The first thing he felt was the chill. Not the cold of a drafty room, but a sterile, hollow cold that seemed to radiate from his own bones.
As he awoke, the phrase "Unfamiliar ceiling" crossed his mind. It was a classic trope, the hallmark of every transmigration story he had ever read in his previous life as an ordinary otaku.
He rose from the bed with a languid, heavy demeanor, his limbs feeling like lead. Each step toward the bathroom felt like wading through waist-deep water.
Standing before the mirror, he froze, staring back was a face that belonged on a magazine cover—if that magazine was titled Beautifully Haunted.
He looked to be sixteen or seventeen, with striking, snow-white hair that fell in messy but elegant layers.
His eyes were a pale, crystalline blue, possessing a sharp intelligence that was currently clouded by a deep, bone-weary exhaustion.
It was a face with a charm rating of at least an 8.5 out of 10. But the "lifeless" look—the dark circles and the hollowing of the cheeks—toned down his natural handsomeness.
"I really did it," he whispered, touching the cool glass. "I'm Eishi Tsukasa."
In the world of 2D, this man was the "White Knight of the Table," the First Seat of Tōtsuki Academy's Elite Ten.
He was a genius who could commune with ingredients, but he was also a man who lived in a state of perpetual anxiety and physical frailty.
"It's better looking than my old face," Eishi admitted to his reflection. "But this stamina... I feel like I'm one sneeze away from a hospital bed."
Suddenly, the air in the bathroom seemed to vibrate. A crystalline sound, like a tuning fork struck against his soul, echoed in his skull.
[Detected: Host has fully assimilated with original body's memories]
[Detected: Host's desire for a Support System]
[Conditions Met: Fantasy System is loading...]
[1%... 45%... 85%... 100%]
[Fantasy System is Online]
"Here it is," Eishi smirked, his lifeless eyes flickering with a spark of genuine excitement.
"The transmigrator's insurance policy."
[Ding! First-Time Synchronisation Reward detected.]
[Attribute: 'The King of the Kitchen'. Because the Host has successfully claimed the First Seat in this timeline, the System has extracted the 'Essence of the Elites' currently residing in this dormitory.]
A massive surge of information flooded Eishi's brain. It wasn't just data; it was the smell of simmering broth, the weight of a chef's knife, the precise temperature of melting sugar, and the primal instinct of a hunter.
[Momo Akanegakubo (Dessert Mastery): The secrets of sugar chemistry and aesthetic perfection.]
[Rindo Kobayashi (Wildlife Survival Mastery): The knowledge of exotic, "dangerous" ingredients and the gut instinct of a predator.]
[Tosuke Megishima (Ramen Mastery): The soul of the broth and the "inner fire" of artisan noodles.]
[Soumei Saito (Knife Handling Mastery): The Bushido of the blade; precision that borders on the supernatural.]
[Sonoka Kikuchi (Western Cuisine Mastery): The refined, classical foundations of the 89th Generation's 2nd Seat.]
[Taki Tsunozaki (Spanish Cuisine Mastery): The aggressive, bold play of spice and fire from the former 1st Seat.]
Eishi gripped the edge of the sink, his knuckles white. The exhaustion was still there, but beneath it was a foundation of culinary power that no single human should possess.
He wasn't just Eishi Tsukasa anymore; he was a composite of the greatest prodigies of his era.
"Hey, I know you think you're handsome, Eishi, but if you don't hurry up and wash, let me go first! I'm starving!"
A clear, energetic voice shattered his concentration. Eishi turned to see a girl leaning against the doorframe.
She wore oversized pajamas, her long red hair a messy mane around her face. Her golden eyes were narrowed in a playful cat-like stare, and a single sharp canine tooth peeked out from her lip as she drifted into a yawn.
Rindo Kobayashi. The Second Seat, his best friend, and—in this world—an "actual gorilla in human skin."
"You're thinking something rude about me, aren't you?" Rindo's eyes sharpened. Her instincts, sharpened by her "Wildlife Mastery," were terrifying.
Eishi didn't flinch. In the past, the original Eishi would have stammered and apologized. But this new Eishi was a "waifu collector" at heart. He looked her up and down, offering a small, tired smile.
"What? Of course not," Eishi said smoothly. "I was just thinking that even with bed-head, my beautiful, adorable Rindo-chan is a sight to behold. Go ahead, little beauty. You go first."
Rindo froze. Her jaw dropped slightly. The "White Knight" didn't give compliments—he gave nervous breakdowns.
"E-Eishi?" she stammered, her face tinting a faint pink. "Did you finally snap? Is the pressure of the First Seat making you hallucinate?"
"Maybe," Eishi chuckled, stepping aside and patting her shoulder. "But the compliment stands. Hurry up, I'm making breakfast today."
As she scurried into the bathroom, looking uncharacteristically flustered, Eishi's mind returned to the reality of his situation.
He walked to the kitchen, his mind navigating the memories of this timeline.
In this world, things were darker. Azami Nakiri had appeared earlier, putting immense pressure on the Council of Ten.
To protect the academy—or perhaps because he was manipulated—Eishi had challenged his seniors for the First Seat at the start of his second year.
He had won, but the cost was total physical and mental collapse. That collapse is what allowed the transmigrator to take over.
He opened the refrigerator and pulled out eggs, thick-cut bacon, and fresh bananas.
[Knife Mastery] activated. Eishi didn't even have to look. The knife moved in a rhythmic blur, dicing and prepping with a speed that felt like a dance.
[Dessert Mastery] whispered in his ear, suggesting a dash of cinnamon and honey for the banana milk smoothie to balance the salt of the bacon.
As he worked, he whispered, "System, show Status."
[Host: Eishi Tsukasa]
[Age: 16]
[STR: 5]
[STA: 4]
[AGI: 3]
[INT: 14]
[CHA: 9]
[LUK: 7]
(Note: 10 is the limit for an average healthy human. You are a glass cannon.)
[Cooking: Advanced (9,664/10,000)]
[Knife Handling: Advanced (5,420/10,000)]
"My physical stats are a joke," Eishi sighed. "I have the brain of a god and the body of a Victorian child with consumption."
[Ding! Breakfast Prepared: 8 Sets of Egg & Bacon Sandwiches + Banana Smoothies.]
[EXP Gained: 56 | Rating: 76/100 (Standard Gourmet).]
"Tsu-kun! Bucchi is hungry!" A small girl with purple hair tied in twin tails stood at the kitchen entrance, holding a stuffed purple teddy bear. Momo Akanegakubo.
"Five minutes, Momo-chan," Eishi said kindly. "Go sit down. Tell the others breakfast is ready."
The breakfast table was a gathering of giants.
Tosuke Megishima sat silently, his presence like a mountain.
Sonoka Kikuchi and Taki Tsunozaki—the 89th generation's elite who were still in the school, were about to graduate—chatted about the upcoming curriculum.
"Eishi, this is actually good," Taki said, biting into the sandwich. "Usually, your food tastes like 'perfection' but feels cold. This... this has a bit of a spark to it."
"Maybe I just needed a good sleep," Eishi replied, taking a seat.
"We are family, Ei-chan," Sonoka said with a warm, motherly smile. "You don't have to carry the First Seat burden alone."
Eishi felt a pang of genuine emotion. In his previous life, he was a solitary gamer. Here, he had a "family" of the world's best chefs. But then, the System threw a bucket of ice water on his heart.
[Ding! System Quest Generated!]
[Mission: Free yourself from Azami Nakiri's Clutches.]
[Description: You are currently Azami's most prized puppet. He uses your 'White Knight' reputation to silence opposition. If you do not break his influence, you will never truly own this life.]
[Condition: Break free from Azami Nakiri's clutches and repel him from taking over Totsuki academy.]
[Reward: 500 Fantasy Points, Three Types of Haki (Observation, Armament, Conqueror's).]
[Failure: Permanent loss of free will; become a literal puppet]
Eishi's grip tightened on his fork. Haki? If he had Haki, he wouldn't just be the best chef; he would be untouchable. He could fix his physical weakness and protect this "family" from Azami's cult-like ambitions.
"Eishi? You've got that 'lifeless' stare again," Rindo said, leaning in close, her golden eyes searching his. "You okay?"
Eishi looked at her, then at the rest of the Elite Ten. They didn't know it yet, but the storm was coming. Azami Nakiri wanted to turn the world of cooking into a grey, stagnant pond.
"I'm fine, Rindo," Eishi said, his voice dropping an octave, filled with a resolve that wasn't there before. "I'm just realizing that if I want to keep this seat... I'm going to have to start playing a much more dangerous game."
Rindo grinned, her canine tooth flashing. "Now that sounds like fun. Count me in."
Eishi smiled back. The journey of the new First Seat had just begun.