The lobby on the first floor of the floating island villa.
Ni Shuang beamed with excitement. "Xiaotutu, this floating island is amazing! Not only does it have power, but it also adjusts the temperature. How did you manage that?"
Yuto Saito smiled, keeping the truth about his system to himself. Instead, he changed the subject. "Are you hungry? How about some hot pot? Or I can grab some watermelon for you."
Natto cheered, "Hot pot! Watermelon sounds good too."
A radiant smile appeared on Yun Yunjue's face. "This island is truly magical. The temperature is perfect—neither too hot nor too cold."
Yuto Saito pulled a hot pot from his storage ring and set it on the table, along with an assortment of meat and vegetables.
Ni Shuang's foodie instincts kicked in as her eyes lit up at the sight of the food. "Hot pot sounds great! I love it!"
Yun Yunjue suggested, "Let's take the ingredients and wash them first."
Yuto waved his hand. "No need. The storage ring has an automatic purification function, so everything's already clean."
Ni Shuang's eyes widened in surprise. "Your storage ring can do that?"
Yun Yunjue guessed, "Xiaotutu's ring must be high-grade. Ours are just the basic ones."
Natto agreed, "I think so too."
Yuto Saito grabbed a large bottle of mineral water, poured it into the pot, and added some hot pot base. The rich aroma soon filled the room, making the three girls' mouths water.
"The water's boiling," Yuto said with a smile. "Add whatever you want."
Ni Shuang nodded happily, "I'll start with taro."
"I want meatballs," Natto said eagerly.
"I'll add prawns—my favorite!" Yun Yunjue chimed in.
"More pork ribs!" Ni Shuang added. "I love them."
The three girls excitedly started adding ingredients to the pot.
Just then, Yuto's phone buzzed. It was a message from Mina.
"Yuto Saito, thanks for the food. My roommates and I really enjoyed it," Mina wrote, along with a selfie showcasing her figure.
Mina had already returned to her dorm, Room 202, where she and her three roommates were snacking on fruit and bread. Yuto snapped a quick photo of the hot pot feast in front of him and sent it to her.
When Mina opened the picture, she looked down at the bread in her hand—it suddenly didn't seem so appetizing anymore. Damn it! Yuto Saito is such a tease, tempting us with delicious food!
She turned to her roommates, Ruoruo, Orange, and Nazi, and said, "Do you know what Yuto Saito is up to right now?"
Ruoruo giggled, "Probably flirting with some girls. Maybe even cuddling with one!"
Orange speculated, "I think he's out fighting zombies, getting stronger."
Nazi said, "Or he could just be chilling somewhere, eating and drinking."
Mina grinned. "Congrats, Nazi! You guessed it right. I'll show you." She sent the hot pot photo to their group chat.
After seeing the picture, Ruoruo groaned, "That jerk! He's eating hot pot!"
Orange exclaimed, "Look at those ingredients! It's such a lavish meal."
Nazi added, "From the background, it looks like they're in a pretty fancy place."
Mina declared, "I don't care what any of you say—I'm joining Yuto Saito's team tomorrow!"
Ruoruo raised her hand enthusiastically. "Me too! Eating with Yuto Saito would be awesome."
Orange sighed, "Ever since I saw them eating hot pot, nothing tastes good anymore. Count me in."
Nazi, a bit more cautious, said, "Are you sure about this? You three go first. If everything's fine, I'll join later. If something happens, I can use my flying abilities to rescue you."
Mina teased, "Nazi, you worry too much. Yuto Saito wouldn't harm us."
Orange agreed, "Exactly. Worst case, he keeps us around as concubines—definitely no harm in that."
Ruoruo laughed, "Orange has a point, but Nazi's caution is smart. Let's follow her plan."
Mina sent Yuto Saito another message. "Three of my roommates have agreed to join your team. The fourth is still deciding."
Yuto replied, "That's great. No pressure—only join if they want to."
Seeing his response, Mina blushed slightly, feeling like she was being subtly teased. Does he like me? she wondered, her heart racing with excitement. If I follow Yuto Saito, will I get stronger? And will I get to eat like this every day?
Meanwhile, chaos reigned on the first floor of the boys' dormitory. Twenty people had already been bitten by the fat zombie.
Some quick-thinking students managed to escape by climbing over the wall or fleeing to the roof. One brave soul tried to open the iron door, but two zombies were already lurking outside, causing him to back off in fear.
Xian Moumou made his way downstairs. As he reached the second floor, he heard a bloodcurdling scream from below.
For the first time, his usual confidence wavered. The encounter with the face-changing man earlier had shaken him, and now he wasn't sure if he could handle these zombies.
Should I call Brother Su for backup? he thought nervously.