Chapter 183: Canteen

Words : 1524 Updated : Oct 5th, 2025

As the door was pushed open, the high-end bedroom assigned to the two of them was surprisingly located at a junction, and moreover, a three-way junction. There were no signs, no reference objects, and they had no idea of their exact location; once they took a wrong turn, it could waste a lot of time. If they failed to reach the dining hall within fifteen minutes, they would be assigned to clean the sewers. However, Yi Chen felt an uncanny familiarity with the deep gray, cold, closed passageway structure in front of him, even capable of recalling his own running through the corridors with his eyes closed. All the forks in the road, all the stair distributions, and shortcuts had been replayed in his mind countless times. ... “If the Duke has completely referenced my memory and has not made too many changes to the route, I can find the dining hall entrance directly… Even if the route is slightly modified, as long as the overall layout remains the same, it won’t be a problem. Follow me.” Yi Chen led the way, with Moon Scar closely following. The closer to the dining hall they got, the more people moved through the corridors. Unlike the two of them, other orphans carried various ‘tools or equipment’ to some extent. All these items were purchased from the convenience store, earning enough points to spend a hundred without spending a penny in the Orphanage was impossible for anyone. With investment, there was a possibility of earning more points; the convenience store of the Orphanage was seen as a haven of hope in the eyes of most people. … As they passed the last fork in the road and finally saw an arrow at the intersection marked with [Internal Dining Hall], uneasy memories were involuntarily conjured in Yi Chen’s mind. Corresponding to the hallway was a huge circular hall. All orphans under the age of eighteen were lining up in a circle here, and after a simple verification, they could enter the completely enclosed, flat cylindrical dining area. Yi Chen and the other followed the queue, and when they reached the entrance of the dining hall, the checker, with bright red lips, was none other than the postman. “You two really made it here, eh? And looking at your neat attire, you must have been assigned some nice rooms, right? But before you enjoy your first meal at the Orphanage, it’s still the old rule, come on.” Taking off his high hat, he pulled out two normal-sized dice and handed them to the two. Such behavior made Yi Chen guess that the ‘postman’ was not one of the Orphanage but an important Connector arranged by the Duke, responsible for maintaining order in the gambling and pushing forward the progress. “Just toss them onto the tablecloth. It needs to roll at least five times with no intentional manipulation of the result.” The dice were thrown. This time, both of them rolled the same points, looking at the identical number [4] on the tablecloth. They exchanged a helpless glance. Such points, exceeding the median value, implied that the noontime meal might not be so easy to swallow, and might even be dangerous. “Please wait a moment. The dining hall is being rearranged according to the points you’ve rolled. Also, a reminder for you both: 1. Remember to finish all your food, without any waste. 2. Fighting of any kind is strictly prohibited in the dining hall. Conflicts will be considered a violation of the rules, and if food is damaged during a conflict, the severest of penalties will be applied. That’s it~ you can go in now.” No sooner had they stepped into the dining hall than they could smell an organic aura, a scent difficult to describe, common in newborn delivery rooms, sheep pens that exceed a certain population, or rather special indulgent group areas. To Yi Chen, this scent was all too familiar. It was the smell of that black umbilical cord inside him, only here the smell was not as pure as the cord’s, but mixed with other elements, diverse and frantic. ʀáŊǑʙĘⱾ The dim dining area was all set up with single seats, spaced a meter and a half apart from each other. Following the order of the queue, Yi Chen and Moon Scar sat respectively at seats 57 and 58. Once all orphans arrived within the allotted time, the staff began serving the meal, each of them dressed in full protective leather gear and face masks. They looked less like dining hall employees and more like handlers of a biohazard event. One by one, metal plates were brought to the tables, each covered with a cylindrical metal lid, about half a meter tall. The special plating and staff attire gave everyone a rather ominous premonition, As the dishes were being served, the voice of the head chef also came from the kitchen. “Ladies and gentlemen, please don’t rush. Wait until everyone’s dish has been served, and then, under my instruction, we will all lift the metal covers together. After that, I will explain in detail the ‘method of consumption.’ If anyone uncovers it ahead of time and disrupts the order of the dining hall, I am authorized to take you directly into the kitchen as tomorrow’s ingredients.” The orphans who could sit here were all seasoned veterans, with their hands resting on their knees. Only Lorrian gently placed his fingers on the columnar meal cover, sensing the rhythm of life within, a brand new lifeform he had never seen before—slender yet vigorous. Moon Scar also displayed a kind of sickly smile, looking quite satisfied with such food. As everyone’s plates and cutlery were set in front of them, napkins folded into their collars, the chef’s voice came again, “Now please lift your meal covers and bear witness to the biological protein meal I have prepared for you today.” The columnar meal covers were lifted, An egg larger than an ostrich egg, standing 30cm tall and 20cm wide, was ‘rooted’ in the center of the plate, upright. Overall, it was a dark flesh color, the surface covered with regularly patterned dark green blood vessels, The egg emitted waves of fertility aura, pulsing slightly every three seconds, The top was slightly cracked open in a six-petal flower pattern, as if the creature inside was ready to hatch at any moment, “This living egg was cultured in a biological laboratory. Direct consumption will have a great effect on enhancing your physique and healing your injuries. However, you must pay attention to the following points when consuming: 1. You must cut along the veins on the egg’s surface with precision, without deviation, and you may not switch to other veins. 2. Do not touch the inner membrane during the cutting; only the eggshell is needed for consumption. 3. You must complete consumption within 30 minutes. Sёarᴄh the NôvelFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Violating any of these points will cause the egg to hatch, and the young creature inside will attack you. If you dare to fight back against the young creature, it means violating the dining hall’s rule against fighting. Even if you kill the young creature, you will be punished. To access the highest quality nutrients, one must pay the corresponding price. Begin your meal, children! Now is the time for you to grow, and this food will fortify your young bodies.” Some people were truly hesitant to eat such an egg. Lorrian, on the other hand, found this novel and vibrant food very intriguing and was the first to pick up the knife to start cutting, his surgical precision born in the Clinic. With ease, he cut a piece of the eggshell and chewed it with his fork! “Mmm!!” As the juice burst in his mouth, Lorrian’s eyes widened, and he immediately gave Yi Chen a thumbs-up. Yi Chen, not to be outdone, completed the analysis of the surface veins through Vision, and the optimal cutting route was already planned. Just as the two started to compete over the food, A teenager behind them, unable to bear the fishy smell, vomited. After several bouts, his concentration dropped severely, and his hand trembled. Accidentally, the knife in his hand cut outside the designated veins. Yah~ A monstrous scream came from the egg, as if cutting into the blood and flesh of an internal life. Pop! The giant egg exploded directly, and a reptilian hatchling shrouded in milky liquid, with its spine exposed, flew out, bizarrely having a human face. It pounced right onto the boy’s face and burrowed into his mouth. Crack, crack~ the next second, the boy’s head began to split open. It was like Halloween Eve, cutting open a severely worm-infested pumpkin, from which sprang forth strange worm-like tentacles, appendages, and various tiny eyeballs. Not only that, The boy’s entire body also began to transform into an indescribable blood and flesh monster. Many gazes were already Locking onto Yi Chen and Moon Scar in front of them.

Chapter 183: Canteen

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