I was just fishing, how did I become a Great Old One?

Unknown coordinates, Foundry World No. 001, Abandoned Industrial Zone.

As the stargate opened by the Key of Time and Space slowly closed behind them, the Treant (World Tree Ark) seemed to fall from heaven to hell.

Just a moment ago, they were still immersed in the warm ocean of the Truth Corridor, filled with the fragrance of ink and the brilliance of wisdom.

The next second, a pungent, suffocating smell of sulfur and rust rushed in through the Ark's ventilation ducts.

"Cough cough cough!"

Sun Wukong was the first to jump up, covering his nose, his thunder god-like face scrunched up in a grimace.

"What's this smell?"

"It's even more pungent than the ashes from Laozi's ruined elixir-refining furnace!"

"and……"

Wukong reached out and grabbed a handful of air.

When I opened my palm, it was covered in black, greasy coal ash.

"Why is everything here covered in dust?"

Jiang Li stood by the cockpit window, looking solemnly at the outside world.

As far as the eye could see, there wasn't a single patch of green.

The sky was leaden gray, with thick, low-hanging clouds that seemed ready to collapse at any moment. The flashes within the clouds weren't from lightning, but from some kind of red arc of electricity.

The land is a black, metallic wasteland, and the undulating mountains are made up of countless abandoned gears, broken pipes, and huge, rusty mechanical wreckage.

There are no rivers here, only black ditches filled with industrial wastewater and waste oil.

There was no sound of wind, only the muffled roar of pistons from afar, like the heartbeat of a giant beast.

"Boom—boom—"

[System notification: Arrived in a new world.]

[Current environment: High pollution, strong radiation, acidic atmosphere.]

[Warning! "Organic biological dissociation field" detected.]

[WARNING! The rule of this world: Flesh and blood are the original sin.]

……

"Sizzle..."

Just then, the Tree Demon let out a scream.

As an ark centered on biotechnology (tree spirits) and incorporating cyber technology and ancient divine power, its appearance still retains many plant-like features.

At that moment, black raindrops began to fall from the sky.

That was high concentrations of industrial acid rain.

Raindrops fell on the golden leaves, emitting wisps of white smoke, and the once indestructible leaves began to wither and curl.

"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!"

The Tree Demon's consciousness screamed in Jiang Li's mind.

"Boss! This rain is poisonous!"

"It's corroding my chlorophyll! It wants to turn me into scrap metal!"

"Activate energy shield!"

Alice acted swiftly, and a blue light screen rose up, keeping the acid rain out.

But the shield's energy bar is dropping rapidly.

"The environment here is extremely unfriendly to organic life."

Data streams flashed wildly in Alice's electronic eyes.

"Acidic substances in the air can break down proteins."

"Radiation can damage DNA strands."

"In this world..."

"Living itself is a form of consumption."

……

"Is flesh and blood too weak?"

Jiang Li looked out the window at the cruel steel jungle.

"Since the environment doesn't welcome us."

"Then we have to..."

When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

"Ergou, lower the altitude."

"Find a secluded place to land."

"We need... a disguise."

……

The Treant carefully passed through the acid rain clouds and landed in a vast steel graveyard.

The surrounding area was filled with mechanical wreckage hundreds of meters high, which conveniently blocked the ark's overly conspicuous golden body.

"Everyone get off the bus."

Jiang Li led the way out of the airlock.

He was wearing the Abyss Overlord's trench coat, a divine garment that was impervious to acid rain.

But Er Gou couldn't do it.

"Woof..."

Er Gou had just stretched out one paw when he was scalded by the acidic water on the ground and had to pull it back.

"Boss, this floor is burning hot!"

"And is there really no food here? I can't smell any meat at all?"

"Of course there's no meat here."

Jiang Li squatted down and used the Occam's razor (a concept kitchen tool) to stir the dirt under his feet.

That's not soil.

That was a mixture of iron filings and sludge.

"The food here..."

Jiang Li pointed to a broken pipe next to him that was still dripping black liquid.

"It's that one."

……

Everyone gathered around.

The liquid flowing out of that pipe was a viscous, shiny black liquid.

It has a strong smell of hydrocarbons.

"This is... heavy machine oil."

Nezha (in his mechanical form) leaned over and sniffed, his eyes lighting up instead.

"Although it contains a lot of impurities, it's a high-calorie energy source!"

"To me, it's like... the broth from braised pork?"

Nezha dipped his finger in the water and put it in his mouth.

"Pooh!"

"It tastes so bitter! And it has a rusty flavor!"

"The texture is awful!"

……

"The poor taste is because it wasn't processed properly."

Jiang Li looked at the pile of waste engine oil, and then at the rusty gears scattered all around.

"In this world, if we want to survive, if we don't want to be eliminated by those local 'mechanical natives' as outsiders."

"We need to put ourselves..."

"It smells strongly of engine oil."

"and……"

Jiang Li touched her stomach.

"I've been nourishing my mind in the library for so long."

"It's about time..."

"Time to replenish some minerals."

Jiang Li stood up.

"Alice, scan the nearby garbage dumps."

"Look around and see if you can find... filters, capacitors, or old gears."

"I'm going to cook a meal..."

"Wasteland Afternoon Tea".

……

Although everyone doubted whether the pile of scrap metal was edible, out of their consistent trust in the God of Cookery, they still began rummaging through the garbage.

Soon, all the materials were gathered.

Ingredients:

A large barrel of aged heavy-duty engine oil (like Pu-erh tea that has been fermented for a long time) was extracted from a discarded engine.

Several rusty, worn-out steel gears.

A pile of scrap cables (the copper wires inside look like vermicelli).

There were also several burst electrolytic capacitors (containing electrolyte).

……

Cooking begins.

Location: A huge steel plate in the steel graveyard.

Tool: Klein pot (concept kitchenware).

Step 1: Refining engine oil (for making coffee base).

"Drinking engine oil directly is poison."

"But after being refined by the God of Cookery, it becomes nectar."

Jiang Li poured the bucket of dark, dirty waste engine oil into the pot.

"Nezha! Light the fire!"

"Use a low flame!"

"Take it slow!"

As the temperature rises, the engine oil begins to boil.

Jiang Li added a handful of [adsorbent charcoal powder] (coke sourced locally).

"Adsorbs impurities! Removes heavy metal toxins!"

Under the rules of the Gluttony God, impurities in the engine oil are quickly separated and precipitated.

The originally murky black liquid became clear and transparent, displaying a deep amber color.

The pungent chemical smell disappeared.

Instead, it has a rich, smoky, oily aroma.

"This is... [heavy oil concentrate]."

Jiang Li poured out a cup.

"This concentration is comparable to espresso."

……

Step 2: Froth the milk (using emulsifier).

"A latte must have milk."

There is no milk here.

"But there is... [coolant]."

Jiang Li took out a bottle of white, high-viscosity industrial coolant (which Alice took from the Tree Spirit's spare parts warehouse).

"This stuff has a silky smooth texture and can help reduce internal heat."

Jiang Li used a stirring rod (transformed from the Golden Cudgel) to quickly stir the coolant.

"Buzzing—"

Hand speed skyrocketed.

The coolant was agitated into fine, rich white foam.

Step 3: Make tea snacks (gear-shaped cookies).

Jiang Li picked up the rusty gears.

"Rust is actually a natural seasoning powder (iron oxide)."

He didn't wipe off the rust.

Instead, it was coated with a layer of grease (like butter).

Then place it on a red-hot steel plate to grill.

"Sizzle—"

Hard gears become brittle under high temperatures.

It emitted a faint metallic, burnt aroma.

Finally, sprinkle on a handful of shredded copper wire vermicelli.

……

[Dish Name: Wasteland Heavy Oil Latte (with crispy gear-shaped cookies)]

[Grade: Industrial-grade deliciousness.]

[Description: An afternoon tea specially crafted for enthusiasts of mechanical life and heavy metal. It features a base of refined, aged heavy machinery oil, topped with silky coolant milk foam.]

[Taste: The initial taste is rich and slightly bitter, reminiscent of engine oil, followed by the sweetness and coolness of coolant. Paired with crispy gear-shaped biscuits, each bite creates a symphony of metallic resonance between the teeth and the food.]

[Benefits: Replenishes a large amount of energy. Grants the user a "mechanical affinity." You will exude a pure industrial aura and will no longer be seen as an organic outcast.]

……

"alright."

Jiang Li picked up a steaming latte.

The distinct black and white layers, the exquisite latte art (a wrench pattern).

It actually looks quite appetizing.

"Come on, cheers!"

"For... mechanical ascension."

Jiang Li took a sip first.

"Glug."

The rich, mellow engine oil slid down my throat.

It was an extremely profound sense of satisfaction.

It's like applying a layer of lubricant to a rusty stomach lining.

Immediately afterwards, a warm current (thermal energy) exploded out.

"ha--"

Jiang Li exhaled a breath of hot air that had a metallic smell.

"Good oil!"

"So moisturizing!"

……

Seeing how much Jiang Li was enjoying his drink, everyone couldn't resist joining in.

Alice was the first to pick up her cup.

"Glug glug".

As a mechanical life form, this was like a top-tier tonic for her.

"Delicious!"

Alice's eyes turned into heart shapes.

"Thanks to the extremely high quality of the engine oil, my processor's operating speed has increased by 20%!"

Nezha also took a big gulp.

"Cool!"

"This is way more exciting than drinking gasoline!"

Wukong hesitated for a moment, then picked up a gear-shaped biscuit.

"Snap!"

It's like chewing on a crispy rice crust.

"what?"

"This lump of iron... is actually flaky?"

"It also has a slightly salty (rusty) taste?"

"Great! Perfect as a snack for me, Old Sun!"

Even Tang Sanzang only took a small sip from his cup.

"Amitabha."

"This engine oil...contains the weight and bitterness of industrial civilization."

"What this humble monk drinks is not oil, but... the sweat of laborers."

……

After an afternoon tea with an "industrial" theme.

Subtle changes occurred in everyone.

A faint metallic sheen appeared on their skin.

The sour, rancid smell that belonged to "organic organisms" (to the locals) has disappeared.

Instead, there was a reassuring smell of engine oil, unique to veteran mechanics.

"Woof!"

Er Gou barked once.

Its barking has even taken on a metallic quality, like an electronic dog.

"Boss, I feel rock hard right now!"

……

"very good."

Jiang Li put down her cup.

"Now, we have a disguise."

"Next."

Jiang Li looked at the tallest steel tower in the distance, billowing black smoke.

That's the heart of the region.

Also... [the recycle bin].

"We're going there."

"Find some actually usable parts."

"Let's modify the Treant..."

"When in Rome, do as the Romans do."

"Now that we're on Cybertron (crossed out)... we're forging the world."

"Unless you modify the car into a Transformer..."

"Wouldn't this be a wasted trip?"

……

Just as everyone was preparing to set off.

"Crunch...crunch..."

A strange sound came from the nearby pile of scrap metal.

It looked like something was gnawing at the metal.

"Is there something?"

Wukong alertly raised his golden cudgel.

"come out!"

wow-

The scrap metal pile collapsed.

A tiny figure, no bigger than the palm of your hand, emerged.

That was a... little robot.

It looks like a bread machine with legs.

Its body was tattered and torn, with only one electronic eye still glowing with a faint blue light.

It was holding a crumb of a gear biscuit that Jiang Li had just thrown away.

Shivering.

[Biotype: Scavenger Bot]

Model: WALL-E (Low-spec version).

[Status: Nearing obsolescence/Extreme starvation (oil shortage)]

……

It looked at Jiang Li.

Then she looked at the heavy latte in Jiang Li's hand that he hadn't finished drinking.

That single eye.

It revealed an emotion called "longing".

"Beep...beep..."

It emitted a faint electronic sound.

"Oil……"

"It smells so good...the oil..."

Jiang Li looked at the little guy.

Laughed.

"Want a drink?"

Jiang Li squatted down.

He handed the cup over.

"Drink it."

"I've finished drinking..."

Tell your brother.

"Around here..."

"Where did you find the scrap metal...?"

"The fattest?"