Chapter 70: The Adventurers' Guild

Sumeru City, Treasure Street, Galat Hotel.

Morning light filtered through the curtains and fell upon the quilt, bringing a trace of warmth to Lin Feng as he sat on the edge of the bed.

A wisp of fresh air, accompanied by the chirping of birds, gradually filled the room.

Lin Feng gently moved Xiaobai off his thigh, walked over to the oval window at the far end of the room, pulled back the curtains, and cheerfully admired the beautiful scenery outside.

The mountains looming in the morning mist, the trees gently swaying in the breeze, and the wandering merchants crying out their wares on the streets...

Everything that usually felt so mundane seemed to possess a unique charm today.

With Alhaitham joining his cause, Lin Feng's progress in reorganizing the Akademiya had finally taken a massive leap forward.

As a reliable adult, the scribe's working ability never failed to disappoint.

He estimated that within one to two weeks, he could complete the collection of the Deity-Making Project roster and the identification of substitute management personnel.

Although Lin Feng had shared the experimental objectives and partial experimental procedures of the project—which he knew from the storyline—with Alhaitham, the Deity-Making Project was a heavily classified core project, and the vast majority of scholars had never even heard its name. Finding all the participants was practically a pipe dream.

Yet Alhaitham still had the confidence to deliver a report in such a short time; this efficiency was nothing short of terrifying.

In his own words:
"All actions inevitably leave traces behind. I am investigating while holding the answer key. If I couldn't achieve this level of efficiency, I might as well consider repeating a grade."

Seeing that the other party possessed such supreme confidence, Lin Feng had no intention of interfering with his personal actions, other than informing him that the memory crystal could be used to save his life in a critical moment.

Though they had spent the entire night chatting away in dreams, Lin Feng's dreaming did not interfere with the body's normal rest.

Waking up early and finishing his morning ablutions, Lin Feng suddenly remembered the appointment he had made with Faruzan yesterday.

He abruptly realized that until late this afternoon, he would find himself in a completely idle state.

Thus, ever since arriving in Sumeru City, Lin Feng—whose mental state had been taut all this time—was granted a rare leisurely morning.

Since he still had plenty of time, he decided to head over to the long-desired Puspa Café to have his breakfast.

Speaking of this establishment, it brought to mind the pastry chef he had previously met in the Avidya Forest area.

According to that person, the Padisarah Pudding he made, while considered "of exceptional quality" in the eyes of ordinary pastry chefs, was as different from the desserts at Puspa Café as gold was to Harra Fruit.

Such a description immediately piqued Lin Feng's interest.

Given that the chef's skill level was already miles ahead of the curve in the Avidya Forest region, Lin Feng found it hard to believe that any other master could be so vastly superior to him.

Therefore, ever since hearing those words from the chef, he had always hoped to one day personally visit this legendary Puspa Café to taste their coffee and desserts.

Acting on the impulse, Lin Feng asked the hotel attendant for directions and eagerly made his way to the renowned café.

As soon as he reached the entrance, Lin Feng noticed the subtle distinctiveness of the architectural style.

Unlike general Sumeru buildings which usually lacked a second floor, Puspa Café stood much taller, with a circular wooden balcony specially built on the exterior of the second floor, supported by two load-bearing columns directly above the café's main entrance.

In the very center of the café was a square pool housing an exquisite lotus-shaped fountain, the water flow shifting in response to the changing music.

"Squeak?"

Not forgetting that he was here to eat, Lin Feng stroked Xiaobai on his shoulder and chose a seat close to the fountain.

Summoning the café attendant, Lin Feng pointed to several signature desserts on the menu and said:
"Bring me two portions of Baklava, two of Padisarah Pudding, and two of Rose Custard. Also, a cup of coffee, slightly mild, with no sugar added."

Watching the attendant turn to leave, Lin Feng suddenly remembered something, called him back, and added:
"Wait a moment, please pack an extra portion of those three desserts along with some Candied Ajilenakh Nuts to go. I'll need to take them with me shortly. Thank you."

The attendant, dressed in a light-green work uniform, nodded slightly to indicate he had noted Lin Feng's request and asked him to rest comfortably at his seat.

Moments later, several desserts that could easily pass for works of art were served onto Lin Feng's table.

Delicate light-green vessels were engraved with orderly circular patterns, and the desserts within were utterly impeccable in color, shape, and presentation.

After taking a small bite, Lin Feng felt even more convinced that this culinary excursion was the right choice.

Whether it was the Padisarah Pudding or the Rose Custard, both were top-tier selections in terms of texture and flavor.

Yet what amazed Lin Feng the most was the most common of them all: the Baklava. This traditional Sumeru pastry was baked with crushed nuts and hot butter, usually finished with a light drizzle of syrup just before coming out of the oven.

As a classic dessert, recipes for it existed everywhere, but the Baklava made by mediocre pastry chefs was not only cloyingly sweet, it also completely lacked the soul of "crispness," resulting in a dull texture and a single-layered flavor.

However, the Baklava at this establishment truly lived up to the secret of the "thousand layers."

Thin, flaky layers stacked upon one another, infused with the fragrance of butter and honey that seeped deep into the core—such a creation was enough to pull anyone who tasted it into the camp of dessert lovers.

Having suddenly encountered such rare delicacies, Lin Feng and Xiaobai both transformed into food harvesters, starting a plate-stacking competition on either side of the table.

Once fully fed and satisfied, Lin Feng stored the packaged gift into his spatial storage, planning to present it to the sweet-toothed Lesser Lord Kusanali when sleeping tonight.

Simply to aid digestion, Lin Feng wandered aimlessly through the streets of Sumeru.

As he walked, he noticed a deeply familiar building far in the distance.

A green roof, a semicircular counter, a rather snug little cabin nestled beside a tall spiral staircase. Right above the counter, a huge emblem resembling an overlapping four-leaf clover stood out remarkably, perfectly complementing the beautiful receptionist standing beneath it.

Gazing at the exceptionally familiar building and receptionist, Lin Feng felt as though he could almost hear the sentence he had listened to countless times before ringing in his ears—"Ad Astra Abyssosque."

Seeing that the Sumeru Adventurers' Guild was right before his eyes, Lin Feng, who had long planned to visit, naturally wouldn't let slip this hard-earned golden opportunity.

Yet before he could even draw closer, Miss Katheryne, dressed in a maid uniform, seemed to notice the youth-like Lin Feng, tilted her head slightly, and flashed a bright smile toward him in the distance.