Picking Up from the Last Chapter:
——
"Alright, let's go. I don't really like this place—it feels so oppressive."
Elysia frowned slightly as she looked at the small town before her, sensing the heavy, stifling atmosphere in the air.
The others also wore expressions of unease, clearly not fond of the place either.
Wu Tong wasn't surprised by this. After all, it would be asking too much to expect a group of heroes to adapt to the life of fugitives.
Dugu Bo, standing nearby, found their reactions somewhat odd but didn't dwell on it.
Well, strong individuals often have their quirks, don't they?
Besides, these people are from another world—it's normal for them to feel out of place here.
With a smile, Dugu Bo said, "Let me lead the way. I've been to this town before, and I remember a restaurant here that served pretty good food. I hope it's still around."
"That's great! We'll leave it to you, old man," Pardofelis chimed in, mimicking Wu Tong's way of addressing him.
Dugu Bo nodded amiably, exchanged a few more words, and then began guiding the group.
With Dugu Bo taking the lead, the others followed closely behind.
Soon, they arrived at a small restaurant near the eastern edge of the town, close to the exit.
"Haha, it's still here! Good thing we didn't come for nothing," Dugu Bo remarked nostalgically as he spotted the restaurant.
The restaurant was modest, with just two small floors. The first floor was a bustling dining hall, while the second floor had private rooms.
At the moment, the first floor was packed and noisy—filled with loud conversations, boasts, and the clinking of glasses.
The cacophony of sounds made the entire place feel chaotic and overwhelming.
The group frowned at the environment—it was… rather unappealing.
Wu Tong wasn't one to skimp on comfort, and the atmosphere here didn't sit well with him. He immediately decided to get a private room.
It wasn't that he was being fussy—the first floor's environment was genuinely unpleasant.
Can you imagine a bunch of burly men, stripped to the waist, drinking, chatting, and making a ruckus?
The scene was nothing short of pandemonium, loud enough to shake the heavens.
So, after Pardofelis fetched the owner, the group bypassed the first floor entirely and headed straight for a window-side private room on the second floor.
Upstairs, the noise was almost completely gone—inaudible unless you listened carefully.
Noticing this, Wu Tong glanced at the walls and realized they were made of sound-absorbing wood. No wonder the soundproofing was so effective.
With the noise from downstairs no longer bothering them, the others visibly relaxed.
Once everyone was seated, Wu Tong took the menu from the owner and prepared to order.
However…
After scanning the list of unfamiliar dish names, Wu Tong realized he didn't recognize a single one.
With a resigned expression, he handed the menu back to the waiting owner and said, "One of everything."
"One of… everything?" The owner was confused. What did that mean?
"I mean, serve us every dish on the menu," Wu Tong clarified.
"Understood, honored Spirit Masters! Please wait a moment—your dishes will be served shortly."
The owner beamed with delight, bowed respectfully, and then left the room with the menu.
"Whew, finally! I'm so hungry," Pardofelis exclaimed the moment the owner was gone, slumping onto the table dramatically.
"Didn't you eat breakfast, Pardofelis?" Hua asked, raising an eyebrow at her lethargic state.
"Nope! I stayed up too late last night and overslept this morning," Pardofelis mumbled weakly.
"Plus, the moment I woke up, I saw Boss Wu Tong's message. Before I could even eat, Elysia dragged me here."
At this, she shot a resentful glance at Elysia, who was busy teasing Griseo.
"Uh… oops?"
Catching Pardofelis's reproachful look, Elysia turned around and scratched her head sheepishly.
She hadn't known Pardofelis hadn't eaten. When she went to fetch her, the cat girl was already tidying up her room, so Elysia assumed she was ready to leave.
(In reality, Pardofelis had just woken up and was cleaning—not packing to leave.)
And so, a bizarre misunderstanding was born.
The others could only shake their heads in amusement, watching Elysia's awkward expression. A shared thought crossed their minds:
Classic Elysia.
When there's trouble, she solves it all. But when there's no trouble, she becomes the trouble.
"Alright, let's have some snacks to tide you over," Wu Tong said, sighing as he shot Elysia a glance. He then pulled out the Gourmet Tablecloth.
The group was no stranger to the Gourmet Tablecloth—they'd used it many times before and were quite familiar with how it worked.
Seeing Wu Tong bring it out, the others didn't hesitate to start ordering a bunch of pre-meal desserts from it.
"Brother Tong, I thought we were eating at a restaurant because you didn't bring the Gourmet Tablecloth. But since you have it, why didn't we just use it instead? Wouldn't that have been more convenient?"
Pardofelis spoke between mouthfuls of food, her words slightly muffled.
"Finish eating before you talk," Wu Tong said, rolling his eyes as he barely deciphered her question.
Can't even keep your mouth shut while eating, huh?
Still, he didn't forget to explain.
"While the Gourmet Tablecloth is convenient, we can't rely on it all the time. What if I'm not around and you don't have it? Would you just stop eating?"
"Ultimately, good food should be part of life. Besides, how could human potential lose to a machine? Some chefs can create dishes even the Gourmet Tablecloth can't match."
"In worlds built around culinary specialties, there are chefs who can turn ordinary ingredients into something miraculous. Their cooking surpasses anything the Gourmet Tablecloth can produce."
"And let's not forget the actual gods of cooking—Chef Gods, Hearth Gods… These beings who've ascended through culinary arts are no simple figures."
"So, aim higher. Don't just fixate on the Gourmet Tablecloth. Try food made by real chefs—you might just find one of the masters I mentioned."
(Just kidding. The real reason is that I lent the tablecloth to Kanna and only just got it back. Pardofelis, if you hadn't mentioned it, I might've forgotten altogether. But I have to admit—tricking people feels pretty good.)
Hearing this, Pardofelis's eyes sparkled. She'd never been one for grand ambitions—her lifelong wish was simply to live a comfortable, worry-free life.
But now that she'd achieved that, it was time to set her sights on something even greater.
...
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(End of Chapter)