Noah felt emotional as he heard Liam's story, touched by how far the man would go for his friends. But more than that, he felt that this was the first time since he had met Liam that he had let down his guard and genuinely confided something in him without any smokes and mirrors or mind games.

The price he paid though, to be erased completely from existence as if he had never existed... Noah felt like it was far too cruel a price to pay, and Liam's friends, or 'mates' as he most likely would have preferred to call them, would be aghast if they knew that the reason they were alive today was due to a close friend of theirs creating a miracle by sacrificing themselves in such a devastating manner.

A miracle he was the most direct and substantive beneficiary of. No pressure there, none whatsoever. All things considered, he just didn't have it in him to criticize Liam any further. Playing the tragic backstory card was no fair, even though he knew Liam would be offended at the very thought of receiving sympathy from a 'mortal'.

"So, what do you recommend I have for lunch." blurted out Noah, trying to tactfully change a topic he felt that Liam wasn't too comfortable in further delving into. There was no way it would slip past the demi-god's monstrous analytical abilities, but it was his way of cheering him up.

Liam shifted his gaze to Noah, and a slight twinkle could be seen within. "Little shite, I thought you'd never ask! Remember kid, no matter how far you move up in life, don't ever try to deny your tastebuds the garbage food they truly desire. There's nothing in this world that I hate more than the nouveau rich going to fancy restaurants and pretending as if they are in love with the 'rich textures' and the deep 'flavors', while in reality, they're their best trying not to barf. Pretentious wankers. Anyway, leave that aside for now. What kind of cuisine do you prefer?" finally ending his long, animated rant with a relevant question.

"Uhh......" Noah absentmindedly muttered, trying to stall for time. Knowing a foodie like Liam wasn't going to appreciate this answer, he sheepishly muttered "......American?"

Liam facepalmed at that answer and started shaking his head as if he had just received devastating news. "I knew it. I knew it, but in a tiny corner of my heart, I had a slight bit of hope that you'd prove me wrong. It's not your fault kid, this is the price dreamers have to pay".

"Oh just stop with the drama, grandpa" Noah replied with a retort that was saving for the opportune moment.

"The FUCK did you just call me, you ungrateful twit?" Liam snapped back in a voice that seemed genuinely offended.

"What, grandfather?" Noah slowly stretched out the last word for a few seconds. "Aren't you like, over a hundred years old? Practically mummified and yet you act like some modern-day hipster." Noah finished with a smug smile.

"Kid.... have you heard of the Interdimensional Space-Time Linearity Theory by S.D.N Bose?" asked Liam, in a hesitant tone.

"Um, no...." Noah replied, confused at Liam's weak attempt to switch the topic, but his interest was piqued.

"Well, I didn't want to tell you this because divulging too much information might result in a backlash from the Space-Time Continuum and end up intensifying the butterfly effect due to your self-awareness. But after recalculating, it seems I was just being paranoid. Let me prove that I am only 34 years old, with verifiable evidence. If I lose, I'll give up my sofa and walk alongside you like a plebian as punishment" Liam slowly revealed and Noah's eyes glimmered with fascination as he heard more.

"What is it?" Noah asked, too excited to hold back any longer. From Liam's confident tone and mannerisms, it felt like he had the evidence to back it up.

"The first law of the Interdimensional Space-Time Linearity Theory by S.D.N Bose states that you just got fuckin' owned, kiddo. The second law states that Liam is a God, so whatever he says must be true. The third law states that Liam's present age is exactly 34 years, 0 months, 0 seconds. Man, isn't science just wonderful?" Liam explained with the demeanor of a scholar, while he wiped imaginary dirt off his shoulders as he was nearing the end of his discourse.

"Wha- Fuck! How did I not see that coming, god damn it." Noah's face rapidly cycled through a bunch of different emotions in a short period of time, while Liam just watched in amusement.

"Hundred years too early to try and shank me, my dear mortal friend. Anyway, try some Doner Kebab, and hmm.... well it's a standalone dish, but I guess you could order some Dal Makhani alongside it if you want something to dip it in. Don't let any Indian or Turkish blokes see you do this though, 'cause they'll both beat the crap outta you for blasphemy." Liam dryly chuckled.

Noah rolled his eyes and opened the Essence shop. Spending 10 Essence points, he just inputted the dishes Liam had just mentioned verbatim, now kinda curious how they'd taste.

A blackhole materialized in front of him, and Noah reached out and grabbed the tray that popped out from within. Sitting down cross-legged near another oak tree, he looked at the food that Liam had recommended.

On one plate was fully cooked, thinly sliced to the point where it looked like it had been shredded, meat neatly wrapped within flatbread. Noah didn't see why Liam seemed so enamored with this dish, but he'd play along for now. On the other hand, was cooked lentils in a brown broth, resembling baked beans except the former was much thinner and watery.

"First try the Doner Kebab as it is," Liam remarked from the side, and Noah obliged. He picked it up and took a large bite as if he were eating a cheeseburger, but the taste was wildly different from what he was used to. A melange of different spices burst into his mouth, and though the meat was slightly stringy and greasy, the unique combination of spices completely overpowered that, and Noah couldn't help but go for a second bite.

"Haha, don't finish it too fast. Try the Dal" Liam interjected as Noah was wolfing down the kebab.

Since the Dal had come with a spoon, Noah first gave the dish a try as a standalone. This time, instead of a mix of a multitude of spices, it felt as if only a few were used, but each spice seemed to augment the flavor of the last, and the dish was practically swimming in butter and oil. Noah found himself liking the Dal Makhani even more than the kebab, mainly because he couldn't understand how lentils of all things could taste so damn good.

A few minutes later, he had wiped the Dal clean, using it as a dip for his Doner Kebab.

"Delicious" he exclaimed, feeling a lot less unnerved after having eaten his fill.

"Don't fret kid, as long as you don't die on the way, we can make this whole tower climb just one long gastronomy tour. Take that as an incentive for not getting bonked by a goblin while I'm asleep. "