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

Koprulu Sector, Char Planet, Hercules crash site camp.

Night had fallen, or rather, the eternally burning red light of Star Char had dimmed slightly.

The campsite, however, was bustling with activity.

The massive SCV (Space Vehicle) brandished its welding torch, spraying brilliant sparks across the hull of the Treant (World Tree Ark). Mechanic Swan, a cigar dangling from his lips (though unlit, due to the preciousness of oxygen), directed his repairmen to dismantle the gravity generator from the Hercules and install it on the ark's hull.

"Hey! Be gentle!"

Swan shouted at the top of his lungs.

"This ship's structure is very strange! Its keel isn't metal; it looks like some kind of...living wood (a branch of the World Tree)?"

"My God, this is simply a miracle of biology and engineering!"

……

Er Gou's weapon upgrade.

In another corner of the camp, a small, private deal was taking place.

Er Gou (the Chaos Devouring Dog) was squatting in front of a Marine, wagging its tail obsequiously. Under its paws was a golden, crispy fried springtail joint cartilage.

Opposite it, the Marine was lovingly stroking the brittle bone.

"This thing... can it really be replaced?" The soldier swallowed hard.

"Woof!"

Er Gou barked and gestured with his eyes to the C-14 Gauss rifle in the soldier's hand.

"make a deal!"

The soldier was a straightforward guy (mainly because he was craving it). He handed Er Gou a spare rifle and even thoughtfully included two boxes of 8mm depleted uranium armor-piercing rounds.

"But buddy, do you even know how to use it? The recoil could shatter your shoulder."

Er Gou snorted dismissively.

It has no hands, but it possesses demonic power.

The heavy rifle slowly floated up and hung above Er Gou's back (like a floating cannon).

"Snap!"

Loading.

Er Gou, wearing sunglasses and carrying a rifle, strode forward with an air of authority.

"Woof! I'm a dog with a gun now!"

It now thinks it's the coolest guy on the planet.

……

The invisible thief.

Just as Er Gou was immersed in the joy of acquiring new equipment.

At a barbecue stall not far away, Jiang Li was flipping through the large red willow meat skewers in his hand.

The aroma of roasted meat filled the air, the unique charred fragrance of spiny snake meat mixed with the spiciness of the poppy sauce.

"Great Sage, this string of pearls is ready, here you go."

Jiang Li picked up a skewer of grilled meat and handed it to the person behind her without turning her head.

however.

My hand suddenly felt lighter.

"Thanks, cook!"

Sun Wukong's voice came from several meters away.

"Um?"

Jiang Li suddenly turned around.

Wukong was sitting on a rock in the distance, holding the skewer of meat he had just eaten.

wrong.

If Wukong were there.

Who was it that took the meat from my hand just now?

Jiang Li glanced at his hands.

empty.

Just a moment ago, he clearly felt a "force" take away the meat skewer.

"Is this a ghost?"

Jiang Li frowned.

He picked up another string of them.

This time, he didn't hand it out, but placed it on the plate in front of him.

Staring intently.

one second.

two seconds.

Sudden.

The meat skewers on the plate... moved.

It was as if it had been picked up by an invisible hand and was slowly suspended in mid-air.

Followed by.

The meat on the skewers shriveled up at a speed visible to the naked eye.

It's like something has drained all the essence from me.

Only a dried-up bone skewer remained, which fell back into the plate.

"Clatter".

……

"Thief!!"

Er Gou was the first to react.

Its new gun finally came in handy.

"Woof! There's an invisible unit!"

"Activate [True Vision]!"

Two eerie blue lights suddenly shone in Er Gou's eyes, which were covered by sunglasses (that was its innate talent as a chaotic race—seeing through illusion).

Under blue light.

The air in that previously empty place suddenly distorted.

A blurry, semi-transparent figure appeared.

It was a humanoid creature.

He is nearly three meters tall and has a slender figure.

He wasn't wearing power armor, but rather a tattered gray cloak. His face was covered by a mask that obscured the lower half, revealing a pair of eyes that emitted a ghostly green light.

The most striking.

In his hand he held a... curved blade of light (the Curved Light Blade) that emitted green void energy.

In his other hand...

He was still holding half a piece of the hydra meat that he hadn't finished sucking.

……

[Unidentified creature: Protoss.]

[Tribe: Nerazim/Dark Templar.]

[Commonly known as: Hidden Blade.]

[Status: Hunger/Energy Depletion]

[Characteristics: They have severed their connection with the Khala's psychic network and walk in the void. They have no mouths and sustain life by absorbing psychic and light energy.]

……

Clash.

"Where did this petty thief come from! Daring to steal my old Sun's meat!"

When Sun Wukong saw someone stealing the food, he immediately became furious.

With a flash, the golden cudgel was already on the head of the invisible man.

"Take this!"

The Dark Templar reacted extremely quickly.

"En Taro Adun... No, Adun Toridas."

He muttered a cryptic incantation.

His body instantly turned into a cloud of black mist.

"Blink!"

brush!

He vanished into thin air and reappeared ten meters away.

The curved light battle blade in his hand lit up, and a green void slash slashed towards Wukong.

"when!"

The golden cudgel collided with the light blade.

It stirred up a ring of green energy ripples.

"What incredible strength!"

The Dark Templars clearly hadn't expected this beast-like "monkey" to possess such terrifying power.

The light blade in his hand was trembling.

……

"stop!"

Just as both sides were preparing for the second round.

Jiang Li called a halt.

He stepped forward and stopped Wukong.

"Stop hitting him."

Jiang Li looked at the wary, invisible warrior.

Then I looked at the skewer of meat on the ground that had been "sucked dry".

"He's... hungry."

……

A diner without a mouth.

Are you hungry?

Wukong put away his staff, looking suspicious.

"If you're hungry, just eat. What kind of hero hides and steals food?"

"and……"

Wukong pointed at the face of the god warrior.

"This guy... doesn't have a mouth!"

"How can you eat if you don't even have a mouth?"

indeed.

Beneath the mask of that Dark Templar was a flat expanse of skin. The Protoss (Protoss) evolved to lose their digestive system; they absorb light and moisture through their skin, or directly absorb psionic energy.

But on this dark and sunless planet, Char.

There is no sunlight.

There was only volcanic ash filling the sky and the psionic energy of the Zerg (which was contaminated energy).

This hidden blade warrior was clearly on the verge of running out of energy.

He stole the meat skewers not to eat the meat.

Rather, it's to absorb the high-energy biological heat contained in the meat skewers.

……

"you……"

A deep voice resounded directly in everyone's minds (telepathy).

"In your food..."

"It has... the smell of emptiness."

The Dark Templar lowered his light blade.

Those green eyes were fixed on Jiang Li.

"My name is... a follower of Zeratul... a shadow guard under Vorazun, Mohanda."

"I... need... energy."

……

The Chef's Challenge.

"Needs energy?"

Jiang Li touched his chin.

"So they're friends of the gods."

"Since you're here at Deep Blue Cafeteria, you're a guest."

"Whether or not someone has a mouth, as long as they have a stomach... no, as long as there's a need, I can do it."

Jiang Li looked at Mo Handa's weak appearance.

"You don't absorb regular meat skewers very efficiently."

"There are too many impurities inside."

"What you need is... pure, high-density, and stimulating energy."

Jiang Li quickly conceived a dish in his mind.

"Perfect."

"I have some high-energy gas that I just got my hands on (a sample can I got from Swan)."

"And... the remaining egg white from the Void Progenitor's Egg."

"as well as……"

Jiang Li took out a white, soft object.

That's... [a solidified block of brain matter from a brain worm] (actually, it's cockroach bone marrow tofu that was previously made underground with acidic water).

"I want to make a..."

"【Deep Blue·Psychic Mapo Tofu】".

……

[Deep Blue - Protoss Special Cooking - Activation]

Step 1: Cut the energy block (tofu).

Jiang Li placed the white cockroach bone marrow tofu on the cutting board.

"This tofu is rich in highly active bioenergy and has a soft and tender texture."

"Swish swish swish—"

Cut into small pieces, each about two centimeters square.

Step 2: Sauté the aroma (energy activation).

Set up the Klein pot.

No oil this time.

Instead, a small piece of [high-energy gas crystal] (solid gas) is placed in.

"boom!"

Blue gas flames exploded at the bottom of the pot.

This is pure fire of energy.

Jiang Li poured in the Exploding Insect Strong Sour and Spicy Sauce (to provide a stimulating flavor).

Then add void egg white (as an energy carrier).

"Sizzle—"

A plume of blue-green smoke instantly rose from the pot.

The smoke had no smell, but it caused static electricity to be generated in the surrounding air.

Er Gou's fur stood on end.

……

Step 3: Firing (void injection).

Add the tofu cubes.

Slowly simmer over low heat.

Let each piece of tofu be coated with that sauce full of gas energy and the sour and spicy flavor of the worm.

The tofu began to glow under the surge of energy.

It changed from white to... a deep, ethereal blue.

At last.

Sprinkle on a handful of [crystal ore powder] (crystal ore fragments given by Swan, which is a substitute for Sichuan pepper powder).

"Out of the pot!"

……

[Dish Name: Koprulu Psionic Mapo Tofu]

[Rank: Psionic/Protoss Special]

[Ingredients: Cockroach bone marrow tofu + high-energy gas + insect-infused hot sauce + crystal mineral powder.]

[Special Feature: This isn't a dish meant to be "eaten," but rather "absorbed." The high-energy radiation it emits is comparable to fine vintage wine to the Protoss.]

[Taste (Spiritual Level): Melts upon entering the mouth (into the soul). The explosive sensation of gas, the stimulating effect of chili sauce, and the tingling sensation of minerals will trigger a psychic storm in your nerve bundles.]

……

Please "taste" it.

Jiang Li held up the plate of tofu that emitted a faint blue light.

He walked up to Mohanda.

"please."

"Even though you don't have a mouth."

"But you can... touch it with your hands."

"Or just... use your mind to chant."

Mohanda looked at the plate of glistening tofu.

His two long nerve bundles trembled.

That was... a longing.

He stretched out his large hand, which had only three fingers.

It floats above the tofu.

"ha……"

There was no contact.

But the skin on his palms began to glow with a green light.

The "tofu" on the plate transformed into streams of blue energy, flowing from his palm into his body.

……

reaction.

"Ugh!!!!"

Mohanda's body jolted violently.

His previously dull green eyes suddenly burst forth with dazzling light.

It's like a flashlight that was about to run out of power suddenly being replaced with a nuclear battery.

"What...what kind of power is this?"

"Such a powerful... impact!"

"The energy of gas... is so pure!"

"And that... soul-piercing... spiciness?"

"Is this... the true meaning of emptiness?"

Mohanda felt his psionic core trembling.

That long-lost feeling of fullness made him let out a long howl.

"My life for... this tofu!"

……

A few seconds later.

The plate is empty.

Mohanda's tattered cloak fluttered without wind, and the curved light blade in his hand extended to twice its length, its light dazzlingly bright.

He's fully recovered.

It even... exploded in power.

"Thank you... Master of humanity."

Mohanda sheathed his light blade and performed the highest divine salute to Jiang Li (crossing his arms in front of his chest).

"Your skill... transcends the limitations of phase."

"This dish... allowed me to see... Kara's brilliance in the darkness."

……

Intelligence exchange.

He who eats another's food is bound to do so.

Having regained his strength, Mohanda did not leave immediately.

"In return."

"I have some...bad news for you."

Mohanda pointed to the sky.

"You're making too much noise here."

"It not only attracted us."

"It also attracted... a real monster."

"On the other side of this planet."

"The Queen of Blades... is watching this place."

"She's very interested in your... food (referring to the kind of smell that can cause chaos in the swarm)."

"She sent out her... Leviathan."

……

"The Queen of Blades?"

Upon hearing this name...

Tex, who was standing next to him, dropped the kebab he was holding.

"Kerrigan?"

"That...crazy woman?"

Jiang Li, however, remained calm.

He simply picked up the empty plates.

"Leviathan?"

"I heard that's the largest biological warship of the Zerg."

"That is to say..."

A hint of anticipation flashed in Jiang Li's eyes.

"The biggest... seafood?"

"I wonder what that thing's meat is like..."

"Is there enough food for the entire ship... for a year?"