These words were naturally just a joke, these potions can barely support until the start of the college entrance exams, as for how to fill the void in the body afterwards...
"Having a meal for a few hours a day, I think that's a pretty nice way to relax."
He rubbed his chin thinking to himself, he had to admit he was good at self-reassurance.
Although after drinking the potion, the void in his body had been filled, he still planned to cook a few small dishes to eat, after all, he didn't want to neglect his own taste buds.
Soon, he had simply cooked two small dishes, just enough for himself.
[You cooked a dinner, culinary skill level +20]
[Culinary Skill (Initial Tier): 220/300]
Honestly, the culinary skill level was increasing the fastest, every dish cooked increased the skill level by ten points, but usually, Su Tu was a bit pressed for time with school, not having much time to cook.
So he didn't particularly grind the culinary skill.
He sat at the dining table and dialed his mother's cell phone again, but there was still no answer from the other side.
"What's going on..." Su Tu furrowed his brow, such a situation had never happened before.
In the past, no matter how busy his parents were with work, they would call him once a week, but in the past week, there hadn't been a single call.
Interstellar work had this downside, in the past Su Tu wasn't too worried about his parents, but ever since learning about Martial Arts Dao, the entire Star River was shrouded in a layer of mystery, and his parents not responding for a long time made Su Tu a bit uneasy.
He found a friend on his phone with a cat icon, noted as Aunt.
"Aunt, have my parents contacted you recently?"
Aunt replied almost immediately to Su Tu.
"What's wrong, little Tu, I saw your parents at a research meeting a few days ago, their unit recently had a joint activity, extremely busy, your mom, someone so particular, even developed a few pimples recently."
Seeing Aunt's message, Su Tu finally felt relieved.
It seems that his parents were indeed too busy with work recently, which is why they hadn't had the time to check their phones. Su Tu had some understanding of their work nature, once they got busy, they wouldn't even have time to check their phones, let alone take a bathroom break without scheduling it.
"No big deal Aunt, just that they haven't called recently, I was a bit worried. Oh, and Aunt, my parents haven't sent me living expenses recently, Zhang Meng lent me ten thousand yuan, you help me with that, and I'll collect it from my parents later."
Su Tu remembered that Zhang Meng had covered his expenses yesterday.
"OK, recently I've also felt that there's something off about Zhang Meng's condition. You live nearby, if there's anything, let me know, dear."
Aunt and Zhang Meng were best friends playing together since childhood, staying close from elementary to university.
"Something off? She indeed hasn't been her usual self lately, loves 'driving' even more than before."
Su Tu thought of Zhang Meng's graceful figure, promised Aunt, and then packed up the two small dishes.
He decided to check on Zhang Meng at her house, after all, she helped him out yesterday, and with Aunt's words, it made sense to check in on her.
Coincidentally, the two dishes he made today were both Zhang Meng's favorites, sweet and sour pork, and sautéed three fresh vegetables.
He carried the two dishes, took the elevator, and arrived at Zhang Meng's house.
Just as he was about to press the doorbell, he suddenly felt something, and his hand paused slightly.
"What a chilling aura."
The security door in front was emitting an almost invisible aura, gently wafting through the gaps of the door.
The aura was extremely chilling, and just as Su Tu was about to ring the doorbell, it fell onto his hand, slightly biting.
This feeling made Su Tu extremely uncomfortable, it was an innate repulsion from the bottom of his heart, sourceless but intensely piercing.
He quickly picked up his phone and called Zhang Meng.
The call was quickly connected.
"Hello... Little Tu!"
On the other end, Zhang Meng sounded unwell, her voice trembling with a hint of panic.
"Zhang Sis, are you at home?"
"I'm home..."
"Zhang Sis, Aunt asked me to check on you, and I just made two dishes, shall we eat together?"
Su Tu spoke in a relaxed tone.
"Forget it, little Tu, Sis is going to sleep, you should've said earlier, next time, next time..."
This time Zhang Meng became very calm, but Su Tu could tell she was feigning composure.
"Alright then, Zhang Sis, what a pity, I'll tell you in advance next time." Su Tu said with a slight tone of regret.
Then hung up the phone.
He picked up two dishes, turned around, and walked toward the elevator.
A tiny pus-filled bulge suddenly puffed up on the peephole of Zhang Meng's door, with an eyeball at its center rolling toward the direction where Su Tu had departed, only dissipating once his silhouette disappeared.
However, what it didn't see was the flashes of chilling coldness in Su Tu's eyes.
...
Unlike Zhang Meng's mature and alluring exterior, her bedroom was immensely cute, adorned with pink wallpaper and filled with adorable plush toys and anime figures.
At this moment, dark brown vines were writhing continuously on the walls, staining the pink wallpaper with a layer of gloom, while Zhang Meng sat trembling slightly at the corner.
"Hehe~ you're quite sensible, I like sensible women."
A hoarse voice with a hint of sleaze resonated throughout the room.
A short-statured man stood in front of Zhang Meng, approximately one meter forty tall, resembling a child, but his face was unexpectedly handsome, somewhat akin to a popular star of the Ancestor Star.
Those twisted vines extended from his back, as sinister and cold energy pervaded his presence.
Pus-filled lumps of various sizes swelled on the vines, slick and repulsive.
Zhang Meng watched this grotesque scene in terror; the boss had repeatedly insisted she accompany the so-called big figure, which she was entirely reluctant to do, leading her to take a leave today instead of going to work, planning to switch jobs after a few days of mundane peace.
She had enjoyed a comfortable small slumber, waking with hunger, intending to have a meal downstairs at Su Tu's place.
But just as she got up, she found this man had unknowingly appeared before her; she wanted to call the police, yet those eerie vines penetrated the walls instantly.
She had no doubt that any movement she made would have these vines pierce through her body in an instant.
And it coincidentally happened that Su Tu called, so to avoid implicating him, she feigned calmness, claiming she had fallen asleep.
"Who are you... what do you want..." Zhang Meng clamped down on her fear and spoke.
The short man's mouth curled into a wicked grin, a vine slowly raised Zhang Meng's chin.
"Who am I? Hasn't your boss been constantly inviting you to accompany me?"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Meng's pupils shrank abruptly; the big figure her boss had been urging her to accompany all these days was actually this monster before her!!!
"You're the big figure my boss mentioned!"
"Hehe, woman, for low-level tribes like yours, I indeed am a big figure!" He sneered, ogling Zhang Meng's body obscenely.
"And you are privileged to merge with me; feel excited, feel joyful, feel elated."
He spoke rather neurotically before his skin began to uncoil outward, spurting copious amounts of viscous liquid along with three immensely large vines.
"Ahhhh!!" Witnessing this scene, Zhang Meng emitted a scream filled with utmost terror.
For embedded within the thick vines behind the man were three women, their bellies bulging, occasionally disfigured hands imprinting upon their stomachs, as if they were about to give birth.
Zhang Meng recognized these women; they were the girls previously summoned to accompany the so-called big figure. Just a few days ago, they'd appeared young and beautiful, dreaming of a meteoric rise, only to have transformed into such grotesque figures now.
"No need for envy... soon, you'll be one of them, birthing offspring for the magnificent Xie Race."
He laughed exuberantly, multiple vines swiftly reaching for Zhang Meng. Seeing those girls' tragic forms, Zhang Meng somehow found a burst of strength, and unexpectedly stood up from the ground.
"To hell with that, I'd rather die than let an ugly bastard like you touch me!!" She yelled angrily, forcefully propelling herself toward the patio window, preferring death over becoming that kind of existence.
But.... compared to the vines, Zhang Meng was too slow....
"A futile struggle..." The creature's eyes bore deep mockery, as if toying with her like a cat with a mouse.
Sure enough, it appeared before Zhang Meng in an instant, not in a hurry to capture her, but tauntingly wriggling up and down in her view.
Indescribable shadows and despair completely devoured Zhang Meng at that moment.
The creature's arrogant and sinister laughter continuously echoed in her ears.
The vines were just about to ensnare her.
The next moment!!
Crash!!
A vigorous shattering sound erupted, followed by vines splintering in front of Zhang Meng, a familiar figure appearing before her.
Su Tu stood, fist clenched forward, his hand tainted with dark green blood, he looked at Zhang Meng, voice as gentle as ever.
"I knew the night owl wouldn't go to bed early?"
"Turns out, it was getting tangled up with some bug..."