Another World, Here I Come!

When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was a white ceiling. The first sound I heard was the sound of the ocean. And the first thought I had was ... it sounds delicious! If we had to talk about the ocean, we of course had to mention the billions of edible plants and animals that lived just below its calm blue surface. Crabs, shrimps, seaweed, shellfish, lobsters, the list was unending.

Together with salt and pepper, anything could instantly become a delicacy if cooked on a grill just right.

Sitting up, I wiped the drool from the corner of my mouth and took a quick glance at my surroundings. A large living room big enough to fit a truck, easy access to the sea right outside the floor to ceiling window. And most importantly, right in front of my eyes, was a sparkling brand new kitchen filled with knives, pots and pans. It was simply a chef's dream.

Hearing my stomach grumble just from that thought, I stood up and headed right for the kitchen. I had absolute confidence that in no time, I would be able to bring my brother back to life again.

That's right, I, Alex, had transmigrated from another world. In my original world, I was an up and coming chef, with a cute little brother supporting my back all the way. He was the sole reason I lived and breathed, as well as the first to encourage me to pursue becoming a chef. In his own naïve and innocent way, only found in 7 year old children, his love for my cooking had slowly pushed me to participate in cooking competitions. It would not be a lie to state that I would never have reached the level of proficiency and love for cooking as I had now without his help .

And my love for that world ended when I received a call from the police, on the way to another cooking competition my brother had signed me up for. He was run over. In front of our house. By a driver who had a stroke. It was a tragedy, the police had said. The driver was in his truck when the stroke happened, and it had caused him to crash right into the block of apartments that included our home. Not only my brother, but several people were also caught up in this freak accident.

At that time, when everything seemed to fade away, and I felt the thread keeping me alive and sane pulled hair thin, a text appeared in front of my tear-filled eyes.

[There is a way to save him. If you go to another world, never to come back again, I can give the both of you another chance at a better life.]

Like a beacon in the dark, everything seemed to become bright and clear again. With only one thought in mind, without even waiting for this mysterious entity to continue, I had agreed.

[-Wait I have not even explained what I need you to do in the other world?]

The mysterious entity, who suddenly gained the voice of a young girl, interjected.

"It doesn't matter. For my brother, even if its to destroy the world, I would do it in a heartbeat."

[No no no! I do not want world destruction! I just want peace! ...and maybe food. ]

The mysterious voice cleared its throat.

[Your task in the next world is to cook good food and improve the food culture there if possible. And once I feel that there is sufficient progress, I will have enough energy to bring your brother over to the new world. Since I need a lot of energy, you will need to cook a lot of good food. A lot! A lot! A lot of food! Important things must be said thrice! Roasted, boiled, steamed, fried, anything that tastes really good will give me enough energy! Of course cooking up full course meals for one whole day cannot do since even my imaginary stomach has limits. And I also want to enjoy the food as well. So maybe a full course meal three times a day for about ... a month - no three months - should do!]

In such a casual manner, the mysterious voice had transported me away from my previous world and into my current one.

Cooking was my forte, so I would definitely be able to bring my brother back soon. No mater what ingredients this house had, as long as there was a will, there would definitely be a way.

Opening the expensive looking fridge, I expected at least some butter, maybe milk, or even some classic vegetables would do. Instead, I was greeted with...red eggs? Although calling them eggs would be an assumption given they were square and were littered with brown polka dots. Right next to these 'eggs' were leafy vegetables. Blue leafy vegetables that had flowers blossoming in their leaves. The milk, when I opened to cap to smell it, smelt like jasmine flowers.

Closing the door, I glanced around the kitchen to find some rice. Or some form of grain. But there was no grain. No bread, no rice, no nothing. Not even potatoes.

Sitting down at the kitchen counter, I felt that maybe this task in another world might take longer than I thought.