Chapter 28: Culinary Delights in the Core Area
Food and Entertainment Zone.
This is the most popular area.
As the saying goes, “People live by food,” and the pursuit of delicious food is still the trend of the day.
Here, you’ll find foodies from all over the nation, renowned chefs from every corner, and culinary enthusiasts galore—all flocking here for the amazing dishes.
This area is divided into three zones: the outer, inner, and core areas. The closer you get to the center, the tastier the food! Many well-known restaurants boast chefs with insane skills, so there’s no fear of running into something inedible.
However, on the flip side, the deeper you go, the pricier it gets.
One dish from a famous chef could cost more than the average person’s half-month salary—talk about gourmet luxury!
So, those who can indulge in the core area’s cuisine are typically either powerful elites or fabulously wealthy—definitely not your everyday diner.
But even so, this place remains a favorite among many.
Even the food in the outer zone is pretty darn delicious!
For the average person, eating here is just about satisfying cravings and filling their bellies, and the prices are pretty reasonable—better than any high-end restaurants!
And today…
A sneaky little cutie has arrived in the Food and Entertainment Zone.
“Mmm, there’s probably a bunch of Night Watchers around here. Gotta be careful—I can’t get caught!”
But after playing it cautious for a while, Night Star decided, “Let’s throw caution to the wind!”
It was only a minute from her initial thought to jumping into action.
“Ah, whatever! If I run into one, I run into one. I’m a model citizen; the Night Watchers can’t just grab random people off the street. As long as they don’t know me, I can just bluff my way through.”
Night Star muttered to herself, seemingly trying to give herself a pep talk while her stomach rumbled—a bit of a distraction from her outsmarting plan.
Mostly, she was just hungry. Why spend so much brainpower figuring out where to eat when you can just chow down?
And…
It smelled too good!
Night Star could smell the delicious food from afar and felt the urge to dash over and chow down right away.
“Mmm! Can’t resist! I need to eat!”
She wiped the drool from her mouth and scurried out of her hiding spot, making a beeline for the nearby restaurant spilling out deliciousness.
No point in holding back; she had to satisfy her cravings first.
Now that she was in this food paradise, how could she just fill up to the brim right away?
There was so much she hadn’t tried yet, and she needed to leave room for things she’d never tasted before!
A while later, Night Star emerged from a cake shop with a fluffy pastry, happily nibbling away.
“Mmm! This pastry is pretty tasty! It’s almost on par with what Neko Shinna makes!” she declared, nodding in approval.
Speaking of Neko Shinna, Night Star thought she could hang out here more. If worse came to worst, she could participate in some activity or another.
With her Star credentials, she’d probably snag a title from some renowned chef!
Night Star felt quite excited about that.
Maybe she should tell Night Lan to mention it to Neko Shinna.
When the opportunity arose, she definitely had to bring her along to this place.
Hmm, mainly because that amazing “Chef” Star of hers picks up cooking skills in a flash.
If Night Star stumbled upon a dish she loved, she could request Neko Shinna to whip it up for her!
Talk about thievery of culinary skills!
“Hehehe! What a splendid idea!”
With that, she happily munched on her pastry, her joyful expression captivatingly cute.
Afterward, she pulled out her phone device, ready to check out what gems awaited in the Food and Entertainment Zone.
“Oh, there are inner and core areas too? The food there seems even fancier. Should I go check it out?”
Night Star hesitated.
She wasn’t sure if she had enough money to enjoy a meal there; she could very well take one bite and then get a rude awakening about not being able to foot the bill, and then it’d be humiliating—like being labeled a meal-scoffer!
Ugh, still too broke.
“Eh, forget it! Let’s go see! Even if I can’t afford it, I can at least get a taste of the view. Worst case, I can drag Kong Yu Bai along next time,” she resolved.
Just then, Night Star heard a voice calling her name.
“Night Star~”
“Huh?”
Night Star turned and quickly found the source of the voice.
It was a familiar student girl, looking rather cheerful—Luo Xiquan, if memory served.
She had mentioned liking to explore the Food and Entertainment Zone, and what a stroke of luck to bump into her here!
Night Star halted, patiently waiting for her approach.
In a flash, Luo Xiquan stood before her, visibly excited.
“Night Star! What a surprise to see you here! Last time, I couldn’t find you at the academy; I thought they kicked you out after the staff found you!”
“Oh, it wasn’t that serious. I just went out for a bit.”
“Good to know!”
Luo Xiquan let out a sigh of relief.
After being dragged off by friends last time, she had made an excuse to sneak back, only to find Night Star long gone, leaving her in a panic.
She had been looking all over the academy, even skipping a Night Watcher mentor’s class.
In the end, she couldn’t find her, and that worry stuck with her until now.
But seeing Night Star here put her completely at ease.
“So, what brings you out here, Night Star?”
“Mmm, I came to eat.”
“Ah, then you’ve come to the right place! I come here often for the food— I know all the good spots!”
“Got any recommendations?”
Since Night Star was as lost as a cat in a dog park, the only person to ask seemed to be this girl right in front of her.
At that, Luo Xiquan beamed confidently.
“Oh, you asked the right person! If you’re looking for the best dishes, you have to hit the core area!”
“But isn’t the food in the core area super expensive?”
“It’s not THAT expensive! I mean, going a few times a week is totally doable!”
Night Star’s jaw dropped slightly, surprised.
She heard that just one meal there could rival the average Joe’s entire month’s paycheck.
And here Luo Xiquan was saying she could feasibly eat several times a week!
What a wealthy lady vibe!
Oh! Now it made sense! Rich people truly don’t sweat the little things like meal prices! Meanwhile, Night Star had to count every penny—talk about embarrassing.
“Does that mean you’re broke, Night Star?”
“Pfft! No—of course not! I have money for food! I’m not a poor little loli!”
“Got it! Then let’s hit up the core area together!” Luo Xiquan suggested, glancing toward a direction. “But first, I need to wait for one of my friends to arrive.”
“Friend?”
Night Star paused, feeling a tad uneasy.
Strange unknown faces are the scariest!
Especially those you can’t avoid chatting with.
Even though Night Star had become a bit more social, she still instinctively cringed at the idea of mingling.
Ugh, maybe she could just come up with an excuse to explore on her own.
Just then, Luo Xiquan’s voice rang out.
“My friend’s here!”
Night Star followed Luo Xiquan’s gaze and spotted a slender figure making her way over.
That aura… felt a bit strange?
