-----
-----
"Paralysis spell…"
The thought kept looping in Wei Yuan's mind, a persistent hum beneath the surface of his awareness.
Could it really be used on people? Freeze them in place, leaving them utterly vulnerable. And then… what?
The possibilities were unsettling.
Why bother with such a spell if not for something like that? Otherwise, wouldn't it be simpler, more pleasant, to just climb a tree and enjoy some peaches like a carefree monkey?
Clip-clop, clip-clop. His mule ambled into Caixu Town, the familiar rhythm a constant in his mornings.
The town was still waking, the streets holding a hushed quiet broken only by the occasional early riser.
But the comforting aroma of breakfast already wafted from open stalls.
Wei Yuan dismounted and settled at his usual table.
"The usual for you today, young man?"
The vendor's smile was as warm and familiar as the rising sun.
Wei Yuan was a fixture here, a reliable customer who always paid promptly and, more importantly from the vendor's perspective, ate with gusto.
"You know it," Wei Yuan replied. His breakfast was a steadfast ritual: a generous bowl of silken tofu pudding, a few steaming baskets of fluffy buns, and a pair of perfectly boiled eggs.
"Coming right up!"
Soon, the vendor returned, the promised bounty arranged before him.
Wei Yuan ate slowly, deliberately. Rushing through a meal felt like rushing through life itself.
Each bite was a small moment to be savored, the flavors allowed to unfold fully on his tongue.
If a person didn't even have the time to appreciate food, what true happiness could they find?
Before he knew it, the satisfying weight of a full stomach settled within him.
Wei Yuan reached for his coins, leaving a generous amount on the table.
As he prepared to rise, a delicate floral fragrance drifted through the air.
He looked up, drawn by the scent. A young woman had just taken the seat opposite his.
Her features were exquisite, framed by a cascade of raven hair that flowed down her back in a long, elegant braid.
A simple white dress accentuated her graceful presence.
Whoa. A genuine beauty.
"What can I get for you, Second Miss?" The vendor was instantly at her side, his usual warmth amplified.
She began to order, her voice soft and melodious. The vendor nodded attentively and turned towards his stall to prepare her meal.
The girl idly played with the end of her braid, her slender fingers moving with a captivating elegance.
Something stirred within Wei Yuan, a nascent curiosity mixed with a hint of… something else.
On impulse, he focused his intent, silently willing the paralysis spell to activate as he watched her.
Don't move!
He imagined a sudden, unseen force emanating from him, a jolt that would freeze her in place.
He braced himself for the subtle shift in the world around them.
At that precise moment, the vendor returned with a bowl of tofu pudding, and the girl's fingers were still twirling her braid.
Then, abruptly, the vendor faltered mid-step, his movement arrested. The girl's hand stilled in the air, suspended as if caught in amber.
Wei Yuan blinked, his mind racing. The world around them held its breath. He focused intently – a heartbeat, two heartbeats, three. They remained frozen.
Then, just as suddenly, the spell seemed to lift. The vendor continued his approach, the bowl of tofu pudding undisturbed.
The girl's fingers resumed their gentle dance with her braid, as if no interruption had occurred. The sounds of the waking town filtered back in.
Wei Yuan sat there, a profound sense of bewilderment washing over him. His initial assumptions about the spell shattered. He finally grasped its true nature.
Activating the paralysis spell… it's not about freezing them. It's about freezing time for approximately five seconds!
A shiver traced its way down his spine. Five seconds of absolute stillness in the flow of time! The implications were staggering.
This power was far more potent, and far stranger, than he had imagined.
But now a new question arose: how extensive was this temporal pause? Was it localized to his immediate vicinity, or did it encompass the entire world?
With this five-second time freeze… could I actually stand a chance against that white tiger?
He paused, a flicker of his usual pragmatism tempering his excitement. Five seconds, while significant, was hardly an eternity. What could truly be accomplished in such a fleeting moment? And the limitation – once per day – was a considerable constraint.
"Yeah, serious testing is required," he muttered to himself.
"I need to understand the precise boundaries of what's possible within those five frozen seconds. Like… could I actually draw my blade and strike a fatal blow in that time?"
Wei Yuan settled back, a new determination hardening his gaze.
The day unfolded with its usual rhythm, but his mind was already occupied with the possibilities that the coming morning might bring.
The next morning followed the familiar pattern.
He rose, performed his ablutions, prepared feed for the mule, and then reached for the worn dice, the daily ritual of summoning a new divine favor about to commence.
Clack! Clack!
The ivory cubes tumbled across the wooden floor, spinning with a low, resonant hum before finally settling.
Facing upwards was the image of a jovial old man with rosy cheeks, extravagantly large ears, and a comfortably round belly.
[You rolled the God of Food.] [You've gained the special power: "Mouth of Gluttony."] [Note: The fourth god is chosen based on your current situation, offering the most relevant power.] [Duration: one day. You can roll again the next day.]
Wei Yuan blinked, a mixture of surprise and amusement on his face. The God of Food? And the system's note explicitly stated it was tailored to his current situation. So, the golden dice apparently considered him a dedicated gourmand.
He couldn't entirely disagree. Since arriving in this world, survival had been paramount, and his thoughts had often revolved around the fundamental question of sustenance.
"What will I eat?" and "Where will the next meal come from?" had been his constant companions. Now that he had achieved a degree of financial stability, his focus had indeed shifted towards the pursuit of culinary delights.
He would readily venture out, regardless of the weather, driven by the promise of a truly satisfying meal.
It seemed the system had accurately assessed his priorities. What else could it possibly label him?
"They say food and lust are the twin pillars of human nature," Wei Yuan mused, a wry smile playing on his lips. "And undeniably, good food is a form of justice in itself."
He didn't particularly mind the "foodie" label. After all, there were two things in this world that remained eternally yours: the food you had already savored and the dreams you continued to pursue.
And as for his dreams… Wei Yuan wasn't driven by grand ambitions of conquest or selfless acts of heroism.
His ideal scenario was far simpler, far more personal. He envisioned a sun-drenched afternoon spent with a beautiful woman in his arms, perhaps with a few more equally lovely companions attending to his needs, all while he leisurely sipped fine wine.
Now that, he thought, was a dream worth pursuing – uncomplicated, genuine, and undeniably real.
"....."