"Knead 1,000 dough balls in one day, which works out to 41.6 per hour. Even without any breaks, I'd have to finish one every 86.4 seconds just to pass. Isn't this a bit too ridiculous?!"
Looking at the quest the system had just issued, especially when he saw the final reward, Okabe's face first showed shock, but it quickly soured.
The reason was simple: the conditions for this quest were too demanding, at least for him. It required not only technical skill but was also a test of his stamina and physical strength.
Take his best skill, stir-frying, for example. From prepping the ingredients to stir-frying and plating, he could do it in 60 seconds. But maintaining that efficiency for a long time was incredibly difficult.
Kneading dough was the same.
Even with Body Control to eliminate most of his fatigue, he couldn't possibly work for 24 hours straight, so the actual time he had for kneading was even shorter.
"But it's precisely because the quest is so difficult that it highlights how powerful this skill is. Otherwise, the conditions wouldn't be so harsh. I have to get it!"
As if thinking of something, Okabe's face lit up with a burning fighting spirit. As long as he could obtain this skill, his pastry-making level was bound to undergo a revolutionary change.
Besides, he had already obtained the prerequisite skill for the White Silk Rotation. Could the White Silk Rotation itself be far behind?
He imagined himself performing the White Silk Rotation in front of an audience and judges, causing an uproar. His opponent, seeing him use this move, would fall into despair and surrender. Okabe's heart couldn't help but leap with a little joy.
Of course, more importantly, this technique could strengthen the dough's gluten while keeping the molecular structure of the flour intact. It was a super-powerful secret pastry technique!
Since this world was a sequel to Chuuka Ichiban, it was possible there were descendants of the Luo family. He just didn't know if that old man could still... perform...
Thinking of Master Luo's senile appearance in the anime, could he still get it up at that age?
"Why are you spacing out! It's still class time!"
A large hand of love and education slapped down on the board in front of him. Akisame Koetsuji's voice carried a hint of helplessness, and a feeling of disappointment surfaced in his heart.
Is he still just a child after all? Even his focus and seriousness can't last for long. Had he set his expectations for Okabe too high, causing him to feel disappointed now?
"I'm sorry, it absolutely won't happen again!"
The sound of the palm hitting the board startled Okabe. Hearing Akisame Koetsuji's words, he snapped back to his senses completely and immediately bowed his head in apology.
The system prompt had made him overthink things for a moment, and he had naturally spaced out, forgetting he was still in class.
"Forget it. Watch my next movements."
Akisame Koetsuji shook his head, not dwelling on the matter. Instead, he looked at the flour on the board and began adding warm salted water to prepare the dough.
"This technique can be used on any type of dough, because its essence is to send power into the dough to stimulate its activity."
"I understand."
With his mind completely settled, Okabe listened intently to Akisame Koetsuji's instructions and watched his movements. The quest was on the line; he couldn't afford the slightest carelessness!
"Watch closely. The transmission of power isn't about using brute force, but about penetration."
Akisame Koetsuji's voice was steady.
His hands pressed down on the dough. The force seemed gentle, but upon closer inspection, when he moved his arms, his wrists vibrated with an extremely subtle frequency.
That force didn't just stay on the surface; it spread deep into the dough like ripples in water.
"This is Penetrating Strength, one of the fundamentals of martial arts. When used in kneading, it can break up the residual gluten knots in the flour, allowing the water and protein to combine more evenly, thus achieving a perfect texture."
Okabe held his breath, his eyes wide and unblinking.
He noticed that as Akisame Koetsuji used Penetrating Strength to knead, the texture of the initially rough dough began to change at a visible rate.
It went from a slightly dry appearance to a moist and smooth one, as if it had been given life!
The entire process was incredibly fast, completely different from Akisame Koetsuji's previous demonstration. In less than a minute, the dough before him was as smooth as a mirror.
"Skillfully using Penetrating Strength during kneading can save a lot of time.
It's especially suitable when you need to make many different types of dough but are short on time. It's often used when making complex pastries."
As he spoke, Akisame Koetsuji poured out flour from the canister, added warm salted water, and demonstrated again.
This time, he deliberately slowed his movements so Okabe could clearly see his every step.
"You try it."
After demonstrating three times in a row, Akisame Koetsuji looked at Okabe, who had been watching him intently.
"Okay."
Hearing Akisame Koetsuji's words, Okabe took a deep breath in preparation, stepped forward, and mimicked his actions, pouring out flour, adding warm salted water, and starting to knead.
He closed his eyes, recalling the
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