Chapter 12: The Breakfast Room  

Charlotte had a restless night, excitedly exploring the Food City until the early hours of the morning before finally closing her eyes for a few hours.

The breakfast room's alarm pulled her out of bed with a jolt.

With bleary eyes and a heart heavy from lack of sleep, she was forced to get up.

The system kept prompting her to open the door upstairs for business, and it indicated that customers were already waiting outside.

Reluctantly, she brushed her teeth, washed her face, changed into clothes, and walked out with a heavy step.

Yawning continuously, she climbed up to the second floor and indeed found the guests waiting outside the breakfast room.

Everyone was in their own corner, ignoring each other.

When Charlotte finally arrived, Lucas and Tate perked up instantly, glancing at her and then at the influential guest from room 201.

Charlotte didn't notice them and was too exhausted to greet anyone. She shuffled to the door, gently pressed the handle, and the door opened with a click, the lights inside turning on automatically.

Tate was stunned. They had tried opening the door earlier but couldn't move it at all. Yet Charlotte managed to open it with just a gentle press...

Jeremy, leaning against the wall, noticed the ease with which Charlotte opened the door. Despite his level-5 ability, he couldn't open the seemingly thin wooden door...

The crowd buzzed with curiosity, but Fawna let out a cheer, bouncing into the room without a care.

"Wow, so much delicious food!" Fawna exclaimed, her hands clasped together and eyes sparkling with delight at the array of breakfast options.

Charlotte found an empty table, wearily instructed, "Order from the self-service machine to earn points, then mechanical arms will help serve your food. Just wait patiently at the pickup point."

After that, she slumped into the armchair, trying to get some rest.

Fawna eagerly dashed to the ordering machine, quickly clicking through the options. The screen soon displayed a warning: maximum of 10 items per order.

Though Fawna wasn't thrilled by the limit, she bought 10 items, paid 22 points, and waited anxiously at the pickup window.

Mechanical arms swiftly assembled the order and placed it on a tray, which was pushed to the pickup point.

Holding her tray of breakfast, Fawna's face flushed with excitement as she sat across from Charlotte and happily began eating.

Lucas and Tate stood a meter behind Jeremy, captivated by the impressive spread of food.

What kind of heavenly inn was this?!

So much fresh food! It was like a dream come true after being used to bland, water-soaked snacks and instant noodles.

The two were eager to place their orders but received a warning glance from Jeremy.

The cold reality of the situation quickly sobered them up.

"You go first. We're in no rush," Tate said awkwardly, rubbing his hands.

How could they forget about their benefactor...

Jeremy snorted, walked to the ordering machine, and began selecting items. After paying with points, he stood with his gaze fixed forward, waiting for his food.

Tate finally stepped forward to order, but when it was time to pay, he tried to use Lucas's card.

The machine flashed a red light.

"First warning! First warning! Sharing member cards is prohibited!"

"After three warnings, expulsion procedures will be triggered!"

Tate stared at the card in disbelief and argued, "We're together! We stayed in the same room yesterday!"

The machine's mechanical voice responded, "The restaurant enforces a one-card-per-person rule. Sharing is strictly prohibited!"

"I'll get my own card now!" Tate said, frowning deeply. He handed the card back to Lucas and dashed downstairs.

He should have gotten a card yesterday! This was so frustrating and a waste of time!

Summer, still deeply asleep, remained undisturbed, enjoying a peaceful rest.

The breakfast room wasn't large. Aside from the counters for food, it could only fit four tables.

Jeremy bit into a beef pie and observed the surroundings. There was no visible kitchen, and the food seemed to appear out of nowhere, though it was fresh and tasty.

This was quite strange.

He studied Charlotte subtly, trying to uncover any hidden secrets.

What kind of ability did she have? Was it a portal to another world?

Endless food, unlimited water, constant electricity, and invisible to zombies.

Such a power was coveted by all bases.

Did she realize how precious her ability was?

Soon, everyone would know.

Was this legendary Peach Blossom Spring really on this land? Would the so-called inn be able to withstand a flood of people and powerful ability users?

Maybe he should find a way to capture a space user and stock up on food while the inn was still operational.

...

At 8 a.m., the breakfast room closed on time. Even if there were still customers inside, they were swiftly moved back to their rooms.

The system dutifully woke Charlotte and reminded her that breakfast time had ended.

With her arm numb from resting on it and red marks on her face, Charlotte groggily sat in place for over ten seconds before her eyes started to focus. She looked around.

The four tables were clean and tidy, the floor had been mopped and disinfected, and the glass cabinet behind her had fewer trays of breakfast.

Charlotte got up, walked behind the counter, took a plate, and served herself some red date soy milk, two beef pies, and a fully-cooked egg.

She ended breakfast service according to the system's prompt. The previously full food trays vanished instantly, being sealed back into the system.

Charlotte carried her plate downstairs, placed it on the checkout counter, and opened the hotel door.

The weather was overcast, with layers of milky clouds hanging low in the sky, looking quite peculiar.

Curious, she glanced up a few more times. A gentle breeze had made the air a bit fresher than in recent days.

After arranging Bear to clean up, she sat on a stool and enjoyed her breakfast.

Even though she had slept for several hours, the breakfast items were still warm and ready to eat.

The food from the system was deemed delicious by everyone except Charlotte, who noted its lack of human warmth. Everyone else gave it a thumbs up, saying it was the best meal they had ever had.

She received 182 points for breakfast.

Summer found this number puzzling. The most expensive item was tofu pudding at 3 points, and with four people eating, they couldn't have consumed that much tofu pudding.

Moreover, the machine allowed a maximum of 10 items per order, and while there was no limit on the number of orders,

Was there really a big eater among them?

She checked the sales details for the breakfast room. Aside from dumplings and other filling foods, milk sold well.

It turned out that Tate and Lucas were big eaters, buying three times, and the last two times they specifically chose items like pies.

Charlotte felt something was off when she received a warning from the system in the messages.

[Tate and Lucas have been found guilty of malicious purchases causing waste. After three warnings failed to correct their behavior, their takeaway breakfast has been deducted, and the paid points will not be refunded.]