I took a bite. The moment the cheese hit my tongue, a wave of pure, unadulterated Qi flooded my system. It wasn't the 'shattered' Qi from before; this was smooth, stable, and tasted like high-quality mozzarella. My exhaustion evaporated. My bruises healed. I even smelled a little less like a swamp and more like... fresh basil?
"Okay, okay," I said, standing up and dusting the crumbs off my soot-stained skirt. "The Boss gave us a buff. Joff, pack the trash. Alex, Jin, Viking, get your game faces on. We're going to go meet this 'First Pet' and show it that the Under Realm needs better leash laws."
I looked at the bag where the two Heartstones were now pulsing in a frantic, terrifying duet.
"Original Sin, huh?" I muttered, feeling the yellow ring flare with a new, pizza-fueled confidence. "Let's see if it's ready for a Business Major's wrath."
*****
