Absolute Resonance - Chapter 0009: Council Meeting

'A Culinary Adventure in the Game World!!'Kai never asked for this. One minute, he’s stuck in a dead-end life, barely scraping by. Next, he’s reincarnated into a game world, trapped in the body of the Darklord. But there's a twist—he doesn’t just inherit the Darklord’s power. No, Kai is cursed with something far worse: a Culinary System that can turn food into magic, potions, and weaponry.In a world where culinary prowess is power, Kai has to master his cooking skills to survive. Can he turn scraps into a full course of victories, or will he fall victim to the game's deadly rules? As he navigates treacherous quests, forms unlikely alliances, and battles powerful foes, Kai learns that his new identity as the Darklord isn't just about power—it's about survival.But he's not the only one after the game’s ultimate secrets. A mysterious Crimson Guild, bent on using Kai’s Culinary System to take control of the world, is hot on his heels. To escape this game, Kai will need to unlock the true potential of his cooking, master ancient recipes, and discover how to break free from the game... but can he do all that before the Guild catches up with him?A world of dangerous quests, supernatural enemies, and magic-infused meals await!The Culinary System. The Darklord’s power. And a feast of deadly secrets.The game has just begun.

'Nina?'The thought hit me before I even really processed who it was. Nina Shoka from my class. She was just walking along, probably listening to music, totally unaware that this car had lost control and was sliding right toward her.I didn't think about it. Didn't weigh the pros and cons or consider my options. My legs just started moving.I dropped my phone and sprinted toward her. The car was maybe three seconds away from hitting her when I slammed into her side, pushing her as hard as I could toward the sidewalk.She went flying, landing hard on the concrete but definitely out of the car's path.Me? Not so lucky.The impact felt like getting hit by a train. One second I was pushing Nina to safety, the next I was flying through the air. Then I hit the ground and everything went wrong at once.I couldn't move my legs. Couldn't really move much of anything, actually. There was this weird warm feeling spreading across my chest and stomach, and when I tried to breathe, it felt like drowning.'Well, this sucks,' I thought, staring up at the sky. 'Guess that's what I get for being a hero.'My vision started getting all swimmy and weird, but I could make out Nina crawling over to me. She had pulled out her earbuds and there were tears streaming down her face.“Why did you do that?” she kept asking, over and over. “Why would you do that?”I wanted to shrug, but my shoulders weren't really cooperating. It seemed pretty obvious to me - she was in trouble, so I helped. That's what you do, right? Nothing fancy about it.She was talking to me, saying my name a lot. I didn't realize she even knew my name, to be honest. We had been in the same class for like three months and I don't think we had ever actually had a conversation.“Kofi, stay with me, okay?” she was saying. “You're gonna be fine. The ambulance is coming.”

A huge guy is bawling his eyes out. In this day and age? Sure, maybe the world changed while I was away in that other place. I’m not some old-fashioned boomer.But what if that guy is clinging to my pant leg, sobbing and sniffling—And we’re not even acquaintances?Even in modern times, that’s just messed up. Ask any passing kid, they’d agree.So yeah, I shook my leg. He was gross and too close.“The hell’s wrong with you? Crying just ’cause you saw a ghost?” “N-no! I swear, it was really there! You didn’t see it!!”I let the disrespect slide. Barely. He was asking for help and still talking down to me just because I look young?Obviously, I’m not the one who lost his balls. He is.And yet… when I looked where he pointed—Something was there.I threw some coarse salt and looked again.He stared at me like I was insane, but I ignored it.…Yeah. Something was definitely there.It made eye contact.

[Rebirth + Era + Space + Getting Rich + Counterattack Face-Slapping]Waking up, Su Yuanyuan found herself in a time of famine. Looking at the bird-poor environment, she felt like she could die again to escape back.But why does this thought give her a splitting headache?Want to hang herself, but the safety rope brought from her space would break on its own?Thinking of jumping into the river, and she gets pulled out just after jumping in?Alright, better to live stubbornly than to die well. She has a space, can farm, and doesn't fret over food or clothing. Heaven, the 'father', offers conveniences, making life pleasantly good!However, that handsome guy who always forces her to work, I'm only ten years old, is it really okay for you to look at me with such deep affection?