Inside the arena space.
Everyone moved quickly. Before long, they had all chosen their rooms and returned to the hall.
Su Ze glanced at the time. It was almost noon.
He looked at Raiden Ei.
"Chef, aren't you going to start cooking? It's already 12."
"I…"
Raiden Ei hesitated awkwardly. She absolutely did not want to admit she didn't know how to cook, so she could only stand up and head toward the kitchen with forced determination.
Entering the kitchen, she found it quite clean.
But rows of gleaming knives nearly blinded her.
[Asta: Wow… this game did that on purpose, didn't it? So many knives.]
[Qingque: Are those kitchen tools? Those are murder weapons!]
[Xiangling: Wh-what are these things?]
Xiangling was stunned. In her understanding, kitchen tools meant pots, pans, bowls, and a regular kitchen knife.
But these?
Those rows of sharp blades might not be ideal for slicing vegetables — but for stabbing someone? Absolutely first-class.
And the enormous boning knife?
Call it an executioner's blade and people would believe you.
[Seele: Confirmed. The killer is the Raiden Shogun.]
[Bronya: Not necessarily…]
After her initial shock, Raiden Ei noticed labels and usage instructions on the utensils.
That reassured her.
As long as there were instructions, how hard could it be?
She opened the rice cooker and calculated:
Seven people. Two bowls each.
Fourteen bowls.
Without hesitation, she scooped fourteen full bowls of raw rice into the cooker and added water.
"Hmph. Let those who say I only know how to wield a blade see this."
After finishing, she felt cooking wasn't so hard after all.
[Xiangling: …Can they even finish that?]
[Serval: What kind of household cooks rice like that?]
[Yae Miko: Heh. As expected of Ei.]
[Sparkle: Food made by the Raiden Shogun — no one leaves until it's finished.]
[Zhongli: At least she remembered to add water.]
[Venti: I can't… I'm going to die laughing.]
[Yukong: I hope General Jing Yuan can endure this.]
[Feixiao: Relax. Your general won't die from it.]
(Though since Bennett picked him to win, he's probably doomed anyway.)
After dealing with the rice, Raiden Ei looked at the oil container in the corner.
"You add oil before stir-frying. That much I know."
She lifted the oil jug and poured directly into the wok.
Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.
Half of a 5-liter container went in.
"That should be enough."
She washed the vegetables — then tossed the still-dripping wet greens straight into the hot oil.
Sizzle—!!!
Water met hot oil.
The oil exploded violently.
"Ah!"
Raiden Ei had never experienced this before. She instantly leapt out of the kitchen.
"Uh…"
"What are you doing?"
The others in the hall were startled.
That did not sound like normal cooking.
"You don't… actually know how to cook, do you?"
Furina narrowed her eyes, voicing everyone's thoughts.
"Wh—What are you talking about? Cooking? How hard could it be?"
Raiden Ei's expression stiffened. She refused to admit incompetence in front of another Archon.
She turned and marched back into the kitchen.
Clang! Bang! Crash!
The chaotic sounds resumed.
Everyone felt their scalps tingle.
"Is… that really cooking?"
Herta stared toward the kitchen in horror.
Why did it look like flames were shooting upward inside?
Was cooking supposed to be this dramatic?
"Heh. Don't worry. Nothing here can catch fire."
Su Ze reassured them with a smile.
Though there was clear amusement hidden in it.
Half an hour later.
Plate after plate of blackened, oil-dripping… something… was placed on the table.
"I did my best."
Everyone stared at her silently.
Was she trying to poison them?
Was she secretly the killer?
The game hadn't even reached night yet — and she was already attempting mass murder?
"…I'm not hungry."
Jing Yuan put down his chopsticks.
He had the distinct feeling that one bite of that food would send him straight to meet his ancestors.
"I'm not hungry either. I'll go look around."
Xiao couldn't handle it either.
This wasn't food meant for humans.
If this continued every day, they'd starve to death.
With two people leading the retreat, the others quickly stood and left the table.
It wasn't about disrespecting the Electro Archon.
They genuinely didn't know how to even start eating that.
"Is it really that bad?"
Raiden Ei pouted unhappily.
She had put in so much effort.
They wouldn't even try it?
"Why don't you try it?"
Su Ze casually slid the nearest blackened plate toward her.
"…On second thought, never mind."
Even Raiden Ei found it terrifying.
Seeing that no one intended to touch the "gourmet feast," Su Ze turned toward Jade.
"Ms. Jade. Dishes."
"Me?"
Jade pointed at herself in disbelief.
"Isn't that your job? You're the maid."
"…Fine."
What else could she say?
She reluctantly gathered the plates and walked into the kitchen.
The moment she stepped inside, her eyes widened.
"My goodness…"
She couldn't comprehend how cooking a single meal had blackened the ceiling — and why oil was still dripping from above.
"…Oh no. Are we going to starve to death?"
A terrifying realization hit her.
Only Raiden Ei could cook.
If every day looked like this…
They might literally starve to death.
Forget finding the killer.
How were they supposed to survive this?