At this time, he now had 95% chance of success for most dishes, and a hundred percent success rate for his first C-Class food, the [Sunrise Nettle-Noodle Bowl (C)]. With this, he could say that he added another dish that was 100% guaranteed to be C-class after a day of practice.

Ingredients were also important in this case.

The chances were higher when he used high-quality meat like hoovensore, which was a toughened-level meat, as well as plants that had undergone several mutations in the System Garden.

Still, he kept exploring various options. One, it was more fun to use inferior ingredients and get similar results. Another reason was that creating C-Class food with fewer ingredients meant he made a lot more money!

In the case of the Gugu bird, which was an awakened stage ingredient, he used his [Ingredient Sense] and [Combination Mastery] skills to find a great marinade to elevate its quality.

Plants outside the gardens, provided they were grown near the portals, were also good, so he explored them a lot as well.

With this, B-Class food was his next target. There was definitely a gorge, however, because actually mastering C-Class dishes was different from completely mastering the concept.

That said, the effects of C-class food were amazing. He wondered what B-class and A-class could do?

He felt giddy just thinking about it.

Obviously, he needed to start exploring more ingredients as well, and this meant he might have to venture out quite a bit if he wanted to upgrade more, and for that, he needed to be strong as well.

It was said that the food is healthier and more varied in the danger zone because the essence was denser here. This meant that better ingredients would be available near the dungeons!

Would he risk his life to get ingredients? Maybe! He wouldn't put it past himself. Of course, he wasn't an idiot who would run there with his current level!

Rather, he'd grow strong enough that he could go around there without worries!

It was a bit ironic that he was most inspired to get stronger when he wanted to make better food, but it is what it is.

Anyway, back to cooking.

He patted the gugu bird breast dry. It had already been scored lightly so the marinade penetrated deeper into it. The marinade was made of basilume oil, crushed thornroot, and sunberry wine. The herbs and fruit gave off a bright, sharp scent into it, balancing the savory.

Soon, the rice began to swell and release its fragrance. He then transferred the poultry to the oven. The first touch of heat drew out a hiss of fat, and the kitchen was filled with the scent of roasting meat.

Every five minutes or so, he would brush the poultry with a glaze of sunberry wine syrup (which was his alternative to honey), herb dust, and mushroom essence, building a layer of golden lacquer over its skin.

Ah, he could already taste the delicious crunch of the outer layer, and the chewy flavorful goodness of the meat underneath.

During those minutes, he also started boiling a few eggs, freshly harvested from the farm.

The eggs and milk also seemed to increase quality in his farm because the woccs and chens' feed was from the waste and byproducts of plants harvested from the garden.

At this point, he could feel a few heads peeking, staring at his back. Fortunately, Finn was used to being watched as he cooked, so he was used to cooking things to perfection while maintaining a bit of flair and showmanship.

He turned back to the salad, draining the sunberries and tossed them with basilume leaves, creating beautiful contrast in terms of color and taste. He added a thread of basilume oil and a pinch of purplestep salt, creating a refreshing aroma that could cleanse the palate.

After the rice was done, he gently folded it with his wooden rice paddle. He looked at the grains cooked to perfection. They were separate yet glossy, oozing with the balance of earthiness and savoriness. He used the paddle to densely pack them into a cup and then placed the shaped rice onto plates.

He took out the gugu bird from the oven, its skin crisp and shimmering, and 100% juicy to the bones. Finn sliced them into pieces, each holding a ribbon of juicy meat underneath the crust. He layered them over the mushroom rice like overlapping scales.

He then unshelled the Chen eggs, which were a lot like chicken eggs but with a harder shell, and sliced them into wedges, soon adding it over the meat layers for visual and texture contrast.

Finally, he added a trickle of mushroom essence across the top, as well as a few more garnish.

Done~

…

In the past hour, the four got cleaned up (there were plenty of bathrooms now) and changed their clothes, with the goblins asking for their soiled clothes for washing.

It was part of the room service, the female goblin—Ranran—said as she held up the rattan basket above her head. The female guard Thea felt 100 points of extra affinity for the goblins for asking this question.

Anyway, they cleaned up quickly, afraid to miss anything. When they arrived, the chef hadn't finished cooking yet, so they could only watch from the side while trying to keep their drool inside their mouths.

Fortunately, the female goblin arrived to set up their utensils and serve them some water and some juice, which was also very refreshing.

She also gave them some simple stuff to chew on, like dried sunberries and nuts, which was really nice.

It was also a fairly common snack among better-off people back in the safe zone, but somehow this one felt more refreshing, fuller, and sweeter. Was it because it was relatively fresh, farmed right there?

Ranran then said that it was a good takeaway treat that would be sold in small packs in the [Inn Store], and they quickly took reservations.

When the chef called the staff to place the food on the table, the guests flinched, ready to get their food, and they stared hungrily at the dishes as they were placed in front of them. There was one large plate filled with unknown food, but they were not suspicious at all.

Not only was it beautiful to look at, but they had been lusting for it for so long it was estimated they wouldn't care if it was poisoned.

They gulped as they held their utensils and filled their spoon with a bit of everything. A bit of the meat, a bit of the egg, and a lot of the rice.

They lived in a noble house and were more familiar with most ingredients than others, but frankly, they hadn't felt the same ingredients used like this before. Clearly, it was their chefs who were lacking!

They excitedly placed the spoon in their mouth, tasting the food. The savory meat, the viscous egg mixed with pearl-like grains, created pleasing explosions in their mouths.

"Delicious!"

"I can eat this forever."

"My tastebuds have been blessed…"

Finn chuckled and let them gobble up their food. He actually had quite a bit left in the pot, and he was sure to offer it for seconds later. Not for free, of course.

He watched their satisfied reactions, taking note, and when they were done, he finally asked. "So how much would you be willing to pay?"

After all, he did ask them to determine the price of it before.

They answered him without hesitation this time.

"Fifty gold!"

"A hundred gold!"

"My soul!"

"..."

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