Chapter 137: “The Great Cookie Conundrum”

The Recipe of Eternity shimmered in Sylvara's hands, its magical glow casting the trio in a soft, golden light. Despite their exhaustion, curiosity had won out over common sense yet again.

As Sylvara pressed the shard against the parchment, the Recipe shifted and glowed even brighter. It projected another image into the air—a massive map of what appeared to be... a cookie fortress?

"Oh, come on," Kazuya groaned. "We just survived a chocolate chasm and a fudge golem. What now? A sentient cookie army?"

Sylvara's eyes sparkled. "A cookie fortress! Think of all the delicious possibilities!"

"Think of all the traps," Ravynne muttered, crossing her arms. "I swear, this quest is going to give me cavities."

Arrival at the Cookie Citadel

The team followed the map for hours until they reached their destination: a towering citadel made entirely of cookies, from its graham-cracker walls to its Oreo turret spires. The air smelled of freshly baked treats, but the aura of menace was undeniable.

"Wow," Sylvara whispered, staring up at the fortress. "It's beautiful. Like a snack you could live in!"

"Or die in," Ravynne said, eyeing the drawbridge made of peanut brittle. "There's no way this place isn't booby-trapped."

As if on cue, the drawbridge lowered with a loud crack, revealing an interior filled with an assortment of animated cookies marching in formation. Leading them was a towering figure—a gingerbread knight clad in royal icing armor, wielding a candy cane lance.

"Halt!" the gingerbread knight bellowed. "Who dares approach the Citadel of Sweet Salvation?"

Sylvara stepped forward, beaming. "Hi! I'm Sylvara, and these are my friends. We're on a quest for the Recipe of Eternity!"

The knight's frosting eyebrows furrowed. "You seek the Recipe? Then you must prove your worth by surviving... the Gauntlet of Gluttony!"

Kazuya sighed. "Why is it always a gauntlet?"

"Because," Ravynne deadpanned, "this world hates us."

The Gauntlet of Gluttony

The group was ushered inside the citadel, where they were greeted by a massive room filled with elaborate food-based traps. A river of molten chocolate bisected the chamber, with marshmallow stepping stones leading across it. Above, licorice ropes dangled precariously, and cookie walls shifted and rotated like a confectionary maze.

"This... doesn't look so bad," Sylvara said, stepping onto the first marshmallow. It immediately sank into the chocolate, sending her scrambling back.

"Correction," Ravynne said. "It's a death trap."

"Fine," Kazuya said, gripping his sword. "Let's get this over with."

Trial 1: The Marshmallow Meltdown

The first challenge was to cross the river of molten chocolate. The marshmallow stones were unstable and prone to melting, requiring them to move quickly.

Kazuya led the charge, leaping from one marshmallow to the next. Sylvara followed with surprising agility, giggling the whole way.

Ravynne, however, gritted her teeth as she jumped. "If I fall in, I'm haunting both of you."

"Noted," Kazuya said, catching her arm as she wobbled on the final marshmallow.

Trial 2: The Licorice Labyrinth

Next, they entered a maze of shifting cookie walls and dangling licorice ropes. The walls moved unpredictably, threatening to crush anyone who lingered too long.

"This is ridiculous," Ravynne muttered as she narrowly avoided being flattened by a chocolate chip panel.

Sylvara, meanwhile, swung from licorice ropes like a cheerful monkey. "This is so fun! It's like an edible playground!"

Kazuya groaned. "Can you take this seriously for five seconds?"

"Where's the fun in that?" Sylvara replied, sticking her tongue out at him.

Trial 3: The Sugar Rush Showdown

Finally, they reached the last chamber, where the gingerbread knight awaited them. "You have proven your agility and wit," he said, his candy cane lance gleaming. "But now you must face me in combat!"

"Great," Kazuya muttered, drawing his sword. "I always wanted to fight a cookie."

The battle was chaotic. The gingerbread knight was surprisingly fast, his candy cane lance a blur as he attacked. Sylvara distracted him by throwing gumdrops, while Ravynne used her crossbow to shoot at his frosting joints.

In the end, Kazuya landed the final blow, slicing the knight's lance in half. The gingerbread warrior collapsed into crumbs, his voice echoing through the chamber. "You... have passed... the gauntlet..."

Victory and a New Clue

As the knight crumbled, the Recipe of Eternity appeared before them, glowing with new text. It revealed another clue:

"Seek the Cupcake Crown atop the Mountain of Sprinkles. Only then shall the Recipe be complete."

Sylvara clapped her hands. "A cupcake crown? That sounds amazing!"

Ravynne groaned. "I hate this quest."

Kazuya rubbed his temples. "Let's just hope the mountain doesn't try to eat us."

With the next destination revealed, the trio set off once again, bracing themselves for whatever ridiculousness awaited them on the Mountain of Sprinkles.

To be continued...