Onel - The First Meeting Between Tylem and Keith

The present.

Starlight Paradise.

Tylem left the VVIP room as he walked through the top floor's buffet. Even though he had been attending Ivla, a prestigious school, for weeks, he was still not very accustomed to such grandiose and special treatment.

While he was looking through the buffet, Tylem saw a large lobster tank off to the side. Subconsciously, his mouth watered as he imagined himself taking down that Maine lobster. In both of his lives, he had never tried lobster before.

Before Tylem knew it, he was standing right in front of the lobster tank, his hands placed on the water tank glass. While eying the largest lobster down, he noticed, in the corner of his eye, the professional female chef across the aisle smiling at him.

Unknowingly, an embarrassed look appeared on Tylem's handsome face, as he turned away from the beautiful female chef.

Walking away from the lobster tank, he lamented the idea of leaving the juicy lobster behind, but he couldn't stand that chef looking at him like he was some cute, playful kid.

Looking at his clear white hands, Tylem thought, [Have I become a certified foodie?]

In the end, Tylem walked an entire lap around the buffet, but he still didn't pick anything out, even the array of beautiful deserts was left untouched. The entire time, the sole thing on his mind was that humungous lobster.

"Control yourself, Tylem." Closing his eyes, the handsome boy breathed in and out, "You're a cultivator—not some child who loses himself at the sight of food."

Even though Tylem said this, he had somehow managed to open up the lobster tank, retrieving the enormous live lobster from within. Right now, he had no idea what he was doing, but he carried that large lobster around in his little hands until he reached the flabbergasted female chef from before.

Satisfying their most basic desires, cultivators, who lived in constant danger, get what they want.

"Young Sir..." The female chef's jaw dropped. "B-be careful, what are you doing right now?"

"Ma'am, I want to eat this." Truth be told, Tylem had not been to a buffet like this one before, or even any restaurant at all. In his first life, he had never eaten out except for the special anniversary events in the orphanage; his birth mother would never bring him out.

Tylem was just picking out what he wanted. Emily had said he could take anything in the restaurant. Wasn't that what a buffet was?

Right now, Tylem, as a person who grew up without anyone at his side, lacked many life experiences.

"Put that down. It's too dangerous." The female chef was very frightened, but she tried to keep her voice gentle and calm so that the lobster wouldn't attack the child.

The next sequence of events shocked the female chef.

Out of nowhere, the lobster had speedily moved, raising its fierce spiny claws as it tried to pinch Tylem's hand.

This sight made the female chef scream in terror, but what Tylem did next blew her mind.

In an instant, Tylem bent his hand down a bit as he allowed the lobster's claw to enter his grasp, holding the entire claw in place.

"Sneaky." Tylem grinned. "So Ma'am, can we cook him?"

The female chef's mind couldn't fathom how a child was strong enough to hold an enormous male lobster like that in place. Nevertheless, she sluggishly nodded, and the two brought the live lobster over to her station.

Soon enough, the lobster had been prepared as it entered the boiling pot.

"Pidap~" Tylem's stomach rumbled as he watched the lobster quickly change color. The female chef had allowed him to follow her to watch the entire procedure.

It wasn't long before the lobster had finished cooking, and like that, the lobster was served on a large white plate. The meat's fragrance was heavenly.

Tylem could see the sweet juices pouring out, and he first looked to the side, where the female chef gestured for him to go ahead with a kind smile. The kind lady had made it so that the lobster meat would be easy for him to access. The tender white meat was glistening.

"I'll be going now then." Tylem planned to return to his family; he didn't want them to worry. "Thank you, Ma'am."

"It was my pleasure, Young Sir." The female chef bowed, watching the eleven-year-old boy depart. It didn't feel real. Their encounter felt like a weird dream, and the mysterious boy appeared so surreal—as if he wasn't even a part of this world.

Carrying the large white plate with care, Tylem was making sure that none of the delicious juices would drop. Each drop was like a dollar, after all.

While he was nearing the VVIP room, he saw a lean black-haired boy coming in his direction, which surprised him. The entire time, he had not seen anyone else apart from the employees in the top floor's buffet.

This was because none of the students who had come to Keith's party tonight dared to wander about without his approval. It would be considered disrespectful. Until the guest of honor showed up at their doorstep, the students would not leave their designated room.

Of course, once Keith finished visiting every room and expressed his 'appreciation' for them all coming tonight, the party would then officially begin. During that time, everyone would then be free to explore the entire top floor, tasting all the fine delicacies available.

"Hm, who might you be?" Keith stopped, examining the boy with silvery-black hair who appeared to be around the same age as him. It was an unfamiliar face, and he couldn't recall such a person being on his party's member list tonight.

However, apart from himself, who else his age was able to access Starlight's top floor? It was reserved for those who had amazing power and status.

"Did I forget who this person is?" Keith thought for a moment before shaking his head. No, that was impossible; his memory had never failed him before.

Nevertheless, Tylem ignored the nosey boy, who was just a random stranger in his eyes. Right now, he was too obsessed with the lobster plate in his hands, and he wasn't in the mood to bother himself with some child he was unfamiliar with.

Walking by, Tylem was in a hurry to return.

"Hey, did you not hear me?" Keith grabbed Tylem's shoulder. This boy dared to turn his back on him?

"Are you a student from Ivla?" Tightening his grip, Keith questioned as he applied pressure.

"You have a habit of touching random people?" Tylem's voice was cold as he turned around.

There was not the slightest bit of trouble on Tylem's face.

With one hand, Tylem clutched the lean black-haired boy's wrist, moving it away from his shoulder.

Holding the wrist in front of him, Tylem looked down on the lean black-haired boy.

The two stood in this stare down for a while.

Tylem could feel the random boy's wrist trembling in his grasp.

"How... is this possible." Keith couldn't believe that he was being overpowered right now, and to top it all off, it was by someone around the same age as himself.

If it was some mysterious expert much older than himself, he would be able to accept it and understand, but Tylem was evidently just a middle-school student.

Once again, Keith's pride had taken another blow. This was the second time in his entire life. Watching Tylem hold the lobster plate in one hand and his wrist in the other, he felt enraged. Who was this person?