Chapter 23: Conquering the Surface with Fine Cuisine

Chapter 23: Conquering the Surface with Fine Cuisine

Inside the room, Bai Yuekui played the controller game over and over, her mind filled with a thousand thoughts.

The arrival of Luo Ke, this mysterious man, was both unexpected and yet within the realm of possibility. Long ago, Master Lai had deduced that a variable would soon appear, one capable of completely overturning the entire situation, though he did not specify whether this change would be a person, an object, or an event. Now, having witnessed the facts with her own eyes, Bai Yuekui was certain.

Aside from Mark, the original hope of humanity, there was now Luo Ke—an unpredictable and elusive anomaly.

"Fortune and misfortune are interdependent. Luo Ke's arrival might stir up an even more terrifying storm." Losing interest in the game, Bai Yuekui put on her coat, stepped out of the room, and stood on the high platform, looking down.

Following her gaze, one could see a young man mingling with a group of children.

Luo Ke was telling them a story with dramatic flair. "At that moment, Manji jammed his flag, representing a challenge, into the village chief’s door for the umpteenth time, shouting: 'I am Manji, the wandering demon slayer from the Youwei County of the Great Yang Ridge in the Sacred Beast Kingdom, here to challenge the Lord Chief of Wowo Village...'"

He paused, touching his dry throat. "Rest time, break time."

"Eh?! How can we take a break?" Xia Dou, the most enthusiastic listener among the children, complained instantly. "You wait right there!"

With that, she jogged off and returned clutching a cup of water. "Drink some water, don't stop, keep going!"

Luo Ke rubbed his temples, feeling a slight headache. "Fine, I’ve been here less than half a day and I’ve already become a storyteller."

"Alright, we'll continue tomorrow. But how do you have so many strange and wonderful stories in your head?" Xia Dou agreed reluctantly. If this girl were in the Old World, she would be just another lively and adorable high school graduate.

"They are all famous classics and dramas from the Old World; I am merely retelling them," Luo Ke smiled, taking the water Xia Dou had handed him.

The adults nearby, seeing Luo Ke getting along so well with the children, found their gazes softening. As they passed by, they would greet this stranger who had just arrived.

In just a few hours, Luo Ke had personally experienced the harmonious and friendly atmosphere here. Most of these people had faced life and death, understood what they truly cherished while being hunted by the噬极兽 (Feeding Beasts), and harbored the radiance of humanity deep within—completely unlike the self-important Upper-min on the Lighthouse.

This place was a sanctuary in the post-apocalyptic wasteland!

To be honest, doing a handstand while washing your hair here was more comfortable than lying down to sleep on the Lighthouse!

The place was filled with steam and cyberpunk elements, yet infused with a sense of ancient charm. Several styles blended harmoniously: pavilions reminiscent of ancient architecture built against the mountains, massive mobile drilling platforms clanking loudly, and various instruments revealing remnants of ancient civilization seen everywhere.

If the Lighthouse was a reflection of a rigid, hierarchical Western church, then this place was a synthesis of ancient Buddhist and Taoist civilizations.

For instance, the game controllers and computer keyboards used by Xia Dou were marked with Sanskrit; when the controller was rotated or twisted, it would form different phrases, issuing different operational commands.

The刺罐 (acupuncture cups) used in the "Cupping Anthem" were also engraved with Sanskrit scriptures to suppress the Breath of Earth.

The felt hat on Xu Tong's head, the Yin-Yang fish on Sui Xing's shoulder, the compass held by the female doctor in the promotional video—all were manifestations of Taoism.

And the passage Mark walked through during his hallucinations in the anime, with glowing patterns carved into the stone walls? Those were actually cuneiform scripts from the ancient Kingdom of Babylon!

If they were missing Ancient Egypt, they could have gathered all four major ancient civilizations to play a round of Mahjong.

Looking at the newspaper clippings he had glimpsed in the room earlier, Luo Ke had seen countless giant monsters he had never seen before; even the massive Jaw-Beasts looked tiny compared to those things.

Towering vines rose from the ground, causing the original continents to split apart. Spores drifting from the vines infected human bodies, causing Mana-like growths to sprout from flesh and blood.

Every sign indicated that this world of *Spirit Cage* held far too many secrets. Luo Ke knew that what he had seen was merely the tip of the iceberg; a massive sense of crisis forced him to want to evolve another ten or twenty times.

As a multitude of information flooded his mind, a simple thought turned into a tangled mess.

"Forget it, why think so much? Take it one step at a time and focus on the task at hand." He stretched and looked around.

"It's you, kid!" A familiar voice rang out.

Luo Ke turned around. "Instructor Elon, what a coincidence."

"Coincidence, my foot," Elon, carrying a pickaxe, laughed and scolded. "How did you end up here? And how is that brat Mark doing up there?"

"As for me, it's a long story, hard to explain in a moment. As for Captain Mark, he should be fine; after all, he is about to ascend to the position of City Lord," Luo Ke replied with a smile.

Elon shook his head, tutting, "If only Mark had as much wit as you. I just hope that scoundrel Charles doesn't stir up trouble; I’m really worried Mark won't be able to handle it. The reach of the Light and Shadow Association is deeper and further than you or I can imagine!"

Hearing Elon's warning, Luo Ke paused, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Since you're here, you might as well find something to do. It's much more comfortable here than on the Lighthouse!" Elon waved his hand and walked away.

"Is it almost time to eat?!" Xia Dou’s expectant voice reached Luo Ke’s ears from not far away.

The surface survivors grew plenty of vegetables and had rooms dedicated to raising poultry. There was also a good supply of milk and other scarce materials, as there were many children here who needed nutrition for growth.

Luo Ke followed Xia Dou into the kitchen, where several aunts were busy working. Although the food looked delicious to Xia Dou, it didn't really catch Luo Ke's eye.

On the Lighthouse, he had always eaten the Hunter’s milk and bread, barely enough to fill his stomach. Besides, since he had evolved and mutated, he could replenish his physical strength simply by absorbing evolution points.

Looking at the chili peppers, tomatoes, eggs, and other ingredients, Luo Ke poked Xia Dou. "Do you want to eat something you've never had before?"

Xia Dou was stunned. "You know how to cook?"

"There's still a lot you don't know about me!" Luo Ke teased. "Aunties, let me whip up a few dishes for you."

"Can you do it, young man?" The aunt looked skeptical but still cleared the space for him.

Dozens of minutes later, it was time to eat.

Bowls of fried rice and large pots of stew were brought out. An unprecedented aroma filled the entire cave, instantly awakening everyone's dormant taste buds.

One by one, they put down their work and stared fixedly at the food.

Although the rice was of poor quality and slightly coarse, seasonings were scarce, and ingredients were limited, Luo Ke's cooking still unleashed a rich and fragrant aroma.

"Did we change the menu today?!"

"So fragrant! Could it be that Luo Ke made this?"

Egg-fried rice, boiled meat slices with bean sprouts, stir-fried baby bok choy, braised pork ribs with potatoes, and boiled potatoes with sauce.

With limited materials and conditions, Luo Ke could only achieve about 50 to 60 percent of his true standard.

In this apocalyptic world, even in this "sanctuary," 90 percent of the people had never seen traditional Chinese cuisine.

Bai Yuekui looked at the familiar food and was momentarily lost in a trance; having lived from the Old World to the present, she felt a deep sense of nostalgia.

Compared to grass roots, tree bark, and corpses, this was truly delicious!

"Let's eat," she said, sitting down first.

Only after she took her seat did the people at the other tables sit down one by one and begin to feast.

"Wow! Wow! Wow!" Xia Dou, on the side, slurped a piece of rib meat off the bone and looked at Luo Ke with stars in her eyes.

"Luo Ke... amazing. Fatty... I admire you." Shan Da was scalded by a few pieces of meat and couldn't speak clearly, yet he kept stuffing his mouth.

"I didn't expect you to have this hidden talent. Your culinary skills are excellent." Sui Xing snatched the last piece of meat from Shan Da’s chopsticks.

Luo Ke replied modestly, "These are my only few specialties; I can't compare to you all."

A sturdy blacksmith at another table suddenly chimed in, "Hey! Does a 'specialty' count as a specialty?"

Luo Ke: ???

The Chinese language is truly profound!

Bai Yuekui, sitting alone at the front, twitched her mouth and said faintly, "Didn't I warn you before? Less chatter while eating."

As the words fell, it was as if a mute button had been pressed.

Xia Dou looked around, confused, and leaned in close to whisper, "Luo Ke, what other 'specialties' did he say you had?"

"I don't know either," Luo Ke replied softly. "Eat quickly, don't let them finish it all."

Xia Dou was startled and went back to eating intensely; clearly, her stomach had been firmly captured by Luo Ke with this single meal.

In fact, it wasn't just her; everyone's gaze toward Luo Ke became increasingly friendly.

After the meal, on the high platform, Luo Ke and Bai Yuekui stood side by side.

"Some things are nodes that are difficult to change. No matter how the trajectory shifts, it cannot shake the answers derived from precise calculations," Bai Yuekui said, initially sounding cryptic.

She continued, "Mark is the bridge between humanity and the Mana ecosystem. The projections regarding him will not change easily; he will ultimately walk the path that has already been laid out."

She paused. "As for you, you are a black dot that has fallen into a field of white. You might be swallowed by the white, or you might completely infect the white."

Luo Ke looked up at the sunlight streaming through the gap in the ceiling. Bai Yuekui's meaning was quite clear. It seemed that Charles and his cohorts would still force Mark down that path, rather than through his own gradual guidance.

These two chapters of surface plot were meant to ease the fast pace of the previous sections; after all, a balance of tension and relaxation is appropriate. The main plot will resume in the next chapter—the "tower-toppling" you've all been hoping for is almost here!