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

Koprulu Sector, Char Planet, Unnamed Crater Highlands.

The night on Star Char brought no coolness whatsoever.

Conversely, as the star set, the Earth's surface temperature became even more sweltering due to geothermal radiation. The air was filled with a suffocating smell of sulfur and a pungent, burnt plastic odor.

Darkness enveloped the earth, but it was not absolute blackness.

The flowing lava river drew dark red scars on the earth, making the sky look like congealed blood.

The Treant (World Tree Ark) lay silently on the edge of the crater, like a wounded behemoth. Its armor was covered with black scratches, medals left from its passage through the atmosphere. The once radiant energy shield was now completely extinguished, with only a faint emergency light remaining in the cockpit.

Energy reserves: 0.01%.

Alice's (Ark AI) voice rang out in the communication channel, carrying a hint of helpless static.

"Boss, in order to maintain the stability of Harpie's 'bio-battery,' I have to shut down all external defense systems."

"In other words..."

"Tonight, we're going to run naked."

……

In the center of the camp.

Jiang Li was building a makeshift stove using several pieces of scorching obsidian.

Although he had just eaten that awful "volcanic ash marinated springtail meat patty," it was only for survival. As an ambitious chef, he was figuring out how to improve it.

"Let's go streaking then."

Jiang Li said without turning his head.

"Anyway, this place is full of rocks and bugs, so no one will be spying on us."

"Ergou, wake up and go gather some firewood."

"Although there is no wood here, the dried fungal carpet should burn quite well."

Er Gou (the Chaos Devouring Dog) lay on a slightly cooler rock, sticking out his tongue.

"Woof... Boss, I'm tired."

"That meat patty was too hard; I feel like I have a brick in my stomach now."

"and……"

Er Gou's ears suddenly perked up.

Its dog-like eyes, clad in sunglasses, were fixed on the darkness below the crater.

"Boss..."

"The firewood seems to have been delivered to my doorstep."

……

Enemy attack.

"Shhh..."

At first, it sounded like the wind blowing through sand.

But soon, the voice changed.

It turned into a "clattering" sound of shells colliding and a low hissing sound.

The sounds grew louder and more frequent.

It's like... the ocean tide.

"They're here."

Sun Wukong, who had been sitting cross-legged on the top of the ark, suddenly opened his eyes.

Those fiery eyes shot out two beams of golden light in the darkness, piercing through the thick layer of volcanic ash mist.

As far as the eye can see.

It's all...red.

Thousands upon thousands of tiny, scarlet eyes, like a sea of ​​red fireflies, surged wildly down the rugged hillside toward the crater.

That's... [the army of springtails].

Not just one hundred, but two hundred.

Instead... tens of thousands.

They were densely packed together, like a reddish-brown carpet covering the black rocks.

[Warning! Large-scale Zerg biohazard response detected.]

[Quantity: 3000+ (and still increasing).]

[Type: Zergling cluster.]

[Tactical Analysis: They have no tactics; they just charge.]

……

"Wow, so many dogs..."

Nezha stood beside Jiang Li, gripping the neutron star spear tightly in his hand.

"How long will it take to finish eating?"

"Don't even think about eating anymore."

Tang Sanzang (the cyber monk) pushed up his data sunglasses, revealing a nine-ringed staff in his hand (now an electromagnetically charged version).

"Amitabha."

"This is a beast tide."

"If we're not careful, we'll be the ones eating tonight..."

……

"roar----!!!"

With a roar from the lead zebra, the swarm launched its final attack.

Like a mudslide, they ignored the terrain and gravity, rushing madly towards the people on the high ground.

"Men! Time to get to work!"

Wukong shouted and leaped off the top of the ark.

The golden cudgel in his hand grew longer as it faced the wind.

"Take this from my old Sun Wukong's staff!"

"Sweep through the enemy ranks!"

boom----!!!

The golden cudgel transformed into a golden fan and swept out horizontally.

The first few dozen leaping insects were instantly smashed into a pulp. Green, acidic blood splattered everywhere, corroding the black rocks and creating plumes of white smoke.

"Cool!"

Wukong laughed loudly.

"This bug may be tough, but it can't withstand the weight of my stick!"

"Again!"

……

the other side.

Nezha also moved.

"Heavenly Silk! Fire Wall!"

He flung the red Hun Tian Ling (a magical ribbon), which transformed into a hundred-meter-long wall of flames that blocked the flanks of the insect swarm.

"Who dares to come any closer!"

Nezha rode on his Wind Fire Wheels, weaving through the swarm of insects.

The spear in his hand moved like a dragon emerging from the sea, each thrust leaving a trail of green blood.

"Die! Die! Die!"

Nezha got really into the fight.

Although this place has a harsh environment, the sheer number of monsters... it's practically a paradise for grinding experience!

……

Tang Sanzang was not idle either.

He stood at the hatch of the Tree Demon, acting as the last line of defense.

"Great Mighty Heavenly Dragon! World-Honored Ksitigarbha!"

"【Physical Salvation - Sonic Roar】!"

Tang Sanzang opened his mouth, but although he didn't actually shout, the holographic Buddhist light behind him released rings of high-frequency sound waves.

This sound wave is specifically designed to target the Zerg's nervous system.

Any jumping insect that gets within ten meters of the Ark will instantly become sluggish, and some will even roll over and convulse.

"Ergou! Finish him off!"

Sanzang shouted.

"Woof! Coming!"

Although Er Gou is a coward, beating a drowning dog is his forte.

It charged forward, biting the jumping insects one by one, using its cold iron teeth specifically to bite their necks.

"Snap! Snap!"

It's like chewing on cartilage.

……

Jiang Li's observations.

The battle was extremely fierce.

However, Jiang Li, as the team leader, did not immediately join the chaotic battle.

He stood atop a towering rock, Occam's Razor in his hand, coldly observing the chaotic battlefield.

His gluttonous eyes were activated to the extreme.

He was dissecting...

He was observing the movement trajectories of these springtails, the moments when their muscles exerted force, and the seams of their carapaces.

"Wukong smashed it to pieces."

Jiang Li shook his head.

"Such good thigh meat, all pounded into a paste, can only be used to make meatballs."

"Nezha is burned too badly."

"That burnt smell completely masked the already limited aroma of the meat."

"That won't do."

"This is simply...a waste of ingredients."

……

Sudden.

A lone jumping bug bypassed the frontal defenses and leaped out from behind a rock on the side.

They rushed straight towards Jiang Li.

It was incredibly fast, its scythe-like forelimbs leaving a trail of cold light in the air.

"hiss!"

It opened its mouth wide, trying to bite the throat of the seemingly weakest human.

"Good timing."

Jiang Li did not dodge.

Just as the springtail pounced in front of him.

He moved.

The Occam's razor in his hand was neither used to cut off its head nor to pierce its heart.

Instead, it... made an extremely cunning cut towards its knee joint.

"brush!"

A flash of light.

There was no feeling of resistance when cutting through hard bones.

Instead, it has a smooth feel, like cutting through cartilage.

"Thump!"

The jumping insect was still in mid-air when its two hind legs suddenly... came off.

It crashed heavily at Jiang Li's feet.

Completely bewildered.

Before it could even react.

Jiang Li struck again.

"brush!"

The cut landed at the junction of its forelimb and torso.

It has that smooth feel to it again.

The two forelimbs of the sickle also fell off.

In just one second.

This ferocious predator was "shaving off its head" by Jiang Li.

Only a round torso and head remained, wriggling on the ground.

……

A major discovery of ingredients.

Jiang Li stepped on the jumping insect's head.

Squat down.

Pick up the piece of [knee joint] that you just cut off.

It is a white, semi-transparent sphere, about the size of a billiard ball.

It connects the thigh and lower leg of the springtail and is covered with a layer of lubricating fluid.

"really."

Jiang Li's eyes lit up.

"I knew that for such a highly mobile creature, the joints must not be made of hard bones to ensure the flexibility of the joints."

"But..."

Jiang Li squeezed the white ball.

"Cartilage".

"And it's high-density, full of gelatin... [Premium Cartilage]."

Jiang Li took a sniff.

This piece of cartilage didn't have the sour, rancid smell that muscle has.

Instead, it has a faint milky scent (from the synovial fluid).

"This is good stuff!"

Jiang Li swallowed.

"Compared to that sour and hard thigh meat."

"This is the most essential part of the springtail..."

"It's the legendary... insect-themed version of 'Palm Treasure' (chicken cartilage)!"

……

"Great Sage! Nezha!"

Jiang Li stood up and shouted at the battlefield.

"Stop hitting me randomly!"

"Let's try a different approach!"

"How do I change it?"

Wukong swept away a group of people with his staff, then turned around and asked.

"Don't hit the body! Don't hit the head!"

Jiang Li raised the piece of white, brittle bone in his hand.

"Hit here!"

"Hit their joints!"

"That's its weakness! And also... the best part!"

"Tear off their legs! Leave their bodies intact!"

……

"joint?"

Wukong scanned it with his fiery eyes.

The structure of the springtail joints was immediately clear.

"Hehe! This is interesting!"

"Is this like taking apart building blocks?"

"I, Old Sun, will give it a try!"

The golden cudgel in Wukong's hand became thinner, and it was no longer a sweeping, powerful strike.

Instead, it turned into... a targeted kill.

"Tap! Tap! Tap!"

The golden cudgel struck out like raindrops.

Each strike landed precisely on the springtail's knee or shoulder joint.

"Snap! Snap!"

A series of crisp cracking sounds rang out.

Those once ferocious jumping insects collapsed to the ground like puppets with broken strings.

His legs were broken, his arms were broken, and he could only writhe on the ground.

……

Nezha also changed his spear technique.

"pick!"

He specifically severs the joint tendons of springtails.

"Ergou! Stop biting my neck!"

"Bite your knee!"

"Woof? Biting my knee?"

Although Er Gou felt the request was a bit perverted, he still complied.

It specifically targets the lower parts of the springtail.

This is a change in tactics.

The originally fierce battle suddenly took a turn for the better.

It turned into a... [large-scale orthopedic disassembly surgery scene].

Around the crater, there were piles of springtail torsos that had lost their limbs and were still howling in agony.

And white, crunchy bone balls rolling all over the ground.

……

A turning point before dawn.

The battle lasted all night.

Until a faint, murky light appeared on the horizon.

The swarm finally realized that the bone was too hard to chew.

Moreover, the losses were too severe.

It was accompanied by a reluctant screech.

The remaining few thousand springtails receded like a tide.

All that remained were corpses and mangled limbs scattered on the ground.

"call……"

Wukong, leaning on his golden cudgel, was panting heavily from exhaustion.

"My hands are sore from typing all night."

"It's even more tiring than when he wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace back then."

"My arm... is almost turning into brittle bone."

Nezha also sat down on the ground with a thud, his whole body covered in green blood.

"There are just too many bugs; we can't kill them all."

……

Only Jiang Li.

He was in high spirits.

Like a miser, he carried a large bucket and frantically picked up those white, brittle bone balls on the battlefield.

"We've struck it rich! We've struck it rich!"

"At least ten thousand cartilages were found that night!"

"If you deep-fried this and sprinkled some chili powder on it..."

Jiang Li picked one up and wiped the dust off it.

"This is more than just ingredients."

"This is also... a strategic material."

He looked at the crowd.

"Thank you for your hard work, everyone."

"Take a rest."

"I'll go deal with these cartilages."

"Wait until the sun comes out."

"Let's eat... [Crunchy, Spicy Fried Flea and Bug Grinding Pouch]!"

I don't believe it.

"It smells so good..."

"These worms are so hungry they'll die."

……

[System notification: Successfully repelled the first wave of insects.]

[Loot obtained: 3000 Zergling corpses.]

[Unlock new ingredient: Cartilage from the joints of an alien insect.]

Current status: Extreme hunger.

Jiang Li looked at the ingredients scattered all over the ground.

A smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

This planet, Char, although the environment is a bit harsh.

But the food delivery service is really efficient.