Chapter 200: Chapter 200 Blood-Red Restaurant (Requesting Full Subscription)
Purple mist spread continuously between the Bone-Slicing Blade and the chunks of meat. Soon, a wisp of purple flame appeared between the blade and the meat.
When the purple flame touched the chunks of meat, they started to rot and spoil rapidly.
If Lu Luo were here, he would have recognized this purple flame at a glance—it was Netherflame, which governed the netherworld.
Chef Liu Yuan used Netherflame to incinerate the chunks of meat, then placed his own hand on them.
He grimaced in pain, but the rotten chunks of meat reverted to their original state.
Not long after, fresh breakfast was brought out from the back of the canteen.
The cafeteria aunt’s words ignited the students’ enthusiasm. "Old Liu is really on his game today, students! We’ve got generous portions today, and there’s plenty to go around. Come and get it while it’s hot!" No one could resist such tasty meals.
Sitting in the middle of the canteen, Lu Yu propped her chin on one hand, boredly fiddling with a spoon in the other.
However, her boredom was soon interrupted by the voices of several female classmates.
"Lu Yu, waiting for your second brother again?"
"Yes!" Lu Yu replied with a polite smile.
A few girls from the same dormitory started greeting Lu Yu and enthusiastically took their seats beside her.
"You bought so much food! Your brother really is as big an eater as the legends say!"
"Hehe, he must be cultivating! That’s why he needs to eat so much."
Since Lu Yu had no concrete understanding of power levels, she wasn’t sure exactly how strong Lu Luo had become.
Her elder brother had called to tell her Lu Luo was now very formidable, but Lu Luo’s appetite was strange. Generally, very formidable people didn’t eat that much.
Therefore, Lu Yu remained skeptical about Lu Luo’s strength. ’Very formidable’ probably just means a bit stronger than me. Maybe he’s reached First Tier?
Big Brother always likes to exaggerate when praising others. So, Second Brother’s strength is probably around First Tier.
"Lu Yu, stop trying to fool me. I may not be a Transcendent, but I remember that people eat less as they grow stronger, not more."
"Ah, hahaha! My second brother is a bit special; he really can eat a lot," Lu Yu laughed awkwardly, hastily concocting an excuse.
"Hey, enough of that, Lu Yu. Does your brother have a girlfriend yet?"
"That’s right, Lu Yu! Don’t let such a good catch get away to some outsider. Your brother is such prime material; introduce him to us!"
Seeing the lecherous looks on the girls’ faces, Lu Yu grew even more embarrassed.
She was used to all sorts of inquiries about her second brother’s girlfriend status. Due to the scarcity of males at school, these lustful girls would ask daily if her second brother was seeing anyone; of course, there was no shortage of those who offered themselves either.
Although Lu Luo hadn’t said he had a girlfriend, Lu Yu vividly remembered the two women she’d seen standing beside him during her last visit to his company. One was a cute, flat-chested type with white hair, and the other a remarkably beautiful and serene, ladylike type. Their striking appearances had left a deep impression on Lu Yu, so she hadn’t asked Lu Luo about girlfriends since.
"He probably has a girlfriend by now," Lu Yu mused.
"He already has a girlfriend? What a shame, I thought I had a chance."
"Get real! You’re so flat. I bet he’d prefer someone well-developed like me."
Looking at the chubby girl before her, Lu Yu really wanted to retort, That’s not ’well-developed,’ that’s just fat!
However, she still offered a polite smile and then joked, "If my brother becomes single again, I’ll definitely let you all know."
At her words, the girls burst into laughter.
"Hearing you say that, I can rest easy! At least give us a fair chance to compete, haha!"
"Eat up, eat up! We need to eat to have the strength to chase guys. Lu Yu, aren’t you eating?"
"Ah, I’m waiting for him. He should be here soon."
"Then we’ll start without you!"
"Sure, go ahead."
The girls started devouring their breakfast in front of Lu Yu, the enticing aroma of the delicious food filling the air.
Lu Yu’s appetite was stirred, but after a moment’s hesitation, she decided not to eat yet.
What’s taking him so long?
「...」
The sports field was usually deserted at this hour, but today it was teeming with people. Moreover, everyone was heading in the same direction.
Seeing the surging crowd, Lu Luo, puzzled, stopped one of them.
"Excuse me, classmate, what’s going on?"
"You don’t know? I heard there was trouble at the library—an Exotic Species appeared!"
"Then why are you heading in that direction? Shouldn’t you be running away if an Exotic Species appeared?"
The person glanced at Lu Luo disdainfully, his eyes seeming to say, You’re so handsome, yet such a coward?
"That’s exactly why we’re going! Besides, the Exotic Species is surrounded now; it’s perfectly safe. We’re students of East Ring University, the elite of East Ring! If all we do is run, how can we shoulder the future of the Alliance? So how could we possibly run away at a time like this? Apart from seeing some Exotic Species corpses in biology class, I’ve never seen a live one! This is a good chance to take a look. Security has already gone over, along with some school teachers. What are you afraid of?"
[Wow, Host, your popularity at school is really not cutting it. Even a deadbeat dares to mock you.]
Lu Luo ignored the sarcasm in the person’s tone and didn’t bother to warn him.
They were all adults; even if they hadn’t witnessed the danger of Exotic Species firsthand, they had read about it countless times in books. Yet these people still held such an attitude, which was frankly ridiculous.
Although it had been nearly a year since the semester began, those with the aptitude for becoming Transcendent had already gained some strength. But Exotic Species were never cute or novel curiosities; they always represented danger. Gawking at an Exotic Species wasn’t like observing animals in a zoo. If the Exotic Species was powerful, the onlookers would inevitably suffer.
Such arguments were pointless.
"Oh, I see. Thanks for the information, classmate," Lu Luo replied.
"You’re not going to check it out?"
"My sister is in the canteen. I’m going to pick her up first."
"Just admit you’re a coward instead of making excuses! Does everyone conveniently have a sister?"
[Aren’t you going to hit him?]
What’s the point of hitting an ordinary person?
This person’s attitude amused Lu Luo, but he still didn’t say much, merely falling into thought.
So, they’ve appeared in the school too! Is this the self-deviation Ludie mentioned? Whatever, I need to find Lu Yu first.
「...」
Back in the canteen, as time passed, Lu Yu grew increasingly anxious and uneasy.
She was anxious because Lu Luo was exceptionally late today, and uneasy because of the current behavior of her breakfasting classmates.
Their behavior had gone beyond simply wolfing down their food. After finishing their initial portions, these girls went back to buy several more. Their eating was no longer simple consumption but involved tearing and gnawing; they even devoured the wrappers. Some even started gnawing on the tables.
Lu Yu had never witnessed such a scene. "Hey, are you guys okay?" she asked, concerned.
The girls didn’t respond, continuing to devour the food before them. It wasn’t just them; others nearby were doing the same.
Some students who had arrived earlier, having finished their meals, were now slumped over the canteen’s serving counter, drooling and pawing at the iron railings of the serving hatch.
The few veteran canteen staff were also alarmed; they had never seen such a spectacle. They backed away, huddling together, using spoons and spatulas to try and drive away the students who were eating like ravenous beasts.
"Today’s breakfast is sold out! There’s no more!"
The students seemed to retain some rationality, at least enough to understand the canteen ladies. Hearing there was no more food, they grew agitated.
One particularly frenzied student bit down on the serving window’s glass!
CRACK!
The thick, tempered glass shattered explosively. Being double-layered, it didn’t fall out completely. Although the student’s teeth also shattered, biting through tempered glass like that required immense force!
Lu Yu wasn’t foolish. She immediately realized these students’ transformation was likely linked to the canteen breakfast.
She glanced at the twenty-one portions of food before her and quickly stood up, putting herself in a defensive posture.
Mages in the Wasteland Alliance didn’t use items like wands. As an entry-level Elementalist Transcendent, Lu Yu had already drawn the woman’s self-defense short sword from her bag.
The girls before her panted heavily, "Ha! Ha! Ha!" Their mouths hung open, saliva drooling freely.
One girl’s arm hung limply, dragging on the floor.
Lu Yu’s pupils constricted at the sight. Normal human arms shouldn’t be that long! Even though the classmate in front of me is slightly hunched, she’s still mostly standing. For her wrist to drag on the ground while standing... that length... Is this considered a mutation?
"Hey, can you hear me?" Lu Yu asked.
"Lu Yu... I’m so hungry... I really want to eat something..." one of them rasped.
They could still understand her, so it seemed they weren’t purely mutated. However, their expressions grew increasingly distorted. Lu Yu pointed her sword at them, backing away steadily.
"Don’t come any closer!" she warned.
Her voice attracted other students who hadn’t eaten breakfast. Their expressions were equally terrified, and they instinctively moved towards her. Fortunately, the transformed students didn’t attack them.
"What’s going on here?"
"I don’t know!"
"Open the door, I want to get out."
A student slammed their tray violently against the canteen door.
But at some point, dark purple, rotting fleshy tendrils had entwined the canteen door. These fleshy masses sealed the door shut. Whenever someone approached, a wisp of purple flame would erupt, forcing them back.
The students in the canteen who had eaten breakfast gradually rose, moving towards the back of the kitchen as if drawn by something.
Lu Yu stopped paying attention to their movements. She wasn’t lacking in composure, and her thoughts were clear. She knew that just because these individuals weren’t attacking them now didn’t mean they wouldn’t later. She couldn’t entrust her life to others’ whims. She had to escape first. The open space of the sports field would offer enough room to maneuver.
So, after channeling energy into her short sword, Lu Yu struck the canteen door with it!
SPLAT!
The short sword sliced through the rotting flesh on the door but also caused Netherflame to splatter. A wisp of Netherflame landed on the back of Lu Yu’s hand, instantly burning away her Dark Energy.
Lu Yu cried out in pain and quickly shook her hand. Fortunately, the Netherflame didn’t continue to burn, though it still left cracked scars on the back of her hand.
But in that brief moment, the rotting flesh on the door had already regrown, blocking their exit!
"Is there any way to blast open the wall?"
"We can try," someone responded.
There was more than one Transcendent remaining; they were capable of destroying a wall.
BOOM!
The wall exploded outwards, but it was coated in a fleshy membrane similar to the one on the iron door, blocking their escape.
"What do we do now?"
"I don’t know!"
Behind them, the sounds of tearing and biting suddenly arose.
Lu Yu looked back towards the sound and saw the canteen chef, Liu Yuan, emerging from the back kitchen, dragging a large chunk of meat and wielding a massive Bone-Slicing Blade.
Screams echoed through the dining hall; many timid students didn’t dare look in that direction.
Before long, the other canteen staff from the back kitchen had been hacked to death by Liu Yuan.
The students who had eaten breakfast, now like beasts, crawled around Liu Yuan, tearing at the chunk of meat he held.
Liu Yuan’s pupils glowed with purple Netherflame. His body began to swell, rapidly surpassing 2.5 meters and approaching 3 meters in height! His thick arms became almost as wide as a person, and the Bone-Slicing Blade in his hand was gradually enveloped by purple Netherflame.
Liu Yuan tossed the chunk of meat aside. Pointing to the remaining untransformed people in the canteen, he addressed the Gluttons cowering at his feet:
"When you face your classmates, your friends, you always suppress certain desires in your hearts. Now is the time for you to unleash those desires fully. Slaughter, lust, gluttony—no one can stop you. Go!"
Though Liu Yuan’s body was immense and grotesque, his voice was surprisingly gentle.
At his seductive tone, a few students on the ground showed expressions of struggle, as if resisting some driving force. But many more, their eyes bloodshot, lunged towards Lu Yu and the others.
AARGH!
Watching her former classmates howl and lunge at her, Lu Yu, extremely tense, finally thrust her short sword forward.
SQUELCH!
It plunged straight into the attacker’s chest. Splashing blood made Lu Yu instinctively shut her eyes. But she quickly reopened them, her cheek and arm already scratched by the assailant.
The short sword hadn’t been imbued with energy, so this thrust didn’t kill the person before her.
In this crisis, Lu Yu had little time to adjust her mindset. She withdrew the short sword, stabbed it into the opponent’s heart, then kicked the body away, her expression grim.
I’ve killed someone!
It was Lu Yu’s first kill. None of the intense reactions her instructors had described—vomiting, panic—occurred. Instead, Lu Yu was highly tense, and this tension sharpened her focus immensely.
And the second wave of attackers was already upon them.
"Frost Blade!"
An icy Frost Blade shot out instantly, slashing across the neck of one Glutton.
Lu Yu sidestepped, swung her sword to kill another, then moved to protect the female students behind her.
After nearly a year of study and cultivation, although Lu Yu wasn’t yet an official Transcendent, her strength was not far from First Tier. At a similar stage, Lu Luo and Gu Fangyi could already team up to kill Second Tier Exotic Species.
Thus, Lu Yu, facing these Gluttons—most of whom were ordinary people before their transformation—displayed remarkable combat prowess.
Short sword flashing, Lu Yu killed two more.
I’ve actually killed five classmates! But it’s okay... this should count as self-defense. I’ll be fine.
Due to her upbringing and education, even at a time like this, Lu Yu was thinking about legal exoneration.
However, her actions had drawn the attention of Chef Liu Yuan. Dragging his Bone-Slicing Blade, he began to approach her.
"Hey, that monster’s coming! Hurry up and stop him!" one of the students behind her urged.
The other students behind Lu Yu, in this desperate moment, showed no gratitude for her having just saved them. Instead, they began to push her forward. It was as if pushing Lu Yu to face Liu Yuan would buy them a little more time.
Their behavior made Lu Yu feel her earlier efforts to protect them were laughable.
Is this human nature?
No wonder their instructors always emphasized that during operations outside the walls, when encountering Exotic Species, one should never consider human nature. When truly facing Exotic Species, selfishness is the best virtue! Finding a way to survive is more important than anything else.
"I can’t think of anything. Fend for yourselves!" Lu Yu said coldly.
As an entry-level Transcendent, Lu Yu was faster than these ordinary people. Having already drawn blood, she noticed one of the girls still tugging at her clothes. She immediately raised her short sword, forcing the girl back, then leaped towards the main dining hall, trying to put as much distance as possible between herself and Liu Yuan.
But she hadn’t expected that after just a few leaps, Liu Yuan’s voice would suddenly sound from behind her. It was accompanied by the acrid smell of purple Netherflame burning the air.
"Student Lu Yu, didn’t you want to learn cooking from me? Your second brother loves to eat, you know! I’ll teach you!"
Lu Yu tried to flee, but Liu Yuan had already seized her by the calf.
BANG!
Lu Yu was slammed hard onto a table. Then, with a powerful heave, Liu Yuan hurled her towards the door they had tried to escape through earlier.
BANG!
Lu Yu crashed directly into the reinforced tempered glass. The immense impact shattered even the sturdy pane into tiny fragments.
Lu Yu struggled to get up, feeling as if her spine and several ribs in her back were broken. But with such a vast disparity in strength, if she didn’t find a way to escape right now, she would undoubtedly die!
Liu Yuan casually cut down another resisting student with his blade, grinned, and continued towards Lu Yu.
"As much as I’d like to teach you cooking, I think they’d rather eat you, hehehe."
Liu Yuan let out a brutish laugh, his Bone-Slicing Blade held high above Lu Yu.
Just as Liu Yuan’s blade was about to cleave her in two, Lu Yu closed her eyes in despair.
BOOM!
A tremendous force blasted the flesh-covered door to pieces. The iron door shot inwards like a discus, slamming heavily into Liu Yuan and sending him flying.
"Who is it?!" Liu Yuan roared.
Liu Yuan had barely scrambled to his feet when a kick like a cannonball slammed into his shin.
CRACK!
His massive frame hadn’t granted him bones of corresponding toughness; the kick snapped his leg below the knee.
"AAARGH!"
Liu Yuan screamed, twisting his body. He knew the person before him was far beyond his ability to fight. He tried to ignite Netherflame to teleport away.
But Lu Luo’s speed was beyond anything Liu Yuan could comprehend!
The Fenrir Type VI blade was already out, drawn from Noah’s Star. With a single horizontal slash, Lu Luo sent Liu Yuan’s head flying.