Kill one monster, stack one poison, and I alone will poison my way across the world!

"This panel... it should be alright, right?"

Su Chen's equipment is now almost fully upgraded, with the lowest level being silver.

It can be described as luxurious.

He glanced at the time on his communicator; it was already past noon.

He followed the road signs and entered the central cafeteria of Sky Dome Academy.

This is his first time here since enrolling.

The first to third floors were all ordinary windows, crowded with freshmen who had just finished class.

They sell ordinary meals here.

Although the portions are large and filling, and the taste is good, it doesn't provide any attribute bonuses; a meal only earns a few credits.

Su Chen didn't linger on the first floor; he went straight to the top floor via the magic elevator.

The style of the top floor is completely different from that of the bottom floor.

There was no noisy human voice here; the air was filled with the unique aroma of fine ingredients mixed with spices.

Instead of ordinary dining tables in the center of the hall, there was a bar surrounding a huge oven.

In front of the oven stood several creatures wearing tall white hats and red scarves.

Those were not humans, but several upright-walking, humanoid cat-beastmen the size of half-grown children.

Holding spatulas and ladles taller than themselves, they frantically stir-fried in front of a huge iron wok, flames shooting skyward.

A huge wooden sign hangs on the wall, with the words "[Master Miao's Kitchen]" written in bold characters.

Su Chen walked to the bar and sat down.

A cat-beastman with orange fur and a scar on his face immediately came over.

He pushed a thick menu in front of Su Chen: "Meow~ Distinguished guest, what would you like to eat, meow? Our ingredients are absolutely fresh, just air-freighted back from the [Thunderflame Mountains], meow!"

Su Chen opened the menu.

The first page.

[Dish: Stir-fried Beef Tenderloin with Red Lotus Root]

[Effect: Within 24 hours of consumption, Strength +50, Fire Resistance +20%.]

Price: 50000 credits

……

[Dish: Steamed Deep-Sea Turtle Brain]

[Effect: Within 24 hours of consumption, Spirit +80, Mana regeneration speed increased by 50%.]

Price: 80000 credits

……

A single meal costs tens of thousands of credits, which is unaffordable for ordinary students.

It's a temporary, powerful buff specifically designed for students preparing to tackle challenging dungeons.

Su Chen asked, "Can I try them all?"

"No, meow! It'll undo all the previous effects, meow!"

"All right."

Su Chen flipped directly to the last page of the menu.

There was only one dish there, all alone.

The picture depicts a lavish meal radiating dazzling gold light, with extremely complex ingredients.

[Dishes: Chef Miao's Ultimate Feast]

[Ingredients: Golden-grade dragon's blood, thousand-year-old snow lotus, abyssal behemoth's marrow...]

[Effect: Upon consumption, you gain a special buff, "Master Meow's Protection": For the next 48 hours, when you receive fatal damage, you are immune to that damage and your health is locked at 1 point. The buff disappears after triggering.]

Price: 100000 credits

……

"Holy crap!"

Upon seeing the price, Su Chen couldn't help but swear.

One meal, 100,000 academic credits.

That price could buy a gold-tier weapon in the trading area.

Even if ordinary students save every penny, they still can't afford it.

Su Chen stared intently at the invincibility buff, his eyes unblinking.

Although he was absolutely confident in his current damage output, no one could guarantee that they wouldn't encounter an unreasonable instant-kill mechanism.

100,000 credits can buy a life.

value.

"This is it."

Su Chen pointed to the last page of the menu, "【Master Meow's Ultimate Feast】, please."

The scarred cat chef's eyes widened, and even the white hat on his head trembled.

"Meow! Are you sure, customer? This is our shop's prized possession, it's incredibly complicated to make!"

"Confirm, swipe card."

Su Chen slapped his campus card on the bar counter.

"Alright, meow! You little rascals, let's get to work, meow!"

The Scarred Cat Chef let out an excited roar.

The cat chefs behind the bar immediately got busy, their movements so fast that they were just afterimages, and the flames almost shot up to the ceiling.

Ten minutes later.

A dish served on a huge golden platter was presented to Su Chen.

The presentation was extremely exaggerated, with the pork chop sizzling and glistening with oil, and surrounded by strange plants that emitted a faint glow.

Su Chen picked up his knife and fork and started eating.

It didn't have the indescribable strange taste I had imagined; on the contrary, it was surprisingly delicious.

The huge chunks of meat entered his stomach, turning into warm currents that flowed through his limbs and bones.

[Tip: Enjoy [Master Meow's Ultimate Feast]!]

[Hint: You have gained the status "Master Meow's Protection".]

Su Chen wiped his mouth, looked at the new status in the status bar, and nodded in satisfaction.

You can never have too many ways to save your life!

……

After finishing his meal, Su Chen didn't linger and headed straight for the Tower of Babel.

The Tower of Babel is not located on the back mountain, but to the north of the Sky Dome Academy; one needs to take a flying boat to get there.

One hour later.

The outline of the Tower of Babel could be faintly seen on the horizon.

It was a towering, pure white tower that reached into the clouds, its top completely invisible.

Golden runes flowed across the surface of the tower, radiating a suffocating aura of power.

There was none of the bustling noise of a vegetable market like the square behind the college; the surroundings were surprisingly quiet.

Su Chen walked to the tower gate.

There was an old rocking chair by the door, and a woman in a gray robe was lying on it.

The woman looked to be in her thirties or forties, holding a paper book from who-knows-when, and was reading it with great interest.

Su Chen cast a reconnaissance spell over there.

【Auntie Ta】

【grade:???】

【Profession:???】

……

Aunt Ta?

How could someone have such a name? They must have some special props to hide their identity.

He stepped forward and handed over the black and gold pass.

"Hello, I'm here to conquer the Tower of Babel."

Su Chen said.

Aunt Ta didn't even lift her eyelids, and reached out to take the pass.

Her movements paused for a moment just as her fingers touched the card.

She finally looked up from her book, glanced at the card in her hand, and then looked Su Chen up and down.

"A black gold pass?"

Her voice was somewhat languid, tinged with surprise, "That old fogey Lin Xiaotian would actually give this to a freshman who hasn't even officially enrolled yet. This is the first time."

She sat up straight and looked at Su Chen's message.

No wonder.

Aunt Ta chuckled. "Oh, it's you. You little rascal, you've got quite the connections. Even Zhan Wuji and Xiao Lei personally took care of you."

Su Chen: "..."

Zhan Lao knew who Xiao Lei was.

It can't possibly be... Commander Lei Jun, can it?

No.

Lei Jun, that scarred and imposing warrior, was actually calling this guy "Little Lei"?

It seems this gatekeeper is a hidden master.

Sky Dome Academy is a place where hidden talents abound!