Universe Infinite Canteen

While everyone else was still struggling, Mr. Furball had already pounced, snagged a piece, and gulped it down in two or three bites.

Little kittens are always more impulsive than humans and find it more difficult to control their instincts.

Moreover, Mr. Furball had already been through a crossover once, so his fear of death was not as intense as the others'.
Experience tales at empire

After eating, he smacked his lips thoughtfully and then realized that everyone was staring at him.

"You all aren't planning to just do nothing and keep watching me, are you? Don't worry, if I'm poisoned, I'll howl in agony and roll around on the ground, making sure no one misses my tragic death," Mr. Furball assured, patting his chest.

"How does it taste?" Ma Lu asked the question everyone was worried about.

The ragdoll cat seemed contemplative, "I swallowed it so quickly just now that I didn't pay much attention... but it's definitely tastier than catnip, without a doubt."

No one present had tasted catnip, so they didn't know what to make of the statement that it was tastier than catnip.

Mr. Furball then volunteered, "I can try another piece for you guys."

"No, that's not necessary," Ma Lu said hurriedly.

Old Wang had gone through so much trouble to only come up with 5 pieces, one of which was now in Mr. Furball's stomach, leaving 4 pieces. Watching over the Red Little Devil Sashimi were Ma Lu, Wandering Sorcerer, Yan Wu, Chen Zhengyi, and Liliem, among others.

The Valkyrie People ate less, and combined they counted as one person, but even so, there was still someone who would miss out.

So they definitely couldn't let Mr. Furball have another.

The ragdoll cat was quite regretful. To it, if the food on the plate was poisonous, then eating one piece or the whole would result in death either way, so it would naturally prefer the latter.

To be safe, everyone waited another 15 minutes. Mr. Furball was still hopping and skipping around, showing no signs of being poisoned.

Ma Lu didn't want to wait any longer, since according to Old Wang, the optimal tasting period for this dish was within 20 minutes, and the flavor would deteriorate after that.

However, someone acted faster than him!

Relying on his strong physique, the hardware store owner was the second to step forward, picked up a piece, sniffed it, and then popped it into his mouth.

The next moment, his clothes burst layer by layer, revealing thick fur underneath.

At the same time, his head also started to change, his mouth elongating, his pupils turning hazel, and his teeth becoming sharper. He exuded an air of ferocity.

Was this... a werewolf transformation?!

Ma Lu instinctively looked up at the sky. There was no moon tonight, only a brilliant river of stars.

Fortunately, Yan Wu didn't lose his senses like the werewolves in movies after transforming. He seemed rather puzzled, standing in place and scratching his head.

"What's going on? I've checked the calendar; it's not that time of the month," he said.

"Then it must be the effect of the food," Ma Lu said. "How do you feel?"

"It seems like... I have more strength than usual," Yan Wu clenched his fist, "Am I imagining it? But that peculiar power seems to have disappeared now."

"Hell ingredients have that kind of effect," Old Wang explained, "Dishes cooked with them have a chance of bestowing the eater with special abilities, though these are often linked with negative emotions."

"So you're saying that when I felt a surge of power before, my heart indeed filled with rage," the hardware store owner said.

"Rage? Why would you feel rage?" the Wandering Sorcerer asked curiously.

"Well, just now when I was tasting that sashimi, there was a sense of exhilaration as if I were tearing and chewing the flesh and blood of my enemy. I couldn't help but transform," he explained.

"Now that you mention it, I remember something too," Mr. Furball chimed in. "When I ate that thing, it felt like I guzzled down two crates of baijiu and smoked more than a dozen packs of cigarettes back-to-back. It was absolutely thrilling."

"So, what does this sashimi taste like exactly?" Liliem inquired.

"I don't know," Yan Wu shook his head. "The moment it touched my mouth, my brain was overwhelmed with intense emotions. As for the actual taste, it got overshadowed, or I'd say it didn't matter anymore. Moreover, from what the cat and I experienced, the emotions we felt were not exactly the same."

"A kind of edible... emotion? Sounds pretty interesting," someone remarked.

Ma Lu, however, was concerned with something else at the moment, "Old Wang, you just mentioned that this thing could also grant special abilities?"

"Special abilities are a chance occurrence, not a guarantee," he clarified.

"Ohhhhh," they reacted.

Ma Lu then had no choice but to give it a try. After all, it was a superpower, something that could make one's life take off without having a tragic childhood like the superheroes in Marvel movies.

When else to take a risk if not now?

Without delay, Ma Lu also took a slice and ate it. The moment he bit into it, he envisioned the Universe Infinite Canteen becoming the hottest restaurant globally, with all the celebrities and big shots begging him for a meal.

Not just Michelin, even the United Nations and the Oscars were awarding him, and the Nobel Prize gave him all six awards at once, even taking out loans for the next three years' awards...

The Olympics urgently added a Most Delicious Restaurant competition, and of course, the Universe Infinite Canteen won effortlessly, with a gold medal on the leaderboard counted as one hundred.

Ma Lu subsequently became a national hero and represented Earth on visits to other planes...

His bank account balance exceeded 20 digits, with over six billion Star Currency. Not only did he pay off his debt to Yan Wu, but he also set up a small museum in his 10,000-square-meter mansion to house the High-Dimensional Artifacts he collected.

He no longer used coupons when ordering takeout, and he even bought the gourmet review website. Afterwards, he personally requested Yu Yitong to work in his mansion as a housekeeper.

He spent his days idling in front of her, listening to her bend over and call out "Boss Ma" three times before he would respond.

Ahh... such bliss, not even wish-fulfillment stories are this satisfying!!!

Although it lasted only a brief moment, Ma Lu indeed felt exhilarated; his whole being seemed lively and refreshed.

Is this... the power of Hell's cuisine? Truly terrifying indeed.

But he didn't forget what was important, and soon he checked his body for any changes, only to find nothing unusual.

Could the mutation have failed? Ma Lu felt somewhat unwilling to accept that, especially since Yan Wu had just acquired an anger-enhancement skill, making him feel even more discontented.

Just then, he heard the hardware store owner's voice again, "For some reason, I'm finding you more and more irksome. Why should we be busy fighting Hell Creatures over there, while you get to relax in a hot spring, ogling thighs."

"Don't forget the chest..." Mr. Furball added, "The chest is also quite nice."

"Now that you say it, you're right," the Wandering Sorcerer agreed. "Suddenly, I also feel like this guy deserves a beating."