The next afternoon, Grandpa's Noodles was quieter than usual.
Only a few customers occupied the wooden tables.
Vash stood near the kitchen entrance, watching Grandma prepare the ingredients.
His eyes kept returning to the recipe book sitting beside her.
Golden Chicken Soup.
He had only begun learning it yesterday.
His current progress was nowhere near mastery.
That didn't bother him.
Golden Noodles had already taught him that mastering a recipe took time.
He had once thought that having a System meant everything would become easy.
Now he understood better.
The System could show him his progress.
It could analyze information.
It could help him notice patterns.
But it couldn't replace practice.
"Vash."
Grandma's voice pulled him from his thoughts.
"Yes?"
"Stop staring and come here."
Vash walked over.
Grandma pointed toward the ingredients.
"Tell me what you remember."
Vash looked carefully.
"Chicken. Ginger. Garlic. Green onion..."
He paused.
"And the order matters."
Grandma nodded.
"What else?"
"The temperature."
"Good."
"The timing."
"Good."
Vash thought for another moment.
"And I shouldn't rush."
Grandma smiled.
"Now you're learning."
She turned toward the stove.
"Today, you make it."
Vash's expression became serious.
---
He started carefully.
The chicken was prepared first.
Then the other ingredients.
Vash kept checking the order in his mind.
Don't rush.
He placed the pot on the stove and adjusted the heat.
Too high.
He lowered it.
Too low.
He adjusted it again.
Grandma watched without interfering.
Vash noticed.
She wasn't going to tell him every answer.
She wanted him to learn.
The soup slowly began to develop its aroma.
Vash leaned closer.
He watched the surface.
Listened to the quiet bubbling.
Then—
[ORDINARY SYSTEM]
[Cooking Skill: Basic]
[Golden Chicken Soup]
[Learning Progress: 29%]
Vash glanced at the notification.
29%.
He smiled slightly.
Yesterday it had been lower.
Progress was happening.
But he immediately looked back at the pot.
The number wasn't what mattered.
The soup was.
---
A few minutes later, Vash made his first mistake.
He added one ingredient too early.
He realized it almost immediately.
Grandma didn't say anything.
She simply watched.
Vash tasted the soup.
His expression changed.
"The flavor is different."
"Why?"
Vash thought.
"Because I added it too early."
Grandma nodded.
"What did you learn?"
"Timing changes the result."
"Exactly."
Vash made a mental note.
He wouldn't make that mistake again.
Or at least, he would try not to.
He continued.
This time, he paid closer attention to every step.
The result was better.
Not perfect.
But better.
[Golden Chicken Soup — Learning Progress: 36%]
Vash looked at the notification.
Then at Grandma.
She gave a small nod.
"Better."
That single word felt more rewarding than the percentage.
---
The afternoon continued like that.
Practice.
Mistake.
Correction.
Practice again.
Vash slowly began noticing details he hadn't noticed before.
The smell changed before the flavor did.
The color changed when the temperature was wrong.
The texture changed when he rushed one step.
Cooking was beginning to feel less like following instructions and more like understanding a language.
Every ingredient was saying something.
Every change in the pot was information.
By evening, Vash made another bowl.
He carefully placed it in front of Grandma.
She tasted it.
Vash waited.
Grandma took another spoonful.
Then she nodded.
"Good."
Vash smiled.
"Really?"
"Don't get too proud."
His smile disappeared.
Grandma laughed.
"You still have much to learn."
Vash looked at the soup.
He knew she was right.
[Golden Chicken Soup — Learning Progress: 48%]
He stared at the number.
Almost halfway.
But halfway wasn't mastery.
He closed the System notification.
"I'll practice tomorrow."
Grandma nodded.
"Good."
She closed the recipe book.
Vash watched.
"Can I see the next recipe?"
"No."
"Just one page?"
"No."
"Half a page?"
Grandma gave him a look.
Vash immediately stopped.
"Okay."
Grandma placed the book back inside the cupboard.
"One recipe at a time."
Vash sighed.
"Understood."
---
That night, after the restaurant closed, Vash returned to his room.
His body felt tired.
Not the painful exhaustion from his early rehabilitation days.
This was different.
It was the tiredness that came after spending hours concentrating.
Vash sat on his bed.
Then he opened the System.
[DAILY TASKS]
1. Rehabilitation Training — Complete
2. Study — Complete
3. Restaurant Assistance — Complete
4. Cooking Practice — Complete
5. Proper Rest — Pending
Vash looked at the final task.
He had almost completed it.
But almost wasn't enough.
He put the System aside and prepared for bed.
After some time, the final task changed.
5. Proper Rest — Complete
[ALL DAILY TASKS COMPLETED]
[Daily Reward: +3 System Points]
Vash opened the System again.
[System Points]
Previous Balance: 57 / 100
Daily Task Reward: +3
Current Balance: 60 / 100
Vash nodded.
The number made sense.
No sudden increase.
No unexplained decrease.
Everything carried forward.
He liked that.
Then another section caught his attention.
[RECOVERY DATA]
Rehabilitation Progress: 5.0
Walking Stability: 5.5
Balance: 5.3
Vash looked at the numbers.
His recovery had improved.
Only slightly.
But that was normal.
His body wasn't going to recover overnight.
Every improvement had to be earned.
He opened the full interface.
[ORDINARY SYSTEM]
Host: Vash
Age: 14
Level: 1
[PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES]
Strength: 6.5 / 10
Agility: 5.5 / 10
Endurance: 4.5 / 10
Reaction: 5.5 / 10
[MENTAL ATTRIBUTES]
Intelligence: 6.0 / 10
Memory: 7.0 / 10
Comprehension: 6.0 / 10
Concentration: 4.0 / 10
[RECOVERY DATA]
Rehabilitation Progress: 5.0
Walking Stability: 5.5
Balance: 5.3
[SKILLS]
Cooking: Basic
Business Sense: Beginner
[ABILITIES]
Deep Analysis: Active
Pattern Recognition: Active
[SYSTEM DATA]
System Points: 60 / 100
System Integrity: 18%
Condition: Damaged
Vash slowly read the interface.
Everything seemed normal.
Then his eyes stopped at one line.
System Integrity: 18%.
Again.
The same number.
The same mystery.
Vash frowned.
Why is it damaged?
He had asked himself that question many times.
The System had appeared after the accident.
It was connected to him somehow.
But he still didn't know how.
He opened the information available to him.
Nothing.
He checked the System history.
No useful information.
He checked the Memory Archive.
Nothing regarding the System's origin.
He stared at the interface.
Where did you come from?
The System gave no response.
Vash leaned back.
Maybe the answer wasn't something he could find yet.
Maybe he needed more access.
More System Points.
More System functions.
More knowledge.
For now, there was nothing else he could do.
He closed the interface.
His eyes were already getting heavy.
Tomorrow, he would continue his recovery.
He would study.
He would help at the restaurant.
And he would return to the kitchen.
Golden Chicken Soup was only at 48%.
There was still a long way to go.
Vash smiled faintly.
That was fine.
He had learned something important.
Progress didn't have to be fast.
It only had to be real.
One lesson.
One mistake.
One improvement at a time.
Vash closed his eyes.
And let the night take over.