[Congratulations, Host, for completing the mission: Entertain Kanroji Mitsuri. You have received the reward Demon Slayer Breathing Technique, and the reward 2 pairs of Kanroji Mitsuri's knee-high white cotton socks.]
[Detecting that the Host possesses Food Cell - Nine Tails, it is now fusing with Demon Slayer Breathing Technique. Detecting that Demon Slayer Breathing Technique is an ability-type skill, it is now evolving into Tailed Beast Breathing Technique.]
[Evolution complete. Demon Slayer Breathing Technique has evolved into Tailed Beast Breathing Technique.]
[Food Cell - Nine Tails]: Lv5
[Skill Description]: Can increase Food Cell level by consuming high-quality gourmet food. Increasing Food Cell level can strengthen the Host's body and spirit.
[Nine-Tailed Cloak]: Provides a layer of red gaseous cloak, which can increase physical stats by 50%. Consumes bodily energy when used and causes hunger. Eating gourmet food can restore it.
[Tailed Beast Breathing Technique]: Has nine different forms, which need to be unlocked through extensive use, communication, and enlightenment. Currently unlocked Tailed Beast Breathing - First Form. Breathing Technique can be used for cooking.
[Tailed Beast Breathing - First Form - Flash of Inspiration]: Focuses all power on the feet, greatly increasing speed and also improving operational precision.
A series of system prompts left Hoshino Sora stunned. Was the surprise this big? Entertaining a guest actually dropped the Breathing Technique from the Demon Slayer World!?
He took a deep breath, and a profound sensation arose from the depths of his heart. His body was filled with power due to the Breathing Technique.
"Tailed Beast Breathing - First Form - Flash of Inspiration!"
In the throes of emotion, Hoshino Sora murmured, and power seemed to condense in his feet due to his breathing. The next moment, he shot out like lightning.
From the hall to the kitchen, Aka Rika only saw an afterimage flash by, and Hoshino Sora was gone.
As he waved his arms, his hands moved so fast they blurred, and foam flew in the sink.
In less than two minutes, the pots, bowls, and chopsticks that had become somewhat dirty from the recent cooking were instantly clean, and Hoshino Sora stopped his movements at that moment.
"Simply put, both speed and reaction time have greatly improved. Unlike the Nine-Tailed Cloak, the Breathing Technique has stronger endurance, but its corresponding effect is slightly weaker."
After experimenting with the Breathing Technique, Hoshino Sora relaxed. Then, he compared the differences between the Nine-Tailed Cloak and Tailed Beast Breathing Technique. After understanding the differences, he looked up at the kitchen, which had been A new look by his actions, his face filled with pride.
He saved his sisters a lot of trouble.
Wait, did something weird get dropped just now?!
After calming down, Hoshino Sora suddenly seemed to remember something. He frantically pulled out two knee-high white socks from his storage space, and an expression of immense surprise immediately appeared on his face. He then brought them close to examine them carefully and sniffed a few times. The scent was quite strong.
"Perverted Sora."
"When did you get that girl's socks?"
Fifty Arashi Futaba looked at Hoshino Sora, who was frantically sniffing the socks in his hand, with a disdainful gaze. Asaka-nee, who had appeared at the kitchen door at some point, had a surprised expression.
What's going on? There was no sock-removing part in my memory!?
"Cough, cough, these are minor matters, you don't need to worry about them."
Seeing his perverted behavior completely exposed in front of Asaka-nee, Hoshino Sora's expression was a bit awkward, but since they were old friends, despite the awkwardness, he didn't feel it was a big deal.
"We want to too! If you want to smell them, we can give them to you anytime, why do you have to smell other women's? Are our feet not fragrant?"
Taking off her shoes, Rika extended her slender, black-stockinged small foot and slightly lifted it, speaking with a strong hint of jealousy. Her mouth was pouted so high that it was clear Hoshino Sora wouldn't be able to get away with it without some kind of gesture.
"Come over and sit, Asaka-nee, Rika-nee, I will tell you the answer with my actions."
Looking at the small feet in front of him, which had been in shoes all day for their date and were now unbound and full of flavor, and seeing Rika's delicate yet stubborn little face, Hoshino Sora admitted he was craving.
Since he was craving, he would satisfy it.
After having Asaka-nee and Rika-nee sit in the designated spot, Hoshino Sora sat directly on the floor. Looking at Rika, who was wiggling her black-stockinged small feet in front of him, he could no longer resist reaching out and pinching them!
They were fleshy, felt incredibly good, and exuded a rich, stimulating, exciting scent!
"Look at mine too~"
Seeing Rika being so pampered, Asaka, who had been calm, couldn't sit still anymore. With flushed cheeks, she also lifted her foot, extending the sole of her foot to display an alluring posture.
"Look, you can all look!"
Gently taking off Asaka's shoes, Hoshino Sora swallowed, his face showing an intoxicated and infatuated expression. Then, without a word, both feet pressed against his face, and then...
"Has this shop reopened? Chef, have you returned?"
The voice from the doorway made the three people secretly in the kitchen tremble, their faces showing varying degrees of uneasiness. Especially Rika, who, upon hearing the voice, immediately wanted to pull her foot back, but was tightly grasped by the mischievous Hoshino Sora, who pressed hard on a spot that would make her feel comfortable.
"Mmm!"
Feeling Hoshino Sora's action, Rika's eyes widened, and then she hurriedly covered her mouth, preventing the comfortable sound from spreading loudly.
Seizing the opportunity, Asaka deftly pulled her foot back, put on her shoes, and stood up, a gloating expression on her face.
"I'll go greet the guests first."
As she spoke, Asaka bypassed Rika and rushed outside without looking back. Using the excuse of greeting guests, she barely escaped, thus avoiding embarrassment in front of outsiders.
"Senior, isn't it a bit rude for us to just come in like this…"
Fifty Arashi Futaba tugged on Takeuchi Harumi's sleeve, her cheeks slightly flushed. The shop was empty, with no one inside, clearly not officially open, despite the 'Open' sign hanging at the door.
Otherwise, with this shop's customer flow...
Fifty Arashi Futaba thought of the terrifying scene she had witnessed some time ago: it was so crowded that there was no extra space to order, a situation that only improved after the ordering mechanism was reformed later on.
"Coming, coming! Sorry, I was dealing with some things in the kitchen just now. Have you two been waiting long? What would you like to order? Or would you prefer the Chef's recommendation?"
Looking at Takeuchi Harumi and Fifty Arashi Futaba, who were standing at the shop entrance peering in, Asaka first respectfully apologized, then inquired about their needs.
Because they had been busy with their date all morning, Hoshino Sora hadn't had time to prepare the menu, which meant she couldn't offer a menu for them to order from now.
However, what Asaka didn't know was that Hoshino Sora wasn't planning to use a menu for this business venture. He intended to launch an activity: a dish blind box. Simply put, whatever he cooked, the customers would eat.
He planned to serve one dish to five customers, then switch to the next dish. This way, he could ensure quality while also guaranteeing quantity, maximizing efficiency, and allowing every customer to enjoy delicious food!
Of course, multiple dishes could still be ordered. Hoshino Sora could guarantee that each dish would be unique, but the dishes and soups could not be chosen independently; customers could only passively accept the Chef's arrangements.
It sounded like an outrageous rule, but as long as the food tasted good and the soup was delicious enough, even with such an absurd rule, they would gladly accept it. Hoshino Sora had that confidence.
And his purpose in doing this was simple: to cook the dishes he liked, enjoy the fun of cooking, and at the same time find some "tool people" to eat the dishes and pay for the ingredients.
"It's been a long time since I've eaten here. Does the Chef have any recommendations?"
"Today's recommendation is a carb bomb: smoked grilled meat with bread and fried potato chips. If you need, our small shop can also provide ice-cold beer."
The smoked grilled meat was specially prepared for the customers on Sanhe Street. Before opening, Hoshino Sora never imagined that his restaurant would suddenly connect to an Other World, nor did he expect to host guests from other dimensions.
And dealing with guests from other dimensions naturally required different methods, as they would pay high rewards, presenting a clear value difference compared to the customers from this reality.
"Smoked grilled meat, huh? Fifty Arashi Futaba, do you want to eat this? If it's the Chef's recommendation, the taste should be very good."
"I have no problem, the same as Senior is fine."
"Then please give us two portions, one for each, and two glasses of iced beer as well."
Hearing "grilled meat," Takeuchi Harumi's eyes lit up. While wanting to eat it, he asked Fifty Arashi Futaba for her opinion. It must be said that such small details really add points.
And Fifty Arashi Futaba, noticing Takeuchi Harumi's gaze, nodded in agreement. Of course, more importantly, she also wanted to taste Hoshino Sora's cooking again.
The deliciousness of his dishes had long been deeply ingrained in people's hearts!
It used to be truly impossible to get a seat here. Today, they were lucky to have stumbled upon the shop just reopening, otherwise, there might not have been a spot for them.
"Alright, then please wait here for about thirty minutes. Although I prepared in advance, this dish still takes quite some effort to make."
"No worries, please take your time."
Hearing Takeuchi Harumi's words, Hoshino Sora smiled and returned to the kitchen. Rika also left the kitchen as he entered, her cheeks flushed, her eyes carrying a hint of annoyance towards the young man.
Seeing this, Hoshino Sora said nothing, only went about his business, preparing at the cooking station. Guests from the Other World were important, but the guests here could not be ignored either.
As a chef, he had his pride and would dedicate himself to every dish.
Just like this smoked grilled meat in front of him.
First, take out the bone-in beef short ribs that have been slow-cooked at a low temperature for a day and a night. This cooking method can lock in the moisture of the beef as much as possible.
After that, debone it, pour a layer of liquefied cheese, then spread a thick layer of chili powder and various secret spices. This way, this piece of beef can officially join the Sichuan cuisine family.
Looking at the reddish beef in front of him, Hoshino Sora's face showed a satisfied smile. These chili powders didn't have much spiciness; all they could do was enhance the aroma.
But, the visual impact was truly strong.
Smoked grilled meat, as the name suggests, needs to be smoked. And the most suitable wood for smoking is mesquite, which is the wood Tadokoro Megumi used when making smoked bacon in the Elite Ten ranking.
Hoshino Sora has planted quite a few in the Gourmet Manor, but due to time constraints, they cannot be used yet, as they are all small saplings and wouldn't burn for long.
He wouldn't do something as short-sighted as draining the pond to catch all the fish.
Take out the oven, put in the mesquite wood, light it, and smoke at about 180 degrees Celsius. The whole process will last about half an hour to let the meat absorb the fresh aroma of the wood.
Compared to smoking for a long time, Hoshino Sora prefers a half-hour light smoke for a lingering aftertaste, because this method brings out more of the meat's original flavor, with the wood's aroma accounting for only a very small part.
And that day and night of low-temperature slow cooking is the key to replacing the low-temperature slow roasting step, ensuring that every piece of meat is carefully cared for during the roasting process.
When this smoked grilled meat is cut open, it will reveal tender, soft red meat, making it melt in your mouth for an excellent texture. Both the visual and taste impact are extremely astonishing!
While waiting, you can bake bread and fry potato chips. Baking bread is very simple, and Hoshino Sora is quite experienced at it. Since it needs to be paired with delicious smoked grilled meat, this bread doesn't need much content; a simple baguette is perfectly sufficient.
Just bake it slightly charred and hard; this will greatly improve the texture when eaten, especially when paired with the grilled meat.
As for fried potato chips, the method is even simpler: thick slices of potato, frozen overnight, coated with a layer of starch, and dropped into a boiling hot oil pan. No excessive processing is needed.
This ensures the soft interior of the potato while also guaranteeing a crispy exterior, making it arguably the best way to pair with this smoked grilled meat.
After coming out of the pan, the fried potato chips are put into a large bowl, sprinkled with cumin and chili powder, and tossed a few times. This completes a serving of extremely crispy fried potato chips.
"Time to assemble."
As the oven dinged, and the fried potato chips were evenly tossed, Hoshino Sora murmured to himself. Then he opened the oven and casually tossed the freshly baked bread into the air.
The next moment, the young man's knife flashed, and the bread was sliced into thick pieces, falling evenly onto a wooden tray, occupying two-fifths of its space.
Then came the alert sound from the grill. Hoshino Sora immediately stepped forward and lifted the lid. The chili powder on the smoked grilled meat had turned charred black, and the whole thing was emitting a rich meaty aroma with a faint smoky scent. Its appearance and condition were simply perfect!
"Gulp."
Even though he had just finished dinner, Hoshino Sora felt a bit hungry looking at such grilled meat. However, he still resisted. These were for the guests; he couldn't snatch food from them.
He scraped off the charred layer from the surface of the smoked grilled meat with a knife, then sliced it thinly and spread it evenly on the bread slices. Besides that, he also cut the remaining small half into meat chunks. The texture difference between thin slices and meat chunks was quite significant, offering multiple experiences in different forms.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, smoked grilled meat set meal."
Carrying two super-sized portions of smoked grilled meat set meals to the dining table, Hoshino Sora's face was filled with generosity.
"Look, look! It's so magnificent, Senior!"
"I see it, Fifty Arashi Futaba, but it's truly amazing! This huge plate of grilled meat! The visual impact is simply too strong!"
And seeing such large portions of grilled meat, Takeuchi Harumi and Fifty Arashi Futaba's faces were filled with surprise.
"Welcome."
"Has this shop reopened? Chef, why didn't you promote it? We old customers didn't even know. If it weren't for passing by today, who knows how many times we would have missed it!
Is that on the table your new dish? Can I get a portion?"
As he spoke, the bell at the door jingled, and Rika stepped forward to greet him. The newcomer was a middle-aged uncle past fifty. As he entered, he saw the smoked grilled meat on Takeuchi Harumi's table.
The plump meat chunks, the golden crispy fried potato chips, the fragrant bread—all exuded an enticing aroma that made those who smelled it drool, making them eager to taste it immediately!
"It's not that I didn't have time, it just opened tonight. Uncle Yamada, please sit and wait a moment, the second batch will be ready soon."
"No problem, I have plenty of time. I must eat your cooking today!"
Seeing the second customer enter, Hoshino Sora's face broke into a smile. It seemed he had returned to reality from the Other World. He still didn't know what the rules were behind this.
Never mind, he'd study it slowly; the summer vacation was still long anyway.
Obtaining the Nine-Tailed Cloak and Tail Beast Breathing today was already a great gain. To crave for better things would be a bit greedy.
Hoshino Sora thought so, then noticed the fourth and fifth customers at the door. Looking closely, it turned out that the aroma wafting from the shop had attracted passersby.
More and more customers gathered towards his shop. The aroma of smoked grilled meat was still very enticing, especially when the shop door was open, allowing the scent to drift down the street.
Whether they knew about the shop or not, upon smelling such an appetite-stimulating aroma, they couldn't help but look in the direction of the shop and then move their feet.
When they came to their senses, they were astonished to find themselves already inside the shop.
One smoked grilled meat set meal after another was brought to the tables. Hoshino Sora quickly found that the restaurant was becoming oversubscribed, so he decisively launched other products.
Curry lamb, Kung Pao shrimp, Spicy Chicken, Saliva Chicken, sweet and sour pork ribs, and other quick-to-make dishes, because only this way could he satisfy the sudden increase in customer traffic.
Although the rule of random pairing sounded absurd, because every customer was informed of the rule before dining, everyone found it novel and didn't say anything.
Whatever the boss cooked, they would eat. They had finally waited for Hoshino Sora to come back; there was no way they would let him go now! Otherwise, where else could they eat such delicious and affordable food?
"Tail Beast Breathing · First Form · Flash of Inspiration."
Taking a deep breath, Hoshino Sora in the kitchen moved at high speed, simultaneously processing ingredients and cooking, at an astonishing pace.
If anyone were to enter the kitchen at this moment, they would surely be shocked. Hoshino Sora would not stay in one place for more than two seconds before moving to the next, repeating this pattern.
It was a good thing his stamina was incredible; an ordinary person, even with such speed, would probably collapse from exhaustion very quickly.
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