Chapter 33 – "Breakfast, Betrayal, and a Really Angry Root Vegetable"
Breakfast in Adam's floating mana-powered kingdom was usually a serene affair—birds chirping, spiritual fruit juice flowing, and sarcasm levels at a low simmer.
Today?
Not so much.
"WHY DOES THIS POTATO TASTE LIKE EXISTENTIAL REGRET?!"
Adam stood on the dining table, holding a violently glowing root vegetable in one hand and waving a butter knife like a wand of justice in the other. Jessica, across from him, looked unimpressed as always.
"Maybe because it's your spirit vegetable," she muttered, sipping mana-coffee.
🔥 The Great Potato Conspiracy
An investigation was immediately launched.
Luke, wearing a magical detective hat Adam conjured purely for the bit, examined the kitchen like a seasoned cop on a crime drama.
"Three suspects," he said, holding up a glowing whiteboard (yes, magical):
The Italian garlic farmer who claimed potatoes were "lazy fruit."
The French goat lady whose goat licked the offending potato.
Jessica—because she was always guilty of something.
Jessica: "I swear, if this leads to me being force-fed 'truth peaches' again—"
Adam: "No. This time it's Truth Garlic. Stronger. Smellier. More effective."
🐐 Meanwhile, in the Goat Barn…
The guilty goat, named "Fromage le Vengeur," was currently glowing faintly and muttering in Latin.
Turns out, one of the spiritual potatoes had absorbed too much mana, fused with stray chaos energy… and developed sentience. Also rage. Lots of rage.
Fromage had tried to eat it.
The potato retaliated.
There was a mana explosion, two fainted farmers, and one angry goat with a slightly crispy beard.
🧙♂️ Magical Damage Control
Adam, tired of being poisoned by passive-aggressive produce, created an Agricultural Oversight Orb. It floated over the fields, humming softly and occasionally zapping rogue tomatoes that got too uppity.
Luke: "So it's like a flying mana scarecrow?"
Adam: "No. It's like an angry magical HOA."
Jessica: "So exactly like a normal HOA, then."
🧬 System Integration – Stat & Fragment Gains
[EMOTIONAL SPIKE – Adam]
Disbelief at potato-based betrayal. Rage at breakfast. Joy at zapping tomatoes.
+2% Skill Fragment: Emotional Attunement
+2% Skill Fragment: Dimensional Manager
+$4,000 System Bonus
[EMOTIONAL SPIKE – Jessica Jones]
Found the chaos amusing. Mildly concerned about talking vegetables. Secretly bonding with goat.
+3% Skill Fragment: Grappling Mastery
+1 Charisma
+$3,000 System Bonus
[EMOTIONAL SPIKE – Luke Cage]
Unwilling detective. Developing loyalty toward group. Getting used to Adam's insanity.
+2% Skill Fragment: Grounded Strength
+1 Intelligence
+$3,000 System Bonus
[DIMENSIONAL BONUS – Mana Cultivation Passive: Triggered]
Luke: +1 Stamina
Jessica: +1 Strength
Adam: +1 Intelligence
📋 Chapter 33 Summary
Stat Gains:
Adam: +1 Intelligence
Jessica: +1 Strength, +1 Charisma
Luke: +1 Intelligence, +1 Stamina
Skill Fragments Gained:
Emotional Attunement (Adam) +2%
Dimensional Manager (Adam) +2%
Grappling Mastery (Jessica) +3%
Grounded Strength (Luke) +2%
Cash Gained:
Adam: +$4,000
Jessica: +$3,000
Luke: +$3,000
Major Events:
Sentient spiritual potato incident
Goat Fromage mildly traumatized
Magical HOA scare-orb deployed
System gains from emotional chaos
Next Chapter (34):
"The Punisher Arrives. The Goats Panic."
Frank Castle finally enters Adam's dimension... and he doesn't react well to spiritual fruit, talking vegetables, or goats in armor.