187: Heading to the Sky Vegetable Garden

Early morning.

The crisp, rhythmic sound of knife sharpening, like a morning bell unique to the mountains, echoed inside and outside the stone house.

"Creeeak—" A slight sound came from the wooden door.

Lin Luo, having had his peaceful sleep disturbed, walked slowly down the stone stairs with a hint of sleepy laziness.

"Morning~" He greeted her vaguely, his voice raspy from just waking up.

The sharpening sound paused for a moment.

"Morning." Second Generation Melk replied, her voice as steady and clear as ever.

However, the moment Lin Luo glanced at her casually, a faint, almost imperceptible blush inexplicably stained Second Generation Melk's face, which was usually focused and calm.

Her gaze quickly shifted away from Lin Luo, landing back on the knife in her hand, and her fingers gripping the handle tightened slightly.

Lin Luo blinked, his remaining sleepiness dissipating slightly: "What's wrong? Is there something on my face?" He subconsciously touched his face.

"It's nothing." Second Generation Melk replied immediately, her tone a bit faster than usual, her gaze locked tightly on the blade: "Breakfast is already prepared, it's on the kitchen table."

"Oh, okay, you're up really early." Lin Luo rubbed his cheek, nodded, and went to the kitchen, subconsciously calling out: "Erina, what's for breakfast?"

Responding to him was Akane Kubo Momo: "Breakfast is milk and toast, with jam." She sat at the table, munching on toast spread with jam, a glass of milk by her side.

"Oh right, where's Erina?" Lin Luo picked up two pieces of bread from the baking tray, and Akane Kubo Momo had already poured him a glass of milk. He sat down, took a sip, and the rich milky aroma filled his mouth.

Akane Kubo Momo replied: "She's still sleeping; Erina has become a bit lazy."

Lin Luo recalled the amorous moments at the hot spring and explained for her: "Maybe she didn't rest well last night." He took a bite of the bread; the wheat aroma was fragrant, and the freshly baked texture was excellent.

"Erina plans to stay in this world for a while, what do you think?" Lin Luo asked while eating.

Akane Kubo Momo was listless: "Me? It's the same wherever. This place is quite interesting."

Lin Luo pursed his lips: "I'm afraid you haven't gone out much, staying on the mountain the whole time."

Akane Kubo Momo huffed: "Melk and I often go down the mountain to play; many ingredient suppliers simply won't deliver here."

Lin Luo nodded: "That's not bad, at least you're not just a homebody. We're leaving today, do you want to come with us?"

"Forget it, I like staying with Melk, I don't want to go running around outside." Akane Kubo Momo wasn't surprised that they were leaving, nor did she have any intention of following them.

"You have no sense of adventure at all; Erina is really looking forward to a wild adventure."

Akane Kubo Momo didn't even look up and replied: "I don't want to, I'd rather stay away from danger. She has you to protect her, but I don't."

Lin Luo smiled: "I can protect you too; Tōtsuki students are all objects I need to protect."

"Pervert, scumbag." Akane Kubo Momo spat out the two words.

Lin Luo's face darkened: "Not cute, not cute at all."

Clang! A tray landed lightly on Lin Luo's head, and Erina huffed: "You're harassing Senior Momo again."

Lin Luo grabbed her hand: "No I'm not, I was just asking if she wanted to come with us."

Upon hearing this, Erina hurriedly looked at Akane Kubo Momo. She felt a bit strange, hoping for company but also not wanting others to disturb them.

Akane Kubo Momo waved her hand: "Relax. I don't want to disturb you two."

Erina immediately blushed: "N-no, I wouldn't. If Senior comes with us, I'd be nothing but happy."

"Fine, if Erina insists."

Akane Kubo Momo's words made Erina speechless, her expression like she had eaten something sour: "I, I of course, welcome Senior."

Seeing her like this, Akane Kubo Momo stopped teasing her and spoke seriously: "Alright, seriously, I'm not going. With that time, I'd rather calm down and research a few new desserts."

"That's fine too," Lin Luo finished the milk in his cup and said casually, "It's not troublesome to come here anyway; I'll come back to visit you when I have time."

Akane Kubo Momo gave him a side-eye: "Don't come if you don't have to; you're too annoying."

Lin Luo put down his cup, wiped his mouth, and raised an eyebrow: "Oh? Then don't think about using 'melks stardust' either."

"Look at him!" Akane Kubo Momo immediately turned to Erina to complain.

Erina reached out and pinched Lin Luo's arm lightly: "Don't bully Senior."

Akane Kubo Momo huffed lightly at Lin Luo, a small look of triumph on her face.

Breakfast continued in a relaxed atmosphere. Second Generation Melk also finished her morning sharpening, washed her hands, and walked over to sit down quietly and eat breakfast. The unnatural blush on her face had faded, and she had returned to her usual calm.

After the meal, Lin Luo and Erina began to pack their belongings. Second Generation Melk silently handed Erina a small, sealed jar filled with "melks stardust" powder. Akane Kubo Momo handed over a small bag of her special, shelf-stable desserts, saying it was a snack for the road.

There were no excessive farewell words; everything was understood without speaking.

Standing at the stone house entrance, Lin Luo and Erina waved goodbye to their two companions.

Second Generation Melk nodded, her eyes firm, as if saying "Take care." Akane Kubo Momo held her teddy bear and waved at them.

In the morning light, Lin Luo naturally took Erina's hand. "Let's go." "Mm."

...

Beneath their feet was a rolling sea of clouds, and above them was an unreachable blue.

A thick, blue-gray vine, as massive as an ancient giant python, hung down from the depths of the clouds tens of thousands of meters in the sky, piercing straight through the heavens and earth. This was the only path to the "Sky Vegetable Garden" — "The Sky's Invitation."

Intense turbulence and the fierce birds that inhabited it made it impossible for any aircraft to reach that floating paradise directly.

After saying goodbye to Tommy, Lin Luo and Erina stepped out of the helicopter cabin and landed steadily on a leaf of the vine that was as wide as a platform.

The leaf swayed constantly with the high-altitude gale, and beneath their feet was a dizzying Void Realm; they could instantly understand what "the path to ascend to heaven" meant.

After leaving Mount Melk, the target was quickly locked — Sky Vegetable Garden.

Many of the dreamlike vegetables at Setsunos Diner originated here, which had long made Erina yearn for it.

As for the places the Young Miss wanted to go, Lin Luo naturally wouldn't refuse.

After contacting his good friend Tommy, this resourceful Gourmet Hunter readily used a helicopter to send them to the starting point of this ladder to heaven.

"Only Gourmet Hunters with true strength can climb from here to the paradise at the top based on their own ability." Before parting, Tommy smiled and pointed upward, "But it shouldn't be a problem for you. Once you reach the top, don't forget your old friend!"

Lin Luo made an OK gesture: "Don't worry, there will definitely be local specialties for you."

The roar of the helicopter's propellers quickly faded, disappearing beneath the clouds, leaving the two at this isolated high-altitude starting point.

"How do we get up?" Erina looked up at the vine disappearing into the clouds, her purple eyes shining with excitement and anticipation.

Lin Luo put down his backpack and efficiently took out two sets of special high-altitude protective suits: "Put these on first. The turbulence here is just an appetizer; the higher you go, the scarier it gets. Oxygen deprivation, extreme cold, air pressure changes... it'll be enough to make you suffer."

Erina obediently put on the somewhat bulky protective suit while muttering: "Can't you just turn on your shield and block all the harsh environments?"

Lin Luo looked back and rolled his eyes at her: "Young Miss, do you think I'm a perpetual motion machine? If you want to tire me to death, just say so."

Erina stuck out her tongue and switched to a sweet, syrupy tone: "Oh my, you're the best~"

"Don't try that on me." Lin Luo zipped up his protective suit with annoyance, "Just climb honestly for now. You have the potential for Awakening gourmet cells; physical training in such extreme environments is the best catalyst."

"I don't want to!" Erina immediately frowned in disgust, "Become like you guys with muscles hard all over?"

"gourmet cells are an evolution of life level; they will optimize you in a more perfect direction." Lin Luo explained while checking his equipment, "Your skin will be more translucent, your Physique will be stronger, your metabolism will reach its best state... excess fat will naturally be converted into pure energy."

"I don't have any excess fat to begin with!" Erina immediately defended her figure.

"I didn't say you were fat." Lin Luo said helplessly, "The point is, Awakening naturally by eating high-Rank gourmet food is much safer than injecting cells directly, and the potential is greater. No rush now, but exercise has no downsides."

"Then I'm not in a rush to exercise now either." Erina said righteously, then was immediately swayed by a sudden, violent gust of wind, and hurriedly grabbed a protrusion on the vine, "The wind is too strong! Turn on the shield quickly!"

"..." Lin Luo decided to ignore her and started climbing upward first. He hadn't climbed many steps when Erina's scream and the sound of falling suddenly came from behind.

"Lin Luo! There's a monster!" He turned back and saw a strange-looking bird tilting its head, examining Erina who had fallen onto the vine. The bird had a weird face resembling a human's, but its eyes held no malice.

"Pseudo-Lupin Bird," Lin Luo breathed a sigh of relief, "It looks fierce, but its personality is actually very gentle." The bird seemed to lose interest in the two, flapped its wings, and flew away on its own.

Lin Luo walked back to pull Erina up and, not feeling at ease, let her walk in front of him.

However, as the altitude continued to rise, the temperature dropped sharply, and the air became thinner; every breath became strenuous, and white frost began to condense on the protective masks.

"Get on my back." Lin Luo stopped and crouched down.

Erina didn't hesitate this time; she immediately climbed onto his broad back, her arms wrapping tightly around his neck, her voice muffled inside the protective suit: "How much further is it?"

"It's still a long way, hold tight." As soon as Lin Luo finished speaking, a soft, five-colored halo instantly expanded around him, steadily enveloping them both.

The halo isolated the biting cold wind and thin air, providing a suitable temperature and oxygen.

The next moment, Lin Luo tapped his toes lightly on the vine, and his whole body seemed to break free from the shackles of gravity, turning into a streak of light along the towering giant vine, rapidly ascending toward the mysterious green paradise above the clouds.