Chapter 20: Himeko's Coffee

It happened again...

The same dream.

Dark, damp, cold, and bound in chains.

Not a single ray of light, like a purgatory never to see the sun.

Pain and resentment filled his mind.

And then—

"Yinyuejun... When will our retribution come?"

A man's figure appeared in Dan Heng's dream.

Long dark green hair, bandaged body, and crimson eyes filled with endless madness.

He had become a shadow beneath Dan Heng, ever since who knows when.

No matter how many times Dan Heng pierced him with a spear, he would always reappear.

He couldn't lose, but he also couldn't win.

He wanted to escape, but there was nowhere to run.

"How will we repay the debt we owe!"

The man roared as he charged at Dan Heng.

Once again, they would battle in the dream until dawn.

Dan Heng sighed.

But today was different—

Crash!

A glass bottle shattered.

Oil spread across the ground.

The man charging at him slipped and slid away in an instant.

Dan Heng turned his head and saw Gu Tang standing beside him, giving him a thumbs-up.

"I'm here to help you, buddy."

---

"Hey~ time to wake up, sleepyhead."

Stelle was woken up, groggily sitting up in bed.

Turning her head, she saw March 7th standing by the bed, smiling: "I didn't think there'd be someone on the train who could sleep more than me. Hurry up and wash up; Gu Tang said he's making us breakfast."

---

In the train's dining car, the table was already filled with various delicious dishes.

Beautifully plated, fragrant, and mouth-watering.

"Wow..." Stelle was stunned by the sight of the feast as she walked into the dining car.

Gu Tang came out of the kitchen carrying a tray: "Oh, Stelle, you're awake. Everything's ready, dig in while it's hot."

Stelle sat down and took a bite of the hot pancakes.

In an instant, the softness and sweetness exploded in her mouth.

"This is... so delicious!" Stelle's eyes sparkled with praise.

"Indeed, I didn't expect Gu Tang to have such skills." March 7th sat beside Stelle, eating voraciously.

The Gluttony Aeon would be envious.

"Research is my hobby, and so is cooking. It's normal to have such skills." Gu Tang said calmly.

His hobby was watching cooking shows.

Because he couldn't understand recipes.

Of course, you can't achieve this level of culinary skill just by watching cooking shows, so let's add a bit of system magic here.

[Master Chef]

[Level: 5]

[Effect: You can easily make delicious food with excellent color, aroma, and taste, proficient in all cuisines, and your cooking skills are unparalleled in the universe.]

[Evaluation: A man who can cook is very popular]

Pom kneeled on the ground: "I never thought, as the train conductor, I would be outdone in culinary skills."

Walter, savoring the food, said: "Isn't this a good thing? The conductor can take a break sometimes... mm! This vegetable pancake is delicious!"

"Eat more, Stelle, it will help you regain your memory." Gu Tang patted Stelle's head.

Stelle, biting into a piece of bacon, looked up at Gu Tang: "Really?"

"When an amnesiac encounters something familiar, it can trigger some memories." Gu Tang pointed to the various foods on the table, "So, eating familiar foods might help you recover some memories."

"That... makes sense." Stelle tilted her head.

"Conveniently, I am proficient in all the cuisines of the universe, so get ready, from now on I'll be making different delicious dishes for you every day." Gu Tang pounded his chest and said.

"Thank you..." Stelle turned her head shyly, "I'll get spoiled by you like this..."

"What a happy way to recover memories, I'm a bit envious." Himeko said with a smile.

"Huh? What about me?" Another amnesiac raised her head.

Dan Heng patted Gu Tang on the shoulder: "Buddy, next time I'll make some Xianzhou cuisine for you."

Walter looked at Dan Heng: "Dan Heng, you look good today."

"I had a good dream last night, for the first time in a while." Dan Heng replied with a light smile.

"Perfect food must be paired with perfect coffee. Let me show you all a bit of my skill too." Himeko started making coffee for everyone.

The previously lively and warm atmosphere suddenly became heavy.

"Coffee sounds good," Stelle said bravely.

"........." March 7th and Walter remained silent.

"Give me a cup too," Dan Heng said foolishly.

"Why did everyone's expressions suddenly become so tense?" Gu Tang frowned, puzzled.

Walter adjusted his glasses with trembling hands: "How should I put it... Miss Himeko's coffee has a very unique taste..."

As he spoke, Himeko had already made a steaming cup of coffee for Stelle.

Stelle cautiously took it and drank a sip.

Gulp...

Everyone watched Stelle's reaction.

"Ugh."

Stelle died!

A white soul floated out of her mouth, a chibi two-headed version of Stelle, labeled "Galactic Baseball Star."

"Stelle——! Don't die——!" March 7th rushed over to administer first aid.

"Hmph... seems like you still need training." Dan Heng's soul said.

Gu Tang turned his head, looking at the chibi two-headed Dan Heng beside him.

Then he looked at the ground, where Dan Heng's body lay.

"......Is it really that powerful?" Gu Tang skeptically took the coffee Stelle drank and downed it in one go.

His heroic posture and majestic aura inspired respect from Walter and Pom.

And so, Gu Tang fell into a flashback.

---

He remembered, it happened on his home planet.

He went to the bun shop as usual to buy buns for breakfast.

"Gu Tang, my boy, I've got some new bun varieties, buy a few to try."

The owner was as enthusiastic as ever.

"Because food needs innovation, so... Botulinum Bun! Polonium Bun! Ricin Bun! Cyanide Bun! Anthrax Bun!"

Those were fillings he'd never heard of, so he bought a lot.

When he reached the 25th one, he blacked out and traveled through time.

He didn't finish the rest of the buns, a regret.

---

"Phew!" The flashback ended, and Gu Tang came back to life.

He appreciatively patted Himeko on the shoulder: "It's been so long since I lost consciousness passively... I dreamed of my hometown again, all thanks to you, Himeko."

Himeko: "........."

After breakfast, Gu Tang installed a coffee machine in the observation car.

This coffee machine had Gu Tang's unique touch, with a 50% chance of dispensing coffee and a 50% chance of dispensing randomly flavored juice.

But no matter the result, at least everyone wouldn't have to drink Himeko's coffee anymore.

March 7th liked it a lot.

Himeko sulked, spending the whole day talking to Gu Tang with her back.