Chapter Nineteen: The Supernatural Chef

The electronic gate at the school entrance was not tall, so Mu Rongxun climbed over it with ease. Although Xu Ying and her companion found it somewhat difficult, with mutual assistance, they managed to get inside as well.

This time, Mu Rongxun did not leave immediately; he still needed them to guide the way. Moreover, despite his cold demeanor, he truly could not ignore these two. The threat of erasure as punishment for failing the side quest was like a thorn in his side, leaving him ill at ease.

Though he did not know whether the threat was real, having already been dragged into this place from the real world, he had no desire to test it.

The campus was utterly silent at this hour, with only the sound of their footsteps echoing through the night. Under the girls’ guidance, Mu Rongxun led the way down the main avenue. After all, this was a university with many precincts and colleges; without a local guide, it was impossible to know how many wrong turns one might take before finding an exit.

In reality, getting lost would cost no more than time; but in this place, wandering blindly might lead to who knows what.

The two girls held hands, clinging closely behind Mu Rongxun. The eerie transformations around them left them unwilling to stray from his side for even a moment.

“What’s over there?” Mu Rongxun suddenly pointed to the side, questioning the girls.

“That... looks like the cafeteria,” Xu Ying replied, following his gaze. She noticed a faint light in that direction, but since it was nighttime and they were unfamiliar with this area, she couldn’t be certain.

After a moment’s thought, Mu Rongxun changed their course and headed that way.

“You’re crazy! Who knows what’s over there? Let’s just hurry and find a way out!” Zhang Jiao said anxiously, desperate to leave this unsettling place.

Mu Rongxun ignored her, striding forward as if to say, “Follow me or not, it’s up to you.”

Seeing this, the two girls could only stamp their feet in frustration and follow after him.

They hadn’t walked far before arriving in front of a building, its main doors tightly shut, exuding a deep stillness. Yet, if one listened closely, there were faint noises within, as if someone was moving about inside. The sounds were so quiet that, if it had been daytime, they would have been drowned out entirely and gone unnoticed.

Suddenly, the doors swung open. In the trio’s line of sight, a figure appeared abruptly.

Its face was blurry, clad in a spotless white chef’s uniform, its figure plump. Upon seeing the three, it gestured invitingly. Even though its face was indistinct, for some reason, it seemed to be smiling.

Was this some kind of invitation?

Watching the chef’s movements, Mu Rongxun frowned. It was very strange. Previously, while wandering the campus, he had sensed a pervasive malice, as if danger lurked at every turn. Yet now, after arriving here, that feeling had vanished. Even in the presence of this bizarre chef, the sense of menace was gone.

Nevertheless, confronted with the sudden appearance of the chef, Xu Ying and her companion cowered behind Mu Rongxun. He stepped forward toward the cafeteria, and the eerie chef hurried to lead the way.

The two women clung to the back of Mu Rongxun’s shirt, as if to warn him not to go in, but he ignored them and even turned to glare, prompting them to let go.

Since Mu Rongxun had already entered, Xu Ying and Zhang Jiao had no choice but to follow.

Guided by the chef, they were led to a dining table. Once they were seated, the chef reached behind itself, pulled out a card, and handed it to Mu Rongxun.

“Is this a menu?” the three wondered aloud.

Despite their curiosity, the two girls kept their distance from the food listed; they didn’t even want to glance at it. The chef, though faceless, seemed displeased by their attitude and turned away from them, focusing all its hopeful attention on Mu Rongxun.

The menu listed several dishes, but the script was unrecognizable to Mu Rongxun. Since arriving here, he had automatically gained fluency in the world’s common language, but these characters were unfamiliar—either an obscure dialect, or more likely, a special script unique to this place.

“What kind of flavors do these dishes have?” Mu Rongxun asked directly.

The chef scratched its head, appearing troubled, as if unsure how to answer.

“Do these dishes have special effects?” Mu Rongxun changed his question.

The chef nodded confidently this time.

“Is there one that increases strength?” he pressed.

Unexpectedly, the chef not only nodded, but also pointed to the fourth option on the menu.

“I’ll have that one, then!” Mu Rongxun decided immediately. Since he had no idea what the dishes did, it didn’t matter to him which he picked.

After he ordered, the chef nodded in satisfaction, put away the menu, and retreated to the kitchen, paying no further attention to Xu Ying and her friend, as if uninterested in guests who had no appetite for its food.

Although he did not follow the chef into the kitchen, Mu Rongxun looked around the restaurant, hoping to discover something of value.

At that moment, Xu Ying tugged on Zhang Jiao’s sleeve and whispered, “It seems to be using regular ingredients.”

They had refused to eat earlier out of fear the chef might use something horrifying—like human limbs—but now, realizing the ingredients were normal, they felt a twinge of regret. After all, they were both very hungry.

Having found nothing of interest, Mu Rongxun withdrew his gaze and sat quietly, resembling a patron in a small diner awaiting his meal.

Before long, the chef returned with a dish and placed it before Mu Rongxun. It appeared to be a plate of fried rice. The chef then stood expectantly nearby, as if waiting for him to taste and rate its culinary skills.

Mu Rongxun hesitated before taking a bite of what looked like egg fried rice. Yet his instincts detected no danger, which reassured him. Remembering his scanning ability, he promptly checked the information.

[Eerie Fried Rice: A dish carefully prepared by a master chef, awaiting the judgment of a true gourmet.]

[Cuisine Level: Three stars]

[Effect: Increases Spirit attribute by 0.3 for three hours!]