I hum softly as I gaze at the vast field stretching before me. This is my power. It may not seem like much, but I am grateful to have it. This is the ability I awakened after reincarnating into this new world.
What kind of power is it? I call it [Celestial Farm].
It is a pocket dimension containing an island that constantly grows. This island possesses a unique property—any plant I cultivate here will always be in perfect condition. Any fruit harvested from these plants will be of the highest quality. Any medicinal herbs grown here will possess the strongest healing properties.
Not only that, but this island also accelerates plant growth. Take potatoes, for example. On Earth, they take months to mature, but here, they fully grow in just eight days. Turnips? Five days. Cucumbers? Ten days. Strawberries? Twelve days.
For plants that produce continuous harvests, their regrowth time is cut in half. This means a strawberry plant will bear fruit again in six days.
However, that's not the only thing my power can do. The island itself can expand if I pay a unique currency—one linked to my second ability.
What is my second power? I call it [Celestial Shop].
It allows me to transform any building I own into a shop of my choosing—and I chose to open a restaurant. I could sell my farm's raw ingredients directly, but they wouldn't be worth much. However, I can maximize my profits if I process them into meals and sell them to customers.
The money I earn from selling food can be converted into [Celestial Currency] (CC)—or I can keep the money as normal cash if I choose.
With CC, I can buy anything I want. I can even purchase skills and powers. Hell, if I save enough CC, I could change my race—becoming an Angel or even a God.
However, to gain CC, I must sell food through my restaurant. Fortunately, I already have a location—a small shop in a back alley of Kyoto. Despite its location, the alley gets a lot of foot traffic, making it an ideal spot for a restaurant that offers great food and drinks.
It's the perfect place to attract overworked salarymen looking for a good meal.
I shake my head and open my inventory—a game-like system that allows me to store harvested goods from [Celestial Farm] or items purchased through [Celestial Shop]. Unfortunately, I can't store items I didn't buy from the shop, which is frustrating—it would be the perfect hiding place for things I don't want others to find.
Luckily, I found a loophole. I can store non-shop items inside my pocket dimension. This means I can transfer them through the portal and store them on my farm.
However, unlike my inventory, my pocket dimension does not prevent food from spoiling. This means I can't store perishable items there.
Humming to myself, I open my inventory and review the list of harvested crops.
"Potatoes, cabbages, tomatoes, turnips…"
I nod in satisfaction. It's time to open the restaurant.
I still need to upgrade my [Celestial Farm] before I can build a coop or barn. It must reach Level 3 to unlock a fish pond and an underwater farm. The latter will allow me to cultivate aquatic plants that require full submersion.
Shaking my head, I open the portal back to my restaurant. It's time to get to work.
Stepping through, I enter my spacious eatery. The interior is arranged to maximize seating capacity without sacrificing comfort—an optimized layout automatically created by [Celestial Shop].
I grab a chalkboard sign near the entrance and write:
"Ryuu's Restaurant! Today's Special: Katsu Curry!"
After placing the sign outside, I switch the store sign to 'OPEN.' Then, I step inside to check on the curry simmering in a large pot. I had prepared it earlier this morning, and I feel proud of how it turned out.
[Japanese Curry] [2-Stars]
The [Celestial Shop] grants me cooking skills, which level up the more I cook. Currently, my cooking skill is Level 35. Unfortunately, it has been stuck there for a while. It seems I need higher-quality ingredients to advance further.
Thankfully, [Celestial Shop] automatically provides me with recipes based on the ingredients I have. As I unlock more ingredients, I unlock more recipes.
I walk over to the fridge and grab some chocolate to make a cup of hot cocoa.
Hot cocoa in the morning? That sounds unhealthy. Who cares? I'm an adult, and this is my restaurant.
I take a sip and sigh in contentment.
Ding-a-ling!
The bell at the door chimes. I glance up and see a man in a jacket entering the store. He scans the interior before settling onto a seat at the counter.
After briefly studying the menu, he says, "I'll have the Katsu Curry, boss."
"What about drinks?"
"Water's fine."
I nod and start preparing his food. I retrieve a pre-breaded katsu and fry it to perfection. While waiting, I prepare the rice and ladle a generous amount of curry onto the plate. When the katsu is ready, I slice it up and place it on top.
"Here you go. Enjoy!"
"Whoa! The smell is divine! Thanks for the food!"
I smile as he takes his first bite—and moans in delight.
Before I can check my phone, the doorbell chimes again. Another customer. But this one is… wearing a gas mask?
The man removes his mask and looks around before commenting, "Weird place to open a restaurant, boss."
I blink at his words and shrug. What's weird about opening a restaurant in an alley? There aren't many restaurants here, but there are a few. Most of the shops are bars, but I don't think it would be weird to open a restaurant here.
"Welcome! What can I get you?"
He eyes the menu, then glances at the young man enjoying his curry. I watch as he gulps before saying:
"Can I get the curry? And a glass of water, please."
"Coming right up!"
I prepare his food and place it in front of him. He takes a bite—and his eyes widen.
"This is the best curry I've ever eaten, boss!"
"Thank you."
I chuckle as he devours his meal at an alarming pace, as if he hasn't eaten in days.
Unsurprisingly, Gas Mask Man finishes first. He wipes his mouth and looks at me.
"What kind of synthetic food are you using, boss? This tastes too real!"
I furrow my brows, confused. The man sitting beside him also looks baffled.
"What do you mean?"
"Huh? This is synthetic food, right? There's no way this is organic with the prices on your menu. Especially not in this day and age."
I set down my phone, feeling a sense of unease.
"What do you mean by 'this day and age'? What year do you think this is?"
The man blinks at me before replying casually, "Eh? It's the year 2138, no? Don't you have a calendar here?"
I freeze. Shock and confusion wash over me. My mind races as I try to process his words.
2138?
I can only muster a single response.
"…What?"