Concept Test: ‘Reincarnated with a Cooking System in Cartoon Suburbia.’

AN: Been writing this for fun in my free time and decided to post a few chapters on here to see if there's an audience for it in the future. Definitely not my normal action based stories, but it was surprisingly fun to write something more light hearted and slice of life. I also put a lot of thought into the system. Give it a read would love suggestions and to known if people would want more in the future.

---Enjoy!---

“ARGH I CAN’T DO IT,  I CAN’T TAKE THIS SHIT ANY LONGER!!” 

Having heard similar words before I picked up my eyes just in time to watch the man a few spots in front of me turn and jump off of the white marble staircase we stood on. His face was warped into expression half way between relief and insanity as tears streamed from his eyes. With a terrified scream the man plummeted through the air before he was swallowed by the thick layer of clouds that surrounded us at all times. 

“1,437,939.” I muttered the number under my breath as I looked away from where the man had disappeared and focused on spacing out again. I had gotten rather good at it since I had appeared on the staircase some time ago. The exact time was anybody's guess since there was no way of keeping time beyond counting each second but I had given up on that after reaching a million on five separate occasions. The reason why there was no way of keeping time was because nothing ever changed. The clouds were all the same, with consistent lighting filtering through from an unseen sun, and the narrow marble staircase was always the same shade at a continuous 45 degree incline. 

The last memory I had before suddenly appearing in the strange world was falling asleep in my bed tired after another day long shift. When I first saw the clouds and the staircase leading up into them, I made the obvious assumption anyone who had heard of Christianity would make, I had died and gone to heaven. 

The relief I felt at the time was overwhelming, as I imagined dodging the biggest bullet after not being sent to hell and instead going to spend eternity in paradise. However, my initial impression couldn’t have been further from the truth, and now I was certain that the bullet had hit me center mass. 

While it may not have been an eternal pit of hellfire and brimstone, whatever deity rules over this realm had made it to torture its inhabitants. The first thing was that the staircase was extremely narrow, with only enough space to take one step to either side, and without any railing your only option was to stand in place or shuffle back and forth hoping you didn’t fall off. 

But the true torture didn’t come from the physical discomfort, but the mental anguish of not knowing. There was no explanation or pamphlet to tell you what was going on, leaving you with only two options: stay on the staircase or jump over the side into the soft embrace of the clouds and hope whatever fate awaited you was better than standing around for all eternity while your sanity slowly eroded away. 

I had debated the decision over and over in my mind, sometimes getting so close to giving up that my entire body went numb. But I had never gone all the way, not because I was scared, but simply because I was too stubborn to give up. I couldn’t get the possibility out of my mind that somehow the clouds and the stairs were a test, one that I needed to pass to get the reward I finally deserved. If there really was a heaven, a place of absolute paradise, nothing would stop me from passing through the pearly gates. 

No matter what awful shit life threw my way I had believed that living honestly and doing good deeds would pay off in the long run. I couldn’t have been more wrong, ‘I kept turning the other cheek expecting it not to get slapped…well I'm done with it and life itself.'

“Next!” 

I blinked and looked up to find that for the first time in forever my surroundings had changed. Instead of a staircase I was standing on a marble platform suspended within the clouds and a few feet in front of me sitting behind a desk was an angel, complete with the white wings and golden halo. 

“I-Is this real,” I muttered, scared to move, afraid that I might break the illusion and find myself back on the stairs. 

“Yes this is real, and I know your shocked but I have other people to see so if we can keep this brief that would be great,” The angel replied as the opened a drawer on their desk and pulled out a file which they promptly opened, “Can you please confirm your name is Raiden Young.” 

“Y-yeah that’s me,” I answered, still somewhat shell shocked and trying to put my thoughts together. 

 
“Well congratulations, Mr. Young, you have successfully rid yourself of all earthly bonds and can now begin spending eternity in your own personal heaven.” 

For a long moment I just stared at the angel, “All earthly what?” 

“They always want an explanation,” The angel muttered underneath their breath with a sigh before resuming, “The place you just left was called Purgatory, it’s the realm where all souls who don’t deserve eternal damnation go after they die to prepare their souls for heaven.” 

I slowly digested the Angel’s words trying to make sense of it all, “But, what about the people that jumped off, what happened to them?” 

“Oh their souls are just reincarnated to live out another life on Earth, after a couple cycles the soul naturally grows weary and manages to make it through Purgatory, like you did.” The Angel explained with a shrug as if they hadn’t just outlined the entire process of the afterlife. 

“Alright, so what happens now that I’m no longer in Purgatory,” I asked hoping to move the conversation along and keep me from considering the fact that everyone on earth was recycled like plastics. 

“Now, you get to spend an eternity in your own personal heaven,” The angel answered with a cheerful expression as they clapped their hands, “The possibilities are quite literally endless.” 

“A personal heaven, you mean it isn’t just one big cloud world where everyone flies around on white feathery wings,” I asked, feeling like I needed to sit down only for a leather chair to rise up from the marble platform. 

I stared at the chair for a moment before I simply gave up trying to come up with an explanation and took a seat for the first time in years. I sank into the leather with a sigh, closing my eyes for a moment before opening them and meeting the Angel’s understanding gaze, “Sorry about that…where were we?” 

“The concept of a personal heaven,” The angel reminded me before resuming where they left off, “While there is a common heaven where you can visit and converse with others who have passed along, most souls spend their infinite time within customized worlds that are shaped to fulfill what they think of as a paradise.” 

“I can visit other people?” I suddenly sat up with a start latching onto the Angel’s words like a lifeline. 

A sad smile crossed their face, “Yes, but I’m afraid no one from your last life who you had a close connection with has managed to break free from the cycle of reincarnation. Though it’s only a matter of time before they join you in the afterlife.” 

“Oh,” I replied somewhat disappointedly before shaking the thoughts free from my head, “That’s fine then.” 

“Great, then we can get started on making your personal heaven,” The angel cheered. 

I nodded as excitement replaced my melancholy,  eager to see what real paradise looked like, “Alright then,  is there a questionnaire or something I need to fill out?” 

“No, we haven’t used those things since the first century, we switched to something more modern and far more streamlined,” The angel replied before waving their hand over the table summoning a twelve sided prism constructed out of a pale yellow crystal surrounded by a golden ethereal light that drifted on an invisible breeze like fog or smoke, “All you need to do is place your hands on the Soulcrystal and it will read your soul creating your perfect paradise.” 

The idea sounded too good to be true, but I guess that was a literal definition of a paradise. Reaching out with both hands I placed them on the crystal and was immediately filled with a pleasant warmth that sank into my bones, “Alright what do I do now?” 

“Just think about what makes you happy while the crystal does it work. It should only take a moment.” The angel advised. 

Following their directions I thought about my life, and the few moments of happiness that decorated my otherwise drab existence. For a moment I lost myself in the exercise as with a level of mental clarity that had always eluded me I relived my entire life with startling accuracy.  

“And you’re all done!” 

The angels voice broke me out of my memories and I looked up from the entrancing light of the crystal and found them staring at a thin stone slab scrolling across it like it was an ipad, “Let’s see, seems like your ideal world is mainly a farm/restaurant life simulator where your granted reality augmenting powers through the use of a system. You also heavily sprinkled in components of a nsfw r-18 dating sim using characters from various cartoons you watched throughout your life.” 

“Wait what?” I blinked as the Angel read off the tablet, “T-that can’t be right.” 

“Oh no it is, and there’s no reason to be ashamed, this is far from the worst I’ve seen,” The angel replied waving aside my words with their hand, “Now while the crystal has a 99.9% percent accuracy when creating the perfect paradise do you have any final amendments to fill in that last 0.01%?” 

I fell silent for a second as I mulled it over before a random thought crossed my mind, “I don’t want to be human.” 

The Angel blinked, clearly caught off guard by my request, “You don’t want to be a human?” 

“Yeah,  why not switch things up a little,” I replied nodding to myself as the idea started to grow on me, “Or maybe give me the ability to switch between a human form and a non-human one.” 

“Very well then, what kind of animal or other creature were you thinking about?” The Angel asked.

“Oh, I was thinking more along the lines of like fantasy races, you know elves, dwarves, the classics.” I corrected somewhat awkwardly though the Angel seemed to be relieved, “That actually makes a great deal more sense. I’ll make the necessary changes so you can choose what race you want when you create your new body. Anything else?” 

I thought for a moment longer before shaking my head, “No, that's about everything.” 

“Perfect, then I can send you along your way. Have fun in heaven,” The Angel waved their hand once more and the Soulcrystal flared, generating a powerful pull that tore me out of my seat as my body compressed, going from three dimensions into a stream of light as I felt the world around me change. 

Chapter 2

When the world finally stopped spinning I found myself floating in an infinite black void and when I tried to look down at my body I found only more darkness, ‘What is this place? Don’t tell me I just got scammed or something.’ 

A flash of light in the darkness answered my question and I cast my gaze over to see what could only be described as a title card, unfolding in flowing purple cursive. 

‘My Life in Cartoon Suburbia.’ 

The title was imposed over a top down view of a suburban town, one that mixed modern with a distinctly nostalgic ambience thanks to the brick laid sidewalks, old gas powered street lights, and the sprinkle of greenery from the trees lining the streets. 

Once the lettering was completely revealed a prompt appeared beneath it in smaller text. 

‘Click to Begin Character Creation’

Wondering how I was supposed to click anything without a body I tried picturing myself reaching out with a hand and felt a slight tingle through my mind as the title card shifted, transforming into another display. 

‘Choose your Race’ 

Below the blurb of text was a long list containing what I assumed to be, every mythical race ever conceived as it stretched on and on into the infinite void, ‘This is way too many options, isn’t there a filter or something.’  

‘Would you like to filter results to most suitable options: Y/N’ 

‘Don’t have to ask me twice.’ 

I selected yes and watched as the list got significantly shorter though there were still at least a hundred options, ‘Fortunately I have nothing but time.’ 

Reading through each race didn’t take nearly as long as I thought it would. Most of them I wasn’t even the slightest bit interested in. I wanted something different but living as an eight foot tall minotaur in a suburban town would be a bit too much. For the races that did interest me I clicked on them and got a short but detailed blurb of information. 

Eventually I narrowed it down to a few options with one clear favorite among them all, ‘I guess this is why they have us sit around in purgatory, if I had any shame or hang ups remaining there’s no way I would have ever chosen this before.’ 

[Race: Primordial Incubus] 

While normal Incubi are known for their deviant proclivities, which including draining the life of their victims through sexual acts, their Primordial cousins possess a far more powerful form of magic. Instead of constantly draining and searching for another target to seduce, Primordial Incubi form Covens, a collection of eternally loyal thralls that willingly serve their demonic lord providing a continuous source of tantric energy allowing the Incubus to grow incredibly powerful. However despite this important distinction, Primordial Incubi still possesses an unparalleled and perpetual sex drive causing intercourse to be a physical need rather than a lustful desire. 

Fortunately the demonic spawn are masters of seduction and all carnal acts thanks to their intrinsic magic that they use to great effect. This magic grows in power along with the age, size and bond of the Incubus’ coven. Meaning that many Primordial Incubi are excellent providers and protectors caring for their Thralls with genuine displays of affection and love. 

With this reputation some even actively search to join the Coven of Primordial Incubi, as not only do they gain a perfect lover and partner, but the magic of the Coven also increases the natural beauty of the thrall, and grants them an eternal youth. Those who are successfully converted into Thralls will gain the seal of their Incubi on their body marking them for all eternity and begin searching for other potential candidates to expand their lord’s Coven. 

‘Would you like to select this race: Y/N’ 

‘If I’m gonna be living in a dating sim, why not give myself a head start.’ I thought shamelessly before selecting yes and once more the display in front of me changed as a new text screen popped up. 

‘Edit Appearance’ 

[Human Form] 

Underneath the words was a blank 3-D human model that looked more like a mannequin than an actually living being. But next to the model were a series of slides each with a different label such as eye color, nose, lips and more. 

There was even a scroll bar on the very side and with a thought I went down the list and realized that every single feature a person could possess had a customizable slider. 

‘This is insane,’ I muttered in my mind but regardless I started to mess around with the sliders. Before long I found myself fully entranced in the process as I sculpted my character, down to the individual hairs on my body. At first my adjustments started off modest as without thinking I recreated the face and body I had in my last life, but then I realized it would be a waste of a paradise if I didn’t make the most handsome version of myself. 

Going back to the beginning I immediately increased my height to a staggering 6 '6 and then went over to the physique tab and messed around with the fat to muscle ratio until I had the broad shoulders, chest of an olympic swimmer the developed lower half of a lifelong cyclist, and the core of an underwear model with a sculpted eight pack, a defined v-cut and mouthwatering obliques. 

From there I moved onto my face, giving myself full lips, a slender nose, a cutting jawline, high cheekbones and as little facial fat as possible without looking like a skeleton. 

Next was my hair which I kept almost the same, short and black but styled in a messy wolf cut to give myself a rugged air. I also changed the color of my eyes to a dark blue the same color as the open ocean. 

The final change I made was one that lies directly below the belt. I had been firmly average in my previous life. While I could have gone crazy, I kept my proportions somewhat tame, though I would have to be careful about wearing tight pants, and I would wager no women would ever feel unsatisfied after spending the night with me. 

Taking in my human form I nodded fully satisfied with my appearance, before clicking a tab at the bottom causing the display to switch. 

‘Edit Appearance’ 

[Demon Form] 

Instead of a blank canvas for me to paint over the model that appeared before me was a heavily modified version of my human for. The most obvious change was that I had grown several inches, putting me at seven feet tall at the very least, my skin was now an ashen gray and faint tattoo-like birthmarks covered my shoulders, chest and ribs. I also had a leathery whip-like tail extending from my back that ended in an arrow shaped point. 

Other than that the changes were mostly cosmetic,  my hair was longer, growing out into a full mane from which two obsidian horns rose up near the edge of my forehead. My ears were also pointed like an elf’s and instead of blue my eyes were a dark purple. 

‘Are you satisfied with your appearance: Y/N’ 

I selected yes, and  as my selection confirmed the void around me transitioned from night today as one final title card appeared in front of me. 

‘Welcome, Raiden Young, to ToonTown.’ 

As the world became almost painfully bright I felt a force pull at my consciousness leaving me with just enough time for one last thought, ‘ToonTown…that’s the name of my paradise…really?’ 

—- 

A blaring alarm made me lurch upright in bed and I looked around in a slight panic as I didn’t recognize my surroundings. Then everything clicked into place and I let out a sigh, before a large grin crossed my face. Throwing off my bare sheets I stood up and looked around the hardly furnished studio apartment before finding the door to the bathroom and barging inside.  

Looking into the mirror hung above the sink I found myself staring into a pair of dreamy dark blue eyes, ‘My dark blue eyes.’ 

I smiled at my new reflection, “Looking good, and feeling even better.” 

[Ehem, excuse me I don’t want to interrupt your moment or anything, but I’d like to go back to sleep as soon as possible.]

My heart pounded against my chest and I whirled around as a voice echoed out behind me only to find nothing but empty space, “What the fuck!?” 

[Don’t worry you’re not going insane, even though  there is technically a voice inside your head.  But don’t worry this is probably the only time you hear me talk this much in a while. I’m just here to give you the rundown so you can get started on your adventure]

“The rundown on what? And just who the hell are you?” I asked slowly, backing out of the bathroom . 

[Fortunately those two questions have the same answer, I’m your system and I’m here to give you the rundown on well…myself! Here, why don’t you take a look!]

Chapter 3 

Before I could ask any follow up questions my vision was filled with a holographic screen that flashed into existence in front of me and all my inquiries stopped as I started to read over the presented information. 

[Paradise System] 

Status:

Name: Raiden Young 

Race: Primordial Incubus

Age: 23 [Eternal Youth] 

Clock: Day 1

Traits: None

SimLife: 

Level: 1 [0/10 DP]

Money: $ 5000
Maintenance: $ 0
Properties: Abandoned Grillhouse

[Perks: 0 PP (+)]
None

[Skills: 0 SP (+)]

Cooking I: 0/1 

DatingLife:

Life Stage: Imp
Coven Tier: I
Lust Meter: 0/100 [+10 daily]
Tantric Reserves: 5/5

[Hexes: 0 HP(+)]

Charm I: 0/1 

[Thralls 0/5] 

None

Quests:
Status: None
SimLife: None
DatingLife: None

“Please tell me what the hell am I looking at?” I muttered as my eyes scanned over the organized and categorized, holographic character sheet. 

[This is your Paradise System, it displays all the vital information you need to make the most of your eternal afterlife] 

“And you’re what, the system's AI voice assistant?” I asked as I tried to touch the screen only for my finger to go straight through it. 

[Precisely, also the system only responds to mental commands as it only exists within your mind meaning no else can see either. Now would you like me to give you the rundown of how everything works.] 

“I don’t know why I would say no,” I replied as I sat back down on the edge of  my bed preparing myself for what was sure to be a lengthy explanation. 

[Very well, let’s start broad and then work our way in. First you can see that the system is split into four main categories, which are, Status, SimLife, DatingLife and Quests. Status is most straightforward and the least likely to change, the only real thing you need to keep track of in this section are your Traits. Traits are powerful modifiers that grant permanent boons to your person, they can be unlocked by completing certain hidden achievements that only reveal themselves after you stumble upon their criteria.] 

“Alright so I should just try a bunch of random shit?” I asked, trying to clarify what exactly qualified as criteria. 

[I suggest focusing on activities you actually enjoy and or wish to excel at, most often you’ll find a Trait worth unlocking. Now moving on to the SimLife category, this is the one that will change the most and that you’ll need to keep the closest eye on. Your overarching goal is to increase your Level by earning Development Points or DP for short. I’ll go over how you can earn them at the end, along with most other specialty points that you can redeem. 

The next subcategory on the list is simple enough, I doubt I even need to explain it but I will. Money is where all your monetary funds will go, both digital and hard cash. You can withdraw or despite funds at will so no need to worry about forgetting your wallet or getting robbed. And you'll always want to keep some funds in the system because at the end of every month the total amount under your Maintenance Tab will be deducted from your Money tab, if you don’t have enough not only will all your funds be taken but you incur a debt that grows over time.]

“Wait a minute, so you’re saying that even in my perfect world I still have to worry about taxes and interest rates?” I protested with a rueful shake of my head. 

[My understanding is that without some level of challenge things become pretty boring after a while, but back to the topic at hand. Any property you buy or rent will add to your maintenance tab so you need to think carefully when considering buying or upgrading in the future. 

And to make sure you’re getting the most out of your properties,  invest in the right perks, which are essentially re-flavored traits. However they’re not as powerful to start with and need to be upgraded with Perk Points or PP, which are also used to buy the perks to begin with. You can find the full list by selecting the plus icon, though some of them are rather expensive and I imagine you won't be buying them for quite some time. You can also figure out what a specific perk does by selecting it, and the same goes for both skills and hexes.

Speaking of skills, unlike perks, they’re designed to be universally accessible as they all start at the same base cost of  1 Skill point. Which is great because there are practically an infinite number of skills as every action or activity you can think of has a corresponding skill, with each level being the equivalent of 1 year of consistent professional training.] 

“So I buy the skill and instantly learn all the related  information,” I repeated before nodding with a smile, “I like the sound of that.” 

[Well you're gonna like this last part even more you perv, because now we’re onto the DatingLife section of the rundown. I took the liberty of synching this part of the system with your race so you're welcome for that. As you can see as far as Primordial Incubi go you’re rather weak being at the youngest life stage, so if you want to mature your main priority will be upgrading your coven which can be accomplished by first creating the maximum number of thralls for your current tier in addition to some secondary objectives. 

You’ll also want as many thralls as possible for two other reasons, the first of which being your lust meter. The higher it gets the more discomfort and pain  you’ll feel until eventually you’ll hardly be able to control yourself and go on a sexually frustrated rampage. To keep it down you’ll need someone to provide you some physical release, though the amount will vary depending upon the specific action and that person's skill.

The second reason you want as many Thralls as possible is because each Thrall you possess gives you one point of  tantric energy every day. You can use these tantric points to cast your Hexes  which can help you in everyday life like Charm, click on it now to see what it does.] 

Following directions I clicked on the Hex and watched as a small pop up window appeared .

[Hex: Charm]
Level 1
Cost: 1 TP per Cast

Duration: 24 hours
Effect: While looking into the eyes of the person you want to charm, cast this Hex to increase the rate at which your bond level increases with the charm individual. 

“Bond level?” I repeated questioningly. 

[That’s part of the dating sim mini game, which I can’t comment on until you naturally come across it, but I imagine it won’t take long. Now onto the very last part of the system, the Quest tab. Quests are your main source of progression, as completing them will give you all the various kinds of points you need to grow stronger, but also so much more. The main way to unlock them is by simply living your life, they’ll naturally generate depending on what scenario you find yourself in and reward you for accomplishing their objectives] 

“Sounds straightforward enough,”  I muttered as I closed out of the system window leaving my vision blissfully clear, “Alright what’s next on the agenda.” 

[What’s next is that I give you your first quest and then go back to sleep. Ciao!]

Before I could reply, another, thankfully a smaller window appeared in the corner of my vision and I didn’t so much as read it as have all the necessary information downloaded into my brain. 

[SimQuest: Grill Master I]  

Objective: Prepare [ Abandoned Grillhouse] for opening! 

• Clean restaurant, exterior,  interior, and kitchen [0/3]

• Buy 5 [Small Wooden Tables] from the property manual [0/5]

• Buy 10 [Wooden Dining Chairs] from the property manual [0/5]

• Create a menu with at least ten food items [0/10] 

• Hire 1 waitstaff [0/1] 

Reward(s): 

• +5 SP 

• +2 DP 

• +1 PP

• +$2000

Info: You’ve just woken up in your new reality, a paradise world where you can finally fulfill all your inner aspirations and achieve true happiness. However it seems that not even the dead can rest. As the story goes, you've just moved into town after buying an abandoned restaurant with hopes of bringing it back to life and starting the beginning of your culinary empire! 

As I read over the quest details I realized that I was becoming more and more excited for what the future had in store for me. By the end of the quest screen I couldn’t remember the last time I had looked forward to something more, ‘Maybe the soul crystal was on to something after all.’ 

Chapter 4

With a purpose in my stride I rushed to get ready, fortunately my barebones apartment had almost everything I needed, which included clothes that fit my new body and basic toiletries. However I made the unfortunate discovery that there wasn’t any food in my fridge or cabinets, ‘Guess I’m going hungry for the day.’ 

Making my way to the door I threw it open and found myself  standing outside on a metal staircase leading to the alley below. Walking down the stairs I looked up and down the alley situated behind an old brick building that was sitting on a corner based on how it was positioned and how the alley wrapped around the back. 

Going to the right I walked around until I reached the brick laid sidewalk and then the front of the building, ‘Well at least I don’t have to commute anymore.’ 

It turned out that my apartment was directly atop of the Grillhouse which was definitely abandoned judging by the thick layer of dust over the windows, the trash piled up on the doorstep and the weeds creeping up around the foundations. ‘Wonder what the inside looks like.’ 

I grabbed the front door handle expecting it to be locked, only to hear a loud click as the deadbolt slid open allowing me to open the door. Chalking the anomaly up to weird heaven magic I stepped inside. 

With the dirty windows, barely any sunlight made it inside but already I could see the piles of trash that lay forgotten in dark corners and the layer of grime caked onto every floor tile. Making my way cautiously into the back I eventually found a group of light switches on the wall next to a pair of swinging metal doors leading into the kitchen. 

Flicking each switch on, the lights on the overhead fixtures flicked to life were  also covered in a thick layer of dust, but they generated enough light to let me see the full extent of what I was dealing with. 

‘This alone is going to take me all day,’ I lamented with a sigh before steeling my nerves and pushing aside the doors to enter the kitchen. Surprisingly the first thing I noticed wasn’t how dirty the kitchen was, but its layout. 

The entire space was centered around a massive brick firepit that acted as the main cook surface with a large seven foot by five foot, cast iron grill. And attached onto either side of the grill were two large slate slabs at the perfect height to act as work stations. There was also a heavy looking drying rack suspended above the grill by four equally heavy looking chains. 

‘Well I guess it isn’t called a Grillhouse for nothing.’ 

Besides its namesake, the kitchen looked pretty standard with stainless steel counters and storage racks that were unfortunately stocked with spices that I had imagined had long gone stale and bags of flour and rice that would attract all sorts of pests. 

Walking into the kitchen I strayed near the grill and just so happened to graze my finger across the brick and mortar. A tingle shot up my arm making me reflexively pull my hand away but before I could look back and see what had shocked me, there was a flash of golden light and I looked over just in time to see a leather bound scroll appear out of thin air above the grill. 

‘What the…’Before I  could even finish the thought the scroll turned into a beam of light that shot forward and slammed into my chest making me stumble back out of shock even though the scroll had no physical force behind it.

[You have claimed the property deed for [Abandoned Grillhouse] you can now access the Property Management Page at your convenience] 

[Property: Abandoned Grillhouse]

Type: Commercial [Restaurant]
Tier I: Upgrade cost [$35,000]

Maintenance: $2500
Max Capacity: 0 

Rating: 0/100

[Employees]

Waitstaff: 0/2

None

Kitchenstaff: 0/1
None

[Furniture (+)]

None

[Appliances (+)]
Hearthstone Grill: +10% to cooking speed, +10% quality of all grilled recipes

[Menu]
None

[Recipes]
None

[Order Ingredients: $0]

Y/N

[Would you like to enter Chef Mode]
Y/N

‘What the hell am I looking at?’ 

[This is a Property Manual, it allows you to view all the information you need for the related property. For your restaurant this is where you can also buy upgrades such as furniture, like seats and tables to  increase your max capacity, and decor which will make your rating rise faster which you need to attract high paying customers. There are also appliances which beyond you actually needing them to cook certain recipes, can provide passive bonuses to help your kitchen run smoothly, especially when you start hiring other cooks which you can manage under the employees tab.] 

‘Okay that all seems straightforward and the menu and recipe tabs are self explanatory   but what about the last two options?’ 

[Order ingredients will allow you to instantly buy all the produce and food items you need to create any dish you want. Though I suggest you  use Chef Mode first which will send your consciousness to another realm where you can experiment with any possible combination of ingredients for free so you don’t have to waste your money. Also, while you're in this mode, time in the real world is frozen, so you don’t have to rush through the creative process.]

‘Well that certainly makes things a lot easier,’ I thought as I dismissed the window, ‘Though I should probably clean up  before buying anything or trying to make an entire menu.’ 

Resuming my search for cleaning supplies I eventually found a small closet shoved in the very back of the kitchen that was surprisingly well stocked with rags, mops, brooms, buckets and every kind of surface cleaner one could think of. Arming myself with a roll of trash bags, a broom and a dust pan I decided to work from the outside in. 

Propping open the front door I pulled on a pair of gloves and started bagging the larger pieces of trash that had accumulated over the years, random pieces of scrap metal and wood, plastic bags, and broken glass from bottles and random windowpanes.

‘It’s like people turned this place into the town dump.’ 

When I finally managed to clear the entrance I had filled nearly ten industrial trash bags but despite the physical effort and the blistering summer sun I had barely worked up a sweat or felt the slightest bit of fatigue.

‘Can I even sweat anymore, now that I’m not human?’ I wondered as I hauled the last of the bags into the garbage bin in the back of the restaurant. Dusting off my hands I pulled up the quest prompt with a thought and checked my progress. 

[SimQuest: Grill Master I]  

Objective: Prepare [ Abandoned Grillhouse] for opening! 

• Clean restaurant, exterior, interior, and kitchen [1/3]

• Buy 5 [Small Wooden Table] from the property manual [0/5]

• Buy 4 [Fuax Leather Booth] from the property manual  [0/2]

• Create a menu with at least ten food items [0/10] 

• Hire 1 waitstaff [0/1] 

Reward(s): 

• +2 SP 

• +2 DP 

• +1 PP

• +$2000

‘One down, two more to go.’ 

In the beginning, cleaning the interior was identical to the exterior, as I filled trash bag after trash bag with broken pieces of furniture, old rusted utensils and broken plates. But once I could actually see the floor I realized that my work wasn’t anywhere near done. 

A thick caked layer of grime covered every square inch  and even the gaps between tiles. My first thought was to grab a mop and bucket of hot water, but with the amount of leverage I needed to break up the residue I would have been there all day. So I changed up my tactics, switching out the mop for a stiff haired broom and adding soap to the bucket of water. 

The change was noticeable right away as my first stroke with the broom pushed away a wave of dirty suds to reveal clean black and white tiles beneath, ‘I couldn’t even tell that the tiles were two different colors.’ 

Cleaning the floor was a multi step process as first I had to switch between breaking up the layer of filth with the broom and mopping up the dirty water, before going back over the entire room with another round of water and soap to make sure everything was actually clean.

Leaving the floor to air dry I busied myself with the windows dusting them off before wiping them down, finally letting some natural light into the restaurant. I did the same to the old light fixtures and by then the floor was completely dry letting me sweep up the last bits of dust and dirt. 

Clean restaurant, exterior, interior, and kitchen [2/3]

If the trend was anything to go by, the kitchen was going to be hardest to clean up and a closer inspection of its overall cleanliness proved that my assumption was correct. Not only did I have to get rid of the rotten and expired food cluttering up the shelves and refrigerator, but the floor needed to be scrubbed down along with the workstations. The grill was also in desperate need of some TLC with bits of charred food clinging to the cast iron cook top and a small mountain of ash and charcoal from all the previous fires sitting within the hearth. 

Strangely I wasn’t exhausted or frustrated imagining the mind numbing menial labor awaiting me. While I was no stranger to work, I had never felt so fulfilled from seeing the fruits of my labor, ‘I guess this really is my paradise.’ 

Using my tried and true method I cleared out the bulky items first, throwing them out back, before cleaning out the hearth, which took awhile as the fine ash particles would go flying everywhere if I moved too quickly. Once those two tasks were done I set about scrubbing down the entire kitchen, working my way quite literally from top to bottom staring with the hood vents clogged with oil and grease from years of food service. From there I moved to the shelves, then the prep stations and grill before finishing with the floor. And when I scrubbed up the last bit of dirt of the tiles a small notification flashed across my eyes. 

[You have completed the following Objective(s)]

Clean restaurant, exterior, interior, and kitchen [3/3]

The notification was then followed by an  intense wave of euphoria that rushed through my body like I had just injected pure dopamine and serotonin directly into my veins. The high came on strong and fast but instead of crashing, a smooth energizing buzz cleared my mind vanishing any mental fatigue that had been building up from the otherwise slow task, ‘Wow, I could get used to that.’ 

Chapter 5

Eager to finish my quest and hopefully get another hit I opened up the property manual and scrolled all the way down until I found the furniture section which remained empty. I then clicked on the plus icon expecting to open a catalog of items I could buy, but instead my entire pov warped as it was ripped out of my body and suspended in the very center of the kitchen. 

‘Okay this is weird,’ Despite the disorienting change I managed to keep my calm and instead tried to figure out what the purpose of the shift was. It didn't take me long to figure out that I could move freely directing my movements with just a thought. I also realized that by focusing on a specific item or part of the room I could bring up the catalog I had been hoping for. 

It seemed like I could customize anything I wanted, ranging from the floor to the ceiling, the walls and everything in between. However I could tell  I wasn’t meant to be giving the Grillhouse a full make over just yet at the prices quickly rose above the five thousand dollars I had given to start with. Fortunately I wasn’t interested in customizing the kitchen, so I moved my disembodied consciousness into the dining space. 

The total floor area was rather small, maybe fifteen feet by fifteen feet at most, meaning I couldn’t  get too creative when arranging seats. Bringing up the furniture catalog with a thought I pictured the pieces I wanted and grinned when the catalog shrunk down to only two options. 

[Furniture: Small Wooden Dining Table]

Cost: $ 250
Maintenance: $ 75
Effect(s): +2 Capacity 

[Furniture: Faux Leather Booth] 

Cost: $ 550
Maintenance: $ 150
Effect(s): +4 Capacity 

With some quick mental math I calculated the total cost and realized that just to buy five tables and two booths, it would run me about 3,450 dollars and add roughly 975 dollars to my maintenance. 

‘That leaves me with only 1,550 plus the 2000 from the quest…but I’ll probably be spending most of that on ingredients after I make the menu…though it’s not like I have much of a choice.’ 

[Shopping Cart]

Small Wooden Dining Table [x5]
Faux Leather Booth [x4]

Cost: $3,450

Finalize purchase: Y/N

I selected yes ignoring the very real pain of leaving so little in my wallet but busied myself with placing my new furniture. A task that was made infinitely easy by the fact that I could drag and drop the tables and booths like props in a video game.  

Like I had predicted with the restaurant’s limited floor space, my arrangement was rather straightforward, putting the booths against the walls, two to each side with tables placed in the middle in a pyramid formation. 

Satisfied for now I exited what I dubbed decoration mode and my consciousness snapped back into place as I shook my head and blinked my eyes, ‘Well that was different.’ 

[You have completed the following Objective(s)]

• Buy 5 [Small Wooden Table] from the property manual [5/5]

• Buy 4 [Fuax Leather Booth] from the property manual  [4/4]

With the notification came another rush focusing my mind, ‘Alright time to see what this Chef Mode is all about.’ 

Once more my consciousness was sent flying but instead of being pulled out I felt like I was falling down further and further picking up speed until my surroundings turned into a blur. Then everything came to a screeching stop and I found myself standing on a cloud that stretched for as far as I could see. 

For a moment I thought I had been sent back to heaven, but then an entire kitchen rose from clouds, stainless steel countertops, massive bulk fridges, shelves displaying more kitchen appliances than I could ever name, and endless rows of crates filled with produce, burlap sacks overflowing with grains, and spice racks carrying thousands of dollars worth of exotic flavors.. 

The sheer volume of possibilities left me stunned for a moment, ‘How am I supposed to find anything…in everything?’ 

Going out on a limb I imagined a nice flank steak and was only mildly surprised when the vacuum sealed five pack appeared on the counter top in front of me. 

[Ingredient: Flank Steak]
Cost: $ 50

Count: 5
Category: Protein
Quality: Normal
Effect(s): None

Swiping away the notification I stared at the pack of steaks wondering how the hell I was supposed to cook the pieces of meat when all of a sudden a slew of information flooded my mind. In an instant I knew the rough cook times for each level of doneness, the importance of letting the meat rest after cooking, and what side dishes would complement the steak. 

Thinking of only one possibility I opened my status page and scrolled down until I reached my skills and clicked on the only one I had, ‘What did the system say again? One level is equal to one year of professional training.’ 

[Skill: Cooking I]

Upgrade Cost: 0/1
Effect(s): 

• +5% to final quality of all recipes

• +10% to cooking speed

‘Final quality of recipes? What does quality even mean in this context?’ 

Figuring that there was only one way to answer my questions, I got to cooking. With a thought I summoned the rest of the ingredients I needed for the dish I was forming in my mind's eye. 

[Ingredient: Bag of Potates]
Cost: $ 20

Count: 10
Category: Starch
Quality: Normal
Effect(s): None

[Ingredient: Bundle of Asparagus]
Cost: $ 12

Count: 6
Category: Vegetable
Quality: Normal
Effect(s): None

[Ingredient: Parsel of Butter]
Cost: $ 15

Count: 3
Category: Dairy
Quality: Normal
Effect(s): None

With my ingredients ready, I conjured a wooden cutting board, a peeler and a chef’s knife with a thought before prepping the vegetables. First I cut the woody ends off six of the asparagus before laying the stalks flat on a baking sheet, drizzling them with a fine layer of olive oil, and seasoning them with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Fortunately the oil, salt and pepper didn’t seem to be counted as ingredients meaning I didn’t have to pay for them. 

Letting the asparagus sit I moved onto the potatoes, quickly peeling three of the spuds before roughly chopping them into pieces and throwing them in a pot filled with salted water that I boiled instantly with a thought. 

As the potatoes simmered I moved onto the main star of the dish, the steak. Picking out one of the flank cuts from the package I placed it directly on a summoned replica of the Grillhouse firepit, already lit with a roaring fire that licked at the grill. 

When I flipped the steak over revealing grill marks the potatoes had fully cooked, becoming fork tender. Draining the water from the pot I added a stick of butter and a generous pinch of salt before mixing everything together, making simple but delicious and creamy mashed potatoes. 

Putting a lid on the potatoes so they wouldn’t get cold, I quickly took the steak off the grill and set it aside on the cutting board to rest as I finished the last component of the dish. Throwing the asparagus on the grill, it only took a few minutes for them to cook through and get a decent char on either side of the stalks. With all the components ready I assembled the dish on a plate and was met with a slew of notifications. 

[New Recipe Discovered: Grilled Flank Steak]
Base Price: $ 25

Quality: ✦✧
Final Price: $29

Ingredients: Flank Steak[x1]

[New Recipe Discovered: Grilled Asparagus]

Base Price: $ 8

Quality: ✦✧

Final Price: $ 9

Ingredients: Asparagus[x4]

[New Recipe Discovered: Mashed Potates] 

Base Price: $ 11

Quality: ✧

Final Price: $ 12

Ingredients: Potatoes [x3] Butter [x1]

[You Have Created a Dish: Grilled Steak with Asparagus and Mash Potatoes] 

Base Price: $ 52

Quality: ✦ 

Final Price: $ 58

Components: Mashed Potatoes,  Grilled Asparagus, Grilled Flank Steak

Looking over the screens I found myself staring at the information listed trying to figure out how the system was calculating the quality and price of the food and what separated a Dish from a recipe. For a moment I was completely lost, but then when I looked back at the price of ingredients everything clicked into place. 

‘The base price of recipes is determined by the flat cost of  ingredients, which I can calculate by finding the unit price. So a bag of potatoes being $20 means that each spud is two dollars, so for three potatoes that's six dollars total, add  five dollars for the butter and you have your base price of $11, breaking even. But then there’s the final price, what the food will actually sell for, which is determined by the quality of the recipe. 

From what I can tell a filled-in star adds 10% of the base cost to the final price and, while an empty star adds 5% both of which are rounded to the nearest dollar. That math checks out because the only modifications to quality are my cooking skill and the grill, and since I obviously didn’t grill the mash potatoes they only received the 5% from my cooking skill.  

As for the dish, it seems to follow a similar formula, but instead of ingredients determining the base price it’s the final cost of all the recipes that make up the whole. And the quality bonus is most likely a rounded average from the recipes as well.’ 

Closing my eyes for a second I let out a long exhale as I processed all the information presented to me, ‘There really is no room for error with profit margins this thin, but I can see how I’m supposed to progress. I’ll need to save up for appliances like the grill to increase the quality of my food. There are also probably a handful of skills I can find and upgrade that would help as well. But those are long term investments.’ 

Opening my eyes again there was a fire burning within them as I stood at the foot of a metaphorical mountain, ‘In the short term, all I gotta do…is keep cooking!’