"I don't know."
Qin Ran shook his head honestly, while his vigilance soared.
He could feel traces of genuine malice coming from the man.
As his Mental Attribute grew stronger and his Perception reached Entry Rank, Qin Ran, already sensitive to malice, had become even better at detecting it.
At close range, not even the slightest trace could escape him.
"The Fantasy Seed!"
"A seed that perfectly combines meat and plants. Once successfully cultivated, it lets people truly taste vegetables, rice, flour, chicken, beef, pork, and more all at once, rather than relying entirely on a chef's Cooking to approximate that effect, as some top restaurants do."
"Just imagining that taste is wonderful."
Longing appeared on Oliver Ryder's face.
Qin Ran watched him. He couldn't tell whether that longing was genuine, but that didn't stop him from asking calmly, "So?"
"So, I hope you can act as an intermediary, 2567, and introduce me to Professor Smith."
"You won't need to do anything else. Just make the introduction."
"If it succeeds, I'll give you a portion of food above Main Course grade. Even if it fails, I'll give you a portion of Bento-grade food as thanks."
"Of course, I know your rule: you won't begin another transaction before the previous one is completed and you've received your payment."
Smiling, Oliver Ryder took a palm-sized metal flask from inside his clothes and offered it to Qin Ran.
The former Dark Eater, who had already received his orders in secret, immediately stepped forward to take the flask. He inspected it carefully, then handed it to Qin Ran once he confirmed it was safe.
The moment Qin Ran touched the metal flask, lines of text began appearing on his retina-
``` [Name: Ambrosia Elixir]
[Category: Food]
[Quality: I]
[Attack: None]
[Defense: None]
[Attribute: Wisdom