Chapter 004: [Request] and [Commission]
"Didn't you say there was food here and you wanted to treat us?"
Uvogin plopped down on the floor, his tone becoming somewhat casual after detecting no danger:
"Looking at this empty place of yours, you still claim to have food?"
"Or perhaps..."
He looked up at Kaizen, revealing his pale, gleaming teeth:
"You want to offer yourself as food?!"
"With your delicate skin and tender flesh, you wouldn't even be enough to fill the gaps between my teeth~!!"
Ignoring Uvogin's intimidation and provocation, Kaizen simply asked again:
"You're hungry, so you need me to treat you, is that it?"
"Wasn't it you who said there was food here and asked us to come?!"
Uvogin was growing impatient: "Sure, you can put it that way, as long as you serve up those delicious treats for me!!"
"Of course, if what you're offering us is moldy, stinky bread..."
"Don't blame me if I lift... lift off your roof!!"
Uvogin had originally intended to say he'd flip the table, but realizing there wasn't even a proper table around, he had to change his words.
"Don't worry."
Kaizen said no more, simply immersing his focus inward.
Uvogin and Machi also fell silent, watching Kaizen intently.
About ten seconds passed like this...
"Ahem..."
Kaizen slowly opened his eyes and cleared his throat lightly:
"Do you have anything specific you'd like to eat?"
"Something specific?"
Uvogin scratched an itch on his body, "What, can you conjure up whatever I want right here on the spot?!"
"Well then, if I said I wanted to eat..."
"Mochi."
Machi, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up, cutting off Uvogin's rambling.
This was the first time she had spoken, and she lifted her head to look directly at Kaizen.
"Mochi, huh..."
Uvogin smacked his lips, recalling something.
That was the food they had snatched from Feitan and Phinks, the motorcycle duo, some time ago.
And Feitan and Phinks had taken it from another child—one who had prayed devoutly in the church and received food from Father Lisores as recognition.
On the other side of their garbage dump ruins stood a grand church building.
Inside was Father Lisores, the one who collected the bodies of the deceased in Meteor City, offering prayers and erecting tombstones for them.
The people of Meteor City didn't want to suffer while alive, only to have their corpses tormented after death.
Thus, the church was largely left undisturbed.
And it seemed the church had connections to the outside world, often bringing in food from beyond.
Father Lisores would distribute it to the children who prayed devoutly there.
Mochi were one such item—sticky, chewy, and glutinous.
Though they didn't taste as flavorful as the meat others talked about, for a group like them who had rarely eaten proper meals, it was already a pretty good treat.
"Mochi? I see..."
Kaizen nodded and closed his eyes again.
Well, earlier, he had received the food "request" from Uvogin, which fulfilled the condition.
But he had overlooked another important issue.
That was whether his aura and Nen power were sufficient to support his invention.
As everyone knows, any product of a Nen ability must come at the cost of Nen and aura consumption.
Only if his Nen and aura were strong enough could he support increasingly "unreasonable" and "difficult" demands.
For example, if someone were to make a "request" to Kaizen to destroy the world.
Then, the amount of Nen and aura required for Kaizen to invent an item capable of such an effect would be astronomical.
Just like now.
Uvogin had issued Kaizen a [commission] requesting food, and if one were to invent something that could produce food out of thin air—
Take, for example, the classic [Gourmet Tablecloth] from Doraemon.
The amount of Nen and aura required for that would be far beyond what Kaizen could currently sustain.
Thus, he had no choice but to compromise, narrowing down the food requirement to a specific category.
"I still need more strength..."
Once again, Kaizen's heart grew resolute in his determination to enhance his abilities, especially in terms of Nen and aura.
If only he could be like that certain transmigrator with Doraemon's [Fourth-Dimensional Pocket], able to use tools directly—wouldn't that be so much simpler and easier?!
Kaizen sighed once more.
"Perhaps I could also try to see if [Conditions and Vows] could reduce the cost of invention…"
As his thoughts churned, Kaizen didn't forget his invention of Mochi.
Soon, just as Uvogin's gaze was growing bored and he began to wonder if he'd gotten carried away playing this staring game with the foolish kid—
Suddenly, a bright glow began to emanate from Kaizen's hands.
"Huh?!"
Uvogin instantly lifted his head, and Machi's gaze immediately followed.
Under their intense scrutiny, their focused gazes suddenly narrowed sharply.
Right before their eyes, a peculiar purple machine seemed to materialize out of nowhere, gradually taking shape in the empty space before Kaizen!
It had a chimney-like top, and below it was a small opening, seemingly for outputting the finished product.
On one side of the machine, there was a lever, apparently used to start it up.
"What in the world is this?!"
Uvogin's eyes widened, and he sprang up from the ground in an instant.
With the expression of a toad seeing the sky outside a well for the first time, full of shock and uncertainty, he examined this machine.
Machi beside him, though silent, was also staring straight at the machine.