Accidental Efficiency

"I'll have a bit of this… and uhh… a bit of that," Christopher said, scanning the cafeteria counter with deliberate focus as he began selecting food items.

The woman behind the counter blinked, clearly overwhelmed by his choices. She was used to customers opting for light meals or popular favorites, but Christopher's picks were anything but typical. Each item was rich, heavy, and guaranteed to pile on the pounds.

"A-are you sure about this?!" she stammered, reaching for another generous serving of roasted pork. "This is going to cost a lot, you know!"

Christopher's expression was flat, unbothered by the implied warning. "I can handle it," he said coolly, then pointed at a container brimming with mashed potatoes. "I'll have some of those, too."

Behind him, Tristan stood holding his tray, the very image of minimalist health. His meal was clean, simple, and almost painfully healthy by comparison.

"Have you gone mad?!" Tristan suddenly yelled, eyes wide as he stared at the towering, wild pile of food Christopher was accumulating.

"Just looking at it makes me gain a few pounds," Tristan muttered, disgusted.

Christopher didn't even glance back. "Mind your own business, twerp," he replied sharply, turning his head away as if Tristan was nothing more than a pesky fly buzzing nearby.

"Unbelievable…" Tristan shook his head in disbelief and walked off to sit beside Michael.

Christopher placed his coins on the counter with a confident clink, leaving the lunch lady both disgruntled and doubtful—she half-wondered if he was serious.

Carrying his feast, he made his way to a secluded table tucked in one of the cafeteria's far corners, a place where few students passed or looked.

He sat down and stared at the mountain of food before him.

"I'm gonna regret this so much…" he muttered, clearly underestimating the sheer quantity he'd bought.

He gripped his utensils like weapons, as if preparing for battle.

"No matter. No pain, no gain!" he declared, before taking his first bite.

"Huh… this might actually not be that bad," he admitted, surprised as flavors exploded in his mouth.

As he continued eating, a memory surfaced.

'Don't I have mana stored already? I should use it already.'

'But how?'

[I can help with that.]

[Using consumed magic for enhancement]

Almost instantly, Christopher felt a surge ripple through his body. His muscles tightened, growing heavier—not from fat or food weight—but from actual added muscle mass. His senses sharpened too: his hearing became crisper, his sight more acute.

The enhancement didn't just strengthen his muscles—it optimized every part of his body.

'Seriously!? No matter how I look at it, this is just a god-given gift.'

Bite after bite, he ate relentlessly. His stomach swelled until he was bloated and protesting against any more food, but he was barely halfway done.

"Dammit, don't tell me I wasted all this money and can't even finish?" he groaned, preparing to push his plate away.

Then, out of nowhere, a sudden blast of wind hurtled toward him.

"What—!?" Christopher instinctively thrust his palm forward.

[Devour]

The sensation of lightness returned, as the food inside him was immediately being broken down and absorbed by the spell.

'It worked!'

But another thought struck him—who had cast that spell?

Lowering his hand, he scanned the cafeteria and spotted a student nearby, mouth agape in shock at how Christopher had apparently shrugged off the attack unharmed.

Just a simple troublemaker, probably hoping to embarrass him in front of everyone.

"H-how…?" the student stammered.

Christopher needed an excuse—fast. A smirk crept onto his lips as he shrugged casually.

"You just missed, dumbass."

He made his face as punchable as possible, fully owning the insult.

This wasn't just pointless provocation. That interaction had sparked an idea. Why bother risking the Ashen Forest when he could put his plan into motion right here, right now?

It might not be subtle, but it would be efficient.

Devouring another student's spells would be far safer than devouring beast corpses as well.

The student stood up abruptly, his face flushed red with anger and humiliation.

"You dare taint my honor!? I challenge you to a duel!"

'There it is,' Christopher thought, barely containing his smug grin.

The perfect key to his plan.

Though he didn't understand the logic behind the challenge—dueling a manaless opponent was just a recipe for looking foolish.

But Christopher couldn't care less, as long as it worked in his favor.

"Challenge accepted."

'Also… did he seriously just say 'taint my honor'? What is he, a middle-aged knight?'