You said mechs were going to fight monsters, but instead you're destroying stars with your bare

Chapter 144 The Abyss on the Tip of the Tongue Season 3

High-end ingredients often require only the simplest cooking methods.

In the cold, mechanical inferno of the Steel Empire's 0th floor core area, Li Zhe rediscovered a long-lost sense of pure joy that belonged to a "gourmet."

However, the "ingredients" and "cooking methods" here seem so... cyberpunk.

We said goodbye to those "hard dishes" in the outer area that were full of the smell of engine oil and the crunchy texture of rust.

The ingredients in the core area have undoubtedly reached a whole new level, full of the unique and wonderful flavor of the information age.

Take, for example, this group of "data ghosts" that Li Zhe had just casually "formatted" away.

The spoils they left behind after their disappearance are highly representative.

They were a group of semi-transparent creatures that floated slowly in the air like jellyfish, called the [Data Jellyfish].

At their core is a [Phantom Memory Core] that constantly shimmers with iridescent light, seemingly containing all the information of the internet.

There is also a type of "logic worm" lurking behind the cooling fans of a huge server array, composed of countless microchips like a centipede.

The most precious thing in them is the incredibly tough "algorithm fiber," which is thinner than a human hair.

What truly broadened Li Zhe's horizons was a type of creature that roamed around firewall nodes, resembling a crab but with a thick server hard drive on its back called the "Protocol Armored Crab."

The shell of this thing is the top-of-the-line "firewall hard shell," with amazing physical defense and built-in encryption protocols, making it impossible to break through using conventional cutting methods.

Faced with these ingredients imbued with postmodernism, Li Zhe's cooking style has become more simple and unpretentious, returning to its original essence.

He found a relatively safe abandoned data center as a temporary base.

This place may have once been the nerve center of an important institution of the Steel Empire, but now only countless silent servers remain, like silent tombstones, emitting a ghostly blue indicator light in the darkness.

Li Zhe stared into thought as he looked at the [Illusory Memory Core] in his hand, which resembled flowing data.

How should we cook this "virtual" ingredient that is made entirely of information?
There was no flame, no cookware, not even a usable energy pot.

But this was no challenge for Li Zhe, who had already honed his skills into a top-tier chef through his experience on a "food show" in the abyss.

He carefully placed the [Illusory Memory Core] directly onto what looked like the most high-end server rack, like placing the finest Wagyu beef on a red-hot iron plate.

Then, he took a deep breath and transformed his pure muscle armor energy into a highly condensed "microwave," which he slowly injected into the server's cooling system!
"Om-"

The entire data center was instantly enveloped by a peculiar energy field.

The server array, which had been dormant for countless years, seemed to be instantly "overclocked," with all the cooling fans starting to spin at a crazy speed, emitting a deafening roar.

A massive amount of waste heat was extracted and used to envelop the [Illusory Memory Core], undergoing a unique "data baking" process!
This is a rather wonderful cooking process.

Li Zhe could clearly "see" that, under the onslaught of that high-temperature, high-pressure data stream, the chaotic and malicious code inside the [Illusory Memory Core] was being gradually cleared, reorganized, and purified.

Finally, as the roar of the server gradually subsided and all the light converged to a single point.

The originally ethereal data core condensed into a [data crystal] that shimmered with seven colors and resembled a crystal candy!
It floated quietly in mid-air, emitting a refreshing scent, like the unique fragrance of fresh grass after rain mixed with the aroma of brand-new electronic products unboxed.

"Holy crap, the presentation and taste... are amazing!"

Li Zhe looked at his masterpiece and nodded in satisfaction.

Without hesitation, he picked it up and swallowed it whole.

The next second. "BOOM—!!!!!"

An indescribable, strange pleasure, as if the entire internet had exploded in his mind, instantly swept over every neuron!

Countless fragments of knowledge, emotional pieces, and logical algorithms... washed over his soul like a raging flood.

It was as if he had instantly browsed all the web pages in human history, watched all the videos on all the video websites, and listened to all the songs on all the music platforms...

Even the mysterious realms hidden deep within the internet, requiring special "ladders" to access, were completely clear in his mind!
[Ding! Your mental strength has been greatly enhanced!]

[Ding! Your microscopic manipulation of energy has been enhanced!]

[Ding! Your base combat power has been increased to 11.02!]

"Cool!"

Li Zhe felt as if his brain had just had a top-notch spa treatment, with every brain cell cheering with joy.

This kind of spiritual enhancement is more direct and powerful than any physical "nutritional supplement."

Over the next few days, Li Zhe immersed himself in the joy of this "cyber buffet".

Alone, he embarked on a difficult exploration and food hunt within the mechanical inferno of the core area.

The enemies here are far more powerful and cunning than those in the outer areas.

He encountered the "Puppet Master," who could manipulate the surrounding metal scraps and reassemble them into various grotesque mechanical puppets for combat.

This monster itself has mediocre combat power, but the puppets it controls are fearless, endless, and extremely difficult to deal with.

【The Puppet Master (STPUP-42117)】

[Type: Fourth Generation Abyss Apostle - Puppet Species - Data Manipulation Entity]

[Combat Power: 10.1~? ? ?]

[Special Abilities: ① Metal Manipulation: Able to manipulate metallic substances within a certain range, reassembling them into mechanical puppets of various forms. The number and strength of the puppets depend on the abundance of surrounding metal resources and their own energy level. ② Data Link: Able to remotely control the puppets via a special data link, while the user remains hidden in a safe area.]

[Note: We are all puppets; who is the real manipulator?]

With Zero's assistance, Li Zhe located its true form, hidden hundreds of meters away, by tracing the data chain in reverse.

A single YJ-21 missile sent it, along with the abandoned factory where it was hiding, into the sky.

In addition, they encountered the "Magnetic Storm Worm," which can release ultra-high-intensity electromagnetic pulses and instantly paralyze all electronic devices in the vicinity.

This monster, resembling a giant earthworm and covered in bio-armor crackling with electric arcs, is the nightmare of all conventional mechs.

【STEMP-38118】

[Type: Third Generation Abyss Apostle - Worm Species - Bioelectric Mutant]

【Combat strength: 10.5】

[Special Abilities: ① Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP): Capable of releasing a powerful electromagnetic pulse with an extremely wide coverage area, instantly paralyzing most electronic devices and energy shields. ② Burrowing: Able to burrow underground at high speed, utilizing a complex underground pipeline system for movement and surprise attacks.]

[Note: The nemesis of internet-addicted teenagers.]

(End of this chapter)