A glass filled with clear water was set before Qin Ran.
The owner, whose face was as gaunt as his body, quietly waited for Qin Ran's answer.
But Dresden, who should have followed Qin Ran into the Hot Kitchen, had vanished at some point.
Qin Ran swept his gaze over his surroundings, then raised an eyebrow.
His SSS+ Perception, combined with the vision granted by [Tracking], let him distinguish the real from the false.
The restaurant was real, as were all the utensils inside it.
The ingredients in the kitchen still gave off their distinctive aromas.
Except for...
The owner.
Lifelike as the man was, he gave Qin Ran an elusive, insubstantial impression.
Of course, more importantly, Dresden, who should have appeared behind him, was nowhere to be seen.
There was no doubt that Dresden was the target.
Qin Ran did not know how whoever had laid the trap had managed this, but he knew that an even more terrifying and dangerous trap awaited Dresden.
And him?
He had merely been caught in the crossfire.
Otherwise, they would not have used such a simple setup against him.
Whoosh!
Qin Ran exhaled a stale breath and turned his gaze back to the owner opposite him.
If possible, Qin Ran, who already had plans of his own, did not want to get too deeply involved in Dresden's affairs just yet.
But now that it had happened, Qin Ran would not shy away.
"What would you like to eat, sir?"
When Qin Ran looked at him, the owner took the opportunity to ask again, just like an ordinary person.
In fact, he handled it better than most ordinary people would have. Although his words urged Qin Ran along, his tone remained calm.
Qin Ran did not answer. Instead, he leaned back in his