The Hero Turned Into A Potato And The World Fell To Ruin

In the underground space of the ancient desert city, everyone was gathered together for a hotpot.

Of course, calling it hotpot was a stretch. It was really just a big pot cooking meat, with various vegetables thrown in.

Although Myza's farm grew a variety of produce, the only seasoning available was a dried fruit that tasted somewhat like pepper.

There was plenty of salt, which Myza said was collected and processed from the desert, though Liu Ji didn't know the specifics.

In any case, he was finally eating something savory after so many days, which greatly improved his mood.

Everyone else also seemed rather relaxed.

Yaine, who had been in a state of constant tension, was now lazily lying in a rocking chair, staring blankly at the glowing stones on the ceiling.

It was uncertain how long the blood moon anomaly would last, and since this place was safe, she had no other task besides increasing Liu Ji's daily homework. This had finally given her a reason to relax.

Mervant and Calidora, the couple, were being very affectionate, not even bothering with food as they found a secluded corner to be together.

It was understandable. They had worried about each other during their separation, with no way to communicate, and had even feared for each other's safety. Now reunited, they naturally wanted to make the most of their time together.

Meanwhile, Osar and Girunini were rather amusing. Osar, who in the past went crazy from not knowing how to use chopsticks, was now stopping Girunini from using her hands to eat!

And this was an extreme challenge for him. After all, he wasn't Yaine, and Girunini wasn't him. His attempts at forcibly teaching Girunini only resulted in the Miffy plucking several hairs from his waist in retaliation. This scene somehow reminded Liu Ji of an episode of Tom and Jerry…

To be honest, Liu Ji didn't think there was any need for Osar to go out of his way to teach Girunini chopsticks usage.

After all, they were having hotpot, and it was a standard Chinese hotpot, even if it was a clear soup rather than a spicy one.

But with hotpot, even if one didn't use chopsticks, using hands was still out of the question. Unless Girunini wanted to eat boiled nails and stewed fingers, she would have to give using chopsticks a try once it was time to eat.

Even Myza was already learning—and judging by his practice of picking up invisible food, he was getting quite good at it.

"Mr. Myza, the meat is almost done. Before we add other vegetables, would you like to try a bit first?" Liu Ji called out to Myza.

"Me? Oh, there's no need." Myza smiled and waved his hand. "I don't need to eat, and I can't taste the food anyway. Watching you guys eat is enough."

"Ah, is that so? Well, that's a shame…" Liu Ji was a little surprised.

While saying so, he added the chopped vegetables and adjusted the flame on the clay stove.

"Mm, yeah. It's a shame, but that's how it is." Myza shrugged.

"Um… Mr. Myza, I'm actually a bit curious," Liu Ji said. "You previously mentioned that the ability like yours to communicate directly with anyone can be gained, um, via the hero's blessing. Does that mean you were once a hero too?"

"Firstly, it's called the Blessing of the World." Myza chuckled. "And yes, that ability can be learned through the Blessing of the World, but it doesn't mean that it can only be gained that way. Think about it; perhaps a Demon King could also have it?"

"Ah? Uh, you can't be a Demon King, right?" asked Liu Ji.

"Haha, I wish I were! A Demon King has much more freedom than a hero." Myza laughed heartily. "And didn't you previously say that Demon Kings are all either little girls or busty women nowadays?"

"No, there are men too," Liu Ji said. "Working at fast-food restaurants, romancing the hero… uh, probably romancing the hero. I only got to read half of that story. I'm not sure how it develops later on."

"That sounds rather enviable. Unfortunately, reality isn't a story," Myza said, twirling his chopsticks. "A problem that can be solved by defeating a Demon King is too convenient. But in reality, what a hero needs to fight against isn't a Demon King."

"Then, what is it?" Liu Ji asked, puzzled. "Imperial tyranny or something?"

"That's a problem for ordinary humans themselves. The world doesn't grant blessings for such things." Myza shook his head. "At least, as far as I know, what the heroes throughout history faced were calamities."

"Calamities?" Liu Ji frowned. "Like an asteroid strike, or a volcano erupting?"

"Asteroid? Volcano?" Myza raised an eyebrow. "Huh, strange. I'm actually unable to understand these two words…"

Liu Ji was surprised. "Ah? Are there no asteroids or comets here?"

"I think perhaps those are things unique to your former world." Myza shrugged.

"This… Huh?" Liu Ji was bewildered.

No asteroids and volcanoes? Does this make sense? This other world's crust doesn't move? Even if the crust doesn't move, surely a comet or two must have been witnessed over the years, right?

"Oh, by the way, it looks like the water in your pot is about to spill over," Myza gave a reminder.

"Ah! Crap, it's already bubbling. The fire is too hot!" Liu Ji was taken by surprise and hurriedly went to adjust the airflow of the clay stove.

But just then, an inexplicable chill ran up his spine.

Almost subconsciously, Liu Ji instantly turned into a potato and fell to the ground with a thud.

Seeing this bizarre scene, Girunini, who was messing around with Osar, wanted to cry out instinctively.

However, at that moment, Myza covered her mouth.

Then, everyone heard Myza's voice in their heads—Stay quiet, don't make a sound.

————

————

A man in a scarlet cape and wearing a crown set with a ruby was strolling through the ancient desert city.

He casually approached a stone person's stall and picked up one of the "snacks" sold by the vendor.

It was a "roast meat" skewer made entirely out of stone, though the craftsmanship was so lifelike that if painted, it could pass off for real meat.

The "stall owner" watched him pick up the skewer and even took out a box for collecting payment.

The man looked inside the box, which was roughly half filled with coins that were also made out of stone. It seemed the "stall owner" wanted him to pay.

The man chuckled and put the "skewer" back, casually swiped a coin from the box, then walked away.

The "stall owner" was momentarily stunned, but returned to its usual state after a while.

The man twirled the coin in his hand, shifting his gaze away from the "stall owner," and looked ahead.

"I must say, even with all my experience, this city has the finest stone sculptures I've ever seen," the man said with a smile. "Taking a coin as a souvenir wouldn't be too much to ask, would it?"

"Of course not," Myza said, approaching with two iced drinks in hand. He raised one of the drinks and said, "I'm always generous to guests. Care for a drink? Of course, I'll drink the other one first."

"Ha, interesting. Hospitality from the host—how can I refuse?" The man took the drink, downed it in one gulp, then took a deep breath and sighed. "Delicious. The intense toxin's crazy flavor is just right. I needed something like this to perk me up."

Smiling at Myza, he continued, "Unfortunately, if you were hoping it would kill me, your wish might fall short."

"No, I wasn't hoping for that," Myza said, smiling as he downed his own drink. "I just think that this flavor is perfect for people like us."