The narrative picks up with Tsukurou Sumeragi, a level one chef, and his classmates being abruptly transported from their classroom to a stone chamber. They learn they have been summoned as heroes by a coalition of fifteen nations to defeat a Demon Lord. However, instead of a unified effort, the summoned students, totaling 118 individuals, are to be auctioned off to individual nations. Tsukurou discovers his job, "Chef," is considered a low-rank "G" class, making him undesirable. During the auction, he is the only one not bid upon, deemed useless.
Left to his own devices, Tsukurou is given a basic sword and a small sum of money by an elder priest, who explains he will be randomly teleported to a country that didn't bid on him. He is then pushed through a transfer gate and finds himself alone in a vast, unfamiliar forest, the "Boruf Great Forest." Initially disoriented, he uses his "Detailed Appraisal" skill to learn about his surroundings and his own abilities, discovering his "Dexterity" and "Luck" are "EX" rank, while most other stats are "G." He also learns his skills have rather eccentric descriptions.
Tsukurou's immediate priority is survival: finding water, food, and shelter. He uses his "Luck EX" to guide him and his "Spring Water" skill to find water. His first encounter with a monster is a large, cat-like beast, a "Musk Leopard." Despite his low stats and limited combat skills, Tsukurou manages to defeat it by using his "Ignition" skill to set its face on fire and then his "Disassemble" skill to break it down. This victory leads to a massive level increase and the acquisition of new skills like "Dark Vision" and "Recovery Meal."
He continues to navigate the forest, learning to cook monster meat to gain new skills and improve his stats. He acquires "Wood Magic" from a "Wood Doll," "Throwing" from a "Boagnon" (a monkey-like creature), and "Dark Magic" from a "Musk Leopard." His skills and stats steadily improve, allowing him to defeat increasingly powerful monsters like "Hyena Wolves" and "Hell Bears." He develops a strategy of using his skills in combination, such as "Spring Water" to overwhelm enemies and "Ignition" for direct damage, while also learning to cook monster parts to gain specific skills and stat boosts.
Tsukurou's journey is marked by constant peril and a steep learning curve. He faces overwhelming odds, often being severely injured, but his resourcefulness and the unique abilities gained through his "Chef" class allow him to survive and grow stronger. He learns that cooking monster meat can grant him new skills and even improve his abilities, making his seemingly weak profession a powerful asset in this new world. His ultimate goal remains to survive and potentially find a way back home, or at least to understand the rules of this new world and his place within it.
