"I wonder why Ann and Melt reacted like that...?" Cyan mused. "Our Affection Levels should be through the roof by now, right?"
"Exactly," Egos agreed. "There's no way we would have been allowed to sleep with them otherwise. Since this is a game world after all, maybe there’s some kind of bug?"
A few hours had passed, and the two were still reflecting on the day's events, utterly bewildered by why Melt and Anhel had rejected them so harshly. In their minds, they shared an intimate bond with the girls, making it impossible to fathom why they had shown such visceral disgust toward them.
They had gone out of their way to expose Yugo's unsightly—or rather, wicked—nature, and they had assumed that would be reason enough for the girls to abandon the scum. Yet, contrary to their expectations, the two had not budged from Yugo's side.
They eventually settled on the idea that because this was a game world, the anomalies must have been triggered by Zenon’s interference. Though the explanation felt a bit thin, it served to settle their nerves as they realized it was nearly time for dinner.
"Dinner time already. We should head to the Dining Hall."
"Works for me. I'm starving. Let's move."
"Haha! Man, you look like hell. Your color is terrible. Don't go catching a cold in a game world; that's just sad."
"You're one to talk, Cyan-kun. Your face is just as pasty. Stop throwing boomerangs and find a mirror."
Both had felt the other’s complexion was poor since the previous day, and the casual remark sparked a brief argument. Now that they mentioned it, they both felt a certain lingering listlessness. They quickly chalked it up to staying up too late during their fun, fun Nightly Play with their Favorite Heroines. Dismissing any further concern, they made their way to the Dining Hall, where Hao was already waiting at the entrance to greet them.
"Cyan-san, Egos-san, excellent work today! I have your seats ready. Right this way, please!"
"Ah... yeah, thanks."
"Not at all! It's the least I can do! Oh, and I've arranged for Yugo's meal to be delivered directly to the room where he's being held. I'm sure you'd rather not have to look at his face, so I thought it best to keep him separate."
"How thoughtful. That's a big help!"
Cyan felt a flicker of confusion at Hao’s smiling, sycophantic demeanor. Egos, however, didn't seem to care in the slightest, so Cyan followed his lead and took a seat at the table Hao had prepared. Almost immediately, the girls from the Cooking Club swarmed them with smiles, pouring drinks and showering them with flattery to keep them in high spirits.
"There you go! Just let us know if you want a refill!"
"Seeing you put Yugo in his place today was so wonderful! Honestly, it made my heart skip a beat!"
"Hahaha, it was nothing, really. I just did what any decent person would do."
So that's it, Cyan thought. The Cooking Club members' Affection Levels must have spiked because we gave Scum Yugo exactly what he deserved.
Cyan had been slightly unsettled by how much better Hao and the others were treating them compared to before, but once he decided it was just the result of their actions during the Daytime Event, his doubts vanished. Just like Egos, who was getting carried away and acting proud, Cyan satisfiedly drained the drink the girl had poured for him. Hao, standing nearby, called out to Serel, the Inn Proprietress.
"Inn Proprietress! Please, serve some Vegetable Soup to these two! And don't be stingy! Give them as much as they can eat!"
"Yes, yes! Leave it to me!"
Responding to Hao's request, Serel ladled massive portions of Vegetable Soup onto their plates. While they might have preferred a thick steak, the two were hungry enough to dig into the soup with gusto.
"Wow, this is incredible! Really, it's delicious!"
"The vegetables are great, but these mushrooms are the best part! I've never tasted anything quite like this...!"
"My, my! I'm so glad to hear that! There's plenty more, so eat up, eat up!"
Encouraged by Serel's high spirits, Cyan and Egos continued to gorge themselves on the Vegetable Soup. They savored every bite as they listened to the cheerful chatter of Hao and the other Cooking Club members around them... but then, something changed.
"Wh... What...? Uh, unn...?"
Suddenly, the world began to warp and blur. A wave of irresistible drowsiness washed over Cyan. His eyelids felt leaden, and he struggled to keep them open as he scanned the room.
The Dining Hall, which had been buzzing with life only seconds ago, was now eerily silent. By the time Cyan noticed that Hao, Presia, and even Egos beside him were all slumped over with their eyes closed, it was already too late.
"Hehehe... The soup was good, wasn't it? I made sure to add a Secret Ingredient Mushroom, so of course it tasted like nothing you've ever had before...!"
"Wh... a...?"
Cyan tried to gasp as he saw Serel’s sinister smile, but his eyes were too heavy to stay open. Rage and frustration flared within him as he realized they had been led straight into a trap, but it was a losing battle. The darkness pulled him under, and he collapsed onto the table, his consciousness fading into nothingness.