The full moon came quietly.
The world hadn't changed much — Old Mu still cursed at radishes, Lin was off investigating more hollow beast zones, and the boy brought snails as if they were treasure.
Ash, however, was carrying something new: a lacquered wooden container filled with soup.
Not because he thought it was some kind of offering.
No. He brought it because he was nervous.
And soup made him feel like himself.
The Reed Sector Hall
The hall stood at the edge of cultivated forest, framed by quiet hills and mist-thin clouds. It wasn't grand or menacing — more like a very serious library wrapped in spiritual wallpaper.
Ash arrived early.
He didn't know the customs.
So, naturally, he waited by sitting under a tree and sipping soup until someone told him otherwise.
That person was a girl with short hair and a half-cracked bamboo sword, who squinted at his bowl like it had insulted her grandmother.
"You're... the food cultivator?"
Ash paused. "I prefer the term culinary innovator."
She didn't smile.
Another girl walked by — robes neatly tied, talismans at her belt — and said to no one in particular, "I heard his spiritual root is completely unranked. Like, not even listed."
Ash sipped again.
[New Tag Acquired: "Rootless Cultivator"]– Public interest: Mild– Suspicion: Moderate– Mockery: Brewing
Registration
Inside the hall, a disciple sat behind a smoothstone desk, inspecting a long list of names.
"Ash," he read aloud. "Age?"
"Eighteen."
"Cultivation base?"
"...Low-simmered soup."
The disciple stared.
Ash sighed. "None. I haven't... really started yet. I think."
The man wrote something down.
"Alright. Place your hand on the stone. Think of your best skill. The one you're... proud of."
Ash closed his eyes.
He thought of the snail soup.
The dandelion broth.
The moment Lin said "this is good" and meant it.
The stone lit up with a quiet hum.
Not blazing.
Not dull.
Just... strange.
[Name: Ash][Status: Non-categorized][Cultivation Path: Undefined][Primary Skill Detected: Culinary Cultivation – Base Tier][Sub-Skills: Flavor Enhancement, Resilient Consumption, Gastronomic Appraisal][Growth Type: Unknown / Unranked][Potential: Unclear][Notes: "System irregularity. Possible deviation. Track quietly."]
The room was silent.
The disciple scratched his head. "I've never seen this formatting before."
Ash opened one eye. "...Is that good or bad?"
"Depends. Some of the best cultivators in history had undefined roots."
"And the worst?"
"Also them."
A Curious Observer
A voice from the balcony above the hall echoed gently:
"Let him in."
The crowd parted slightly.
A middle-aged man stepped forward — robed in white, with a pine emblem on his sleeve. His beard was too well-groomed to be harmless.
Elder Pinhai, the outer-sect supervisor.
He studied Ash for a long time, gaze eventually drifting to the soup bowl still in Ash's hands.
"You brought food?"
Ash glanced down. "It's a... comfort item."
"Give it here."
Ash hesitated.
But then again — if soup could soften the heart of a sect elder, that was possibly the most overpowered outcome yet.
He handed it over.
Pinhai sipped. The hall waited.
He blinked.
Then looked at Ash strangely. "...This has spirit resonance."
Ash blinked back. "Is that good?"
"It's not normal," the elder said. "But not dangerous. It's subtle. Natural."
He handed the bowl back and turned to the scribe. "Assign him to the Green Reed Garden Unit. Observation class. Low priority."
Ash frowned. "Garden?"
"You're good with herbs. And mushrooms, I presume."
Ash sighed.
He was officially a gardener.
Aftermath
Later that night, back in his shack, Ash received a system update.
[New Passive Skill Acquired: "Reputation Echo"]– Minor influence gained from social perceptions– Passive enhancement to rumor spread, conversation triggers– Bonus: One free rebranding option unlocked (Title customization)
[Title Options:– Rootless Soup Monk– Culinary Rogue Cultivator– The Unranked Brewer– Default: Ash]
Ash stared.
Then selected: Culinary Rogue Cultivator.
Just for fun.
And in the dark, next to his crackling fire and bubbling pot, the system glowed faintly.
No backstory.
No origin.
But power?
Yeah, it was there.
And it was only just beginning.
End of Chapter 5