Chapter 5

This food, called instant noodles, was something Chris had bought in Duolei City at a shop named Supermarket.

That day, he had only stepped inside by chance, but it had truly opened his eyes, and he had even spent five gold coins to purchase some of its goods. After regrouping with his companions, he immediately told the others about this bizarre encounter.

Yet his companions’ reaction was…

“Chris, did you get scammed again?”

“Did you sneak off to a tavern and blow all your money?”

“If it’s really from a magic shop, how could it only cost five gold coins?”

Scams like that were common enough. You would run into a strangely dressed mage on the street who furtively claimed to have a magic tool for sale; you handed over the money, only to realize you had been swindled once you got the item, but by then, the seller had long vanished without a trace. Worse still, Chris had a track record. He had once spent a small fortune on jerky supposedly made from top-grade magical beasts, only for it to turn out to be dried grey rat.

To prove he was telling the truth, Chris doubled back, but the supermarket was genuinely nowhere to be found.

Chris: “…”

Perhaps he really had fallen victim to some mage’s prank?

Afterward, they took a quest and left Duolei City, spending each day locked in tense battles against monsters. This item called instant noodles was forgotten, left sitting in his pack until just now, when Chris finally remembered it.

“Maybe we could give it a try?” Chris asked.

Looking at the dry, tough roast meat in their hands, the others nodded in agreement.

Chris carefully tore open the packaging. The serrated edge ripped open easily to reveal five small packets inside, which happened to match their party of five. There wasn’t much inside each: a crispy noodle cake, a pouch of powder, and a packet of dried vegetables.

That’s all?

Chris tipped the package upside down and gave it a hard shake, but there was nothing else.

Following the shopkeeper’s instructions, he filled the pot with water, and once it came to a boil, tossed all the instant noodles in. The golden noodle blocks quickly softened and came apart. As the water bubbled, the aroma of instant noodles wafted out.

At first, it was merely the savory scent of wheat and oil, and everyone gulped in unison. But once the seasoning dissolved into the broth and a rich, potent aroma billowed out, no one could sit still any longer.

“What is this smell?”

“How can it smell so good?”

“Are these instant noodles? How can they smell even better than the food I had at restaurants in the main city?!”

Chris stirred the broth in the pot, his mouth watering as he kept swallowing hard as well.

His thoughts drifted back to the incredible fragrance he had smelled at the supermarket’s entrance. In that instant, he had forgotten the taste of every meal he had ever eaten in the first half of his life, and until a few minutes ago, he was still longing for it. Yet now, inhaling the scent of these instant noodles, he forgot that aroma completely.

Such an overpowering fragrance. The moment it hit their noses, it felt as though all five senses were enveloped by the scent, numbing their sense of smell until nothing else could register.

“Grumble-“

“Gurgle-“

His stomach let out an uncontrollable growl… Wait, was that more than one rumble?!

Chris looked up to see his companions crowding close with their bowls in hand, eyes gleaming as they drooled over the food in the pot. The sounds of hunger came from every single one of them. After a whole day of fighting magical beasts without a bite to eat, their empty bellies had zero resistance against such an overwhelming aroma!

“Chris, is it ready?”

“I can’t wait to taste it!”

“Chris-“

No matter how his companions called out to him, Chris stood firm as a rock.

He clearly remembered the shopkeeper’s instructions: five minutes, just wait five minutes… Damn it, why were these five minutes taking so long!

The moment the time was up, refusing to wait even a second longer, they scooped the golden noodles into their bowls. Heedless of the scalding heat fresh from the pot, everyone eagerly shoved the noodles into their mouths.

The instant the food hit their tongues, their eyes went wide in unison.

This… what incredible deliciousness was this!

The texture was unlike any noodle they had ever eaten, chewy yet springy and smooth. Only the finest, highest-grade flour could produce such an exquisite texture. Even better was the broth. It tasted as though hundreds or thousands of spices had been blended together; the rich, complex flavors exploded like a bomb across their tongues, leaving them utterly defenseless. Before they could even savor the nuances, they were already eagerly gulping it down into their stomachs.

By the time they came to their senses, their bowls were empty, leaving behind only a few droplets of oil and the lingering flavor clinging to their lips and teeth.

There had clearly been only plain water in the pot, yet now, they could actually taste beef in it.

…Magic! An archmage must have cast a deliciousness spell on it!

Chris hadn’t been lying after all. He really had found a magic shop!

“Chris, once we get back to Duolei City, I’m going with you to find that shop… Wait, Chris, what are you doing?” one companion cried in shock.

The others looked up instinctively, only to see Chris tossing the magical beast meat that was supposed to be their dinner into the pot to keep boiling.

He moved so quickly that no one could stop him in time. Watching the chunks of meat bobbing in the broth, their hearts ached so sharply they could barely breathe: “Chris, what are you doing?!”

“I still wanted to drink another bowl of broth…”

“You’re going to ruin the flavor of the instant noodles!”

Chris looked resolute. “Instant noodles alone won’t fill our stomachs. Besides, this might make the magical beast meat taste better.”

The group exchanged glances, their expressions wavering.

It was true. Delicious as the instant noodles were, a single pack could hardly fill anyone up. Even Irene, who had the smallest appetite among them, was only half-full right now.

Maybe, just maybe… Inhaling the aroma still lingering in the air, they began to wait with quiet anticipation.

As they waited, someone asked, “Irene, you’re a mage too. Do you know an amazing spell like that?”

Irene clenched her fists. “…I told you, there’s no such thing as magic like that!”

“But…”

“I didn’t sense any magical elements in it at all,” Irene said loudly. “It’s just plain delicious!”

What?!

With no magic, and without adding top-grade magical beast meat worth hundreds of gold coins a pound, why was this food called instant noodles so delicious?!

Soon, the magical beast meat in the pot was done.

The magical beast meat, originally dry, tough, and bitter, had soaked up the instant noodle broth. Not only was its flavor drastically improved, but even its repulsive bitterness was masked by the rich scent of the soup. Even unpalatable beast meat had turned far more delicious than before after being cooked with the instant noodles.

Instant noodles truly were incredible!

Holding their bowls, everyone made up their minds.

Once they got back to Duolei City, they would definitely find that shop again and buy another pack… No! They would spend every last coin they had on instant noodles!

…

That afternoon.

Jiang Li flipped the hourglass and appeared on the Commercial Street of Duolei City.

Only… looking at the deserted entrance, he could not help but sigh.

Perhaps the exorbitant prices of magic shops were simply too deeply ingrained in people’s minds. When his supermarket appeared on the street, plenty of passersby poked their heads in out of curiosity, but not a single one dared step inside. The moment their eyes met his, they scrambled to get away.

Aside from the first day, Jiang Li had not seen a second customer.

After scaring off another curious child with a mere glance, Jiang Li thought helplessly: Maybe I could use the script I just learned to make a signboard, letting people know this really is an affordable, convenient little supermarket?

…How did you write “supermarket” in the language of this other world again?

Jiang Li resignedly opened his book.

Maybe he could print flyers and pay someone to hand them out to promote the shop. Did this other world even have that kind of service? Then again, would the residents of another world really accept industrial products from Earth?

While he was lost in thought, an excited voice suddenly rang out from the doorway.

“This is the place!”

Jiang Li looked up. Outside the glass door stood several people. One of them, a middle-aged man clad in armor with brown hair and green eyes, looked remarkably familiar. It was Chris, the adventurer who had visited the supermarket on its very first day.

The moment their eyes met, Chris didn’t run away. Instead, he pushed the door open and strode in with broad steps. Several companions followed behind him, similarly geared and looking rather intimidating, each of them packing ropy muscles and gleaming weapons.

Jiang Li’s heart gave a jolt.

Could this group be here to demand those five gold coins back?

He could explain!

Jiang Li sprang to his feet in a panic. “Wait, I-“

“Shopkeeper!” Chris slammed both hands onto the counter, frightening Jiang Li nearly out of his skin. Before Jiang Li could even process what was happening, the man blurted out excitedly, “Please give us more instant noodles!”

Jiang Li: “…”

Jiang Li: “……”

Jiang Li blinked. “…Huh?”

Chris’s eyes shone with eagerness, his cheeks flushed with sheer joy. Behind him, his companions wore matching looks of feverish excitement.

“That food called instant noodles is simply too delicious!”

Jiang Li: “…”

“Clearly nothing extra was added to it, clearly it was just boiled in plain water, yet it produced such flavorful noodles and broth! Even unpalatable magical beast meat becomes delicious when cooked inside it. Though it has no magic, it is something even more miraculous than magic itself!”

“Ever since I tasted those instant noodles, I have craved them day and night. I have never eaten anything so delicious! Even the royal palace’s imperial chefs could never make something so incredible!”

“Ever since returning to Duolei City, we have been searching for this shop every single day. And today, we have finally caught you here again!”

Jiang Li listened, completely dumbfounded.

Were these really the instant noodles he knew?

Still, the reality soon dawned on him. From what he had observed in Duolei City, the food culture in this world was virtually barren. Bread was the staple, magical beast meat made up most of their protein, and their cooking methods were rudimentary at best, limited to simple boiling or roasting. Seasonings were pitifully scarce, leaving everything at the mercy of the raw ingredients’ natural flavor.

Instant noodles might have little nutritional value and reek of modern food science^[1], but to the palates of people in another world, they were undoubtedly a massive shock to the system.

After all, even people on Earth who had tasted every culinary delight could rarely resist the temptation of instant noodles late at night…

Chris stepped back, and the companion handling their finances stepped forward, carrying a pouch stuffed with gold coins they had prepared in advance. He set it down solemnly on the counter.

“This is our entire fortune. We want as many as this can buy…”

“Please, sell those delicious instant noodles to us again!”

The cloth pouch was packed to bursting, golden light practically spilling from its opening. As it hit the counter, several gold coins broke free under the strain and rolled across the surface, coming to rest obediently right in front of Jiang Li.

Beyond the gold coins were the expectant, hopeful gazes of the otherworldly residents.

Jiang Li: “…”