Chapter 79: The Bizzare World
I leaned against a stone pillar, watching the sheer madness unfold with pure amusement.
’Holy hell,’ I chuckled mentally, taking in the bizarre blend of ancient fantasy races and modern urban chaos. ’This place literally looks like a chaotic, high-budget fantasy mashup brought to life. Tolkien would probably have a heart attack if he saw a dwarf in a safety vest using modern slang.’
[Fufufu~ Welcome to the true supernatural realm, Host!] Paige chimed in my head, her tone full of cheerful delight. [So, what’s task number one on your grand Uruk bucket list?]
Just then, a heavenly, mouth-watering aroma of spiced roasted meats, sizzling herbs, and rich alien marinades drifted through the warm evening air from an open-air night market further down the avenue. My stomach let out a very loud, betrayal-filled growl.
A wide, genuine grin spread across my face as I tapped Cyrus’s black credit card against my palm.
"Task number one?" I smirked, slipping my hands into my pockets as I stepped into the bustling crowd. "Obviously... it’s time to taste the food of the supernatural world."
I wandered straight toward the glowing market district, guided entirely by my nose. The street was lined with colorful wooden food stalls, food trucks powered by floating fire elementals, and outdoor tables crowded with creatures of every shape and size.
My eyes landed on a busy stall run by a cheerful, four-armed minotaur chef wearing a white apron. He was rapidly wielding four meat cleavers at once, chopping giant slabs of shimmering, marbled beast meat over a glowing brazier with blinding speed.
"Step right up, folks!" the minotaur hollered in a deep, booming voice. "Fresh Behemoth rib-eye skewers! Flame-broiled in true hellfire! Guaranteed to boost your physical stamina or your money back!"
"I’ll take three skewers, boss," I said, walking up to the counter.
The minotaur looked down at me, blinking his massive dark eyes before grinning. "Coming right up, young man! That’ll be twenty silver Uruk credits."
I pulled out Cyrus’s matte-black obsidian credit card and tapped it against the minotaur’s wooden payment crystal.
DING!
The payment crystal instantly flared with a blinding, golden light, shooting out a soft chime that rang through the entire market stall. A holographic text display popped up over the crystal in bold, glowing ancient runes:
[SOVEREIGN EXECUTIVE PASS ACCEPTED: UNLIMITED BALANCE]
The four-armed minotaur froze mid-chop. His four meat cleavers nearly slipped from his hands as he stared at the glowing gold text, then slowly raised his massive head to look at me in utter, wide-eyed shock.
The surrounding customers, a pair of cat-eared beastgirls, a winged centaur, and a hooded mage, all stopped talking, staring at the shiny black card in my hand and whispering in shock.
"S-Sovereign Card..." the minotaur stuttered, his terrifying, muscular frame suddenly bowing down so low his horns almost scraped the counter. "M-My deepest apologies, Honored Sovereign! I did not recognize your esteemed stature! Please, take the entire grill! Take the stand! It is my absolute honor!"
I nearly choked, holding my hands up in amusement. "Whoa, whoa, chill out, man! I don’t want your grill! I just want three skewers!"
"R-Right away, my Lord!" The minotaur moved at lightning speed, using all four arms to wrap up five massive, juicy, charcoal-grilled skewers dripping with savory sauce, piling extra glazed cuts into a wooden bowl, and handing it over with both hands like a sacred offering. "Compliments of the house! Please grace my humble stall again!"
"Thanks, man," I laughed, taking the skewers. "Keep the change." I tapped the card once more, leaving a generous hundred-credit tip on his crystal before walking away.
Taking a massive bite of the first skewer, my eyes nearly popped out of my head.
OM.
The meat was impossibly tender, melting on my tongue like warm butter, bursting with a rich, savory, smoky flavor that practically exploded across my taste buds. A soft, pleasant wave of warm energy washed down my throat, soothing my muscles and making me feel intensely refreshed.
’Holy crap...’ I gasped mentally, chewing happily as I walked down the street. ’This food is unbelievable! I need to buy out this whole market!’
[Fufufu~ See?] Paige giggled happily inside my head. [Perks of having unlimited wealth and high-tier authority, Host! You can eat like a king across every dimension!]
I spent the next hour happily strolling down the bustling avenues of Uruk, completely soaking in the vibrant, bizarre, and delightfully chaotic atmosphere. I bought sweet, glowing fairy-dust cotton candy from a tiny nymph vendor, tried a cup of frosty ice-nectar brewed by frost giants that froze my breath into sparkling mist, and even picked up a bag of crunchy, golden dragon-fruit chips.
Every stall owner reacted with the exact same hilarious, wide-eyed panic the second I pulled out Cyrus’s black Sovereign Card, treating me like a visiting emperor while overloading me with extra free food.
By the time I reached a grand central plaza dominated by a magnificent, glowing fountain carved in the shape of a leviathan, my hands were full of magical snacks, and a bright, completely relaxed smile rested on my face.
Sitting down on the edge of the marble fountain, I took a sip of my cold ice-nectar and looked up at the golden twilight sky of Uruk. Floating stone platforms glided silently above, giant mythical beasts soared through the clouds, and thousands of different races walked the streets below in peaceful, chaotic harmony.
’Yeah...’ I thought, a sense of warmth and excitement filling my chest as I took another bite of my skewer. ’This supernatural world... is gonna be a hell of a lot of fun.’
[Right? By the way, Seth, are you going to add horse girls in your harem too?] Paige asked, her voice filled with excitement.
I took a moment to think about that question, before shrugging in response. ’I am not really opposed to anyone as long as they aren’t too far away from humanoid form.’
[Interesting. Really interesting. So, you can ride her? Hehe, you already have the title Goblin Slayer.]
I blinked in confusion. ’How? I haven’t even met a goblin.’
[You call Yerin a Goblin and you did slay her in bed wars...]
’You really have one creative mind.’
[Thank you. Thank you.]