201: Prajna Panda

The huge screen in the Casino lobby simultaneously switched to the surveillance footage of the Underground Capture Arena.

Inside a massive steel cage comparable to a small plaza, a giant beast with a bulky frame and bulging muscles paced irritably, letting out low, heart-palpitating roars.

It looked like a panda, yet it was far more ferocious—its mouth was full of razor-sharp teeth, two curved, pale tusks protruded from the corners of its mouth, and a pair of curved ox horns had eerily grown from its shoulders.

Its crimson eyes gleamed with raw malice, but the most terrifying part was the pattern of the fur on its chest, which naturally twisted into the image of an angry, roaring human face; this was the origin of the name "Banya Panda."

"It's... it's that big?! How can anyone fight that? Someone's going to die!" Kobayashi Rindō watched the screen, unable to stop herself from covering her mouth.

Erina clenched her fists tightly, her purple eyes staring unblinkingly at the screen as she whispered, "No... he can definitely do it."

Awoo—!!!

The Banya Panda in the cage seemed to sense the prying eyes and the intruder. It suddenly turned its head, its crimson eyes locking onto Lin Luo as he stepped into the cage. Its nostrils flared, exhaling a white mist tinged with a bloody scent, its gaze filled with naked disdain and killing intent.

In the next second, it moved!

Its massive body exploded with a terrifying speed that defied its size, pouncing toward Lin Luo like a mountain of flesh!

The muscles of its thick right arm swelled, and a fist the size of a sandbag whistled through the air, smashing down fiercely from above with an incredible Aura, as if it intended to crush both the ground and Lin Luo into meat paste!

Swoosh—

At the very moment the fist was about to strike, Lin Luo's figure vanished from the spot like a ghost.

The surveillance footage even blurred for a split second.

By the time everyone's eyes caught him again, he had already appeared directly above the Banya Panda's head!

With no wasted movement and no flashy lights, just a simple, direct punch concentrated with pure power, he smashed down from above, right into the center of the Banya Panda's iron-hard skull!

Boom—!!!

An extremely dull bang, like a giant rock bursting, echoed through the monitor!

The Banya Panda's massive head instantly deformed and caved in like a watermelon struck by a sledgehammer, and then... it exploded in a sudden burst of flesh and bone shards!

Crimson blood mixed with white brain matter splattered everywhere, staining the nearby cage walls a stinging red and white.

That massive, terrifyingly powerful body suddenly stiffened, freezing in its pouncing posture for a moment before crashing to the ground. It kicked up a large cloud of dust, twitched twice, and then went completely silent.

Everything happened too fast. From the Banya Panda's pounce to Lin Luo's disappearance, reappearance, and the one-punch kill, the entire process took place in the blink of an eye.

In the Casino lobby, everyone looked as if they had been hit by a freezing spell, staring wide-eyed at the bloody and shocking scene on the screen, their minds completely blank.

By the time they finally reacted to the impact of such extreme violence and speed, the screen only showed Lin Luo's figure slowly withdrawing his fist, alongside the lifeless corpse of the Banya Panda beneath his feet.

Silence.

A deathly silence.

Even the eerie smile that always hung on Leib Beiyala's face had completely frozen. He "watched" the screen, and the memory interface at the back of his head seemed to be overheating slightly due to the intense emotional fluctuations.

"Is... is he really that strong?!" Kobayashi Rindō suddenly grabbed Erina's arm, pointing at the figure on the screen standing with his fist withdrawn. Her golden eyes were filled with shock, nearly bulging out.

Erina's tightly wound nerves finally relaxed completely. She let out a long breath, then tilted her chin up slightly, her purple eyes flashing with undisguised pride: "Hmph, of course he is!"

Kobayashi Rindō snapped out of it and immediately gave a habitual "tch," exposing her: "Give me a break. Who was the one looking worried to death just now, saying we should give up? You definitely didn't know he could kill that monster with one punch either, did you?"

Erina, having her true feelings called out, felt her cheeks flush. Unable to argue back, she could only glare at her crossly.

This girl, why does she always have to go against me!

Machi watched from the side, shaking his head inwardly while his heart was in turmoil: As expected of someone who could make the Four Heavenly Kings submit; this level of strength is simply unfathomable.

Just then, near the gambling table in the center of the hall, a section of the floor slowly sank and rotated, then rose back up with a lifting platform.

Lin Luo stood on the platform unharmed, and beside him was the corpse of the Banya Panda, which had already perished yet still emitted an invisible sense of pressure.

The massive difference in size only served to highlight the terror of that previous punch.

Lin Luo brushed off non-existent dust from his clothes, waved toward them from a distance, and his voice came through clearly: "Erina, Rindō, the next part of the job is up to you. Hurry up and finish cooking it."

"Oh, right!" Kobayashi Rindō finally fully recovered from her shock, shifting her attention to the panda corpse that looked like a small mountain of meat. Her brow furrowed, "Erina, such a big one... how do you plan to handle it?"

Erina quickly composed herself. Her purple eyes swept over the carcass as her instincts as a top chef began to operate at high speed.

After a moment's thought, she spoke: "The meat looks thick, but it is a bear-type beast after all; the gamey smell and potential coarse texture are the challenges. I plan to use a French Red Wine Braising method. After deep marinating with spices and red wine, I'll slow-simmer it to soften the fibers as much as possible, remove the odors, and bring out the rich flavor of the meat."

Kobayashi Rindō nodded and gestured with her fingers. "As for me, I'll keep it simple. I'll pick the most tender parts and go with Charcoal Grilling! There's enough of this big guy for all of us to share!"

When the two vastly different yet equally enticing dishes were finally presented to Lin Luo, a light of undisguised surprise and delight shone in his eyes.

It was the kind of pure joy that overflows from the heart when expectations are met beyond imagination.

Kobayashi Rindō's 'Barbecue Feast' was not as simple and crude as one might have imagined.

The thick-cut panda steaks, golden and glistening with oil, were grilled over charcoal until the skin was fragrant and crispy, while the inside remained tender and pink with abundant juices. Her perfect control over the heat was clearly evident.

Even more clever was the pairing—beside it were crisp and refreshing lettuce leaves, thinly sliced sweet and sour pickled radishes, and several thin, chewy flatbreads with a wheat aroma. She had even thoughtfully pre-rolled a few meat wraps for easy consumption, showing a refined care within the ruggedness.

Erina's 'French Red Wine Braised Panda Meat,' on the other hand, was an entirely different kind of peak sophistication.

A rich aroma, blending the mellow scent of red wine, layers of spices, and the original flavor of the meat, drifted up; just smelling it made one's mouth water.

The chunks of panda meat in the pot were a tempting deep amber color. The meat had already become incredibly tender during the long slow-simmering process, separating with a gentle touch of a fork, yet still maintaining its shape.

The rich sauce coated every piece of meat, shimmering with a glossy sheen, accompanied by carrots and mushrooms that were equally well-braised and had soaked up all the juices.

"Thirty minutes remaining. Please hurry," Machi checked the time and gave a calm reminder.

Lin Luo was already impatient. He first picked up a barbecue wrap prepared by Kobayashi Rindō and took a bite.

Crunch— The crisp lettuce and fragrant meat skin were the first to play a melody between his teeth, followed immediately by the hot, juicy, and wild-flavored Banya Panda meat. Mixed with the sweetness of the flatbread and the slight acidity of the pickled radish, the rich texture exploded, sending a primal sense of satisfaction straight to his head.

"Satisfying!" he praised indistinctly, then immediately turned to Erina's braised meat.

He forked a trembling, sauce-covered piece of meat into his mouth. It required almost no chewing; the incredibly tender meat melted gently on his tongue. The rich, complex, and deep flavor of the red wine sauce instantly swept through his entire mouth. The spice flavors were distinct yet harmonious, perfectly transforming any potential gaminess of the panda meat into a profound depth of flavor with a long-lasting aftertaste.

"Perfect!" Lin Luo closed his eyes to savor it for a moment. When he opened them, they were full of admiration. He looked at the two girls and gave a thumbs up, "Impressive! To be able to handle a Banya Panda to this extent under these conditions and in such a short time... you truly are Geniuses of Tōtsuki."

Hearing Lin Luo's unreserved praise, although one slightly turned her head to maintain her Young Miss poise and the other carelessly tossed her red hair, the bright light that flashed in their eyes clearly betrayed their internal happiness and sense of accomplishment.

However, beyond the joy, a practical problem stood before them.

Kobayashi Rindō looked at the mountain of panda meat on the cooking station—even after their efficient processing, deboning, and portioning, the amount was still exaggerated—and couldn't help but frown: "Hey, even if the three of us eat together, there's no way there's enough time, right? This portion is just ridiculous!"

The game rules required that the 'Hit' ingredients must be 'finished' to score points; failing to finish or running out of time would count as a loss.

Lin Luo, however, had already picked up a fragrant grilled meat chop and said indistinctly while eating, "How could we not finish it? This is nothing."

As he spoke, his eating speed suddenly accelerated.

At first, Kobayashi Rindō looked disbelieving, thinking he was just acting tough.

But soon her eyes widened—the way Lin Luo ate was like some kind of precise yet violent operation.

A grilled meat chop was down to the bone in two or three bites; he poured the braised meat and soup directly into his mouth. His rhythm of chewing and swallowing was terrifyingly stable, and he almost never stopped.

That mountain of meat actually began to decrease in height at a speed visible to the naked eye before him.

"Is this guy... a black hole?!" Kobayashi Rindō was stunned.

In less than thirty minutes.

When the last piece of tender panda meat was swallowed by Lin Luo and the last sip of the rich red wine broth was finished, only clean bones and empty pots and bowls remained on the cooking station.

The entire room fell into a nearly numb silence once again. Everyone was dazed, not just because of that terrifying speed of food consumption, but because after finishing, Lin Luo's expression was normal, his breathing was steady, and his stomach wasn't even noticeably bulging, as if the person who had just devoured nearly half a beast wasn't him at all.

Less than 30 minutes!

"Then, according to the rules, it is a successful 'Hit'; the ingredient has been consumed." Machi's voice broke the brief silence as he looked at the scoreboard, "Lin Luo's side gains Banya Panda points—250 points."