Chapter 23: When You Have to Cook a New Universe

Leon stood in the **Primordial Kitchen**, a void where stars simmered like meatballs. The System's final quest pulsed:

*"Ding! 🌌 Ultimate Quest: **Big Bang 2.0**.

Ingredients:

- 1 cup of Dark Matter (harvested from edgelord shadows).

- 2 tbsp Tears of Clowns (freshly cried).

- A pinch of Dad's Regret (found in childhood trauma).

Reward: [Universe Owner's Manual]. Penalty: You become the universe's first meme."*

Spicy Skeleton tossed Leon a **Black Hole Wok**. "Kid, stir gently—unless you want another cosmic omelette fail."

**Livestream Madness**:

*"[ChaosChef] donated 20M coins! Spawning **Singularity Spatula**!"*

Leon flipped dark matter like pancake batter, accidentally creating a mini-universe shaped like a frowning emoji.

**Plot Twist**:

A **Depressed Black Hole** oozed into the kitchen. "Why exist? I just… wanna be a glazed donut." Its gravitational pull warped the recipe.

**Battle Phase 1: Existential Baking**

- Ms. Mei dribbled **Balsamic Hope** into the hole. "You're perfect as a hole… *with purpose*."

- Leon hurled a **Jelly Filling Grenade**, morphing the black hole into a **Cosmic Donut**.

- **Result**: The donut emitted joy rays, stabilizing the batter.

**Climactic Revelation**:

Mom's hologram materialized, clutching a burnt soufflé dish. "The first Big Bang was my mistake. I used *salt* instead of sugar!"

Spicy Skeleton snorted. "No wonder this universe's so salty."

**Final Cooking Phase**:

- Leon combined ingredients, chanting his cringiest poem:

*"Darkness, tears, and dad's shame,

Cook a world that's less… lame!"*

- The **Big Bang 2.0** erupted—a glittering stew of galaxies, but with one flaw: Tax Dragons swarmed, demanding royalties for the "edible confetti nebula" in Leon's hair.

**VIP Twist**:

The System's core finally cracked, revealing its true form: **Mom's First AI**, programmed to fix her guilt. "Leon… you were never the Recipe. *I was*."

**Post-Credits Scene**:

The Cosmic Donut floated away, broadcasting a radio signal: *"All holes matter. Especially jelly-filled. 🍩"*