Chapter 355: Epic Upgrade
As Qi Han submitted his quest, the Promotion Quest interface in the quest panel instantly changed.
[Promotion Quest: Innovation and Refinement (Completed)]
Quest Rewards: Spirit Power +2 levels (Claimable), 3× 3 Star Optional Recipe Fragments (Claimable), 1× 3 Star Random Recipe Drop (Claimable), Promotion Title: Intermediate Chef & associated privileges (Claimable)
Hiss…
Seeing rewards far more generous than he had expected, Qi Han's face lit up with excitement.
Originally, he was just aiming for an 80-point reward—gaining two spirit power levels, and combining two new fragments with the seven he already had to exchange for a 3 Star recipe of his choice.
But now he has scored a 90-point reward. Not only did he get an extra 3 Star Optional Recipe Fragments, but also a 3 Star Random Recipe Drop.
The extra fragment would require eight more to be usable, so it wasn't immediately helpful, but that random 3 Star recipe? That was a tangible benefit.
Grinning, Qi Han first claimed the spirit power reward. As waves of warmth surged through his body, his spirit power level jumped from 42 straight to 44.
After reaching the fourth ring, each level-up brought a greater increase in cultivation. This two-level boost raised his spirit power by nearly 30%, making him even stronger than before.
Next, Qi Han casually claimed the 3 Star Optional Recipe Fragments. Seeing that he now had ten of them, he looked very pleased.
He could exchange them for a 3 Star recipe anytime now, but he wasn't in a rush. On one hand, he still had plenty of recipes to practice. On the other, since this was a rare chance to choose his own recipe, he wanted to spend some time researching and pick one with the best value.
Shifting his gaze away from the fragments, Qi Han took a deep breath and selected the 3 Star Random Recipe Drop.
A flash of purple light lit up. A purple roulette wheel suddenly appeared in the system space, spinning until the pointer stopped and the result zoomed in before Qi Han.
3 Star Recipe: Charcoal Baked Sea Snail
Besides the Jixi Yipin Pot already activated in the system space, this became the fourth 3 Star recipe Qi Han had obtained.
Jiangnan Hundred-Flower Chicken, Yanjing Roast Duck, Furong Chicken Slices, and now Charcoal Baked Sea Snail.
In addition to those, he had already learned Dinghu Shangsu and had just begun training on Jixi Yipin Pot, neither of which had been added to his menu yet. By the looks of it, he wouldn't have to worry about new dishes for a while.
And that's not even counting the three 2 Star recipes he hadn't started yet, and the 4 Star recipe, Peony Fish Fillet, which unlocks at five rings.
Too many recipes can be a bit of a headache too, honestly.
Letting out a sigh with a very Versailles flavor, Qi Han then claimed the final reward from the Promotion Quest—
Intermediate Chef & associated privileges
As the last reward was claimed, the Promotion Quest vanished instantly. The previously locked new Main Quest and Side Quests, which hadn't been triggered because of the Promotion Quest, popped up right then and there.
[Main Quest 8: 100 Days of Perseverance]
[Please operate your business for 100 consecutive days without requesting leave, arriving late, or leaving early.
Quest Description: Due to your repeated absences causing dissatisfaction among your customers, this quest aims to teach you the importance of consistency.
Quest Rewards: Spirit Power +2 levels, 1× 4 Star Random Recipe Drop, 5× 3 Star Optional Recipe Fragments]
[Side Quest 7: Overtime, Host!]
[Please maintain breakfast and late-night operations for 30 days.
Quest Description: Now that you've obtained the right to expand and renovate as an Intermediate Chef, it's time to bring breakfast and midnight snacks to the people of the Douluo Continent!
Quest Rewards: Spirit Power +2 levels, 3× 3 Star Optional Recipe Fragments]
What the—
Just as Qi Han was about to look into the privileges of being an Intermediate Chef, he caught a glimpse of the two new quests that had suddenly appeared—his train of thought immediately derailed.
Just what kind of ruthless quests are these?!
Operate continuously for 100 days?
Overtime?!
"You're doing this on purpose, aren't you, Ru Yi?!" Qi Han stared at the quests before him, dark lines running down his face. The more he looked, the more his heart ached. "Is this really how you treat your host?"
"Me? What did I do?" Ru Yi blinked her big eyes and giggled mischievously. "These quests are super easy, okay?"
Easy...
Well, that's true.
To complete the Side Quest, all he needed to do was sell breakfast and late-night snacks for 30 days—no other requirements.
And for the main quest, all he had to do was stay open for 100 days without taking leave—again, no other demands.
Compared to previous quests, these two did seem much simpler on the surface.
But Qi Han couldn't shake the feeling that there were some hidden traps.
What's more... he had only recently mentioned the idea of breakfast and late-night service during the food festival, and now Ru Yi had already turned it into a quest.
Should he call it keeping up with the times? Or maybe being hyper-aware of trends?
Whatever. The quests were already out—he could only accept his fate.
Qi Han shook his head, finally remembering the question he originally wanted to ask.
"Ru Yi, I remember you said before that Intermediate Chefs get four new privileges." Qi Han paused before continuing, "First, the right to renovate and expand the restaurant; second, the system space time multiplier increases to 240x; third, Random Recipe Drop drops will no longer include 2 Star recipes; and fourth, the second system space gets unlocked. Right?"
"Eh? Is that what I said?" Ru Yi blinked again, her expression playful and mischievous. "Well, there's actually one more~"
"Intermediate Chefs gain the right to directly purchase 1 Star recipes."
"You always leave one out, don't you?" Qi Han deadpanned. He remembered she had done the same thing when he became a junior chef.
"C'mon~ I just wanted to surprise you!" Ru Yi said cheerfully, looking all cute and innocent.
"Fine."
Qi Han couldn't help the excitement rising in his chest.
That really was a surprise.
From now on, he could directly purchase any 1 Star recipe. In other words, as long as he had enough money, he could literally buy the entire 1 Star Recipe Compendium!
Excited by the idea, Qi Han pulled out the recipe compendium and flipped through it. Sure enough, the layout had changed—each dish now had a listed price and a purchase button.
After a few glances, Qi Han silently closed the thick book.
The cheapest one was 10,000 gold coins. Pass.
He could buy them, yes—but affording the whole collection at once? Nowhere near possible for him at the moment.
As for the other Intermediate Chef privileges…
The renovation and expansion rights would allow him to freely modify and enlarge his restaurant, greatly improving efficiency and convenience—especially useful for rolling out breakfast and late-night services.
The enhanced time flow in the system space was even more valuable. A 240x speed multiplier meant he could master recipes far faster than before.
The removal of 2 Star recipes from random drops meant that future Random Recipe Drop drops would only be 3 Star or higher—making them vastly more precious.
Unfortunately, the new Main Quest 8 and Side Quest 7 didn't reward any Random Recipe Drop drops this time.
Finally, the second system space was another game-changer. It meant that he wouldn't be stuck when a high-difficulty dish blocked his current space. He could train multiple recipes in parallel, drastically improving his learning efficiency.
All things considered, this promotion to Intermediate Chef was nothing short of an epic upgrade.
So...
"Ru Yi, now that I've been promoted to Intermediate Chef, I should be able to learn the prerequisites for advancing to Advanced Chef, and the privileges that come with it, right?"
If the Intermediate Chef was already this impressive, what would the Advanced Chef offer?
And what about the ranks beyond that—Master Rank, and ultimately, God Rank?
Qi Han's anticipation surged.
"Of course you can," Ru Yi replied gently. "There are three prerequisites for unlocking the Advanced Chef Promotion Quest."
"First, complete Main Quest 10."
"Second, master fifteen 3 Star recipes and three 4 Star recipes."
"Third, reach Spirit Power Level 70."
Yet again—prerequisites that felt miles out of reach.
But after the leap he'd made with the Intermediate Chef promotion, Qi Han now believed that even goals like these, though distant, were simply stepping stones. He would get there—step by step.
A confident smile appeared on his face as he asked the next question.
"So, what are the privileges of becoming an Advanced Chef?"
"First," Ru Yi began, "Random Recipe Drop drops will no longer include 3 Star recipes."
Just that one line sent a ripple through Qi Han's heart.
So it's true.
By then, random drops would only yield 4 Star recipes—or the legendary 5 Star ones!
"Second, the system space time multiplier increases to 480x."
A day outside would equal more than a year inside.
Qi Han couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement. At that rate, even 3 Star recipes could probably be mastered in a single day.
"Third, you'll gain the ability to purchase 2 Star recipes."
2 Star recipe purchasing rights!
Qi Han's heart stirred with longing. 1 and 2 Star dishes made up the bulk of all recipes. While 3 Star and above were indeed more advanced, their numbers paled in comparison. Once he could freely purchase one- and 2 Star recipes, he could essentially introduce any dish he wanted on demand.
Awesome!
"Fourth," Ru Yi continued, "you'll gain full pricing control for all dishes."
That…
Up until now, aside from his own original creations, Qi Han had no control over the pricing of any menu item in his restaurant. It might not have seemed like a big deal at first, but as a chef, this lack of autonomy had always bothered him.
With this privilege unlocked, he would finally become a truly independent chef.
Another enticing incentive. His yearning for that Advanced Chef rank intensified.
A long moment passed. Ru Yi said nothing else. It seemed that those were all the privileges for Advanced Chefs.
Qi Han squinted at her suspiciously.
"Are you going to surprise me again?"
Ru Yi's innocent smile and teasing tone were anything but reassuring.
"Take a guess~"
<+>
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