Little Gui's livestream.
Seeing so many "Micro-Tas" diligently working, each fulfilling their role.
Their expressions ranging from earnest, to confused, to dazed…
Little Gui's eyes began to sparkle with little stars!
If she didn't know this was Lady Herta's home, she would have been tempted to sneak one out to keep as a pet!
At this moment.
Herta herself arrived at this crucial kitchen area.
A little girl version of Herta hurried over, opened a magic book, and presented its contents before Herta.
On this page, it read:
[How to Become a Baking Genius: 42 Magical Ways to Make Cakes Delicious]
[1: The Magic to Make Whipped Egg Whites Smoother (Tip: Remember to Smile)]
The page also featured an image of milk and eggs.
Herta scoffed dismissively.
"This is the magic to make cakes delicious?"
"Hmph, easy~"
She placed basic ingredients like milk and eggs into a bowl.
Then, using a whisk, she began to stir.
Herta was actually making a cake herself!
Was she going to make a cake for Ruan Mei, who had failed an experiment?
Aww, so heartwarming!
Before Little Gui could marvel at this, Herta, having stirred only a couple of times, already found it a bit tiring and grew impatient!
A sudden inspiration struck!
She took an automatic whisk out of her hat.
Letting it spin freely in the bowl.
"Good, good."
"I'll leave it to you. I'm going for a coffee."
However!
Little Gui recognized it instantly!
This was no ordinary automatic whisk!
It was a Curio from the Simulated Universe!
...
""Easy""
"Super Overlord Spinning Top: Is this how it's used?"
"Egg whites gain +30% Break Effect."
"So that's how Curios are used? Learned!"
"There are also Nutrient Overload and Cloud-Sliced Steak in the cabinet behind!"
"This thing is equipped with multiple devices like particle disruptors!"
"It once injured and hospitalized over a hundred spectators at the Cosmic Spinning Top Championship! Haki Top, you rascal!"
...
Sipping her coffee, she couldn't help but remark: "For a genius, cooking is just a trivial matter."
However.
Herta, who had just left, didn't notice.
The top of the Super Overlord Spinning Top lit up with a red glow. It was about to perform ultra-high-speed rotation, turning the eggs into a bomb!
Picking up her prepared coffee, she was just about to take a sip.
The kitchen behind her exploded instantly!
The flames illuminated Herta's silhouette, casting a red afterglow around her!
Yet.
Herta remained completely unruffled.
Calmly sipping her coffee.
This scene instantly felt familiar to countless players!
...
"The kitchen exploded, imitating Himeko drinking coffee ("
"I think you might not understand yet."
"Humans never hide their desire to control the kitchen, and of course, that includes me."
"LOL! No wonder Herta is always teamed up with Himeko."
"May all the ultimate effects of The Herta you pull be like this (doge)"
"Reflect!"
"Wuwuwu my Mini Herta, it's all ruined!"
...
Herta's office.
Ruan Mei glanced at Herta.
She spoke up: "So this is how you make a cake for me?"
"Yep, any problem?"
"Buying one from the Store would be much more convenient."
Herta reached out and patted Ruan Mei's shoulder.
With a "who's braver between us" vibe.
"Mhm~"
"Don't worry, how could a Store-bought cake have the same sense of ceremony as one I make myself?"
"Isn't that what everyone's after these days?"
At this moment.
The Herta in the video seemed to align with the real Herta!
The earlier explosion didn't make her feel defeated at all—instead, it made her even more interested!
With a confident smile:
"Everything is under my control."
Opening the magic book.
[12: The spell for pouring milk without spilling (Tip: Remember to smile)]
Directing the miniature Herta to bring over pieces of cheese.
However!
Among three pieces of glistening cheese,
one blue "cheese" stood out as so distinctly different!
...
"?"
"Wait a moment! Is that even cheese you're cooking?"
"Curio: Time Prism."
"Eidolon Sync Level +1."
"6! She actually used the Time Prism Curio to make a cake?"
"It's over!"
"Wait, that's not ordinary cheese either—it's the Curio [Aromatic Dry Cheese]! The kind that grows infinitely. There's still a galaxy in the universe stuffed with this cheese..."
"That's terrifying! This isn't cake-making—it's God recreating the cosmos!"
...
Sure enough!
The next second.
The heated Time Prism began to change in the pot!
Streaks of blue light burst forth from the boiling water!
A nearby Herta doll issued a warning: "Alert! Alert!"
"Boom!"
Herta teleported to the doorway again, sipping coffee to hide her embarrassment.
[13: Magic That Won't Explode While Baking (Tip: Remember to Smile)]
Things seemed to be going smoothly now.
Brush with butter, slide into the oven.
But!
After starting it up.
She suddenly realized.
One of the Mini Hertas standing at attention in a line on the shelf was missing!
It had been locked inside the oven!
"Boom!"
Third time's the charm!
The ensuing battle could only be described as utterly disastrous...
Spreading the cream required the Curio [Punklorde Greetings], leaving the surface perfectly smooth and crackling with electric sparks!
Making pudding, juicing fruit, drizzling honey, frothing milk...
Adding flour with the Curio [Omniscience Pouch]...
In every step of the process, countless Mini Hertas and Tiny Hertas were injured!
...
"Kitchen Destroyer"
"The birth of our universe originated from an explosion just like this."
"Just a minor mishap..."
"Could she actually be a genius?"
"Is no one paying attention to this Mini Herta cracking eggs with its head? Its skull is swollen now [image] (sad)"
"And this one, stuck to the table with cream, yet saying nothing, just giving a thumbs-up."
"Pocket-sized Herta: Feed me peanuts!"
...
Finally!
Amidst the chaos.
Lady Herta's finished product emerged!
The thick black smoke cleared.
Revealed before all the players...
Was a cake with Ruan Mei's portrait.
Except,
The eyes and mouth were continuously spewing black smoke.
A Ruan Mei-shaped cookie with smoke billowing from three orifices!
Each of these moments was captured by Herta, documenting her arduous cake-making process.
...
"This oven's quality is way too good, isn't it?, link up!"
"Could it be a piece of Qlipoth's wall?"
"She even took a tactical step back when approaching the oven..."
"Was that half-step retreat serious?"
"Seven Orifices Smoking Ruan Cake?"
"Ruan Mei: 6"
...
The scene seamlessly transitions.
Herta has already arrived at Ruan Mei's laboratory.
Showing her these photos to prove how diligently she worked on the cake.
Ruan Mei's cool voice rings out.
"I remember your words..."
"For a genius, nothing is more precious than failure."
Ruan Mei's eyes gleam like gemstones.
Exuding elegance and detachment.
She leans in slightly.
Almost pressing against Herta.
Her nose nears the exposed shoulder.
"A rich, burnt scent..."
"How rare."
...
"Ruan Mei is so gorgeous, oh my god!"
"Wait! Getting this close?"
"Oh my, this is exactly the episode I love most!"
"They're not even pretending anymore!"
"I ship it! I ship it hard!"
"I need to sit up for this!"
"Yu Qingtu: Kids, I have no objections."