Back in the upper halls of the Guild, Kai felt the shift.
Not in the air, but in himself.
Every dish he tasted that morning felt... dull. Flavors that once danced now trudged. Spice had no edge. Sweetness no soul.
Only sorrow lingered on his tongue.
He couldn't stop thinking about Ember Requiem.
The memory of that ashcake clung to him like smoke. And though he knew it was dangerous—even wrong—there was a pull. A whisper. Like the old man's voice still stirred in the corners of his mind.
So when Guildmaster Serane announced the unveiling of the Heir's Feast—a public showcase of the top rising chefs preparing dishes for the noble heir of Ardentia—Kai stepped forward.
"I'll cook," he said.
Serane frowned. "The invitation was for chefs of at least Journeyman rank."
Kai met her gaze evenly. "Then let me show you why titles don't matter."
The Gathering
A thousand eyes turned toward him as he entered the central atrium of the Guild. The audience was filled with nobles, emissaries, even Flame Lords. Each chef had a gilded station. Kai's was the plainest—just steel and fire.
His ingredients: common. Nothing rare. Not a single Tier 3.
Yet when he laid out his cutting board, Heat Control III stirred the air. Even nearby chefs took notice.
He closed his eyes. And summoned it.
[Activate: Ember Requiem I]
Mana Cost: 25 MP
Mana: 12 → 0 (Overdraw)
System Alert: Overdraw Penalty Applied – Fatigue + Mild Neural Strain
His hands shook as the flames responded—not with rage, but with mourning. A slow, curling heat, like incense burning for the dead.
The dish? A simple rice porridge with bone broth and carmelized ashroot. But inside the flavor, he wove sorrow—his own memories of leaving home, of failing his first dishes, of the day he tasted ambition and it nearly consumed him.
The room fell silent as the dish was served to the Heir.
One spoonful—and the Heir wept.
Not from pain. But from remembrance.
"I don't know why," the boy whispered, "but I feel like I've lost something… and I'm grateful."
Even Guildmaster Serane stood slowly, her lips parted in disbelief.
"What… was that?"
Kai wiped sweat from his brow. "A taste of what should've been forgotten."
System Update
[Title Evolved: Memory Flame → Ashbearer]
Effect: Dishes created under emotional resonance restore 10% Mana after consumption.
Bonus: Can perceive ingredient memory echoes once per day.
[Reputation +40]
[Guild Influence +25]
[Hidden System Trait Unlocked: Culinary Soulprint – 1%]
Kai Elgren
Level: 7
XP: 420 / 600
Reputation: 201
Mana: 0 / 12 (Overdraw fatigue: -2 MP regen next 24h)
Guild Influence: 40
Stats:
Culinary Sense: 9
Knife Technique: 5
Heat Control: 6 (III)
Stamina: 7
Focus: 10
Mana: 12
Skills:
Basic Knife Mastery (Passive)
Flavor Sense I (Passive)
Ingredient Recognition I (Passive)
Heat Control III (Active, 3 MP)
Flame Artistry I (Active, 13 MP)
Ember Savor I (Passive)
Heat Cloak I (Passive)
Flame Net (Active, 4 MP)
Ember Requiem I (Active, 25 MP)
Titles & Effects:
Junior Chef: +5 Reputation in Guild areas
Pan Warden: Fire skills last 10% longer
Fire-Touched: +5% effectiveness with heat skills
Soulkindle Cook: Allies gain minor morale boost after eating Kai's dishes
Ember Disciple: Access to Emberflame trial paths
Flamewright: Unlocks synergy between Heat Control and Fire-based skills
Ashbearer(Evolved from Memory Flame):
Dishes with emotional resonance restore 10% Mana
Once per day: Detect memory echoes in an ingredient