"It's still a little too early to talk about anything beyond Lin Chef," Kael said, shaking his head. "I only just stepped into the Lin Chef level."
From his perspective, the jump from Lin Chef to Dragon Chef would take time—at least half a year, maybe even a full year. As for the Supreme Dragon Chef above that, even he couldn't say what it would take.
Still, once he reached Dragon Chef and fully mastered qi/qigong, both inheritances would be completed. At that point, he'd unlock a brand-new inheritance altogether.
And Kael was confident that this new inheritance would let him grow even faster. After all, talents gained from character templates could stack. Right now, his innate gifts couldn't compare to Liu Maoxing's—but that wouldn't necessarily be true forever.
"That's fair," Erina Nakiri said with a nod. "Talking about those levels now really is premature. Still, once this news gets out, the entire culinary world is going to be shaken once again. Kael, do you want me to report the two new ranks you established to the WGO?"
She looked at him seriously. If word spread that Kael had broken through the ceiling of the culinary world and reached the Lin Chef level, it would benefit everyone involved.
But this was his achievement—she wouldn't move without his approval.
If Kael wanted to keep it quiet, she'd help him do just that.
"Do whatever you want," Kael replied casually. "There's nothing worth hiding."
At this point, he genuinely didn't care what the culinary world turned into. His only goal was to keep improving himself. Power? He had it. Money? Plenty. Women? That too.
Materially, he had already reached the peak.
What mattered now was fully developing his system—completing both inheritances.
With Kael's permission secured, Erina immediately called her mother.
Mana Nakiri had returned once before. After months of recuperation, her health had improved significantly—enough that she could travel by plane again. Once she'd recovered, she went home for a visit. Her father and daughter were there, after all.
As for Asahi Nakiri, Mana didn't make things difficult for him. She didn't treat him like her own son either, but for Asahi, that was already more than enough.
After all, he was Azami Nakiri's son—the man who had caused so much chaos. The fact that Mana didn't hold it against him was already a mercy. Expecting her to accept him wholeheartedly was unrealistic.
What Asahi truly cared about wasn't Mana, but Erina—his real sister.
Since joining the Nakiri family, Asahi often visited Polar Star Dormitory. As those visits piled up, the way he looked at Kael gradually changed.
He watched him warily.
After finally gaining a family, he found out his sister had fallen for someone. Worse, that someone had Senzaemon Nakiri's approval. And worst of all—Erina wasn't the only one.
The Nakiri family tacitly allowed it.
Strangely enough, Asahi didn't find this shocking. His time among the Midnight chefs had taught him exactly what powerful, wealthy families were like.
Still, when it was his own sister involved, It left a sour feeling behind.
But there was nothing he could do.
That man was Kael—the one destined to stand at the very top of the culinary world.
And more importantly, Erina herself had no objections. She was willing to share.
At that point, what could he even say?
All Asahi could do was keep a closer eye on Kael. As long as Kael treated his sister well, that was enough.
"Erina, missing me already?" Mana said with a laugh when she answered the call.
She wasn't busy at the moment, and the teasing came naturally. Perhaps because of the motherly absence during her childhood, Erina had always been especially attached to her.
When Mana was home, Erina had practically followed her everywhere.
Even after Mana returned to the WGO, Erina called often. Mana was long used to it.
"I do miss you," Erina said honestly. "But this time, I'm not calling just to chat…"
She then explained everything—how Kael had broken past the limits of the God's Tongue, shattered the ceiling of the culinary world, and reached a brand-new level.
"What?" Mana froze. "He surpassed the limits of the God's Tongue? Broke through to a level beyond Nine-Star chefs? And even established the titles of Special-Grade Chef and Lin Chef?!"
The shock hit her like a bomb. She barely even registered Erina's brief mention of Kael gaining a new special ability—it simply didn't matter compared to this.
It took her a long while to recover.
This wasn't just about breaking the ceiling of the culinary world. Kael had redefined it.
His name had already been worthy of the history books—but this was on an entirely different level. It was the difference between a footnote and a legendary figure.
Kael had rebuilt the entire system of the culinary world.
That made him a pioneer.
What chef wouldn't dream of such glory?
"Mom? Are you listening?" Erina asked when she got no response.
"I am," Mana replied, exhaling slowly. "It's just… the news you brought is too overwhelming. I needed a moment."
Erina understood. She'd reacted the same way herself.
"All right," Mana said firmly. "I'll discuss this with the WGO and have the announcement released. I'll contact you again once things settle down."
She had no mood for small talk now. This had to be handled immediately.
After the call ended, Mana summoned Ann.
With her health improving, Ann no longer had to stay by her side every moment.
At first, Ann hadn't been used to it and insisted on staying anyway, but Mana knew how hard she'd worked all these years. She made sure Ann had time for herself.
Now, Ann arrived quickly.
Mana had already compiled the information on her tablet and handed it over.
"Ann, this came directly from Erina. Organize it and publish it on the official site. Also—remove every other announcement. Leave only this."
Ann was stunned.
"Remove everything else?"
Mana wasn't someone who acted rashly. If she'd made this decision, then the matter had to be enormous.
When Ann read the contents, her eyes went wide.
"This is real," Mana said calmly. "There's no need to doubt it. Anyone can lie—but the God's Tongue cannot. That alone proves Kael has surpassed every chef in the current culinary world."
With that explanation, there was nothing left to question.
Soon after, the WGO released the announcement.
Every other piece of news vanished from the official site, leaving only a single, glaring headline.
The moment it went live, it swept through the culinary world like a tsunami.
Chefs everywhere were left dumbstruck.
For a while now, there had been no news about Kael. Rumors had run wild. Some claimed he'd reached his limit, that his talent had finally run dry.
Others believed he was hiding his strength—as he'd done before. After all, if the judges hadn't tasted his food back then, no one would've known he'd already reached Eight-Star level.
Most people suspected he had already stepped into the level beyond Nine-Star.
But no one expected this.
Kael hadn't just crossed the threshold—he'd leapt straight into the Lin Chef level, a level that had never existed in this world.
Nine-Star and above was now formally named Special-Grade Chef. Beyond that lay Lin Chef.
And the WGO even explained the reasoning behind the new classifications.
It was reasonable. Convincing. And most importantly—it came from Kael himself, the pioneer.
Just like the discovery of a new species, the one who found it had the right to name it.
And Kael had borrowed the terminology from the world of Cooking Master Boy. Elegant. Appropriate. Impossible to criticize.
Thus, a brand-new ranking system was born.
For now, Special-Grade Chef assessments could only be overseen by Mana Nakiri. As for Lin Chef…
Only Kael himself was qualified.
That said, Mana knew full well Kael probably wouldn't be filling that role anytime soon.
Not because he lacked the qualifications—but because there were no candidates.
There were only so many Special-Grade Chefs in the world, and all of them were still struggling at that level. Lin Chef was simply out of reach.
The limits of the Food Wars world were clear. Without external intervention, no one here could ever reach Lin Chef.
Kael was that external force.
His presence had elevated the Jewel Generation. Given time, they might reach Lin Chef as well.
As for everyone else?
That was uncertain.
Talent barriers weren't something time alone could overcome.
The culinary world was in upheaval.
Every Special-Grade Chef immediately contacted Mana Nakiri and Senzaemon Nakiri.
They wanted to visit Kael.
After reaching this level, there was no one left to guide them. Blind exploration was slow—and dangerous.
Now that someone had forged a new path, how could they not seek his guidance?
But approaching him directly felt inappropriate. Kael's status now stood above theirs.
Breaking the ceiling. Redefining the ranks.
He had become a true giant of the culinary world—one standing at its absolute summit.
So instead, they went through the Nakiri family.
Kael was close to them. They could reach him easily.
Others might obtain his contact information, but no one was foolish enough to use it without permission. That would only earn his displeasure.
And so, the Nakiri family's phones rang nonstop.
Special-Grade Chefs. Nine-Star chefs. Influential figures from every corner of the culinary world.
All of them wanted an audience with Kael.
And all of them came prepared—regardless of whether the visit would succeed, the gifts came first.
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*The Bonus Chapter*