A Restaurant of Dark Style

Ten minutes earlier, the dense fog had dispersed, and the illusion had shattered.

Everyone aboard the Bauhinia had returned to normal. Though some had been badly drained, others ran up to the deck, wanting to see what had happened.

However, before they could even set foot on the deck, the lofty pressure of the wizards outside frightened them back inside.

With official wizards present, they did not dare act rashly. Yet such a grand scene was rare to behold, and many could not restrain their curiosity. So they lingered near the cabin doors, peering outside through every crack and crevice.

.

Angel was among them. But before he could find a suitable spot to peek from, ill-intentioned gifted ones nearby shoved him toward the cabin door.

Before Angel could retreat, he saw a man standing before him—the man whose appearance had transformed throughout the journey from bizarre and terrifying into that of a sleazy gentleman—smiling as he said to him:

"Honored holder of the Gold Card, welcome to the Barbie Restaurant..."

Angel was led into the Barbie Restaurant by Tang Youyiyou with a baffled expression, followed by a whole crowd of people.

This group encompassed every extraordinary individual aboard the Bauhinia. More importantly, every one of them wore a different expression.

Sabo and Jeral were expressionless, but the unease in their eyes and the occasional cough escaping their throats revealed just how embarrassed they were. They had successfully slipped in on the Gold Card of an ordinary teenage boy. But whenever they thought of that boy looking at them with eyes that said, "You adults really have no shame, taking advantage of me because I'm young and don't know any better," they felt uncomfortable all over.

Heloline, meanwhile, studied Angel beside Tang Youyiyou with a strange look in her eyes, seeming to ponder something from time to time.

As for the wizard apprentices from the remaining three major organizations, their expressions were even more colorful. Some were envious, some fierce, some gloomy, some silent. Beyond these strange emotions, the most common expression was probably curiosity.

Curious about the Barbie Restaurant's furnishings, curious about what the Barbie Restaurant contained, but most curious of all—

How had that utterly unremarkable youth, aside from being fairly good-looking, obtained a Gold Card that not even official wizards possessed?

Walking at the very front, Angel was the focus of everyone's attention and thoughts. He appeared calm, but inwardly he was trembling with fear, as though every step brought him to the edge of an abyss.

Even now, he still could not understand how the golden card given to him by that strange seabird he had named Chirp-Chirp had turned out to be a Gold Card VIP pass for this damned Barbie Restaurant.

A Gold Card VIP was a Gold Card VIP. Was it not just a restaurant? At worst, he would have to go in and pay for a meal.

But what Angel had not expected was that this group of lofty extraordinary individuals would demand that he bring their entire party in with him.

As Angel had only just come into contact with the wizarding world and was still an ordinary person, did he dare refuse?

Of course he did not!

That was how this bizarre scene came to be. Other than Angel, everyone wore an incomparably strange expression.

Lofty wizards had actually come begging to a mortal. If their peers learned of this little spectacle, where would they put their faces?

Though wizards like Sabo could not quite get over the loss of face, the moment they thought of the rumors in the wizarding world—that the food at the Barbie Restaurant possessed magic that could grant enlightenment—they immediately cast such concerns aside. So what if it was a little humiliating? Obtaining benefits was what truly mattered.

At worst, once they left the Barbie Restaurant, they could silence everyone present. Then no one would know.

Tang Youyiyou introduced the Barbie Restaurant all along the way, while Angel remained silent. Partly because he was uneasy, and partly because he truly did not know what to say in reply.

The furnishings inside the Barbie Restaurant were quite unlike its childlike exterior, possessing a distinct character of their own.

Black, deep crimson, gold, silver—every sort of solemn and magnificent color; every sort of twisted, intricate dark pattern that nevertheless appeared incomparably orderly.

Thorns, roses, vines, blood. Even the paintings on the walls carried an intense dark style, completely at odds with the exterior.

However, if Jon, the traveler from another time and space, had been here, he would definitely have recognized the style at a glance. It was simply Baroque mixed with Lolita, a typical dark Lolita style. Though its meaning transcended age, in the broad sense it still counted as a fairy-tale style—only one that took the road of adult fairy tales.

Although Angel understood Earth's culture, he had not delved so deeply into the study of private fetishes like "pedophilia." After all, his age was right there for all to see!

Therefore, Angel was also very curious about the Barbie Restaurant's distinctive style.

It truly had an exotic flavor. Angel sighed inwardly. Only after seeing the Barbie Restaurant's furnishings did he begin to realize that he was getting farther and farther from the Old Earth Continent, and that the exotic things he would see in the future would surely grow ever more numerous.

Just as Angel's thoughts were in turmoil, a wizard apprentice strode quickly to his side.

Angel turned his head to look and immediately put on a slightly respectful expression.

The newcomer was Moro. Among this group of extraordinary individuals, Moro was the only one Angel was somewhat familiar with. Though Moro had not taken particularly good care of him after they boarded, Angel had entered the world of wizards thanks to Moro's help. Furthermore, Moro had helped his mentor Jon. Even if there had been conditions attached to the exchange, Angel still owed him this gratitude. The moment Moro approached, he put away his indifferent expression and became exceedingly respectful.

Seeing Angel's attitude, Moro stroked his slightly graying beard with considerable satisfaction.

"Angel, we have you to thank for being able to enter the Barbie Restaurant this time." Moro spoke with a chuckle, the wrinkles on his face spreading in layers like chrysanthemums blooming as the corners of his mouth parted.

Caught off guard by Moro's sudden gratitude, Angel did not react for a moment and did not know how to respond. He could only nod with an awkward half-smile.

As he watched Moro chat with him cheerfully, Angel suddenly recalled what had happened earlier. The inexplicable itch on his back—what exactly had caused it? Could it have been connected to that strange and bizarre world?

This concerned his safety. Angel had no other extraordinary individual he could ask, so he resolved to question Moro.

With that in mind, Angel directly asked, "Lord Moro, on the day I tested my talent..."

"Angel, I'm rather curious. Where did your Gold Card come from?" Moro's question interrupted him.

Moro's question was also what everyone else wanted to know. Even the three official wizards pricked up their ears, while Tang Youyiyou, standing beside Angel, wore a curious expression as well.

Under everyone's gaze, Angel found it difficult to speak of his own secret. He could only abandon his plan to ask further and answer Moro instead.

Angel pulled the Gold Card gifted by the strange seabird from his inner pocket. One side of the card appeared blank, yet it felt raised and uneven to the touch. Viewed from the side, one could make out rings upon rings of intricate patterns. The other side had likewise been made with a shadow-carving technique, but the carved patterns had been colored. It clearly depicted a half-length portrait of a voluptuous woman with purple hair.

"This card?"

Tang Youyiyou replied, "Hehahahaha, yes, honored guest. This card is the Barbie Restaurant's Gold Card. You may enjoy the restaurant's delicacies for free, but only for one meal. Once the guest leaves the restaurant, the Gold Card will automatically disappear."