Sky-cracking Rider

Two plates of Zhajiang noodles had cost Chen Fei a thousand Star Yuan, and that didn't even include the optional side dishes.

The Zhajiang noodles from the "Abyss Coliseum" truly lived up to their reputation, not overcharging in the least, quite substantial, perfect for slurping noodles with your girlfriend without feeling embarrassed.

One plate of noodles, where the noodles only cost two Star Yuan and could be added for free, while the rest of the ingredients accounted for 99% of the cost - abalone, sea cucumber, and fish maw provided a base, topped with caviar and marbled beef, and chunks of shelled, snow-white, large lobster meat chopped into segments each the size of an egg.

"Ah, this... 'Zhajiang noodles' indeed has its reasons for being expensive!"

Chen Fei ordered a bowl of +5 Zhajiang noodles.

+1 meant an added ounce of noodles, +5 meant a half pound, on top of the base three ounces of plain noodles, putting nearly half a pound of chewy noodles in the bowl topped with gravy, creating an visually impressive effect.

He also ordered four flavorful stewed eggs and two pieces of deep-fried pork cutlets, each three fingers thick.

The thoughtful Teacher Shen Fei additionally ordered two large turkey legs for Chen Fei, fried to resemble giant pig's feet.

After awakening his supernatural powers, Chen Fei's appetite had unknowingly increased a lot since, after all, his strength had grown and the law of conservation of energy was still quite scientific.

And as long as he digested well, eating more didn't necessarily mean more bathroom visits.

However, restaurant patrons like Chen Fei who preferred large servings were not uncommon, including even larger eaters from among other Intelligent Species.

"Five hundred Star Yuan a plate, not sure if it's the noodles or something else."

Shen Fei used her chopsticks to roll up the noodles into a "large chicken leg".

Don't laugh, this is a very authentic way to eat.

Pure Light Sparrow Xiao Jiu hopped around the table, circling the plate full of Zhajiang noodles, curiously inspecting the noodles that looked like small mountains to it, stretching its little head trying to pull out a strand to taste.

But when Chen Fei shared a small segment of noodle with the little bird, and after pecking at it a few times, the little guy quickly lost interest.

For Little Bird, carbohydrates like starches couldn't satisfy, barely managing with grains that had low water content, only the egg-sized pieces of lobster meat somewhat met the bird's need for high-quality protein, it quickly grabbed a chunk of lobster meat with minimal sauce and tore at it, its delicate sharp beak pulling off small strips of lobster meat, then proudly tilting back its head and swallowing.

A cold breeze suddenly struck from behind, making Chen Fei shiver involuntarily, it felt less like air conditioning and more like it came from an Ability User's skill, the coldness piercing deep into his bones.

He was about to turn around to see which Ability User hadn't properly controlled their power, but then he heard a familiar voice in his ears.

"It's me, Miyoshi, don't turn around!"

Miyoshi Xuesen?

That's right!

Chen Fei remembered, he had seen that bald head before, unmistakable.

Noticing Shen Fei looking his way sensing something was amiss, he quickly made a silencing gesture, whispering, "An acquaintance, it's a special situation!"

Shen Fei nodded and continued rolling up her noodles with her chopsticks.

"What a coincidence, Miyoshi!"

Chen Fei didn't turn his head, his voice was loud enough to reach behind him.

"Yeah, I might need some help later, just giving you a heads up."

Miyoshi Xuesen's voice came from behind.

"Caroline, Tuert, how are they, are they all right?"

Chen Fei only remembered Miyoshi Monk's bald head but didn't see anyone else.

Particularly the B-rank Fire Ability User Caroline, who excelled in cooking and explosions; she and Chen Fei made a perfect team, one could cook and the other could eat, a seamless partnership.

"They..."

Miyoshi Monk's voice hesitated for a moment, seemingly struggling to say, "They are not doing well!"

Chen Fei immediately felt a sinking feeling, a bad premonition washing over him.

Back in Squad 04, he had experienced teammates who were fine one moment and gone the next – misfortunes came so suddenly, they were hard to foresee.

"Can you tell me about it?"

After taking a deep breath, Chen Fei was mentally prepared.

The Huntsman Squad was known for their life-threatening missions, and mishaps were inevitable.

"There were some accidents, Caroline is in a vegetative state, Tuert suffered irreversible damage to his spiritual power, Andrew dropped a rank, Masuya... died!"

Miyoshi Monk's voice remained emotionless, without a trace of fluctuation.

Made of iron, the team was ever-changing; he had experienced this countless times, his heart as hard as iron.

Everyone was going to die someday, and next time, it might be him, nothing to complain about.

Chen Fei let out a long sigh.

Despite being prepared, the reality was still beyond his expectation; he couldn't imagine what kind of enemy they had encountered that had inflicted such severe damage on the Huntsman Squad, the dead and the injured, with survivors probably unable to return to their original state.

"The new recruits aren't effective, so I wanted to give you a heads-up first."

Miyoshi Monk had no choice, it's better to use the experienced than the new, otherwise, he wouldn't have considered revisiting old connections.

When Chen Fei was in the Huntsman Squad, although he often acted recklessly, he was exactly the kind of person needed to distract the opponents, balancing the team's abilities relatively well.

But without Chen Fei, and without suitable replacements in the short term, some gaps were inevitable.

If it had been an ordinary opponent, being cautious wouldn't have caused much trouble, but the Huntsman Squad had faced a very tough foe. They were caught off guard and suffered greatly, although they ultimately succeeded in eliminating the enemy, it was a Pyrrhic victory, with the squad nearly wiped out.

Even Miyoshi Xuesen, who seemed unscathed, had lost one-third of his Dark Ninja Team, but he hadn't told Chen Fei.

"What's the situation?"

If it were just a simple gesture that wouldn't delay the duel that the "Genuine Fragrance" Squad was about to face, Chen Fei wouldn't mind doing what he could for Miyoshi Monk.

"Let's talk later!"

Miyoshi Xuesen didn't elaborate further and started slurping noodles in front of him like any ordinary diner.

The astute Shen Fei immediately realized that the person whispering behind Chen Fei was being cautious because of her, and immediately said, "I'm fine. You can go ahead."

Although Chen Fei hadn't seen the Miyoshi Monk, Shen Fei could see him clearly—a middle-aged man in a suit with slicked back hair, sitting behind Chen Fei, his head down, devouring a bowl of Zhajiang noodles as greedily as if the toppings were no less plentiful than those she and Chen Fei had ordered.

The "Abyss Coliseum"'s Zhajiang noodles could vary widely—cheap ones at 20 Star Yuan could satisfy one's appetite, whereas the pricey ones could cost up to 10,000 Star Yuan; the noodles were the same, it was all in the toppings.

"It's fine, but that guy behind us is a big trouble, it's not good to get you involved."

Chen Fei did not distrust Teacher Shen, but the tasks carried out by Miyoshi Monk were quite dangerous.

He didn't want to expose the ordinary Shen Fei to such dangers.

Even though Shen Fei had the backing of Northern Weapons Industry Group, and openly, no one would dare take the risk to harm her.

However, it's easy to dodge a spear in the light, but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark, the company's protection could not cover every individual at all times, and if anything were to happen, Chen Xiao'er would have no regrets.

"I understand, take care of yourself too."

Shen Fei grasped the implied meaning in Chen Fei's words.

Ability Users had their responsibilities, and all she could do was to ensure her own safety and wait for Chen Fei to return safely.

-

The night was deep and quiet.

Chen Fei had not received the signal from Miyoshi Monk to meet as planned, instead, Little Bird was so sleepy, it flew into its nest, tucked its head under its wing, chirped occasionally, and began to drift into sleep.

As he was preparing to wash up for bed, Chen Fei noticed a small note that had appeared on the bedside table.

Picking it up, he saw the details were all there—time, place, person, event.

No mistake, it was Miyoshi Xuesen!

Most likely, a ninja with enhanced Dark Abilities had stealthily slipped in and placed the note.

Big Brother Xiao, the ordinary mechanic from the same dormitory, wouldn't have noticed an Ability User sneaking in, especially while Little Bird was asleep. If Little Bird were awake, a "Light Burst Flash" would indiscriminately cover the entire room, and the abilities used for concealment and stealth would likely fail.

Moments later, Chen Fei reached the edge of the dormitory area.

A crescent moon hung in the sky, surrounded by stars.

But then a cloak of darkness enveloped the area, followed by a light that suddenly illuminated the scene.

Chen Fei saw Miyoshi Monk sitting cross-legged on a straw mat, an oil lamp in front of him, its light faint like a bean, still setting up a dragon gate formation for a tea ceremony.

"Sorry, to avoid drawing attention, I had to use a lightless barrier around here."

The monk heated the teacup slowly while gesturing at the surroundings.

The crescent and the stars in the sky disappeared, and the lights from the nearby dormitories were also invisible. Beyond a few feet it was pitch-dark.

"Oh!"

Chen Fei, unconcerned, kicked off his shoes and stepped onto the straw mat.

The straw mat was just the right size for two people to sit facing each other. Your journey continues at My Virtual Library Empire

Drinking tea in the middle of the night, aren't you worried about not being able to sleep?

Sensing the doubt in Chen Fei's mind, Miyoshi Xuesen said, "This is black tea, it's calming."

He then pulled a file bag from under a low table next to him and pushed it across.

"I know what Jiu Defense is facing right now, you might find what's in here useful."

An emperor doesn't skimp on his soldiers; now that Chen Fei was no longer with the Huntsman Squad, Miyoshi Xuesen, seeking his help, had to offer something first, as a sign of sincerity.

"Let's talk about it."

Chen Fei opened the file bag, sifting through its contents, which didn't prevent Miyoshi Monk from explaining what kind of help he needed.

So far, he hadn't really agreed to anything; this meeting was just an initial contact.

Helping was a favor, not helping was his right; if the risk was too high or the terms were unsuitable, he would still unequivocally refuse.

"There are suspects from the Third Civilization who have entered the 'Abyss Coliseum'."

Miyoshi Monk calmly poured tea for Chen Fei; the tea was dark yet revealed hints of red.

Suddenly looking up from the documents, Chen Fei asked,

"The Third Civilization?"

The First Civilization was Blue Star, the Second Civilization was Cangqiong Star, then the Third Civilization...