“Boss, shall we go run the Blackstone Mine dungeon?” Soul Chaser asked.
Ran Qi and Night Owl’s treasure-hunting trip took longer than they had anticipated. Soul Chaser and the others had already been in the main city for almost two hours, and they were getting restless, eager to run dungeons and level up.
The Blackstone Mine was a level 25 dungeon, making it perfect for them to farm experience.
Night Owl replied, “Alright.”
Ran Qi thought to himself that Night Owl was truly a leveling fanatic. After fighting so many monsters in the Dragon Soul Secret dungeon, he had expected him to need a break. Instead, Night Owl was ready to lead the team straight into another dungeon.
At that moment, Night Owl seemed to sense Ran Qi silently criticizing him. He suddenly turned his head to look at him and asked with a light chuckle, “Do you want to clear your inventory?”
Ran Qi noticed the teasing glimmer in Night Owl’s eyes. He initially wanted to respond defiantly that he didn’t need to, but then he remembered the full backpack of ‘junk’ he had collected in the Dragon Soul Secret dungeon. Although his inventory had a large capacity, it could only stack identical items. The drops from the monsters in the Dragon Soul Secret dungeon were too varied, and he had also gathered a lot of materials and ingredients. If he didn’t clean it out, it would really be at risk of overflowing.
“Ranran, make some extra food while you’re at it! I’m almost out of pie!” Gu Le called out loudly.
Ran Qi replied speechlessly, “Got it.”
“There are plenty of small monsters at the entrance of the Blackstone Mine. We can farm monsters while we wait for you, so take your time—no need to rush,” Night Owl said, his eyes twinkling with amusement.
“Okay…”
Since pets couldn’t stray too far from their owners, Ran Qi took the little white dragon from Gu Le’s hands and tucked it into his arms before putting on the invisible cloak.
“Be good and don’t make a fuss,” Ran Qi said. As the first pet in the game, it was easy to imagine how attention-grabbing it was. He didn’t want to be stopped on the road and turned into a spectacle for others to gawk at.
The little dragon cub had a decent AI and could understand its owner’s words, so it obediently nestled in Ran Qi’s arms without moving. It was a cute, plump little ball, with a pair of big, shiny black eyes looking up at him, making Ran Qi’s heart melt.
Unable to resist, he reached out to rub its plump little belly. “I’ll make you something delicious later.”
“Jiji!” The little dragon cub let out a soft, cute sound, as if in agreement.
Ran Qi first went to the shop to tidy up the assorted items in his backpack. He sold the useless ones directly to the shop and kept the useful ones for himself or listed them in the Trading Hall.
Of course, he also swept through the Trading Hall to grab some cheap ingredients before heading straight to the cooking area. He planned to make some new dishes—not only to let Gu Le satisfy his cravings, but also to prepare something tasty for the little dragon cub.
The hidden quest system was a feature added later by the developers, but the pet system was not. Back when he played <Magic Realm>, he had a fox as his battle pet, which had a fire-based area attack skill called [Blazing Flames].
Unfortunately, before he transmigrated, he had lent that fox to a friend. Otherwise, he might have brought it with him, and he wouldn’t have to worry about not having an attack skill now.
That fox’s favorite food was roast chicken. Although he wasn’t sure what kind of food dragons liked, they were probably carnivores, too. So this time, he planned to make several dishes to see which flavor the little dragon cub would prefer.
This time, with plenty of ingredients, Ran Qi decided not to make pies again. Instead, he planned to prepare some meat dishes, such as honey-glazed ribs, mushroom-braised chicken, tomato-braised beef brisket, and stir-fried pork with chili peppers. That way, he’d have a variety of flavors—sweet, sour, salty, and spicy—all covered.
The pork, chicken, and beef were ingredients he had gathered himself, while the honey, mushrooms, tomatoes, and chili peppers were bought from the Trading Hall. After grabbing some seasonings from the general store, he was all set to start cooking.
Since he was making a large amount of food this time and the aromas would be quite strong, it wasn’t suitable to cook in the open-air kitchen area. So, Ran Qi spent 50 silver coins to rent a kitchen from the cooking trainer NPC for half an hour, which also provided some privacy.
“Stay put, and there will be something delicious soon.” Ran Qi placed the little dragon cub on the edge of the stove and gently tapped its tiny nose.
“Ji!” The little dragon let out a soft, milky voice in response, then obediently lay still.
The meat in the game had no unpleasant odor, and was clean, hygienic, and of excellent quality, saving Ran Qi from many of the usual preparation steps.
The following steps were easy. Ran Qi coated the large ribs with a sauce made from honey and a mix of seasonings, then placed them in the oven. In just three to five minutes, he was rewarded with a large, beautifully colored rack of ribs, glistening with juicy, flavorful meat.
[System] Congratulations, player! You have successfully developed a new type of food. Please provide a name.
“Honey-glazed ribs.”
[System Announcement] Congratulations to player [Anonymous] for developing new food item [Honey-glazed Ribs]. You have gained 100 points of global reputation and received [Physical Exchange Coupon *1].
[World] Cain: ??? Another new type of food? What’s going on? Is it really that easy to develop new food items? Maybe I should learn a cooking skill too!
[World] Jia Tu: I think I have a guess about who made it, but I won’t say.
[World] Twilight: What’s the point of guessing? That person turned off private messages and friend requests from strangers, so we can’t contact the person at all!
[World] Bear Hardship with Equanimity: Who are you all talking about? Are you brave enough to tell me a name?
[World] No Happiness: Since the person chose to remain anonymous, it means the person doesn’t want anyone to know. Of course, they won’t tell you their name; otherwise, they’ll upset the big shot and won’t get to eat good food in the future…
[World] Misty: Please, big shot, put it up for sale quickly! I’m already posing in front of the Trading Hall!
“Oh my God, just hearing the name makes it sound so delicious that I can’t help but start drooling!” Soul Chaser said on the team channel. “Big Shot Bai Ran, I want two servings!!!”
“Ranran! Make a few more servings and bring them over!” Gu Le shouted loudly.
Ran Qi had no choice but to respond to these foodies. “Got it!”
However, the aroma of the honey-glazed ribs was simply too tempting. As a chef, Ran Qi felt he should taste it first.
He sliced the ribs open to reveal a tender pink interior, and a rich aroma wafted up with the steam. Taking a bite, the succulent juices burst forth, the savory flavor of the lean meat blending perfectly with the rich fat of the pork, while the sweet sauce instantly captivated his taste buds.
“Jiji!” The little dragon cub, who had been patiently nestled by the stove, couldn’t resist the tempting aroma any longer. It stood up, watching Ran Qi eat with eager anticipation, making anxious noises as it stumbled over, flapping its tiny wings and letting out soft cries of “Jiji! Jiji!”
While eating, Ran Qi opened his skill panel and, using simple crafting, made over thirty plates of honey-glazed ribs in one go. He then placed one of the plates in front of the little dragon cub.
“Eat.”
The little dragon cub’s eyes lit up, and with a ‘Woo!’ it pounced on the plate, its tiny, sharp baby teeth crunching right through the ribs, including the bones.
After finishing his portion of the ribs, Ran Qi wiped his hands and began preparing the mushroom-braised chicken, tomato-braised beef brisket, and stir-fried pork with chili pepper.
Dishes like braised chicken and stewed beef brisket usually take a long time to prepare, requiring a boil over high heat followed by a slow simmer, typically taking at least an hour in real life. However, since the cooking times for frying, sauteing, and boiling were significantly shortened by the system, the three new dishes were ready in no time.
After following the usual procedure for naming and choosing to remain anonymous, three system announcements quickly stirred up a frenzy among the players.
[System Announcement] Congratulations to player [Anonymous] for developing a new food item [Mushroom-Braised Chicken]. You have gained 100 points of global reputation and received [Physical Exchange Coupon *1].
[System Announcement] Congratulations to player [Anonymous] for developing a new food item [Tomato-Braised Beef Brisket]. You have gained 100 points of global reputation and received [Physical Exchange Coupons*1].
[System Announcement] Congratulations to player [Anonymous] for developing a new food item [Stir-Fried Pork with Chili Pepper]. You have gained 100 points of global reputation and received [Physical Exchange Coupons*1].
[World] Nocturnal Sky:??? GM, I suspect someone is using a cooking hack! Unless you let me taste it!
[World] Cain: Can you open one and let me see? I think this must be the big shot who works as a star chef in Natural Star! Otherwise, how could it be so powerful? He must be a famous chef…
[World] Clear Sky: Is this the big shot that makes scallion pancakes?
[World] In a Few Words: I don’t think so. The difficulty of making scallion pancakes isn’t actually that high. Our guild already has some Life players who have explored the recipe; they just often fail because they’re not very skilled yet! The expert you’re mentioning is making mostly meat dishes and is at a higher level, so it’s clear from the item info that it’s not the same level!
[World] Tao Yaoyao: I agree. My sister also tried making scallion pancakes herself. Although most of her attempts turned out burnt or charred, which the system deemed as cutting corners, she did succeed once! Being able to instantly make four types of grade Food like that definitely means they are a star chef from the Natural Star!
[World] Wu Niu: That makes sense. It can’t be the same person; otherwise, it would be too outrageous! How long has it been? They went from simple little pancakes to a grade-A meat feast!
Seeing the conversation in the World Channel, Ran Qi realized that the food he had made this time had been rated as Grade A by the system, and their attributes had significantly improved.
Honey-glazed Ribs could increase magic attack by 80 points, Mushroom-Braised Chicken could enhance physical attack by 80 points, Tomato Braised Beef Brisket could improve healing effectiveness by 80 points, and Stir-Fried Pork with Chili Pepper could boost movement speed by 20%, all lasting for 30 minutes, which was twice the duration of Grade B food.
The attributes of the four dishes nearly covered the needs of all types of professions. As long as he put these food items up for sale, they would undoubtedly attract countless eager buyers.
As for the players’ guesses about the creator, Ran Qi was more than happy to let them misinterpret. In the interstellar age, resources were scarce, and 99% of people relied on nutrient solutions as food. However, there was still 1% of the population that could enjoy natural food. On the Natural Star, specialized research institutes were cultivating natural ingredients and exotic beast meats, but due to their limited quantity and high prices, few could afford them.
Interstellar chefs were those who specialized in cooking with these natural ingredients. Ran Qi’s rich father, a billionaire, occasionally bought some natural food and hired interstellar chefs to prepare meals. If Ran Qi claimed that he had figured it out himself after eating these foods, it could be considered reasonable. Therefore, he wasn’t actually afraid of being exposed; he just wanted to avoid the trouble of dealing with others who might have ulterior motives in getting close to him or trying to win him over.
He could easily claim that his cooking skills were learned by watching Interstellar Chefs a few times, and then he made innovations by applying what he learned. If anyone insisted on digging deeper, he could simply attribute it to his exceptional talent. After all, no one would suspect that he was actually a person from Earth thousands of years ago.
However, he didn’t expect so many people to start imitating his scallion pancakes…
But he wasn’t too surprised, as the method for making scallion pancakes was quite simple. After having eaten them a few times, one could guess the general ingredients, and with some experimentation, anyone could eventually succeed in making them.
He went to the Trading Hall and searched for ‘scallion pancakes’, and indeed found some items like [A bit burnt Scallion Pancakes], [Scallion Pancakes without Salt], and [Tough-to-bite Scallion Pancakes], among others.
These peculiar scallion pancakes were all rated as Grade C, and their item descriptions uniformly labeled them as defective products, with attributes halved and duration reduced to 8 minutes. While his scallion pancakes sold for 20 silver coins each, these defective ones only cost 2 silver coins each. So even though their taste was poor, their low price and additional attributes still attracted many buyers.
Ran Qi didn’t mind these at all; after all, if they could learn it, that was their skill.
However, the attributes of the food he made this time were unexpectedly good. Ran Qi was unsure how to price the unexpectedly high-quality food items he had just made, so he decided to put five of each type up for auction in the Trading Hall.
The Trading Hall offered two types of transaction methods: one was a fixed-price consignment, and the other was an auction. Sellers could consign items to the Trading Hall, setting a minimum price and a time limit. During this period, the highest bidder would receive the item. After deducting a 5% handling fee, the remaining funds would be settled to the seller via email. If no one bids, the item would be returned to the seller through email.
Ran Qi set a starting price of 1 gold and specified a 12-hour auction duration before leaving the Trading Hall.
******
When Ran Qi arrived at the entrance of the Blackstone Mine to meet with Night Owl and the others, those guys, ignoring the monsters they were fighting, rushed over to demand food. Fortunately, Night Owl was reliable and quickly killed off the low-health monsters.
Ran Qi kept a portion for the little dragon cub as snacks and distributed the rest to them.
“Ahhhh, this smells amazing!”
With the delicious food in front of them, everyone completely forgot about the attributes and just indulged in the feast!
Ran Qi noticed that Night Owl had chosen the Stir-Fried Pork with Chili Pepper this time. He wasn’t sure where Night Owl had gotten a spoon, but he was digging in directly. The combination of the fragrant and spicy chili with the tender, appetizing pork was delightful and not greasy at all. If only it could be paired with some rice, the flavor would be even better. Unfortunately, he hadn’t seen any rice for sale at the grocery store or the Trading Hall, but maybe he could find some in the next main city.
Sensing the aroma of the Stir-Fried Pork with Chili Pepper, Xiao Hei perched on Night Owl’s shoulder suddenly let out a “Jiji!” It flapped its tiny wings desperately, and if the game hadn’t disabled the food-sharing feature, it would have probably lunged straight into the bowl of Stir-Fried Pork.
With a chuckle, Ran Qi walked over, gently lifted Xiao Hei off Night Owl’s shoulder, and placed it in front of four different dishes, allowing it to choose freely.
Xiao Hei wasted no time and immediately buried its head in the bowl of Stir-Fried Pork with Chili Pepper. After quickly cleaning the bowl, it moved on to the Mushroom Braised Chicken.
Xiao Bai had already eaten a portion of the ribs and was now enjoying the tomato-braised beef brisket.
It was clear that the two little ones had completely different tastes: Xiao Hei preferred the spicy flavor, while Xiao Bai enjoyed the sweet and sour taste.
“My goodness, these little guys have quite an appetite!” Plume Ink remarked, noticing Xiao Hei’s astonishing speed of eating.
“These are all Grade A foods, and you’re just feeding them to pets? They should be fine with raw meat, right?” Soul Chaser said while munching on ribs, his words coming out jumbled.
Xiao Hei raised his little head and bared his teeth menacingly at Soul Chaser.
“Hahaha, it actually got angry! So cute!” Gu Le couldn’t help but laugh. “Ranran, it’s a good thing you hatched this pet; otherwise, who could afford to keep such a picky eater with such a big appetite?”
The group continued chatting and laughing while they ate. Night Owl was now enjoying the honey-glazed ribs, indicating that he genuinely liked sweet flavors. He used his long fingers to tear the ribs apart, eating quickly yet elegantly. Even though he was devouring the meat, Night Owl managed to make it feel different from how everyone else was eating.
In contrast, Soul Chaser was also enjoying the honey-glazed ribs but was shoving large chunks into his mouth, getting sauce all over his face, making it quite a sight to behold. After just one glance, Ran Qi quickly turned his attention back to Night Owl.
Once everyone had satisfied their appetites, they all gathered at the entrance of the Blackstone Mine dungeon, where Night Owl initiated the instance.
The terrain inside the Blackstone Mine dungeon was quite complex. Besides the main path visible upon entering, there were numerous branching routes along the way. Bats and goblins lurked in the shadows, ready to ambush any intruders at any moment.
If they were to advance methodically, clearing out waves of smaller monsters bit by bit, it would take an eternity to progress. However, the bats and goblins, despite their speed, don’t have much HP, making them relatively easy to defeat.
So the best strategy was for the two fastest players to run in and lure out all the small monsters hiding in the nooks and crannies, then take them out in one go.
Both the archer and the assassin were fast, but since Soul Chaser and Gu Le had AOE skills, it would have been better for them to handle the follow-up. Therefore, the task of luring the monsters fell to Plume Ink and Sword at Fleeting Time.
Plume Ink and Sword at Fleeting Time had the perfect excuse to eat another plate of Stir-Fried Pork with Chili Pepper that boosted their movement speed. When they went to lure the monsters, their speed was comparable to that of a lightning bolt, and they looked utterly satisfied.
Soul Chaser and Gu Le also took the opportunity to eat some Mushroom Braised Chicken, claiming it was to boost their attack power, but Ran Qi thought they were simply indulging their cravings.
With the status boost, their attack power noticeably increased. Once the small monsters were lured over, they were quickly defeated, making the group feel even more justified in their actions.
“It’s so easy to fight! Brother Ran, the food you made is amazing! We definitely need to keep this good habit!”
