What A Dream Wants

'I'm so hungry...' he thought to himself.

"Hey, Zero?"

"Hmm?"

"How come this school doesn't serve free dinner?"

"Well, being a public school, it doesn't mandate you to stay here for lunch. Plus, there's no tuition in this school at all. It's merely a specialized high school..." Zero explained, wishing Steven had read the manual, so he wouldn't need to elaborate on such matters.

"That's sad."

"Hmm... how about we go to the school's restaurant to eat?"

"Ehhhhh?"

"Wait you don't-" Zero started to say.

"There's a school restaurant?" Steven's eyes sparkled.

Zero stayed silent for a while.

"Yeah... The school restaurant serves special delicacies that the cafeteria doesn't provide for free. The food there can help your cultivation improve.":

"Oh..." Steven understood.

"The food is prepared by 5-star-chefs, so it isn't cheap, but the food there is fragrant and mouthwatering. Or so I've heard. In fact, even people who don't attend this school sometimes visit the restaurant to dine. However, students hold first priority."

"Where's the restaurant?" Steven said enthusiastically, lost in the prospect of eating food gourmet food.

Zero stayed silent for a while.

He led the way.

. . .

They arrived at the restaurant.

A delectable smell, faint, yet fragrant, fanned out by the wind was only the beginning of the exquisiteness of the restaurant.

The restaurant name read "Food for the Heavens."- a bold statement.

Stepping in, immediately, it became apparent that the restaurant not only specialized in food but decor. The red and golden drapes loosely hung on the walls, while the chandeliers sparkled and shined, like gems in the sky.

"Welcome," The young waiter, wearing a formal suit greeted them, handing them a menu.

Indeed, only the rich could afford to eat here; one glance at the exorbitant prices showed as much.

"A table for two please," Zero said.

After a wait, the waiter led them upstairs.

Steven looked at the menu.

"What's a Dragon Crab Gnocchi?" He asked the waiter.

"Gnocchi are small dumplings made with potatoes. They're a part of Italian cuisine. Dragon Crab is a type of lobster, usually found in the deep oceans, but are more colossal in figure when in comparison to a normal lobster."

Steven looked at the menu. It listed the prices in international dollars and also contribution points.

Alas... 1000 contribution points for one plate? Indeed, the prices were expensive.

And the cost was not less in international dollars- 100 ID.

"Steven, the food here can strengthen your foundation. You should-" Zero started to say.

"Oh, this looks delicious too!" Steven murmured, looking at the menu. "This sounds appetizing!"

"Steven..."

"Sorry..." Steven smiled sheepishly, snapping out of his trance.

"The food here can strengthen your current foundation. You should order some yang delicacies to balance out the qi inside you as of now."

"Aww... so can I still eat Dragon Crab Gnocchi?" Steven asked.

"Dragon Crabs are balanced in yin and yang. Coming from the ocean, it does indeed have yin energy, but it also inherited primordial dragon blood- which is more yang in nature. I guess you could eat it..." Zero said. "However, I suggest you also order this- Yang Plum Soup. It's decently cheaper, being only 500 contribution points."

Steven had 11,950 contribution points, so in order to eat conservatively and heeding Zero's advice, he ordered only six different plates in total- perfect for a full course meal.

In the end, it would bring him down to 7,550 contribution points, not including tip.

Zero ordered one plate.

"Any drinks?" The waiter asked.

"Water is fine," Steven said.

Zero nodded.

The waiter brought them water, accented with lemon and other citrusy flavors.

The wait wasn't too long. The calming zither in the background was enough to quench the boredom. Steven, being Steven, also didn't mind the wait. Looking at a menu full of pictures of food, was better than just playing on his phone. Suddenly, an epiphany occurred. Why didn't he think of it before? He quickly took pictures of the food on the menu, so he could look at the food whenever, wherever. Steven applauded himself for being so clever.

The food arrived. First off was the entree... or appetizer:

Gioco Antipasto, made with different exotic meats.

The cured meats were ever so slightly smoked. In fact, this seemed to be a twist on classic antipasto, as there was salmon mixed in with the game meat. The fragrance was strong despite only being slightly cooked. The Parmigiano-Reggiano were slightly buttered, with sprinkles of parmesan. Eating the variety of assortments, he felt a cooling sensation in his stomach.

Next was the Seafood appetizer...

Monstruo Prawn Jamon Souvlaki.

The prawn in the center was clearly not a shrimp. If the name "jumbo shrimp" was an oxymoron, then this was even more sharply foolish, this was a contradiction!

Steven ate it anyways. It tasted good.

After the two appetizers came the main course…

The Dragon Crab Gnocchi.

The steaming dragon crab was ever so rosy, fading into coral pink and fluffy white. The dumplings were slightly browned, and the smell of lemon and pepper filled the air. The parsley on the top simply complemented the meal. Together, it was a wondrous sight that seemed to be only for admiring with one's eyes, not for eating.

Steven ate it. It tasted good.

Zero also ordered a seafood dish, skipping the appetizers and everything else. Seeing Steven staring at his food- he sighed mentally, then... proceeded to ignore him.

Steven used Stare.

Zero was intensely focusing on his food and didn't seem to notice.

It wasn't very effective.

'I'm so hungry...' Steven cried in his mind.

. . .

Next was the salad-

Salade de Tournesol Nuit.

Zero raised an eyebrow. Typically, putting sunflowers in salads is unheard of, but a Tournesol Nuit, a special variety of sunflower... or perhaps, more accurately, a variety belonging to both the sunflower and nightshade families, is an exception. Nightshades are poisonous plants, and that's not to say the Tournesol Nuit is poisonous, just that without proper culinary skills, the effects of such a rare plant would be reduced. Not only did the plant absorb both yin and yang energy, but also was able to keep them harmoniously, allowing easy consumption for even those who could not cultivate, effectively raising the strength and nourishing their bodies.

While Zero was pondering the taste of such a dish, Steven had eaten it already.

Indeed the tomatoes paired with a fragrant cheese, along with the sweet corn, the Tournesol Nuit flowers, and the salad leaves were tasty, without a question. However, to make a salad taste savory without any additional dressing, rendering the taste quite raw, was not an easy feat.

At this point, Steven was about to curry some favor with the chefs of this restaurant, hoping for free meals.

Second to last, was an assortment of delicious cheeses and nuts.

Actually, it only lasted a few seconds.

Finally, the grand finale...

A bowl of red plum soup.

The bowl of soup, garnished with beautiful white plum flowers, was quite abnormal. On one hand, were the beautiful white flowers, a clear representation of youthful beauty. On the other hand, were the plums, dried out- a clear representation of old age. A reminder that not everything lasts forever. The taste, although sweet, somehow was a bit bitter too, as if... even these skilled chefs could not get out the bitterness of life...

And the subtle warmness of the plum soup was helpful to his foundation. He could feel warmness in his stomach, slowly seeping everywhere.

He told the waiter that the bitterness really accented Autumn.

"Really?" The waiter replied. "Most have stated that the soup wasn't towards their liking due to the bitterness. For them, the plum soup is supposed to be suited for spring, is it not? The flowers blossom in winter, but in spring... they are ready to be served."

"Spring is filled with youth and vigor, but this soup... feels... quiet and calm."

The waiter only smiled.

'It's a soup,' Zero thought to himself, but he did wonder...

After paying, and giving a decent tip, they left. With tip, Steven only had 6800 contribution points left.

He wished life wouldn't treat him so harshly.

. . .

The waiter was now in the kitchen, working, with a chef watching.

"Why do you humble yourself to a simple waiter job?" The chef asked.