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

Serialized urban story, Central Arena.

The clamor and fervor of the first two rounds seemed to be forcibly silenced by an invisible hand at this moment.

The air became thick and heavy.

All the spectators held their breath, staring intently at the platform above.

There, the chief examiner of the third round, who was also the last trump card of the grand banquet—the [Eraser Elder], slowly floated down from the judging panel.

It has no feet.

Its body is a rectangular piece of gray-black rubber with severely worn edges.

The aura emanating from it was not the oppressive power of a strong person, but a kind of chilling... [emptiness].

That's the blank space left after everything was erased.

"Jiang Li".

The elder's voice was hoarse, like rubbing rough paper.

"In the first two rounds, you won because of your 'form' and 'color'."

"In this superficial world of comics, good drawing skills and vibrant colors can certainly attract readers' attention."

"but……"

A cold glint flashed in the elder's cloudy eyes.

"A truly great work is a classic that can be passed down through the ages."

"It's never about the art style."

"But rather—[meaning]."

"That is... [the story]."

It raised the jet-black "Eraser of Oblivion" in its hand.

"In this round, I am both the referee and a player."

"If your cuisine can't tell a more moving story than my 'emptiness'..."

"Then, you, and your shop, will become... eraser shavings under this eraser of mine."

……

Game start.

This scene had no flashy special effects, and no deafening chopping sounds.

There was only deathly silence.

Elder Eraser's movements were very slow.

It doesn't use any physical ingredients.

It simply took out a transparent glass bowl.

Then, take the [Forgotten Eraser] and gently rub it above the rim of the bowl.

rustling-

Tiny, white eraser shavings fell into the bowl like snowflakes.

Next, it poured in a cup of... [Meng Po Soup] (which is the local specialty "blackout water").

Rubber shavings dissolve in water.

The soup became cloudy, then quickly became clear, and finally became completely transparent.

【Blank Soup】.

It had no taste, no color, and... no memory whatsoever.

"This is my way."

The elder looked at the bowl of soup, his tone indifferent.

"All the suffering in the world stems from memory."

"It originates from 'existence'."

"The greatest happiness comes from returning to nothingness, returning to the state of a blank sheet of paper."

"Drink this soup, and you will forget who you are, forget your troubles, and forget your ambitions."

"You will gain... a baby-like peace."

……

In the audience, many people only glanced at the bowl of soup before their eyes began to glaze over.

"who I am?"

"Where am I?"

Why should I care about rankings?

A terrifying sense of emptiness spread through the arena.

This doesn't look like food at all.

This is clearly a form of spiritual poison!

……

the other side.

Jiang Li was not affected by this ethereal aura.

He stood in front of the stove, looking at the ingredients in front of him.

There are only two things.

A bag of the most ordinary white flour.

A bowl of the most ordinary [plain water].

"Is this all the ingredients you have?"

The elder sneered.

"In this high-level situation, you think you can tell a story with something so cheap?"

"The greatest truths are the simplest."

Jiang Li replied calmly.

He rolled up his sleeves (drawn as folds) and began kneading the dough.

Water splashes onto the surface, hands rise and fall.

His movements were not fast, but extremely rhythmic.

Knead, press, rub, and pull.

The dough seemed to come alive in his hands, breathing and pulsating.

"What I'm going to make is the starting point for all noodles, and also the noodle dish that tests a chef's mindset the most."

"Yangchun noodles".

……

Soon, the dough was kneaded.

Next up is ramen.

If it were regular ramen, Jiang Li could pull out thin strands like dragon whiskers in just a few seconds.

But this time, he didn't.

He took out a rolling pin and rolled the dough into a thin sheet.

then.

He pulled out the golden "Genesis Pen".

"System, activate [Micro Narrative Mode]."

"Precision locking: [Nanometer level]"

hum-

A tiny glint of light appeared at the tip of the pen.

Jiang Li bent down, his face almost touching the dough.

He started... [drawing].

No, to be precise, it's on the dough... [sketching].

brush brush --

His hand speed was incredibly fast, and the tip of the pen left countless fine lines on the dough.

To outsiders, he was simply pine needles on the dough.

But only Jiang Li himself knew the truth.

He drew a comic panel on every inch of the dough.

He engraved a storyline on every noodle that was about to be formed.

This is not your average noodle dish.

This is a film reel, made with flour as its medium and ink as its soul, carrying countless joys and sorrows.

"cut!"

After finishing the drawing, Jiang Li picked up a kitchen knife.

ka ka ka-

The dough was cut into neat, thin strips.

Each and every fine thread is densely covered with micro-carved paintings invisible to the naked eye.

"Put it in the pot!"

The water is boiling.

Add the noodles to the water.

Surprisingly, the ink that was drawn on did not smudge.

Instead, the high temperature stimulates the penetration into the noodle fibers.

The originally white noodles take on a light, amber color after cooking, resembling that of an old photograph.

fish out.

Place it in a bowl.

No complicated toppings are needed.

All you need is a spoonful of clear broth, a few chopped green onions, and a little lard.

Steaming hot.

The aroma... is not strong.

It had a faint aroma of wheat, mixed with an indescribable... [scholarly air].

【Time and Scroll: Yangchun Noodles】

carry out.

……

Two bowls of completely different soups were placed on the stove.

A bowl represents the blank space of "forgetting".

The bowl represents the scroll of "remembering".

"please."

Jiang Li made a gesture.

As a special rule for this round, they had to exchange dishes and taste each other's food.

Elder Eraser floated over.

It looked at Jiang Li's seemingly ordinary bowl of plain noodles with disdain in its eyes.

"Making a mystery out of nothing."

"How could such mortal food possibly shake my resolve?"

It picked up its chopsticks and took out a noodle.

Bring it close to your mouth.

"Slurp."

Noodle entrance.

It's chewy and smooth.

That was my first impression.

Followed by.

The moment its teeth bit through the noodle.

boom!!!!!

A massive flow of information rushed into its brain, following its taste buds.

That's not the taste.

That's... [the scene].

……

The previously pitch-black world suddenly brightened.

Elder Eraser discovered that he was no longer in the arena.

It got smaller.

It became very small, very white, and very soft.

It lay in a beautiful pencil case.

All around were brand new pencils, rulers, and that always-smiling pencil sharpener.

"Hello! I'm the new pencil!"

"Hello... I am... Eraser."

That was when it was just born.

At that time, it was a brand new, spotless, high-quality drawing eraser.

Its dream is simple.

"I will work hard!"

"I'm going to help my little owner erase the misspelled words and the crooked lines!"

"I want to make every painting perfect!"

The scene changes.

It started working.

It carefully erased a wrong answer to an arithmetic problem, and its little owner smiled happily.

It erased a crooked eye and the little owner drew a more beautiful one.

At that time, its body was gradually wearing down, getting smaller, and getting dirtier.

But its heart was full and happy.

It is a "corrector," not a "destroyer."

……

however.

The scene then changes.

Sudden change in painting style.

It was sold.

It arrived in this cruel, serialized city.

It was taken back by the owner of the lavish banquet.

"From today onwards, you no longer need to erase the wrong words."

"What you need to wipe away... are those people who are blocking your way."

It was forcibly filled with black ink.

It was refined into the [Eraser of Oblivion].

It began to kill.

It erased the life of a poor painter who was working hard at his art because he couldn't afford the protection money.

It wiped out a thriving small shop because it was a competitor.

It erased one vivid character after another, one wonderful story after another.

Its body grew darker and harder.

It has forgotten its original purpose.

It thought it was maintaining order.

In fact, it's just creating emptiness.

"No...don't..."

The real-life Eraser Elder trembled all over.

Two lines of white liquid flowed from the corners of its eyes (if they were).

That's rubber latex.

They are the tears of an eraser.

"What have I done...?"

"I just wanted to make the world a little cleaner..."

"Why...did I become like this...?"

……

Jiang Li stood opposite, quietly watching it.

He took a bite of the "Blank Soup" made by the elder.

"Hmm... as expected, it doesn't taste like anything."

Jiang Li put down the bowl and shook her head.

"Forgetting can indeed bring temporary peace."

"But, Elder."

"If you've even forgotten your past self, what's the point of your current existence?"

"That noodle holds more than just a story."

"Moreover... [our original aspiration]."

boom!

These two words struck the elder's heart like a heavy hammer.

"Original intention..."

The elder raised his hands, trembling.

Looking at his own dark, dirty body, which reeked of blood.

It suddenly let out a heart-wrenching roar.

"ah!!!!!"

"I'm dirty! I'm so dirty!"

"This filthy thing... doesn't deserve to exist in this world!"

It suddenly raised the artifact in its hand that had accompanied it for countless years—the [Eraser of Oblivion].

He rubbed his body hard.

"Sizzle sizzle—"

It is not attacking anyone.

It is in the process of... [self-correction].

As it moved, countless black eraser shavings fell down.

That was the sins it had accumulated over the years, the ink it had swallowed.

"Erase it! Erase it all!"

"I want to become... my clean self again!"

To the astonishment of the entire audience.

The terrifying Elder Eraser grew smaller and smaller as the black shavings peeled away.

At last.

It wiped away all the black.

Only a tiny piece, about the size of a fingernail, remained.

but.

That small piece, however...

[Pure white].

That was its original form.

……

That small white eraser lay quietly on the table.

It stopped speaking and stopped moving.

It seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep, yet it also seemed to have been reborn.

The entire room fell silent.

It wasn't until Jiang Li walked over and carefully picked up the small white eraser that she finally understood.

"Go to sleep."

"When you wake up, find a good family for you and let them erase your homework."

"That's where you should be."

……

"The match is over!"

The host's voice trembled slightly.

"The Third Round – A Clash of Titans!"

"The winner is Jiang Li!"

"He...not only won the game."

"He even...purified the referees!"

boom----

The applause erupted like thunder.

This time, there were no boos, no doubts.

Everyone stood up.

Even the most discerning nobles tipped their hats in respect to Jiang Li on the stage.

Because what he demonstrated went far beyond culinary skills.

That is art that strikes the soul.

……

[Ding! Congratulations, host!]

[Winner of the "World's Greatest Culinary Competition" Grand Champion!]

[Achievement Completed: NO.1]

[Rewards being processed...]

[Acquired: 100% ownership of the serialized city (including land title).]

[Obtained: God-tier art supplies set (can be taken out of this dimension).]

[Obtained: The key to the next dimension—the "8-bit Pixel Heart".]

Jiang Li stood on the high platform, feeling the cheers and ink energy surging in from all directions.

He became the king of this world.

But he didn't have much attachment to it.

"Boss...I...I can't take it anymore..."

Sudden.

A weak voice came from my feet.

It's tangyuan (glutinous rice balls).

This little guy wasn't idle backstage either.

While everyone was watching the game, it secretly ate up all the food supplies brought by the "Grand Feast".

It even licked up the black fragment of the [Oblivion Eraser] that the elder had wiped away, treating it like a black sesame seed.

now.

Tangyuan's body is undergoing dramatic changes.

Its entire body was glowing.

That light is no longer two-dimensional planar light.

Instead, it's a kind of... angular, pixelated... [pixel light].

Its body began to become square.

"belch--"

Tangyuan burped, but what came out was no longer bubbles.

Instead, it was a string of... [garbled text].

"Daddy...I'm...evolving..."

"I'm going to...the next place..."

hum-

Behind Tangyuan, the void suddenly cracked open.

It was no longer a smooth line or a crack.

Instead, it's a mosaic-like structure made up of countless colored squares... [Pixel Gate].

The sound of old-fashioned, electronically synthesized 8-bit music drifted from inside the door:

"Dilili~Dululu~"

"It seems the time has come."

Jiang Li picked up the pixelated glutinous rice ball.

He waved to Odin and Abel.

"Brothers! Let's go!"

"This world is cleared!"

"Next stop—[Pixel World]!"

"Go check out those cubes...can they be cooked into braised pork?"

brush--

A flash of white light.

Jiang Li and his group disappeared through the pixel gate.

All that remains is the jubilant city where the serialized story unfolded, and the legend of "purifying the Great Demon King with a bowl of noodles," which will live on forever in this black-and-white world.