Chapter 388
Yuxun Ge said, "No, don’t listen to Tu Lan’s nonsense. Back then, I had a lot of ideas that hadn’t fully formed yet... In any case, I contracted you to use you, but alchemy isn’t going to work; I have to rely on myself."
With that, she threw herself back into her experiments.
One of the main sauces had her stuck for nine days. The same steps, the same ingredients, the same heat—B8017913 recorded Yuxun Ge’s endless repetitions with a curious precision.
And she was adamant about not changing anything. Even after failing thousands of times over those nine days, she remained convinced: "It’s this step, it’s this recipe; it can’t be wrong."
Stubborn, obstinate! Her confidence bordered on arrogance!
This was a far cry from the humble and cautious Zai Jiu Xun Ge that Tu Lan described, who would never be proud or haughty.
But on the tenth day, she succeeded.
What was the problem?
Yuxun Ge shook her head. "I can’t explain it, really can’t."
Just like when Shen Yu Shi cooked, she had watched him sprinkle seasonings in the courtyard countless times. Did he ensure the same amount every time?
Absolutely not! Yet, the dishes he made always received the same high ratings, always tasted just as good.
A fool would obsess over the slightest differences; a genius wouldn’t. Genius is just two words—intuition.
She drizzled the sauce over the main dish.
In that instant, the Crimson Flame Crispy Fish Roll burst forth in a golden glow.
B8017913’s mechanical voice echoed in Yuxun Ge’s mind: "What! So you really are a top-tier chef!"
Yuxun Ge: "..."
She didn’t have time to retort; her mind was entirely focused on that Crimson Flame Crispy Fish Roll.
The outer layer contained three types of magical ingredients: Devil’s Leaf, Flame Tail Stamen, and Autumn Fire Silk.
Only in the center was the fish meat.
What she had just created wasn’t merely a sauce; it was a new type of potion she had developed specifically for this dish.
Its purpose was to neutralize the bitterness and spiciness of the Devil’s Leaf, the burning sensation of the Flame Tail Stamen, and the toughness of the Autumn Fire Silk.
She aimed to either balance, suppress, or soften these characteristics until they blossomed in the diner’s mouth at the moment of tasting, releasing their flavors with every bite.
**Crimson Flame Crispy Fish Roll** Rating (★): After consumption, Intelligence +888, all fire-based skill damage doubled. With each hit on an opponent, a flame tornado will emerge to fight for you. Its damage will be determined by your Intelligence, and its attack speed by your Agility. It will fight alongside you until your demise, lasting for 5 minutes.
The rating was no longer just a number; it was like the stars in the world’s graveyard.
B8017913 explained, "This is already a delicacy; a simple rating doesn’t do it justice."
Yuxun Ge: "At most a few stars."
B8017913: "Seven stars."
Yuxun Ge let out a slow breath, suppressing the joy bubbling within her.
She lit the stove again.
A little over ten minutes later, another Crimson Flame Crispy Fish Roll, rated at one star (★), was placed before her.
Only then did Yuxun Ge smile. "I really want to see the expressions on Hufflepuff and Fan Xiangxiang’s faces when they see this dish."
**Chapter 505: Divine Game: Nonsense Restaurant 20**
The sound of the Octopus Barrel filled the room. In the past, it only responded when Yuxun Ge requested extra time, but now it said, "Not bad, you’ve been promoted."
Yuxun Ge: ?
So you’ve been looking to optimize me out all along?! Even after teaming up, I could still be replaced?
Octopus Barrel: "Do you need extra time?"
Yuxun Ge: "Yes! I want to elevate all 85 dishes to delicacy level."
Octopus Barrel: "Alright."
Then the countdown in the room jumped by 190 days, without considering whether Yuxun Ge could handle such a long period of solitude.
Yuxun Ge was curious. "Is this competition really that important?"
Octopus Barrel: "I don’t like losing."
Yuxun Ge felt the octopus wasn’t being entirely truthful, but what could she do? After thanking her boss, she continued her research on potion cuisine.
She didn’t know what the octopus wanted; she only knew she had to ensure she wouldn’t be kicked out of the team. Being able to team up with the Octopus Barrel was definitely more beneficial than harmful.
From time to time, the Octopus Barrel would add magical ingredients or food items that Yuxun Ge hadn’t specifically requested, likely things it found outside.
Yuxun Ge welcomed them all and boldly experimented, sometimes unhesitatingly overturning her previous menus.
When she said she wanted to elevate all 85 dishes to delicacy level, it wasn’t just to use the space to fool the Octopus Barrel; she had to increase her value within the team.
Only by doing so could she push back the moment she was besieged...
After 190 days, the only one she could chat with was B8017913.
Sometimes she felt as if she had returned to the tower, where she often found a skilled chef, apprenticed, and cooked day after day.
At times, when she wanted to practice alchemy, she would escape with Tu Lan, hiding deep in the Forest Sea, finding a secluded spot to conceal herself.
But those years, she had Tu Lan by her side; now, it was a mechanical being.
Its emotions were quite rich, yet Yuxun Ge knew that most of its feelings—no, 99% of its emotions—were simulated.
In rare moments, it would show a clumsy, confused side, mumbling to itself before falling silent. Yuxun Ge always felt that might be the time that truly belonged to B8017913.
Like the time when a phone or computer screen goes black, it was in thought, not just working or running.
B8017913 loved to talk to her, and Yuxun Ge never stopped it; instead, she allowed B8017913 to interrupt her freely, even to find ways to distract her.
Because the environment she cooked in outside would definitely not be as quiet and safe as this space.
The cooking competition would surely be lively. She had the skill **Top-tier Chef? Top-tier Chef!**, which could hard-control other players for three seconds at critical moments to create chaos. Other players could also use their means to disrupt her.
Cold dishes, hot dishes, soups, snacks, staples, drinks—she didn’t know the process of the cooking competition, so Yuxun Ge prepared as thoroughly as possible.
The ingredients kidnapped by the Octopus Barrel included only a single Tingzhou Mirror Goose, so she designed the menu according to a banquet process. But beyond that, Yuxun Ge had to prepare more.
So after all 85 dishes reached delicacy level, she glanced at the time—over three hundred days left—and began designing more varieties of dishes.
B8017913: "Aren’t you going to try creating two-star delicacies?"
Yuxun Ge: "No, one star is already my limit. My alchemy isn’t strong enough; I need to reach master level first."
Be confident when it’s time to be confident, and be rational when it’s time to be rational.
Yuxun Ge seized the time to research three more dishes, along with two types of snacks and five types of fast food.
However, the snacks and fast food were all prepared for when she returned to the food street to open a restaurant, using ingredients other than the Tingzhou Mirror Goose.
She couldn’t possibly let the Tingzhou Mirror Goose become a permanent resident in their restaurant.
She was willing, but the Tingzhou Mirror Goose probably wouldn’t be.
As the countdown neared its end, Yuxun Ge felt a bit regretful.
The kitchen before her quickly faded, and when she opened her eyes again, she found herself back on the Octopus Barrel’s back, her legs still bound by its tentacles, while Mai Mang Xie Xie had regained its freedom, flying beside her.
Their group was now in an extremely quiet marketplace.
Stalls lined the ground and sky, spaced far apart, with all sorts of bizarre players and cosmic beings weaving through, shopping in silence.
Being the cautious person she was, surrounded by such quietness, Yuxun Ge’s first instinct was that since there was no sound here, she shouldn’t make any noise either. She looked at Mai Mang Xie Xie, who was also looking at her.
She had spent 1200 days in the space, which translated to only 1200 seconds in the outside world—just 20 minutes.
But Mai Mang Xie Xie had already accumulated quite a few wounds.
Mai Mang Xie Xie waved its claw, and Yuxun Ge instantly understood what this internet-addicted crab meant. She opened the leaderboard and found Mai Mang Xie Xie’s message in the chat.
**Mai Mang·Xie Xie**: What a pity, why aren’t you talking?
**Zai Jiu·Xun Ge**: Are there rules here too?
**Mai Mang·Xie Xie**: Yeah.
**Zai Jiu·Xun Ge**: Care to share?
**Mai Mang·Xie Xie**: Not really.
**Zai Jiu·Xun Ge**: I guessed as much. I curse you.
Mai Mang Xie Xie probably wouldn’t mind if she died a few times; after all, it could respawn, and it wouldn’t affect the cooking competition. Plus, if she died in the marketplace, the Octopus Barrel wouldn’t blame it.
Yuxun Ge scrolled through the previous chat records to see if there had been any new information exchanged during her absence.
There were messages about finding people, requests for ingredients, arguments, and even offers to buy **chefs**.
Here, **chefs** could indeed be "transferred," but voluntarily leaving the team would incur a death penalty, and if the captain kicked out a **chef** after forming a team, they would also face a death penalty.
However, compared to the initial death penalty, the fear of losing the qualification to participate in the competition and run a restaurant was far worse. So now, the prices for **chefs** in the chat channel were skyrocketing.
There were also newbies asking what the difference was between cosmic beings and players, but no big shots were willing to answer.
Yuxun Ge actually wanted to ask, but fortunately, she now had customer service.
Yuxun Ge: "Is there a difference between cosmic beings and players?"
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