Chapter 26: The Cafeteria

Chapter 26: The Canteen

Feeling a demon pat his shoulder, Wen Ying turned his head to see the Avian of Extremity's enlarged grin. He asked warily, "What is it?" He had to be on guard against this devil!

Seeing Wen Ying's cautious expression, the Avian of Extremity shrugged innocently, "I just wanted to invite you to have lunch at the canteen."

"The canteen?"

The mention of it made Wen Ying suddenly realize how hungry he was.

In the Lucifer Demon Academy, there was a canteen for students who lived in the dormitories during the day and could return home at night, or stay in the dorms if their homes were far away. It was worth mentioning that all the dorm rooms were single occupancy.

Yesterday, Aruda had given him a large sum of pocket money, and out of curiosity about the dishes in the demon world's canteen, Wen Ying stood up, "Let's go."

The Avian of Extremity didn't seem to recall being tricked by Wen Ying yesterday. As if nothing had happened, he said casually, "I heard that there's a section in the school canteen dedicated to human dishes. Today, they've transported fresh ingredients and a chef over. Let's check it out."

Fresh ingredients and... a chef?

There was something odd about the Avian's statement.

At this time, everyone was heading to the cafeteria. Leading the way, the Terrible Bird guided Wen Ying towards a massive building, causing his eyes to widen slightly. The Devil King's generosity was on full display; the cafeteria was built like a luxurious hotel.

They entered through a revolving door into a lavishly decorated interior. In front was a row of windows displaying various dishes. The Terrible Bird took a turn and headed straight for the stairs. Wen Ying asked, "We're not eating on the first floor?"

"The first floor only serves regular fare," the Terrible Bird replied without looking back. "Boring."

Wen Ying glanced at what the demons on the nearest table were eating. It was a normal fried rice dish. At another table, he saw something unfamiliar. The bowl resembled a coconut from the human world, halved and hollowed out to make a bowl. Inside was a mashed potato-like substance with some unidentifiable meat and vegetables.

So there were actually visually appealing foods in the Devil Realm... Wen Ying thought, recalling the creations Aruda had prepared for him. He finally understood why Scarlet and the others had looked so perplexed during lunch yesterday.

Aruda, that old lady, seemed to have a knack for dark culinary arts.

There were significantly fewer demons on the second floor, making the hall appear more spacious. Unlike the long row of cafeteria windows downstairs, this level was divided into individual rooms.

"Wen Ying muttered, "The Devil King has even imported the university cafeteria model here..."

The Terrible Bird turned back. "What did you say?"

"Nothing. What do you recommend?" The array of dishes was overwhelming, each one appearing delectable.

The Wicked Bird pointed at a sign that read "Authentic Human World Sushi" and said, "The owner said they transported the ingredients and chef to the Demon Realm today. Come on, let's try it out and then we can have some human beef noodles later."

Wen Ying: "..."

He looked closely and saw that the entire row of shops all had "Authentic Human World XXX," with snacks like triangular pastries, egg burgers, grilled cold noodles, even four-fruit soup and creamy shaved ice. There was also a McDonald's burger shop and a Happy C milk tea store, both claiming to be freshly made by humans. Other shops had similar labels.

Upon closer inspection, Wen Ying noticed that the figures standing in front of the stoves were not demons – no horns, no wings – each with ashen faces and terrified expressions.

Wen Ying: "...Are those humans?"

"Yes," the Wicked Bird had already joined a queue. "They were lured or deceived from the Human World. Anyway, they're working here. The boss is paying them well since the ingredients are from the Human World. Naturally, the chefs should be too. Otherwise, how could they sell these items at such high prices?"

Some of the humans overheard the Wicked Bird's words and were on the verge of tears, filled with regret. If they had known their workplace would be the Demon Realm, they wouldn't have been tempted by the double wages.

Who knew if they'd survive long enough to spend the money, or if they'd ever return to the Human World.

"A true tragedy, all deceived into coming here."

Wen Ying heard a faint sigh beside him and turned his gaze to see the Second Prince.

Wu Fei caught sight of Wen Ying looking over and felt a bit flustered. It took him a few seconds to compose himself before he approached and said, “Thank you for helping Levimo escape promptly that day in the forest.”

Lilith and Levimo were also present, standing by Wu Fei's side. Although they claimed to be together, Levimo's distance from the other two gave off a sense of separateness.

Free from any bloodstains, the cleaned-up male fox now exuded a sense of detachment. He was polite but not particularly affable – a fox demon with an abstemious aura.

"Thank you that day," Levimo nodded slightly. "By the way, I've reserved some human realm hotpot. Would you like to join us?"

Out of politeness, Wen Ying took three seconds to consider before declining, "No, thanks. I'd like to try that Flame Crab today." The fiery crab on the sign next to them seemed to embody the unique characteristics of the Demon Realm.

Eating food from the human realm in the Demon Realm was like buying products overseas only to find out they were made domestically.

Lilith strolled over, her long tail swaying gently behind her. Her already towering height, coupled with a pair of high heels, was even more striking. Her slender fox-like eyes naturally curled upward, exuding both allure and a regal air. Compared to Levimo, her sister had a more commanding presence.

Whether it was just Wen Ying's illusion or not, Levimo's handsome, aloof face seemed to silently plead, "Please don't come too close."

"Lilith glanced at Muershi and advised, "Be cautious around the Extremly Evil Birds."

Wen Ying responded nonchalantly, "I showed his feathers to my great-grandmother this morning. She thought they were of good quality."

Muershi's smile faltered, implying that if he dared to cross Wen Ying, Wen Ying would pluck his feathers again. Frustrated, the Evil Bird wrapped an arm around Wen Ying's shoulder and leaned his head affectionately against him. "My feathers aren't so easy to take. Although your appearance doesn't quite fit the current demonic aesthetic, I could still give it a try."

Boros passed by with a tray in hand, overhearing their conversation. He glanced at them, and the image of Wen Ying’s doll flashed through his mind. Did Wen Ying really possess the lost Enchantment Curse?

Wen Ying raised an eyebrow and pinched the Evil Bird's chin, examining his face from left to right. "You're just average-looking, not my type."

Muershi: "...Hmph." Though he didn't take it seriously, how dared this white-skinned demon, who defied demonic aesthetics, say that he was only average-looking?

"Not disturbing your hotpot meal. We'll get our food too," Wen Ying smiled and led the Evil Bird to buy a plate of Fiery Demon Crab Fried Rice, accompanied by a cup of Hell Water.

The Evil Bird held his chin, munching on a McDonald's burger, staring unblinkingly at Wen Ying. Feeling uneasy under the gaze, Wen Ying said, "Speak your mind directly."

"You don't like my looks, then what kind do you prefer?"

Despite the Evil Birds being universally despised, Muershi's appearance was undeniably appealing – a charming, flirtatious scholar with a slender build and graceful demeanor.

A working demon delivered the food Wen Ying ordered. As Wen Ying examined the Fiery Demon Crab Fried Rice, he nonchalantly said to the Evil Bird without lifting his gaze, "I prefer someone muscular, strong enough to carry me with one hand, fierce but attractive, rebellious and charismatic. You don't fit the bill."

The Evil Bird fell silent. Ignoring the reason behind his silence, Wen Ying eagerly tasted the fried rice.

This fried rice was crimson, its grains glistening. A fist-sized crab claw was embedded in it, topped with an alluring layer of crab roe. The aroma was tantalizing, stirring up one's appetite – a stark contrast to the appearance of Arudha's cooking.

A single bite revealed that the red rice had a chewy texture, reminiscent of cheese. The crab roe was thick and viscous, while the pre-cracked claw offered a tender and sweet meat inside. The Hellwater was black and bubbly, tasting like a refreshing lemonade.

As the Evil Bird watched Beros continue walking away, he propped his chin in thought. It seemed Wen Ying hadn't noticed that Beros had passed right behind him when he spoke, overhearing every word.

The preferences mentioned by the magic mirror demon seemed to perfectly align with Beros, as Muershi observed him.

He felt like he'd uncovered a secret. Swallowing the last bite of his burger, Muershi got up to purchase some sushi.

Upon his return, he returned to his chatty self. Munching on the sushi, he commented, "This is just for the taste, not suitable for regular consumption. It lacks magical essence; it only fills you up. You should still consume more foods rich in magic, like Flame Crabs."

This demonic realm's Flame Crab Meat Fried Rice Set cost 3,888. Wen Ying thought that if it weren't for Arudha's generous allowance yesterday, he would be eating the cheaper dishes from the downstairs restaurant.

"Do you usually eat Man-Eating Flowers?" Wen Ying asked.

Muershi was surprised, "Do they serve those in your countryside? How could anyone eat such things?"

Seemingly not, Wen Ying continued, "Then, do you use skull grills for barbecues?"

"Are you insane?"

Wen Ying kept silent and buried himself in his meal.

”Weng Ying, when do you plan on participating in the ranking tournament?” Muershi asked with great interest.

Wen Ying was baffled. "What's that?"

Muershi sighed. "You really are uninformed living in your rural area. The ranking tournament is a regular competition held at Lucifer Academy. There's no limit to the number of times one can participate, and by the end of this semester, the winner will receive a prize of 100 million yuan and an official ticket to the Human Realm."

"That sounds good. If you win first place, sell me the ticket. It would be perfect for my return home."

Suddenly, Muershi covered his mouth and burst into laughter, leaning against the table as if he had no bones. He said with a profound meaning, "I heard that the initial rankings for the tournament are based on the third test. You're currently ranked first."

At that moment, Wen Ying felt that even his fried rice lost its flavor.

"The ranking tournament starts this afternoon. Good luck; I'm sure there'll be people challenging you."

...

Wen Ying devoured his meal and rushed back to his dormitory to consolidate the effects of the potion from the previous night. As a Magic Mirror Demon, his innate magical ability was replication – not only could he replicate spells, but also other objects.

Once his magical power solidified, Wen Ying could release his mirror self as a clone.

He attempted to materialize a mirror clone.

A suspended silver-white mirror appeared before Wen Ying, its surface spotlessly clean without a hint of dust. The edges were adorned with silver-gray magical patterns, and beyond that, an illusory frame gave the entire mirror a mystical aura, making it evident that this was no ordinary mirror.

Wen Ying pondered for a moment and casually picked up the "Ancient History of the Magic Realm" textbook on the table, holding it up to the mirror. The book's image now appeared within the reflective surface.

He tried to will the book out using his thoughts. After a while, the "Ancient History of the Magic Realm" in the mirror crossed the boundary and materialized in the real world, landing with a "thud" on the floor.

How fascinating! Wen Ying was astounded. He picked up the replicated textbook from the ground and compared it with the original; there was no discernible difference between the two.