Live Streaming Food Stall… But in Dog-Blooded Novels – CH145

Chapter 145

Wang Rong and Wang Tao trudged through the wasteland, their faces grim.

They had been trekking across this desolate expanse for a full ten hours, yet the endless darkness around them showed no sign of change.

The icy wind howled around them. Though both wore thick winter coats, the biting cold still seeped through.

“…Goddammit, we’ve had the worst luck lately!”

After walking for who knows how much longer and seeing no difference in their surroundings, Wang Rong kicked a nearby mound of dirt in frustration.

Wang Tao, on the other hand, remained silent. She clutched a small hand warmer to her chest, but even that was nearly out of fuel.

Unlike her tall and burly brother, Wang Tao was petite. Her face was chapped from the wind, and despite the hand warmer, her fingers were covered in frostbite.

As Wang Rong vented his anger on the dirt mound, Wang Tao sighed and stared blankly at the dying embers in her hand.

It wasn’t that she wasn’t discouraged.

It was just that discouragement wouldn’t help. No matter how much they raged, it wouldn’t change their situation.

But there was one thing Wang Rong said that she agreed with:

—”The worst luck lately.”

Yes, the siblings’ predicament could only be described as “the worst luck.”

Right now, they should have been sitting in the Eastern Base’s black market, sharing a hot bowl of porridge and a couple of pancakes with their teammates. If they were lucky, they might even have splurged on a flask of liquor to warm themselves, chatting and laughing as they prepared for the next day’s mission.

Instead, they were lost in the freezing wilderness, unable to find their way back to the base.

Forget hot porridge—at this point, even survival had become a struggle.

“We never should’ve taken that damn mission!” Wang Rong growled.

The siblings had probably been blinded by greed.

Two days ago, they had seen a mission posting on the bulletin board: “Collect samples of C-rank pollutant Glowstone.” The reward was high—a full 1,000 credits. Wang Rong and Wang Tao had been tempted.

They had been saving up to buy a high-end shop in the residential district, hoping to start a small business and leave behind the mercenary life of trading blood for money.

…And the shop they had their eyes on was just 1,000 credits short of their savings.

Everything had seemed so perfect, so fated.

Though the mission location was deep in the “Death Barrens,” far from the base, both Wang Rong and Wang Tao were B-rank mercenaries—one a physical powerhouse, the other a water-ability user. Wang Rong had also just completed a speed-enhancement procedure, so a round trip to the Death Barrens in a day should have been no problem.

They had taken similar missions before and come out unscathed, so they had assumed this one would be just as easy.

Who could have guessed it would be the start of a nightmare?

They had underestimated the Death Barrens.

—At first, things had gone smoothly. But the moment they collected the Glowstone samples, they were unexpectedly ambushed by an A-rank pollutant. They barely escaped with their lives.

Though they made it out, their supplies—food, maps, compass—were lost in the chaos.

Without a compass, how could they find their way back through this endless wasteland?

The one silver lining was that they each carried personal cloaking devices, which masked their presence from most mutant pollutants, preventing further attacks.

But now, after ten hours, the cloaking devices were nearing their limits and would soon fail.

On top of that, it had been eight hours since their last meal.

Even worse, the temperature in the Barrens was dropping steadily, already below freezing. Their breath frosted in the air. Even if no mutants attacked them, they would likely freeze or starve to death soon…

Pfft.

The last ember in Wang Tao’s hand warmer flickered out.

The extinguished warmth was the final straw.

Wang Rong couldn’t hold back anymore. His eyes reddened as he muttered:

“It’s all because of that damn mission. If we hadn’t taken it, we’d be back at the base by now… We never should’ve been greedy for those 1,000 credits…”

Who would have thought that those 1,000 credits would become the price of their lives?

“What’s the point of saying that now?!” Wang Tao snapped.

Wang Rong fell silent.

Yeah, what good was regret now?

The siblings glared at each other, at a loss for words, but the despair and resignation in each other’s eyes were unmistakable.

…What else could they do at this point?

They lowered their heads and continued walking in silence.

Then—

Rustle.

A faint sound, like something—or someone—brushing against the grass.

But both were sharp-sensed B-rank mercenaries. They noticed it instantly.

Wang Tao and Wang Rong’s eyes widened as they exchanged glances:

“Wait—did you hear that?”

“You heard it too? I thought I was hallucinating. Holy shit—look—”
Wang Rong pointed ahead, and Wang Tao followed his finger—only to see a human figure!

A gray silhouette, slender, draped in a loose cloak, its features indistinct. In that fleeting glimpse, Wang Tao caught a glimpse of a handsome profile and tightly pressed lips.

It looked… familiar.

But she couldn’t quite place where she’d seen it before. And more importantly—this was the Death Barrens. Was that figure even human?

Before she could think further, the gray shadow flickered and darted away into the distance.

Without hesitation, Wang Rong and Wang Tao exchanged a glance and sprinted after it.

If they could catch up, maybe they could ask for directions—or at least beg for some food.

But the figure moved impossibly fast, vanishing like a wisp of wind.

After scanning the barren landscape fruitlessly, they had to admit: they’d lost their target.

“…Damn it!” Wang Rong cursed, his face dark. “Playing tricks on us—what kind of sick joke is this?!”

Wang Tao didn’t even have the energy to respond.

She wasn’t sure anymore whether that figure had been real or just her imagination.

The disappointment after hope was crushing.

The chase had drained the last of their stamina. Staring at the endless wasteland, they could barely muster the will to keep walking.

And worse than the cold and despair was the hunger.

Frost coated the barren ground. Wang Tao’s hands and feet were numb, as if soaked in icy mud, every breath stinging her lungs. But she could endure that.

What she couldn’t bear was the emptiness—the relentless cramps in her stomach. Hungry. So hungry.

If only they could stumble upon a roadside stall, buy a bowl of warm porridge… Wang Tao let herself fantasize for a second. No, that was too extravagant. Even just two ration bars from a kind stranger would be enough.

Their battle and escape from the A-rank pollutant had already drained them.

Now, after ten hopeless hours of trekking, Wang Tao had no doubt: she and Wang Rong would soon starve to death.

Their minds grew hazy, their steps unsteady as they trudged forward on instinct.

Then—

A warm breeze brushed past them.

It carried the scent of burning charcoal… and the rich aroma of steaming porridge.

“This must be a hallucination,” Wang Tao murmured.

“Guess we’re really done for if we’re seeing things now,” Wang Rong chuckled bitterly, shaking his head.

She lifted her gaze and saw a faint glow in the distance.

Wasn’t this how fairy tales went?

The Little Match Girl, freezing to death, envisioning a warm cottage and a feast…

Wang Tao and Wang Rong lowered their heads and kept walking, waiting for the illusion to fade.

But it didn’t.

In fact—it grew closer.

Wang Rong suddenly stopped.

He grabbed Wang Tao’s arm, his hand trembling as he pointed ahead, gasping:

“W-Wait… Sis, look! I don’t think it’s a hallucination!”

Wang Tao blinked slowly, lifting her dull eyes.

Amid the gloom, a splash of light appeared.

—A small tricycle stood in the middle of the barren night, its stove glowing warmly, a shadowy figure bustling around it.

“Is that… a roadside stall?”

Wang Tao and Wang Rong exchanged bewildered glances, rubbing their eyes in disbelief.

A roadside stall—in the heart of the Death Barrens?

They stood frozen for a long moment before mustering the courage to approach, hand in hand, step by cautious step.

As they drew nearer, the stall’s details sharpened.

They saw the sign: “Simple Porridge Stall.”

There really was a porridge stall here!

Everything felt so vivid—so vivid it was almost surreal.

Wang Tao was enveloped in the warm air radiating from the stove.

Her nearly frozen limbs slowly thawed, her senses sharpening, even her palms growing slightly damp with sweat.

Wang Tao couldn’t help but close her eyes and take a deep breath—

The rich aroma of porridge flooded her nostrils.

This scent was unlike any synthetic “enhanced” porridge she’d encountered before—no cheap artificial flavorings.

Instead, it was the natural fragrance of rice, soft and velvety, mingled with the savory depth of simmering chicken…

Beside her, Wang Rong exhaled the same awe:

“It smells amazing!”

When Wang Tao opened her eyes again, the scene before her came into focus:

Warm air from the tricycle’s stove chased away the Barrens’ chill. A maneki-neko (lucky cat) figurine waved its paw under the bright lantern light.

Standing guard at the stall was a majestic silver dog, who let out a cheerful “Woof!” at their approach.

Wind chimes tinkled as a handsome young man in a puffer jacket pushed aside the curtain, greeting them with a warm smile.

“Welcome to Simple Porridge Stall! Fresh claypot mushroom and chicken porridge—three credits a bowl. Care to try some?”