A Promise and a Magic Trick: A Journey Unfolds

The system will only decorate the hotel; other things are not included. Shiva stroked his chin with his right hand, looking at the rickety stairs and the dark second floor, and remembered the grass bed he had just left. "This is not suitable for my daughter to sleep in. I'll change it by tonight," he thought.

Besides, this system doesn't seem that great. It looks like I'll have to work hard and become the God of Cookery as quickly as possible. I'll have to rely on myself. This system isn't as useful as those in other novel stories.At that moment, a dangerous smile appeared on Shiva's face, and he spoke to the system, "System, I think you are wrong. I've provided this entire house to make a restaurant, not just this floor. If you don't make the entire house, what if a demon is eating in my restaurant and a stone falls on his head? My story will end before it even begins. Now, it's your move."Saying this, Shiva fell silent and started smiling. The system remained silent for a while, seeming to be deep in thought. After a while, the system's voice came, "The system has analyzed that the danger level of this world is quite high. Therefore, the system will create the restaurant and keep the host and his restaurant safe from all dangers in the world. Within the restaurant, the host has control over everything. No one can defeat the host inside the restaurant, no matter what their level. Now, the host is asked to choose the decoration style for the restaurant. "Hearing this, Shiva's smile widened, and he thought, "As I thought, this system can't read my mind without my permission, and it's easy to trick it." Shiva was as happy on the inside as he was calm on the outside. Shiva chose a European style for the restaurant and made the second floor comfortable and grand like in his previous life. The second floor had three rooms, a bathroom, and a toilet. Nimi room was pink. Now everything was decided, Shiva thought. "The reconstruction and decoration will take 30 seconds. Please leave the house now. The countdown will start in 60 seconds," the system's voice said. As soon as Shiva heard the system's voice, he was astonished, "Just 30 seconds?" After hearing this, he quickly left the house and closed the door. "Dad, did you come to meet me?" Nimi's sweet voice came from behind him. Shiva turned around and saw Nimi standing behind him. She had brown breads in her small hands, which looked quite big in her little hands, and her long eyelashes were fluttering. Her small face was filled with happiness and excitement. "Father never came out to meet me before, but today it seems they came downstairs to meet me," Nimi thought happily. "Yes, Nimi, and Dad will show you a magic trick." Shiva smiled, knelt down, took Nimi in his arms, and hugged her gently. "Magic trick?" Nimi looked at Shiva, a little confused, but soon her eyes sparkled. "Is it magic? Can you make lots of good food, Dad?" "Yes. Dad will build a big beautiful house and a beautiful restaurant for you and cook lots of good things for you every day," Shiva replied in a soft voice. Shiva thought, "Alright, a little chubhound. ""Really?" Nimi couldn't believe it, her mouth slightly open in amazement. Shiva smiled and nodded. "Close your eyes and start counting down from 30.""30, 29..." Nimi obediently closed her eyes and started counting. Shiva looked at Nimi gently, listening to her sweet voice. The ground started to shake a little, and he could sometimes hear things bumping on the ground, but he didn't look back once. Soon, the count of 30 was over. Nimi opened her eyes, with rays of hope on her little face. "Now, let's see our new home." Shiva took the two breads from Nimi, held her small hand, and turned to look at their new home with anticipation. Warm light spilled through the door, falling on two different figures - one big and one small. "Wow..." Nimi's mouth was wide open. She kept looking at the suddenly transformed house, which looked like a magnificent palace in the lamp's light, then turned to her father and shouted with joy, "Dad, is this really your magic? The house is so beautiful, like a crystal palace! And look, the rocks are glowing! Dad, you are amazing!" "From now on, this will be our home, and it is also a restaurant." Shiva smiled happily. Nothing is better than receiving admiration from your daughter. It was still a two-story house, but it had transformed from a ramshackle log cabin to a European-style villa. There was a floor-to-ceiling window at the front of the square, and the restaurant could be seen from outside in the light of the European crystal chandelier, cozy and stylish.

It seemed the shaking before had caused a little tumult, so Shiva took Nimi's hand and went inside the door. "Let's go home. Father will tell you more later.""Okay. Father is the best!" Nimi rubbed her head against Shiva's hand and leaped into the doorway happily.Shiva turned off the light on his way in. In the meantime, a dwarf with a thick beard stumbled out from the next door. Looking around with his drunken face, he shouted, "Stupid trolls come dancing here again! Damn it, I'm trying to get some sleep here…" Then he went back and slammed the door closed."Father… is this really our house?" Nimi stopped at the door, looked at the grand restaurant, and then raised her head to look at Shiva, still not believing her eyes.She had never seen a house so beautiful—the floor was flat and smooth, the chandelier was beautiful and crystal-like, and the aligned tables and chairs were brand-new, with exquisite tableware boxes on the table. Deeper inside was a long counter that was higher than her, and behind it was a room, but she couldn't see what was inside."Sure." Shiva nodded, smiling. Then, waving his hand, he said, "This is our new home. The first floor can be used as a restaurant, and the second floor is where we'll live…""Great!" Before Shiva could finish his words, Nimi had already run away. She extended her arms and ran around the restaurant, and then she found a table on the very inside and took a seat there. "Father, let's have the bread here. Nimi is hungry," she said, waving at Shiva."Okay." Shiva smiled. Sure enough, food was the most important."The mission 'own a restaurant' is complete. Since the host has required the reconstruction of the parts besides the restaurant, the reward this time is canceled out. The system has issued a new mission: learn the first dish—Awadhi Pulao. The time limit is three days. When the host is ready, enter the test field for the God of Cookery. The reward this time is: strength +0.5, and the punishment is: strength -0.5." The system's voice sounded again.Shiva stopped there immediately. A door suddenly appeared in his mind with four golden words on it: Awadhi Pulao. This must be the so-called test field for the God of Cookery.To be sure, Shiva cared more about the reward it had mentioned. The most urgent matter for him was recovery because he couldn't hold the kitchen knife still in this condition, to say nothing of cooking. He didn't think the system would arrange a reward to help him recover this quickly, so he was a bit excited all of a sudden.I don't know what this 'strength +0.5' means to me, but I don't think the system would cheat me. How hard could it be to make the Awadhi Pulao?When he was in Lucknow, he had tried the authentic Awadhi Pulao a few times in several different restaurants, but his comments then were too mean. To be frank, however, the taste was very good, but at that time, he was so obsessed with criticism that he somehow felt compelled to do that. It was said that one old and famous restaurant was closed for some time after his commentary, but those things were always happening, so he didn't pay much attention to it back then."Father?" Nimi looked at the absent-minded Shiva, a little confused."Coming!" Shiva quickly suppressed his impulse to open that door in his mind, and sat opposite Nimi. He handed a bread to her. "Let's have a taste of Nimi's favorite bread," he said, smiling.Shiva took a close look at the bread—it was about the size of a grown man's hand and one centimeter in thickness. It must have been made from flour mixed with corn, mung bean, potato… and many other coarse grains, and then was put into a wood oven to bake. It felt like a rough tile in his hand."Okay." Nimi took the bread with two hands, opened her little mouth, and took a bite. The bread cracked, and Nimi chewed happily like a little hamster, looking satisfied and very cute.It tastes that good? Shiva wondered. Still, looking at Nimi eat gave him such a good appetite that he couldn't help but bring the bread to his mouth and give it a hard bite. He chewed a few times and got astounded.

This is a baked tile! Shiva thought. Did the bread break, or my teeth? It was truly a torture for my mouth and got stuck in my throat while trying to swallow. This thing can be used as a lethal weapon! Hundreds are sold in a day? Are you kidding me? This world's food culture is so primitive! Damn, I'm choking! Shiva felt terrible. He dropped the bread on the table and ran to the sink in the kitchen with his hands around his throat.

Shiva turned on the tap and gulped down a lot of water. Then, holding onto the edge of the sink with both hands, he took a breath and felt alive again. He had been already thirsty when he woke up, and instead of drinking some water, he ate that paratha, almost choking to death. His throat was still burning even now. If it were his previous life, he would have written a denunciation thousands of words long and shut the restaurant for good. How could anyone eat this?!Before he knew it, Nimi had already come to him. "Father, are you all right?" Nimi asked worriedly, tugging at the corner of his clothes.