Snacks You Could Munch on Anytime, Anywhere

The giant potato elevator in Mimir Hot Spring Market is a massive engineering elevator that connects the upper and lower towns.

The Upper Town area includes the Floyd mining area and industrial park, a train station, and residential areas.

The lower city area consists of the Mimir/Mim Geyser and the Six-Layer Man-Made Acropolis.

These citadels, which served as outposts against the monstrous beasts, have now become satellite towns. Further beyond lies endless wilderness and ancient mine tunnels.

Near the edge of the city and countryside lies the artificial waterway of the Mimir/Mim Geyser. Looking up, about 400 meters away, a one-kilometer-wide rift valley divides the entire Mimir Hot Spring Market into two parts; this is the Mohorovičić discontinuity rift valley.

The grand arched bridge on Sunset Avenue connects the west and east sides of the city.

At this moment, people gathered at the security checkpoint of the large elevator, stopping a convoy at the last checkpoint.

About thirty of them were armed employees of the Nine Realms Station, their armbands bearing the Hellcat logo.

The other twenty or so people were hired security guards from the Masons introduced to the Nine Realms Station. Their names were simple and easy to understand: [Red Stone Rock Band]. These soldiers were responsible for protecting the property of the city's residents, and many of them were temporary mercenaries.

At this moment, thirteen large freight trucks drove up the ramp and onto the elevator's access platform.

The two class leaders from HELLCAT Class 7 and Class 5 immediately stepped forward to question them.

"Hello, what are you shipping? Can I see the audit report?" The squad leader of Class Seven was a burly woman in her forties with a face full of scars and thick arms. She reached into the driver's side window of the truck. "Where is it being sent?"

The truck driver poked his head out and said with a grin, "Hey, employee! There's the Masons logo on the truck, right? It's all ingredients being delivered to the Upper Town! They're very valuable! We're sure to get a good price. How about we make a deal privately?"

"Watch your words." The squad leader's hand rested on her holster. "Were you trying to bribe me? Bribe the mounted police of the Abyssal Railway Bureau?"

The driver immediately raised his hands, his face turning pale with fright, and his sun hat fell off, revealing his receding hairline.

"Hehehehe. Don't be nervous! Don't be nervous!"

"Give me the audit report, and your ID." After saying that, the class monitor shouted to the boys in Class 5 not far away, "Get up and get to work! Babies! These people say they're logistics workers from the Masons! They're from a rock band! Do you know them?"

Before the words had even finished --

--Soldiers immediately shouted.

"They look familiar, but I definitely wouldn't be able to say their name."

"Yes, I feel like I've seen this somewhere before."

"Jason Megan! You reported to the rock band four months ago and did a great job! You stood guard at all six levels! Tell me, have you seen these guys before?" The tall, bearded squad leader of Class 5 grabbed a friendly-looking Romania man from the line.

--It was Jason Megan.

Mr. Megan didn't move at all.

At this moment, he was extremely nervous.

In order to catch up with Jiang Xueming, he came to this city, intending to intercept his prey at major traffic arteries under the guise of a firefighter from the Red Stone Rock Band.

This job was a perfect fit for him.

His keen Inspiration allowed him to detect Spirit Calamity monsters and identify various contraband. He quickly became close with the armed employees of HELLCAT.

Colleagues were puzzled—why would such an excellent Lapis Lazuli Guards stoop to be a gatekeeper at the logistics checkpoint of Mimir Hot Spring?

Jason's pyroxene jewelry is a Lapis Lazuli bracelet that is scarred and has been broken and rewoven more than once.

His roommate could hear incomprehensible babbling in his sleep every day, the inscribing Jiang Xueming's name.

Leaving aside those trivial details about pursuing inner demons.

Jason Megan was very nervous.

He could feel the Lapis Lazuli on his wrist pulsating at a high frequency, like a rapid heartbeat.

The contents of these trucks are definitely problematic, and very problematic at that.

The Masons logo on the truck was a bright red millstone and chisel, Jason could smell a conspiracy.

The paint is so new, it's really too new!

Pick any Lapis Lazuli Guards or professional criminal investigator from the station, and they'll see through the poor camouflage of these trucks at a glance.

But at this critical juncture, he didn't know how to answer.

--Should we just completely break off relations?

How many guns were on those ten or so trucks?

The monstrous beasts hidden inside seemed to be alive. I could feel their heavy breathing, the pain of chains binding their backs, piercing their ribs, and tearing their vocal cords. That anger and fear could be projected directly onto my radiance stone through the iron sheet and into my heart.

If it comes to a fight to the death, will these high-profile poachers of unknown origin really surrender willingly?

The maximum load capacity of a single truck is fifty tons; just look at the tires and you'll know that the monsters inside are all heavyweights.

If you anger them--

Releasing these monstrous beasts will probably not end well!

I'm going to die here, my colleague.

These are my good friends.

They'll all die here.

"Jason! What are you thinking about?!" The class monitor of Class 5 grabbed Mr. Jason by the collar and shook him vigorously. "Wake up! Your Inspiration is amazing! Better than ours, these half-baked fools. Please, perk up and see what's in the truck!"

The class monitor from Class 7 tossed a security checkpoint stick over from a distance. "Check the concentration of the Spirit Calamity! Keep a close eye on them!"

Mr. Jason braced himself and took the security checkpoint, his hands trembling. His other hand gripped his primary weapon, the M870, ready to switch muzzles at any moment.

He walked step by step toward the convoy of trucks, and surrounded by his companions, he arrived at the metal sheet of a truck.

The overwhelming Inspiration Pressure nearly swallowed him up!

He was absolutely certain that these trucks were carrying more than a dozen different kinds of Spirit Calamity, and he could even feel their body temperature through the thin layer of the truck body.

Her friends were completely oblivious, still making jokes that were half-serious and half-joking.

"Hey Jason, why do you look so pale?"

"He's a coward, hahaha."

"How about we take you on a roller coaster after get off work today to test your courage? They recently added this attraction to the ancient mine tunnels. Out of every hundred players, five lucky ones will be randomly selected, and their minecarts will plunge over a huge cliff. If you don't crank the steel wheel handle fast enough, you might die! It's so thrilling!"

Jason had no sense of humor whatsoever; he wasn't a joker.

These colleagues treated him very well; they were all important partners.

He didn't want to lose any more companions! He couldn't bear any more trauma, any more holes punched in his already shattered heart; it was too cruel for him.

The concentration of the Spirit Calamity on the inspection stick remained at around 20%, and the trucks successfully passed the inspection.

The driver's team leader also successfully submitted the audit report, along with a letter of introduction and a confidentiality agreement for the shops under the jurisdiction of the Masons.

The two squad leaders had no objections and prepared to let them pass.

But Jason knew--

--That's definitely not the case.

The people accompanying these vehicles, and the drivers, must have done something shady.

He pursed his lips, his heart filled with hesitation.

Should we tell them?

Should I say it or not?

"If my waitress—my beloved girl—were still here, she wouldn't stand idly by. She's much braver than I am," Jason said, on the verge of tears.

He watched as the large trucks, concealing the monstrous beasts, were weighed, and the drivers happily received their weighbridge slips and passes.

"Wait! Wait!" Mr. Megan shouted, running to the truck driver's team leader.

They put on a kind and approachable mask and put on a funny face with superb acting skills.

"Hey! Team leader! Team leader, wait a minute! I need to talk to you."

The driver seemed quite shrewd; when he saw Jason, a strange smile appeared on his lips.

"What's wrong? Rock musician? Didn't we already go through security? You checked us yourself!"

Jason tentatively pleaded, "Could we go into town a little later? At least until my brothers change shifts."

"What are you talking about? I don't understand," the truck leader interrupted. "Why is it so late? All these animals need to be sent into the city to be slaughtered, frozen in cold storage, and used to prepare a New Year's opening feast for the soldiers. The Dionysus Festival also need to have a fresh meal, don't they?"

Jason was speechless, stammering, "I..."

"It's not impossible," the truck driver leaned closer to Jason. "But it will take some time. Will you pay for the lost wages? I'm fine with it; I can go into town whenever I want. But my employer won't be too happy!"

Jason's throat was dry. "How much? How much money do you want? Please wait for my brothers to change shifts before going into town, at least that way. They can... they can keep their jobs. We can't afford any trouble on our side. I..."

"Ah, at least a million Gemstones, young man from Romania." The tour leader's expression turned icy. "You know what's in the car, don't you? Your Inspiration is sharp; you must be an experienced passenger who doesn't seem to lack money. I don't know what you're up to, but in business, honesty is key. I won't refuse your money."

Jason nervously swallowed.

The team leader nibbled on Jason's earlobe, speaking with a grin.

"I don't understand why you take care of these ordinary people. Maybe you don't want them to lose their jobs, or maybe you don't want them to lose their lives in a shootout—but thankfully, you didn't expose this dangerous secret. Should I thank you? Should I kneel before you and thank you for your great kindness? Jason Megan, Redstone Red Stone Rocker?"

The truck driver took off his hat, took a big bite of a shrimp cracker, and then offered it to Jason's mouth.

"Eat it, and I'll agree to help. Then we'll be on the same side."

"What is this?" Jason saw the strips of meat in the leader's hand, and he felt short of breath, his Inspiration sending out waves of nausea signals.

"It's human flesh," the team leader said with a grin. "You've been at Mimir Hot Spring for so long, you must know, right? We're carnivores—only by eating meat, by consuming this kind of high-energy-density food, can our brains function properly. Cows and sheep that only graze will never understand why they're born to be eaten."

"You're saying that if I eat this, I'll be on the same side as you? What side are you on?" Jason reached out, but didn't dare to take the shrimp cracker.

The leader brushed off a few wigs from his head, shedding his disguise to reveal a shrewd and capable bald man. "We're from the Skull and Bones Society, a bunch of scavengers, exiled by the Masons, people even prisons can't hold. Like you, we've undergone more than one transformation—you seem really interested in joining us? You're quite the talent, brother."

"Brother." Jason was almost tempted. The criminal, villain, cannibal he had been thinking about all the time, perhaps even a seasoned hunter, was offering him shrimp chips. This would give him a new lease on life.

Jason reached for it. "Give it to me. I want to eat it."

"However! There's one more hurdle to overcome if you want to join Skull and Bones Society." The leader withdrew his hand as if teasing a child. "No, you can't be in such a hurry. No, you're not hungry enough! I can't see any hunger in your eyes, not that insane hunger."

"Hunger? Am I not qualified? What's missing in my eyes?" Jason didn't understand. Did he really have no talent? Couldn't he even be a bad guy? Was he destined to be mediocre and ordinary?

The tour leader covered his mouth and chuckled, "Oh right, you must have a waiter, right? Is it male or female? Is he/she with you? What's his/her name?"

"Yes," Jason Megan nodded. "It's a girl. Very young. I don't know her name."

"Don't know her name? Do you know her number?" The team leader asked calmly, sitting back down on a stone bench in the green belt of the reception platform, ready for a long talk.

Jason shook his head. "I didn't ask for her number, to be honest. I don't care about her because I had more important people in the past."

"It's good that you don't care." The leader crossed his legs, rubbed his chin, grinned, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth. "We're sworn enemies of the station. If you want to join Skull and Bones Society and Bones, kill your waitress. Bring her brilliance stone and club."

The team leader looked completely absorbed.

"After this ritual, you will feel an intense hunger."

Jason fell silent.

The team leader, still engrossed in the moment, suddenly changed his expression, becoming sinister and ruthless.

"Don't try to fool us with other meats. Let me tell you, I know what it tastes like. It has a slightly sour taste, which is very refreshing. I like to fry it into shrimp chips so I can take one out and pop it in my mouth anytime to relieve fatigue. It's a great snack—like my waitress, who stayed in the freezer for more than two months and kept me company during the hungriest and most difficult times."

The team leader pulled Jason to sit side by side, waving the shrimp crackers in his hand.

"You'll soon love this feeling, a thrill that surpasses that of a apex predator, a feeling of dominating and conquering everything. You'll get addicted. Jason Megan, you'll definitely get addicted. I'll give you two hours. If you really want to be a Skull and Bones Society hunter, bring back your first prey."

Jason gritted his teeth, his body radiating an unspeakable rage, and faint blue-gold flames could be seen in his eyes.

The team leader still sported that smug grin. "What's wrong? Having trouble? This isn't a big deal, is it? You didn't even ask her name or her number. You don't care about her, do you? Are you angry? Good heavens! You wouldn't get this angry at a complete stranger like me, would you? I'm trying to help you, you know! Could it be..."

The team leader leaned close to Megan, bit her other earlobe, and whispered something.

"You actually care about this waiter? You're not one of us? Are you deceiving yourself? And deceiving me too?"

The team leader's expression went from beaming to menacing in an instant.

"I opened my heart to you, and you come to insult me? Cursing me with that hesitant, coy attitude? Like a train station lackey, trying to throw me in jail? Have you betrayed my heart?! Jason Megan!"

"No, no, this isn't how it is! It shouldn't be like this!" Jason was on edge, his body trembling with anxiety. He suddenly stood up, almost going crazy.

"That's not how it is! What are you talking about, Jason? You're confusing me! A fussy guy can't be a bad guy!" The team leader looked up, completely baffled. He couldn't understand the Dacian man's thoughts at all.

"My prey can only be Jiang Xueming. My first prey can only be him!" Jason said viciously. "Can we bargain and discuss this further? I'll send Jiang Xueming over first, and then we can talk about this little waiter who's been following me around like this? Can we do it in that order?!"

"Who is Jiang Xueming? What's our relationship? Is he that important to you?" The team leader was completely baffled. "When you're out in the world, you have to follow the rules. The rules of the Skull and Bones Society can't be broken. Are you trying to fob me off with something else? Are you trying to desecrate this sacred ceremony?!"

Jason pointed his gun. "So there's no room for negotiation?"

"Whoa! Whoa! BRO!!! Bro!" The team leader raised his hands. "Don't get excited. I don't know what mental illness you have, maybe this Jiang Xueming hurt you. Is this guy a man or a woman?"

Jason pressed on, gun pointed straight at him. "He's a man."

The tour leader asked in confusion, "Huh? You don't care about the delicious-smelling waitresses, but you want to eat the flesh of a rough man?"

Jason: "He looks delicate and fair-skinned."

The team leader was even more puzzled. "Do you have a past with him? Is he a jerk?"

Jason looked flustered and at a loss for words. "No... I'm not going to talk about it anymore. I can't be bothered to explain."

The team leader gritted his teeth and said in a seemingly polite but actually irritating tone, "Then I won't ask anymore. Let's not talk about this human trafficking business, let's talk about something else, at least don't point a gun at me, your buddies are already looking over here!"

Jason Megan immediately disarmed himself, put his arm around the team leader's shoulder, and greeted his colleagues with a playful grin.

"It's okay! It's okay, it's okay! We were just joking!"

"Hehehe, just kidding. Just kidding."

Just as the two were having a pleasant conversation—

--A moment when they almost kissed each other to express their goodwill.

One of the trucks in the convoy was making a low rumbling noise.

It seemed that a monstrous beast could no longer endure this torment of imprisonment, which was worse than death, and was about to fight to the death.

The team leader hadn't reacted yet.

Jason's smile froze.

When someone says "just kidding".

They heard a sharp, metallic whistling sound.

Suddenly, the train car tore open a terrifying crater, reeking of blood, and a lion's head emerged.

Its eyes were gouged out by the hunter, its teeth were pulled out, its jaw was broken, and its upper and lower jawbones became soft and powerless. Its face was covered in blood and grime. When it broke through the metal sheet of the truck, its injuries were aggravated. Its huge body squeezed out of the metal sheet, cutting open more wounds from which gushed blood.

There was a shocking knife wound on its throat. Someone had severed the beast's vocal cords and damaged part of its trachea, rendering it unable to speak. Only a low, heavy, and increasingly rapid breathing sound could be heard.

When it squeezed out of the train car, its entire body collapsed onto the receiving platform—the <Alien> wings on its back had been stripped of their feathers, and sixteen iron chains were tearing raw flesh from the wings.

It died just seconds after it collapsed.

Then came silence.

--A profound and terrifying silence.

The armed employees saw the concentration of Spirit Calamity on the security checkpoint spike rapidly, jumping from the safe level of 20% to over 80%, and it was still rising.

Jason was covered in cold sweat.

The Skull and Bones Society leader was also covered in cold sweat.

This fear stemmed from their Inspiration; a scorching and powerful Inspiration Pressure washed over them, almost crushing their nerves.

Beasts that die in the Mohorovičić discontinuity can transform into even more terrifying beings due to the unique magnetic environment of the pyroxene rock; this process is called [Sanctification].

When the blood of the monstrous beasts came into contact with the eclogite, it ignited a raging fire—a bluish-green flame that could almost blind a person.

A monster reconstructed from the corpse of a winged lion, reborn from the blue flames.

It is so beautiful, so powerful.

So much so that the armed employees around them forgot to fire their guns—like seeing the aurora borealis for the first time, or a dragon appearing and disappearing in the sea of clouds.

The gun barrel melted and bent instantly from the heat, and people screamed in agony as the flesh on their hands stuck to the scalding handle, never to be separated again.

In just a few seconds, the enormous Green Lion flapped its wings and paced in circles. Several armed employees who were close by were instantly turned into stiff corpses, dying but not falling, becoming roasted meat sculptures.

A soaring blue flame erupted from the riverbed of Mímisbrunnr, shooting straight up to the dome like a supreme ray of light.

In the distorted, scorching air, this king of beasts melted the truck's tires and sheet metal.

--One after another, screaming, fiery humanoids ran out of the truck. The sounds didn't last long before silence fell, leaving only charred corpses lying motionless.

The class monitor of Class 7 pulled out a walkie-talkie, and with her other hand, she held a gun to her elbow and fired. "A monstrous Spirit Calamity has appeared in the large elevator! The Spirit Calamity concentration is 100%! Requesting backup, command post! Requesting backup!"

Scattered bullets pelted the monster, twisting and deforming before even touching its fur and skin, emitting a molten golden light. The soft, high-temperature steel struck the lion's body without causing any pain or itch.

It was indifferent to the bullets and shells, but instead pried open the molten iron cans of the wraiths, scooped out the steaming and fiery flesh of the monsters with its claws, and swallowed them.

Having devoured all the prey in the truck, its belly swelled up, its fur grew and spread rapidly, becoming vibrant, and two horns suddenly emerged from its forehead.

The two horns remained brightly lit, with lightning as thick as a finger coiled around them, resembling two White Snake.

Jason Megan was terrified; he still tried to pull away the Skull and Bones Society and Bones traitor, stammering as he asked for clarification.

--The Green Lion sneezed and snorted.

A deafening roar followed, and a powerful surge of plasma energy erupted from the monster's throat.

The Skull and Bones Society leader was instantly melted by plasma, turning into a hot broth; the terrifying sneeze also melted off Jason's arm.

People were shouting, running, and fleeing to other checkpoints. Many others, who were closer, were just beginning to burst into flames, howling in agony, and before their scalding sweat could turn into steam, they immediately shot themselves.

"There's a monster in the geyser's riverbed! Quickly call the rescue team! We can't find its [Gate of Death]!"

"Help! -- Help!"

Cries for help, screams of agony.

The aroma of roasted meat carried far and wide by the strong valley winds.

Jason gritted his teeth, almost fainting from the pain. He rolled around on the ground next to the green belt, trying to pull out the Universal Elixir with his other hand and inject it into his thigh vein, but he couldn't hold the needle. His body was convulsing from the pain, and he couldn't save himself.

At that moment, a strong will to survive erupted in his eyes. Threads of spiritual energy wrapped around his trembling arm, forcibly stabilizing it, and he completed the injection.

His mind was in complete chaos, but it returned to calm as the Universal Elixir took effect—he thought to himself, "I'm afraid I'm going to die here today."

He collapsed to the ground and saw the enormous lion-shaped monster pacing back and forth on the platform in the distance. It neither roared nor made any other movements, showing no interest in humans whatsoever, not even worthy of being on its menu.

--What kind of freak is it?

Did the people of Mimir Hot Spring Market used to hunt these mythical creatures?

The reality left him no time to think too much; as his arms grew and his bones reconstructed, it felt as if all the strength in his body had been drained away.

Look away--

--Then I saw steep cliffs and rugged precipices, and something seemed to be moving.

Are they a flock of swallows?

No, it looks like a motorcycle?

Three people have come over?

Are you a VIP?

Damn it, I've become a useless piece of trash waiting to be rescued again.

I'm so unwilling to accept this. So unwilling to accept this.

Wrong--

I can't forget that face!

The person sitting in the back row is Jiang Xueming!

"Jiang Xueming!" Jason's arm had grown back, but the intense nerve pain and burning sensation still lingered in his bones. He couldn't grip anything, and half of his torso trembled violently.

He was still calling out, "Jiang Xueming!"

Before he could finish shouting--

Two young soldiers from the seventh squad grabbed his legs and tried to drag him to the aid station.

"Jiang Xueming!"