Chapter 134 : Troubles
Felix found himself lost in contemplation, pondering the stark contrast between the Eclipsed Eden and his own establishment, the Morningstar Restaurant.
At present, the Eclipsed Eden loomed large, a titan in the culinary landscape.
Yet, Felix remained resolute; he believed that with time, his Morningstar would not only compete but potentially surpass its formidable rival.
Armed with a high IQ and an arsenal of modern knowledge, augmented by the capabilities of the System, he was confident in his trajectory toward success.
As these thoughts swirled in his mind, Felix shook his head and smiled at Quill, who watched him with a furrowed brow.
"Don't worry," Felix reassured him. "I'm not intimidated by the Eclipsed Eden at all."
" Good "Quill nodded appreciatively.
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And nust like that half a month time had flown by without any significant events to mark its passage.
With the completion of five branches in Wulleamp District, Felix found himself less occupied than before.
The real hustle fell on Gwendolyn and Nixie as they managed operations across these new restaurants.
Meanwhile, Felix immersed himself in the Mana Cultivation Room, dedicating countless hours to honing his spells and skills.
He realized with some dismay that his repertoire of mastered skills was alarmingly limited; his current strength barely registered within the Royal Capital's competitive atmosphere.
Thus, he sequestered himself to focus on Mage spells and Knight Skills alike.
His progress was promising: thanks to exceptional talents in both Mage and Knight Cultivation, and a Tier 5 Mana Gathering Formation, the mana density within this room was tenfold compared to outside conditions.
This meant that one day spent cultivating here equated to ten days of effort elsewhere.
Signs of imminent breakthroughs into Tier 6 were emerging for both paths; however, Felix chose to temper his eagerness.
He understood that hastily advancing could jeopardize his foundational stability, a precarious situation that might haunt him later on.
Instead, he devoted most of his time dissecting spells: breaking them down into their elemental components and reconstructing them into more potent forms, spells ten times stronger than their original form s.
If a Tier 9 Forbidden Mage were to witness this process, they would likely be astounded; what Felix was attempting defied conventional expectations for someone at Tier 5 Grandmaster Mage status.
You know only powerful Mages at Tier 9 or above can create spells.
Spell creation seemed out of reach for him for his current strength yet here he was, transforming basic spells into innovative iterations based on their original frameworks.
While he could only deconstruct lower-tier spells rather than tackle more advanced ones just yet, the sheer audacity of his efforts signified an extraordinary potential waiting to be unleashed.
When it comes to Knight Skills, Felix was also on a serious mission.
With an impressive array of skills accumulated over time, he dove into studying them all, no skill was too obscure or unworthy.
Whether it was blade techniques, sword skills, movement skills, or defensive teyoe skills, Felix absorbed everything like a sponge.
He even began to blend different skills together to unleash some truly powerful attacks!
Meanwhile, Nixie and Gwendolyn were equally busy managing the five branches of Morningstar Restaurant in Wulleamp District.
The past month had been a whirlwind for them!
Their new five restaurants branches were making waves, so much so that they disrupted the local dining scene and ruffled quite a few feathers among established competitors.
As the Morningstar branches gained popularity, especially with their high-paying Spirit Chefs, rival restaurants found themselves struggling to keep up.
Many talented chefs jumped ship for better salaries at Morningstar, leaving their former employers fuming.
The unique dishes and exceptional service offered by Morningstar drew in crowds like moths to a flame.
But not everyone was thrilled about this culinary upheaval.
Long-standing restaurants in Wulleamp District felt threatened and resorted to various tactics to undermine Morningstar's success.
They attempted to cut off supply chains but quickly hit dead ends, Morningstar's sources remained elusive!
Frustrated and desperate, they turned to other methods: launching their own versions of popular dishes.
Take the Dragon Soul dish, a signature offering at the Morningstar Restaurant known for its rich flavor and potent Mana content that helped many cultivators break through their limits.
Rival restaurants tried replicating it but failed miserably; they simply couldn't capture the magic!
When they realized they couldn't nail down the Dragon Soul recipe, they attempted to copy other dishes from the menu, but those recipes were closely guarded secrets protected by blood oath contracts signed by every Spirit Chef.
With no luck on the culinary front, these restaurant owners resorted to spreading rumors about Morningstar and trying (unsuccessfully) to lure back their former chefs with promises of money.
But Felix wasn't naive; he ensured that any Spirit Chef who have decided to work at the Morningstar Restaurant was bound by blood oath contract for ten years unless they could afford an astronomical buyout fee!
The high salaries and benefits offered by Morningstar made it nearly impossible for anyone to leave voluntarily, who would give up such an opportunity?
So when rival restaurant owners tried poaching waitstaff or other employees? Yeah… that plan flopped too!
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Royal Capital: Astheria, Wulleamp District.
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Inside a lavishly decorated secret hall, an air of tension hung thick.
Towering dark pillars flanked the sides of the expansive space, while a long golden carpet unfurled down the center, leading to an imposing table at the far end.
Surrounding this grand table were elegantly crafted high-backed chairs occupied by a diverse assembly of individuals, men and women from various races, including humans, elves, and dryads.
Despite their opulent attire, expressions of unease marred their faces.
"Everyone," began Caesar, a thin man in his thirties with piercing eyes and a sharply defined nose that gave him a scheming appearance.
A small mustache adorned his upper lip, while a deep scar on his right cheek added an unsettling edge to his demeanor.
"We need to take action against this Morningstar Restaurant! If we don't act soon, it's only a matter of time before our businesses crumble."
As he spoke, murmurs rippled through the crowd.
Fear flickered in their eyes as they all looked at Caesar.
"Caesar is right," chimed in another man seated beside him, frustration evident on his face.
"My restaurant has lost seventy percent of its customers! Many were regulars who have now flocked to that Morningstar Restaurant." His voice trembled with anger and indignation.
The others exchanged glances filled with pity for him; he had borne the brunt of the turmoil sweeping through Wulleamp District's culinary scene.
After all, one branch of Morningstar was conveniently located right across from his establishment, an unfortunate twist of fate that had left him reeling.
All eyes turned to the man who had just spoken, their expressions a mix of desperation and empathy.
"Mr. Yearwood," a sultry voice cut through the tension. "It's not just you who's suffering; we all are at the hands of the Morningstar Restaurant."
The speaker was a female named Clarence, clad in a sleek black dress with a daring neckline that accentuated her striking features.
As the owner of a prominent restaurant in Wulleamp District, she too has also suffered quite a lot.
Clarence furrowed her brow. "Relocating isn't an option for us. The prime spots are already taken, and moving could disrupt other businesses, and offend people we can't afford to offend."
A collective sigh echoed from the group; resignation hung heavy in the air.
"But what can we do?" Mr. Yearwood lamented. "We've tried everything, yet every tactic seems to hit a dead end, they always have an answer."
"Does anyone know where this Morningstar Restaurant even came from?" questioned an elegant male elf dressed in deep green attire, his long silky hair framing his handsome face.
Everyone shook their heads; overwhelmed by their predicament, they hadn't thought to investigate further.
"I think we made a mistake by not looking into this sooner," the elf continued thoughtfully.
Suddenly, Caesar spoke up. "I might have some information about them."
"Huh?" The room fell silent as everyone turned to him in surprise.
"Mr. Caesar, you know something?" Mr. Yearwood asked eagerly.
"Yeah," Caesar nodded confidently before continuing. "After hearing about this new restaurant's sudden rise, I did some digging and found out they're from Brigdemoor City."
"Brigdemoor City? You mean where Dragonskull Dungeon is located?" Mr. Yearwood exclaimed in disbelief.
"Exactly," Caesar replied gravely. "And it appears that the Morningstar Restaurant has ties to a Tier 9 Forbidden Realm expert."
"What?!" Shock rippled through the group as their eyes widened in astonishment.
"Is that really true?" someone whispered nervously.
Caesar shrugged nonchalantly. "I can't say for sure, my research suggests it might be true, but it could also be just rumors they've spread to bolster their reputation."
All of them fell silent as they fell into them thought, they were afraid thwt the restaurant they uabe messed with might be connected to a Tier 9 Forbidden Realm expert and such a powerful expert is not someone they can afford to offend.
Yet surrendering wasn't an option either, they'd worked tirelessly for years to establish themselves in Wulleamp District and couldn't watch it all crumble away without putting up a fight.
"But even if they're connected to such power," Mr. Yearwood insisted stubbornly, "they still have to follow certain rules! They can't run their business like this!"
A sly smile crept across Caesar's face as he leaned forward slightly. "I have a plan, a way we can deal with them ".
All of them looked at Caesar with curiosity in their eyes .
They were curious to know what Caesar is planning.
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