"Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle! Ah, that hits the spot."
The ramen was placed in front of them, and Tanaka, ever the warrior, dug in first. She finished a bowl of Mapo Tofu Ramen in three seconds flat, instantly no longer hungry, but...
"Ugh... thanks for the meal...
Huh? Why do my throat, mouth, and stomach feel like they're cramping? Did I just eat a ball of fire? The sweat won't stop flowing..."
Tanaka collapsed, trembling all over. Illya woke from her petrified state, her eyes filled with horror as she looked at Tanaka, who lay motionless on the table.
"Um... could I get a non-spicy ramen?"
Illya stiffly turned to face the shop owner, but she was met with the owner's terrifying killing intent!
"Hm? Are you trying to waste my food? Hehehehe, you've got guts. Good, because it seems I don't have enough bones for the stew anymore!"
"Ah!! Dangerous words! Dangerous words!"
Illya was almost in tears from fright. She grabbed Mo Shuying's clothes and shrieked, but Mo Shuying calmly picked up his chopsticks and spoon, scooped a mouthful of Mapo Tofu into his mouth, and then made a blissful expression.
"Ah, satisfying. The soft tofu has completely absorbed the flavor, the perfect level of numbing spice makes the tongue dance, and while the heat is direct, it has an endless, fragrant, and alluring aftertaste. And this minced meat, too, it's perfectly crispy, almost perfect! Illya, don't worry, the soup and meat are fine. Go ahead and eat, it tastes great."
Mo Shuying smiled at Illya, giving her a reassuring look. The shop owner, standing by, saw Mo Shuying's eyes light up.
"Oh ho, a connoisseur."
Mo Shuying ate some noodles, then took another large spoonful of tofu. After swallowing, he calmly said,
"When I was in school, I had a roommate from Sichuan. His specialty was Mapo Tofu. At first, he'd secretly make a small batch for himself, then it became our entire dorm room, and finally, the whole floor. A box of Mapo Tofu over rice was ten yuan, and the spiciness of it was even beyond this ramen."
Mo Shuying sounded a little nostalgic, while the shop owner frowned.
"Spicier than my ramen? Hohoho... I'm suddenly very interested in this classmate of yours. I wonder if I'll ever have the chance to experience it."
Mapo Tofu Ramen had always been the shop owner's pride, but today it had been outdone. He wasn't convinced.
Mo Shuying drank the last bit of soup, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and then spoke.
"No chance. In the first semester, his 'tools of the trade' were confiscated by the dorm supervisor, then he was criticized campus-wide, and finally... in a fit of pique, he dropped out. He went and opened a Sichuan restaurant across from the school. By the time I graduated, he had opened over a hundred chain stores."
Hearing that the person had chain stores, the shop owner stumbled, seemingly quite disheartened. He had been running this noodle shop for many years, but for some reason, business had always been bad. He was losing money every day, usually relying on his temporary work as a priest to earn money. He never expected that, while both were making Mapo Tofu, the other person had over a hundred chain stores!
"Don't be discouraged, Boss. What you've made is already very good. Believe in yourself; one day, you'll be able to make Mapo Tofu that glows golden."
Mo Shuying encouraged him.
Hearing Mo Shuying's encouragement, the shop owner regained his confidence.
At this moment, the eyes of the two muscular men met, sparking a flame of friendship. Their two strong arms bumped together, everything unsaid.
Illya, beside them, looked utterly resigned. She turned to look at the ramen in front of her, swallowed, picked up her chopsticks, and put a single noodle into her mouth. The next second...
*Bang!*
Illya, deceased.
With a hot bowl of ramen in his stomach, Mo Shuying smiled happily. Indeed, good food can make a person feel joyful.
Actually, for Mo Shuying, this ramen wasn't particularly spicy; it was within an acceptable range.
The reason Illya reacted so terribly was mainly because she was a young girl with low tolerance. Japan classified spiciness into over a dozen levels, but even the highest level was only equivalent to medium spicy Sichuan hotpot in China, not even truly extra spicy. For an adult accustomed to Sichuan and Hunan cuisine, it was just a drop in the bucket.
For Illya's bowl, Mo Shuying picked out most of the Mapo Tofu and asked the owner to add another scoop of soup.
Out of respect for Mo Shuying, the owner didn't say much. With the spiciness diluted by the soup, Illya barely managed to finish it.
"Illya, what are your plans now?"
Mo Shuying reached out and handed Illya's empty ramen bowl to the owner. The owner took it, checked for any residue, and then took it to wash.
Illya was resting her head on the table, but she lifted it when she heard Mo Shuying's question and said,
"I need to rescue Miyu!"
"Rescue her from where?"
"..."
Mo Shuying's question stumped Illya.
Illya thought for a moment and said,
"I remember the people who took Miyu mentioned they were from some family, Uncle! Do you know about any families around here and where they are?"
Illya looked at the owner. She felt that as a native of this world, the owner should know something.
Unfortunately.
"Never heard of them."
"Oh..."
Seeing Illya's disappointment, Mo Shuying secretly pondered.
He knew that the family Illya was talking about was the Einzworth Family, and he knew where they were: in the large pit in the middle of Fuyuki City.
From the outside, it looked like a pit, but it was actually a castle courtyard with beautiful birds and fragrant flowers. Miyu was being held there.
Mo Shuying had no good feelings toward the Einzworth Family. Even if they claimed to be saviors, they couldn't earn an ounce of his goodwill.
Mo Shuying was considering whether to settle Illya somewhere and go alone, or if they should go together.
*"Zzzzzzz~"*
"Mr. Mo Shuying! Excellent, we're finally connected. What's the situation on your end? Have you encountered any danger? Merlin just ran into some Shadow Heroic Spirits; they seem to be monsters corrupted by some kind of power. Is it still safe where you are?"
Dr. Roman's voice suddenly came through, startling the others present.
"Uh, don't worry, everyone, it's just my friend's voice."
Mo Shuying explained. At this point, Roman said,
"Oh, I'm quite happy to be called a friend by you, Mr. Shuying. I've just made a discovery about the world you're in, and I think it's best I tell you."
Roman's voice began to turn serious.
"The world you're currently in, sir, has an incredibly skewed geomagnetic axis. This phenomenon only occurs in worlds on the brink of destruction. We ran a Laplace calculation, and this world will be destroyed in half a year at most."
At this statement, only Illya among those present showed a surprised expression. Mo Shuying, Tanaka, and even the shop owner remained completely calm.
"Huh? Everyone's reaction? ...Never mind. What I mean is, the destruction of the world is irreversible. We are currently building a return channel and will be able to reverse-summon you back very soon. Please don't worry, sir; it will be completed in two days at most."
Roman said in a reassuring tone, but he didn't know that Mo Shuying wasn't panicking at all.
"Half a year left, that's plenty of time. Just enough to cause some trouble."
Mo Shuying stroked his chin. He knew that the Einzworth Family was the one who created the Class Cards. If he could get seven more cards, perhaps...
He could make another wish!
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