Since Things Have Come to This, Let's Eat First

Ignoring the strange looks from everyone around him, Chuan Wenwu swaggered into a restaurant with Bruce, his haul in tow.

The moment he entered, a waiter hurried over and said awkwardly, "Sir, I'm sorry, but we don't allow magical beasts in..."

His gaze drifted involuntarily toward Bruce behind Chuan Wenwu.

Bruce was now enormous, with solid muscles all over and a naturally stern face. Just standing there, he radiated an intimidating presence. The waiter even stumbled over his words as he looked at him.

"What magical beast? This is my brother, Bruce." Chuan Wenwu took out a silver coin and handed it to the waiter, his tone casual. "Bring me two deluxe meat meals and book me a room. Keep the change as your tip."

The gleam of the silver coin instantly brought about a complete reversal in the waiter's attitude.

His face broke into a fawning smile. He hurriedly accepted the coin and carefully led Chuan Wenwu and Bruce to a quiet corner. "Please have a seat, honored guests. Your food will be here shortly! If you need anything else, just say the word!"

A room cost only thirty copper coins a night, and a deluxe meat meal cost just fifteen. That silver coin would cover both the food and the room with forty copper coins left over-a tip worth several days of his wages!

He had the utmost respect for generous guests like Chuan Wenwu!

Chuan Wenwu waved the waiter away, then brought over a wide chair from the next table for Bruce to sit on.

"Sure enough, no matter what world you're in, money talks. Don't you agree, Bruce?" He hefted his heavy money pouch and asked Bruce leisurely.

How could Bruce respond? All he could do was give a few woofs.

After his earlier "friendly dealings" with those merchants, Chuan Wenwu had nearly emptied his savings-over two hundred silver coins. But then he had turned around and sold the balloon hide he had bought to the owner of the first shop at the normal price, making over twelve hundred silver coins in one go. His money pouch had promptly swelled again.

Those merchants really were shameless. Seeing that he was the Shield Hero, shunned by the Kingdom, one of them had actually dared to offer the outrageous purchase price of "twenty balloon hides for one copper coin." If he hadn't given the bastard a proper beating, they might really have thought he was a pushover.

Unfortunately, he could probably only pull this off once. After all, those shrewd merchants were bound to learn their lesson after taking a loss.

Twelve hundred silver coins sounded like a lot, but it was actually only twelve gold coins.

He knew the nobles and wealthy people of this country surely had far greater fortunes stashed away, but for a hero like him who was "just starting out," this money was enough to fund his adventures for a while.

As Chuan Wenwu toyed with his money pouch, he considered how to spend it where it mattered most. His top priority now was getting stronger. Only when money became equipment and levels would it count as true "wealth."

The restaurant's kitchen was astonishingly efficient. Before he could ponder much longer, the waiter came over carrying two large plates of steaming food.

Each plate was piled with roast meat, bread, and vegetables. The aroma was mouthwatering, and the portions were enough to stuff two burly men-even a meat meal needed a few vegetables to round it out, didn't it?

Although pets weren't allowed to eat at the table, Chuan Wenwu's generous tip naturally persuaded the waiter to turn a blind eye. He even brought Bruce an extra napkin to wipe his mouth.

Since things had come to this, they might as well eat first.

Chuan Wenwu and Bruce were already starving, and they immediately began wolfing down their food.

The ingredients in this other world certainly had their own appeal. The roast meat was crisp outside and tender inside, and the sauce had a distinctive flavor. Though it still couldn't compare to Huaxia cuisine in his heart, it was delicious enough. Besides, didn't it get extra points for both otherworldly cooking and otherworldly ingredients?

The man and dog ate at lightning speed, soon licking their plates clean until their bellies bulged. Half an hour later, both were slumped in their chairs, looking thoroughly satisfied.

They were full. Truly, completely full.

Only after resting for quite a while did Chuan Wenwu brace himself against the armrests and slowly rise.

"Burrrp-"

He let out a belch the moment he opened his mouth, then stretched and called to Bruce. "Let's go. It's getting late, so let's head back and rest. We shouldn't have to deal with anything as awful as last night. Let's get a good night's sleep and recharge. We might be spending all our time outside the city for a while after this."

"Woof, woof?" Bruce tilted his head, seemingly asking about their next plan.

"Obviously, we're going to get stronger as fast as we can!" Chuan Wenwu stood up and patted Bruce's back. "If we leave the city every morning and come back every afternoon, we'll waste all our time traveling. How are we supposed to grind levels like that? We'll rest up today, buy supplies first thing tomorrow, spend all our money, then head straight to a high-level area and camp there to level up!"

Bruce nudged the money pouch with his nose and barked in confusion. "Woof? Woof, woof, woof!"

"What do you know? Time is money! Saving money won't help us now. We're better off spending it all on getting stronger. Once we can protect ourselves, why would we worry about not making money?" Chuan Wenwu rubbed Bruce's head, his voice brimming with confidence. "Don't worry. Your big brother Chuan always thinks things through. Stick with me, and you can't go wrong!"

"Woof, woof, woof!" Bruce excitedly pounced on Chuan Wenwu, opened his mouth, and began licking his face, covering it in drool.

"Urgh-! Stop! Cut it out!" Looking sick, Chuan Wenwu wrapped his arms around Bruce's neck and struggled to push the enthusiastic tan dog away. "Bruce, it's been a few days since you had a bath or brushed your teeth, hasn't it? You stink! I'm giving you a thorough cleaning today, whether you like it or not!"

"Woof, woof!" Bruce gave an aggrieved bark, but obediently followed Chuan Wenwu toward their room.

Back at the inn, the first thing Chuan Wenwu did was haul Bruce into the bathroom.

After his second growth spurt, Bruce had become especially large. Even with him cooperating, bathing him took considerable effort. Scrubbing off the dirt and bloodstains alone took most of an hour.

"There's no hair dryer here, so shake yourself dry. I need a bath too." Chuan Wenwu wiped away his sweat, his voice noticeably weary. Killing monsters all day hadn't tired him out this much, yet giving Bruce a bath had nearly drained him dry.

Bruce obediently shook his body, sending countless droplets flying across the entire bathroom. Naturally, Chuan Wenwu, who was standing right beside him, wasn't spared. He was instantly soaked through.

"..."

Chuan Wenwu took a deep breath and suppressed the urge to throw Bruce out. "Get out! And stay off the bed!"

He irritably pushed Bruce out of the bathroom, then stripped off his drenched clothes. Ignoring the mischievous dog, he began washing himself.

Normally, a dog needed to have its fur dried as soon as possible after a bath, or it could catch a cold-but could Bruce be treated as a "normal" dog?

Bruce was now sturdier than an ox. A little damp fur certainly wasn't going to make him sick or give him a cold.

But being wet meant he absolutely couldn't get on the bed. Bruce still understood that rule.

So he found another corner, leaned against the wall, and curled up on the floor, his head bobbing as he waited for his boss to finish bathing and return.

Before long, Chuan Wenwu finished washing and came out of the bathroom. When he returned to the room, he found Bruce already fast asleep, drool pooling across the floor.

"Silly dog. Just what are you dreaming about?"

Chuan Wenwu shook his head with a soft chuckle, casually pulled a blanket off the bed, and draped it over Bruce. Then he turned out the light, lay down on the bed himself, and closed his eyes.

The night passed uneventfully. It was the most peaceful night's sleep he had enjoyed since arriving in this other world...