Seeing the pale look on Hu Tao's face, Xiangling shook her head. "No, no, no… of course it's not Stir-fried Slime with Qingxin. I've given up on slimes completely! This time, it's Stir-fried Crystalflies with Glaze Lilies…"
"!!!"
Everyone in the room was stunned. Crystalflies? Could those elemental creatures really be eaten? Although Su Han knew from his time playing the game that Xiangling liked to research new recipes, he never thought she was this… terrifying.
As the lid was lifted, a layer of golden Crystalflies lay nestled among the beautiful Glaze Lilies. Good heavens, Su Han thought, they're even the Geo-aligned ones.
Xiangling, ignoring everyone else's expressions, said to herself, "Crystalflies are one of the most common creatures in Teyvat. If they can be developed into a food source, it would be a great service to the world! Just think, it's precisely because they are so common, yet no one eats them, that they are perfect for development."
Hu Tao stared at the Crystalflies, her chopsticks trembling as she reached out. She picked up a tiny piece and cautiously placed it in her mouth. For the sake of a thirty-percent discount, she would risk it all. Hu Tao closed her eyes and chewed vigorously. Less than three seconds later, she slapped a hand over her mouth and ran out of the room. A moment later, they could all hear the sound of dry heaving from outside. Clearly, Hu Tao had once again become a pitiful test subject.
Xiangling scratched her head, embarrassed. "Is… is it really that bad? Let me try…" She picked up a piece with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth. Her expression instantly froze solid. She then turned and bolted out of the room as well. Faintly, a second set of retching sounds could be heard.
Keqing looked at the beautifully presented dish and asked with confusion, "Is it truly that disgusting? It looks quite appealing."
"Crystalflies are elemental lifeforms," Zhongli explained calmly, having not even tried it. "If they were Hydro Crystalflies, it might be acceptable. Geo Crystalflies, however, likely taste of nothing but soil." Glaze Lilies were sweet, while Geo Crystalflies tasted of dirt. It would be a miracle if one didn't throw up after eating the mixture.
About five minutes later, Hu Tao returned, her face deathly pale. She looked as if all the energy had been drained from her body. She slumped onto the table and grumbled, "I knew I shouldn't have tried to save that little bit of money. That was just lethal."
The others secretly chuckled. You knew what would happen and still volunteered to be the guinea pig. If you don't suffer, who will?
"Speaking of which… isn't it about time for the third mission?" Ningguang asked, looking at Su Han. The missions refreshed at noon. Counting the time, it should have appeared by now.
Su Han nodded. "Yes, it should be within the next few minutes."
As they were talking, the group notification chime indeed sounded in their minds. The third mission had been issued. This time, the mission was completely different from the previous ones. It was a daily-life type of mission.
[Ding! Mission cooldown has ended. A new Multiverse Mission is now being issued!]
[Mission]: Defeat the Super Chef, Xiao Dangjia!
[Difficulty]: ★★☆☆☆ (2-Star)
[Time Limit]: 15-minute countdown to accept.
[Hint]: After becoming a Super Chef, Xiao Dangjia's culinary skills soared, but since returning to the Yangquan Restaurant, few have dared to challenge his craft…
[Note]: If the countdown ends before the mission is accepted, it will be considered automatically forfeited.
Looking at the mission details, Su Han didn't know what to say. To think it would randomly generate a cooking mission.
Keqing:I think we should just invite Xiangling. None of us in this group really know how to cook, right?
Ganyu:…I can only make one dish, Peaceful Talisman.
Ningguang:I can make Qiankun Mora Meat, but… our opponent holds the title of "Super Chef." He must be a master who has specialized in the culinary arts.
Hu Tao:@Su Han, get out here and explain! Is this Xiao Dangjia person very skilled? Does he have any weaknesses?
Su Han:Uhh… he's quite skilled, yes, but he's a "Mama's Boy Chef."
Ganyu:Mama's Boy? What does that mean? I've never heard that term before.
Hu Tao:Me neither… @_@…
Su Han:Simply put, this person became a super chef at a very young age and defeated many opponents. But unfortunately… most of the enemies he defeated were beaten through gimmicks and surprise tactics, not by defeating them with undeniably superior flavor.
Recalling the anime he had watched long ago, every time Xiao Dangjia encountered an opponent he couldn't beat, the first person he would think of was his mother. It was as if he didn't know how to cook without his Master Abe. Later on, netizens gave him the nickname "Mama's Boy Chef." Su Han even suspected that during the "Tofu Trio" competition, the guild president had intentionally suppressed the Dark Cooking Society. After all, Xiao Dangjia's skills at the time had already reached their limit. No matter how flashy his presentation was, mapo tofu was still just mapo tofu.
Ningguang:In that case, let's go and invite Xiangling. If she doesn't agree, I have my own ways…
After the experience of the last mission, she had already pre-selected countless top talents in Liyue for various scenarios. So, this time, she wasn't worried at all.
Hu Tao:Hah… don't worry about it! Xiangling… if she hears she can compete with a chef from another world, she'll probably go crazy with excitement! Su Han, you can just go and invite her directly.
She knew her best friend's personality all too well. Xiangling traveled all over just to compete and improve her cooking skills. One day she might be in Liyue, and the next she could very well turn up on Dragonspine.