Chapter 121 - 120: Cliff Top

Chapter 121: Chapter 120: Cliff Top

Another fifteen minutes later.

Gaode followed behind Candice as they stepped off the final stone stair of the ascent, returning to the top of Kuli Cliff.

The other four had arrived at the peak a while ago and were currently resting.

Luca, who had walked at the very front and carried the heaviest load of Water Gold Ore, was completely drained. He lay spread-eagled on the ground, panting heavily.

Seeing Candice and Gaode finally climb up, the group only cast them a weak glance; they didn’t even have the energy to speak.

As soon as they reached the peak, Candice disregarded all maidenly poise and etiquette befitting the Nobility. She sat cross-legged on the ground without a care for her image, utterly paralyzed by fatigue.

"Candice..." Roya, who had been resting for a while, hesitated before standing up.

He walked over to her and offered an orange Magic Potion.

"It’s a Physical Recovery Potion. I asked Instructor Sahu—drinking recovery-type Magic Potions is allowed. It’s not against the rules," Roya said.

Candice glanced up at him, ultimately waving it off. "Thank you, but I don’t need it right now," she said softly.

"Candice..." Rejected, Roya’s face seemed to pale a few shades.

Sitting up from the ground nearby, Luca caught sight of this, and a mocking sneer curled his lips.

To him, Roya’s attempt to curry favor with Candice only to be rejected was both childish and embarrassing.

However, Candice was indeed quite attractive, with delicate features and smooth, dazzling golden-brown hair.

Even now, pale and drenched in sweat from exhaustion, she still exuded an undeniable aura of Nobility that her fatigue couldn’t conceal.

"Brother Kaplan, how was your harvest this morning?" Luca suddenly asked Kaplan loudly. "I dug up a full thirty kilograms this morning. If I work hard this afternoon, another thirty won’t be a problem."

Called out so suddenly, Kaplan froze for a moment, but he quickly figured out his "good brother’s" intentions.

He wondered if Luca was trying to attract Candice’s attention and flex his muscles using this method.

Kaplan naturally didn’t want Luca to get his way.

The problem was that the Water Gold Ore Luca carried up was indeed much heavier than his own. He couldn’t refute it.

Rolling his eyes, Kaplan decided to change the subject.

"Gaode, look, all of us have somewhat of a harvest. Even Candice has over ten kilograms of Water Gold Ore." Shifting his gaze to Gaode, he pretended not to hear Luca’s question and offered some "well-meaning" advice.

"You’re the only one who wasted the whole morning. You should face reality, drop those unrealistic delusions, and honestly go down into the mines like the rest of us."

Hearing this, the others nodded slightly, clearly agreeing with Kaplan’s words.

"It’s fine, I’ll try again. I spent the morning practicing my diving and didn’t really look for clams," Gaode replied with a chuckle.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t see through their petty schemes; he simply couldn’t be bothered to argue with them.

As a transmigrator, Gaode’s mindset was already far more mature than his physical age.

Seeing these tactics—deliberately speaking loudly to attract a young girl’s attention, the kind of behavior usually only seen in middle or high school—he only thought that little boys in every world were truly just as "cute."

Kaplan had initially just wanted to change the subject, but seeing Gaode brush him off so casually actually made him anxious.

"Didn’t you hear Instructor Sahu? Harvesting clams is intrinsically harder than mining, not to mention you’re a complete amateur who had to learn how to dive on the spot.

"Harvesting clams is a dead end!"

"How will I know if I don’t try?" Gaode replied, still chuckling. Compared to the others who were panting heavily, he appeared noticeably more relaxed and at ease.

"Why are you so stubborn?" Kaplan became inexplicably exasperated. "I bet you that even if you spend another week at it, you’ll still come up empty-handed!"

"Then you’ve already lost the bet," Candice suddenly interjected before Gaode could speak.

"Huh?" Kaplan looked at Candice, not understanding what she meant.

"Look at Gaode’s basket," Candice said softly.

Hearing her words, everyone instinctively looked toward Gaode’s basket.

With just that one glance, they suddenly realized his basket wasn’t completely empty like they had assumed!

"Is... is this a Maiden Clam?!" Kaplan asked in disbelief.

"I had some good luck on my last dive and managed to harvest one," Gaode smiled bashfully.

This single Maiden Clam was equivalent to fifty kilograms of Water Gold Ore.

Meanwhile, Kaplan had worked his heart out all morning, only to carry about twenty-five kilograms of Water Gold Ore up the mountain...

"You can’t possibly have this kind of luck every time..." Kaplan’s face instantly flushed red as he forced those words out.

Gaode acted as if he hadn’t heard him and chuckled. "I’m heading back to eat."

After struggling all morning, he was already starving, and it was time for lunch anyway.

It wasn’t just him; the others were even worse off.

However, since this was everyone’s first time carrying out a task, none of them had the experience to bring dry rations.

After a whole morning of manual labor demanding immense Physical Strength, their bodies wouldn’t be able to hold up if they didn’t replenish their Energy with a timely meal.

Therefore, the most pressing matter was to hurry back and eat, not to stay here fighting over petty jealousy.

Gaode left his morning "harvest" on the cliff top, traveling light as he headed in the direction of his dormitory.

He moved briskly and soon disappeared into the distance.

With Gaode’s departure, the atmosphere grew slightly awkward due to the previous conversation.

The remaining five people had different thoughts. Some simply envied Gaode’s good luck, while others felt a complex mix of embarrassment and awkwardness.

Finally, Jelica staggered to her feet and whispered to Candice, who was still sitting on the ground, "Let’s go too. If we don’t get something to eat, the afternoon’s task will be even harder to complete."

She could see that Candice’s legs were weak and that she was having trouble walking, so out of kindness, she wanted to help her along.

Hearing this, Candice snapped out of her daze and nodded. Supported by Jelica, the two of them left the cliff top together.

Kaplan remained standing in place, his complexion still not completely back to normal. He took a deep breath, suppressing the indignation and shame in his heart.

He knew the words he had blurted out earlier were too impulsive and made him look petty.

But seeing Gaode stumble into good luck so easily just made him feel it was unfair.

He thought, "I don’t believe your luck will be this good in the afternoon!" Then, he too turned around and trudged heavily back toward the academy.

Gaode first returned to Unit 30 in the First District, took a shower, and changed into a clean set of clothes.

He hand-washed his morning clothes and hung them out on the balcony to dry before finally leaving the dormitory and heading to the dining hall.

Despite all this delaying him well past mealtime, the dining hall was still bustling with people.

Clearly, many students in the academy did not strictly adhere to a fixed meal schedule.

At the same time, Gaode noticed that the writing on the menu board at the entrance had changed from yesterday.

Today’s Special: "Charcoal-roasted Centipede," 8 Silver Coins per serving.

HISS!

Having already witnessed and tried the Charcoal-roasted Bird Spider yesterday, Gaode still couldn’t help but gasp when he saw the name Charcoal-roasted Centipede.

He thought, "Are the tastes really this hardcore here? Fine, fine, fine. And it’s so expensive. Eight Silver Coins per serving. With that kind of money, I could eat anything else, rather than a lousy centipede... Wait, this price actually seems cheaper than yesterday’s Charcoal-roasted Bird Spider..."

Gaode fell into deep thought.

Five minutes later.

"Sir, your Charcoal-roasted Centipede, meticulously prepared. Please enjoy!" A server brought a large plate of Charcoal-roasted Centipede to Gaode’s table.

A small bottle of liquor was also provided with the meal.

With his morbid curiosity having once again suppressed his rationality, Gaode silently examined the special delicacy before him.

Initially, his gaze held a hint of confusion.

At first glance, he couldn’t see the so-called "centipede" at all.

Instead, he saw five round, plump onions arranged in a ring on the plate, their color a golden yellow with slightly charred outer layers.

It wasn’t a scam, of course.

The true star of the dish—the charcoal-roasted centipede—was cleverly hidden within the onion’s embrace.

Gaode used his knife and fork to slice open an onion from the top.

A complex aroma—a mix of the smoky scent of charcoal, the sweetness of honey, the pungency of spices, and the unique flavor of the centipede itself—instantly wafted into his nose, stimulating his appetite.

Every centipede wrapped inside the onions had been meticulously prepared. The inedible parts had been removed, leaving only the most succulent parts of the body, which showcased a tantalizing amber hue.

They were coated in a thin glaze made from a blend of honey, spices, and a special sauce.

Gaode skewered a centipede and a small piece of onion with his fork, stuffing them both into his mouth.

With the first bite, the sweetness and mild spiciness of the onion bloomed in his mouth.

Immediately after, the savory and unique texture of the charcoal-roasted centipede followed.

Slow-roasted over a charcoal fire, the centipede’s exoskeleton had become golden and crispy, while the meat inside remained perfectly tender and juicy.

The crispiness of the exterior starkly contrasted with the tenderness of the interior. Coupled with the clever enhancement of the spices, the dish boasted rich layers of flavor, leaving a lingering aftertaste.

The complimentary small bottle of liquor was onion wine. Its unique flavor served as the perfect finishing touch, properly neutralizing the slight fishiness of the centipede and making the entire dish’s flavor profile even more harmonious.

Having eaten the Charcoal-roasted Centipedes clean, Gaode once again felt a faint surge of heat welling up within his body.

During his dive, his body had been constantly assailed by the cold, and even after he had come ashore, a biting chill had lingered stubbornly inside him.

Now, under the warmth brought by the Charcoal-roasted Centipede, that lingering chill was completely driven away.