Universe Infinite Canteen
Chapter 776 - 776: Men and Women Together

Erin didn't want to go to District 23. From the rumors she'd heard, it was the most terrifying part of Prison No. 444—a strictly forbidden zone not to be entered under any circumstance.

Seeing her hesitation, Ma Lu didn't force the issue. He handed her the explosive energy pistol in his hand and said, "If you don't want to follow us, you can stay here and keep waiting for a rescue, though I doubt one will ever come…"

"No, I'll stay with you."

The Female Doctor thought of what had just happened and no longer dared to stay outside by herself. Compared to those colleagues who had already lost their minds, she felt safer next to Ma Lu, a prisoner.

Besides, to Erin, Ma Lu had always seemed innocent. However, after meeting him again this time, she was beginning to have her doubts.

Feeling uneasy, the Female Doctor followed along. Fortunately, nothing bizarre happened on the way, and the four of them made it back to District 23 without incident. Ma Lu went to the save point to log his progress first, then casually picked a cell to crawl into.

The two female Ares Warriors did not follow him inside. Instead, they stood guard outside the cell door.

When the room was left to just Erin and Ma Lu, the Female Doctor hesitated for a long time before lowering her voice and asking, "Mr. Ma Lu… are you an inside agent for the Ares people?"

"Huh? Why ask that?"

"I don't really believe it myself, but I've been trying to figure out why those Ares Rebels are so polite to you, and I just can't make sense of it."

"Oh, maybe it's because of my identity."

"You remember your identity?"

"Yeah. I'm a disciple of the Master Chef ψ."

The Female Doctor's face was filled with shock. "What? You're the one and only Seven-star Chef, Master ψ's disciple in the Multiverse?!"

"Why? Have you eaten the dishes Master Chef ψ has made?"

"No. But I've heard of his illustrious reputation. In fact, everyone in The Grand Alliance knows about him. But when did Master ψ take on a disciple?"

"Uh, just recently. Don't worry, he doesn't know about it either."

"If you're his disciple, why are you here?"

Ma Lu toggled the browsing mode on his Traveler's Bracelet and said, "At first, I came to gather ingredients. But now… I'm trying to see if I can stop the end of the Universe."

"The end of the Universe… Is it real?"

"Looks real enough. After all, even Mometi Chairman brought his wife, his love-child, his mistress, and a good portion of the privileged elites from The Grand Alliance to Earth—and they're just the first wave of refugees.

"Ivan VI had his psyche completely shattered by the Skulder, abandoned the throne entirely, and on top of all that, these Ares Warriors who were supposed to be closely monitored by the coalition have come to Prison No. 444 to break people out. So yeah, I think the credibility is pretty high."

The Female Doctor's face turned blank. "But… but the experts said…"

"Experts make mistakes too," Ma Lu replied. "Besides, this isn't really up to those experts. When Mometi realized that Skulder was unbeatable, he ordered the news to be kept under wraps. At least that way, he could prevent mass chaos across the various planes of the Multiverse."

"But…" Erin trailed off, stumbling over her words multiple times, unable to find what to say next.

For ordinary people, news of the end of the Universe was simply too overwhelming.

Especially when, just the day before, they were worrying about work or school, and now they were contending with the end of all existence. It inspired a kind of indescribable absurdity.

"Didn't Mometi Chairman plan to do something for everyone?"

"Unfortunately, even if he had the intention, he's no longer capable of acting on it."

"Why?"

"He's dead."

Erin remembered something else and rekindled a trace of hope. "Then, those Ares people—they've come to find their emperor; is there still some chance they have a plan?"

"Princess Anastasia came searching for her father in pursuit of honor for the Ares Warriors. Although she hates the Skulder with a vengeance, she has no way of defeating them."

"But what about you? You're Master Chef ψ's disciple!"

"I'll do all I can, but honestly, my chances of success are only 0.0009%."

Seeing the Female Doctor's expression turn utterly despondent, Ma Lu added encouragingly, "Not long ago, I ruled out a faulty solution and even managed to get some research data on Skulder from those Ares people. Maybe the odds will improve—at least double.

"Since you're a doctor, you can help me analyze and organize this data. Together, we might uncover Skulder's weaknesses. Then, there's still a shred of hope for saving the Multiverse."

"I'll help!" Erin agreed without hesitation.

"Great. Do you have a personal terminal? I'll send you the data now."

Ma Lu didn't genuinely expect Erin to be of much help; he just wanted to give her something to do so she wouldn't spiral into fear.

The two of them then began studying the collected data separately.

The Ares people, as the first intelligent species to make contact with Skulder, had waged war against them for a year and a half.

They held the most comprehensive intelligence on Skulder, with research reports, video recordings, and countless files crammed into over a hundred folders.

But Ma Lu wasn't worried about finishing everything. Worst-case scenario, he could just die a few more times. After all, his memories wouldn't reset, so theoretically, he had unlimited time here.

In reality, however, Ma Lu found himself hitting his limit after only three hours. He'd never been the type to excel through effort; his learning relied almost entirely on talent.

Back in school, he'd hated rote memorization. Now, with money in the bank, his aversion to studying had only grown worse.

He stood up, stretched his limbs, and did a set of eye relaxation exercises.

After chatting with Erin for a bit, Ma Lu reconsidered his earlier opinion—maybe the Female Doctor could be helpful after all. At the very least, she was easy on the eyes, kindhearted, and had a way of alleviating fatigue when they worked together.

Taking about a fifteen-minute break, Ma Lu then opened his Traveler's Bracelet again and resumed his work.

The Ares people were renowned across the Multiverse for their bravery in battle. But that didn't mean their ranks lacked scientists or analysts. The outcome of every war was closely tied to the technology and intelligence of the contending factions.

After suffering losses in their first encounters, the Ares people had spent the next year and a half carefully studying their opponent. Several times, they believed they had pinpointed Skulder's weaknesses.

However, each time, Skulder underwent further evolution, eradicating the weaknesses previously exposed.

This was yet another disastrous revelation.

It implied that, unless a way was found to wipe out all the Skulder in an instant, they would only continue to grow stronger.

Reading through the research and battle reports, Ma Lu gradually understood why Ivan VI had grown so weary and hopeless.

No wonder His Majesty the Emperor appeared to have completely given up, preferring to hole up in prison and await death. Yet Ma Lu had no choice but to grit his teeth and keep digging.

He just needed to find something—anything—useful.