Food God System: Wasteland

Zhou Fengtai's pupils trembled upon hearing those words.

Tahm licked its wide mouth with its tongue and continued:

"Ten trembling fingers for half a piece! Shaking kneecaps count as a rounding off! (hiccup) You're still short of three ounces of shame and two pounds of tears of regret—just enough for a steaming pot of soul stew!"

"No way, I can't give you those!" Zhou Fengtai shouted loudly in defiance: "I've given you my eyes, my fingers, wouldn't I be a cripple again? If I give you these things, how can I continue to gamble? Trade them for something else instead!"

The demon began to laugh uproariously.

"My little darling, are you too naïve? Do you think there's anything else valuable left on you? Your soul has already plunged into the abyss, bearing the most perfect fruit. The scent of corruption on you is more fragrant than nuts roasted for three days!

Have you forgotten our last trade? You already traded your soul to me last time! Now you have nothing left to trade with a demon; you already belong to the demon, and the demon is about to feast..."

Its tongue hung out of its mouth, drooling copiously, while the demon's scarlet eyes fixed on Zhou Fengtai.

At that moment, Zhou Fengtai shivered, his pupils shrank dramatically, and his gaze quivered. Zhou Fengtai suddenly realized something, and fear wove its way into his heart.

Indeed, the creature before him was no benevolent being but a demon crawling out from Hell.

Upon hearing that Tahm would no longer help him, Zhou Fengtai fell into utter despair.

He was already standing on the edge of a cliff, just one step away from plunging into endless Hell.

He was burdened with a massive debt of millions. If he couldn't come up with the money, the casino enforcers would show him what it means to live a life worse than death.

His body would become the perfect payment.

His civilian registry would degrade to that of a slave, to be bought and sold.

He might even be dragged off for biological experiments.

Despair assaulted Zhou Fengtai's mind, causing his gaze to turn vacant, collapsing in terror onto the ground.

As Tahm pushed Zhou Fengtai over the edge, its eyes gleamed with extreme excitement.

Just like that, just like that!

So beautiful, so thrilling.

So pleasing to the demon!

The desperate soul wailed.

The demon approached him, its webbed claws resting on his shoulders, whispering softly: "Your soul reeks to high heaven, perfect for my taste... Demons dine in elegance; offer your soul to Tahm!"

Tahm opened its big mouth, and a peculiar force flowed from Zhou Fengtai into Tahm's mouth.

Until Tahm slowly closed its mouth, a look of satisfaction on its face, all that remained was a dazed figure, as if soulless, wavering around aimlessly...

...

Tahm patted its stomach contentedly but was still not full.

Just as it was about to leave, sensing something, Tahm's mouth curled into a grin as several figures emerged once again at the end of the alleyway.

The casino boss looked at the large, plump catfish in front of him with some fear in his eyes but still took out a Gold Coin and inquired: "Is this Gold Coin the one you gave to that gambler?"

"Oh~ I can scent the ambition in your heart; your overflowing desire stinks worse than a catfish from the junkyard... How about a trade with Tahm?"

The casino boss's eyes suddenly gleamed with desire, and Tahm's stomach gurgled noisily.

His food had come again!

...

The woman with numb eyes walked to the bathroom to wash away the filth from her body.

The so-called physical dirt was nothing compared to the numbness of her soul.

She numbly placed the money earned today into the nearby metal box.

If Zhou Fengtai came back and saw no money inside, she and her daughter would be brutally beaten again.

She glanced at the night sky outside the window; that man was probably still gambling, still drinking, right?

It was already late at night, and he hadn't returned. Perhaps he had passed out in that tavern once more.

The woman let her daughter out of the room; the girl's eyes were vacant. She softly murmured to her mother: "Mom, I'm hungry."

The woman apologized to her daughter, saying today's customers were numerous.

She went to the kitchen, opened the cupboard, took out the last of the squash flour, added water to boil it, poured in the flour to make a mush, and added some salt, a common meal for many.

Despite everything, the mother and daughter found extraordinary satisfaction in their meal.

Seeing her daughter's vacant eyes only show happiness when they were full, a trace of determination flashed in the mother's eyes.

She recalled what Zhou Fengtai had said.

She would never let her daughter suffer the same abuse at the hands of that scum.

She lulled her daughter to sleep, went to the kitchen, and sharpened the knife until it was razor sharp.

Reluctantly, she approached her daughter's side, stroking her daughter's head. She had resolved herself.

This hellish world had nothing worth staying for.

Living only added to the suffering.

Perhaps it would be better if their whole family left together.

At least when sleeping, they wouldn't feel pain.

She lay silently beside her daughter, only waiting for that man's return.

Knock, knock, knock.

The door was rapped.

The woman's heart trembled – had he finally returned? She gripped the sharp knife in her hand, held it behind her back, walked to the door, took a deep breath, and with even more resoluteness in her eyes, opened the door.