CHAPTER 165 - VIOLET'S HAVING THE SLIME OF HER LIFE IN THE MINES
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Lunch was superb. The Demon Chef and Fengying had pulled out all the stops for Scholar Wu’s first meal with us. The normally simple and elegant tableware we used every day had been replaced with gold-edged china, gold and silver utensils, and crystal glasses. The centerpiece was an extravagant arrangement of summer blooms—peonies, roses, lilies, hollyhocks, and morning glories.
“Everything looks wonderful,” said Scholar Wu when we sat down at the table.
“This is your welcome meal. Thank you for agreeing to tutor my apprentices,” I said.
The first dish was a refreshing starter, lotus leaves stuffed with rice, diced sausage, mushrooms, and lotus seeds, delicately flavored with rice wine and soy sauce.
Next was a cold cucumber soup. One spoonful immediately cooled and invigorated my senses with its wonderful blend of flavors. The gentle sweetness and crunchy flavor of the cucumbers were perfectly complemented by the yogurt, dill, and the slight tang of garlic.
The fish course was grilled red sea bream with lemon and herbs. To be honest, I never liked fish much, but it was pretty good.
I was shocked when the meat course was served.
Beef Wellington?!
That was one of my mother’s favorite dishes, though she only ate it once or twice a year since she said it was too high in calories. My memories were full of birthday dinners in which my mom always ordered it.
Fengying, who was supervising the lunch service, seemed to mistake my surprise for unfamiliarity with the dish, so she explained what it was to me. “My lady, it’s beef tenderloin wrapped in mushrooms, onions, and herbs that’s been baked in pastry.”
“Looks delicious.” However, I knew from experience how heavy this dish was. “I don’t think I can eat this much though. Could you give me a half serving instead?”
They took my plate away and returned it with a half slice of what was called “Secret Golden Treasure Beef” instead of Beef Wellington, since obviously there was no Britain or Duke of Wellington here.
“Thank you,” I said.
My mouth watered as I sliced a bit of the golden-brown pastry crust and beef tenderloin that was covered by a rich layer of finely chopped mushrooms, shallots, and herbs sautéed in butter. It was quite decadent.
As I chewed, the exquisite flavors made me feel a pang of bittersweet longing when I thought of how my mother would’ve loved it. The beef was amazingly tender, and the earthy mushroom duxelle elevated the dish with its rich flavor profile. The flaky pastry crust added wonderful textural contrast.
“This is almost too incredible,” said Mo.
“A dish fit for a princess,” said Scholar Wu with a twinkle in her eye as she gave me a sidelong glance.
“Save some room in your stomach for dessert,” I said to the others, pointedly ignoring Scholar Wu’s teasing.
“I can't stop eating,” said Kharli.
My apprentices had been nervous about eating with their tutor at first, but as the meal progressed, they relaxed, and now we were chatting freely.
After we finished with the main dish, three maids came up to our table with three dessert dishes. One was a peach chiffon cake, the top adorned with fresh peach slices fanned out in a radiant pattern. The second was a plate of roasted pears, and the third was a tub of honey ice cream with an accompanying set of sauces one could drizzle over it. There were raspberry, peach, and strawberry sauces.
Lari chose all three dessert dishes, while the rest of us picked one or two that we preferred. I was a little bloated from everything we ate, so I only had a tiny slice of cake and a small scoop of ice cream.
“Wow, I think you’re all too full to go to classes right after this, right?” I said to the others.
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“I think a bit of rest after lunch would be appropriate. Let’s start at mid-afternoon,” said Scholar Wu.
“Thank you, ma’am!” said Lari. “Then I can have another serving…”
“Is your stomach okay?” Kharli gave him a concerned look. “Don't eat too much! You might get a stomachache.”
Lari hesitated. “Yeah, maybe you’re right.”
“For once, it's not Lari’s fault. The food is just too good,” said Mo. She was on her second serving of cake.
Lari turned to Fengying and said, “I’ll have just one more slice of cake, please.”
Scholar Wu smiled indulgently at the kids and patted her belly. “Ha! I’ve eaten a lot, too. Alright, let’s postpone our classes. We can start tomorrow.”
The kids cheered.
“Then I’ll have more roasted pears,” said Kharli.
I couldn’t believe it when my apprentices all had third servings of dessert. “Deming is just too good!”
***
Six hours later, when I was no longer too stuffed to move, I decided to pay a visit to my [Mini Hydroponic Farm] in the Chitinous Caverns. I changed into a comfortable pair of Slime-themed shorts and T-shirt from the Cash Shop and used the [Portal Door] to the mines.
With Mr. Bear walking beside me in [Guard Mode] and my slime pet Cutie in my arms, we made our way to the elevator and then rode it to level 90.
Previously, I had grown a variety of colorful flowers, vegetables, and fruits in the [Mini Hydroponic Farm], but that was a pain because they all had different growth rates. Now I had removed everything and planted [Strawberries]. I added more nutrients and adjusted the water level and grow lights.
The [Mushroom Cave] was right next to the [Mini Hydroponic Farm], so I went there to forage more mushrooms. Today I found a new item.
[Lion’s Mane Mushroom:
A rare and mystical fungi with ethereal powers. Its cascading tendrils resemble a mane fit for a mythical beast, inspiring awe and wonder to all who gaze upon it. Consuming this legendary mushroom bestows the eater with enhanced focus and mental clarity needed for casting magic spells.]
“Nice!” I said to no one in particular.
Reading between the lines of the item description, it seemed that this mushroom gave players a higher success rate of casting spells. Spells in Adventure Incarnate were finicky things that tended to fail unless the player’s magic level was at least 10 levels higher than the spell’s level requirement.
I was therefore in a great mood when we left level 90 and used the elevator to go to the slime level. We went straight to the huge cavern where the slimes liked to hang out. Its earthen walls were covered in colorful, glowing flowers. I was just going to pass through the cavern to go to the place where I collected [Goo] when Cutie unexpectedly left my side and bounced all the way to the white stone platform on the far end of the open area.
Cutie then jumped up to a boulder on the side of the stage and fiddled with something I couldn’t see. Her purpose became clear when a trap door opened and a lectern rose from beneath the stage.
I put a hand on Mr. Bear’s shoulder and said, “What’s this? Is she going to give a speech?”
“Chuuuuu! Chu. Chu.” Cutie’s voice reverberated throughout the cavern.
She had a microphone?
I had pumped in music through hidden speakers in the cavern before, so I knew they had a sound system, but I was nonplussed to find out that the lectern had a microphone, and that Cutie knew how to use it. She was smarter than I thought.
“Chu chu chu. Chuuu.” Her speech went on for a few more minutes. Only a few of the slimes seemed to be paying attention. However, that changed when Cutie suddenly grew a few appendages.
Slimes, of course, had what was called a “slime strand” on the top of their heads which they used to touch or hold things, but Cutie was the only one I knew who could grow additional slime tendrils.
The other slimes reacted in various ways. Some of them recoiled in disgust, while others bounced closer to Cutie to check what she was doing. Most of them seemed puzzled, their bodies swiveling from Cutie to the other slimes as though to say, “Did you see that? What is that?”
Cutie went on with her speech, and a few minutes later, the cavern erupted with sound. Slimes crowded around Cutie when she got off the lectern, and it seemed everyone was either excited, curious, or disapproving. I even saw one tiny slime, clearly a child, get reprimanded by an adult for daring to copy Cutie by growing two additional appendages.
As I was looking around in alarm, a System popup appeared.
[Change your pet’s name to “The Resplendent Architect of Evolution with Eyes of Gold and Luminous Aura”?]
What the heck?!
Was this a new name the other slimes had given Cutie, or had she renamed herself? I had no idea pets could change their name without input from the player.
This was yet another reminder that this was real life now, not a video game.
Shrugging, I mentally clicked on the [Yes] button though I would, of course, continue to call her Cutie. It was rather nice to have such an unusual pet.
While I had been messing around with the System, the disapproving slimes had gradually become more and more agitated. Their cries of “Chu,” it seemed to me, were becoming rather warlike.
I didn’t wait for things to come to a boil. I went to get Cutie and hustled her out of there at once. She made no protest, and many of the other slimes looked relieved.
As we walked to the elevator, I thought about the implications of Cutie’s little display. Would the slimes in the cavern learn to use limbs like Cutie did? Would they start using tools to build things and eventually form a slime civilization? Could it be that I had just witnessed the start of the Great Slimean Underground Empire?
“Cutie, can you transform into a human?” I asked her.
We hurried back to my [Ranch House] and used a large sheet of cardboard and colorful markers to draw a slime turning into a cute girl. I showed the drawing to her and said, “Look, Cutie, can you do this?”
I waited with bated breath for her reply.
Cutie used her slime strand to pick up a marker.