I wake up early and leave the bed as quietly as possible. Back at VR dungeons HQ, I am once again subjected to Edward's crazy training regimen. Swimming and running over and over. I'm honestly astonished that my body hasn't given out on me yet.
Navi is truly an angel that never ceases to rescue me from my torment. Don't misunderstand, Melody is still the best woman in the world but Navi is great in other ways.
Also, now that I trained all morning I'm curious about what happened to my stats. Status open!
Status Guy Lv. 3 Goblin
Mp 10+2
Strength 5+2
Constitution 5+2
Speed 5+2+2
Magic ability 0+2
Skills:
universal humanoid language, universal monster language, dungeon map
Sword use lv. 1; enhanced stamina lv. 2; dismantling lv. 4
My speed increased again! That's a ridiculous rate of improvement considering that I've only trained for two days in total. I take a boiling hot shower and feel the comfortable warmth spread through my body.
I walk out of the gym area and find the staff cafeteria just down the hallway. Despite how tech-savvy this whole place is built the thing they called the cafeteria is more of a rustic restaurant.
The clean hallway seamlessly merges into a wooden one. I push through a set of double doors that once again say staff only and enter the cafeteria. I nearly jerk back again when I see a tangle of giant tentacles writhing around in the kitchen area.
However, before I can back away, a hand stops my retreat. I am then pushed forward and closer to those reddish tentacles.
"Don't be afraid. That's just Pata, the best chef in the world. You should stay on his good side or you won't get any dessert."
That voice! I distinctly recognize Navi's voice but it's not in my head like usual. Did the tentacles scare the sanity out of me and make me hallucinate?
"Haha. No, you dummy. I'm just here with my real body so I can talk to you normally. Who did you think the voice in your head belonged to, a robot?"
I turn my head towards the voice and see another gorgeous woman. Navi has blond hair, a petite face, and rainbow-colored eyes. Her shapely body is mostly covered by a light green suit that fits her perfectly but doesn't hide her curves at all.
"Hi. You said the tentacles are a chef?"
"Not the tentacles themselves. Pata is a scylla, half of him is human, and half of him is an octopus. He also mutated so that he can grow more tentacles than your average octopus. Supposedly, it helps him cook for more people at the same time so there is less wait for the food."
"A scylla? Sounds like a high-level monster. But how did he become a chef?"
"You see, unlike you lot, I am a real monster so I grew up fighting to survive, evolving to survive and eating just to survive. I wanted nothing more than to escape that vicious cycle of violence. That's when I caught an adventurer and she offered to teach me how to cook in exchange for me not eating her.
"After learning all she could teach I killed her and began to hone my craft, seeking nothing but true perfection. It was hard but finally, someone recognized my skill and I got to be the chef of this here kitchen!"
While Pata speaks he shifts some of his tentacles and so I can see into the kitchen. Pata is a muscular, dark-skinned, and bald dude wearing sunglasses. Sure, everything from below his torso is a tangled mess of tentacles but otherwise, he seems like a decent person.
"So Pata, what delicacy have you got for us today?"
"I'm glad you asked, lady Navi. Today I have prepared steak with french fries and a delicious secret sauce. Be prepared to have your taste buds and your minds blown!"
"Seems today we are in for a special treat. We'll be waiting in anticipation. Come on Guy let's take a seat."
I follow Navi to one of the tables and sit down. Soon after Valeria, Edward, and Darwin entered the cafeteria and took a seat. Darwin and Edward each sat at a table of their own while Valeria was dragged to our table by Navi.
Valeria's face was emotionless and she might as well have been an icy statue. Then, three tentacles placed plates with delicious-looking food are placed before us and my attention is pulled away from Valeria.
Both the steak and the fries are covered in a rich brown sauce that releases a tantalizing smell. I can't help myself. I pick up a knife and fork and cut off a piece of the steak covered in sauce stuffing it into my mouth.
An explosion of delicious flavors assaults my tongue as my teeth bite down on the steak releasing its juices. A hint of wine and blood, the steak is only barely cooked but combined with the sauce it creates a novel experience.
I realize that I have lost control over my body. My arms are messily cutting the steak before shoving the pieces into my open mouth that is chewing as if its life depends on it. From time to time the fork pierces a few fries and delivers them into my mouth.
I hear a sensual moan in my surroundings but my eyes won't allow me to look where it's coming from. The plate before me has become my entire reason for existing until finally it is empty and licked clean. Only then is my body mine to control again.
"Terrifying, isn't it? Once you take a single bite of the food placed before you it is impossible to keep up your manners or take a break from eating."
Both Navi and Valeria are already finished with their plates. I am certain that I was the first one to take a bite so they must have been moving at a faster pace to finish ahead of me. I am really curious though, was that moan from Navi or Valeria?