"What's with those expressions? Especially you two—Xingqiu, Chongyun—it's just a tasting dish! Victor Wang just arrived, so he can skip it, but you two... hmph hmph!"
"Chongyun loves food—let him eat it all!"
"Huh?"
"I heard there's a haunted mansion in Feiyun Slope. If you don't eat, then it'll keep haunting."
"But that's about helping the people! How can you joke about it like this?"
"So, your dedication to helping the people is weaker than... this one dish?"
Chongyun looked conflicted and couldn't refute. "If this turns out to be fake intelligence again, I won't eat it next time no matter what you say!"
"Fake intelligence? You can't just say evil spirits don't exist because you can't see them. If that were true, the whole world would be free from them!"
"Fine, fine, I'll eat it..."
Just as he was preparing to sacrifice himself, Xiangling suddenly pulled the slimy, gooey Mushroom Slime Stew dish back.
"Heyyy—I haven't agreed yet! You want to eat it alone? Not happening! Every time you taste-test solo, it's too one-sided. This time, Xingqiu must join!"
Now it was Xingqiu's turn to look troubled.
"Is it really that bad? I've tasted it myself, you know?"
"It's not about being tasty or not... it's more about the idea of it... And, well, it does taste pretty bad..."
"You guys love bizarre stories—why are you scared of this dish?"
"So, you admit it's bizarre!"
The ship of friendship wavered before a single plate of Mushroom Slime Stew.
Having never tried Xiangling's infamous dark cuisine before, Victor Wang volunteered: "Why don't I give it a try?"
In that moment, the eyes of the other three lit up brighter than the moon in the sky. Xingqiu and Chongyun even heard the Epic of the Geo Archon playing in their minds like a glorious background anthem.
Who's the real hero?
Victor Wang is the real hero!
When he picked up a piece of mushroom drenched in slime with his chopsticks, it was as if he lifted the entire continent of Teyvat! And when the slippery mushroom slipped from the chopsticks, all of Teyvat trembled!
"..."
Victor Wang felt a bit awkward. Why were they all staring at him just for picking up food?
But the hero did not yield!
He mustered his will and grabbed the mushroom again—this time it couldn't escape its destiny.
At last, the whole world fell silent.
Xiangling clenched her fists, unsure what kind of feedback she'd get.
Xingqiu and Chongyun also clenched theirs, silently praying the hero wouldn't fall.
"Hmm..."
"Mmm..."
"Eh...?"
"Say something!" Xiangling prompted.
"The mushroom already has a naturally chewy texture. Now it's been fully saturated by the slime, making it even more elastic. Every bite bursts with slime from within.
"With this double-layered slime texture, the mushroom becomes slick and slippery—like it's trying to swim in my mouth.
"Putting aside the somewhat odd flavor, the texture is like a mix between chewing gum and jelly. The more I chew, the more addicting it becomes."
"Chewing gum? What's that?"
"Something I once ate in a dream—feels a bit like soft toffee," Victor Wang improvised. "In short, I'd describe the texture of this dish as... very unique."
Xingqiu and Chongyun exchanged puzzled looks. Was this hero even on their side?
"What about the taste!" Xiangling, clearly excited to find a kindred spirit, was overjoyed.
"Honestly, the taste is average. Even with multiple seasonings, it can't mask that... unique flavor of the slime. I'd suggest reducing the slime quantity or improving the seasoning—it might become more appealing."
"Exactly! The texture is the best part, but the flavor needs work. Presentation's the worst part. You gave exactly the same feedback I did!"
"By standard reasoning, this dish isn't entirely inedible." With that, Victor Wang picked up another stretchy mushroom under the stunned gazes of Xingqiu and Chongyun.
Back in his former life, he had the full-on foodie trait. What strange foods hadn't he encountered? He'd even eaten insects. This slime just tasted weird—nothing he couldn't handle psychologically.
"Come on, you two. Why aren't you eating?"
At this point, Xingqiu and Chongyun had no choice but to lift their chopsticks and deliver the evil Mushroom Slime Stew into their mouths.
"Mmph!"
"Mmmph!"
"Ugh!"
"It's like... eating a mouthful of slime..."
"It's like being eaten by a slime!"
Xiangling narrowed her eyes. "Your feedback is so unprofessional. Victor's was way better!"
Chongyun pouted. "But we're just normal diners who came to eat..."
"You're also my good friends and members of the 'Liyue Paranormal Exploration Team!'"
Xingqiu waved dismissively. "Say no more. Too many words, too many tears... Let's eat."
Since it was a test dish, the portion was small. The three of them quickly finished it off.
Seeing Xiangling nod in satisfaction, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and began enjoying the real meal.
"Victor, how's the Black-Back Perch Stew?"
"First, let me say—I'm not a food critic.
"That said, this dish has firm, juicy fish, and seems to be blanched in a special chili oil made from Jueyun Chilies and Glaze Lilies—spicy, tender, and incredibly fragrant. It's pretty intense, but I enjoy spicy food. For spice lovers, this dish is excellent."
Xiangling practically beamed with joy. She skipped off and returned in under two minutes—with another plate of Mushroom Slime Stew...
"Quick, quick! Try this one!"
"With less slime, the texture isn't as unique, and the flavor's still faint. Not as good as the previous version."
"Hmm... Then I guess we'll have to focus on the flavor."
Salt is known as the king of flavor. It blends easily with other seasonings, enhances umami, and enriches aroma. If the world allowed only one seasoning, it would surely be salt.
But not even salt could save the taste of slime.
So, it was time for the king of flavors—spice. Spice doesn't mix easily, always stands out. Just a touch and it overwhelms all else. Even mild spice dominates.
Thankfully, the kitchen had that special chili oil made from Jueyun Chilies and Glaze Lilies. Once heated and poured in... a new Spicy Mushroom Slime Stew dish was born.
"Come on, try this one!"
"Fwoo—fwoo—taste is there, texture is there, but so spicy!" Victor Wang felt like he could breathe fire.
Chongyun, forced to try again, reacted even more dramatically. His clothes fluttered without wind, ice-blue hair stood on end—he was the very picture of rage. Then he slapped the table and stood up.
He knew from the first bite that something was wrong—but by then, it was too late. A blackout followed, and when he came to, he was tied to the chair.
"It's all my fault! I forgot to warn Chongyun the chili oil had Jueyun Chilies. Luckily, we tied him up right away. But Xingqiu—why did you have rope with you?"
Xingqiu squinted with a smile. "Don't worry about it~"
"Are we giving up on this dish too? Is there really no way to salvage that flavor?"
Seeing Xiangling so dejected, Victor Wang scoured his memory for something useful—and found it: an alchemical flavoring agent Lisa had taught him to make.
"Xiangling, do you have fruit here? Give me one—I might be able to change the flavor of the slime."
"We've got apples!"
"Perfect. Just give me one. Also prepare another plate of the original Mushroom Slime Stew."
The moment Chongyun heard that, he shut his eyes again to pretend he was still unconscious—though his hair had already betrayed him.
Victor Wang took the apple and rushed to the unattended alchemy bench in Liyue Harbor. After crafting an apple-flavored alchemical agent, he quickly returned.
It could turn bitter medicine into something not only tolerable but addictive. Would it work on slime?
Under the tense gazes of Xiangling and Xingqiu, Victor Wang dripped the apple agent into the dish. It instantly fused with the slime—golden light shimmered across the plate. The Apple-Flavored Mushroom Slime Stew were complete!
He picked up a piece of this legendary creation and experienced what felt like an apple slime mushroom fighting his tongue.
"That weird taste is gone."
Even Xingqiu couldn't resist picking up a piece. The moment it touched his tongue, a totally new sensation hit him. "Apple stir-fried mushrooms? So weird!"
"Hmm, the flavoring agent seems to only work on the slime, not the mushrooms. Plus, the variety of flavors it supports is quite limited. So, it's not suitable for use in actual dishes with slime."
"What a shame... what a shame..." Xiangling shook her head.
"No! Ditch the mushrooms, keep the slime—we still have hope!"
"You mean...?"
"I'll use this agent to give slime a new life!"
Even the pretending-to-be-unconscious Chongyun opened his eyes. A beam of light shone on Victor Wang, and once again, the grand theme of the Epic of the Geo Archon played—the hero had returned!
"Remember when I mentioned chewing gum?
We use the flavoring agent to give it taste, and the slime provides texture. If we mix the two and solidify the slime, we can make apple-flavored chewing gum.
That way, the slime becomes the main ingredient without worrying about flavor blending. And gum doesn't need complex flavors—just something chewable and acceptable."
Though they hadn't tasted it yet, the other three were already lost in a sea of imagination...