Chương 158

"Legends and Saints both reach the absolute peak," the Elder explained, waving his hand.

"But they walk completely different paths to get there. A Legend relies on powerful foundations. A Legendary Blacksmith tames legendary minerals to forge a legendary sword. A Legendary Swordsman relies on grand, legendary swordsmanship. They use overwhelming tools and skills to produce an overwhelming result." Rudra nodded. That was exactly what he used to do in cooking.

"But a Saint does the opposite," the Elder said softly. His eyes glowed with ancient wisdom.

"A Saint takes the weak and pushes it beyond its natural limits. A Blacksmith Saint takes a chunk of normal, cheap iron and folds it until it can clash against a legendary sword. A Sword Saint takes a basic, clumsy downward swing and elevates it until it can split a mountain." The Elder tapped his chest.

"A Legend shapes rare things. A Saint breaks the limits of ordinary things. In the end, they both create masterpieces. Both paths are incredibly difficult."

"I presume that the Saint path is more difficult?" Rudra asked.

"Because of potential," the Elder smiled deeply.

"A Legend is capped by the quality of their materials or skills. But a Saint's limit-breaking has no ceiling. It gets much harder the higher you go. But imagine what happens if a Blacksmith Saint takes a legendary mineral, and somehow breaks its limits? Or a Sword Saint takes a legendary swordsmanship, and pushes it even further?" Rudra's red eyes widened.

"They'd rival the gods."

"Exactly," the Elder whispered.

"If a Saint can exceed the limits of legendary materials or skills, they can become a God of their craft. A true God, who does not need anyone to worship them to hold their power. But the path is so impossibly hard that from the beginning of history, no warrior Saint has ever actually achieved it." The old man sighed, looking at the kids.

"And for production? It is even worse. Every craftsman is so obsessed with finding better materials early on, they never learn to break the limits of the basics. By the time they realize the truth, their path is locked as a Legend. That is why a Production Saint has never, ever been born." Rudra sat back, his mind racing. It made perfect sense. The path to becoming a Legendary Cook wasn't wrong or bad. It was actually just easier than trying to become a Cooking Saint.

He had been relying on high-level ingredients and other skills, which was fine for a Legend, but it was a total dead end for a Saint.

"I want to prove it," Rudra said suddenly. He stood up. He waved his hand and pulled his heavy iron cauldron out of his inventory. It hit the grass with a loud thud. The kids jumped, staring at the big metal pot.

"Can you kids do me a favor?" Rudra asked, looking at the children.

"Can you grab me some normal, edible grass? Anything growing around here. Weeds, roots, I don't care." The kids looked at the Elder. The old man nodded. The kids scrambled. They ran to the edge of the stream and pulled up handfuls of wild green grass and some dirty, wild crater onions. They ran back and dumped the pile of plain weeds onto a clean rock next to the cauldron.

"Perfect. Thank you," Rudra smiled. He tapped the cauldron, shifting it into a wide, flat skillet. He pulled a basic wooden cutting board and an iron knife from his inventory. Finally, he pulled out a plain, Level 12 Silver Fin Fish he had caught earlier that morning on the boat. It was just a normal fish. No magic. No buffs. The Elder watched him closely. Rudra sparked a fire under the skillet. He didn't use any magic skills to control the flame.

He just watched the wood burn, adjusting the logs with a stick to get a perfect, even heat. He cleaned the fish with quick, simple motions. He didn't rush. He chopped the wild grass and the wild onions quickly and cleanly. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. He dropped a tiny piece of cheap butter into the pan. It sizzled. He laid the fish down. The sound of the searing meat echoed in the quiet valley. Rudra closed his eyes for a second.

He focused entirely on the smell, the sound, and the heat. He didn't think about stats. He didn't think about system ratings. He just thought about making a warm, comforting meal for the people watching him. He tossed the chopped crater grass and onions into the pan. He added a pinch of cheap sea salt. He coaxed the flavors together. He used the sharp, earthy taste of the wild grass to cut through the natural oil of the fish. He let the onions soften to add a hint of sweetness. It was pure, unassisted harmony.

Rudra flipped the fish one last time. The skin was perfectly crispy. He slid the meal onto a wooden plate. For a second, nothing happened. Then, a bright, blinding platinum light exploded from the wooden plate. The kids gasped, covering their eyes. Kratos woke up, sniffing the air wildly. [You have successfully created 'Crater-Grass Steamed Silver Fin'!] [Rating: Epic] [An epic-rated dish was produced, so all stats have permanently risen by +5!] [You have completely abandoned the reliance on high-tier ingredients.] [You have touched the true essence of the culinary arts!] Rudra smiled. He picked up the wooden plate and walked over to the Elder.

"Try it," Rudra offered. The Elder looked at the glowing plate. It was just a cheap fish and some weeds pulled from the dirt. But the smell was heavenly. It smelled like home. It smelled like comfort. The old man picked up a pair of wooden chopsticks. His hands were shaking. He pulled a small piece of the crispy fish and a pinch of the cooked grass, and placed it in his mouth. The Elder chewed slowly. He closed his eyes. A single tear rolled down his wrinkled cheek, getting lost in his white beard.

The flavor wasn't aggressive. It wasn't bursting with magical energy or overwhelming spice. It was just perfectly, beautifully balanced. It tasted like love and care. It tasted like the peak of pure effort. The Elder swallowed. He looked up at Rudra.

"It is perfect," the Elder whispered.

"You have taken the lowest of the earth and elevated it to the heavens. You truly understand." Rudra smiled, feeling a massive wave of satisfaction. [The Scribe Elder has acknowledged your culinary mastery!] [You have taken the first step toward a new path.] [A new hidden class quest has been generated: 'Path to the Cooking Saint'.] [Path to the Cooking Saint] [Difficulty: Class Quest. You have touched the true essence of cooking. You understand that a masterpiece does not rely on the rarity of its ingredients, but the harmony of the craft. A Legend cooks to conquer ingredients. A Saint cooks to bring out their soul. Walk the path of pure cooking. If you can fully master the natural harmony of the world's most basic ingredients, you will reach a realm no chef has ever seen. At that moment, a new Saint will be born. - There is no time limit for this class quest. - Reaching a Saint class in a production field will permanently alter the culinary world of Satisfy. Class Quest Clear Conditions: Master the essence of pure cooking (Create 100 Epic-rated dishes using only Normal-grade ingredients: 0/100). Class Quest Clear Reward: Unknown.] Rudra read the quest window and grinned. It was going to be a long grind, but he knew exactly what he needed to do.

"Alright," Rudra said, turning to the kids.

"Who else is hungry? I've got plenty of fish." The children cheered. They rushed forward, lining up around the skillet. Even Kratos trotted over, pushing his way to the front of the line.

"Me first," Kratos demanded.

"I supervised." Rudra laughed and started cooking more fish. He used the basic ingredients, practicing his new mindset over and over again. The ratings stayed consistently high. He was no longer relying on shortcuts. He was relying on himself. The Elder sat quietly on his rock, eating the rest of his fish. He watched the Staff Saint laugh and joke with the children. The world had been a dark, terrifying place when the Scribes went to sleep.

But watching Rudra serve simple food to his people, the Elder finally felt a spark of hope. When the meal was over, the kids ran off to play by the stream. Kratos curled up next to the warm fire, completely stuffed. The Elder walked back over to Rudra. The old man looked serious now.

"You have shown me your truth, Rudra," the Elder said quietly.

"Now, it is time I show you ours. You need to know why the world ended. You need to know the truth about the gods." Rudra put down his cooking knife. He wiped his hands on a towel and looked at the Elder.

"I'm listening," Rudra said.