As the Growth Bait disappeared beneath the water's surface, a soft glow surged upward—a radiant orb of light rising from the depths of the fishing space. Simultaneously, information about the orb flooded Daiki's mind.
"Touch… It's the growth of touch, one of the five senses."
The system clarified: this wasn't a one-time enhancement. It was a growth-type ability. As Daiki improved his cooking and honed his skills, his sense of touch would evolve alongside him—much like the Fishing Space itself.
"A scalable ability? That's huge..."
Daiki was genuinely surprised. Unlike fixed skills with a capped ceiling, this ability had no stated upper limit. If nurtured properly, his tactile perception might one day rival the Gourmet Demon Kings of the Toriko world—or even surpass them.
Without hesitation, Daiki triggered the fusion.
At first, the changes were subtle. His body felt slightly more aware, his nerves humming with an almost imperceptible sharpness. To test the enhancement, he reached out and touched the nearby table.
Instantly, a torrent of data filled his mind—weight, dimensions, surface texture, density, even the degree of internal decay. It was like scanning the object with high-precision equipment, all through the simple act of touch.
However, there were limits.
Though the feedback was rich in data, some pieces of information—like the specific material composition—remained unknown to him.
"Just like the God's Tongue..." Daiki mused.
He remembered Erina Nakiri and how her Divine Tongue could detect flaws in any dish and even deduce the cooking method. But even Erina needed experience—she only recognized the distinct salts of different regions because she had tasted and memorized them in advance.
The power alone wasn't enough. It had to be paired with knowledge.
Daiki understood immediately: his tactile feedback was only as useful as the information he already knew. If he wanted to identify specific woods by touch, he'd first have to study and memorize their physical traits.
But now wasn't the time to study timber. He needed to test this power in the culinary battlefield.
Daiki made his way to a nearby restaurant and ordered a few dishes. When the food arrived, he didn't touch it with his hands—that would be strange. But lips, after all, were part of the sense of touch.
As his lips met the food, it began.
Data surged into his mind: ingredients, seasoning ratios, preparation flaws, cooking temperatures, and even several improvement plans for each dish. His enhanced sense of touch had effectively allowed him to dissect the meal—down to the atomic level—just like the Divine Tongue, but through a different sensory gateway.
And unlike the Divine Tongue, his ability had no side effects—no threat of spiraling out of control.
"This isn't just on par with the God's Tongue..." he thought. "It surpasses it."
The confidence building in his chest was well-earned. His tactile ability was more versatile, more sustainable, and scalable without limit. As long as he expanded his culinary knowledge, this sense would only grow more terrifying.
"So this is the difference between talent... and a cheat code."
He finished the meal, paid his bill, and walked out with renewed determination.
Before the system awakened, Daiki had planned to simply survive. Maybe graduate from Tōtsuki. Maybe become a decent chef. If things didn't work out, he could always settle for working at Shōkeien Ryokan with Megumi Tadokoro—after all, she admired him, and her future was bright enough for both of them.
But that version of his story was over.
Now, he wasn't just a hardworking student—he was a player with a god-tier cheat, on par with legends. The old plan? Useless now.
"I've joined the realm of the broken. No point pretending otherwise. Time to rewrite the future—from the kitchen up."
To be honest, Daiki considered himself a fairly diligent person. He wasn't someone who obsessed over cooking every waking moment, but most of his time still revolved around it.
He genuinely enjoyed the culinary arts. That passion was what had propelled him to the level of a mid-tier chef—not talent alone, but dedication. And now that he stood at the edge of something greater, with the system finally unlocked, he wasn't about to waste the opportunity.
Daiki pulled out his phone and scrolled through his contacts. After a brief moment of hesitation, he tapped a name and raised the phone to his ear.
The line picked up almost immediately.
"Daiki-kun! Long time no see. Don't tell me you've been holed up all this time with your girlfriend?"
The deep, confident voice on the other end carried a teasing lilt—refined, yet familiar.
Daiki chuckled.
"Uncle Dōjima, don't slander me like that. I've been working hard lately—serious training, focused on cooking. Actually… I was calling because I need a favor."
The man on the line was none other than Dōjima Gin, the legendary chef and former star of Tōtsuki. Because of the close friendship between their families, Daiki had grown up knowing him well.
Dōjima's tone shifted, curiosity replacing humor.
"You!! asking for help? That's rare. What's going on?"
It was true—Daiki rarely reached out to others for help. Dōjima knew this well. Daiki had always been a self-reliant, precocious kid—mature beyond his years, even as a teenager. Despite his lineage and his own standing within Tōtsuki, Daiki had never once used his connections for personal gain.
That restraint, paired with his quiet tenacity, had always left a strong impression on Dōjima.
In fact, if you asked him, Dōjima would say their relationship wasn't really that of elder and junior anymore. Not exactly. It had grown into something closer to friendship—a bond between two chefs who simply understood the grind and the fire behind the stove.
"So," Dōjima said, voice leveling out, "what's important enough for you to call me now?"
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