Chapter 45: The Supreme Super Pizza

"Dreamer on the Keyboard": "What the f***?! Pizza?! Am I hallucinating?! The Doom Zealot is selling pizza?!"

"Chasing Missiles Riding a Snail": "I was late by just 0.1 seconds! Whose hand speed is that fast?! Which animal left a piece for me?! I've been chewing on grass roots in the instance for three days!"

"Marshmallow Bear": "Waaah... Just came out of the instance, barely survived with a C grade, got only some biscuits and water from a small wooden box... Seeing that pizza, tears are flowing uncontrollably from the corners of my mouth..."

"Username Loading Failed": "Hahahaha! Managed to grab a piece! Brothers, it's the real Supreme Deluxe! Piping hot! The cheese stretches an arm's length! Solid chunks of meat! Crispy sausages! I've never felt pizza tasted this good in my life! (Attached is a photo of a half-eaten pizza) @Doom Zealot大神 You're a legend! Kneeling down to the great one!"

"It Is Cilantro": "So envious I could cry... @Doom Zealot大神 Great one! Can you put up some more? Even one piece is fine! My instance run failed, and I got penalized with so many things. Now I only have half a bottle of water, wuwuwu... I really, really want to eat some normal food~ (Pitiful expression)"

"Luoluo Xiaofang": "To the one above... Who else is to blame for failing the instance... Just acknowledging that the Zealot大神 is a badass is enough! The intensity of this month's instance was really something else; I risked my life just to scrape together a B grade, feels like I shed a layer of skin. And the big shot can leisurely eat and sell pizza... I just don't understand the world of an S-rank heavyweight (kneeling)."

"Wind and Rain Homecoming": "Publicly expressing envy +1! Brothers who managed to grab some, don't just focus on eating; tell us what the S-rank instance-exclusive loot box looks like! Does it glow with golden light?"

"I Hate Advanced Math": "Doom Zealot! I'm begging you! Next time there's good stuff like this, put up a few more pieces! Or even some scraps will do! I can trade with the ore I just dug!"

"Cloud's Big Bludgeon": "Tsk tsk tsk, look at the kind of life the great one is living, eating the good stuff and drinking the spicy. Then look at me, comparing it to the compressed biscuits and mini bread in my hand, feeling my life is gray... The monthly instance is simply not meant for humans! The big shot definitely cleared it, right? Looking at this leisurely vibe, an S-rank is locked in?"

"Spring Water Commander": "Sigh, it's not easy for anyone. @Doom Zealot, brother Zealot is truly magnanimous! To be able to share such precious food at a time like this, you really are a lighthouse illuminating our district. Surely, brother Zealot's instance must have gone very smoothly as well?

I wonder if you'd be willing to share some S-rank insights and rewards, so that ordinary players like us who are still struggling can have a goal to strive toward? (Smiling expression) Of course, the main thing is to thank you for generously sharing the delicious pizza; may peace be with you."

"Dreamer on the Keyboard": "Oh, give it a rest, Commander, at it again. The big shot selling items counts as sharing supplies? Then what about those charging for things? (Picking nose expression) In my opinion, the big shot is purely clearing out excess supplies and making a small profit on the side; that's just normal operation, alright!"...

Su Liu leaned back in her chair, sipping her cola, watching the chat lobby scroll past with amused interest. Those expressions of amazement, envy, lamentation, and even the familiar undertones of moral kidnapping seemed to her like a helpless seasoning in this cruel game.

Little Tuanzi leaped onto the table, looking curiously at the can of cola.

Amused by Little Tuanzi's eager look, Su Liu grabbed a small saucer and carefully poured a tiny bit of cola into it:

"Here, Tuanzi, taste this. It's called 'cola', a kind of bubbly water that's sweet."

Little Tuanzi licked it with its tiny tongue, its furry little face instantly wrinkling into a ball, startled by the tingling carbonation.

Immediately afterward, attracted by the sweetness, it gave a few more tentative licks, and finally buried almost its entire little head into the saucer, emitting a comfortable purring sound.

[Little Tuanzi's favorability +3, current favorability 53]

Watching Little Tuanzi's goofy posture as it drank the cola, Su Liu wore a genuine smile at the corners of her mouth.

Share insights?

Her gaze swept past "Spring Water Commander"'s final sentence with its specific identifier, "May peace be with you," a flicker of icy vigilance and annoyance flashing in her eyes.

The lessons of her past life were carved into her bones; such seemingly gentle advice and flattery were often wrapped in the most malicious scheming.

"There won't be a next time."

Su Liu muttered to herself, crushing the empty cola can in her hand, "Any surplus supplies, I only sell, not give away. Experience and insights? I have even less obligation to teach others for free how to survive in this ghost of a game, especially those who might become enemies."

She knew even better that once the specific information and reward details of an S-rank instance were exposed, they would only attract more ill-intentioned gazes and endless trouble.

Making a fortune quietly and low-key enhancement of her strength was the ultimate truth.

Those requests for her to put out more pizza, whether they were sincere pleas or temptations harboring greed, were all ignored by her equally.

The rule was simple: if you want to get good things, trade something of value for them. She had no interest in playing a suffering savior of the world.

"Gurgle..."

Little Tuanzi contentedly licked the saucer clean, looking up with pleading eyes at the bottom of the cola can in Su Liu's hand.

Su Liu chuckled and poured it just a tiny bit more: "You little gluttonous fox, drinking too much of this isn't good, that's all you get."

She closed the noisy chat lobby interface. The transaction records showed that she had reaped several evolution stone fragments and basic materials such as wood and stone.

Though she hadn't managed to trade for the inventory expansion card she wanted most quite yet, the initial business venture could be considered a success.

Su Liu synthesized two spatial-attribute evolution stones and one wind-attribute evolution stone.

Additionally, she received news regarding the weapon upgrade card she had previously put up for trade.

She had traded two wood-attribute evolution stone fragments plus an elementary water-condensation device for a weapon upgrade card.

Even with the acceleration effect applied by the Hourglass of the Hour of Chen, upgrading her venom-coated dagger would still take another hour.

During this time, the time management schedule recommended that Su Liu check her own and Little Tuanzi's attributes so she could prepare for nighttime training in slaying ghostly anomalies, rapidly adapting to nocturnal life.

First was Su Liu's own stats—

Nickname: Doom Zealot
Equipped Title: Fortunate Blessing (Hidden attribute: Luck value +5)
Time Management Master (Generates optimal schedule automatically every day)

Rose Thorns (Hidden attribute: Sanity +5)
Spirit Beast: Nine-Tailed Fox
Health: 82
Fatigue: 28
Spiritual Energy: 6
Defense: 21
Strength: 30
Agility: 38
Game Coins: 50
Rating: 30
Total Distance: 280 kilometers

The Honey-Brewed Thunder Berry Pie she had just consumed had increased her spiritual energy by one point.

Now, without the enhancement of the Sharp and Tough Short Dagger, Su Liu's own strength value had also broken past thirty, and her agility was pressing hard against the milestone of forty.

As for the ghostly anomalies during the newbie protection period, as long as they didn't gang up on her in a coordinated group, Su Liu could easily handle them.

Looking at her 50 game coins, Su Liu couldn't help but sigh with emotion: I'm a wealthy person now too.

The last time, Su Liu had saved up for a very long time to accumulate this much, and when she went to the game's official store, she couldn't afford anything rare.

This time was completely different.

Looking back at Little Tuanzi, its attributes and skills hadn't changed drastically, though it was now just one core, three wind-attribute, and three spatial-attribute evolution stones away from leveling up.

Su Liu believed she would gather them soon enough.