Chapter Seventeen: Transition

"Hello? It's me. Okay, has the package arrived? Yes, wait for me, I'll be right down!" Feng Xue answered a phone call and immediately left the dormitory, heading downstairs. In the blink of an eye, three months had passed since Feng Xue entered this world.

Though he had been absorbed in his research, he didn't neglect his relationships with the characters in the story, especially Megumi Tadokoro.

It's not that he harbored any special feelings for Megumi Tadokoro; as mentioned before, he's not the kind of idiot who knowingly jumps into pitfalls. Rather, he discovered a mysterious power in her.

It wasn’t any supernatural ability—after all, this was merely a plain, ordinary world—but Feng Xue could see that Megumi Tadokoro embodied the greatest treasure this world had to offer, though its nature remained elusive.

"Feng Xue! What kind of ingredients did you have delivered? Judging by the sounds, it must be alive, right? Why is it packed so tightly?" Downstairs, Yuki Yoshino, her hair styled in twin buns, curiously tapped the half-meter-tall cardboard box, listening to the occasional noises from within, as if pondering what it could be.

"Didn't you notice how troubled the deliveryman was?" Mrs. Bun gave Yoshino a karate chop and said to the deliveryman, "This is Feng Xue."

"Please sign," the deliveryman handed the receipt to Feng Xue with a peculiar expression.

"Alright." Feng Xue didn’t bother inspecting the goods, signed the receipt, and grabbed the package, heading back to his room.

"Hey! Feng Xue, what wild game did you buy? Let me see!" Before Feng Xue could refuse, Yoshino leapt over and skillfully opened the package, which led to a sudden scream—

"Ah!" The scream didn’t come from Feng Xue, nor from Mrs. Bun, nor even from the culprit Yoshino, but from Megumi Tadokoro, who stumbled down from upstairs, still groggy.

The girl sat on the floor, staring in terror at the contents of the package.

Inside were a dozen small boxes, most of them special plastic cages—the kind used for snakes, fully sealed with just a few air holes. Each cage contained several venomous snakes of various species.

Cobras, king cobras, banded kraits, silver kraits, and some miscellaneous snakes whose names escaped recognition. Though none were the deadliest varieties, they were still highly venomous, but at the moment, all lounged lazily in their cages. This wasn't due to anesthesia or drugs, but because the cages were set to a low temperature—below the snakes’ usual living conditions—so, as cold-blooded creatures, they were nearly in a state of hibernation.

Feng Xue didn’t check on the snakes first; instead, he picked up a small black box. When he opened it, a chill drifted out—it wasn’t an illusion, as it was actually a small temperature-controlled preservation case.

Yoshino, standing closest, saw inside were about ten sealed test tubes containing clear liquids. Though labeled, the angle made it impossible to read what was written.

"Can't you just get some normal ingredients?" Mrs. Bun’s forehead veins pulsed more violently as she looked at the snakes.

"I have normal ones!" Feng Xue picked up a cage wrapped in black cloth, opened it, and was almost slapped away by Yoshino.

Inside were countless scorpions, crawling densely about. They seemed to be young scorpions, but enough to make anyone with a fear of clusters faint outright.

Feng Xue, unconcerned, stacked the cages in his arms and carefully picked up four preservation cases, heading toward his room. "If you need anything, just call me. I'll watch over these little guys; they won’t run wild like the ones at Yoshino’s house!"

"Who are you calling wild—" Yoshino’s roar echoed behind him, but Feng Xue ignored it, carrying his haul of venomous creatures into his room.

Compared to three months ago, the room had changed significantly. To the left of the window was a massive aquarium, with a dozen Eastern red-fin puffers swimming inside. To the right, the kitchen counter had gained several new gas stoves beside the original one, simmering pots of stock day and night—some clear as spring water, others white as milk. Next to the counter were objects resembling tofu molds, weighted down, apparently containing various items.

By contrast, the bed that should have belonged to the protagonist had been shoved into a corner, appearing quite humble.

Feng Xue occasionally tasted the broths from each pot, tossing in bits of meat and seasonings, while carefully settling his new "residents."

Three months—meaning the first semester was about to end, and the first plot event he had to participate in was imminent.

Yes, it was the residential training.

It had to be said: the faculty at Totsuki Academy was excellent. Despite the risk of expulsion, in just three months, Feng Xue had transformed from a sham chef relying solely on his sensory skills into a genuine, though second-rate, cook. With his enhanced sensory abilities, his basic skills even surpassed most first-rate chefs.

Yet, he still had a fatal flaw—

He lacked the imagination essential to a successful chef.

Given a detailed recipe, he could replicate dishes tastier than the original creator. But that only made him a craftsman, not truly a chef.

Feng Xue couldn't remain forever at the ordinary level; his journey was toward the stars and the sea, and culinary arts were merely a means to nourish his gourmet cells.

Precisely because of this, he required culinary skills capable of elevating any ingredient. Merely following recipes was not the result he sought.

He had begun to glimpse the hope of breaking through these shackles.

————————————————————————————————

"Hey, hey! The weather’s great today. I’d like you all to help me out—could you come down once you’re dressed?" Early in the morning, Satoshi Isshiki’s voice boomed from the loudspeaker, jolting Feng Xue from his half-awake state.

"Isn't the one who most needs to get dressed you?" Feng Xue muttered, then crawled out of bed.

He didn’t go downstairs immediately, but first prepared feed for his "cute little ones."

The snakes were fine—they could go ten days or more without food—but the puffers in the tank and the young scorpions were delicate and needed careful attention, or risk mass casualties.

Even after living in the Polaris Dormitory for three months, Feng Xue remained awed by the vast vegetable garden. It was like an oasis suddenly appearing in a city desert; a sweep of fresh green that cleansed the soul, making one feel as if they'd returned to nature.

It was now July. Though Japan’s climate was relatively cold, the sun was starting to blaze. For those dormmates still wearing long-sleeved T-shirts under the scorching sun, Feng Xue could only admire them, while he donned short sleeves to begin the harvest.

By contrast, Satoshi Isshiki, clad only in a fundoshi, seemed perfectly suited to the blazing sun.

One had to admit, the Japanese were a peculiar people—they could wear stockings and miniskirts in winter, and long sleeves and pants in summer, seemingly impervious to the seasons!

"This tomato is remarkably sweet!" Feng Xue bit into the tomato Isshiki handed him and ate without a second thought.

"Yes, all my care goes into this vegetable garden!" Isshiki proudly admitted to skipping classes for its sake.

"But this sweetness... Did you reduce irrigation?" Feng Xue savored the tomato’s flavor. It was far superior to market-bought varieties.

"Oh? You know your stuff!" Isshiki patted Feng Xue’s shoulder with a senior’s approving expression—though it would have been better if he wore clothes.

"But if you cut back on water, how are they still so plump?" Feng Xue finished the tomato in a few bites, then turned to look at the tomato field.

It wasn’t a coincidence; every tomato plant there was plump and full, with no sign of water shortage.

"It’s all about balance, just like cooking—a tiny difference can change the outcome. I put in a lot of effort to find the optimal irrigation frequency!" Isshiki made a cute face—if one could ignore his near-nakedness.

"Lunch is ready!" Megumi Tadokoro’s voice marked the end of a busy morning. Everyone sat by the field ridges, stretching their backs after the labor, feeling as if they'd returned to the age of farming.

Though three months had passed in this world, Feng Xue still couldn’t adjust to Japanese eating habits.

Here, breakfast was a feast, lunch was simple, while dinner was akin to what he was used to at home.

But just the difference between breakfast and lunch made Feng Xue feel out of place.

For someone accustomed to Chinese meal routines, he wanted to say—"Who can stomach such a huge bowl in the morning? Why not enjoy a hearty lunch instead?"

Of course, he understood the need to adapt. He took the rice ball Megumi handed him and took a big bite.

"Mmm... This is it!" Feng Xue felt every cell in his body activate; a strange flavor sensation spread through his gourmet cells.

"This gentle feeling that calms the heart—how is it achieved through a rice ball and tea?" Feng Xue pondered, as if grasping something yet unable to define it. All he knew was that this ability could transcend the limits of ingredients!

He was certain—the method to break through his bottleneck lay within!

This was the special quality possessed by Megumi Tadokoro—the secret Feng Xue had been seeking for so long. If he could unravel it, his journey in this half-plane would be complete.

PS: I realize I shouldn’t recommend novels anymore. Last time I pushed a Demon King story, it got discontinued; just now I promoted Shadow Fantasy, and the page disappeared (though I managed to retrieve it). Is it because the protagonist’s name, reversed, is ‘Snow Wind’?