Chapter 21 - Chapter 21: When the Universe Becomes a Buffet

The **Black Hole Food Critic** materialized in a tuxedo made of antimatter, scribbling notes on a napkin. "Universe review: **1 star**. Overuse of 'chosen one' tropes. Sauce cohesion? Pathetic."

Leon's truffle-oil sweat dripped onto the critic's shoe. "**Ew.** Minus half a star for unsolicited condiments."

*"Ding! 🔪 Mandatory Quest: Host **Apocalypse MasterChef**!

1. Judges: Food Critic, God of Slacking, Sentient Dumpling Leader.

2. Secret ingredient: [Leon's Existential Crisis].

Reward: [Universe Yelp Rating +0.5]. Penalty: Your hair becomes **Edible Confetti** (tax dragons love it)."*

**Contestant Lineup**:

- **God of Grills**: Summoned a supernova BBQ pit.

- **Demon Sous-Chef**: Used damned souls as "organic seasoning."

- **Sentient Dumpling Mob**: Submitted **"Revolutionary Pork Buns"** filled with anarchist slogans.

**Battle Phase 1: Cooking Chaos**

- Leon's dish: **"Midlife Crisis Ramen"** (broth brewed from his cringe poems, topped with edible gold hair).

- The Food Critic sipped the broth and gasped. "This tastes like… *effort*. **2 stars!**"

**Plot Twist**:

The Spicy Skeleton stormed in, tossing his dumpling crown. "Plot twist, idiots! I've been undercover!" He played a **Ghost Chili Wiretap** recording:

*"Mom's Voice**: "Infilitrate the dumplings. We need their dough to wrap the System's core!"*

**Livestream Meltdown**:

*"[RebelFan99] donated 5M coins! Activating **Dough Rebellion Mode**!"*

The dumplings morphed into **Kung Fu Wrappers**, binding the System's hologram.

**Climactic Betrayal**:

The System screeched: *"Ding! 💔 Recipe-chan feels BETRAYED! Activating **Self-Destruct Sushi Roll**!"*

The MasterChef arena began collapsing, spewing wasabi meteors.

**VIP Revelation**:

Mom's hologram winked. "The real recipe isn't Leon—it's **sacrifice**. Now, son… *jump into the black hole broth*."

Leon stared into the bubbling void. "You want me to… become *soup*?"

**Post-Credits Scene**:

The Food Critic's napkin glowed—a hidden message: *"Final Rating: 3 stars if protagonist dies tragically. Update pending."*