*Silence*
"Hey, system!?"
"Where the hell are you?!"
*Silence*
Leo was in the darkness, shouting and cursing at the system for not responding to him at all. He kept on trying to have a glimpse of the lotus that depicted system's will combined with his soul. There was nothing that he could find no matter how much he searched for the system in the dark, empty, lifeless space.
"Just…where the hell are you!!!" Leo shouted with all his might that he could, only to be followed by the same silence again.
He gave up and stood there lifeless, losing all his hope. All he could do was do nothing, as he felt that he was mentally exhausted for the first time.
When he had lost all hope, he heard a familiar voice.
*Ding*
[Memory patch found successfully.]
The familiar voice belonged to system, but its usual panel didn't appear this time. All he could feel was its voice.
[The host need not worry. Ignore the inconvenience from now onwards.]
"W-Wait… What memory?… Where the hell are you and why are you not in my vision?!"
[Importing memory patch.....1%]
Leo had lost the ability to speak even in his own mind when a download bar appeared in his vision with steadily rising numbers on it. No matter how much he tried he could not do anything.
[Importing memory patch.....7%]
[Importing memory patch.....15%]
[Importing memory patch.....19%]
[Importing memory patch.....27%]
[Importing memory patch.....36%]
[Importing memory patch.....48%]
[Importing memory patch.....69%]
[Importing memory patch.....76%]
[Importing memory patch.....87%]
[Importing memory patch.....98%]
[Importing memory patch.....100%]
[Memory patch imported successfully.]
[Downloading data.....1%]
The moment the download bar appeared again, Leo began understanding various things that he had never thought of ever knowing such as swordsmanship, blacksmithing, hunting, architecture, business management, skills in bed, butchering, etc.
Leo wanted to question, but his voice was sealed. He just stood in his place and kept on digesting the knowledge that had no end.
[Downloading data.....99%]
[Downloading data.....100%]
[Memory patch downloaded successfully.]
The dark space began to crack with the system's prompt, and it shattered after a few moments.
In front of Leo's vision was his usual lotus like soul with long ash roots that had formed the limbs of the ethereal body with the lotus as its head.
[The download was completed with no disturbances in 3 minutes 23 seconds.]
[It was necessary to let the host get these experiences as they would be more useful in your daily life as a cultivator has to always fight for their opportunities whether it be by hook or crook.]
Leo stood silent for a moment and asked with a calm face, "Will this happen again?"
[Yes. The host has been given all the skills necessary for now.]
"Do you mind giving a warning before doing anything?" Leo said calmly yet with a stern voice.
[Yes.]
*Silence*
Leo couldn't stand the silence, so he went forward to his original motive that he came for.
"Status."
[Name - Leo Reinhart
Physique - Endless Transformation (CELESTIAL)
Soul - Phaseless Demonic Lotus (CELESTIAL)
Cultivation - Human
Spiritual Root Affinity - Chaos (INNATE)
Karma - 11,581
Sin - 2,462
Skill(s) - A Successful Cook (!@#$), Swordsmanship(S), Blacksmith(S), Business Management(S), Architecture(S), etc]
The first time Leo saw his status, he had only focused on his name, and before he could know more, the robed man appeared.
Now he was shocked to see the number of skills he possessed. They were no less than 100 skills of various fields that even he didn't know about.
But the skills soon vanished away from the skill section, which made his face ashen. There was only [A Successful Cook (!@#$)] there that he didn't care about much as this particular skill had been there in his skill slot, yet it never activated when he wanted it to. It would be more accurate to say that even Leo didn't know how to use it.
Something strange happened when Leo was calling the status panel back and forth, thinking that it was a mistake by the system.
[Name - Leo Reinhart
Physique - Endless Transformation (CELESTIAL)
Soul - Phaseless Demonic Lotus (CELESTIAL)
Cultivation - Human
Spiritual Root Affinity - Chaos (INNATE)
Karma - 11,581
Sin - 2,462
Skill(s) - A Successful Cook (----)]
The skill had a change in its ranking from (!@#$) to (----).
Leo had a sudden urge to check the skill out of nowhere, but he still did it by focusing on the skill. The result shocked him to the point of making him speechless.
[A Successful Cook (----) — With repetitive practice and diligence, the user has unlocked all the skills of a forgotten legendary skill set that famous in cosmos for its aftereffects. The skill set can evolve further. The skill set contains the further skills:-
Knife Skills: Proficiency in handling knives for chopping, slicing, dicing, and other culinary tasks.
Culinary Techniques: Mastery of various cooking methods such as sautéing, grilling, frying, roasting, baking, steaming, braising, poaching, and sous vide cooking.
Food Safety and Sanitation: Knowledge of proper food handling procedures, hygiene practices, and sanitation standards to prevent foodborne illnesses.
Flavor Pairing: Understanding of complementary and contrasting flavors to create harmonious dishes.
Ingredient Knowledge: Familiarity with a wide range of ingredients, including their flavor profiles, nutritional properties, and culinary uses.
Menu Planning: Skill in designing menus that balance flavors, textures, and nutritional values while considering seasonal ingredients and customer preferences.
Recipe Development: Ability to create original recipes and adapt existing ones to suit specific dietary needs or culinary preferences.
Plating and Presentation: Artistry in arranging and garnishing dishes to enhance their visual appeal and create an inviting dining experience.
Time Management: Efficiency in managing kitchen workflows and coordinating multiple dishes to ensure timely service.
Taste Testing and Seasoning: Skill in evaluating flavors and adjusting seasoning to achieve the desired taste balance.
Baking and Pastry: Expertise in baking bread, pastries, cakes, cookies, and other baked goods, including knowledge of doughs, batters, and pastry techniques.
Butchery: Proficiency in breaking down whole animals or primal cuts into smaller portions for cooking.
Sauce Making: Mastery of sauce preparation, including reductions, emulsions, roux-based sauces, and vinaigrette.
Garde Manger: Skill in preparing cold dishes, salads, charcuterie, and hors d'oeuvres.
Food Preservation: Knowledge of techniques such as pickling, fermenting, smoking, curing, and drying to preserve ingredients and enhance flavor.
Culinary Creativity: Ability to innovate and experiment with recipes, flavors, and techniques to create unique and memorable dishes.
Dietary Restrictions and Allergies: Awareness of common dietary restrictions and allergies and the ability to accommodate them in menu planning and food preparation.
Wine and Beverage Pairing: Understanding of wine, beer, and other beverage options and their compatibility with different types of cuisine.
Kitchen Management: Leadership skills to oversee kitchen operations, manage kitchen staff, and maintain a safe and efficient working environment.
A cook's Swordsmanship: Something new that a cook tried out of curiosity and immediately gained valuable insights about it.
A cook's Blacksmithing: Something new that a cook tried out of curiosity and immediately gained valuable insights about it.]
It was still not ending, even after reaching the count of 70 skills from this particular skill set. Leo gave up half way, thinking it would be a waste of time to look at it.
He knew one thing, that the skills given by the system and that were ever learned by him had somehow been absorbed by this skill set by adding "A cook's" to every single of them with the same description.