"Lord City Lord! I didn't expect to run into you here." Before Qin Ming could finish his sentence, a cry of surprise from behind drew everyone’s attention.

  "Oh, it's you. What brings you here?" Qin Ming smiled as he recognized the newcomer.

  The man who had spoken was a stout fellow with a small mustache—Robert, the Treasurer of Cloud City. Tailing behind him was another chubby youth who looked like he had barely slept: Luo Yuanxing, who had also visited the shop the day before.

  "Yuanxing, did your old man drag you out of bed at the crack of dawn too?" Qin Shi asked, his voice dripping with schadenfreude.

  "Don't even get me started," Luo Yuanxing grumbled. "I told him there was no rush, but he had me up before the sun was even out." He kept his voice low, not daring to complain too loudly.

  "My son returned home last night, and I accidentally discovered mana fluctuations within him," Robert said, bowing slightly with respect. "After questioning him, I learned it was all thanks to Manager Kael’s shop. Naturally, I couldn't wait another moment to come and see for myself."

  "As I suspected," Qin Ming nodded.

  Luo Yuanxing’s lack of talent was no secret in Cloud City. Just like Qin Shi, his affinity for Battle Qi and Mana was a flat zero. But hearing Robert's confirmation gave Qin Ming even more hope. Perhaps elevating the overall strength of Cloud City wasn't an impossible dream after all.

  "Was the City Lord also drawn here for the same reason?" Robert asked, seizing the opening.

  "Indeed. The soldiers at the training grounds reported it to me last night," Qin Ming replied, his tone carrying a hint of boastfulness. "They said Shi’er was practicing magic. I didn't believe it at first, but it turned out to be true."

  "To learn magic in a single day... the Young Master’s talent is truly not to be underestimated," Robert complimented smoothly.

  "He claims it’s all the credit of the New World Mode, so I came to take a look myself," Qin Ming added, feigning humility.

  It seemed that the urge to brag about one’s children had nothing to do with social status.

  "If you want to play the New World Mode, I suggest you go to the counter and get a membership card first."

  Kael had finished preparing the cup noodles. He left one on the counter for Shier and carried the other toward the training area, speaking as he passed by. His casual remark instantly shattered the competitive atmosphere between the two fathers.

  As Kael walked past, a strange, intoxicating aroma wafted into the nostrils of Qin Ming and Robert. Robert’s nose twitched, and his eyes lit up. "What is that scent? Just a whiff of it makes my mouth water."

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  Robert's round physique was a testament to his love for fine dining. As a connoisseur, his standards were incredibly high, but the aroma radiating from the freshly brewed noodles—a concentrated, savory fragrance—triggered his appetite instantly.

  "You're right," Qin Ming added, taking a deep breath and searching for the source. "This fragrance far exceeds any gourmet meal I’ve ever had."

  They quickly spotted the nearest source: Shier’s cup of noodles sitting on the counter.

  "What... what do you think you're doing?" Shier saw the predatory looks in their eyes and immediately snatched the noodles off the counter, clutching them to her chest like a protective cat. She glared at them warily. "This is mine!"

  Realizing they couldn't exactly mug a young girl for her breakfast, the two men turned their gaze toward their sons, who were also holding steaming cups of noodles.

  "Qin Shi!"

  "Luo Yuanxing!"

  The two fathers spoke in unison, their eyes filled with mock fury. Their expressions clearly shouted: Why didn't you tell me there was food this good?!

  "Father, you're the one who said you weren't here for breakfast!" Qin Shi took a step back, trying to defend himself.

  "And you never asked," Luo Yuanxing added with a long face.

  "What did you just say?" Qin Ming and Robert asked simultaneously, their voices dropping an octave.

  "Sorry! It’s my fault! I should have recommended the breakfast to you earlier!" The two sons folded instantly, their attitudes toward admitting fault becoming exceptionally upright.

  "Um..."

  Shier, still holding her noodles, interrupted the family drama. "Are you getting the membership cards or not?"

  "Yes!"

  The experience of the New World Mode left Qin Ming and Robert utterly shell-shocked.

  Directly increasing Battle Qi and Mana? Instantly improving the proficiency of martial techniques and spells? These were concepts they had never even dared to imagine. In their world, such a thing was fundamentally impossible. If anyone had told them yesterday that there was a way to grow stronger without effort, Qin Ming would have assumed the person was sleep-talking.

  But the reality before them threatened to overturn decades of their worldview.

  "Manager Kael, it’s truly hard to believe," Qin Ming sighed from the bottom of his heart. "You always seem to have these inconceivable things in your shop."

  "You flatter me, City Lord Qin," Kael replied with his habitual modesty.

  But before he could finish, a gentle, elderly voice filled with a hint of joy drifted in from the doorway.

  "There is no need for modesty, Manager. Your shop is the most miraculous place I have ever seen."

  Gu Pingchuan appeared at the counter and swiped his membership card.

  "Dean Gu. It looks like you had quite a harvest yesterday," Kael said, glancing at the old man.

  The Dean’s aura was even more refined than before. There was a faint trace of something that transcended the Hero tier. In other words, Gu Pingchuan had successfully placed one foot into the "Strong" tier. That half-step breakthrough was enough to make him peerless among those at the Hero rank.

  "It is all thanks to the New World—and to you, Manager," Gu Pingchuan said, not holding back his gratitude. "If not for this place, I might never have taken this step in my entire life. This was a hurdle that had trapped me for nearly ten years, bringing me to the brink of despair."

  While reflecting on his journey, Gu Pingchuan prepared his own noodles and grabbed a fruit jelly before sitting in the booth next to Kael.

  Qin Ming stood to the side, staring blankly at Gu Pingchuan. He felt the man looked familiar. When he heard Kael refer to him as "Dean," a jolt of shock ran through him.

  Dean... The Dean of Brilliance Academy—Gu Pingchuan! The Mage God of the Aranyuan Empire!

  At that realization, Qin Ming nearly jumped off the leather sofa in shock.