark.]
A shimmering blue panel appeared before him, floating in midair. On it, a small 3D map of the inn blinked red in multiple places.
Every room was marked "Damaged."
The kitchen icon read "Dangerously Unsanitary."
Even the front door was labeled "Creaking Disaster."
Ethan groaned. "Wonderful. Not only am I broke, I'm apparently running a death trap."
His stomach growled loudly.
"...And starving," he added.
---
He stumbled to the kitchen.
It was worse than he imagined. The stove was cracked stone, covered in soot. A single dented pot lay in the corner. The shelves were empty except for some moldy bread, a half-rotten potato, and a jar of rice crawling with weevils.
"This is what I get to work with? I should've stayed dead."
But then another chime rang in his head.
> [New Quest: Cook your first meal.]
[Reward: Basic Cooking Starter Pack + Experience Points.]
[Failure: Starvation imminent.]
Ethan blinked. "Even the system's threatening me now…"
Still, his chef's instincts kicked in. He grabbed what little he had — the potato, the rice, and some suspicious-looking water in a wooden bucket.
He cleaned the pot, boiled the rice, peeled the potato, and began improvising. His hands moved automatically, guided by years of kitchen muscle memory. The moment he lit the fire, his heart steadied. The chaos around him faded.
This… this was familiar.
This was his world.
He diced the potato into cubes, roasted them until golden, then mixed them into the rice with a sprinkle of salt scraped from an old jar. The aroma, faint but warm, spread through the kitchen.
It wasn't much — but it was food.
As he plated the meal, footsteps creaked outside.
Ethan turned. A shadow hovered at the door.
A young man stood there — armor scuffed, hair messy, sword strapped to his back. He looked barely twenty. His face was pale, lips cracked.
"...What is that smell?" the boy asked, voice trembling.
Ethan blinked. "Food?"
The adventurer's eyes lit up. "I haven't eaten in two days…"
Ethan hesitated. This could be his first customer.
He slid the bowl across the counter. "It's not much. Free sample."
The adventurer sat down instantly, spoon in hand. The first bite made him freeze. His expression softened, then brightened, then turned almost emotional.
"This… this tastes like home."
Ethan smiled faintly. "Glad you like it."
The young man devoured the meal in minutes, tears glimmering in his eyes. "You're a blessing, sir! I'll come again, I swear!"
He left a small copper coin on the counter and ran out the door.
As the sound of footsteps faded, a crisp chime echoed again.
> [Ding! Quest Complete!]
[Reward: Basic Cooking Tools + Beginner Recipe Pack Unlocked!]
[Title Unlocked: The Inn's Awakening.]
A small chest materialized on the counter in a burst of golden light. Ethan opened it cautiously — inside lay a shining kitchen knife, a clean wooden cutting board, and three parchment scrolls labeled:
1. Simple Broth of Warmth
2. Traveler's Omelet
3. Hearty Vegetable Stew
Ethan grinned. "Now that's more like it."
The system's voice chimed again.
> [Daily Tip: A satisfied customer spreads your reputation.]
[Reputation: +1]
[Inn Popularity: F Rank → E Rank.]
Outside, the sunset painted the horizon crimson. For the first time in years, Ethan felt something burning in his chest — not despair, not exhaustion, but passion.
He gazed at the flickering flame in the stove. "Alright then. New world, new kitchen, new me."
He picked up the knife and smiled.
"Let's cook."
To be continued...