“Wow… Is this house really yours?” Aether asked, his eyes widening as he took in the spacious interior. It wasn’t as grand as the principal’s mansion, but it was impressive, especially for a single person.
“Yeah… kind of,” Delphine replied, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly. Her cheeks flushed slightly as she added, “Sorry about my clothes. I didn’t expect you to arrive so quickly.”
Aether chuckled softly. “Don’t worry about your clothes. Actually, I kind of like it, you know,” he teased, his gaze lingering on her ample breasts barely concealed by the snug fabric of her sweater.
Delphine’s face turned crimson. “W-Where are you looking? Pervert!” she stammered, crossing her arms over her chest defensively.
Aether grinned, stepping closer until the gap between them almost vanished. “What? Can’t I admire my beautiful lover like that?”
Delphine’s breath hitched, and she instinctively stepped back. “C-Calm down… Aether,” she whispered, her voice trembling as his hands found her hips, pulling her closer. His lips hovered just inches from hers when—
“Massttterrrr~!”
Snowflake slithered into the room, her voice cheerful and playful.
Aether flinched, quickly catching Snowflake mid-air, while Delphine exhaled in relief, her pulse slowing.
“Whoa… What’s with the outfit, Snow? Wearing an apron now?” Aether asked, amused by the sight of a snake wrapped in a tiny apron.
It looked both adorable and bizarre!
Delphine chuckled. “She insisted on helping me cook, She too wanted to cook for you… so I made her one!”
“I see… helping Delphine, huh? My little Snow is growing up.” Aether smiled warmly, pressing a kiss to her scaled forehead.
Snowflake hissed happily, basking in the affection.
[+4000 AP]
But then, Aether paused. “Wait… cooking?” His brows furrowed in confusion.
“Of course! Didn’t I invite you to have dinner?” Delphine responded, her tone light.
“Huh?”
…
…..
Seated at the small dining table, Aether stared at the variety of dishes laid out before him. His shock hadn’t faded.
“So, you were serious? Dinner? Actual food?” he asked, his voice still laced with disbelief. Your journey continues with My Virtual Library Empire
“Yes! What else would I mean?” Delphine frowned, tilting her head.
Aether stared at her, his expression blank. He knew she’d catch on soon enough… because she was a pervert too!
He could almost hear the gears in her head turning…. Sure enough, realization dawned on her, and her face turned beet red. “P-Pervert!” she muttered, her fists clenching as if she were about to strike him. But she held back, taking a deep breath.
Unlike before, they weren’t strangers anymore. More importantly, they could act on their desires freely now.
Delphine coughed, regaining composure, and gestured toward the dishes.
Aether smiled nervously, lifting the lid of one of the pots. A fragrant plume of steam wafted up, filling the air with an unexpected floral scent. He inhaled deeply. ‘It smells like flowers…’ His curiosity was piqued—until he saw it.
A thick, dark purple, sticky liquid pooled in the pot.
Aether’s eye twitched. “W-What is this?”
Delphine’s face lit up like a kid unwrapping presents on their birthday. “You forgot? It’s the dish you loved on our date! Remember? My friend, the restaurant owner, gave me the recipe, and I recreated it just for you!” Her eyes sparkled with pride as she leaned closer. “Come on, taste it! You have to tell me what you think!”
Aether’s brain screeched to a halt. ‘Date? Loved? When the hell did I eat this?!’ His mind ran through every memory like a frantic librarian flipping through an encyclopedia.
Nothing! Nada!!
‘Nope!’ There was no memory… He had never eaten anything remotely resembling this nightmare.
“D-Delphine, I thi—” His protest died the second he met her eyes. Big, hopeful, and painfully innocent…. It was like kicking a puppy.
“O-Okay,” he muttered, forcing a smile that probably looked more like a grimace as he reluctantly scooped up a spoonful of the… goo. His hands trembled like a rookie on their first day at a demolition site. With a deep breath, he brought it to his mouth and—
Gulp!
For a brief, glorious second, he thought he’d survived.
“Well, it’s bl—MMFFF!” His eyes snapped wide open as the taste hit… No, ambushed him!!
His throat burned, and he clutched the table like it was a lifeline. His stomach erupted into chaos, a molten inferno rampaging through his insides.
“How is it?” Delphine asked, eyes wide with curiosity and just a hint of concern.
Aether gasped, voice strained and trembling. “Y-Yeah… It’s g-good… G-Great…” His bloodshot eyes told a different, much darker story.
!~Ding~!
[Survival rate: 81.9↑%]
Aether froze, ‘What the actual fuck?! My survival rate increased?! Shouldn’t this have killed me?! Anyone else would’ve dropped dead by now!’
[+4000 AP]
Delphine clapped her hands together, beaming with pride, her cheeks puffing like she’d just won a major culinary award. Meanwhile, Aether fought the urge to faint.
Aether forced out a weak, trembling smile, ‘Yep… totally worth dying for… Not.’
Then,
“Ahh!” Delphine opened her mouth with a shy face as if asking him to feed her.
Aether blinked slowly, then smiled. Without hesitation, he shoved the spoon into her mouth this time.
He wasn’t going to hesitate when she asked for it!
“Mmm… It’s really good,” Delphine said, nodding, completely unfazed. “It’s almost identical to the real one. Maybe a little less spicy, though!”
Aether blinked again. “Wait… You’re okay? You’re seriously fine?”
“Of course! Why wouldn’t I be?” Delphine tilted her head, genuinely confused.
Aether’s eyes darted between her and the dish. He hesitantly took another bite.
“Mff!” He gagged, barely holding it down. His face turned pale as he looked at Delphine in pure horror.
Delphine giggled, blushing. “Come on… You don’t need to look at me like that. Eat as much as you want~,” she purred, her voice soft and teasing.
Aether’s entire body trembled, his survival instincts screaming. Just then—
“Masstterrrrr~”
Snowflake slithered in, her tail pushing another dish onto the table. She flicked the lid open with a flourish.
Aether recoiled as smoke billowed out, revealing greenish meat pieces bubbling ominously. Each bubble popped with a faint hiss, releasing a deadly-smelling vapour.
His nose stung, his senses already numbing. He glanced at Snowflake, who stared at him with huge, eager eyes.
‘You’ve got to be kidding me. I ain’t sign up for this shit!!’
But then, Snowflake cutely looked at him… like a daughter waiting for her Father’s approval!
Aether gulped. “W-Well, here goes nothing.” He took a bite, instantly regretting his life choices. His eyes rolled back, and for a moment, he thought he saw his ancestors waving him over.
!~Ding~!
[Survival rate: 82↑%]
His survival rate was increasing again. He nearly laughed in disbelief, ‘What kind of twisted nonsense is this?! Poison boosts my survival?!’
What kind of bullshit was that!
“I-It’s g-good…” he croaked.
“Yayyy~!”
“Yay!”
Snowflake and Delphine clapped enthusiastically, their faces glowing with joy as if they’d won a cooking competition.
‘This is absolutely insane…’ Aether thought, his body trembling like a leaf in a storm.
Unfortunately, fate wasn’t done tormenting him yet.
Delphine clapped her hands together, practically bouncing with excitement. “Aether, you’re going to love this! We mixed both our recipes and created something extra special just for you! It was so tasty when we tested it earlier, right, Snowflake?” Her grin stretched wide as she proudly pushed the dish toward him.
“Loovvee ittt~~~” Snowflake’s tail flicked with enthusiasm as she eagerly popped the lid off.
A thick, dark smoke hissed out, curling around the edges of the table like a villain making a grand entrance. Beneath the smoke was a horrifying sight: a bubbling, pitch-black substance with meat-like chunks barely peeking through the surface. Each bubble popped with a sinister sizzle as if announcing its intent to ruin Aether’s life.
Aether felt his stomach lurch. His eyes widened in pure horror. “Y-You have a healing potion… right?” His voice cracked mid-sentence as he glanced desperately at Delphine.
Delphine tilted her head, frowning slightly. “Of course, but… why do you—”
“Yeah… yeah…” Aether cut her off, nodding rapidly. He was already tearing up, the mere smell of the dish sending his senses into overdrive. His vision blurred, and he wasn’t sure if it was from the tears or from the sheer existential crisis unfolding before him.
[+4000 AP]
[+4000 AP]
Delphine and Snowflake exchanged glances before their faces lit up with innocent joy seeing Aether was letting out happy tears… They clapped softly as if their plan worked. their sparkling eyes filled with pride.
“Oh, Aether, you’re crying!” Delphine giggled, her cheeks glowing. “You’re so moved! It really means a lot to us!”
Aether’s mind screamed. ‘Yeah, moved! Moved straight to the afterlife, maybe!’ He fought the urge to bolt, his body rooted in place by sheer survival instinct. Their overwhelming enthusiasm was suffocating.
Snowflake purred, her tail curling around his arm. “Masterrrrrr, You’ll loveeee ittttt~~”
‘Love? I’m one bite away from needing a funeral!’ Unable to handle their blinding optimism, Aether clenched his fists. He had to survive this—no matter how, ‘We are born to devour… We devour this my dear blood, or we die trying… This is the pride of a man!’
To his call,
His blood surged, pulsing faintly in response.
!~Ding~!
[Warning: The Crimson Elixir of the Null is responding to the User’s call!]
Aether’s lips twitched into a shaky smile, ‘Thank you… At least someone understands how dire this is.’ He gripped the spoon with newfound determination, whispering like a warrior bracing for battle, ‘Come on my friend, No defeat. No surrender. We devour… We are doing this! We shall not accept defeat at any cost!!! THIS IS THE PRIDE OF A MAN!!!’
He scooped up the bubbling mass, ignoring the way it hissed at him like it was alive, and shoved it into his mouth and,
Thud!
His eyes rolled back, and before he could process the burning chaos in his throat, his head hit the table… He was out cold!
“AETHER!!” Delphine’s panicked scream filled the room as she grabbed his shoulders, shaking him violently.
“MAASSSSTTEERRRR~”
Meanwhile—
[The Crimson Elixir of the Null is processing the deadliest poison…]
[1%]
[10%]
“Aether, open your eyes!” Delphine pleaded, her voice trembling. Snowflake whimpered, nudging his arm with her nose.
Still, he didn’t move.
[50%]
[60%]
[70%]
[80%]
[90%]
[98%]
[99%]
[100%]
!~Ding~!
[New Skill Acquired: Poison Resistance]
!~Ding~!
[Survival rate: 85↑%]
Aether’s eyes shot open, and he gasped like he’d just come up for air after nearly drowning. He blinked rapidly, his mind struggling to catch up. “What… the hell… just happened?”
Delphine let out a relieved sob, throwing her arms around him. “You scared me to death!” she cried, hugging him tightly.
“Don’t worry, Aether!” Delphine said, beaming. “We’ve got plenty more dishes to try!”
Aether froze… He fainted this time!!!… as his soul left his mouth!