“Eating means absorbing a part of another being—its blood and flesh…” he explained.
“Making someone a part of yourself isn’t simple. If done carelessly, everything becomes chaotic…”
“Just like you.”
“…Right. Just like me. You say you’re a chef?”
At that, I nodded, a rush of recognition flooding me.
“Cooking was once about flavor,” he mused, reflecting on his past.
“And now?” I prompted, intrigued.
“It’s evolved into a ritual. A means of removing poison, eliminating negative aspects, refining and combining ingredients—integrating another being entirely.”
His words echoed the very essence of my journey.
His transformation had been the unintended side-effect of not correctly executing this ritual. “In the past, the consequences of poor meals weren’t as convoluted. If you undercooked something and ingested a virus, you’d get food poisoning. However, in this case, it’s different.”
“Because the ingredients itself… infused with magical essence…”
He grimaced, detailing how humans inherently struggled against such powers.
“Without resistance to this magic,” I murmured, piecing it together, “you could very well become a monster yourself!”
“Cooking is the act of refining that raw magic, making it safe for humans to consume. That’s the role of a chef.”
Having encountered many Awakened people who were once cooks, it dawned on me why none had claimed the title of “Chef.”
“Hmm, that’s indeed a powerful role…”
My understanding has transformed; it wasn’t merely about preparing delicious meals. It involved channeling the strength of monsters and turning it into something digestible for humans.
I admired the complexity of this profession; it was less common than most, often relegated to the status of ‘rare class’ in RPGs.
“Thank you for shedding light on my profession,” I stated, pleased to have clarified my purpose.
I was now ready to hear the favor he intended to ask.
“Now, about that earlier request—what do you need?”
With newfound resolve, I felt optimistic about granting his request.
His gaze turned to the distance, fixated on something beyond me.
“My status screen is failing,” he confessed bleakly.
“Failing?”
“Faint signals of life—most of the screen is obscured. This is the price I pay for straying from humanity.”
He recounted the last messages he had seen before his transformation.
[Warning!]
[Continued reckless consumption can trigger physical changes]
[Approaching the threshold of monstrosity]
[If such consumption persists, returning to your former self will be impossible]
“Your status screen doesn’t lie,” I admitted solemnly.
“Indeed. I have crossed the line with no way back…”
He coughed, his voice laced with exhaustion.
“I mentioned a condition—one you could easily fulfill.”
“…?”
“End my life.”
Anticipating something along those lines, I frowned.
“Sometimes, my reason returns, but the thought of dying in peace eludes me. Even when I try to throw myself into the water, the instinct to survive kicks in, forcing me to devour anything in sight.”
He has been hiding underground not to escape from hunters, but from the fear of becoming a predator himself.
His eyes flickered with an unsettling intensity as they locked onto mine.
“My damaged status screen flickers with visions, revealing you as my nemesis and hunter.”
“You’ve mentioned that I could easily fulfill your request, but…”
“Enough! Let me rest in peace…”
He spoke, releasing a heavy sigh that hinted at his fatigue.
I contemplated the implications of letting him remain alive.
Life wouldn’t offer him solace. He would continuously evade humans, a monster relentlessly searching for food—lost within his overwhelming desires.
“Such a life would last a miserable eternity.”
Understanding his yearning for peace, I sensed a mix of empathy and conflict.
“I cannot grant you that,” I replied firmly.
“What?” He looked taken aback.
“I’m sorry, but that’s not feasible for me.”
He seemed confused, his eyes widening.
“I assure you; I’m struggling to find time to relax myself.”
After all, I have my own burdens to carry, laboring in this harsh reality.
Moreover, he seemed to think he was wholly a monster now.
This was a miscalculation. The status indicators still marked him as a variant of humanity—an unstable one, definitely—but still salvageable.
Taking a look at his status attributes, he still bore the markings of a human.
“Let me amend something. You are not as far gone as you believe,” I said quietly.
“What?”
If he were a completely different being, it would pose a different challenge altogether, but if I could identify a trace of humanity within him, there might still be a chance.
“By the way, are you a picky eater?”