True Sting: No Replies, No Answers!

True Sting.

Especially a powerful True Sting.

Just like its strength, its meat was remarkably tough.

Whether it was because of an Aeon's blessing or something else, the makeup of a True Sting's body had undergone an enormous change.

Of course, evolution might have been a more accurate word.

As its strength increased, its meat became chewier.

At the same time, it retained an insect's defining trait: bursting with juices.

Perhaps it was accustomed to hard times, or perhaps it was simply a survival instinct.

Beneath a True Sting's thick, hard carapace, which could withstand artillery shells, lay fat that could be stored practically forever.

That fat was the essence of a True Sting.

But it was also the hardest part of preparing one.

Not just because the sheer amount of fat was difficult to handle and could make the meat greasy.

Even worse was the strong, unpleasant smell.

At that point, the burst of juices would be a disaster rather than a pleasure.

On the other hand, if handled properly, that fat would release an unimaginably delicious aroma.

It would take the True Sting's meat to a whole new level.

As luck would have it, Jiang Yao knew exactly how.

Don't ask how he learned.

The answer was simple: he'd eaten plenty, cooked plenty, and had far too much practice!

He arrived at the Seclusion Zone.

Don't ask how he got there, either.

I'm the Aeon of Voracity. Nothing strange about having a few extra tricks, right?

Jiang Yao unhurriedly stroked the cat.

Then he headed into the deepest reaches.

The farther in they went, the more frightened the Cat Cake became.

Even nestled in Jiang Yao's arms, it kept meowing uneasily.

The Cat Cake could sense the danger ahead.

That was only because Jiang Yao hadn't let his own aura show.

Otherwise, never mind the Cat Cake.

Even the Starcrusher Swarm King in the deepest chamber would probably have become so agitated that it wanted to flee.

Jiang Yao absolutely could not allow that.

He didn't want the Starcrusher Swarm King agitated, nervous, or uneasy.

That would seriously affect the texture of its meat!

Considering that this was Ruan Mei's experimental specimen.

Taking it away to raise in captivity wasn't an option.

Jiang Yao simply knocked the Starcrusher Swarm King unconscious and removed the meat from its finest cut, just beneath its jaw.

As the saying went, a dragon had a reverse scale; touch it, and it would rage.

[Propagation], which descended from the Path of [the Undying], also had a reverse scale; eat it, and it would feel amazing.

Literally amazing.

True Stings had a special ability that could make living creatures hallucinate.

The gland beneath the jaw was precisely where their insect powder was stored.

Moreover, since True Stings still ate using their terrifying maws.

The muscles all around their jaws were extremely well developed.

With a high proportion of lean meat, a firm texture, and a fresh, tender bite, paired with just a little fat, it was outrageously delicious.

At any rate, Jiang Yao was already on the verge of drooling.

This Starcrusher Swarm King was unquestionably the finest ingredient on the entire Herta Space Station, bar none.

"What a shame. It's an artificially cultivated product, not as good as the original."

"And they cultivated it in the wrong direction, too."

"Oh well. For the sake of this cut of meat, I'll give Ruan Mei a hand."

After taking the meat, Jiang Yao didn't hurry to leave.

Instead, he made a few adjustments to the culture fluid.

They would allow the Starcrusher Swarm King to evolve.

As for the direction of that evolution~

Hehe. Naturally, it was to make the meat even better.

During the process, Jiang Yao discovered something else worth having.

True Sting Swarm Pupae!

Originally, True Stings' [Propagation] had relied largely on self-replication and assimilation.

But after losing the Swarm Emperor Tayzzyronth, True Stings, especially the lesser ones, had lost that ability.

They had reverted to their original method.

However, since this was a powerful individual Ruan Mei had artificially cultivated to approach the level of an Emanator.

Ruan Mei had made a slight adjustment to ensure its survival rate.

She had turned what would originally have been eggs into pupae.

Though they couldn't compare with a heavyweight delicacy like the True Sting itself.

They were still absolutely top-tier ingredients!

With the meat secured, Jiang Yao left, thoroughly satisfied.

As for the Starcrusher Swarm King?

Uh, it could probably just consider it a nap, only to wake up and discover—

Huh? Where's my meat?

And so, in a fit of rage, it got angry for a moment.

Before long, the meat grew back.

Back to Jiang Yao.

After taking care of his need for meat.

He set his sights on the Basic Ingredient.

Jiang Yao couldn't help grumbling: what exactly was the Basic Ingredient in Honkai: Star Rail?

Things that were edible but didn't taste good.

In other words, they were a synthesized material.

A basic food for filling the stomach, similar to the earliest compressed biscuits used by the military in his previous life.

Dry, but filling.

The taste, however, was definitely bad.

What caught Jiang Yao's eye was one component of Basic Ingredients: wheat.

Perhaps it was because the Basic Ingredient required certain conditions to synthesize.

That made the choice of wheat rather particular: it had to be a high-quality variety that could meet the wet gluten content standard of 35–39.

The wheat proteins were divided according to the following standard: gliadin accounted for 49% of the total protein, glutenin 39%, albumin 4%, and globulin 8%.

Wheat that met this standard was the best.

Perhaps only wheat of this standard could be synthesized into Basic Ingredients~

That certainly saved Jiang Yao a lot of trouble.

Reverse decomposition might have been a little difficult for an ordinary person.

But for an Aeon, the difficulty was just right~

Considering that he didn't have much meat.

Jiang Yao didn't extract too much wheat through reverse decomposition.

Enough was enough.

What he wanted to make was Xiaolongbao, or rather, soup dumplings.

After all, True Stings had so much fat~

Early the next morning.

March 7th, Stelle, and Dan Heng, who had eaten and drunk their fill, accepted another invitation from Asta to have breakfast in the kitchen.

The Astral Express wouldn't be staying at Herta Space Station much longer.

That made March 7th, Stelle, and Dan Heng treasure these wonderful moments all the more.

Otherwise, once they boarded the train, never mind whether they'd have such premium ingredients and exquisite flavors again.

They might even have to drink a cup of Himeko's coffee.

Now that would be life-threatening!

Although Asta had invited them, she said she had something to do and couldn't come. To apologize, she had arranged an exceptionally lavish breakfast.

One look at the dishes, and March 7th and Stelle nearly begged Asta to support them for life.

So what if she wasn't coming? They were practically getting free food and drinks.

If they were dissatisfied—even thinking about being dissatisfied... could they still call themselves human?

“Huh? Where are Himeko and Uncle Yang?”

March 7th and Stelle finally noticed that Himeko and Welt weren't there.

Their questioning gazes instinctively turned to Dan Heng.

Dan Heng folded his arms. "No idea. I went to get them this morning, but neither of them was in their room."

This breakfast had been arranged the night before.

Besides, Himeko and Welt had clearly been distracted last night, so our Cold Dragon Young had thought he should go fetch them.

Only to find them absent.

So Stelle and March 7th both messaged Himeko and Welt, urging their seniors to hurry over!

Naturally, neither of them replied.

March 7th, Stelle, and Dan Heng didn't pay it much mind.

They were all on Herta Space Station. What big problem could there possibly be?

And so, they unanimously decided to dig in!

It wouldn't taste as good once it cooled.

Besides, there was plenty.

"I'm full, I'm full."

Stelle rubbed her stomach, satisfaction written all over her face.

Those two meals had left her thoroughly content.

"That was so delicious~"

March 7th also rubbed her slightly rounded belly and sighed appreciatively.

"Speaking of which, have Himeko and Welt still not replied?"

Having eaten and drunk his fill, Dan Heng spotted the crucial detail.

"Oh, right!"

Stelle and March 7th exchanged a look, as though each were calling the other an idiot.

How had they gotten so caught up in eating?

Of course, now that they were full, their brains were back in charge.

From Himeko and Welt's strange behavior last night to their absence this morning.

The three youngsters realized that something might have happened.

Seeing that their messages remained unanswered.

March 7th and Stelle called Himeko and Welt respectively.

Neither call got an answer.

No replies to their messages, no answers to their calls.

What on earth was going on?