Aspect Affinity was something every Cultivator Tier 2 and above yearned to improve. A cultivator possessing Fire Aspect with higher Affinity could create greater impact while using related skills with the same mana consumption.

  Affinity could be enhanced through various methods after being established at the end of Tier 1 or early Tier 2, such as potions concocted by Alchemists or Herbalists, exposure to pure energy sources, and training through diverse methods. The common thread among these approaches was that they were all expensive, rare, and rigorous when it came to training regimens.

  Enhancing Aspect Affinity not only helped a cultivator become stronger compared to their peers but also secured their future development path. Possessing too low an Aspect Affinity would make breaking through to Tier 3 and subsequent Tiers increasingly difficult. While Tier 3 had a fifty percent chance, Tier 4 would drop to less than one percent.

  Notably, Aspect Affinity absorption at Tier 2 was the most crucial, as this was both the first step and the foundation. Waiting until Tier 3 or Tier 4 to seek improvement would be unwise. Because potions would encounter resistance due to uneven quality, requiring higher intensity than usual.

  Thus, it was no surprise that the method of cooking to improve Aspect Affinity appeared at level 2 of [Cooking]. Nor was it unexpected when everyone started looking at Nathan with hungry eyes.

  Just having the ability to cook dishes of this caliber would make his value skyrocket overnight.

  Nathan looked at everyone with a proud expression, a smile constantly hanging on his lips.

  "How do you all feel right now?" he asked.

  "You're making it difficult for us," the man from earlier hastily spoke up, taking the opportunity to gain Nathan's attention. "Words are insufficient to express the benefits we've received today."

  "That's right," the woman beside him continued. "We got quite a bargain with your cooking; we only regret not being able to pay more."

  "There's no need for that," Nathan replied graciously.

  Emrys rested her hand on her chin, deep in contemplation. She truly hadn't expected the young man before her to be so talented. Initially, she had some resistance when Zeryn asked for a favor right after their first meeting. Now, she only blamed herself. The pride of being a child of one of the four great houses diminished somewhat. Currently, she was only thinking about how to recruit Nathan.

  At this moment, Lachlan spoke up with an arrogant tone.

  "You're worthy of being my chef. I truly want to eat like this every day."

  "Excuse me?" Nathan expressed his displeasure, though his voice didn't drop as intended due to the Chilly Chill talent.

  Several contemptuous snorts were directed at Lachlan. The fact that these people couldn't do anything to him didn't mean they were afraid. When it came to interests, they had enough tricks to cause trouble for Regional Commander Axel Rourke.

  Thomas, being the direct host for Nathan, stepped forward to warn him.

  "We welcome everyone with respect, so I hope you'll do the same, Mr. Lachlan."

  "Did I say something wrong?" Lachlan smirked and said. "These dishes are too expensive even if you know how to cook them. That's why you're still Tier 1, right? Otherwise, you'd have cooked for yourself and advanced already."

  Lachlan's argument wasn't entirely wrong. Nathan didn't cook for himself largely for this reason. Not to mention that for someone who hadn't confirmed their Aspect Affinity like him, eating these dishes would be pointless.

  The error lay in suggesting that he needed others' help. Ever since Darkan and Zeryn's intervention, he hadn't been poor. Well, to be precise, he was poor, but his master wasn't. Just a small handout would be enough for his needs.

  Sensing the gunpowder-thick tension floating in the air, Nathan waved his hand, signaling Thomas to let it be. This was the best way to deal with a troublemaker. He only needed Lachlan to serve his purpose of creating discourse within the Maelivar community. He guessed the topic about him had already climbed to the top of the search trends tonight.

  "I'd like to invite you to be my private chef for a dinner at my residence," the man who had been enthusiastic about Nathan spoke up. "You can call me Ken for familiarity."

  "Keep it down," the woman beside him said with contempt. "It's not your turn yet."

  The four quiet people around the table cast warning glances at Ken. At this table, he truly lacked the weight, but his overly cordial manner was irritating, a testament to a lower-ranked individual trying to climb higher.

  Ken ignored them, focusing intently on Nathan.

  "Ladies and gentlemen, I won't be accepting any requests at this time."

  Hearing this, everyone showed disappointment, but immediately brightened up afterward.

  "I will accept requests after The Shifting Trials."

  It was time for Nathan to play his final card.

  "Surely everyone here knows what I'm looking for. A young disciple wishing to compete with his peers. So, I wasn't exaggerating when I said friendly words could become friendship with Lachlan here."

  Not letting people frown too long at the troublemaker's upturned chin, Nathan continued.

  "Or the opportunity for friendship, as I mentioned earlier. These words aren't meant for just one individual but for all of you."

  "What do you mean?" Emrys raised an eyebrow with interest.

  "I mean to make friends, one must show sincerity, right?" Nathan spread his arms toward everyone. "Having you all here is my honor. Your sincerity is shown by your willingness to spend money on an obscure and nameless existence like me. Therefore, in return, everyone who paid for today will have a seat at tomorrow's dinner."

  Ken jumped up, his lips trembling.

  "You, you're serious?"

  "Do I look like I'm bluffing? Remember, I need to increase my reputation!"

  At this point, Thomas and the senior managers of The Amber Path Coalition stepped forward.

  "Mr. Nathan, you can't..."

  Nathan gestured for Thomas to stop speaking.

  In just a second, the senior manager had finished thinking and raised his hand to stop his colleague who was storming forward. If there was any dissatisfaction, it could be discussed later; they couldn't make the young man lose face right now.

  Seeing the reaction from The Amber Path Coalition staff, Ken couldn't hold back an exhilarated cry, dropping back into his seat, unable to believe the treatment he'd received.

  The others shared Ken's expression. Their eyes were wide open as if they still couldn't digest the information.

  A man who hadn't spoken since the beginning of the feast asked the question in his mind.

  "Tomorrow will be the same as today?"

  "Just like today," Nathan confirmed.

  All eight people took a deep breath, including Emrys and Lachlan.

  Nathan's implication was that his chance of failure was zero percent. Unlike Alchemists or Herbalists who concocted potions or mixtures to enhance Aspect Affinity, which always had a certain failure rate.

  Looking at and hearing Nathan only talk about the main ingredients of each dish could easily mislead people. Among the five dishes, there were at least a hundred ingredients used besides monster meat and rare medicinal herbs. If viewing the process of making potions and mixtures as equations, then solving problems with hundreds of variables was very challenging. That's not to mention the randomness of ingredients. Each branch of Universal Root had different characteristics and effect intensities, so measuring and balancing in a short time required an extremely massive amount of knowledge.

  Nathan could only smile wryly. If there was anything to blame, it was how overwhelming [Cooking] was. Its only drawback was that it didn't give Nathan money to implement the knowledge it provided.

  Although still doubtful, the diners didn't voice their concerns. Even if the effects were lesser, benefiting a little would still be enough.

  "And we can do anything with this participation ticket?" Ken spoke up to ask.

  Nathan saw through these cunning merchants' thoughts and bluntly replied.

  "Yes, you can do whatever you want with it. Even auction it off."

  The flame that hadn't died down from the meal made all six pairs of eyes burn even more intensely. Only Emrys maintained her composure; she already had her own plans.

  Seeing the nearly excessive reactions from the diners at that table, the observers around them were somewhat confused about what was happening. Since no one had spoken about enhancing Aspect Affinity yet, most didn't grasp the impact of tonight's dinner.

  This was also why Nathan had to make this disadvantageous move. These cunning businesspeople would likely suppress the information about what happened today and keep it to themselves. Even if Nathan revealed the special effects without receiving confirmation from anyone, his credibility would still be questionable. He could, of course, stop the cooking campaign altogether in retaliation. But that would be no different from cutting off his own path forward. He could only cook for the small opportunity, while they could still buy seats at a low price due to lack of competition.

  That had changed now; he could share with the press, and with today's diners' reactions, the likelihood of people believing him would be higher. Once that happened, information would spread much faster.

  The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  Another part of Nathan's safety measure was Lachlan Rourke himself. Thanks to him, Nathan's name was becoming a hot topic on PsiLink as people thought he was friends with Lachlan. However, with his recent action, people would feel gleeful rather than hateful toward him. Because clearly, he had directly slapped Lachlan's face by not giving him a slot for tomorrow. Through this, he implicitly told everyone that he was just someone being harassed, a humble disciple caught in an unnecessary conflict with Lachlan. From dirty marketing to clean marketing.

  Nathan nodded in thanks to Lachlan Rourke. He felt no remorse. After all, he had cooked for him for free. Consider it an equal exchange.

  Lachlan seemed to understand, slapping his hands on the table and laughing loudly.

  Then, he stood up, smoothed his clothes, and while walking toward his entourage, waved at Nathan.

  "See you tomorrow, you clever chef."

  People parted to let Lachlan's group leave.

  As soon as the door closed, curses against that young man were raised among the crowd without restraint.

  Ken and the other guests also stood up, eagerly departing. They couldn't wait to auction off tomorrow's seats. Enhancing Aspect Affinity was valuable, but earning an equivalent amount of money wasn't bad either. Especially when they could both make a profit and earn a debt of gratitude from others. Not just the children of noble families, but those stuck at peak Tier 2 or newly advanced to Tier 3 would fight tooth and nail for this opportunity.

  Nathan shook his head and laughed, proud that his plan had succeeded. He was just exasperated with these cunning merchants. Without his recent action, they would certainly have done as he said, not spreading the word to anyone.

  Emrys politely stayed behind a moment, extending her hand to shake Nathan's.

  "Indeed, a friend of Zeryn's couldn't be inferior to anyone," she confirmed her reason for coming to support Nathan.

  "Thank you for coming. I'm truly sorry that Lachlan took all the spotlight and for the disrespect you had to endure tonight."

  "You don't need to say that. My reputation still isn't equal to his. Besides, your food has more than made up for everything."

  They exchanged a few more words before Nathan saw Emrys off.

  The reporters and influencers followed the diners to hunt for information. They were eager to know what had happened. All six diners enthusiastically recounted their experience without hiding anything as they had initially planned. They weren't cultivation geniuses; eating more wouldn't improve them much anyway. Instead, they now needed to take advantage of the opportunity to raise the ticket prices.

  Everyone had left, leaving the quiet space of the room that had been set up like a stage. The fragrant aroma of food still lingered in the corners.

  Nathan took a deep breath, preparing for the inevitable storm.

  The stern-looking female senior manager with glasses stepped forward and spoke with an annoyed tone.

  "Mr. Nathan, giving away tomorrow's slots wasn't part of the agreement."

  If it had been, would you all have been so eager? Nathan silently cursed.

  "I apologize that I can't take your side in this matter," Thomas spoke up, his eyes showing regret.

  "It's fine," Nathan waved his hand at Thomas.

  "I told you, this guy isn't as good as he seems," Robert, who had jabbed at Nathan during the cooking trial, emerged from behind the chicken wing. He had been monitoring tonight's feast. When it showed signs of success, he had silently gritted his teeth, somewhat regretful. Now seeing this young man in trouble, he immediately came out to mock.

  "I still have to show some respect to Lachlan for my own reasons," Nathan's voice was cold, and with the Chilly Chill effect, it made it even harder for people to guess what he was thinking. "But with you, I don't mind getting physical."

  Hearing this, Robert startled and stepped back. Maelivar prohibited fighting but would turn a blind eye if there was reason when it came from people like Nathan. Pushing too hard would affect relationships with the sect behind him. As long as no one was killed, it was acceptable.

  Thomas reluctantly moved to shield Robert, mentally cursing his colleague's ancestry. Robert was very capable, but it was precisely because of this petty nature. Being offended by a few words and wanting to harm someone he shouldn't was truly pathetic.

  Nathan rolled his eyes to look at everyone, and upon seeing the wariness in their eyes, he hid a smile.

  Having status is really good, everyone has to be considerate.

  "I know I can't compensate enough," Nathan said slowly. "But for now, my percentage will be yours."

  "Are you serious?" Thomas started to ask.

  "Could everyone stop asking that kind of question?" Nathan smiled and said.

  The senior managers discussed among themselves for a bit. Then they let the woman with glasses represent them.

  "We accept this negotiation. On the condition that you'll only receive money after compensating for the losses."

  "That's fine," Nathan readily agreed.

  Everyone exchanged nods and dispersed. Celene was assigned by Thomas to stay and take care of Nathan.

  Only when there were just two people left in the empty room did Nathan sigh and sit down. He could remain calm thanks to the effect provided by [Random Talent] but still couldn't avoid the accumulation of psychological pressure and hidden anxiety. He felt like it had only been two or three days, but he felt more tired than the months of struggling in Moirath Forest.

  Celene shuffled over, her eyes wide with admiration.

  "Oh my goodness!" she exclaimed. "I still can't believe you dared to do that. No, that you could think of it."

  "Could you lower your voice a bit?" Nathan waved his hand.

  "Oh, sorry."

  Then, she pulled up a chair and sat down opposite Nathan, seemingly without any distance. She was currently too excited.

  Seeing the joyful expression on behalf of himself from the girl, Nathan unconsciously became cheerful.

  "How did you manage to think of doing that?"

  "When working with business people, you always have to think about profit first," Nathan replied. "Once you place this issue as the center of perspective, you'll see my dinners would be bait to be exploited."

  "That's right," Celene rubbed her chin, thinking very carefully. "If you didn't give them auction rights, they would have no reason to give away this dinner to others. And you, once that happened, would have to say goodbye to your slot in The Shifting Trials. By then things would be done, you could only continue cooking to earn money, as compensation."

  "You reason quickly," Nathan sincerely praised. He didn't consider himself particularly clever with these matters. Everything came from learning from past experiences. If comparing, he was far behind Celene and Jessica in thinking skills.

  "Not as good as you," Celene said.

  "You should know it took me half a day to prepare for this."

  "But didn't it still work out successfully? Underselling yourself isn't good."

  Nathan's eyes widened when Celene dared to use what he had said to her the day before.

  "You dared use my spell against me?" he couldn't help but mimic that wizard from the movie.

  "Spell? What spell?" Celene tilted her head, not understanding.

  "Nothing," Nathan waved his hand. "Thank you for bringing Lachlan."

  Celene shrunk back, showing embarrassment.

  "I feel like I made a wasted trip. Even without Lachlan, you would have managed with your approach."

  "You're wrong again," Nathan chuckled. "Lachlan was a necessary catalyst. Not just talking about the media effect from attracting crowd hatred, but the important thing was that I showed my stance. The image of a disciple friendly to Maelivar's people was built. I made Lachlan lose face in the clearest way. They'll see my initial wariness, then see my transformation later, becoming uncompromising when backed into a corner."

  "And that's exactly the emotion everyone has when facing Lachlan," Celene exclaimed.

  "Bingo," Nathan snapped his fingers. "And nobody can do anything with their hatred. I did it for them. People will support me because of this, partly wanting me to participate in The Shifting Trials. That's at least what I think."

  "You did what even the young masters and ladies of the great houses don't dare to do," she commented.

  "What can I do! I have a crazy master."

  Celene wasn't sure if she had heard wrong. Although the words were insulting, Nathan seemed somewhat proud.

  Darkan had told Nathan to cause havoc if that was the way for him to get a slot in The Shifting Trials. When he asked his master's intention, it was about training him to get used to wielding power rather than continuing to bow before others.

  With tonight's results, he assessed that he had absorbed Darkan's philosophy quite well. Without him, Nathan would have been too fearful and hesitant to take any bold actions. His overthinking nature would have conjured images of becoming a target for the greedy and ambitious. Visions of being imprisoned, tortured, and forced to follow kidnappers' demands would have made him falter. Only with someone backing him could he act this freely.

  "What price did you have to pay to invite Lachlan Rourke?" Nathan asked.

  "Just a bit," Celene scratched her head.

  "How much is 'a bit'?"

  "About a few hundred Standard Mana Stones."

  "What? Are you joking?"

  Although Nathan had dealt with large sums while organizing the dinner, it was ultimately paid by The Amber Path Coalition. He still maintained a mindset that valued each mana stone.

  "Where did you get that much money?"

  "Personal saving and loans," Celene stammered.

  Nathan rubbed his eyes with both hands, truly unable to believe the girl before him was so reckless. This loan must have come from unsafe sources. Banks couldn't disburse that quickly.

  "Do intelligence agents eat mana stones instead of food to be so greedy?" he snapped.

  "You saw Lachlan's subordinates yourself. Just a bunch of opportunists."

  Nathan helplessly couldn't say anything. He stood up, stretching to relax his body.

  "Go collect the auction money for the monster core and Lunar Shadow tail, then go pay off your debt right away."

  He walked past her toward the door. It took a few seconds before Celene startled awake and chased after him.

  "You don't need to do that, I can manage."

  "I don't accept my subordinates carrying high-interest loan risks while working. Too dangerous."

  Celene once again froze. When she digested the information she had just heard, she joyfully ran toward the young man holding the door open waiting for her to follow.

  As Nathan desired, discussions popped up on PsiLink like mushrooms after rain, especially during the period when the city was welcoming talented youth from everywhere.

  Tags like #Nathancooking, #LetNathancook, #AspectAffinity were among the most searched keywords.

  Additionally, newspapers and influencers actively wrote articles with titles like: "What Happened at the 3000 Standard Mana Stone Dinner?", "Drake to Dragon: Metaphor or Mockery?", "Watch This Tier 1 Cook Like He's Tier 3 Artist!", "The Amber Path Coalition's New Golden Goose?", "Verdant Spire's Direct Disciple: Friend or Foe of Lachlan Rourke?"

  Along with these positive articles, the debate starting from Lachlan remained heated, causing controversy. Comments from skepticism to downright insults toward Nathan appeared. Most didn't believe a disciple from a prestigious sect would have to run a restaurant. Or doubts about the ability to improve Aspect Affinity through eating, something never heard of before. Or simply cursing the upper class for daring to pay an unimaginable sum for these events.

  Particularly, the article "[Market Watch] Aspect Affinity Enhancement Methods: Traditional vs Culinary" led to an unexpected chain reaction. The previous debates were all things that Nathan and Celene more or less expected to happen. Except creating conflict with both Alchemist and Herbalist factions had never been considered.

  Alchemists were better because they discovered the difference between the two approaches to increasing Aspect Affinity. However, Herbalists were completely opposite. No matter how many perspectives were changed, people concluded that the way Herbalists made medicine was quite similar to how Nathan cooked.

  In just one night and morning, the name Nathan Reed had proudly stood among other prestigious young people. Though not equal, he had approached a level worthy of others' recognition of his abilities.

  The afternoon after the controversial dinner, Nathan was forced to let the Herbalists and some Alchemists come to The Amber Path Coalition's office to discuss the cooking issue.

  He silently cursed whoever raised this unnecessary conflict, but after some thought, changed his attitude. He could use this to further affirm his professional image. The title of chef was hard to avoid being undervalued compared to professions with age and solid foundations.

  Before starting a seminar, Nathan bluntly cut off everyone by declaring that cooking and the Herbalist approach were not similar at all, especially regarding effectiveness and speed. He analyzed how cooking needed time and harmony so stages couldn't be shortened. Conversely, Herbalists could prepare medicine right on the battlefield with just a few herbs.

  Of course, this was just Nathan's way of covering up and giving face to the Herbalists. He believed that once his skill reached a higher level, he would be able to approach dishes that didn't need fire or much elaboration. Especially dishes that could use mana as a conductor like Herbalists did.

  As for Alchemists who researched deeper into compounds and chemical formulas of ingredients, it was even more different.

  With Nathan pointing out the weaknesses of his own profession, the Herbalists and Alchemists immediately showed much more friendliness than before. They entered aggressively but left with smiles on their faces. Because after Nathan's analysis, all three sides engaged in heated discussion.

  Scholars, after all, had some common ground in respecting those with knowledge. And Nathan's understanding was truly vast. For each topic, each issue, he proposed a type of vegetable or meat to solve it. For example, the issue of Aspect Affinity. Everyone looked at him strangely when he only knew about eating. But they couldn't help but admire the diversity Nathan brought, opening everyone's eyes. Many individuals recognized the similarities and patterns of ingredients Nathan pointed out, all eager to hurry back to experiment.

  Thus, in just a few hours, two hostile factions completely changed their attitude. They went on PsiLink to correct everything, affirming Nathan's professionalism and looking forward to another broader discussion. They couldn't stop praising when Nathan readily shared the recipe and working mechanism of last night's dinner. The Alchemists and Herbalists all confirmed the effectiveness was undebatable. As for sharing widely, out of respect for Nathan they wouldn't do that.

  One day was too short, so even though the second night had enough twelve guests and more observers, the needed figure still hadn't appeared.

  It wasn't until the third night that the person who needed to come arrived.