Chapter 416: Stelle's Strategic Thinking
Stelle snapped her head up. A faint, defiant glimmer of 'I can totally handle this' reignited in her golden eyes. Her jaw set, projecting a stubborn aura desperately trying to salvage her shattered dignity.
"However! You all need to get this straight!" She pointed an accusatory finger at the offending bowl. "This is just an oddity! If my main body were actually here, with just this measly 'time of judgment' stuff, even without adding that delicious seasoning, I could easily eat a whole bowl... No, at least two bowls! Without even batting an eye!"
Watching her puff out her chest—clearly having chickened out mere moments ago yet still forcing herself to talk tough to win back some theoretical high ground—the rest of the group exchanged highly amused glances. Still, considering the gray-haired Trailblazer had just endured a rather traumatic culinary flashback and possessed a legendary stubbornness against admitting defeat, they all tacitly agreed to play along. A chorus of superficial comfort immediately followed.
"Yes, yes, yes, we totally believe you. Your main body is definitely way more impressive." March 7th bit her lower lip, desperately holding back a fit of giggles as she reached over to pat her friend's shoulder.
"Hm. Given the unique constitution of Stelle's main body, perhaps she really could endure a higher dosage of toxicity." Dan Heng nodded in seamless cooperation. His tone remained perfectly flat and waveless, making it absolutely impossible to tell if he was offering genuine scientific analysis or delivering a deadpan roast.
Having successfully extracted this unanimous, albeit entirely superficial, approval from her crewmates, Stelle finally felt her lost face had been restored. She crossed her arms, nodding to herself as her mood visibly brightened.
Yet, interestingly enough, the thrilling demonstration had left a lingering impact on the room. As the gathered intergalactic travelers stared down at the bowl of purple, bubbling 'time of judgment'—which remained ominously more than half full—a collective shift occurred. Gears started turning. Entirely different, highly questionable ideas began to sprout in their minds.
Sure, it was an absolute, catastrophic failure as actual food. It crossed the line from unpalatable straight into biologically dangerous. But looking at the bubbling purple sludge from a purely tactical angle, its unquestionable and devastating potency might actually serve a rather unexpected purpose in highly specific, life-or-death situations.
Dan Heng stared at the bowl, his archivist instincts flaring to life. A deep, scholarly desire for inquiry took root in his mind. He found himself genuinely interested in researching the chemical makeup of this dish. How could something crafted from completely ordinary ingredients retain such a horrifyingly strong mental impact, even when suppressed by the intervention of their system's delicious seasoning? It defied the laws of basic chemistry.
Stelle, on the other hand, let her chaotic train of thought derail into a completely different, far more violent direction.
She suddenly clapped her hands together with a loud smack, nearly making March 7th jump out of her skin.
"Wait, no! Researching is way too boring!" Stelle declared, her eyes widening with manic excitement. "Think about it! Since this stuff is so ridiculously powerful, what if we use it in battle? We catch an enemy off guard and just shove a massive spoonful straight down their throat! Or, even better—no need to get up close and personal—we just smear it directly onto our weapons like blade poison!"
She grabbed an imaginary bat, swinging it through the air to demonstrate. "Just picture it. You are locked in a grueling, life-or-death struggle. The enemy thinks they have the upper hand. Then, bam! You hit them with a taste-based instant death attack! Wouldn't that just instantly settle the fight? Guys, this isn't food. This is a strategic weapon of mass destruction!"
The more she pitched her terrible idea, the brighter her golden eyes sparkled. In her mind's eye, she was already visualizing the glorious battlefield. She pictured herself wielding her blazing Lance, cackling maniacally as she chased terrified Antimatter Legion Voidrangers across a space station, a steaming bowl of purple doom balanced precariously on the tip of her weapon.
She spun around, locking her sights on the floating fairy. "Paimon! You have to save some of that for me! I do not need a lot, just enough to sneakily... I mean, just enough for one highly tactical, strategic deployment!"
Paimon floated back a few inches, thoroughly intimidated by the chaotic sparkle radiating from the Trailblazer's face. She scratched her cheek, looking highly conflicted. "Eh? You want to use Ei's cooking for actual battle? That... that feels kind of mean, right? Plus, it is not actually poison! Smearing a dessert onto a baseball bat is just way too outrageous..."
Stelle planted her hands on her hips, lifting her chin with absolute, unshakable confidence. "Do not question the methods, Paimon. This is the sacred wisdom of the Trailblaze!"
A few steps away, Welt remained entirely silent. He slowly pushed up his round glasses with a single finger. His dark eyes stared intently at the bubbling purple liquid, but his mind had already drifted far away from the Hollows of New Eridu, crossing the vast sea of stars back to a much more distant place.
The 'Ei' that Paimon kept mentioning—this Raiden Shogun from the land of Inazuma. The sheer, unadulterated destructive power of her culinary creations made the seasoned animator involuntarily think of certain individuals from his own hometown. His mind immediately conjured the image of an energetic, bright-smiling, white-haired girl. Kiana Kaslana.
The ancestral kitchen disasters of the Kaslana bloodline were so legendary, so catastrophically consistent, that they were literally registered as hazardous events within the highly classified archives of both Anti-Entropy and Schicksal.
Those girls would step into a kitchen with the purest intentions, clearly just wanting to cook a simple, heartwarming meal for their friends. Yet, without fail, the process would rapidly devolve into a small-scale localized explosion, or worse, a quarantined biohazard scene requiring immediate evacuation.
Could it be that this terrifying constitution—this curse of being naturally at odds with the very concept of a kitchen—was actually a universal phenomenon? A constant law of physics that existed across all known dimensions and worlds?
Welt rubbed his chin, falling into a state of deep, philosophical thought. The Kaslana family of his home Earth. Raiden Ei of Teyvat. And, of course, Himeko, who was currently sitting right beside him, possessing the terrifying ability to brew coffee that had the miraculous, life-altering effect of forcibly refreshing the mind through sheer bitterness.
He let out a quiet sigh. Perhaps this new world of New Eridu also hid similar kitchen rule-breakers within its population. It was a statistical probability he needed to prepare for.
Floating near the center of the room, the original provider of the 'time of judgment' watched the chaotic gears turning in everyone's heads. Paimon saw the sudden, intense interest in recycling this dangerous item for combat. She was initially startled by the sheer insanity of the idea, but as she chewed on her lower lip and thought about it... it really did not seem entirely impossible, right?
Puffing out her little chest, she generously addressed the group. "Well, since you all want some so badly... then, then Paimon will gladly share some with you! But!" She raised a tiny finger, her expression turning incredibly stern. "You must be super careful! Absolutely do not use too much at once! And when you do deploy it, you have to pay strict attention to safety protocols! It is highly recommended to have a medic watching nearby!"
She hovered back and forth, acting exactly like a responsible little housekeeper earnestly giving safety instructions for handling industrial-grade explosives.
Deep down, she felt a bizarre sense of pride. She never would have expected that Ei's culinary products—creations that could only be legally classified as a disaster in Teyvat—would actually become so unexpectedly popular and highly sought-after in this strange, multiversal circle of friends.
Just as Stelle was about to ask for a storage flask, a clear, incredibly loud rumbling sound echoed through the room, instantly shattering the group's intense discussion regarding the secondary military applications of dangerous goods.
Every pair of eyes in the room slowly turned toward the source of the noise. It was coming directly from Paimon, who froze in mid-air.
Her little tummy let out a second, even louder wail of hungry protest. The sound seemed particularly abrupt and comical in the sudden, dead silence of the temporary encampment.
"Ah!" Paimon squeaked. Her little face instantly flushed a brilliant shade of tomato red. She quickly slapped both of her small hands over her stomach in sheer embarrassment, desperately trying to muffle the awkward, rumbling echoes.
The entire crew was stunned for a brief second. Then, as if on cue, the tension in the room evaporated, and everyone simultaneously broke into warm, knowing smiles.
It made perfect sense. From the moment they first breached the Hollow to pursue the Bringer, through the grueling, high-speed combat, and straight into the various chaotic episodes and culinary jump-scares that followed the mission's completion, hours had slipped by without anyone realizing it.
The massive consumption of both physical stamina and mental energy had taken its toll. Now that the adrenaline had finally faded, the gnawing ache of hunger was beginning to creep up on all of them.
Lumine stepped forward, her golden hair swaying as she gently pulled the flustered, shy Paimon to her side to save her from further embarrassment. The Traveler's warm gaze swept across the diverse assembly of companions. A bright smile graced her lips as she raised her voice.
"Alright, everyone. Since things have finally come to a successful end, and we have all been running on high tension for way too long, I think it is officially time to relax. We need to properly reward ourselves!"
She paused for dramatic effect, letting the anticipation build before clearly and happily announcing, "So, I say we hold a massive victory banquet! What do you guys think?"
"Great idea!!"
"Agreed!"
"I have literally been waiting for those exact words!"
"Victory banquet! Victory banquet!"
The proposal was instantly met with an overwhelming wave of enthusiastic cheering from every corner of the room.
The lingering, oppressive gloom of the Hollow, the deep-seated exhaustion in their muscles, and the lingering psychological trauma brought on by the 'time of judgment' were instantly dispelled. The mere anticipation of hot, delicious food and a proper celebration washed over the group, transforming the previously heavy atmosphere into one of pure, chaotic cheer.
Consequently, the group mobilized once again. They packed up their gear and transitioned out of the staging zone, relocating to a much more spacious and comfortable lounge area situated deeper within the secure encampment.
As they settled into the plush sofas, Wise and Belle exchanged a quick, meaningful glance. The calm, analytical brother nodded to his sister before speaking up, addressing the entire multiversal Chat Group.
"Everyone, do you mind if we... invite our friends from this world to join the victory banquet as well?" Wise asked, his tone polite and grounded. "For example, Nicole, Anby, and the rest of the Cunning Hares. As well as Section Chief Miyabi and Yanagi from Hollow Special Operations Section 6. They provided a massive amount of support during this operation."
The unexpected proposal made the off-world travelers pause for a brief moment. Then, almost in unison, warm smiles broke out across their faces.
Dan Heng nodded directly, stepping up to represent the Astral Express Crew. "Of course. Previously inside the Hollow, if it were not for their coordinated efforts in transferring and clearing the surrounding aether fuel canisters and holding off the parasitic Ethereals, they shared a great deal of the pressure. Without them, our pursuit operation would not have gone nearly as smoothly. They absolutely deserve the credit, and inviting them to share in the victory banquet is only right."
Welt adjusted his scarf, a gentle, fatherly smile touching his features. "Indeed. Comrades who bled and fought side-by-side with us in the dark are naturally considered honored guests at any table we set."
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