To make up for the losses from not opening during the day, Zhao Bai had even, for the first time ever, started a late-night snack business. A huge pot of stock had nearly been emptied, and it was not until eleven o'clock, beneath a moon bright and stars sparse, that he dragged his exhausted body back to the dormitory.
There were still mission reports waiting for him to finish.
And not just one, but two entirely different reports. One was for official submission, while the other had to be personally handed to Principal Theresa for her own assessment.
When he opened the door, the principal was sleeping soundly on the sofa, her legs inelegantly crossed as she occupied most of it. Zhao Bai could only move over a stool and sit in front of her.
"Snore—"
"Principal, wake up. I brought you a midnight snack again."
Theresa sprang awake at once like a carp flipping upright. Zhao Bai deftly opened the lunchbox, set out chopsticks and a napkin, then brought out a steaming bowl of ramen. The broth was milky white, the cabbage fresh green, and the shrimp and crab claws complemented each other beautifully.
Theresa eagerly split apart the chopsticks, then suddenly frowned. Her delicate nose twitched as she asked suspiciously, "This smell... why does it seem strangely familiar?"
Of course it did. Theresa carried the genes of the Emperor-class Honkai Beast Vishnu. Vishnu, Ganesha, Parvati, and that group of Emperor-class Honkai Beasts were all siblings, while the pork bones Zhao Bai had used for the broth came from...
The more Zhao Bai thought about it, the more horrifying it became. He gave up thinking.
In the end, the aroma triumphed over her doubts. Theresa dug in heartily. Takeout ramen lost its piping-hot quality and became merely warm, with pale yellow droplets of oil floating on top, making it look somewhat greasy. Still, Theresa finished every last bite.
"Compared with savory food, I really do prefer desserts."
After filling her stomach, Theresa's expression abruptly turned serious.
She tugged at her skirt, trying to cover her pale thighs so that nothing could be seen beneath it. Theresa sat upright with her legs together, every bit the proper young lady—completely unlike her casual, slovenly appearance from moments ago.
"Tell me what happened this time."
Zhao Bai obediently recounted everything: how he had put on an act before the humanoid creature, bluffed it into abandoning its humanoid form, and tricked it into fleeing in the more agile beast form.
"Godfall Sword?"
Theresa looked puzzled. "That weapons system is still under development. Even I have only heard a little about it. A greatsword paired with Crimson Aura Armor can rival a Herrscher for a short time. So how did you end up using it to chop up a monster?"
"I don't know. I just naturally took it out."
Zhao Bai answered honestly. Fortunately, this was not the first time something like this had happened. Zhao Bai had even used Judah to spear fish right in front of Theresa before. It had been like getting cuckolded right to her face—thrillingly dangerous.
"I think I understand."
Theresa lowered her head and fell silent in thought. In the end, she looked up and let the matter drop.
If she had not personally verified that Zhao Bai's weapons only worked on ingredients in his mind, even Theresa would not have dared keep him around. With so many weapons in one person's hands, destroying the world would not have been difficult.
Then again, if the world were destroyed, who would Zhao Bai sell his cooking to?
"However, I have a medical report here. Centered around your heart and lungs, all twenty-four of your ribs were fractured. Some were even broken into three pieces. Were those injuries sustained in battle?"
"Yeah... that was an impact comparable to an Emperor-class Honkai Beast."
Zhao Bai covered his chest with lingering fear.
"An Emperor-class Honkai Beast's impact?" Theresa tilted her head in confusion. "That really is unusual. I kind of want to experience for myself what an Emperor-class Honkai Beast's impact feels like."
"Better not. Your little body couldn't take it, Principal."
"Hey! For a moment there, you thought of me as a child again, didn't you?!"
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