Chapter 414: A Dish So "Happy" It Makes You Faint
With a theatrical flourish, Stelle unscrewed the lid of the small jar. Without a single second of hesitation, she tipped the container over the bowl of Time of Judgment she had just served up. A cascade of crystalline powder drifted down like falling snow, settling onto the surface of the thick, ominous purple sludge. The moment the granules made contact, they dissolved, melting directly into the dark liquid.
Almost instantly, the bowl of Time of Judgment underwent a radical visual transformation. The originally dull, eerie, and vaguely toxic-looking purple hue brightened, taking on the rich, glossy sheen of a premium blackberry jam.
The violent, bubbling surface calmed into a delicate, rhythmic simmer. A complex, incredibly rich aroma began to waft through the air, completely replacing the previous scent of impending doom. It smelled genuinely appetizing. Notes of sweet fruit danced together with the warm, comforting fragrance of toasted grains, all underpinned by a faint, refreshing minty coolness that cleared the mind.
Even the highly suspicious fish bones and charred, unrecognizable leaves floating in the bowl suddenly looked far more agreeable. Bathed in the glossy purple sheen, they resembled candied garnishes or surprise ingredients in a high-end dessert rather than the remnants of a biological disaster.
"See!" Stelle puffed out her chest, her pride swelling as she lifted the bowl high for everyone to witness. "This is what I call technology changing lives! Or rather, this is a prime example of cheat items saving our taste buds!"
Paimon hovered nearby, her small hands wringing together in lingering worry. The rest of the crew watched with morbid curiosity. Ignoring their apprehension, Stelle took a deep breath, puffing her cheeks out like a valiant warrior preparing to test an experimental elixir, and brought the rim of the bowl to her lips.
She started with a small, cautious sip.
Her chewing paused. Her eyes widened slightly.
Then, she took a massive gulp.
Under the bated breath of her companions, Stelle actually tilted her head all the way back. With a rapid series of loud, enthusiastic gulps, she completely drained the small bowl of Time of Judgment that had been treated with the [Delicious Seasoning].
Lowering the empty bowl, Stelle let out a soft, highly satisfied burp and licked a stray drop of purple liquid from the corner of her mouth. Her facial muscles went entirely slack. A look of deep, extreme relaxation washed over her features. It was a dreamy, euphoric expression of absolute bliss.
"Mmm... the taste... is so wonderful..." she murmured. Her voice was breathy and soft, her golden eyes glazing over as if she were sinking into the ultimate culinary paradise.
The smile on her face grew radiant. Imaginary stars seemed to twinkle in her unfocused eyes.
For a brief, fleeting second, Paimon actually started to believe that the [Delicious Seasoning] had pulled off a genuine miracle. Perhaps it really possessed the power to save Ei's notoriously lethal cooking.
But then, Stelle's voice began to trail off. Her speech slurred, growing quieter and slower by the second.
The euphoric smile on her face never vanished; in fact, it only grew softer and more deeply satisfied.
Then, under the stunned, wide-eyed gazes of the entire crew, Stelle swayed on her feet. Still wearing that incredibly happy smile—looking exactly like someone who had just tasted the greatest delicacy in the universe—her eyes fluttered shut. Her body went completely rigid, and she tipped backward like a felled tree, radiating a bizarre sense of absolute serenity.
"Stelle?!"
March 7th and Paimon shrieked in unison. Dan Heng, who had wisely positioned himself nearby for exactly this kind of scenario, closed the distance in a single stride. He shot his arms out, firmly catching her stiff, falling body before she could hit the floor.
Stelle showed absolutely no signs of struggle, pain, or distress. Her eyes remained tightly shut, her chest rising and falling with slow, steady breaths. That dreamy, blissful smile stayed plastered across her lips. She looked exactly like someone who had slipped into a wonderful dream and simply refused to wake up.
The [Delicious Seasoning] had indeed worked exactly as advertised. It had successfully completely overwritten the destructive, gag-inducing flavor profile of Time of Judgment, turning it into a genuinely positive, top-tier culinary sensation.
However, it clearly lacked the ability to eliminate the dish's special, soul-piercing side effect. If anything, making the food taste good had only subtly enhanced the spiritual damage: the forced, unavoidable life-flashback triggered upon consumption.
This sudden, absurd turn of events sent a jolt of alarm through the onlookers.
Even though this current vessel was just a Bangboo avatar carrying only a fraction of Stelle's true power, the Trailblazer's absurdly resilient constitution was a well-documented fact among the crew. She had tanked cosmic blows and walked away brushing off dust. Yet here she was, completely neutralized and knocked into a coma by a single bowl of Time of Judgment that had been sprinkled with [Delicious Seasoning].
"Stelle? Stelle, wake up!" March 7th was the first to rush over to Dan Heng's side. She grabbed Stelle's shoulders and shook her vigorously. The Trailblazer's head simply lolled back and forth, her steady breathing entirely uninterrupted. She remained completely deaf to the outside world.
Paimon trembled violently in the air, her tiny boots kicking in a panic. "Oh no, oh no! Something really bad happened! It's all my fault! I never should have used Ei's cooking as a bet in the first place!"
She flew in frantic, tight circles above their heads before suddenly remembering her trump card. Clenching her small fists, a burst of silver light materialized in her grip. The heavy, glowing wrench of [Optimization Power] appeared instantly.
"Whatever! Let's just try turning her off and on again!" Paimon shouted, abandoning all logic. She flew directly over Stelle's face, gripped the heavy wrench with both hands, and brought it down to gently tap the metal against the Trailblazer's forehead.
The wrench sank slightly into the space above her brow. A familiar, complex golden magic circle flared to life beneath Stelle's back, casting a warm glow across the room. A phantom, holographic projection of the wrench hovered over her head, spinning slowly.
Unlike previous repairs, the golden light of the magic circle seemed to encounter resistance. Slowly, several thin, strikingly vibrant wisps of pale purple mist were forcefully extracted from Stelle's pores. The toxic culinary miasma drifted upward like evaporating steam, hissing faintly before dissolving and purifying completely under the golden glow.
As the very last trace of the purple mist vanished into nothingness, Stelle's eyelashes fluttered. Her golden eyes slowly opened. For a few seconds, her gaze remained distant and dazed, carrying the distinct look of someone who had just been forcibly dragged back from a distant, beautiful utopia.
"Hmm...?" Stelle blinked rapidly, squinting against the room's lighting. She looked around at the circle of deeply concerned faces hovering over her, her expression shifting to pure confusion. She planted her hands on the floor and propped herself up. "Why are you all... crowding around me? And why do you look so stressed? Did something happen?"
She rolled her shoulders and cracked her neck, feeling absolutely nothing wrong with her body. In fact, her mind felt incredibly sharp, brimming with a strange sense of spiritual fullness. It felt exactly like waking up from a twelve-hour, high-quality sleep.
Then, her eyes darted to the side. She spotted the bowl of Time of Judgment resting on the table, its glossy purple surface looking far more friendly than before. Her eyes lit up with genuine excitement.
"Right! Do you guys want to try a bite too? This Time of Judgment stuff, after adding the [Delicious Seasoning]... I know it still looks a little unique, but the taste is actually surprisingly top-tier!"
She waved her hands, struggling to find the exact culinary terms to express her joy. Her face radiated the absolute sincerity of a pioneer sharing a massive discovery. "It's a bit like... hmm, imagine a very rich, premium berry jam mixed with crispy, toasted biscuit crumbs, followed by a tiny bit of refreshing floral scent! But the most amazing part is the aftereffect!"
Her voice rose in pitch, bubbling with the wonder of someone who had just discovered a new continent. "I think... I actually saw fragments of my past memories while I was eating it! They were a bit scattered, but they felt incredibly real and immersive! Can you believe this dish actually comes with a built-in VR memory feature?"
The more specific and positive her glowing review became, the more horrified the expressions on her companions' faces grew.
Paimon floated backward, putting as much distance between herself and the bowl as possible. Her small face was pale with lingering terror as she waved both hands in rapid denial. "No, no, no! Stelle, please spare us! Paimon has seen more than enough! The destructive power of the food Ei makes is truly terrifying! It literally knocked you out cold on the spot! Even your cheat seasoning couldn't completely save it!"
She stared at Stelle's flushed, healthy cheeks, still unable to shake the image of the Trailblazer dropping like a stone.
Stelle, however, merely frowned. She looked genuinely baffled by their reactions, crossing her arms in defensive support of her new favorite snack.
"How is it as exaggerated as you make it sound? Look at me, am I not perfectly fine? I really think the taste is fantastic. Plus, being able to watch your life flash before your eyes—what a magical, cost-effective experience!"
She completely failed to connect her sudden, happy coma with any concept of mortal danger. To her trash-panda sensibilities, passing out was simply part of a deep, immersive dining experience.
Seeing Stelle's absolute stubbornness, and watching her actually pick up the bowl to offer it around again, March 7th finally hit her limit. She planted her hands firmly on her hips, fixed Stelle with a deadpan stare, and let out a long, suffering sigh. Her tone carried a heavy mix of exasperation, dark amusement, and the distinct vibe of dealing with a hopeless child.
"Stelle! Let's just pause for a second. Is there a very, very simple possibility that you are completely ignoring here?"
March dragged out her words, enunciating each syllable with brutal clarity. "The [Delicious Seasoning] might have only changed the flavor profile of that bowl of sludge! It successfully turned it from a horrifying biohazard that's impossible to swallow into a special substance that tastes okay but is still inherently lethal!"
She pointed an accusing finger at the bubbling purple jam. "Its core essence—that terrifying, indescribable culinary curse Ei poured into the pot on a whim—hasn't changed one bit!"
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