"The night has given me black eyes, but I… wait a minute? My eyes aren't black, they're yellow... never mind, then."
Stelle felt incredibly comfortable at the moment. Though the surface she was lying on was hard, the warm, cozy feeling enveloping her made her smile slightly.
She was aware that she was asleep, but her consciousness was still remarkably clear.
"Hmm... I'm a Big Eater Champion now, right?"
Rather than worrying about why she had fainted, Stelle's first thought was whether or not she had won the title of Big Eater. Danger? What danger could there be when Pei Guang and March 7th were around?
After all, they were a team!
Thinking about this, Stelle couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. Just then, it seemed like she could hear something speaking.
"Cocolia… new world… reunite."
"New world… reunite…"
The strange voice and Cocolia's voice appeared at the same time, but Stelle wasn't interested in dealing with any of that right now. "Yeah, yeah, sure, reunite. But I'm the Big Eater, what are you? Oh... right, I forgot. The Stellaron isn't a 'thing' either."
At this moment, Stelle was calm and relaxed. She had lost all interest in fighting and violence.
The joy from completing the challenge was far more tangible than the so-called Stellaron. What was it, anyway? She had one inside her already, and what could be so special about the ones in this world?
The strange voice: "..."
Stelle: "You're absolutely right, but I'm still the Galaxy's Big Eater!."
The strange voice howled in frustration.
Stelle: "Alright, I'm done talking to you. I think I'm about to wake up."
And at that moment, Stelle did indeed wake up.
"How are you feeling?"
Looking at Natasha standing before her, Stelle felt one thing: relief.
Natasha sighed with relief. "Don't eat that much again. You really scared me."
When Stelle had been brought in, Natasha was shocked: her body temperature had spiked and her heart was racing, but fortunately, the symptoms only lasted a short while. After thoroughly checking her, Natasha confirmed that Stelle's condition was simply the result of overeating.
That's right, in her efforts to eat more, Stelle's body had been working overtime, but when she couldn't physically eat any more and her body couldn't keep up, she'd fainted.
But how to describe Stelle's actions? Eating herself into a state ... well, it made sense, given she was an outworlder. Everything they did was serious business.
As for the damage? There wasn't any. Stelle's body had absorbed all the energy from the food, and her unique internal power had even protected her. Not only was she unharmed, but her body had actually grown stronger from the ordeal.
She had absorbed almost all the energy from the five plates of food. The rest of what was vomited and collected by Pei Guang was just the leftover scraps her body couldn't handle. Because of that, Stelle now felt energized, with no real problems at all.
Stelle: "Next time, I'll do it again~!"
Stelle's playful demeanor made Natasha smile. Pei Guang and the others might always be doing strange things, but no matter how you looked at it, their antics always brought joy, and don't forget how they were starting to spark hope in the Underworld!
Thinking of the next Competitive Eater Championship, Stelle had learned her lesson. Next time, she'd definitely consult with Pei Guang on how to cheat properly.
Cheating? Dishonorable? No big deal. If no one catches you cheating, it's not cheating. And if she used her own abilities to win the Competitive Eater Championship, that meant she was still the Big Eater! Problem solved!
Stelle shot up from her bed. "Natasha, how long have I been out? Where are Pei Guang and March?"
Natasha replied, "You've been out for about an hour. They're waiting for you outside. As for Seele and Bronya, they're in the city helping out. Bronya is very capable and brought some critical information. Everyone's in high spirits."
Stelle got off the bed. "Great! I'll go find them."
While Stelle was unconscious, Bronya had already taken action. She had approached the leaders of Wildfire and shared her suspicions. After hearing her out, Natasha and Oleg came to one conclusion: their chance had finally arrived.
Although Natasha believed Bronya was a bit naive, it didn't matter. Bronya was still young, and naivety wasn't necessarily a bad thing. The rest could be handled by the more experienced members of the group.
The key message was that the Supreme Guardian had been corrupted by the destructive power of the Stellaron, and this information had been spread.
Bronya was working to save the Underworld, and Pei Guang's group were hailed as heroes. This information had also been disseminated.
Now, it was a matter of seeing how Bronya would perform. If she had even a shred of political aptitude, she would soon be regarded as a trustworthy candidate for the Supreme Guardian position by the people of the Underworld.
As for whether the current Supreme Guardian was truly under Stellaron influence, that didn't matter.
Natasha, analyzing the situation based on the current intel, believed that the Overworld likely held deep resentment toward the Supreme Guardian. Whether the rumors were true or not, the Underworld had to take a gamble. With enough resources and unified morale, even if they lost, they could hold out until the Fragmentum fully consumed them. But if they won?
If the rumors turned out to be true, the Underworld would have a bright new future.
Natasha clenched her fists. Though she was a doctor, she knew much more than just how to heal.
As Natasha pondered this, Sampo sneaked out from behind a corner, looking around cautiously before slipping into the open. "I think it's time for me, Sampo Koski, to make my move."
Natasha glanced at him. "Hmm? Looks like you 'know' something."
Sampo waved his hand with a sly smile. "Oh, I, Sampo Koski, might know a little something~ You see, I didn't want to get involved in all this. But now, I think if I don't do something soon, I'll miss out on a lot of fun. Ahem, I have a friend who just became a Silvermane Guard in the Overworld. He told me that not just the guards but many people are unhappy with the current Supreme Guardian. So, Doctor Natasha, is there anything else you're curious about?"
Seeing Sampo's mischievous grin, Natasha responded with a polite, professional smile. "I think you know exactly what I want to hear. What's your angle in all this?"
Since he had opened up, Natasha decided to lay it all on the table as well.
Hearing Natasha's question, Sampo's grin only widened. "What kind of bad intentions could I, Sampo Koski, possibly have? The people of the Underworld are all my friends! When have I ever hurt a friend? I just want to help out, make sure everyone here can live the good life."
Natasha raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
Sampo continued smiling. "Sampo never betrays his friends."
Of course, if he did, it'd be for a price. And that price might not necessarily be money—it could be something that simply brought him joy.
Having said all that, Sampo left.