A Big Basket of Apples

The C'tan's curse was troublesome, but the Will of Earth had given her word.

His soul was a stat monster, so he just had to brute-force it.

It was no big deal.

Once the soul was placed in the body, the original body began to change rapidly.

"Oh no! All the body's readings are dropping fast!"

Seeing this, Han Mingxuan wrote three characters.

"Ban."

"Still."

"Purify."

Hum.

A pale blue halo streaked with threads of gold spread through the laboratory.

Beep, beep, beep.

"The body's readings have recovered."

Watching it all, Angrak knew it was the power of the Warp.

He was not surprised, though.

Angrak was glad that Han Mingxuan could use the power of the Warp for himself and for others.

"Wake him up, and that'll be the end of it."

"This..."

Watching what had happened in the blink of an eye, Archmagos Angrak had some doubts.

He wondered if he had been fooled.

"Don't worry, he'll definitely be fine."

"I'll do it."

Trazyn?!

Han Mingxuan turned around and looked. Good grief, Trazyn was really cautious.

He had actually left a copy of his consciousness in his mechanical body.

Before long, Trazyn woke up.

Dazzling.

The light was dazzling.

"Welcome to the real world, Trazyn."

Hearing Han Mingxuan's voice, Trazyn gradually began learning to control his body, like a newborn baby.

He learned quickly, though.

But he did not get up.

He was feeling.

He was experiencing.

It was a sensation he had not felt in tens of millions of years.

It was the weight of life.

At that moment, Trazyn's eyes grew a little moist.

"Ahem, if you want to keep lying naked in the nutrient pod like that, I don't mind."

Hearing Han Mingxuan say that, Trazyn hurriedly got up and dressed.

He wore a dark gray suit in a reworked vintage style, with a bronze brooch on the chest shaped like a Necron Obelisk. A corner of his subtly patterned silk pocket square showed discreetly.

Underneath were a white stand-collar shirt and a suit vest made of subtly patterned fabric. The suit cuffs were accented with a little dark gold embroidery, simple and luxurious.

He wore a pair of matte leather shoes and held a silver-gray cane adorned with expensive gems.

"Try this." Han Mingxuan handed him a drink.

"What is it?"

"Green apple juice. It's a genetically bred variety, but it tastes good."

"Thank you."

Dressed like this, Trazyn looked cool and elegant, learned and aloof.

But after he took a sip of green apple juice, his whole demeanor changed.

He was like a man driven mad by thirst.

"Is there more?"

"Catch."

Trazyn reached out but failed to grab the apple Han Mingxuan threw him.

It was also genetically bred, and just as appealing in color, aroma, and taste.

But our Infinite was still unfamiliar with his body, so he only managed to catch it after a frantic scramble.

Crunch!

He took a bite.

Boom!

In Trazyn's consciousness, only the apple remained.

Sweet and tart, with a fresh, lingering fragrance.

It reached straight to his soul and pierced his marrow.

Delicious!

Crunch!

Crunch!

Crunch!

Tsk, how many years has it been since he last ate?

Oh, tens of millions.

Then never mind.

Still, eating like that, he'd better not bite his tongue.

"Hiss!"

Did I jinx him?

"Mmph! Mmph!"

Han Mingxuan held his forehead, at a loss for words.

"Open your mouth. Don't swallow your tongue."

Trazyn opened his mouth a few times and finally regained control of his tongue.

"Delicious!"

Tsk, tsk, look at him.

"Old Han, is there any more? I want apples, a whole big basket of apples!"

"You can have all the apples you want, but there are a few things I need to tell you first."

"What is there to say? Food first. Eating is what matters. Come on, let's go."

Trazyn waved his hand and put his original metal body away, then pushed Han Mingxuan along, all the way outside.

Before long, the two arrived at a supplies distribution center.

It had been planned during the first phase of the planet's construction.

There were many such places throughout Nostramo, responsible for supplying all kinds of daily necessities across the planet.

"Boss, give me one of everything you have here."

"Sure thing. Please wait a moment, Father of Night."

Soon, several carts of goods were brought out in front of them.

"Father of Night, shall I have someone deliver them to your home?"

"Sorry for the trouble."

"Why go to all that trouble?"

Trazyn waved his hand and stored everything away.

With a phase teleport, he went straight home.

As soon as he sat down, Trazyn eagerly pulled out a vegetable and bit straight into it.

"Hey, hey, hey! Stop!"

"What's wrong?"

With half a leaf still in his mouth, Trazyn just looked at Han Mingxuan.

He was nothing like an elegant museum curator. He was simply starving.

"Eating it like that is a waste. I'll cook it for you."

"Cook?"

"That's right, ancient Terran cuisine."

Cuisine?

Great!

"What do you need me to do?"

"Nothing. Just wait. Oh, and help me open a communications channel."

"No problem."

"Curze, bring those bad boys home for lunch today."

"All right, but is this a get-together? Should we help?"

"No need. Trazyn's got his body back, hasn't he? I'm making a celebratory feast. You all come and have some too."

"No problem. I'll let Sevatar and the others know."

Then Han Mingxuan began showing off his cooking skills.

Red-braised pork belly, steamed pork belly with preserved mustard greens, shredded pork in sweet bean sauce, sauce-braised duck, poached chicken, spicy diced chicken, stir-fried pork with chilies, shredded pork with green peppers, fish-fragrant shredded pork, braised eggplant, pork braised with potatoes, and stir-fried seasonal vegetables.

More than a dozen dishes kept Han Mingxuan running off his feet.

Trazyn tried to help, but he was rather clumsy and only got in the way.

So Han Mingxuan simply had him sit on the sofa with a basket of apples to pass the time.

Around noon, Sevatar, Talos, and the others came back.

They found it hard to accept the sight of Han Mingxuan busy at work while another person sat there hugging a basket of apples and eating without a care for appearances.

"Sevatar, Talos, leave him be. Come in and help."

"All right, coming."

With the young men's help, a tableful of dishes was soon ready.

These young men all had big appetites, and on top of that there was Trazyn, who wanted to try a bit of everything he saw.

So Han Mingxuan increased the portions again.

"Wash your hands and eat."

After washing his hands, Trazyn phase-shifted to the table and immediately started eating.

Tsk.

This man has no manners.

Uncle hasn't even sat down yet.

"Don't mind him. You all go ahead and eat."

"Sho good!"

"It's so delicious!"

"Old Han, you're a one-of-a-kind genius!"

Trazyn exclaimed as he ate, polishing off the food even faster than Sevatar and the others.

"Don't talk while eating or sleeping. Be careful not to bite your tongue."

Trazyn paid no attention and carried on shouting as he ate.

Sevatar and the others could not bear to watch.

What's wrong with this noble?

How many years has it been since he last ate?

Curze was puzzled too. How had that Necron come to look like a reincarnated starving ghost?

"Hahahaha, this really is quite a sight. I never thought a Necron would act like this."

In his mind, Konrad was laughing with delight.

When else in his lifetime could he see a Necron behaving like this? It was worth the price of admission.