Chapter 73: Growth Potatoes, Invitation to Cooperate

Chapter 73: Chapter 73: Growth Potatoes, Invitation to Cooperate

Seraphina Sullivan had survived yesterday thanks to the supplies in her Space, but she knew that excuse would only work once.

Constantly skipping the mess hall, in a place under such strict surveillance, was tantamount to telling the management, "I’m a problem."

So, when Ash called for her to go to the mess hall, she immediately followed.

Ash had found the mess hall on their own yesterday.

The mess hall was located in a remote corner of the slaughterhouse. A crooked, grease-stained wooden sign hung at the entrance, with the words "Feeding Zone" written in a red substance that looked like dried blood.

The moment she stepped into the mess hall, a complex, indescribable stench assaulted her nostrils.

The smells of sweat, blood, the sour tang of some spoiled food, and the unique, gamy odor of the Hogmen mingled together into a nauseating mixture.

The lighting was extremely dim. Only a few faint, yellow pendant lamps swayed overhead, casting distorted, shifting shadows.

The enormous mess hall was a cacophony of noise, showcasing a bizarre polarization.

On one side were the human temporary workers, cowering in corners with ashen faces.

They kept their heads down, mechanically shoveling food into their mouths. Their eyes were vacant and numb, as if they weren’t eating a meal, but consuming fuel just to stay alive.

Their chewing was faint and restrained, punctuated by the occasional, desperately stifled sob.

The other side was a completely different scene.

The Hogmen gathered in small groups, occupying the spacious tables and chairs. They were shouting, roaring, and slapping the tables.

They gnawed on huge chunks of some unknown meat, their mouths glistening with grease. Bones were tossed carelessly onto the floor, making a CRACKING sound as they shattered.

Of course, some Hogmen stared at the frail temporary workers on the other side with eyes full of malice, as if the humans were the real delicacies.

Harsh laughter, curses, and chewing sounds blended together.

It was as if an invisible Wall stood between the two groups. The division was sharp and clear. They did not interact, yet they formed a suffocating contrast.

Ash was clearly still shaken by the scene and shrank back.

They whispered to Seraphina Sullivan, "Sullivan, you didn’t come yesterday, so you can’t afford to miss it today. The food here is terrible, but you have to eat it. Without enough stamina, there’s no way to handle the high-intensity work."

Seraphina Sullivan nodded.

Her gaze swept quickly over the mess hall’s layout and the Hogmen.

She followed Ash to the end of the food line on the human side.

The one serving the food was a bloated female Hogman, wearing an apron of an unrecognizable original color. Its thick arms were covered in all sorts of stains.

Its attitude was rough. When it saw Seraphina Sullivan swipe her identification card and hold out her bowl, it didn’t even look, simply scooping a large ladleful of a viscous, grayish-brown paste from a huge, steaming vat.

The food was dumped into the bowl with a SPLAT, splattering quite a bit onto the counter.

Seraphina Sullivan held the bowl of warm, extremely unappetizing "porridge" and frowned slightly.

"This is our food?" she asked Ash in a low voice.

"Yeah," Ash said, their expression a mix of helplessness and resignation. "Sullivan, don’t mind how awful it looks. It’s really filling. This is porridge made from ’Growth Potatoes’."

"Growth Potatoes?"

"They’re a kind of magical mutated potato. Eating just a little bit can keep you full for a very, very long time; they’re very high in Energy. Unfortunately, the seeds and cultivation methods for this crop are tightly controlled by the Hogmen. We can’t get our hands on them at all."

Ash’s tone held a hint of barely perceptible longing and anger.

Seraphina Sullivan had learned from Ash before.

One of the reasons humanity had been utterly defeated by these Demons was that their food supply was controlled.

Growth Potatoes were a strategic resource. The Hogmen used this efficient but monotonous food to Control the basic survival needs of their "labor force."

She didn’t let it go to waste. She picked up her spoon and took a bite.

The texture was coarse. The taste wasn’t exactly bad, but it definitely wasn’t good either. It was merely "fuel" that existed solely for survival.

’If I had some Growth Potatoes,’ Seraphina Sullivan wondered, ’what would I do with them?’

’Seriously? I could prepare potatoes in a hundred different ways.’

As Seraphina Sullivan ate, she started sizing up the other temporary workers.

Most were Native People, but there were also Players like Seraphina Sullivan and the others.

’Huh! How is he in this instance too!’

On the other side of the corner, a rather burly man was mechanically eating the food in his bowl.

This person was none other than Sean Chandler, whom Seraphina Sullivan had turned into a puppet with her Mutated Spirit Spider Silk.

Seraphina Sullivan could feel that Sean Chandler was still her puppet.

’With him here, there are certain things I can definitely try.’ A slight smile touched Seraphina Sullivan’s lips.

At that moment, Sean Chandler felt a sudden chill run through his body for no apparent reason as he ate.

He looked around, completely unaware of what had happened. Ever since he was controlled by Seraphina Sullivan’s Mutated Spider Silk, she had erased his memory of it.

Sean Chandler could still move and act on his own.

Just as Seraphina Sullivan was eating her Growth Potato porridge and secretly calculating how to use Sean Chandler to gain more in this instance...

...two figures sat down unceremoniously across from her and Ash.

The long metal table let out a SQUEAL from the sudden added weight.

The sudden noise made Ash jump, nearly knocking over their bowl. They looked at the newcomers warily.

Seraphina Sullivan raised her head and calmly looked across the table.

The newcomers were none other than Lily Underwood and Dustin Sullivan.

Lily Underwood had taken off her bird-faced mask, revealing a pale but sharp-eyed face. She leaned forward directly and lowered her voice. "Hey! How about a deal?"

Her gaze was burning, fixed tightly on Seraphina Sullivan, completely ignoring Ash beside her.

Seraphina Sullivan put down her spoon, the bottom of her bowl making a soft clink against the metal tabletop.

She didn’t answer immediately, instead asking, "A deal? Why me?" 𝑓𝑟ℯℴ𝓂

Her gaze swept between Lily Underwood and Dustin Sullivan, full of obvious scrutiny.

For these two to approach her so suddenly, their motives were definitely not simple.

Lily Underwood didn’t seem to like beating around the bush. She leaned in closer, her voice even lower. "Stop pretending. I know your ’identity’."

She deliberately stressed the word "identity."

Seraphina Sullivan understood that the move she’d revealed during the assessment must have exposed the fact that she was also a Player.

Lily Underwood continued, "In this inst... in this damn slaughterhouse, going it alone is just stupid. We can totally cooperate, each get what we need, be more efficient, and get what we want faster."

Seraphina Sullivan immediately understood her underlying meaning.

Cooperate to complete the high-difficulty tasks issued by the system.

For instance, becoming a permanent employee, or working together to rack up a slaughter count of 1,000.

But the doubt in her heart grew deeper.

Dustin Sullivan felt unfathomable to her. His strength was definitely above hers, and it might not even be his first time in a LV2 instance.

Why did they single her out?

As if seeing through her confusion, Dustin Sullivan, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly spoke.

His voice was still gentle, but its content carried a touch of cold reality. "I am indeed a bit more... experienced than you all."