Sai had long since come to accept that his life in the Martial Realm was anything but ordinary. Every mundane action he took was seen as extraordinary, his modern tools hailed as legendary artifacts, and even Ahoi, his dog, was revered as a divine companion. He had gone from accidental warrior to revered sage, but his next adventure would take an unexpected turn that no one, including Sai himself, could have anticipated.
It all began with breakfast.
Sai woke up early one morning, hunger gnawing at his stomach. He had been living off the simple provisions he brought from his world—instant noodles and canned soups—and today was no different. He gathered his camping stove and set it up outside, eager to cook in peace. The smell of the hot broth and noodles filled the air, drifting lazily on the morning breeze.
Unbeknownst to him, a group of martial artists practicing nearby caught a whiff of the aroma. They froze mid-kick, noses twitching in the air.
"What is that divine scent?" one of them whispered, their eyes widening in awe.
"It smells like the essence of the heavens!" another exclaimed, their eyes narrowing in reverence.
Before Sai could even take his first bite, the group approached, bowing deeply. The leader stepped forward, his tone respectful. "Master Sai, we humbly ask... what is this miraculous concoction you have created?"
Sai blinked at them, utterly confused, looking down at his bowl of noodles. "Uh, it's just breakfast. Instant noodles and canned chicken soup."
The warriors gasped in unison. "You have combined the essence of the Eternal Phoenix and the Golden Elixir of Life! Truly, you are a culinary master!" the leader declared.
Sai sighed and rubbed his temples. "It's just soup and noodles."
But no amount of explaining could deter them. Reluctantly, Sai allowed them to taste the soup. The moment they took their first sip, their eyes widened in awe, and a faint aura of light surrounded them.
"My Qi... it's surging!" one exclaimed, his voice filled with wonder.
"This flavor... it's unlocking my inner potential!" shouted another, looking as though they had been struck by a bolt of inspiration.
Sai stood in stunned disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me."
By lunchtime, word had spread like wildfire. Sai's humble abode was surrounded by martial artists, all begging to taste his food. Feeling guilty for not wanting to disappoint them, Sai decided to make a bigger meal to feed the crowd. He roasted a chicken over his camping stove, seasoning it with nothing more than a bit of salt and pepper, and served it alongside a pot of rice.
The crowd gasped in awe at the sight. One elder stepped forward, bowing low. "Behold, the flesh of the Crimson Phoenix," he whispered reverently.
Sai groaned. "It's just a chicken. A normal chicken."
But before he could stop them, the first warrior bit into the chicken. His aura brightened visibly, his energy surging as though he had unlocked some new level of power.
"This truly is the Phoenix's blessing!" the warrior cried, his voice filled with awe.
And just like that, the village erupted in cheers. A line quickly formed, with each person taking a bite of the roasted chicken, all convinced that it had some magical power. By the end of the meal, half of the warriors claimed to have "leveled up," their martial skills noticeably sharper.
From that day forward, Sai's kitchen became the epicenter of chaos and wonder. One evening, he decided to fry some fish he had caught from a nearby river. The moment he began cooking, the villagers once again arrived, drawn by the smell.
"The Spirit Dragon of the Waters!" they declared in unison, their eyes wide with reverence.
Sai, now fed up, shouted, "It's just fish! Just regular fish!"
But once again, his protest went unheard. The warriors, after tasting the fish, insisted it had purified their spirits, causing their spiritual energy to flow more smoothly. The dish was promptly dubbed the "Dragon's Ascension Meal," and Sai could only shake his head in disbelief.
Ahoi wasn't immune to the madness either. One day, Sai found him happily chewing on a piece of beef jerky. A nearby warrior spotted Ahoi and gasped, falling to his knees.
"The divine beast partakes of the Sky Wolf's Jerky! Surely, it grants unimaginable power!" the warrior cried.
Sai facepalmed. "It's beef jerky! I bought it at a gas station!"
But even that wasn't the end of it. One day, Sai decided to make a simple hotpot with mushrooms and herbs he had found in the forest. The moment the pot began to bubble, martial artists gathered around, admiring it with awe.
"It looks like the Elixir of Immortality!" one of them exclaimed.
Sai muttered to himself, "I really shouldn't let them eat this. What if the mushrooms are poisonous?"
But, of course, the moment they tasted the hotpot, the warriors claimed to feel their bodies purging impurities and their energy channels refining. Their sparring became more fluid, their movements sharper, and they all declared that Sai had bestowed upon them a gift beyond compare.
Sai, who had initially been trying to avoid the madness, couldn't deny the effect his food had on the martial artists. It was like every meal he prepared carried an unintended mystical power, as if his presence alone imbued everything he touched with extraordinary potential.
The chaos continued when Sai made a simple sandwich one afternoon—a basic creation of bread, lettuce, a slice of cheese, and some roast chicken. When he handed it to a nearby villager, the man took a bite and immediately started to weep, tears streaming down his face.
"This... this is the Heavenly Layers of Power!" the villager exclaimed, his voice trembling with emotion. "I feel... unstoppable!"
Sai stared at him in disbelief. "It's literally just a sandwich."
Despite the absurdity of the situation, Sai started to enjoy the role he had inadvertently found himself in. He was feeding people, making them happy, and perhaps, he thought, this unintentional fame wasn't so bad after all.
****A Short Comedy Story*****
One evening, Sai was deep in the process of making his now-famous "Phoenix Chicken" when a new idea struck him. He wondered what would happen if he made something completely absurd—just to see if the villagers would still think it was divine.
Determined, he grabbed some bread, cheese, and a few random ingredients from his camping supplies: pickles, chocolate syrup, and even a handful of dried seaweed. He slapped it all together, squishing the bizarre creation into a sandwich.
"Ahoi," Sai said, grinning mischievously at his dog, "let's see if they think this is a blessing from the gods."
Ahoi barked, wagging his tail, seemingly oblivious to the plan.
Sai handed the weird sandwich to the first warrior who approached. The man eyed it suspiciously but took a tentative bite. His eyes widened. The crowd gathered around, all waiting in anticipation.
"This... this is..." The warrior gasped. "The legendary Sandwich of Infinite Might! I can feel the strength of a thousand dragons coursing through me!"
The crowd cheered, and soon, the warrior was showing off impossible martial arts moves, spinning and kicking like a whirlwind.
Sai's jaw dropped. "Are you... serious? It's just pickles and chocolate syrup!"
But no one listened. The warrior, now convinced he was invincible, tried to flip into a complicated spinning kick, only to fall flat on his face in a heap of limbs.
The crowd, not missing a beat, cheered even louder. "The Sandwich of Infinite Might has humbled him! Truly, his power is beyond measure!"
Sai slapped a hand to his face, feeling the familiar sting of absurdity. He looked at Ahoi, who was calmly chewing on a piece of jerky as if the whole world wasn't spiraling into ridiculousness around him.
"Alright, Ahoi," Sai muttered, shaking his head. "Let's go find a normal meal next time. Something not legendary."
Ahoi barked as if to agree. "We're in this together, right?"