At dawn, while most were still asleep, a faint light flickered in Victor's room. He was crouching on the floor, brow furrowed as he inventoried his loot from the previous night. He desperately needed something valuable to refill his nearly empty LP balance.
But the sight before him made him gag. Aside from a few dry Power Core, the rest was a pile of grotesque, slimy parts—severed claws dripping green ichor and stinking pelts.
"Ugh... what am I supposed to do with this?" Victor poked a limb with his fingertip. "Who would buy this 'heavy-flavor' trash? I only have 500 LP left. That's not even enough for a paint job, let alone repairs."
Dejected, he stuffed the "biochemical waste" back into his bag and trudged into the hallway.
"Good Morning, Victor! Early bird, huh? You have insomnia too?" Lawson approached, looking radiant and energized.
"Morning, brother Lawson..." Victor's expression was more painful than a sob. He let out a sigh that could have blown the roof off the base.
"Why the long face so early? You'll scare away the luck of the day." Lawson chuckled. "Judging by your look, is it... heartbreak?"
"It's 'wallet-break'!" Victor wailed. "I've only got 500 LP. In this apocalypse, even breathing feels expensive!"
"500 LP? Yeah, that's tight." Lawson stroked his chin.
"Wait, didn't you pick up anything rare from the big guy last night?"
"I picked up a ton, but..." Victor sniffled, wiping a tear as he zipped open his bag with a violent flourish. He spread the contents before Lawson. "Look at this, Brother! Take a good look!"
Victor pointed at the unidentifiable, slimy remains.
"Which of these is going to pull me out of poverty? I have enough cores to power the whole city, but not a single LP to pay for a meal! I'm sitting on 'nuclear-level' wealth but I'm too broke to buy a drink! Me and 'Money' are like lovers separated by an unbridgeable galaxy! Waaaah!"
Victor's crying was so dramatic that Lawson almost felt the tragedy himself.
"Victor, don't be so hopeless!" Lawson's voice suddenly turned as manic as a motivational speaker's.
"Look at these limbs! They aren't trash—they are your stepping stones to becoming filthy rich!"
He winked at Victor, looking like a black-market kingpin sharing a secret. Before Victor could process the sentence, the atmosphere around them shattered.
SHING—!
It was as if dozens of high-energy lasers had locked onto a target simultaneously. Countless thirsty, burning, desperate gazes fixed onto Lawson.
The warriors who had been moping about their LP suddenly became sharks smelling blood.
"MR. LAWSON!! LEAD THE WAY!! SHOW US THE PATH TO WEALTH!!!"
"Is everyone really... this broke?" Lawson's eyelid twitched. He had no choice but to lead this pack of "hungry wolves" toward the Canteen.
"First of all, those 'disgusting limbs' in your eyes are actually top-tier ingredients..."
Before Lawson could finish, everyone's brain started playing a 4K horror movie: severed claws oozing mystery fluids on a plate, thick green juices bubbling as soon as a fork touched them.
"Wait! You're telling us we're going to eat that? Ugh—!" Luther turned pale, clutching his stomach as if it were about to stage a coup.
"The appearance is grim, but the taste... do you know it, Mr. Lawson?" Valerie asked.
"I haven't tried it personally. But game data says it's the only high-quality protein source for warriors. Despite the 'underworld' look, the meat is as tender as a medium-rare filet mignon. The unique aroma of the fat is said to be addictive..."
"In that case, let's try it." A look of cold resolve appeared in Phyllis's eyes. "To survive in the new world, one must accept new laws. I will experience its 'deliciousness' with my soul."
"Wait—the point!" George's eyes flashed with impatience.
"What does making money have to do with the Canteen?"
"Right, business first." Lawson tapped his temple. "It's simple: Ingredient Trading! Sell the beast materials you scavenged to the Canteen, and they'll exchange them directly for LP!"
George turned and walked away with icy elegance, but inside, his heart was plummeting into an abyss.
Damn it! Those slimy things were literal gold?! To keep up my 'cool' image after the fight, I gave away all the big pieces... That was a catastrophic waste!!
"Line up!" Lawson commanded.
"Open your bags. Wolf claws, ears, meat—bring it all out!"
The Canteen manager activated the settlement robot. Mechanical arms sorted, weighed, and counted. Soon, a series of crisp chimes rang from their phones:
[Ding! 700 LP credited!] — Emma hopped for joy.
[Ding! 500 LP credited!] — Valerie and Phyllis smiled at each other.
[Ding! 600 LP credited!] — Luther exhaled in relief.
Only Victor stood frozen, staring at his screen. The others felt a pang of sympathy: Poor Victor, even the God of Wealth skipped him.
However, Victor slowly raised his head. His voice broke into a high-pitched, shaky screech: "I... I received... 10,000 LP!!"
He took a deep breath, his voice reaching a manic crescendo: "I'm rich! Overnight! Bwahahaha!"
"10,000?! Selling wolf meat gets you 10,000?!"
Even Lawson was stunned. He activated [Eye of Identification]. On Victor's pile of ingredients, two golden glows were bright enough to blind. "I see..." Lawson thought. TheVolt-Eater's Secret Marrow? In ten years of playing, I only saw that legendary material once. This guy found two in one go? He must have put all his stat points into Luck...
Just then, Katie walked in, dressed in sharp, tactical gear.
The girls swarmed her. "Master Katie! What's your decision?"
"I am a very strict instructor," Katie's tone was no longer gentle. It was replaced by a chilling, murderous aura.
"Finish breakfast. Assemble in the Virtual Combat Room in three minutes. DO. NOT. BE. LATE... understood?"
The girls shivered; they realized a hellish training regime had begun.
Slid— The canteen door opened again, and a powerful shout filled the room:
"GOOD MORNING!!! EVERYONE!!!"
Dodge had arrived. Luther rushed over like a whirlwind, bowing as he pulled out a chair. "Master! Please, take the seat of honor!"
Dodge, still not used to being treated like a Mafia Don, waved his hands frantically. "I told you, don't be so formal! We're comrades, just call me Dodge..."
"That won't do!" Luther argued righteously. "My grandfather said that respecting one's teacher is the foundation of character. Since I am your disciple, the etiquette must be perfect. Please—!"
Lawson, watching this, felt his inner "troll" ignite.
"Is this a period martial arts film? Luther, is your grandfather some secluded sect leader from a famous mountain?"
Luther nodded solemnly: "Mr. Lawson has a sharp eye! My grandfather is indeed the 81st Grandmaster of the Through-Punch Sect—Lee Yip."
This unexpected "heavy punch" left Lawson speechless.
"Lee Yip?! The martial arts grandmaster who defeated the world heavyweight champion?" Valerie screamed. "Master Lee Yip is my ultimate idol!"
"Haha, I didn't expect to meet a fan of my grandfather in the apocalypse. A pleasure!" Luther bowed slightly, hands cupped in a traditional martial salute. Valerie grinned and returned the salute.
Finally, the "waiters" served the legendary Taboo Breakfast.
A chill ran down the warriors' spines as the black obsidian bowls were placed before them.
A layer of deep purple, eerie fluorescent oil floated on top.
In the center of the sludge stood five sharp, perfectly cleaned wolf claws, encased in translucent gel. It smelled of the wild, the forbidden, and the primal.
They picked up a claw with trembling fingers and took a bite.
The moment the food touched their tongues, their taste buds "betrayed" them.
The terrifying gel exploded into a velvety, silky texture with a rich, berry-like sweetness.
The meat carried a deep, smoky wood aroma that perfectly balanced the wild game flavor.
The sheer, indescribable deliciousness shattered their psychological defenses.
The group began to eat frantically, devouring the "Taboo Meal" .
They knew that by eating this bowl, they had officially crossed the threshold into the New World.