"Miss Lara, I wouldn't suggest th—" I began to say, but before I could finish my sentence, she ate one of the 'Danger Dumplings.'
She placed her hand over her mouth and stood there motionless. I thought to myself, "Dammit! I knew something like this would happen." The people around us were already suspicious of me, and if she fainted or worse, I would undoubtedly be in a lot of trouble and risk being caught by the guards. Panic started to well up within me.
Then, Lara finally spoke. "Kid, I don't know how to say this, but this is one of the worst things I've ever eaten in my whole life," she said, her face contorted with a complex expression.
What? Nothing happened to her? How was that possible?
"Miss Lara, you're fine?" I asked, my eyes wide with surprise.
"Kid, what do you mean by that?" she asked me, her gaze filled with suspicion.
I proceeded to explain everything. I told her about the true nature of this dish, the 'Book Of Culinary Kills,' and my plan to acquire the 'Poison Resistance' skill by consuming a dish prepared with the help of this book.
After listening to my explanation, she gave me a complicated look—a mixture of surprise, confusion, and suspicion. Finally, she managed to mutter something, her voice tinged with exhaustion. "To think something like that exists, this is the first time I've heard of a book like this, using food as a weapon. I don't know how to feel about this."
"Miss Lara, I was pretty sure you were going to pass out because of that dumpling. How are you still fine?" I asked her, my curiosity piqued.
"Well, I have been cooking for nearly forty years, and I've been working as the guild chef for almost thirty years. During my time, I've encountered all kinds of things. Most of the dishes we prepare in the guild are made from monsters hunted by the Adventurers, and many of them are poisonous. So, we have to be extremely careful while handling and cooking them. Naturally, most guild chefs develop some level of poison resistance," she explained, shedding light on the perilous nature of her profession.
I was taken aback by the dangerous aspect of their job. They dealt with these kinds of potentially deadly ingredients on a daily basis? It was something I had never considered before, and I found myself gaining a newfound respect for the guild chefs as I listened to her.
As I was admiring their dedication, Lara posed a question. "So, what are you planning to do about that, kid?" She looked at the freshly made 'Danger Dumplings' with curiosity.
"Well, I'm going to eat it, obviously," I replied with determination.
*Sigh*
She let out a weary sigh and said, "Fine, do whatever you want. I'm pretty sure you'll pass out if you eat that thing. We still have a few hours before the night rush, so make sure to wake up before then," she told me with a casual shrug.
I thanked her and immediately took five of those dumplings all at once, shoving them into my mouth. The taste was so disgusting that I felt like I was about to pass out just from the flavor, but I somehow managed to endure it. I began to chew those dumplings and forced myself to swallow them.
Then, my consciousness started to fade, and everything around me began to go black. The last thing I heard was the sound of my unconscious body hitting the floor with a thud.
…..
When I woke up, I found myself seated in a corner of the kitchen, leaning against the wall. I was still trying to process what had just happened when I heard a familiar voice. "Hey, you're finally awake."
I turned in the direction of the voice and saw Lara. She wore a tired expression as she continued, "Well, I did tell you to do whatever you want, but couldn't you have eaten that thing somewhere else? You passed out right in the middle of the kitchen, and we had to move you."
"Sorry about that. How long was I unconscious?" I apologized and asked curiously.
"Hmm… I'd say around an hour or so. You woke up earlier than I expected. So, did you acquire the 'Poison Resistance' skill?" she inquired with curiosity.
I checked my status screen, but unfortunately, there were no such skills listed.
"No, it looks like I didn't acquire any skill like that," I replied with a hint of disappointment in my voice.
"Hey, cheer up, kid. It usually takes a long time to develop a resistance skill. You know what, it's still only around four P.M now. We have a few hours left, so why don't you eat the rest of those dumplings and try again? Just make sure to do it in a place where it won't disturb the others," Lara tried to lift my spirits and suggested giving it another shot.
"Thanks, Miss. Lara, I'll try it again," I thanked her and grabbed the remaining dumplings. This time, I sat in the spot where I had woken up earlier to avoid being a burden to the others.
Once again, my consciousness began to fade, but before I passed out, the familiar blue screen appeared in front of me. However, before I could read what it said, I lost consciousness.
…..
When I woke up, I found myself in the same spot as before. I had a vague memory of seeing something just before passing out. Lost in my thoughts, I heard a familiar voice once more. "Oh, you woke up already? That was fast," it was Lara, and she wore a surprised expression.
I asked her curiously, "How long was I unconscious this time?"
"Only around half an hour or so. I thought you would have been out longer, like the last time," she replied.
"Really? Let me check something," I said, and I opened my status screen to inspect my skills. To my surprise, the new skill was there:
Poison Resistance (C) (Passive)
"I got the 'Poison Resistance' skill!" I exclaimed in surprise.
"What, already? It took me around three years to get that skill. Is it because of that weird food you made?" Lara said with wide-eyed surprise and continued, "Well, whatever. Since you're awake, come and help us. I'll personally show you the ropes. And before you leave today, can you translate that recipe for me? It will be a big help. Just by eating that strange food, we can easily acquire the 'Poison Resistance' skill. It will greatly benefit us when training the newbies," Lara requested, referring to the recipe.
"Sure, I don't mind," I agreed and attempted to stand up, but my whole body felt weak, and I ended up falling to the ground. Lara helped me sit up again and began to speak.
"Feeling tired? Well, that can happen. You're resistant to poison, but you're not immune to it. I guess something like this was bound to occur. That's why I prepared this. Here, drink this," she offered me something to drink.
I took the glass and examined its contents, which appeared to be a colorless drink. Curiosity got the best of me, and I took a sip. It was slightly sour, sweet, and salty, reminiscent of lemonade. It proved quite refreshing, so I finished the whole glass.
"Was it good? Just sit there for a few minutes; you'll eventually regain your strength," Lara advised before she left.
As she had mentioned, within a few minutes, my strength did return, and I got back on my feet.
"Do you feel better now? It's almost time. Come here; I'll explain what to do," she said, and we began working.
I did my best to assist, and Lara provided guidance, teaching me a few new recipes and sharing hints about cooking. Thanks to her, I learned a lot about the culinary arts. When the night rush began, just as Lara had warned, it became incredibly busy. We had to cook and deliver orders to the adventurers while also dealing with their demands. It proved to be a very demanding task.
I even delivered a few dishes to the adventurers, and one of them tried to pick a fight with me, claiming that the food tasted awful and that he wouldn't pay for it. I was furious about his behavior and decided to send him flying with the FM skill. Seeing an adventurer tossed away by a cook shocked everyone, and they stopped complaining altogether.
After that incident, everything went smoothly. I even spotted Goblin Layer among the customers. I told him about my situation, explaining that I couldn't treat him today but would definitely keep my promise to share a meal later. He understood my predicament and said he would wait for me. I expressed my gratitude and returned to the kitchen. Finally, the night rush came to an end.
"Phew, that was a lot harder than I thought. How do you guys do this every day?" I asked Lara curiously, slumping down on the ground, utterly exhausted.
"Well, we've grown accustomed to it. By the way, we didn't have anyone complain about the food today. What happened?" she asked, curious about the sudden change in adventurers' behavior.
"Well, there was this one guy who really annoyed me. He claimed the food tasted awful and refused to pay for it. I got so frustrated with him that I used my skill to send him flying, and after that, miraculously, everyone behaved," I explained, my fatigue evident in my voice.
Lara burst into laughter and said, "That serves them right. None of them expected a new cook to have that kind of power. They probably thought they could easily threaten you and get free food, but you showed them never to mess with a chef." She wore a pleased expression as she spoke.
"Anyway, we only have a few customers left. Let's finish serving them and then go home. Come and help me with the cooking," she suggested, and we both got back to work. I was preparing some side dishes when, unexpectedly, the familiar status screen appeared with a few lines of text:
You have gained the skill Culinary Arts.