Oscar had always considered himself a genius.
Maybe not in the flashy, "punch mountains apart" kind of way—but in survival. Food-type spirits were rare, valuable, and safe. As long as he stayed useful, nobody would touch him.
That belief lasted until tonight.
The Shrek Academy kitchens were dim, lit only by a single oil lamp. Oscar hummed softly as he worked, hands moving out of habit while preparing ingredients for tomorrow's meals.
Then—
The air changed.
The flame flickered.
Oscar paused, a strange chill crawling up his spine.
"Uh… hello?" he called out nervously.
Footsteps approached from the darkness.
Lin Chen emerged from the shadows, calm as ever, hands behind his back.
"Oscar," he said mildly. "Still awake?"
Oscar laughed awkwardly. "Heh… yeah! Geniuses don't sleep much, right?"
Lin Chen nodded. "True."
For some reason, that answer made Oscar more nervous.
"You… need something?" Oscar asked. "Sausage? I can make one. Fresh. Extra nourishing."
Lin Chen looked at him for a long moment.
Then he said, "Release your martial spirit."
Oscar blinked. "Huh?"
"Now."
Oscar swallowed.
He obeyed.
"Martial Spirit—Sausage!"
A faint yellow soul ring rose beneath Oscar's feet as a comically shaped sausage appeared in his hand.
The moment it manifested—
Lin Chen's eyes shifted.
Not glowing.
Not fierce.
Just… deep.
Oscar suddenly felt like his soul had been placed on a table and dissected.
Why do I feel naked?
The system interface flickered invisibly.
[Martial Spirit Analysis Complete][Food-Type | High Adaptability | Hidden Evolution Potential]
Lin Chen raised a finger.
A thread of abyssal authority—no more than a breath—brushed past the sausage.
The sausage trembled.
Oscar screamed.
"WAITWAITWAIT—WHAT DID I DO?!"
The sausage didn't shatter.
It didn't decay.
It changed.
The oily sheen vanished, replaced by a faint, dark-golden glow. Runes flickered briefly across its surface before disappearing.
Oscar stared.
"…That's new."
Lin Chen lowered his hand.
"Relax," he said. "You're fine."
Oscar's legs gave out and he sat down hard on the floor.
"F-fine?! I thought I was about to be erased from existence!"
Lin Chen tilted his head. "You weren't. Only your ceiling was."
Oscar froze.
"…My what?"
Lin Chen turned away slightly, gaze drifting toward the window where moonlight spilled in.
"Your spirit is limited by convention," he said. "Not by potential. Food-type doesn't mean inferior."
Oscar's heart pounded.
"You're saying…" he hesitated, voice shaking, "I could be more than support?"
Lin Chen glanced back at him.
"I'm saying," he replied calmly, "that one day, your food will decide battles before they begin."
The system chimed softly.
[Hidden Bond Established — Oscar][Path Opened: Abyss-Nourishment Evolution (Locked)]
Oscar stared at his sausage again, breathing shallow.
"…You're terrifying," he said honestly.
Lin Chen smiled faintly.
"You'll get used to it."
As Lin Chen walked out, Oscar sat there for a long time, mind racing.
That wasn't a monster, he thought.That was a horizon.
Outside, the night wind brushed past Lin Chen.
One more piece in place, he thought.
Far away, deep within Spirit Hall—
A sealed meeting reached its conclusion.
"Shrek Academy," a cold voice said, echoing through the chamber.
"…is no longer insignificant."