“Look, System! Look! She is using magic to make sauce! That’s not fair!” Mag called out to the system after freezing for a moment in shock.

  Wind elements were circling around the body of Firis, adding the spices and seasonings into the big bowl in front of her. Bottles and cans were floating in the air with their lids open. It looked like a miracle to Mag.

  The system sighed. “Everything would be a lot easier if she were my host.”


  Mag didn’t know if her magic would make the sauce even more magical, but he was clearly impressed. He looked envious. “Magicians sure are cooler than swordsmen!”


  Five minutes later, the bottles and cans were covered again, and flew gently back to their original positions.

  Firis looked down at the brown thick sauce in front of her, surprised and happy. The fragrance of the sauce found its way into her nose. It seemed that it was no different from the sauce made by Mag.

  The pleasant smell tickled his nose the moment Mag walked into the kitchen. “Done?” He took a deep sniff and decided he liked the mellow fragrance. The aroma alone was enough for Mag to think highly of it.

  “Yes, please try it.” Firis looked at Mag, her hands gripping her skirt nervously.

  Mag walked over. The brown sauce in the large porcelain bowl looked very thick. He stirred it gently with a chopstick, forming ripples on the surface. The mixture was smooth, without any lumps whatsoever.

  “The fragrance is good, and so is the thickness,” Mag said. Then he brought the chopstick to his mouth and licked it with the tip of his tongue. He closed his eyes.

  The mellow taste of the sauce spread across his mouth in a heartbeat. All the different spices and seasonings had contributed a variety of flavors to the sauce, fascinating him.

  However, he couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was wrong. What was it?

  Mag’s brow wrinkled. He had to admit, though, that she had done quite well on the very first try after seeing him demonstrate it only once. She was absolutely a genius.

  After all, the sauce he had made for the first time was extremely disgusting, even with the system’s experience bag.

  Her sauce was very good, but it seemed to Mag something was missing.

  Firis looked at Mag uneasily. Her heart sank when she saw him frown.

  Although she hadn’t expected to succeed on her first attempt, she had hoped that the sauce would be near the required standard.

  Mag didn’t open his eyes. He licked the chopstick one more time.

  The kitchen was so quiet she could hear her own nervous breathing. Ugly duckling raised its lazy head from the counter, only to drop it back down again when it saw what they were about.

  After what seemed to be several minutes, Mag opened his eyes, put down the chopstick, and looked at Firis. “Did you use magic to stir it?”


  “Yes,” Firis answered hurriedly. “I used a miniature tornado to drive the sauce to rotate so that everything can be mixed up completely. Is there a problem?”


  “No wonder.” Mag smiled as Firis kept a tense expression. “You have combined everything almost perfectly, but the soul of your sauce is lost.”


  “The soul?” Firis was as confused as she was depressed.

  Mag saw the discouraged look on her face. “Don’t lose heart. You did a much better job than I had when I tried making it for the first time. The sauce I made was just awful. You mixed all the spices and seasonings very well. The quantity and order of them were well controlled, and there were almost no defects and errors. You should be proud of yourself. ”


  Firis’s eyes brightened again.

  “But good food has a soul,” continued Mag. “Precision is just one of the many key elements. Only when you feel the change of food with your heart and hands can you infuse the soul into it.”


  “So should I abandon magic and cook with my hands?” Firis asked.

  Mag shook his head. “No. Your talent in magic is your advantage. It can make you control more accurately. You don’t know how many chefs wish to have the power that you have.” He pointed to the sauce in front of him. “There is only one thing you need to improve. Use your hand instead of magic to mix the sauce. Feel the change of everything, and use your heart to feel the critical point where everything is perfect. Your sauce will be impeccable when you find that point.

  “Although magic is convenient, that critical point can only be felt by your hands. Remember, overdoing is as much to be avoided as underdoing.”


  “Critical point……” After thinking for a moment, Firis’s eyes suddenly lit up. She finally understood why Mag was such a great chef. He didn’t just cook with his hands; he cooked with his heart, and he became one with the food and the tools he used when cooking.

  Firis was a good cook herself. She had thought cooking was boring and difficult, so she had seldom used her hands, let alone heart. Mag’s words were like a beam of light, lighting up her way.

  She could cook with precision, but the soul of a dish lay in the chef’s devotion.

  “Try again,” Mag said with a smile, and then left the kitchen.

  “Not even enough. Try again.

  “The thickness is wrong.

  “No.”
……

  Mag sat at the table, tasting the sauces made by Firis and making brief comments.

  He had lost count of how many times he had said no, but she was not even a bit disheartened. Her determination never wavered.

  The sun crept slowly towards the western horizon. Mag looked at the clock on the wall. It was time to prepare dinner. When he was about to stand up, Firis came out with another bowl of sauce and put it gently in front of Mag. She looked calm, but the expectation in her eyes was hard to hide.

  Mag looked at the sauce. It was thick and smooth, and smelled wonderful.

  He dipped a chopstick into it and tasted it.

  His eyes widened. A familiar and delicious taste exploded on his tongue. It was rich and strong, just the way he liked it.

  “Is it bad?” asked Firis nervously.

  “No, it’s just perfect!” Mag put down the chopstick and stared at her like she were a treasure he had found.