Ding! Sequence-level Energy Detected Within Ten Meters of the Host!

"The data bank does have records of unique creatures like creations, but..."

Dan Heng thought for a moment, then rummaged around at the very bottom and took out a small knowledge projector.

"This has information about creations, but creatures like these are rather unusual. Every kind of creation has its own unique energy cycle."

"For example..."

Dan Heng then switched on the small knowledge projector. It displayed countless creations and their corresponding energy cycles.

Some ate normally, like humans. Some replenished their energy solely with liquids, some with metal, and some with trash cans.

"Whoa, I didn't expect little guys like these to be able to eat just about anything. Some even eat trash cans, just like her."

The implication of March 7th's words could not have been clearer.

Stelle tilted her head and said seriously:

"I rummage through trash cans, not eat them. What if I find a golden baseball bat in one of them? Wouldn't we strike it rich?"

"But since this little guy has something to do with trash cans too, I simply have to teach it how to tell accurately—" Stelle paused, patted her chest, and spoke as if to say, "Leave it to me."

"What kind of trash can is guaranteed to drop something good!"

"Uh... March 7th, Trailblazer, the data bank only records the energy cycles of different kinds of creations, but this one is a little different."

Dan Heng picked up Lin Feng and examined him from every angle, turning him a full 360 degrees.

When he noticed Lin Feng's beady eyes in particular, he held him at eye level and stared at him for a long time.

That made Lin Feng nervous.

Perhaps looking alone wasn't enough to confirm his guess, because Dan Heng also gently patted Lin Feng's little belly (which was actually just the underside of the Cat Cake).

Finally, he offered a guess he seemed very confident about:

"This creation probably feeds on energy."

Wait, seriously, bro? You actually figured it out?

When Dan Heng said that, Lin Feng was a little shocked by how knowledgeable he was.

It was true that he could absorb energy, but only from certain sources that could help him evolve, such as Stellarons inside celestial bodies.

"Dan Heng, you mean this soft little Cat Cake eats... energy? Including chunks of iron?" March 7th lightly covered her mouth, looking shocked.

"Not necessarily chunks of iron. It might be more interested in the train's energy supply." Dan Heng gave a fairly reasonable answer.

"Good grief! I get it now. This kitty is a money pit, and it can eat even more than I can?"

"I only swallowed a Stellaron, but it can eat the train's energy supply directly."

That made Stelle a little uneasy. A single warp already used up quite a bit of the train's energy, and now there was another mouth to feed.

Wouldn't they have to stop at a nearby planet to refuel after every warp?

March 7th scratched her head. "But I just thought of something. It's so small, it probably doesn't eat much, right?"

Dan Heng and Stelle exchanged a glance.

Probably not much...

"Forget it. Let's not worry about that for now. First, let's find it a place to stay." Stelle was the first to pick up the Cat Cake and head for the second floor of the Party Car.

That area had originally been a carriage for storing odds and ends. It had later been converted into a recreation room, where they kept quite a few souvenirs from their battles.

Why had she thought of putting him there? Naturally, it was so that if she couldn't resist while relaxing in there, she could reach over and pet him.

Furball was in there too, anyway, so the Cat Cake wouldn't feel lonely staying with him.

"That's a good idea. I approve." March 7th nodded and followed her upstairs.

Dan Heng said nothing and let the two girls do as they pleased.

It was only one creation. It wouldn't have much of an impact.

Besides, he was there.

March 7th and Stelle settled the Cat Cake into a little corner and laid down a thick layer of blankets.

Once everything was ready, Himeko called the two of them downstairs.

Now, the only ones left in the recreation room were Lin Feng, the Cat Cake, and a round, plump Warp Trotter.

The Warp Trotter was Furball.

As soon as March 7th and Stelle brought the newcomer upstairs, Furball came over.

The Warp Trotter brought his nose close and nudged him. Still not satisfied, he even stuck out his tongue!

"Oink, oink—"

Bro, don't come sniffing all over me for no reason.

Other than getting me covered in your drool, what else can you do?

Lin Feng shifted helplessly. For some reason, even a Warp Trotter was nuzzling him.

No matter how he looked at it, he was like a head of cabbage.

Otherwise, why did they say all the good cabbages got rooted up by pigs?

Besides, in the world of Honkai: Star Rail, Warp Trotters were pigs to begin with.

He was a Cat Cake now and couldn't speak directly.

Even if he could, did he expect a Warp Trotter to understand human speech?

That was asking too much of a Warp Trotter.

But what the Warp Trotter did next made Lin Feng take that thought back.

The Warp Trotter pushed over a small, glittering golden object from the side. At first glance, it looked like some kind of metal.

[Ding, absorbable energy detected. Absorb it?]

The electronic voice rang out, and Lin Feng's attitude immediately did a complete 180.

This piece of metal could actually be absorbed.

Since Furball had generously given it to him, Lin Feng decided not to refuse and make him lose face. He silently thought, Absorb.

The chunk of metal contained very little energy. Its metallic sheen soon vanished, showing that Lin Feng had finished absorbing it.

The Warp Trotter tilted his head and watched Lin Feng with his little eyes, then looked at the chunk of metal.

He let out a cheerful little "oink" and jumped up on the spot.

This behavior meant the Warp Trotter was very happy.

[Mimetic construction activated! Reconstructing host's body]

The Cat Cake's body turned into a streak of white light, and a figure stepped out of it.

Lin Feng's transformation back into human form startled the Warp Trotter into running away.

How had his little companion, who had just been savoring his "friendship fee," suddenly disappeared? And where had this person come from?

The little Warp Trotter oinked, tilted his head, and studied Lin Feng.

Lin Feng stretched his body.

As a Cat Cake, it felt very comfortable to lie in someone's arms and be petted.

But those were only the Cat Cake's instincts, not his goal.

Now that he was the only person here, he needed to start looking for enough energy to advance to the next stage.

His goal was the final stage: becoming an Aeon!

What an alluring power that was!

The authority wielded by any Aeon was enough to make the entire universe tremble.

Lin Feng searched every inch of the recreation room, but aside from an assortment of collectibles, such as trash cans, there was nothing of value to him.

"Looks like there's nothing to find on this floor."

Lin Feng carefully pushed open the door. After looking both ways and seeing no one, he simply walked out.

Two cars down from the Party Car was the guest car.

With a thought, Lin Feng turned back into a Cat Cake.

He had to pass through two cars, and walking straight through as a stranger would be too conspicuous.

It was safer to go in his Cat Cake body.

Along the way, Lin Feng also saw several members of the Astral Express Crew apparently discussing something, so no one noticed a Cat Cake slip through their midst.

After slowly shuffling to the entrance of the Party Car, Lin Feng changed back into a human and went inside.

The first room was Dan Heng's. Lin Feng had intended to take a look, but the door was locked and he couldn't open it.

He had no choice but to continue to the next room, which was March 7th's.

The door, however, was slightly ajar. It looked as though March 7th had forgotten to lock it in her hurry.

Lin Feng gently pushed the door open and saw the girl's exquisitely decorated pink room.

[Ding! Sequence-level energy detected within ten meters of the host!]

Whoa, there really is a surprise!

Lin Feng's gaze swept over the photo wall and March 7th's little pink bed before finally settling on the somewhat messy desk.

On the desk were a few photos from previous trips, as well as a pink camera.

[Ding! Current sequence-level energy identified. Begin absorption?]

The sequence-level energy was naturally March 7th's pink camera.

Lin Feng silently thought, Absorb.

[Absorption started. Current progress: 0.01%]

Before Lin Feng could think about why the camera had sequence-level energy, March 7th's voice drew closer and closer.

"Hang on, I'll go get that set of photos I took at the space station and show you. You'll definitely be blown away by Lady March 7th's photography skills!"

Lin Feng frowned slightly. Why did she have to come back right now?

He immediately turned back into a Cat Cake and hid under the desk.

"Huh? I remember closing my door. How come it's open?"

"Did I remember wrong?"

March 7th's voice came from outside the door.