Chapter 4: Quest ?!
Cuisine has always evolved across borders and generations, driven by a deep-rooted desire to prove one nation's gastronomy superior to all others.
That hunger for recognition gave rise to countless international competitions:
The Young Chef Olympiad. The Global Chefs Challenge.
And of course, the most prestigious of them all—the Bocuse d'Or, created in 1987 by the legendary French chef, Paul Bocuse.
These contests have uncovered true culinary prodigies…
Yet one burning question has always cast a shadow over them:
"Who is the best chef in the world?"
Many would assume the answer is simple—surely the gold medalist of the Bocuse d'Or?
But the truth is, it's not that simple.
The most iconic chefs—the ones revered across the globe, the true monsters of cuisine—
Almost never compete in these events.
Why?
Because when you already wear the crown, why step into the arena?
And so, to finally settle the question once and for all—
"Who is the greatest chef of this century?"—
the World Culinary Association made a historic decision:
A tournament like no other.
A gathering of living culinary legends, each consenting to battle under one roof.
An arena where kings would clash—
Not for the glory of being one of the best...
But to be the best.
This stage has a name:
The Culinary Throne.
Though this battlefield is meant for titans, the association made an unexpected move:
They invited the top 10 rising chefs from around the world.
Not to celebrate them.
But to show them the summit they'll be expected to reach.
To select those ten prodigies, a brutal trial was born:
The Global Culinary Competition of New Chefs—
A proving ground where young talent is thrown into the fire, in the middle of a war among kings.
***
"You… you're serious?"
Gon, still reeling, blinked as if struggling to process what he'd just heard.
But the masked man didn't spare him another glance.
He slipped the ticket back into his coat pocket and walked past him, voice calm and cold:
"Be in the same room as earlier. May 1st. 8 a.m. sharp. I won't tolerate lateness."
He didn't wait for a reply.
He left the room without another word.
…
…
…
Thirty seconds passed before Gon finally snapped out of it.
"Huh…"
He slowly touched his lips.
"I… smiled?"
"Culinary System," he said calmly.
[ Yes, Host? ]
The blue interface appeared.
"I'm not crazy, right?"
[ All of the host's brain functions are fully operational. ]
"Haha… yeah, of course."
"Tell me, the idea for the chocolate truffle… that was yours too?"
[ No. That was the result of the host's unique skill: "Chef's Inspiration Lv. 1." ]
… Hmm
…
…
Honestly, it still feels ridiculous… but…
"This is my last hope."
"Can you make me… stronger?"
[ Yes, depending on the host's level of dedication. ]
Gon placed a hand on his forehead.
"This is probably the dumbest thing I've done since my rebellious phase, but…"
A crazed smile curled across his face, a glimmer of madness lighting up his eyes.
"If there's even the slightest chance I can achieve my dream… I'll take it."
"Show me how to become strong—my inner madness!"
[ Understood, dear Host. ]
[ Quest: Don't give up on cooking! (Completed) ]
[ Rewards: +4 CP; Chef's Body ]
"Hey, wait. Stop. Let's go home and figure all this out first."
Gon turned and walked toward the exit. He was heading home.
He already knew there was no point trying the written exams—he'd completely failed the practical anyway.
More importantly… he was excited.
Excited to see what his inner madness could actually do.
---
A few hours later
"Ahh, finally… damn it. Public transport is way too slow."
Maybe I should've brought my car from Japan?
As that thought crossed his mind, a voice echoed in his memory.
"With a face like that, it's obvious you're some spoiled rich kid.
You could've done anything you wanted with your life…
So why waste time clowning around in a serious cooking exam?"
Tsk.
Stop thinking about that.
You're going to break free from that rich boy label, man.
Pumping himself up, Gon stepped toward the door of his small apartment, tucked away in Yopougon—the largest district in Abidjan, economic capital of Côte d'Ivoire.
The scent of grilled fish floated through the courtyard, blending with the muffled sound of zouglou playing on the radio.
"Oh, my little Kô, back already?" called out an older man lounging in a hammock in the garden.
It was Mr. Kouassi, the landlord of all the houses in the courtyard.
"Yes, Uncle. The exam's over," Gon replied, sounding slightly awkward.
"Hope you did well! We're counting on you to bring that trophy home, hahaha!"
"I… I hope so too. By the way, Uncle, how's Ana doing?"
"Oh, Ana went to help out at the restaurant. I want her to gain a bit of experience, hahaha."
"Are you sure it's not just so you can relax?"
"Come here, you cheeky brat, hahaha!" the old man shouted, pretending to get up.
Gon rushed inside.
"Tell Ana I said hi!"
Click.
He shut the door behind him.
"Alright. System, tell me how I'm supposed to get stronger."
The metallic voice echoed in his head, followed by the familiar translucent blue screen.
[ Host has unlocked the "Chef's Body" Quests. These quests can now be completed to earn points that may be invested into the Chef's Body. ]
[ That is all the host can currently do to improve at the "Novice" Tier. ]
"…Hmm."
"So there are multiple tiers?"
[ Yes. ]
"How many?"
[ Host level too low to access that information. ]
I figured as much…
"And how do I move up to the next tier?"
[ Complete all normal and special quests. ]
"Argh… my head hurts, damn it…"
"Alright… Tell me about this Chef's Body."
[ The Chef's Body is the optimal physical and mental condition required by all chefs. ]
"So, the Chef's Body Quests?"
[ Yes. These quests are designed to strengthen the Chef's Body and reward CP. ]
"CP? I've heard that mentioned, but I still don't know what it's for."
[ CP are points that can be used to purchase skills available to the host. ]
"Oh, like Chef's Inspiration Lv. 1."
[ Correct. CP can also be invested directly into the Chef's Body. ]
"How does that work?"
[ You can enhance your five senses, your physical condition, and your mental resilience. ]
"…Ah."
Isn't that… a bit over the top?
[ … ]
"The more I hear about it, the more ridiculous this whole thing sounds…"
"But whatever. I've already made up my mind. No turning back now."
"Show me the quests."
[ Normal Quests or Chef's Body Quests? ]
I guess that second quest I got earlier was one of those "special" quests it mentioned...
"…Let's check out the Chef's Body Quests."
[ Chef's Body Quests ]
Quest: 10 Minutes of Running
Objective: Run for 10 minutes without stopping
Reward: +1 CP
Quest: 60 Seconds of Plank
Objective: Hold a plank for 1 minute
Reward: +1 CP
Quest: Maintain Good Posture for 15 Minutes
Objective: Walk with a straight back for 15 minutes
Reward: +1 CP
Quest: 3 HIIT Sessions
Objective: Complete 3 workouts of 15 minutes each
Reward: +2 CP
Quest: 1 Hour of Exercise
Objective: Exercise for 1 hour
Reward: +3 CP
…
…
"Wow, wow… hold on. I'm really going to have to do all of this??"
[ Yes. And 28 more quests. Special quests can be done daily (optional). ]
"28 more like these…?"
I take back what I said about the rewards being too good…
With quests like these, they're definitely earned.
Well… I guess it's doable.
"Oh, and how many normal quests are there?"
[ 25. ]
Damn!
Just as Gon realized what he'd gotten himself into, his phone vibrated.
Bzzzzz bzzzzz bzzzzz…
He pulled it out of his pocket.
Man, is the signal really this bad here?
He glanced at the caller ID.
"Mom"
This is where my stupidity is really going to begin.
At the same moment:
[ Quest: Don't Abandon Cooking! ]
[ Reward: +50 CP ]