Quest Failed!! Try Again

The Darklord leaned forward, his red eyes glowing as he looked at the food. He picked up the Bloodmoon Soufflé, and the smell filled the room with a mix of fear and mystery. When he tasted it, he noticed a strange aftertaste—a small bitterness he hadn't expected. His face showed concern as the smell grew stronger. He stayed quiet, taking another bite.

He suddenly stopped, looking shocked and horrified.

"What happened?!" Kai stared at the screen, feeling sick. He didn't expect this. He had spent days perfecting the dish, and although it looked good in the game, he wasn't ready for this. "I made this... it was supposed to taste good!" he said quietly, watching his in-game character stand in front of the Darklord, looking completely calm.

The room grew even darker. A deep, growling sound came from the Darklord, low and threatening. His red eyes burned with rage.

"You dare present this... this mockery as my final feast?"

Kai's screen flashed red as the banquet table erupted in flames.

"Quest Failed. Try Again."

Kai groaned, slamming his fists on his desk. "What do you want from me, Voidworks? Do I need to sell my soul to make this thing work?"

The mocking laughter of the Darklord echoed one last time before the screen faded to black.

Kai ripped off his headset, burying his face in his hands. His room was silent except for the faint hum of his computer. Days of effort, countless hours of preparation, and still, he'd failed. 

He couldn't stop thinking about it. Was he really that bad at this? No matter how hard he tried, his mind kept going back to the game. He thought about it over and over, but deep down, he knew he couldn't give up. He couldn't let his mistakes stop him—not now. As frustration built up inside him, he caught sight of his notes scattered on the desk. Recipes, strategies, and scribbled theories were all there, reminding him of the work he had put in.

Kai clenched his fists. "No way I'm giving up. If I have to burn through every last nerve I have, I'll beat you, Darklord."

With a weary sigh, he reset the game. The blood moon rose again, and Kai braced himself for another attempt. He sat in front of the screen and watched intently. He quickly made his way through all the levels, preparing dishes to satisfy the Darklord's hunger, until he reached that same dish again. It was already midnight, but he didn't notice the time. His only focus was the Bloodmoon Soufflé.

He stared at the screen, his tired eyes scanning the detailed recipe for what felt like the hundredth time. The Bloodmoon Soufflé had become his obsession, a challenge he refused to let beat him. His room was a mess—empty snack wrappers, crumpled sticky notes, and his failed attempts to understand the tricky instructions scattered everywhere.

His fingers hovered over the keyboard as he murmured to himself, "Okay, focus. Step by step this time. No rushing. No shortcuts."

The blood moon in the game's sky seemed to mock him, its eerie red light spilling over his avatar's kitchen. He tightened his grip on the virtual controls, adjusted his headset, and began the process again. Hours had been spent reading player forums, watching tutorial videos, and experimenting with every possible variation of the ingredients. Some players swore the key was in the whisking rhythm, while others insisted it was all about the order in which the ingredients were added. 

"Essence of Scarlet Bloom first, not second," Kai muttered to himself, reading the guide for the umpteenth time. He needed to get this perfect—one mistake, and he'd have to restart the entire process. The recipe wasn't just another cooking quest; it was a delicate balance of magic and precision, a culmination of everything he'd learned in the game so far. His hands hovered over the screen, focused and steady as he prepared to begin the delicate process.

He carefully started adding the ingredients:

-Essence of Scarlet Bloom appeared, its petals glowing softly in the moonlight. He carefully plucked them and ground them into a fine, velvety powder. 

Effect: Adds texture and binds the dish to the moon's magic.

-The Crimson Frost Eggs materialized, their icy, frosted shells enclosing fiery cores. He cracked them open with precision, the steam rising as the eggs blended into the batter. 

Effect: Provides the soufflé with its rise and a heat-cold contrast.

-The Vampiric Velvet Cream followed, dark and thick, extracted from cursed creatures. As he added it, the mixture became smoother, the sweetness almost forbidden. 

Effect: Adds a smooth finish and a haunting aftertaste.

-The Sanguine Essence Crystals appeared, small blood-red shards. He melted them into the batter, their dark energy deepening the mixture's color. 

Effect: Deepens the color and flavor with an alluring darkness.

-Moonlit Sugar Dust shimmered into existence, sparkling as he sprinkled it in. The batter began to glow faintly, as though touched by moonlight. 

Effect: Adds a subtle glow and enhances the soufflé's ethereal appeal.

-The Duskwillow Ashes, smoky and bitter, balancing the sweetness. 

Effect: Adds a smoky undertone.

-The Ebonflame Extract, dark and fiery. As it mixed in, the batter shivered with heat, adding a spicy kick. 

Effect: Infuses spiciness and amplifies magical properties.

-The Phantom Vanilla Pods appeared, their dark fragrance filling the air. The sweet, haunting aroma seeped into the mixture, adding a lingering depth. 

Effect: Adds depth with a lingering fragrance.

As he worked, Kai could almost feel the game mocking him, each second dragging out as the timer ticked down. The pressure was unbearable—every move had to be flawless. The Bloodmoon Soufflé demanded nothing less than absolute perfection in the baking phase. The virtual oven was unforgiving, requiring precise calibration to match the mystical conditions of the blood moon.

Kai's hands moved swiftly, his fingers dancing over the controls as he adjusted the temperature, carefully managing the airflow through the vents. The soufflé began to rise, its surface glowing faintly, a soft, ethereal light reflecting the moon's eerie red glow. It was working. But the tension lingered, as if the game itself were watching, waiting for him to slip up.

"Come on, come on," Kai whispered, his heart racing.

The oven timer ticked down: 5...4...3…

He opened the oven door with bated breath. The soufflé had risen, its surface smooth and glistening like a pool of liquid rubies—a perfect masterpiece. Kai carefully placed it on the serving platter, his hands trembling from the weight of anticipation.

He entered the Darklord's throne room, where the banquet table gleamed with his six flawless dishes. At the center of the table, the Bloodmoon Soufflé stood, its crimson glow casting an eerie light across the dark hall.

The Darklord leaned forward, his piercing gaze locking onto the dish. With a slow, deliberate motion, he lifted a silver fork and sliced into the soufflé's delicate surface. As the fork made contact, a faint wail echoed through the room—the sound of the damned souls trapped within.

Kai held his breath, every nerve on edge as the Darklord prepared to taste his creation.

The Darklord took a bite, his crimson eyes glinting with disdain. He chewed slowly, savoring the taste before his lips curled into a mocking sneer.

"This is... fine. But fine isn't enough to satisfy my hunger," he said, his voice dripping with contempt.

In an instant, the banquet table erupted into flames. The dishes, once pristine and carefully prepared, vanished into nothingness, reduced to ash in the blink of an eye. The heat radiated from the flames, but it did nothing to cool the rising tension in Kai's chest. His heart raced, and his thoughts whirled as the Darklord's words echoed in his mind. Fine. It wasn't enough.

The screen flashed red:

"Quest Failed. Try Again."

Kai took off his headset, letting out a string of curses. "Stupid game! Stupid Darklord! Who designs something this impossible?"

Kai slammed his keyboard, causing his mouse to slide across the desk. He buried his head in his hands, sitting still, filled with anger.

After a moment, he growled in frustration and pressed the power button. The screen went black, and the creepy red glow of the blood moon disappeared.

Kai fell onto his bed, staring at the ceiling. His mind raced with thoughts of the Darklord's mocking voice, the confusing recipe, and all his failures.

"Why am I even doing this?" he whispered, covering his eyes with his arm.

Even though he was angry, sleep quickly took over. He drifted off, and for a short while, the eerie world of Eclipsed Realms vanished.

But even in his dreams, the blood moon rose again.....!!