I was just fishing, how did I become a Great Old One?

【Location: Edge of a Flat Country, Linear Fortress】

After crossing that desolate plain of draft paper, a magnificent yet chaotic "city" gradually came into view (on that horizon).

In the eyes of three-dimensional beings, a "city" is usually a three-dimensional community composed of skyscrapers. But in the two-dimensional world, the concept of a city is completely subverted.

【Line Walled City】.

This is a maze made up of countless dense, tangled black lines. From an overhead view (though you can't see it from above in this world, you can only imagine it), it looks like a piece of draft paper that a mischievous child has frantically scribbled on with a pen. Countless geometric shapes—triangles, quadrilaterals, polygons, and a large number of twisted irregular shapes—are crammed together to form streets, houses, and squares.

There is no sky here, only a stark white background; there are no shadows here, only variations in the thickness of lines.

The air was filled with the smell of stale ink and the musty smell of damp paper.

"This is your... capital?"

Odin's current form is a simple stick figure. He poked at the lines (road surface) on the ground with his toothpick-like spear, looking disgusted.

"It looks like a doodle drawn by my illiterate grandson."

"Shh! Keep your voice down!"

The dialog box flashed nervously as it appeared to be guiding Stanley (a trembling line segment).

"This is not the capital. The capital is in the inner circle, where the noble 'circle' adults live."

"This is... a slum."

"It's a dump specifically for people like me... [irregular polygons]"

Jiang Li (exquisitely illustrated in a colorful comic) walked in the middle of the group, curiously observing her surroundings.

He discovered that in this world, geometric shapes determine social class.

Most of the pedestrians on the roadside have strange shapes. Some are missing a corner, some have crooked edges, and some are simply a tangled mess.

Most of them were dark gray (pencil gray), with only a very few having a little bit of color (that was a symbol of a certain identity).

They looked at Jiang Li and his group, especially at Jiang Li's vibrant colors and exquisite style, and their eyes revealed not envy, but... [fear] and [greed].

"Look at that...it's colorful..."

"Such high-quality paint... If I eat it, will I become a nobleman?"

"Don't be silly, that's a big shot. Look at that stick figure next to him, the lines (gun) in his hand are so straight!"

Whispers transformed into tiny bubble-like words, drifting through the air above the street.

"It seems that the gap between the rich and the poor exists in every dimension."

Jiang Li sighed.

"But here, poverty is because of 'drawing crookedly,' and wealth is because of 'drawing perfectly round.'"

……

[Livelihood Issues: We need to eat, and we also need to earn money]

After walking around the walled city, the group discovered a serious problem.

The currencies are not interchangeable.

The currency here is something called "Ink Dots." Although Jiang Li possesses countless gold, gems, and planetary cores, these items are practically useless in this world with no depth (or if they were, they would only appear as yellow circles) and are not recognized.

We need money.

Jiang Li looked at the stalls selling "line segment bread" and "ink soup" on the street. Although he wasn't hungry (he was a divine body), his occupational habit as a chef made him want to try them.

"Furthermore, we need to gather intelligence. That Möbius pasta is definitely hidden in the inner palace."

"To get into the palace, you either have to fight your way in (too violent, and it'll easily provoke a backlash from the world's consciousness), or... sneak in."

"Boss, what should we do?" Wang Ergou (the sticker dog) stuck out his tongue. "Should we go busking? I can perform a 2D spinning act."

"Street performing?"

Jiang Li looked at the poor people who had gathered around because of the unique style of the painting.

"No."

"We'll stick to what we've always done."

He pulled out the flat "Genesis Fountain Pen" from his pocket.

"Set up a stall!"

"I'm going to show these clueless anime characters what real—culinary art—is!"

……

[Finding Ingredients: Two-Dimensional Farmers Market]

To cook, you first need ingredients.

Although the three-dimensional ingredients are in the backpack, they will be flattened, their structure destroyed, and their taste completely lost when they are taken out.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

Jiang Li led the group to the Black Ink Market on the edge of the city.

The place was filled with all sorts of strange smells: turpentine, graphite, and a rotten paper smell.

"Boss! How much is this?"

Jiang Li pointed to a stall where a clump of translucent white gelatinous substance was wriggling.

The stall owner was a trapezoid with a missing corner. It glanced at Jiang Li, momentarily dazzled by the vibrant colors.

"That's paper pulp slime."

The trapezoidal stall owner buzzed out text bubbles.

"This stuff has no taste, it feels like chewing wax. Only the poorest people would buy it to fill their stomachs. What do you want it for?"

"It tastes like chewing wax?"

Jiang Li poked the slime ball with his finger (paintbrush).

It is soft, chewy, and extremely sticky.

"Isn't this just natural glutinous rice dough or paste?"

Jiang Li was secretly delighted.

"When seasoned properly, this is an excellent ingredient for making pancakes!"

He then went to another stall.

There are some colorful, speckled things displayed here.

"What is this?"

"[Pigment Mushroom]".

The stall owner was a guy with a very casual look [wavy lines].

"It's poisonous. Eating it will change the color of your lines and cause you to hallucinate (see the three-dimensional world). It's usually used as a dye."

"Color change? Hallucination?"

Jiang Li's eyes lit up even more.

"Isn't this just natural pigments plus hallucinogenic mushrooms?"

"In this slum where only black, white, and gray exist, color is the greatest luxury!"

Finally, Jiang Li also collected some [Geometric Slices] (slices of a certain hard plant, with a texture like potato chips) and [High-Concentration Ink] (a soy sauce substitute).

"Everything's ready!"

Although he had no money, Jiang Li exchanged these unwanted "junk ingredients" for a "drawn" high-purity graphite rod (equivalent to a gold bar in this world).

……

[Street Vendor: The Magical Chef]

Jiang Li chose the intersection with the highest traffic volume (the intersection of two thick lines).

He didn't shout out his wares like a typical street vendor.

He simply took out his paintbrush and drew a circle on the ground.

"Buzz—"

The black lines instantly materialized, transforming into a giant frying pan.

Next, he drew a few tangled red lines on the bottom of the pot.

"call--"

Flames ignited.

This magical scene instantly attracted the attention of the paper figures passing by.

"Look! What's that colorful guy doing?"

"He drew fire! Is he a wizard?"

"It smells so good... What's that smell?"

Jiang Li smiled slightly and began her performance.

Step 1: Deal with the slime.

He threw the clump of white pulp slime into the pot.

As the temperature rose, the slime began to melt, turning into a puddle of white, semi-fluid liquid that covered the bottom of the pot.

"Sizzle—"

The sound was like the pleasant sound of a paintbrush rubbing rapidly on paper.

Step 2: Color adjustment.

This is the key.

In this colorless world, visual impact equals appetite.

Jiang Li took out three kinds of pigment mushrooms: red, yellow, and blue, and squeezed them forcefully.

Bright red juice drips into white liquid.

His paintbrush moved like a conductor's baton, perfectly blending the paint and paste.

The originally white crust instantly transformed into a dazzling rainbow of colors!

Red represents passion, yellow represents warmth, and blue represents depth.

This explosion of color is like a nuclear explosion to the retina of the poor who are used to black, white and gray!

"Wow!!!"

The onlookers let out a series of synchronized exclamations.

"That's... a color?"

"How beautiful! Even more vibrant than the insignia worn by noblemen!"

Step 3: Layering thousands of layers.

One layer of the pancake is cooked.

Jiang Li flicked his wrist, sending the thin, colorful pancake into the air.

Immediately afterwards, the paintbrush moved again, and the second layer of slurry was poured into the pot.

This time it's purple.

The third layer is green.

The fourth layer is orange.

Layer upon layer.

In this two-dimensional world without thickness, Jiang Li used the principles of "visual displacement" and "color overlay" to create a sense of weight and solidity in a pseudo-3D.

Finally, he sprinkled chopped geometric chips and a special ink sauce between each layer.

【Finished product: Seven-color pigments - illusion mille-feuille】

It lay quietly in the pot, like a rainbow flower blooming in a black and white world.

Steaming hot, the aroma (albeit an analog signal) filled the air.

"alright!"

Jiang Li tapped the side of the pot.

"A specialty from the three-dimensional world! A cure for all kinds of dullness and monotony in life!"

"Take one bite, and you'll see a rainbow! Take two bites, and you'll ascend to heaven!"

"Only 10 ink dots! Honest and fair!"

……

[Viral Sensation: A Delicious Taste That's Like a Game-Changer]

After a brief silence.

The crowd erupted.

"I want it! I want it!"

"I have ink spots! I have so many ink spots!"

"Give me a red one!"

Countless bizarre shapes surged forward like madmen.

They had never seen such beautiful food.

In this world, beauty represents nobility and power.

The first person to grab a piece of cake was an "asymmetric triangle" with only three sides (a low-level laborer).

It trembled as it took the rainbow-colored cookie and carefully took a bite (to blend the lines together).

"Buzz—"

Its body lit up instantly.

The hallucinogenic effects of the pigment mushrooms kicked in.

It saw... three-dimensional!

It felt that it was no longer flat; it seemed to have stood up and seen a world full of height and depth.

That unprecedented sense of awe, combined with the soft and chewy texture of the pulp slime and the savory flavor of the sauce, instantly pierced through its very soul.

"Waaaaah..."

The triangle cried (it spilled ink).

"I saw...heaven..."

"I feel...complete..."

Its lines actually became a bit more rounded!

This scene completely ignited the entire audience.

"Eating this will make you rounder?!"

"This is a miracle drug!"

"Give it to me! I'll pay double!"

Jiang Li's stall was instantly surrounded by a huge crowd.

Odin was in charge of collecting the money (ink dots) on the side, and he was grinning so hard his mouth was crooked (even though stick figures don't have mouths).

Abel was in charge of maintaining order, and he would scare anyone who dared to cut in line with his silhouette knife.

Tangyuan was in charge of... sneaking bites of the scraps.

In just one hour.

Jiang Li has accumulated a small mountain of ink dots.

He created an economic miracle in this slum.

however.

The tree catches the wind.

In this chaotic slum, doing too much business often means trouble.

……

Crisis: The Gaze of the Triangle Gang

Just as Jiang Li was preparing to pack up and count his money.

The crowd suddenly fell silent, parting to both sides like Moses parting the Sea.

A somber atmosphere enveloped the street.

From the end of the street, a group of...

[Acute triangle].

In this world, the sharper the angle, the stronger the aggression, and the higher the status (second only to the circle and the square).

Each of these triangles has an extremely sharp apex angle (less than 30 degrees), and its edges are polished to be as sharp as a knife edge.

Moreover, they were painted with red paint, a symbol of their gangs.

【Triangle Gang】

The largest criminal gang in Line Walled City makes a living by collecting protection money and "trimming" disobedient graphics.

The leader is a huge isosceles acute triangle.

Its apex was so sharp it was horribly pointed, and it was even dripping an unknown black liquid (it could be blood or poisonous ink).

Its name is Spikes Bruce.

"who……"

Bruce emitted a sharp, piercing sound like bubbles.

"Who gave you permission... to set up a stall here?"

"Who gave you permission... to sell this color?"

It floated down to Jiang Li, its sharp tip only centimeters from his throat.

"Outsider".

"Don't you know the rules?"

"Every line here is under the jurisdiction of the Triangle Gang."

"You've earned so much ink... shouldn't you pay some taxes?"

The surrounding crowd trembled with fear and retreated in all directions.

Odin gripped his paintbrush and hammer tightly, ready to begin.

Abel's silhouette also became darker.

Jiang Li remained calm.

He wiped his hands (though they weren't oily) and looked at the arrogant triangle in front of him.

Not only was I not afraid, but...

He revealed the look in his eyes when he saw top-quality ingredients.

"triangle?"

"Is it isosceles?"

"This shape..."

Jiang Li touched his chin.

"Perfect for making... sandwiches."

"Or perhaps... [sliced ​​watermelon]?"

"What did you say?!"

Bruce was furious.

In this world, being compared to food is the greatest insult.

"court death!"

"Brothers! Cut him to pieces! Squeeze out his paint!"

A dozen sharp triangular weapons, like darts, hurtled towards Jiang Li and his stall.

"Ugh."

Jiang Li sighed and picked up the frying pan (drawn) that had been used to make pancakes.

"I originally wanted to be a respectable businessman."

"You're forcing me to take action."

"System, switch modes."

"【Master Chef Mode】Off"

"【Ma Liang's Magic Paintbrush - Battle Mode】...Activated!"

Jiang Li suddenly swung the paintbrush in his hand.

"Since you like sharp corners..."

"Then I'll show you what the art of being smooth is all about!"

"Splash ink! Edit the drawing!"