Ever since they entered the Fifth Star Ring, the people aboard the shuttles had grown increasingly quiet.
The situation in the Fifth Star Ring wasn’t too dire—it hadn’t completely fallen yet. They could still see Federation soldiers locked in bloody combat with the Zerg.
Those soldiers, upon spotting the passing Great Sound Whales, would have a glimmer of hope flicker in their eyes. But no one called out for help. Instead, they fought all the more fiercely.
Mecha after mecha fell. Space warships turned into silent fireworks against the backdrop of the cosmos.
Lin Xiaohe pressed her lips together. Using “hunting” as an excuse, she dispatched Wesley and the others to clear out the Zerg along their route.
Once they reached Ocean Star and rendezvoused with the main force, the hunting operations expanded by several hundred thousand times, greatly relieving the military pressure on the Fifth Star Ring.
Cassian: “Xiaohe, you…”
Lin Xiaohe shook her head like a rattle-drum. “Don’t ask me, I’m not helping! We’re just doing our normal hunting to fill our bellies. Do you still want to eat that stir-fried Void Devourer or not? Oh, and by the way, the crabs on Ocean Star are pretty tasty too. Want to give them a try?”
Sigh. There were so many bugs around that they couldn’t even finish eating them all.
Maybe she should try making some dried bug jerky? It’d probably be great for soup or congee.
Cassian shut his mouth. He had to admit—that stir-fried Void Devourer was really good. Not only did it taste amazing, but it also worked wonders for replenishing one’s spiritual energy. His own spirit, which had been showing signs of decline as his body aged, actually seemed to be showing faint signs of rejuvenation after that meal.
Lin Xiaohe and her group’s hunting activities earned them the heartfelt gratitude of everyone in the Fifth Star Ring.
They voluntarily supplied nutrient fluids and other provisions, and even shared real-time star charts of the Fifth Star Ring.
Inside the shuttles, the group had calmed down considerably.
Chelmu flipped open his copy of the Sugar Bean Manual, his mouth hanging half-open the entire time.
“Holy black hole, this is absolutely top-tier spiritual energy cultivation! Cassian, come take a look! I can’t find a single trap in here—but is that right? Lin Xiaohe just handed over this premium cultivation manual to us that easily?!”
It made his heart race with unease.
There was no such thing as a free lunch in this world—and this wasn’t even a free lunch; this was practically a windfall of star coins!
Cassian walked over and patted Chelmu on the shoulder. “Isn’t this a good thing? Take a look at the Stardust Humans out there—tearing Zerg apart with their bare hands. Don’t you want to become that strong? Even if you don’t, what about your son? You’ve always worried about his C-rank spiritual power. If he practices the Sugar Bean Manual, he can at least reach B-rank, right?”
Chelmu’s expression wavered with doubt. “But… but why would Lin Xiaohe do this?”
Cassian couldn’t help but sigh again. Ever since Lin Xiaohe had dragged him onto the shuttle, he’d let out more sighs in a day than in the entire first half of his life combined.
“This is what Lin Xiaohe always says—sincerity is the ultimate weapon. So tell me, are you moved right now? Do you want to work for Lin Xiaohe?”
Chelmu wiped his face and spoke with unwavering resolve. “If the Sugar Bean Manual is real, then of course I’ll work for Lin Xiaohe!”
Dean Charles, standing nearby, rolled his eyes dramatically. Just a few days ago, Chelmu had been cursing up a storm, saying he wanted to go back to the Federation and calling Lin Xiaohe a bandit.
And now, all it took was one manual from her, and he did a complete 180-degree turn.
What a spineless will!
Dean Charles snorted to himself. He would never be so easily swayed. Lin Xiaohe could forget about trying to corrupt him with sugar-coated bullets.
Time flowed on like rushing water, surging ever forward.
They passed through the Fifth Star Ring and entered the Sixth.
This place felt like an entirely new world—a world that belonged only to the Zerg.
The moment they entered this star region, the shuttles’ navigation systems started malfunctioning.
The chaotic, disordered gravitational fields left the most advanced navigation systems completely baffled, unable to tell which way was which.
Lin Xiaohe: “Melina, the shuttles can’t replenish their energy here. You all need to move into the Ark.”
“Okay.”
The Ark was far more spacious than the shuttles—more like a small city.
Especially since it was already home to tens of thousands of ordinary survivors.
During this time, they had even spontaneously developed a secondhand flea market.
People were selling brooches, clothes, all kinds of handmade goods—you name it.
Humans, after all, are social creatures.
Dean Charles insisted on staying with the ordinary survivors, so everyone else simply moved into the fourth level together.
A special area on the fourth level had been set aside as a commercial center.
Rows of small booths, each about ten square meters, were available for rent at a daily rate of one Starhearth Coin.
Cassian: “Starhearth Coin?”
The booth they were looking at rented out game discs, and the young man running it was incredibly enthusiastic. “That’s right! Here on the Ark, we don’t take star coins—only Starhearth Coins.”
He pointed his index finger toward the northwest, where an [Exchange Office] stood about a hundred meters away. “You can go to the exchange and trade your star coins for Starhearth Coins. Today’s exchange rate is 3:1. Or, if you’d rather, you can sell your goods to the exchange at market price, but they take a 20% processing fee.”
This was designed to encourage private trade. Otherwise, everyone would just deal directly with the exchange, which would hurt the local commerce.
Dean Charles pursed his lips. Both the Federation and the Empire used star coins, but Lin Xiaohe just had to stir up trouble with her Starhearth Coins. How petty.
The group continued walking and came across a shop of about a hundred square meters—[Bug Meat Shop].
Next to the signboard hung a large Starhearth Party emblem, marking it as an officially operated store.
The [Bug Meat Shop] wasn’t self-service or run by robots. Instead, it employed a human cashier.
She was a sweet-looking young girl, and her smile was like honey, warming the hearts of every customer.
“Welcome, esteemed guests! What would you like to order? We have stir-fried Void Devourer, stir-fried crayfish, steamed crab, roasted black beetles, and more. All bug meat is processed using our Starhearth Party’s special techniques to ensure no side effects. All meat is freshly caught by Stardust Humans, so freshness is guaranteed.”
Everyone stood there in a daze, feeling like they were dreaming.
For as long as anyone could remember, humans had been on the Zerg’s menu. When had the tables turned, with bugs being served up on human dining tables for anyone to order?
Was they going crazy, or was the world going crazy?
Melina spoke up. “How much does bug meat cost? Can anyone buy it?”
The cashier’s smile grew even sweeter. “Of course. However, bug meat contains extremely high energy levels, so it shouldn’t be eaten in large amounts. Please place your hand on the testing device next to you, and it will recommend your maximum daily intake based on your spiritual energy levels. Personally, I’d suggest that if it’s your first time eating bug meat, start with the black beetle.”
Melina placed her hand on the device.
[Spiritual Energy: S-rank. Mental State: Fair. Recommended Daily Zerg Energy Intake: No more than 800 units.]
[Friendly Reminder: You seem a bit heaty lately. Please make sure to rest. — Starhearth Party Life Center, at your service.]
The cashier explained: “800 units equals about half a plate of stir-fried crayfish, one whole black beetle, or half a Void Devourer leg. Which would you prefer, miss?”
“Half a plate of stir-fried crayfish!”
Of course, she had to go with the same dish that had knocked Chu Huai-Zhi out cold!
“Got it. That’ll be 1,500 Starhearth Coins.”
Melina scurried off to the [Exchange Office] to get some cash. Hah, this was such a novel experience—it felt like playing a game!
When she came back with her neatly packaged stir-fried crayfish, she took a tiny, cautious lick—and her eyes instantly lit up.
Delicious!
Seeing that nothing bad happened to Melina, everyone else couldn’t contain their curiosity and started buying bug meat too!
The group spent their days eating and wandering around like aimless street bums—one day at the flea market, the next at the exchange office, and the day after that, studying the leaf-shaped seats.
Amid all the busyness, the days slipped by—until the Ark’s broadcast system crackled to life with an excited announcement.
[Dear friends, after a long interstellar journey, we are finally about to reach our destination—Kyushu Star in the Black Domain!]
The world was about to unfold slowly.
Or rather—the universe?
