Like that, they talked with each and learned more about one another. Hades ended up talking a lot about the Abyss he came from, as well as his life experiences. It was evident she didn't know much about death and survival instinct, so he took it upon himself to try and teach her. He didn't know if she got it, as she didn't seem to take it very seriously. He didn't mind though, if the time comes, he'll just do it for her.
At the same time, he learned a bit of what he was lacking of this world. That humans are a dominating race of this world, and with their high intelligence, which gave them an edge with cultivation and something called technology, they took all parts of this world except for that of the Desolate Lands and Forbidden Areas. Desolate Lands are places without many resources, so the humans weren't interested I them, while forbidden areas have beasts too strong for the humans to encroach carelessly.
Though that wasn't exactly what the 8 year old said, it was what he gleaned off it.
By this time it was time for 'dinner'. This was another term he's never heard of, but he must learn, and adapt to this world.
Then he smelled something. It was strange. It smelled like the flesh he was familiar with, but different. It was more... fragrant, and lacked the bloody smell he was used to. This must be what he smelled before, meat without blood, but now it was more... stimulating. It seemed to mingle with a faint scent of smoke and something plant-like, but somehow quite nice.
His stomach emitted the low roar of a starving beast, and he remembered that he hadn't eaten since he arrived. And all he had in his stomach was the small, long-eared creature from before.
He followed Ling'er into another room, and the smell only got more fragrant. It was unlike anything he'd ever smelled in the abyss, much like many things in this world.
"Enjoy me specialty, beef stew!" The tall one, Chen Yan spoke with a hint of pride, and Ling'er looked excited, similar yet different to a hunter finding prey.
There on the piece of flat furniture they called a table, was the source of the scent, but it looked... different?
He couldn't tell what it was. It was some sort of muddy water in a hollow, half sphere, and had some colorful pieces of... something?
His sensitive nose told him that the scent from before came mostly from these brown bits. Was this... meat? Then there were chunks of something pale and another that was orange, along with some other things.
"... What is this?" He had no choice but to ask what this mysterious thing was.
"...Food?" Chen Yan wasn't quite sure what he meant by his question.
"This is sister's beef stew! It has beef, and carrots, and potatoes!" Ling'er said with a tool that looked like half a tiny club with an indention inside it in her hand
"Beef? Carrots? Potatoes?" Hades had no idea what she was talking about, which was nothing new. Thankfully, Chen Yan understood quickly and stepped in.
"Beef is meat that comes from an animal called a cow, and potatoes and carrots are vegetables that grow underground" With that, Hades understood that the food came from a mysterious animal called a cow, and that the others were another form of unknown vegetation. Though he had seldom seen vegetation that wasn't brown or green. What he didn't understand was why they called meat anything other that meat, why they called the meat of this cow, beef, rather then cow meat. Do they name the meat of all the beasts of this world.
"If the meat of this cow is called 'beef' then what do they call human meat?"
"...They call it... human.. meat...?" Chen Yan looked perplexed, as did Hades, when he learned that they named the meat of some animals and not others, but he let it go, as this world was full of things he didn't understand, such as...
"What sort of mysterious creature is this 'cow' that it's flesh is not red?"
"...It was red, it's brown because it's cooked."
"Cooked?"
"Yes, over a fire."
"How bizarre, in the Abyss, fire turns flesh black..."
"... It does in this world too. This is a... special human technique." She decided to start blaming these bothersome things on human magic, as he was ignorant after all.
"Oooh." Hades accepted that explanation, as humans were indeed mysterious.
"Xiaohei, eat it before it gets cold." Ling'er shouted with her cheeks stuffed. She saw Hades just staring at the food.
He eventually licked the murky water, and he found it... not bad. Then he ate the 'beef' then the carrots, and potatoes, and eventually he couldn't stop eating.
'What is this sorcery?! Humans are amazing! To make meat and plants this delicious!' He had never eaten food like this before. There was no ways to eat in the abyss aside from raw, burnt or rotten, so this had quite the effect on him.
"Hehe~ Looks like Xiaohei likes your cooking sister!" Ling'er giggled and Chen Yan looked proud, she started to form a new plan to make this tiger a slave to her food.
But Hades has no choice but to defer to it, as it was truly an experience worthy of tears for him. As all the different flavors mingled together in his mouth, and the meat seemed to melt on his tongue. The water, he later learned called broth, inherited the flavors of the meat and vegetables together to form a heavenly combination akin to the blood of gods.
This may be an ordinary meal for humans, but to Hades, it was the best thing he'd eaten in his life.
'Kh! At this rate, I might really become a slave!!!' But as he ate, he started thinking that maybe it wasn't so bad.
Then, the door was abruptly kicked down, causing a tremor in the fragile human den, and at the same time causing Hades' bowl to tip over and fall to the floor.
"...Eh?" he watched the stew scatter to the floor with a blank look, he didn't mind floor food and tried to lick it up when a foot fell heavily in the middle of the food.
"...Eh?"