6:30 AM.
Vash slowly opened his eyes.
For a few seconds, he remained still.
Then he remembered the old recipe book.
He had only seen a few pages of it yesterday, but his curiosity hadn't left him.
Before getting out of bed, Vash opened the system.
---
[ORDINARY SYSTEM]
Host: Vash
Age: 14
Level: 1
Physical Attributes
Strength: 6.0 / 10
Agility: 5.0 / 10
Endurance: 4.0 / 10
Reaction: 5.0 / 10
Recovery Data
Rehabilitation Progress: 0.9 / 10
Walking Stability: 0.8 / 10
Balance: 0.9 / 10
Skills
Cooking — Basic
Mathematics — Basic
English — Basic
Observation — Basic
Physical Rehabilitation — Beginner
Business Sense — Beginner
System Points: 40 / 100
---
Vash stared at the recovery section.
"System."
[Yes.]
"Why are these numbers so low?"
[Recovery measurements represent current rehabilitation progress.]
Vash looked at the numbers again.
"Then what does ten mean?"
[10.0 represents the target level for full physical recovery.]
Vash's eyes widened slightly.
"So I have to reach ten?"
[Correct.]
He looked at his balance.
0.9.
Walking stability.
0.8.
Rehabilitation progress.
0.9.
He had been happy about those numbers yesterday.
Now they looked very small.
"How long will it take?"
[Insufficient data.]
Vash sighed.
"You really don't like giving me useful answers."
[The system cannot predict variables that depend on future physical performance.]
Vash thought about it.
That answer actually made sense.
His recovery couldn't be predicted perfectly.
It depended on training, rest, nutrition, his body, and time.
He looked at the numbers again.
Then smiled.
"Fine."
He clenched his fist.
"I'll get to ten."
The system remained silent.
Vash closed the interface.
---
After breakfast, Vash completed his rehabilitation exercises.
His grandmother watched from nearby while he carefully practiced standing.
One minute.
Rest.
Standing again.
Then walking.
He took twenty steps.
Then twenty more.
His legs were still weak.
But they didn't feel as frightening as they had a week ago.
After the session, the system appeared.
---
[Rehabilitation Session Complete]
Rehabilitation Progress: 0.9 → 1.1
Increase: +0.2
Walking Stability: 0.8 → 0.9
Increase: +0.1
Balance: 0.9 → 1.0
Increase: +0.1
---
Vash stared at the screen.
"One."
His balance had finally reached 1.0.
It was only one out of ten.
But he smiled anyway.
"One down."
[Correction.]
Vash raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
[One achieved. Nine remain.]
Vash laughed.
"Same thing."
[Not mathematically identical.]
"You're impossible."
[Statement noted.]
---
Later that morning, Grandma finally placed the old recipe book on the table.
Vash immediately noticed it.
"You remembered."
"I said I would show it to you."
She sat beside him.
"Just be careful with it."
Vash nodded.
He picked it up.
The book wasn't very large.
It had only forty-nine pages.
The cover was worn, and several pages had become slightly yellow with age.
Vash opened the first page.
There were no secret recipes.
No strange symbols.
No mysterious instructions.
The first section was simply titled:
Basic Cooking Knowledge
Vash began reading.
Page one.
Ingredients.
He learned how different ingredients behaved when heated, mixed, soaked, or cooked.
Page two.
Preparation.
Cleaning vegetables.
Cutting ingredients.
Preparing meat safely.
Page three.
Cooking methods.
Boiling.
Steaming.
Frying.
Roasting.
Page four.
Heat and flame.
Low heat.
Medium heat.
High heat.
Vash paused at that section.
He suddenly remembered watching Grandma cook.
The way she lowered the flame.
The way she waited.
The way she knew when the oil was hot enough.
He finally understood that her movements weren't random.
They were experience.
Page five.
Food and health.
Some ingredients provided important nutrients.
Some foods could become harmful if prepared incorrectly.
Some ingredients needed to be cooked thoroughly.
Others could lose their nutritional value if exposed to excessive heat.
Vash slowly closed the book.
He had only read five pages.
But his mind was already full of information.
Then—
the system appeared.
---
[Learning Activity Detected]
Subject: Cooking
Pages Read: 5 / 49
Knowledge Acquired: Basic Cooking
Understanding Increased
Cooking Proficiency:
24.2 → 24.8
Increase: +0.6
System Point Reward: +1
System Points: 41 / 100
---
Vash stared.
"Wait."
He looked at the cooking proficiency.
"Why did I get more progress from this than usual?"
[High learning compatibility detected.]
"What does that mean?"
[Host possesses previous practical cooking experience.]
[New theoretical knowledge is being integrated with existing practical knowledge.]
Vash smiled.
"So because I've already spent years watching Grandma cook..."
[Correct.]
"...I can understand this faster."
[Correct.]
Vash looked back at the book.
For some reason, the information felt familiar.
He remembered helping Grandma prepare vegetables when he was younger.
He remembered watching Grandpa fry chicken.
He remembered being told not to touch certain ingredients.
He remembered the smell of oil heating in the kitchen.
The memories connected with what he had just read.
It was almost like pieces of information were falling into their proper places.
Vash smiled.
"This is actually interesting."
He opened the book again.
His eyes moved toward the next page.
Page six.
He wanted to continue.
Then Grandma gently placed her hand on the book.
"That's enough for today."
Vash looked at her.
"Why?"
"Because you just finished five pages."
"I can read more."
Grandma smiled.
"You can."
She closed the book.
"But learning isn't about finishing the whole book in one day."
Vash looked at the book.
Then nodded.
She was right.
He didn't need to rush.
He had spent two years doing nothing.
There was no reason to hurry now.
He had time.
At least, he hoped he did.
---
That afternoon, Vash helped at Grandpa's Noodles.
He watched the kitchen differently now.
When Grandma adjusted the flame, he understood why.
When she prepared the ingredients, he noticed the order.
When she checked the food, he began recognizing the signs she was looking for.
The system occasionally appeared with small notifications.
[Cooking observation detected.]
[Knowledge connection established.]
[Practical understanding improving.]
Vash smiled.
He wasn't a great cook.
Not even close.
But he was learning.
And strangely, he enjoyed it.
---
That evening, Vash sat outside the restaurant with his notebook.
He opened the system again.
---
[RECOVERY DATA]
Rehabilitation Progress: 1.1 / 10
Walking Stability: 0.9 / 10
Balance: 1.0 / 10
[SKILL DEVELOPMENT]
Cooking — Basic
Proficiency: 24.8
[System Points]
41 / 100
---
Vash stared at the numbers.
His recovery was still far from complete.
His cooking skill was still only Basic.
He still needed fifty-nine more System Points before reaching one hundred.
Nothing had changed dramatically.
And yet...
Everything had changed.
A week ago, he could barely walk ten steps.
Now he could walk farther.
A week ago, cooking was simply something his grandmother did.
Now Vash wanted to understand it.
He looked toward the restaurant.
Then toward the cupboard where the recipe book had been kept.
There were forty-four pages left.
And somewhere beyond the basic cooking section were the family's old recipes.
Vash smiled.
"Tomorrow."
He looked at his system.
"I'll learn a little more."
[Statement noted.]
Vash laughed.
"At least you're consistent."
[Statement noted.]
The evening wind passed through the quiet street.
Vash looked at his hands.
He had a long way to go.
But for the first time, the distance didn't frighten him.
It gave him something to chase.