"Kid, I can see it, you've got potential. Come learn cooking from me."
Lance, an ordinary college graduate majoring in metallurgy at Central South University, was job-hunting when he suddenly heard that voice.
At first, he thought it must be some friend messing with him.. after all, this kind of prank was common online. But when he turned around, he froze. The speaker wasn't any familiar face, but a tall, burly stranger.
He wore a short-sleeved coat, his forearms exposed like steel bars wrapped in strange bandages. There was something contradictory about him, young, yet radiating an air of authority, almost like that stern old professor back in school who'd once served in the military.
That commanding presence was enough for Lance to immediately dismiss the idea of this man being a delusional eccentric. Even if he was one, he had to be a formidable one- the kind who could hypnotise himself into believing it.
Yet the man's strange air, his muscular build, and that absurd opening line stirred Lance's curiosity. A quick glance around showed the busy street was full of people; this wasn't some deserted alley. He'd be safe enough to talk.
And since his job interview was still a while away, chatting might even calm his nerves a bit.
What Lance didn't know was that this one step toward the stranger would lead him much farther than he could ever imagine…
Inside what looked like an unremarkable little restaurant, a "salted fish" lay slumped over a table, completely drained.
Fresh out of college, Lance hadn't been particularly dazzling, but he'd been motivated and optimistic. As a metallurgy major from one of the nation's top programs, finding a good job at a smelting company should have been easy. But instead, he chased his true passion — his lifelong fascination with cold weapons.
He never expected that an "accident" would actually give him the chance to realize that dream, albeit through an arduous road.
"So where's my promised skill book? My heavenly enlightenment? Damn it, these days have been absolute torture…"
He used to pant after a single kilometre run back at university. Now, looking at the hard muscle on his arms, he wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry.
That strange man, Lance still didn't know who he was clearly wasn't ordinary. Anyone who could drag him into another world definitely wasn't.
And how did he know he was in another world?
Well, if people dressed like they were from medieval times weren't enough of a clue, then the dragons soaring through the sky and the monster carcasses hauled through the city gates definitely were. Even his "chef instructor" was… unusual.
A peculiar orange cat called "Aibo" by that mysterious man.
Despite the odd appearance, the cat's cooking was divine. Lance still remembered that first meal after arriving in this world; it was so good he nearly swallowed his tongue.
That same orange cat, Aibo, became his teacher in the culinary arts.
Lance couldn't help but complain, though, why had that strange man on the street claimed he'd teach him cooking, when the actual lessons came from a talking cat?
Months of intense practice turned Lance from a "quick-meal rookie" (master of frozen dumplings and instant noodles) into a self-proclaimed "skilled chef." His mentor hadn't confined him afterwards either, he was free to live as he wished.
Though too timid to leave the city, Lance befriended three short, long-eared old men... whom he initially mistook for elves before learning they were dragonkin. Calling themselves "Bones," "Iron," and "Drake," the trio taught him the art of weapon forging. Under their guidance, he even crafted a short blade.
Interest truly was the best teacher... before long, Lance's forging outpaced his cooking.
For someone who'd grown up alone, those months of study were the happiest of his life, pure joy and fulfillment. But happy days never last. The mysterious man who had once left him under the orange cat's care suddenly returned after a long absence, bringing with him a fateful choice.
Leave, returning to his mundane reality or stay, accepting the role of "shop owner."
Lance didn't fully understand what being a "shop owner" meant, but perhaps it was that buried adventurer's heart or simply his love for this new life... he accepted solemnly.
The man wasn't surprised. He said nothing more. In the blink of an eye, Lance found himself in this small, quiet restaurant.
Now, as the memories faded, he lay face down on the table again like a salted fish. Complaining seemed pointless... after all, it had been his choice. To leave ordinariness behind and embrace the unknown… maybe he was a bit of a weirdo.
Propping his chin on his hand, Lance muttered to himself while eyeing the wooden box left for him, the only thing the man had given him before vanishing again.
Inside was a simple blue earring. Nothing else.
Obviously, it was meant for him. But one big problem remained… he didn't even have his ears pierced!
Just as he hesitated, holding the earring near his ear, the tiny trinket began to float and shot straight into his earlobe.
"System booting…"
"Welcome to the system."
"Available subsystems: Five."
"① Mission System"
"② Personal System"
"③ Equipment System"
"④ Restaurant System"
"⑤ Smithing System"
The holographic interface stunned him , but curiosity won. When he tapped the glowing "Mission System," it actually opened.
"Main Quest: Novice Trial – Completed."
"Difficulty: C."
"Description: Under the guidance of the legendary hunter's cat Aibo, become a qualified chef."
"Reward: System Activation / Novice Gift Pack."
Lance blinked. He'd… already completed the mission? So that strange cat was the legendary hunter's cat? Then that mysterious man must be the hunter himself!
Dozens of questions crowded his mind. But when he tapped "Completed," no new prompt appeared and more importantly, where was his newbie gift pack?!
He felt déjà vu... this was just like those webnovel tropes he used to read! Except something felt off. Weren't there supposed to be old masters granting instant-mastery skills and spatial rings as starter items?
Before he could think further, a knock came at the door.
Knock knock!
"Penguin Logistics! Anyone home?!"
(Chapter End)