The Cafeteria

On the playground, a freshman suddenly stopped, his face turning pale.

He looked down at his hands; his fingers were trembling slightly.

"My god, my power... it's draining!" He looked around, his expression dazed.

"I didn't do anything. Why do I suddenly feel so weak?"

A man smoking nearby sneered, his tone mocking. "Idiot, you're only realizing it now?"

The pale freshman froze. "What do you mean?"

The smoker tilted his chin toward the playground. "When those who failed were being cut earlier, plenty of people noticed. The blood hit the ground and was absorbed in no time, vanishing without a trace. Where do you think that blood went?"

"The playground drank it?" The freshman wasn't stupid and caught on immediately. "This school is eating us!"

The sensation of power being siphoned wasn't obvious. It was like having an invisible funnel stuck in one's body; power, energy, and vitality were all slowly leaking out. By the time it was noticeable, a significant amount had already been lost.

"What should we do?" His voice carried a panic he hadn't even realized was there.

The smoker stubbed out his cigarette and patted the dust off his pants. "Go to the cafeteria."

The freshmen were numerous. Some asked around, some flipped through school rules in the library, and some used their abilities to scan the campus.

Everyone obtained only fragments of information, but through sharing, they quickly pieced together several hidden rules.

【You must eat at the cafeteria every day, or your power will drain.】

This was a crucial rule. If one didn't go to the cafeteria, their power would be forcibly sucked away by the school bit by bit.

It wasn't yet clear what happened to those who were drained dry, and no one wanted to be the first to find out.

...

The cafeteria was located north of the playground. Its exterior was white with large windows, through which rows of tables and serving windows were visible.

It was bustling inside. Freshmen sat in small groups, trays before them laden with all sorts of bizarre food.

Most weren't there because they were hungry, but because the rules compelled them. They looked on with complex expressions, not quite daring to eat.

Only a few were feasting heartily.

Yue Shi walked into the cafeteria and stood before a serving window, his gaze scanning the dishes one by one.

Braised, steamed, deep-fried, cold-dressed.

At a glance, they looked appetizing, with excellent color, aroma, and flavor.

But!!!

A quick look at the names revealed the ingredients were far from right!

Pan-Fried Harpy Liver, Nine-Turn Immortal Intestines, Crispy Little Succubus, Mystic Bone Marrow Juice, Divine Whip Sashimi...

The tray for the "Crispy Little Succubus" was filled with embryonic demons; one could clearly see underdeveloped horns and wings!

The "Divine Whip Sashimi" made Yue Shi's own groin tighten. Even someone as wicked as him couldn't help but feel nauseous at the sight.

The cafeteria auntie poked her head out, beaming. "New here, young man? This 'Mixed Heroes' is our signature dish. The main ingredients are mermaids, jiaoren, river gods, sirens—half-human, half-fish creatures from various worlds. Simmered over a low flame with thousand-year stalactite milk and hell snapdragon, it's very nourishing."

Yue Shi's lip twitched as he stared at the pot of "Mixed Heroes," unable to bring himself to take a bite.

He shifted his gaze to the prices behind the dishes. A serving of "Mixed Heroes" cost 25 points.

Yue Shi fell silent, thinking of the freshmen who had only scored a dozen or so points and were forced to take out loans for their injuries. With a single dish costing 25 points, the school was giving the low-scorers no way to survive!

The cafeteria auntie was warm and talkative, chattering away. "Took an exam today, didn't you? In this school, scores are everything. What did you get on your placement test?"

Yue Shi replied expressionlessly, "0 points."

Unfazed, the auntie consoled him. "0 points is fine. Plenty of people get a zero on their first try. You can retake it anytime in the teaching building."

She pointed her large ladle toward the teaching buildings. "Every teaching building has self-service exam rooms. They're open twenty-four hours. You can take a re-exam or an extra exam whenever you like."

Looking at the auntie's kind face, Yue Shi suddenly realized this was a good opportunity.

The other staff members ignored the freshmen, and the seniors actively avoided them.

This cafeteria auntie, however, was actually willing to chat and answer questions. Having clearly been here a long time, she likely knew things they didn't.

"Auntie, are there no classes at this school?" Yue Shi asked politely.

The surrounding freshmen pricked up their ears.

"No classes," the auntie said. "It's all self-study."

Yue Shi wasn't surprised. He asked further, "Then what are the different subjects?"

The auntie shook her head. "There are no subjects. All the knowledge is in the books. During exams, the questions are drawn randomly from every book in the library."

Yue Shi gritted his teeth. Every book in the library?!

He would have to finish every single book in that endless library and score high on the exams...

Was that even possible?

He had a few choice words he wasn't sure he should say!

"How is the exam schedule determined?" Yue Shi continued.

"There's a unified exam at the end of every month," the auntie explained. "But you can apply for a re-exam or an extra exam at any time. Those are free, and the scores are recorded on your student card."

Yue Shi asked, "If someone fails a re-exam or an extra exam, will they still be executed?"

The auntie smiled gently. "Of course. Those are the school rules."

Yue Shi fell silent.

As expected, the school wouldn't let any student get a free ride.

The re-exams and extra exams weren't second chances; they were just more opportunities for the students to be mutilated.

Just then, a commotion broke out in the cafeteria.

"Argh!" A blood-curdling scream echoed from the other end.

Many turned toward the source to see a blonde man collapsed on the floor, blood spraying everywhere.

His right hand had been severed cleanly at the wrist. The palm lay a few paces away, fingers still twitching.

He had been standing at a serving window and tried to take a meal without swiping his card.

Unsurprisingly, the school rules had punished him. Without any warning, his right hand had been cut off.

The others nearby managed to deduce a rule: 【Attempting to eat for free in the cafeteria will result in your hand being cut off.】

The blonde man lay on the ground, trembling from the pain. He shook even harder when he thought of the loans he already owed; if he wanted to reattach this hand, he would have to borrow even more.

No one went to help him. Everyone was struggling in their own predicament.

The cafeteria auntie said flatly, "The school rules are heartless. They're the same for everyone."

Yue Shi nodded and was about to ask more, but the freshmen queuing behind him shoved him aside.

Having finally found an NPC they could communicate with, they weren't about to let Yue Shi hog the advantage.

A crowd swarmed the serving window, smiles plastered on their faces as they bombarded the auntie with questions.

The auntie's expression turned cold.