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Inside a room,
Having been guided by the people of the temple inside, Lev found himself inside a particular room together with an elderly man of short height with a stout body who wore traditional Chinese clothing. He has a round and simple face, wearing small round glasses that conceal his eyes and a scruffy mustache that conceals his mouth. He has permed orange hair and appears to either be shaved or balding at the top.
"Hohoho. I didn't think you would come here, Chef Lev. I never thought that there would be a day when the famous owner of the Infinity Castle Restaurant would visit this place. It's just so perfect that you came here before breakfast. Well, can I ask a favor to see how amazing you are in the kitchen? You don't have to worry about the ingredients as we all have in stock." Chinchin, head of the Shokurin Temple and also one of the Gourmet Living Legends, shamelessly said while looking at Lev.
Lev, on the other hand, felt too surprised upon seeing him. It was their first time seeing each other, and yet he immediately heard him saying something like wanting to eat. Well, it's not like he was complaining, as he was excited instead about what kind of ingredients they have in this place.
"It would be my honor to cook within this place." Lev replied with a smile before standing up and Chinchin did the same as they started heading towards the kitchen. He then just wondered what was happening to Sia and the others now, since, unlike him, who passed through the place with ease, they were all stuck at the entrance.
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In the Kitchen,
Right at this moment, Lev could be found mesmerized by the luminescent golden orb that was sparkling like a gem in front of him shining through his eyes. He never once thought of getting his hands on the Bubble Fruits right after coming through this place. He, however, was quite nervous knowing that it was an ingredient that was difficult to cook even for those who had mastered Food Honor.
"Is it really all right for me to prepare this ingredient?" Lev suddenly asked while looking at the Bubble Fruit in front of him. Though he kind of understood the concept of Food Honor, it was still his first time learning it, so we were not sure if he was capable of cooking the ingredients right now.
"Hohoho. That's not the question, Chef Lev. The correct question is, can you cook it?" Chinchin looked at Lev seriously with a faint smile on his face. Yes, he admits that Lev was a Chef who was known as the best since he also has eaten his cooking but none of that will help him cook the special ingredient 'Bubble Fruit'.
"Hahahaha. That's right." Lev couldn't help but smile after hearing Chinchin since what he said was right. After that, he looked at the Bubble Fruit again as he took out a kitchen knife that he got from Melk the Second before closing his eyes. He felt like it was now time to test out his newly learned skill on this fruit, but before that, he needed to understand more about Food Honor.
[Food Honor + 1]
[Food Honor + 1]
[Food Honor + 1]
[Food Honor + 1]
[Food Honor + 1]
Seeing Lev's condition, Chinchin then just smiled before leaving the place. He couldn't help but feel admiration while looking at him seeing him suddenly forgetting to cook as he indulged himself on Food Honor instead.
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---Night---
In the kitchen,
Time flows quickly and the sun has already set. It was only natural for the place to turn on the light, and yet the place was still dark since the only thing that kept the place bright was because of the shining Bubble Fruit on the plate inside.
Looking closely, a man could be found inside right in front of the Bubble Fruit. It was Lev who was still immersed in learning Food Honor that he didn't even notice the passage of time and the fact that his long hair had grown much longer, seeing it beautifully lying on the floor.
Not before long, Lev suddenly opened his eyes from which a faint smile appeared on his face. He didn't even bother about his surroundings as he looked at the Bubble Fruit in front of him before moving his hand holding the Kitchen Knife.
After that, Lev finally started cooking the fruit seeing his hands moving like they were playing a piano. The place even started shining brightly as the Bubble Fruit lit up every time his knife cut, sliced, and peeled the fruit all the while secreting a scent that would make anyone drool.
Without anyone disturbing him, Lev cooked the fruit seriously without knowing the situation that was happening outside, but it didn't last long before the door of the place opened forcefully, and a group of people entered with their eyes and mouths open.
Time passed, and half an hour passed by, everyone inside including Lev was immediately blinded by a very shining light, but it didn't take long before it vanished, and everyone then looked at what was placed on the table.
[Cooking has leveled up.]
[Cooking has reached the Saint Level]
[Additional add-on skill has been acquired.]
[Taste Evolution
Tier: 1
Type: Passive
Description: Any food that the host cooks will not just become capable of easing everyone's mind and making things clearer, but also has the capability of healing diseases all the while having the capability of strengthening and evolving one's body. (Note: All these things would be possible after continuous eating.)]
Lev didn't expect to level up his cooking skill to Tier 8 and gained another add-on skill once again. He then was about to check it out when suddenly he saw several people running towards him or more specifically towards the food that he had just cooked on the table.
"Tomu. Kohiruimaki. Shir. Shouji. I have something important to talk about with Lev right now. Please go outside." Chinchin said while looking at the pudding shining in front of him. Though he said so very seriously, the drool in his mouth couldn't stop flowing out.
On the other hand, Toriko, Komatsu, Sia, and Shuu completely lost themselves as if they hadn't heard what Chinchin said seeing their eyes were completely glued on the shining pudding on the plate with their drool flowing out of their mouths.
Seeing the four of them still in place, Chinchin didn't have a choice but to use force as his aura alone pushed them back before using a skill as he scooped the pudding and put it inside his mouth. With that, a moment of silence then occupied the place before the sound of fabric tearing could be heard.
Chinchin, who had just eaten the pudding, scooped all the remaining pudding on the plate and put it inside his mouth before his body bulged with big and strong shining muscles. His bald head has even started growing to the point that it has reached the floor. That is the kind of reaction he has upon eating the pudding.
"What's the name of the dish?" Chinchin looked at Lev and asked. He couldn't help but feel honored and blessed to eat such delicious food in his life and he wanted to remember what name it had so he could forget it.
"It's called Bubble Pudding." Lev with his surprised eyes answered Chinchin. He couldn't help but wonder if it was really that good, but just seeing how Chinchin had transformed then he felt like it was that good enough to show such a reaction.
"O-Old Man!!! H-How could you eat everything!!"
"Master!! You're too cruel!!"
"I-It's all gone!! T-the pudding is all gone!!"
After that, everyone immediately reacted seeing Toriko keep on trying to open the mouth of Chinchin together with a man named Shuu while Komatsu held the plate with his face completely filled with a hopeless expression on it.
On the other hand, Sia was already in front of Lev looking at him with the very cute and pitiful expression that she could make on her face. She also felt devastated by the fact that she didn't even have a small bite after Chinchin ate it all by himself.
Lev couldn't help but smile wryly before noticing that it was already night. He then just looked at himself and saw his hair all over the place and he finally decided that it was now time to cut it and get a cleanup once and for all.
After that, Lev and Chinchin had dinner together, and of course, it was Lev who cooked everything leaving Toriko, Komatsu, and Sia in great frustration thinking that they couldn't eat proper food as they were still in training. They could only focus all their frustration and give their best on training so they could finally join them in the dining table.
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---The next day---
Disappearing Cuisine,
Disappearing Cuisine is a 10-star restaurant famous for its disappearing building located in the Lost Forest, and it is owned and run by Chef Chiru, one of the top 100 chefs in the world. Right now, Lev could be found inside this place eating the restaurant's specially cooked ingredients like Million Tomato, Kelp Sake, Sunshine Cheese, Star Rice, etc.
After staying at Shokurin Temple for a day, Lev has finally concluded his purpose of coming to the place. He did not just learn about Food Honor and got the ingredient Bubble Fruit, but also leveled up his cooking skill to the next realm. As he no longer had anything to do in the place, he decided to leave and planned on using the vast forest to train his other skills.
'I'll just wait here until Sia and the others are done. Now that I think about it, the Bishokukai will visit that place soon. That would be a great training for her.' Lev thought while eating. Since Sia was still not done with the training, he couldn't just leave her in that place after he told her to take her time to get stronger.
Not long after that, Lev then just made his hand up from which a tall light-skinned young woman wearing a very concealing scarlet-colored shinobi shōzoku that covered her entire face minus her eyes appeared immediately in front of him while having a very expectant gaze in her eyes.
"Is the food to your liking, Lev-san." Chiru, the owner of the restaurant, immediately asked upon seeing Lev calling her. She was still a little nervous upon suddenly having him as a customer in her restaurant. All this time, she continued to watch him secretly and could not stop herself from thinking if her skills were enough to satiate his palate.
"The food is great, and I would like to order some more." Lev replied with a smile as the food really was great. He doesn't know why but somehow, he becomes gluttonous after coming to this world as he feels like he doesn't seem to be full despite eating so much already.
Hearing Lev, Chiru couldn't help but smile widely though it couldn't be seen because her face was covered. It was her eyes showing a very happy emotion seeing it shine after hearing such a compliment from none other than Lev, the owner of the legendary restaurant, Infinity Castle Restaurant.
"By the way, I planned on staying around the place for a while. I wonder if you have some spare room in this place?" Lev then immediately followed up. Though he could just build a tent or something, he found it a hustle and thought of staying in this place instead. Aside from having a safe and quiet place to sleep, he could also eat delicious meals all the time.
"O-Of course we have. I'll immediately prepare the room." Chiru, upon hearing Lev's inquiry, immediately accepts without thinking. She didn't know why he wanted to stay in this place, but she felt like it was an opportunity to observe him really closely, and maybe she would learn something one or two from him.
With that, Lev then finally settled all his lodgings all the while being guided and introduced by Chiru to the place. He also used this time to learn more about cooking since he doesn't know when his skill will level up again as there are only a couple of worlds that solely focus on cooking, and he doubts if there is one among them of this caliber.