The cafeteria was one of the largest buildings in the area, and contrary to what Ryuk had thought, there were actually a lot of newcomer students in the cafeteria, in twos and threes.
He had thought cultivators needed no reason to eat, as the Mana was enough, and Ryuk’s own weird body might be the only exception.
But then, he noted that some of the students didn’t seem to come here to eat but to talk instead.
Almost nobody was eating alone.
"It’s right there…" Morgaine’s voice echoed beside his ears. She turned to the side and disappeared around a corner. When Ryuuk followed, he appeared before a serving area, where a couple of older-looking women wearing the academy’s uniform were standing.
"Hi."
"What would you like? Here is the list of what is currently available," they explained to Morgaine, who picked up the little leaflet, her golden gaze flickering through it with speed.
In three seconds, she had her answer.
"The Void Dragon Steak, for two people," she completed, and the lady stared at Ryuuk, who made no visible sign of refusing.
She smiled before instantly getting to work.
It took less than 30 seconds for her to reappear.
A tray with a well-covered dish was handed to both of them, and Morgaine collected it before they moved to a more secluded place in the dining area.
The Void Dragon Steak was a thick-cut steak from a particularly dark-colored meat with an umami flavor. Alongside it was the Nebula Sauce.
When Ryuk took a bite, the meat was juicy, tender, with Savory-sweet aftertastes.
’Even the food is better than the ones in the Arisen Fallen Hall,’ he thought to himself with flashing eyes, and his eating speed unconsciously increased.
"You didn’t seem to argue against me choosing the dish," Morgaine suddenly said as Ryuk shrugged his shoulders.
"I didn’t have anything in mind earlier. And I don’t mind any dish, so long as it fills my hunger," he replied, and Morgaine couldn’t help but click her tongue.
"As barbaric as ever…"
"Hey, Ryuk. I have a question that’s always lingered on my mind for a while now, but I didn’t know whether to ask or not," Morgaine suddenly said, and Ryuk nodded.
"Just ask away. If I can’t answer, I simply won’t."
"During your battle with Ignatius, at the last second, there was a gigantic snake that covered you up and took the brunt of Ignatius’ flame for you. The white, snowy-like snake," Morgaine said as Ryuk’s eating speed slowed down.
"What is with it? Is it a skill of yours? To summon a big snake to act as a shield? It doesn’t really seem like a skill of though. More of a living beasts."
"So, if it’s not a skill, then where has it been since then? I haven’t seen you, nor noticed anything like that around you after that day," Morgaine voiced out, and Ryuk could tell she had been holding the question back for as long as she could, until eventually, she could no longer keep it in.
"It’s not a ’it,’ it’s a her."
"And who knows, you might be seeing her soon…" he replied before continuing his meal.
Morgaine stared at him for a while before she giggled.
"It’s the first time I’ve seen you so protective of something. Even defending her pronoun," she said, but he only shrugged.
Still, it had been finalized to Morgaine. The snake she saw was a real entity, and if she hung around Ryuk enough, she would eventually encounter it again.
While she was curious in where she currently was, looking at Ryuk, and how he had answered the question before, he doesn’t seem to want to talk much of the topic, so she could only reign in her curiosity for now.
Silence passed over the table as Ryuk felt his hunger ceasing with every bite, and with the last spoonful of the Void Dragon Meat, his hunger was completely satiated.
Suddenly—
RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING
The sound of a loud ring echoed out from the area as Ryuuk unconsciously turned his attention to the Apex Watch, same for Morgaine and every student in the room.
{New Class Alert!}
{Combat Mastery Class in an hour from now}
"Oh, it’s time for the next class," Morgaine said as Ryuk nodded his head before tapping on the notification and stopping its ceaseless ringing.
"So, planning to come late to this one too?" she asked, and he rolled his eyes.
"I never choose to come late. I never will. So, I’ll be getting to the class early this time…" he replied, as Morgaine chuckled and finished up her food before rising to her feet.
They both placed their dishes where the dirty dishes were to be placed.
Exiting the building, they headed, of course, to the Academy Hall, where there were already a couple of students also moving too.
’Combat Mastery Class, huh? I don’t know what it is all about, but the combat should mean I’ll be getting to stretch my bones soon…’ Ryuk thought to himself as they soon headed into the academy.
With the aid of the navigation map, they appeared before a widely opened door.
Ryuuk was about to step in with Morgaine behind him when he suddenly stopped and took two steps backward.
"Hey, what’s wrong?" Morgaine asked, looking at Ryuk, who had his gaze fixed on the opened doors.
Slowly, he dipped his hand forward, and suddenly the surface of the door rippled like a wave on water.
Some students already disappeared into it, but the others instantly paused once they saw what was happening to Ryuuk. They all couldn’t help but also notice the surface rippling.
"What the hell? There’s like a teleporting vortex," a student mused, but then another muttered.
"Don’t sweat it. The pointer on the map said this is the right place, so it definitely is where we should be."
"And a school like the Ascension Academy isn’t above having a class in another area connected with a vortex, is it?" a student asked before also stepping into the vortex and disappearing.
"Hey, System, can you sense any harm from beyond?" Ryuk asked.
[None, Host. But be careful.]
Only then did Ryuk step into the vortex with Morgaine.
When they opened their eyes, they were met with a crowd of students gathered on a wide grassy plain.