It was the morning after Hoshi birthday.
There was a heavy atmosphere lingering in the living room as Hoshi remained in his playpen hunched over.
Youta leaned closer to his wife and whispered, "Akira."
She turned to him and answered, "What is it, Youta?"
Youta pointed in Hoshi direction and asked, "What's going on with Hoshi?"
"I am not sure. The first thing he wanted this morning was to wear his little chef uniform."
"He didn't seem upset at that moment. Maybe he feels sick."
"Let's check if something is wrong with him." Youta then walked towards Hoshi.
"Hoshi is anything wrong?" asked Youta.
"Are you feeling sick?" asked Akira.
Hoshi turned toward his parents and answered: "Just thinking."
"If something is wrong, please tell us," Akira replied.
"We just wanted to check up on you to make sure," Youta added.
"Okay!" answered Hoshi.
After Youta and Akira left, Hoshi decided it was time to examine his old toys.
'Junk, junk, junk and more junk!' he thought.
He concentrated on his status window while picking up and playing with each of his old toys.
Nothing appeared; he decided it was time to ask the system.
'Hey system, can any random item be a tool or equipment?' he mentally inquired.
[Only items with bonuses effect will appear in the status window.]
[Some items have no effect, but could assist the host with gaining skills and experience.]
[The system requires you to identify these items yourself.]
[I can provide one example though.]
[The chef's play kitchen you received on your birthday isn't a tool or equipment.]
[However, you can gain cooking skills and experience while using it.]
[Ding, ding!]
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[Quest - Skills, skills, skills!]
[Objective: Learn a new skill!]
[Reward: Random Talent]
[Note: Practice is the key to success!]
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He knew the chef's play kitchen was the key to this quest.
The system said he could gain cooking skills and experience while using it.
He reviewed what the chef's play kitchen included.
The chef's play kitchen has a fake stove burner with lights and sounds, an oven and a refrigerator.
It has ample counter space and a 50-piece accessory set which includes cooking utensils, knives, bowls, plates, cups and more.
It also has plenty of storage areas, including hooks for hanging utensils and cups.
He would assume the easiest skill he could get would be a knife skill.
He could practice with the knives included in the accessory set.
'I could use both hands while trying to learn a knife skill, to become ambidextrous.' he thought.
'Maybe it will give me a talent with enough practice.'
Hoshi decided it was time to start.
He placed a cutting board on the counter space and grabbed a kitchen knife with his right hand completely behind the bolster on the handle itself and position his left hand into the claw position.
Holding the tip of the blade against the cutting board with his knife angled upward he began trying to slice an invisible onion by guiding it with his left hand while curling them inwards, using his knuckles to guide his knife.
With the tip of the blade in constant contact with the cutting board, pull the knife backwards slightly until the blade slices into the invisible onion.
After hours of attempts, he gained no skills.
It wasn't working out for Hoshi; he believed needed something physical to cut.
He took a deep breath and rethought his plans of action.
He looked at his old toys and noticed a few play-doh containers lying around.
Suddenly, all the pieces fit together in one moment of inspiration.
He quickly grabbed the play-doh and took it out of the container.
He placed it on the cutting board and began to slice the play-doh multiple times.
Hoshi hoped he would gain a skill by repeating certain actions.
He quickly reformed the play-doh and began to slice again.
Hoshi believed he didn't need real ingredients or knives to complete the quest.
That using a toy knife and some play-doh, he could complete the quest.
[Ding, ding!]
[Newbie Knife Skill Learned!]
[Ding, ding!]
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[Quest - Skills, skills, skills! - Completed]
[Objective: Learn a new skill!]
[Reward: Lucky Chef]
[Note: Congratulations you learned a skill and gained a rare talent!]
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He quickly opened my status window.
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Host: Hoshi Hideyoshi (Race: Human, Nationality: Japanese)
Gender: Male
Age: 1
DOB: 1990/03/17 (St. Patrick's Day)
Physical Quality: F- (overall evaluation for strength, endurance, agility, dexterity, ETC)
Mystical Quality: A (overall evaluation for mana quantity, mana control, good luck, ETC)
Chef Talents: Charming Voice, Lucky Chef
Perfected Recipes: None
Skills: Professional Programming Lvl 5, Amateur Cookery Lvl 8, Perfect Immobilization, Newbie Knife Skill Lvl 1
Tools & Equipment: Little Chef Uniform
Fame: Unknown
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'System check knife skill and lucky chef description,' I mentally prompt the system.
[Knife skill increases proficiency, speed and productivity while handling any knives.]
[Lucky chef is gifted with an automatic and continuous supply of good luck for anything food-related. Example: It would increase the chances of finding rare ingredients.]
"Woot!" he yelled in celebration.