Zongman: The post-2D era

"Copy really has no human rights!"

Chapter 959: Instance Mutation

Saturday, February 13

The world copy of Food Wars! began to mutate due to the spread of gourmet cells.

Unlike the main world, copies often refuse to change in order to protect their own plots.

Players who enter the dungeon can improve their strength by observing and understanding the mutation process.

Feng Feng gently closed the book in his hand, completing today's study tasks.

In the corridors of Totsuki School, discussions were heard one after another. Students gathered in groups of three or five, excitedly discussing the changes in the world and the miracle of gourmet cell regeneration, as if the dawn of a new era was within reach.

Feng Feng was moving among the hustle and bustle, but there was an imperceptible worry between his brows.

He walked without stopping, passing through the display area decorated with exquisite food plates, and finally stopped outside the door of Erina Nakiri's classroom.

The sunlight shines through the window lattice onto Erina's focused face. She is looking down at the recipe in her hand. Her golden hair sways gently in the breeze, as if she is completely unaware of the changes in the outside world.

Feng Feng knocked lightly on the door frame, interrupting her thoughts, with a determined gleam in his eyes.

Feng Feng stepped into the classroom, walked towards Nakiri Erina with a serious look, and said softly but firmly: "Erina, I'm afraid this change is not as simple as we thought."

His words echoed softly in the air, in stark contrast to the noise outside the window.

Nakiri Erina looked up, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes. Feng Feng approached her and whispered, "I smell a faint smell of decay."

It's like... a strange smell mixed in with a forgotten and incomplete ancient recipe. I'm afraid something went wrong with the modification of this instance."

As he spoke, he waved his hand gently, as if trying to dispel the invisible haze, but the subtle peculiar smell in the air still lingered, making the atmosphere in the whole room suddenly heavy.

"I'll take you to see Grandpa!"

Feng Feng and Erina Nakiri walked side by side in the corridor leading to the reception room of the research center. Their footsteps echoed in the empty corridor, and every step seemed to be on the edge of the unknown.

On the walls on both sides of the corridor, there are portraits of outstanding chefs of Totsuki School throughout the ages, and their eyes seem to be silently watching the young explorers.

In the reception room, the lights were dim and warm, but they could hardly dispel the faint sense of worry in the air.

Nakiri Sensaemon sat on the large sofa, his body slightly hunched, his face as pale as paper, but there was an unyielding light in his eyes as he nodded.

"You feel it, as expected of you."

His fingers trembled slightly, as if he was trying to restrain something. Seeing his granddaughter and Feng Feng, he forced a smile, but behind that smile was an indescribable heaviness.

Nakiri Sensaemon stood up slowly, with a barely noticeable stiffness in his movements.

He gently unbuttoned his kimono, revealing a back covered with strange snake scales. Under the dim light, the scales gleamed with a cold and dark luster, just like the scales of an evil dragon in ancient legends.

Feng Feng and Nakiri Erina were so shocked that they stepped back repeatedly, their eyes full of disbelief.

Nakiri Sensaemon just smiled bitterly, and there was a hint of helplessness and relief in that smile.

"This is just the awakening of the gourmet demon that resides in my body. It has lived with me for many years. It's not a big deal."

His words were calm, yet revealed an indescribable sense of power, as if he was comforting a frightened child.

"Just go to school, I can handle it!"

Under the arrangement of Nakiri Sensaemon, Feng Feng and Nakiri Erina walked through a long corridor and came to a secret laboratory.

The laboratory was brightly lit, and a variety of instruments emitted soft light, reflecting on the workbench filled with test tubes and glass bottles. The air was filled with a strange aroma, which was the unique temptation of fantasy ingredients.

Feng Feng stood in front of a huge microscope, carefully adjusting the focus. Under the microscope was a colorful cell slice, which was a sample extracted from fantasy ingredients.

Nakiri Erina was quickly recording data in a notebook beside her, her eyes focused and determined.

Suddenly, the image under the microscope fluctuated, as if the cells themselves were telling some secret. The heartbeats of the two people accelerated, and the whole laboratory was filled with a tense and expectant atmosphere.

Walking out of the research institute, night has quietly fallen, and stars dot the inky sky.

Fengfeng and Nakiri Erina held a small box of cream cucumbers in their hands. The cucumbers were crystal clear and emitted a faint fluorescence, like the most attractive gems under the moonlight.

Feng Feng and Nakiri Erina left the research institute together, and each of them was given some cream cucumbers. This fantasy food can make a person full of energy even if they eat it raw for three days without sleep.

Feng Feng gently bit the cucumber in his hand, and the sweet juice instantly burst out in his mouth. An unprecedented vitality spread from the tip of his tongue to his whole body. He felt his spirits lifted, and the fatigue of the past few days seemed to be swept away.

Nakiri Erina also savored it carefully. Her eyes were flashing with a strange light in the night, a look that was a blend of surprise and curiosity, as if an unknown power was quietly awakening in her body.

The two smiled at each other and blended into the night with brisk steps. The strange fluorescent light was looming in the darkness, becoming the most mysterious scenery of the night.

Feng Feng said goodbye to Erina Nakiri and returned to the kitchen of his dormitory, his heart full of longing for the infinite possibilities of the cream cucumber.

He gently placed the cucumber on the chopping board. The cucumber glowed faintly under the light, as tempting as a work of art.

He slowly pulled out his treasured Atomic Samurai kitchen knife. The blade flashed coldly under the light, as if it could cut any tiny object.

Feng Feng took a deep breath and closed his eyes. With his divine sense of smell, he could feel the freshness and vitality contained in the cucumber.

He swung the knife gently, his movements smooth and precise, and slices of cucumber as thin as cicada wings fell one by one, like elves dancing in the moonlight, emitting an alluring luster.

He gazed at these masterpieces, a satisfied smile on his face.

Feng Feng gently picked up a piece of unprocessed cream cucumber. Although its surface also glowed with an attractive fluorescence, there was a hint of subtle dullness in the luster.

He slowly put it into his mouth. At first it still tasted sweet, but then a subtle bitterness spread across his tongue, like a shadow lurking quietly in the dark night.

He frowned slightly, and his eyes became sharp, as if he could penetrate all appearances and get to the essence.

Chewing it again, the bitterness became even stronger, with even a barely perceptible tingling sensation, like a fine needle gently pricking the tip of his tongue, reminding him of the other side of this ingredient - if not handled properly, it would be a hidden chronic poison.

Feng Feng's face became solemn. He realized that the road of gourmet food is not only the ultimate pursuit of taste buds, but also a deep insight into and awe of the essence of ingredients.

Chapter 960: Time Court Hourglass

Sunday, February 14

The gourmet cells that spread from the Shokugeki no Soma world copy reached the spatial boundary on the other side.

After all, the copy is not the main world. In order to protect its own plot, the copy will often refuse to change and cause destruction.

"One day in heaven equals one year on earth. This copy is just our mortal experiment field."

Matou Sakura held Feng Feng's hand tightly with a firm look in her eyes.

She gently turned over the Shiting hourglass in her hand, and the sand flowed upstream, as if time had been fast-forwarded.

Inside the dormitory building, the students’ laughter and joy instantly disappeared, replaced by the backs of students hurriedly leaving school and the sound of rolling suitcases echoing in the corridor, gradually fading away.

Then, the picture distorted, and hideous monsters broke out of the ground, wreaking havoc. Walls collapsed and glass splattered everywhere.

In just half a year, this place that was once full of youthful vitality has become a ruin. Dust fills the air among the broken walls, and the place looks desolate and bleak.

"Feng Feng, pay attention to the birth of Yamata no Orochi in this world. This is a simplified version of the Susanoo copy."

Sakura Matou's fingers gently slid across the screen of her mobile phone, and the picture came into focus with amazing clarity, as if it could penetrate the barriers of space.

On the screen, Senzaemon Nakiri and his grandson Erina Nakiri are in an ancient and solemn shrine, surrounded by a faint smoke. The vermilion torii of the shrine looks particularly solemn in the sunset.

Senzaemon's eyes were as sharp as an eagle's as he stared at the ancient scroll that was slowly unfolding in front of him, while Erina had a solemn expression on her face, tightly grasping a long sword that was flashing with cold light in her hand.

Suddenly, the foundation of the shrine shook slightly, and an ancient and powerful breath surged out from the ground. The air in the picture seemed to solidify, foreshadowing that the Yamata no Orochi was about to be reborn on this land.

Sakura Matou's voice was low and resolute. She stared at the screen, as if she could penetrate the virtual barrier and look directly at the impending tragedy.

"Feng Feng, watch carefully. This is the irreversible trajectory of the wheel of fate. In this world, the birth of Yamata no Orochi was part of Nakiri Senzaemon's destiny. The gourmet cells he absorbed were mixed with the ancient blood of Yamata no Orochi."

On the screen, Nakiri Senzaemon's expression became more and more solemn. The ancient scroll in his hand that represented the world suddenly shone brightly, as if carrying a thousand years of curses and blessings.

There was a flash of determination and reluctance in Erina's eyes, and the long sword in her hand glowed with a cold and eerie light in the setting sun.

At that moment, the foundation of the shrine shook violently, the breath of the Yamata no Orochi surged out like a tide, and Erina's figure was like a flash of decisive lightning. The long sword instantly pierced through Senzaemon's heart. Blood gushed out, dyeing the shrine red under the setting sun.

Matou Sakura and Feng Feng witnessed a shocking scene. They saw Nakiri Senzaemon's body gradually shrinking, and an indescribable huge power was awakening from it.

The heads of the Yamata no Orochi broke out from Senzaemon's chest and back one by one. Each of their eyes flashed an ancient and evil light, and their scales reflected a metallic coldness in the afterglow of the setting sun.

Erina stood aside, her eyes filled with complex emotions of determination and grief. She chanted an ancient spell softly, guiding the giant snake towards the monsters that were wreaking havoc all around.

Within a hundred days, under the guidance of Erina, the Yamata-no-Orochi, like a king returning from hell, devoured those hideous monsters one by one. Finally, its huge body slowly stepped into the turbulent sea, setting off huge waves, and disappeared into the vastness.

Matou Sakura and Feng Feng stood in front of the strange and tidy dormitory building. Although the world around them had become ruins, this place seemed like a corner forgotten by time, spotless.

The afterglow of the setting sun shone obliquely, adding a gentle golden edge to the dilapidated scene.

At this time, steady and firm footsteps came from a distance, accompanied by slight metal collision sounds, gradually becoming clearer.

Erina Nakiri was wearing a chef's uniform stained with traces of battle, with a variety of knives hanging around her waist, and every step she took seemed so powerful.

Matou Sakura and Feng Feng witnessed how Emorina Nakiri spent a hundred days gathering the surviving humans and cooking monsters to become stronger, and finally arrived at the ruins of Totsuki and found where they were.

Behind her followed a group of survivors of various shapes but determined eyes. They held simple weapons, stood shoulder to shoulder, and marched in unison, like an army of hope born out of despair.

Erina's face was less resolute and more calm and mature. Her gaze passed through the ruins and directly met with Matou Sakura and Feng Feng. At that moment, it seemed that even the air was shaking.

Matou Sakura and Feng Feng felt the murderous aura and resentment from Erina Nakiri, but they heard her respectful voice: "Greetings to the two masters of the main world!"

Matou Sakura and Feng Feng looked at each other and saw surprise in each other's eyes.

Erina approached slowly, each step seemed to be treading the heavy past. Although her voice was respectful, it could not hide the determination and hatred in it: "Master Fengfeng, I ask you to put an end to the Yamata no Orochi."

In the setting sun, Erina's figure was elongated. She lowered her head, clenched her hands into fists, and her eyes flashed with a complex light.

The air around seemed to freeze, and the only sound was the roar of waves hitting the ruins in the distance.

Suddenly, she raised her head, her eyes sharp as torches, and pointed to the distant sea that had swallowed the giant snake:

"Although it was once my grandfather and helped me resist disasters, it has now become a new threat. If it is not eliminated, mankind will never have peace."

A sarcastic smile appeared on Matou Sakura's lips. She gently shook the Tokiwa hourglass in her hand, which was shining with strange light. The sand slowly flowed in the inverted glass, as if fragments of time were jumping on her fingertips.

She paced slowly around Erina Nakiri, and every step seemed to measure the other's determination and pain.

The sunlight filtered through the broken window frames, sprinkling on her body in patches, giving her a faint golden glow, but also revealing the undisguised disdain and indifference in her eyes.

Feng Feng frowned, a dissatisfied growl rolling in his throat, but he never said it out loud. His eyes only revealed his deep doubt about Matou Sakura's actions.

Sakura Matou stopped in front of Erina, her eyes like a knife, gently cutting across her face, leaving an invisible scar.

Then, she turned around with disdain, her skirt drawing an elegant arc in the air, accompanied by the crisp sound of the hourglass gently colliding, and she walked away, leaving behind only a lonely and proud back and a sense of unfulfilled meaning in the air.

At this moment, Erina Nakiri's emotions burst out like a tide. She suddenly took a step forward, wrapped her arms tightly around Fengfeng's neck, and kissed his lips without any hesitation.