The Side Effects of Black Food?

Um?

The abrupt cessation of the voice in Ailongtan's mind alerted Luo Jun to something amiss. He immediately tried to make contact, only to find that their telepathic connection seemed to have been severed.

Looking at Ailongtan himself, he stood motionless before the dining table, his gaze vacant. The Jile Clown on the castle, however, watched him with a genuine smile. It wasn't a painted smile; beneath the red paint, his lips were indeed turned upwards.

What happened?

After careful investigation, Luo Jun finally discovered that the connection between the two had not been severed, but rather that Ailongtan's mind was now blank, as if his computer had crashed.

The cause of all this was that something had invaded his body...

Luo Jun didn't know the specifics, but he could sense that the more than 80,000 Breath Vital Energy he had left in Ailongtan's body were currently busy fighting against this foreign force.

The competition between the two sides was extremely fierce. Luo Jun's vital energy was being consumed at an extremely high rate. This was only because he had a high capacity for energy. If it were an ordinary Cultivators, he probably wouldn't have been able to last even a minute before he would have been completely overwhelmed.

Was it because of the chicken wing?

Luo Jun frowned. Although his energy could still hold up for the time being, Ailongtan's brain had basically stopped functioning. In this situation, he simply started to remotely control Elontan, just like he had done when Ailongtan was anesthetized last time.

After standing there stunned for a moment, Ailongtan suddenly shook his head and slapped his mouth, saying, "Goodness, this stuff is so greasy, it took me ages to recover."

"You... have recovered?"

Seeing that "Luo Jun" had regained his senses, the Jile Clown on the balcony seemed somewhat surprised.

"Yes." Luo Jun noticed the other party's subtle attitude and feigned curiosity, asking, "Is there a problem?"

"Oh..." The Jile Clown sized up Luo Jun: "I forgot to ask before, have you ever eaten at the Black Shop's food?"

Luo Jun was slightly taken aback, recalling Zhuge Gan's diary entry about regretting eating the food from the Black Shop...

"I've never eaten it before, is there a problem?" Luo Jun asked in return.

When he asked this question, he secretly rolled a die.

"Get a real answer!"

Two pairs of dice, one pair shows a 7, the other shows 91...

Luo Jun secretly breathed a sigh of relief and chose the latter.

"Ding, Event Difficulty 96 points, Final Points 91 + 5 points, Event Success."

Is it that difficult?

"No..." The Jile Clown chuckled, "I just remembered that there have been precedents where challengers who ate food from the Black Shop experienced adverse reactions during Gourmet Challenge, some even dying... I thought that was why you were stunned earlier."

The clown's explanation was quite reasonable, but Luo Jun clearly sensed that he was less crazed and exaggerated now, and much more serious than before... Could it be because he felt guilty?

Thinking of this, Luo Jun continued to press, "Then may I ask, has anyone experienced adverse reactions before, and what was the outcome?"

"Not many people can come here. The one that impressed me the most was a group of four led by an old man. One of them, a young man with red hair, had a reaction to the food from the Black Shop and the delicacies here. After struggling for a while, he bled from all seven orifices and died..."

It's Chen Jin!

Red hair is a characteristic of the Chen Family, and considering the four-person group led by the old man, it should be Chen Jin!

So Chen Jin died here? Does that mean that the reason Zhuge Gan mentioned in his diary not to eat the food from the Black Shop was because it conflicted with the challenge on the second floor of the rest area, preventing him from completing the challenge and thus preventing him from obtaining the key item to clear the level?

"Since you haven't tried it before, there's no need to worry. Keep going!" the Jile Clown urged. "You only have twenty minutes left."

Luo Jun nodded, walking towards the next plate while making plans in his mind.

So, could the clues about clearing the level mentioned in the diary refer to these mysterious items on the second floor? And the reason they failed was because they ate the food from the Black Shop...?

However, the dice roll and the clues from the relics told Luo Jun that he couldn't eat the chicken wings. And indeed, ever since he ate the chicken wings, Ailongtan's mind had fallen silent, and his internal energy continued to resist and be consumed—this seemed to contradict the conditions for clearing the level...

Luo Jun, with a question lingering in his mind, manipulated Ailongtan to uncover the eighth plate.

Inside is a pried-open seashell, revealing thick, tender clam meat and translucent juice.

Sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, salty, followed by stinky and fragrant... Although spiciness, fragrance, and stinky aren't specific tastes, the food in this challenge clearly simulates corresponding psychological stimuli through special methods... So what could this shellfish be?

Luo Jun recalled the most exquisite flavor in the cuisine.

Fresh!

The most prominent characteristic of seafood is its umami flavor. But what would the ultimate umami flavor feel like? Like pouring a packet of MSG into your mouth?

Luo Jun had never tried it and couldn't imagine what it would taste like.

He manipulated Ailongtan to pick up the shell, gritted his teeth, put it to his mouth and sucked up the shell meat and juices, then prepared to receive an explosive taste sensation!

Um?

However, even after Ailongtan chewed for a long time and swallowed, Luo Jun didn't feel anything...

Right, it's Ailongtan who's eating, what does that have to do with me, Luo Jun?

Ailongtan is now delirious; no amount of stimulation will work on him. Does that mean he can easily pass the next two dishes?

Although he didn't feel anything, Luo Jun still pretended to find it hard to swallow, and then opened two plates.

The ninth dish was a small dried fish. As soon as the lid was opened, a strong fishy smell could be smelled, but it still didn't taste like anything. The last dish was a small cup of pale yellow liquid. I didn't know what it was, but I drank it all down and passed the test.

Of course, while eating these dishes, Luo Jun not only manipulated Ailongtan to pretend, but also carefully examined his physical and mental state.

Just as he had guessed, apart from the chicken wing, Ailongtan's body didn't react to anything else he ate; the food must have been acting directly on his mind. But Ailongtan's mind didn't seem to react either, as if it hadn't received any stimulation at all.

Are all the dishes after chicken wings just for show?

No, Luo Jun could smell the fishy smell of the dried fish, but Ailongtan didn't react at all. It wasn't a matter of the intensity of the stimulation.

After much thought, Luo Jun came to the conclusion that the taste of this food, although a kind of Mental Shock, could only be perceived through the senses. However, this perception was not the usual five senses, but more like the sensitivity of the mind... such as the perception of vital energy!

In other words, the stronger one's perception, the stronger the stimulus one receives, and the more resilient one's mind, the stronger the stimulus one can withstand.

This also resolved Luo Jun's previous question.

Although his mental attributes are extremely strong, his Perception Attribute are not far behind. In other words, the stimulation he receives is thousands of times stronger than that of ordinary people, not to mention the additional bonus brought by his Perception Over Hundred... Even with thousands of times the Spirit Strength, he can barely endure it.

For the first time, Luo Jun felt that having too high attributes could also be a burden.

In any case, the Fourth Checkpoint is now cleared, and the treasure that allows teleportation to the vicinity of the exit has been obtained. Theoretically speaking, Luo Jun now has a very high chance of completing the level. After all, he now has the Exit Indicator, and if he teleports to within 30 kilometers of the exit, the map will open, and if necessary, he can destroy a few walls and reach the exit location within an hour without much trouble.

But this is on the premise that the exit won't suddenly disappear.

Therefore, the final hurdle must be overcome.

"Absolutely brilliant!" The Jile Clown couldn't help but applaud. "Not many people can make it this far. You've practically got the key to the Endless Maze, but I still have a question for you."

"Will you stop here and take the four treasures you already have, or will you continue with the final challenge?"

"Is that even a question?" Luo Jun laughed. "Of course we'll continue, but after eating so much junk food, I need to rest for a bit."

"Please make yourself at home." The Jile Clown gestured for you to come and challenge him at any time during the hotel's operation.

"Similarly, if you have other companions who want to take on the challenge, you can come and find me. I can help them arrange the venues for their upcoming challenges, without interfering with your progress."

"Thank you very much then." Luo Jun, controlling Ailongtan, cupped his hands to the Jile Clown, then turned and left, entering the elevator.

By now, one-third of the vital energy in Ailongtan's body had been consumed, but there was still no sign of it stopping. Luo Jun still couldn't understand what this vital energy was fighting against.

Of course, as Summoned Creature, Luo Jun could dismiss and resummon it at any time, thus refreshing its status. However, he was more interested in figuring out what was wrong with that chicken wing.

The error-free version can be read at 69 Book Bar! 6=9+shuba is the first site to publish this novel.

While the elevator was descending, Luo Jun draped the cloak over Ailongtan, making him invisible. Although Ailongtan himself possessed the ability to become invisible, under Luo Jun's control, Ailongtan could only perform some basic actions, and his ability to the Heart Refining Realm was completely unusable.

Back on the first floor, Luo Jun immediately gathered the others.

While he was doing his challenge, everyone else was busy too. They were all freshly washed and scented, wearing bathrobes, enjoying foot massages while watching a movie in the lobby.

Looking at their decadent appearance and thinking about the bittersweet experiences he had just had, Luo Jun was filled with rage.

"You passed? Why did it take so long?" Ma Qiao walked over, rubbing his hands together. "Got the three thousand dollars? Come on, we should move on to the next person."

Luo Jun shrugged. "Sorry, I haven't received the money yet."

"No way?!" Ma Qiao exclaimed, his eyes wide. "You didn't even pass the First Checkpoint?"

"What are you yelling about!" Sun Xiaowei stood in front of Luo Jun: "So what if we didn't pass? Have you forgotten how our juniors took care of us all this way?"

"I didn't mean to yell at him, I just got a fright," Ma Qiao said, scratching his head apologetically.

"So what if we didn't pass?" Mao Xintong said. "Anyway, we can still get 3,000 yuan for Little Luo Luo's badge after midnight, and we can send someone else to challenge him."

Everyone else sighed, but Old Yuan smiled as he looked at Luo Jun. He didn't believe that his precious disciple couldn't even pass the First Checkpoint.

Unable to bear his Master's gaze any longer, Luo Jun could only laugh and say, "No, I've already passed the Fourth Checkpoint, it's not over yet, so I haven't claimed the prize. I'm just taking a break."

"The Fourth Checkpoint?!" everyone exclaimed in surprise. "Does that mean we've already obtained the teleporter? Hurry up and stop challenging the Fifth Checkpoint; let's get the item first!"

"What's the use of just having a teleporter?" Luo Jun shook his head. "If the exits are all over the place, teleporting to the vicinity won't help... That's why I've already applied for the Fifth Checkpoint. I'll rest for a while and then go up."

"Huh?" Ma Qiao frowned. "Little Luo, are you confused? The Fifth Checkpoint is a combat level. Your level is too low and you don't have enough experience. Why don't you get the money first and let someone more skilled in combat take on the challenge?"

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Luo Jun waved his hand and said, "I came down here mainly to rest a bit and tell you about the challenges of the first few levels..."

Luo Jun shared his experience, briefly describing the difficulty of the first few levels, with a focus on the Fourth Checkpoint.

"Remember the warning that said to stay away from flying things?" Luo Jun said, "There was a chicken wing among the ten dishes. I didn't dare to eat it, and instead secretly ate it with a Summoned Creature. In the end... the Summoned Creature was ruined."

"Poisonous?" the others exclaimed in surprise.

"I don't know either." Luo Jun shrugged. "So if other people go up there without any countermeasures, I don't recommend challenging the Fourth Checkpoint. Just take the items from the first three levels."

"But if we only complete the first three levels, we won't get any important items," Sun Xiaowei said.

"But we can't risk our lives like that," Luo Jun thought to himself. "If I've eaten something with a level six Severity Coefficient, wouldn't you guys be dead already?"

"That's the situation. You guys discuss a solution on the first floor. I've rested enough and need to go up and tackle the final challenge."

"The final hurdle will definitely be difficult," Zhuge Zi said. "Do what you can, and if you really can't handle it, just admit defeat."

Luo Jun nodded. "Don't worry!"

Back on the second floor, Luo Jun stood before the castle. "Come on, let's begin the final challenge."

The Jile Clown looked down at him condescendingly. "You're rested already?"

"I must warn you, the Fifth Checkpoint is the most difficult. The opponents you'll face might be beyond your imagination."

Luo Jun smiled confidently and said, "Don't worry, I'm ready to win."

"Very good." The Jile Clown spread his arms wide, grinned, and shouted, "I declare the final challenge to begin!"

As he clapped his hands, a fence suddenly rose up within a 50-meter radius around Luo Jun. Then, a transparent barrier rose along the fence and closed overhead, forming a hemispherical, enclosed arena.

Opposite Luo Jun, the ground cracked open, and a platform slowly rose up, upon which stood a young man with a full head of red hair.

Upon seeing this person, Luo Jun narrowed his eyes slightly, and asked with a hint of doubt:

"Chen... Jin?"

(End of this chapter)