I Have An SSS-Rank Service System: Hire Me For Anything!-Chapter 19: How To Cook Without A System [3]

Dory stood at the center of the kitchen, his eyes moving across the organized rows of ingredients with the cold, calculating focus of a factory foreman. The flavor process was no longer a hypothesis he needed to test; it was an established theory and a fact he could readily carry out.

He understood the mechanics of the fruit and the chemistry of the additives. For the first time since he had gotten the system, the system’s skills felt like natural extensions of his own hands rather than foreign intrusions.

He cleared his mind and activated [Aura of Order]. He could see the most efficient paths between the chopping block, the wash basin, and the hearth. Every knife, bowl, and jar of spice seemed to stay with a specific purpose, arranged in his mind to minimize every unnecessary movement.

He stepped toward the first pack of plums, his posture shifting into a stance of high-efficiency labor.

Using [Rapid Prep], he began the primary processing stage. His hands moved in a blur of silver and purple. Each plum was halved, the stone popped into a waste bucket, and the flesh sliced into identical five-millimeter rounds. The slices fell into the wooden trays with a repetitive, wet sound, stacking with precision. He didn’t stop to rest or check his progress; he simply maintained the cadence until three full packs had been reduced to uniform wafers.

Once the trays were filled, Dory moved to the salt-curing stage. He took handfuls of the coarse salt and sprinkled them in even layers over the raw slices. Within minutes, a dark, clear liquid began to pool at the bottom of the trays. The slices visibly firmed up, their texture changing from soft and vulnerable to a resilient, leathery state that would serve as the foundation for the five distinct flavor profiles he had planned.

While the salt worked through the first stage of dehydration, Dory turned his attention to the secondary flavor bases. He had five specific objectives to meet: caloric density, electrolyte replacement, alertness, long-term stamina, and morale.

He utilized the [Ingredient Synergizer] to ensure that the molecular bonds between the additives remained stable, preventing the flavors from bleeding into one another or degrading over time. This was the part of the process that required the most precision, as the balance of acid, sugar, and minerals would determine the shelf-life of the final product.

For flavor one, the Pepper-glaze, Dory focused on the interaction between heat and sweetness. He placed a small pot of honey on the edge of the hearth and added a measured volume of lemon juice.

Under the steady warmth, the acid triggered the inversion of the honey’s sugars, breaking the sucrose into a clear, stable syrup that would not crystallize into grit. He folded in the ground pepper, ensuring the flakes remained suspended in the viscous liquid.

After rinsing the salt-cured plums to remove any excess minerals, he tossed them in this spicy syrup. The result was a translucent, ruby-red wafer that caught the light like a polished gemstone, offering a sharp heat followed by a deep, sugary finish.

The second batch was the Bitter-Vine Tart. Dory took the bitter-vine juice and reduced it over a low flame, watching the steam rise until only a thick, dark green concentrate remained. He mixed this with a minimal amount of honey—just enough to keep the acridity from being overwhelming.

He soaked the salt-cured plums in this mixture, allowing the dense tannins of the vine to bond with the fruit’s internal fibers. This flavor was earthy and medicinal.

Flavor three, the Zest-Spark, was his most modern application of food science. He ignored the honey entirely for this batch, focusing instead on a high-concentration brine of lemon juice and a double-dose of salt.

By using [Texture Mastery], he monitored the crunch of the fruit, ensuring the slices remained slightly crisp like a pickled chip. The high acidity was designed to trigger immediate salivation and provide the electrolytes necessary to prevent cramping.

For the fourth batch, the Honey-Plum Classic, Dory reverted to pure caloric density. This was his control group, using nothing but the inverted honey and the natural fruit. He allowed these slices to macerate in the syrup for the longest period, using the system to monitor the specific sugar concentration.

He watched as the honey displaced the last of the plum’s water content, turning the fruit into a dense, shelf-stable energy bar. Without any spice or bitterness to distract the palate, the only flavor was the concentrated essence of the plum.

The final profile, the Vanguard Special, was the most complex to manufacture. He created a base layer of lemon and salt to tenderize the fruit, followed by a quick dip in the honey syrup to provide a tacky surface.

While the glaze was still wet, he applied a topical dusting of both ground pepper and powdered bitter-vine. It was an exercise in sensory layering.

He knew that the tongue would perceive the salt and heat first, providing an immediate wake-up call to the nervous system, which would then be followed by the deep, earthy bitterness of the vine and finally the sweet-tart resolution of the plum.

As the sun began to dip below the horizon, casting long, orange shadows through the kitchen window, Dory carried five plates of the finished slices to the main room.

He stood back and wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, which was stained a deep, bruised purple up to the wrists.

He did it. It was hard, but he did it.

[2500 Service Points Earned]

[New Freelancer Trait Unlocked: Rudimentary Understanding]

[+50 Ranking Up Points]

Hearing the system announce the messages in his ears, he smiled and stared at the food again. It had cost him all the ingredients just to make five plates.

"Well, that should be more than enough for them," he said, and walked out of the room back to the shop.

Upon getting to the shop, he met Horg walking in with a large bag of coal. Horg wore an angry expression as he dropped the bag of coal on the ground.

Dory’s mouth shaped into a circle. "Oh, what happened?"

Horg looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "Nothing much. Just tired. But may I ask... what happened to you?" he said, raising an eyebrow.

Dory looked at himself. He was definitely a mess. His clothes and body were stained with sweat, spices, tart plum juice, and much more.

He looked back at Horg and smiled. "Nothing much. Just tired."