Chapter 74: “The Cursed Spoon of Eternal Soup: Stirring Up Trouble”

After the chaos of the Yeast Beasts, the crew vowed to take a break from all cursed artifacts.

That vow lasted exactly three hours.

They docked at a bustling port town, desperate for some normalcy.

"No more bread, no more monsters, no more curses," Kazuya declared, stepping onto the cobblestone streets. "We're here for supplies and that's it."

"Agreed," Sylvara said, her gaze scanning the market. "No mysterious baskets. No enchanted trinkets."

"NO FUN," Fergus muttered under his breath, sulking like a kid denied dessert.

The crew split up to gather supplies. But, naturally, Fergus wandered off to a suspicious-looking shop.

 The Mysterious Curio Shop

The shop's sign read: "Magical Junk & Questionable Curses – No Refunds."

"Looks legit," Fergus said, pushing open the creaky door.

Inside, the shop was packed with oddities:

A glowing hat that whispered insults. A clock that ticked backward. A jar labeled 'Pickled Goblin Eyeballs' (probably not edible).

But one item caught Fergus's attention: a simple, silver spoon resting on a pedestal.

The shopkeeper, an old man with a beard longer than his torso, noticed Fergus staring.

"Ah… you've got a keen eye, lad."

"What's so special about this spoon?" Fergus asked, picking it up.

The shopkeeper grinned. "That, my friend, is the Cursed Spoon of Eternal Soup."

"Cursed? How?"

The old man chuckled. "Once you stir a pot with that spoon, the soup will never stop. It just keeps refilling."

Fergus's eyes lit up. "Unlimited soup?!"

The shopkeeper nodded. "But beware—if you ever try to get rid of the spoon, it will return to you… with interest."

"Interest?" Fergus asked, but the old man vanished into thin air before he could explain.

Fergus shrugged. "Eh, sounds like a bargain."

 Back at the Ship

Fergus proudly showed off his new purchase to the crew.

"Look what I found! The Spoon of Eternal Soup!"

Kazuya groaned. "I thought we agreed: NO MORE CURSES."

"But it's soup! How bad could it be?" Fergus argued.

Sylvara crossed her arms. "Did you ask what the curse was?"

"Of course! It just makes infinite soup."

"Did the shopkeeper mention side effects?"

Fergus hesitated. "He might have said something about 'interest.'"

"Interest?" Cluckbeard raised a feathery eyebrow. "Sounds ominous."

Ignoring them, Fergus grabbed a pot and began stirring.

"Behold! Eternal Soup!"

The Soup Chaos Begins

At first, it seemed harmless. The pot filled with a hearty vegetable soup.

Everyone gathered around, cautiously optimistic.

"This actually smells… really good," Nerissa said, dipping a ladle into the pot.

But as soon as they ladled out a bowl, the pot refilled.

Sylvara blinked. "Okay, that's kind of impressive."

"It's a miracle!" Fergus cheered.

But then… the soup kept rising.

Kazuya frowned. "Uh… why is it still going?"

The pot overflowed, spilling soup onto the deck.

"It's just a little extra," Fergus said nervously, backing away.

The soup spread across the ship, forming puddles.

"Fergus…" Sylvara's tone grew sharp. "Make it stop."

"I can't! It's the Spoon of Eternal Soup!"

The puddles turned into waves, flooding the deck.

"ABANDON SHIP!" Cluckbeard yelled, surfing on a barrel as the soup tsunami carried him away.

The Soup Tsunami

The crew clung to anything they could find as the ship bobbed in the sea of soup.

"This is ridiculous!" Kazuya shouted, holding onto the mast. "We're going to drown… in SOUP."

Sylvara grabbed Fergus by the collar. "Fix this. NOW."

Fergus held up the spoon. "I don't know how! It's cursed!"

"Throw it overboard!" Nerissa suggested.

Fergus hurled the spoon into the ocean.

The crew watched as it sank beneath the waves.

For a brief moment, everything was calm.

Then…

WHOOSH!

The spoon shot out of the water like a missile and landed back in Fergus's hand.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Kazuya yelled.

"It's cursed to always return to me!" Fergus wailed.

"Then we're doomed," Cluckbeard sighed dramatically.

 The Quest for the Anti-Soup

Desperate to stop the soup flood, the crew sought out a legendary anti-curse expert.

They found him meditating on a mountain made entirely of noodles.

The old man opened his eyes. "You seek the way to end the curse of the Spoon?"

"Yes!" Kazuya pleaded. "Please, tell us how!"

The old man stroked his beard. "There is only one way…"

"Which is?"

He grinned. "You must… eat the soup. ALL of it."

The crew stared in horror.

"ALL OF IT?!"

"Yes."

Fergus brightened. "I can do that!"

 The Great Soup Feast

Determined to end the curse, the crew gathered around the pot and began the most epic soup feast in history.

"Keep going!" Kazuya encouraged, sweating from the sheer volume of soup.

Sylvara groaned. "I'm never eating soup again."

Fergus was in his element, slurping bowl after bowl.

Even Cluckbeard joined in, yelling, "FOR GLORY!" between mouthfuls.

Finally, after hours of eating, the pot stopped refilling.

The curse was broken.

The crew collapsed in exhaustion, bloated but victorious.

"I hate soup," Kazuya muttered.

Sylvara patted his shoulder. "At least it's over."

But then, Fergus pulled out another artifact from his pocket.

"Hey, guys… I found this cursed fork…"

"NOOOOO!"