[Genshin Impact]: I can become stronger by cooking.

This contrast is precisely the breeding ground for negative emotions.

Negative thoughts continued to fester in Chao Ke's mind.

The novelty of trying new dishes has long since worn off, and now all that fills my heart is endless numbness and boredom.

[A Transit Station for Misanthropic Novels - 1937 92 92 66]

Repeating the same thing thousands of times, and having to summarize the lessons learned each time, would break even the most resolute person...

Chao Ke was no exception. His hand movements began to distort, his cooking process became lax, and he no longer paid attention to the details of the dishes, as if a small hole had been dug in the riverbank.

The hole of boredom will only get bigger and bigger, and the food ratings will start to drop lower and lower.

Ultimately, the accumulation of negative consequences led to the cracking of the riverbank. Chao Ke, numbly, produced a work that crossed the line.

【The Strange Giant Golden Finger-Licking Chicken】

[Rating: 49 points]

【introduce:...】

[Review: An unbelievable creation! With the help of the culinary tools from the Chef's Proving Grounds, even a complete novice would find it hard to do worse than this!]

"Oh!"

Chao Ke angrily threw the chicken nuggets he had just made on the ground.

His eyes were red and hot, and he was already somewhat out of control.

I've only tried to make a good fried chicken dish, so why can't I get it right after so many attempts?!

【Ding! 】

[The host's mental state has been affected. To avoid further impact on sanity, it is recommended that the host leave the Culinary God Trial Grounds to rest.]

[Would you like to leave?]

【whether】

"no!!!"

Chao Ke answered in a low voice.

He tossed aside the ingredients and seasonings at hand and went straight to the kitchen sink.

I turned on the cold water and frantically rinsed my face.

After the numbness subsided slightly, Chao Ke sat cross-legged on the floor of the Chef God's Trial Grounds, trying to regulate his breathing.

Chao Ke is not a weak or pretentious person. Whether in his past life or this life, he has a ruthless streak.

In his past life, Chao Ke came to the big city alone to make a living. He relied on his ruthlessness and willingness to take risks. He tackled the tough challenges that others couldn't, and through his own efforts, he achieved a remarkable turnaround in his life in the metropolis.

In this life, Chao Ke rose from an orphan in a hearth-filled house to a position second only to the Executor among the Fools. This wasn't solely due to his divine eye and understanding of the plot.

Some things cannot be obtained without going through trials and tribulations.

To be honest, Chao Ke doesn't really have a passion for cooking.

Unlike Xiangling, he didn't have a natural inclination to cook.

Unlike Diona, who has a blessing that allows her to create perfect works no matter what she does, he doesn't.

His current attitude towards cooking is simply that he doesn't dislike it.

Even though Chao Ke kept using the facts of "time traveler's golden finger" and "cooking can make you stronger" to constantly suggest and hypnotize himself, in order to force himself to keep cooking.

But Chao Ke also knew.

One day, I will get tired of cooking.

After all, even the great pianist Lang Lang in his previous life had PTSD from playing the piano when he was young.

Moreover, given my lack of culinary talent, it was only a matter of time before I grew tired of cooking.

Chao Ke just didn't expect this moment to come so soon.

Perhaps the culinary training grounds provide an abundance of physical strength, amplifying the inner fatigue?

Or perhaps Chao Ke simply doesn't have a fondness for cooking.

In short, the passion sustained by coercion and psychological suggestion is ultimately insufficient to sustain the relentless demands of the culinary trials.

The word "trial" in the Chef's Trial Grounds might refer to this very moment.

Why do you have to keep cooking?

Do I really enjoy cooking?

"It's so boring to keep doing this!"

"Take a break, or start again later."

"I think my current strength is enough. How about we stop cooking for now and learn again when we need to?"

"..."

"Do I really have a talent for cooking?"

Thoughts of escapism and self-doubt began to linger in Chao Ke's mind.

Both reason and the system's prompts were warning Chao Ke that the current situation was no longer suitable for him to stay in the Chef God Trial Grounds.

Go out and get some sleep; that's the most important thing to do right now!

But Chao Ke did not take any action or retreat.

He remained seated cross-legged in the same spot, but this time, he closed his eyes.

After a long while, Chao Ke opened his eyes, a smile appearing on his lips.

"interesting!"

"This culinary proving ground is truly interesting! Hehehe!"

Chao Ke got up, took a chicken nugget from the cart, and the disgust and nausea in his heart did not make him put down the chicken nugget. Instead, he held it tighter and handled it more carefully.

Chao Ke had memorized the details of preparing the breading, mixing the spices, and coating the chicken pieces with breading through countless trials.

Despite intense psychological discomfort, Chao Ke maintained a high standard and completed everything flawlessly.

Until finally throwing it into the pressure fryer, Chao Ke did not make any mistakes that he could have controlled.

As the chicken pieces tumbled in the oil, Chao Ke's ruthlessness and mental struggle reached their peak.

"Ding."

The pressure cooker timer has finished, and the chicken pieces are fried.

Chao Ke opened the pot lid in a daze and scooped out the chicken pieces.

At this moment, Chao Ke's state was difficult to describe in words.

It is not surprising that the conflict between beliefs and mindset, coupled with fierce confrontation, will lead to all sorts of consequences.

Finally, as if it were a judgment from the heavens, the system gave the chicken nugget a score.

[The truly ultimate Golden Finger-Licking Chicken]

[Rating: 100 points]

[Description: This chicken nugget represents the pinnacle of the Golden Finger-Licking Chicken's skill and artistry. However, eating it leaves a bittersweet feeling, a sense of choice.]

[Comment: Is this your enlightenment? I sensed it!]

The system's positive rating, like a high-quality chip, landed on the tray of the ruthless party, instantly breaking the balance between them and their mental stalemate.

The mindset and rationality that had previously restrained Chao Ke transformed into a gentle stream that flowed into that ruthless force.

Chao Ke's blank expression vanished, and his consciousness once again took over his body.

He clenched his fist and gave Ke a slight smile.

What a thrilling and exhilarating gamble!

Fortunately, I won, or rather, it was my own inner ruthlessness that won!

"Huh? That's not right!"

Feeling the rumbling in his mind, and his eyes suddenly going dark as if he had gone blind, Chao Ke hurriedly spoke to the system.

"System, exit the Chef's Trial..."

"field."

In the blink of an eye, before falling unconscious, Chao Ke saw his own bedsheets.

Then he fell into a deep sleep on the bed.

【Ding! 】

[Congratulations, host, on achieving a mental breakthrough! Your culinary talent has been greatly enhanced.]

[Congratulations, host, on achieving a mental breakthrough. Some of your talent caps have been removed.]

[Congratulations, host, on achieving a mental breakthrough. Your elemental powers have been slightly enhanced.]

[Congratulations, host, on achieving a mental breakthrough! You can now unlock your own special dish.]

Chapter 24 Furina: Hey! Navelette! What are you doing so late at night!

While still asleep, Chao Ke was unaware of the extent of the changes that had occurred to him, but his body was indeed absorbing the benefits of this trip.

The fire and water elements near the residence seemed to be frantically converging on Chao Ke's body.

It's like suddenly taking someone who has lived on the plateau for a long time to a plain, an oxygen bar.

There was no need for deliberate attraction; the elemental power flowed into Chao Ke's body on its own.

Arecino was the first to notice the unusual elemental phenomenon in the living room.

She keenly sensed an anomaly in the flow of fire element nearby, which was flowing extremely actively in one direction.

The fire elemental power seemed to have gained consciousness, and even she found it somewhat difficult to mobilize it.

Following the flow of elemental energy back to its source, Arecino was surprised to discover that the core of all these strange phenomena was Chao Ke's room!