In another world, Lu Mingfei is learning card making.

Lu Mingfei sat down with Naya Fili, holding a small bowl of fried meat that he had reserved for himself.

It's not that he doesn't want to eat, but if he eats this bowl of food now, he'll have eaten ten different kinds of food since he learned his side job.

The "Taste the World" feature claims to "improve with every food you eat," but in reality, while eating a single bite does count as tasting a different food, the improvement is not immediate.

In the context of a game, this translates to a passive ability like "gaining +1 to maximum health for every 10 different foods eaten".

In other words, if Lu Mingfei takes another bite, he will be able to get a promotion!

This is precisely why Lu Mingfei hesitated:

Who knows if this upgrade will have any outward manifestations? Like the golden light bursting from his body in "Cooking Master Boy," or like eating a Senzu Bean in Dragon Ball...

"Aren't you going to eat?" Naya Fili looked up. She had finished her portion, but there was still one piece of white bread left.

"I've already eaten dinner," Lu Mingfei said, sharing the food with the other person.

—At worst, I can just go back tonight and ask Rong En for some snacks to max out this tenth one. I'll see what changes this attribute upgrade will bring before deciding whether to pursue upgrading this ability in the future.

"Oh!" Naya Phile happily took it and buried her head in it, eating voraciously. Lu Mingfei rubbed his chin, looking at the integrated network panel in front of him.

Well, it has to be said that relying solely on the information on the research panel can easily lead to problems: these "points" aren't only obtainable through cooking; in fact, all cooking-related activities can earn points. For example, he currently has seventeen cooking points.

Then click to open the recipe library...

"Why are they all eggs?"

Lu Mingfei was initially puzzled, but then it dawned on him: all he had come into contact with today was eggs. It seemed that only by accessing more advanced ingredients and cooking methods could he gain the opportunity to buy more recipes.

"But—what exactly is the purpose of this recipe?"

Looking at the recipes for "boiled eggs", "fried eggs", "scrambled eggs" and other dishes on the interface, Lu Mingfei couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

In a game, this recipe would likely produce a finished product simply by clicking on it. However, considering Zongwang's past practices, Lu Mingfei felt it wouldn't be that simple.

"But no matter what, I'll just buy one."

Thinking this through, Lu Mingfei raised his hand and pointed—of course, it wasn't very obvious, his fingers were just an aid, what really mattered was his will—to buy a scrambled egg recipe.

The next instant, Lu Mingfei felt a chaotic flow of knowledge coursing through his mind. The recipe didn't directly provide the actual ingredients, but rather a very detailed 'operating guide':

What preparations can be made before frying eggs? What techniques and temperatures should be used when putting them in the pan? And what changes can occur when flipping them?

At this moment, Lu Mingfei couldn't help but exclaim: I never knew there could be so many variations when frying an egg?

Does that mean that similar details can be found in other types of food as well?

The moment the thought arose, the index number on the network panel finally increased from 99 to 100. At the same time, in the General Skills section, [Cooking] finally appeared.

Although it's only (lv0, 0%), the fact that it can be displayed shows that Lu Mingfei's thinking is correct.

As long as the approach is correct, you can improve step by step...

As Lu Mingfei was stroking his chin, lost in thought, he suddenly felt his arm being pulled.

Turning my head, I saw it was Naya Fili.

"Lu, you're very interested in duels and spirits, aren't you?" Nayafili looked around to make sure no one was nearby, then lowered her voice, "I have some special material here, could you take a look at it for me?"

"What materials?" Lu Mingfei asked, somewhat puzzled, but still straightened his posture and looked at Naya Phili.

She took out a translucent gem from her bosom and placed it on the table, her expression showing considerable reluctance.

Lu Mingfei looked down and activated his senses:

【Moonlight Crystal】

[Type: Material/Moonlight/Gem]

[Quality: Excellent (Green)]

[Description: The convergence of clear moonlight eventually formed this precious gem at a specific structural point. The moon elves valued it highly, considering it a gift from the silver moon—but scholars generally believe it is merely a crystallization of a special kind of magic.]

[PS: Actually, I think the moon elves are a bit obsessed: these gems are naturally formed, and the purer they are, the higher their value, but they consider crystals actually created using magical techniques to be worthless. Come on, isn't this just pure hype? —Montophis, legendary mage of the Transmutation School, Shaper of the Moon Shadow]

"Hmm...it seems to be some kind of magical crystal?"

Lu Mingfei was struggling to suppress his laughter; he didn't know whether he should reveal what was in the Photoshop.

"Hmm... Magic crystals? They have nothing to do with the Holy Church?"

Nayafili fiddled with the moonlight crystal in front of her, like a cat fiddling with a ball of yarn: "I thought it was something from the Holy Church, like a crystal of holy power or something..."

"Holy Power is actually a special kind of magic," Lu Mingfei corrected, then asked, "How do you believe it's related to the Holy Church?"

Upon hearing this, Naya Phili immediately perked up: "Let me tell you, at the Halloween event..."

Lu Mingfei's expression grew increasingly strange as he listened—So it was you who attacked me! And now you're here to brag after you've finished?

Despite his complaints, Lu Mingfei wasn't about to do anything drastic over such a trivial matter. He simply listened quietly, tapping the table as he did so.

A halfling walking by joked, "Little Naya, stop talking, I can practically recite this passage by heart. Daring to attack the Holy Church, it's not a glorious thing to talk about."

"What attack on the Holy Church? I was fighting my teacher's magical spirit! Besides, why would the Holy Church suddenly appear in Saint Marian's Halloween event space? Even if there were a reason, given their habits, they would have posted notices saying that construction was needed here eight hundred years ago!"

As Naya Phili retorted, Lu Mingfei silently nodded in agreement.

Oh, I've learned it. Next year, when I use [City on the Mountain], I'll also post notices around it and trick them into thinking it's a construction site for the Holy Church.

After the commotion, Nayafili still focused her attention on Lu Mingfei:

"So, this material..."

"Could we forge something related to the Holy Church? Spells, equipment, or magical spirits, anything is fine—"

Upon hearing this, Lu Mingfei pondered for a moment, a collision of knowledge swirling in his mind—

"Of course. Well, there are also gods related to the moon in the Holy Church. You can start by referencing concepts from that perspective. My research in this area is insufficient, so you'll have to rely on yourself—"

"A completed spell array? I recommend a few books, but it's better to study these on your own..."