Chapter 165

Chapter 165: The Brain Gradually Becoming a Villager (Additional Release 1)

The sun slowly set, and the Fire Dragon returned to the dining table, savoring flavors it could never create.

As the soup simmered, floating fats were skimmed off, leaving the fish meat transformed into creamy goodness in the broth, emitting steam that seemed almost like light itself.

The scorching soup entered the weasel’s mouth, invigorating its taste buds and heightening their sensitivity to the fresh aroma.

The bloody scent of flesh had been washed away, leaving only a subtle sweetness behind.

The fish slices floated steadily in the soup, dissolving like water when scooped up by the spoon, sliding smoothly from the mouth down the throat in long, comforting waves.

Without realizing it, his body relaxed, stretching out as if trying to prolong the silkiness of the fish soup.

Heat coursed through his entire being, and Jié Jié couldn’t help but exhale a wave of heat leftover from his Fire Dragon form. Thankfully, no real flames emerged, and no one noticed anything abnormal.

Nourishing extracts involuntarily joined the circulation during eating, exciting Jié Jié even more. He understood the power of cat rice—just one bite truly filled him with energy!

“Meow~”

Seeing the lively performance of the Smoky Snow Weasel, the head chef narrowed his eyes approvingly.

Cooking is about the joy experienced by diners and reciprocated by chefs who feel gratified by their approval.

This joy can be infused into the next dish, and many believe food can convey emotions and intentions.

The greedy Compiler displayed this satisfaction most vividly, which was why the head chef liked him so much. Though greedy, he wasn’t like the Terror Tyrant, indiscriminately gorging; his greed stemmed from a pursuit of beauty.

The beautiful emotions within the gourmet food spread, perhaps making Jié Jié see him as especially delicious too.

The Water Dragon’s meat chunks were enormous; the portion given to the Smoky Snow Weasel might’ve been just a bite for hunters with big appetites. Even if resources weren’t abundant, no one would complain about such a small amount.

Even the usually stingy Commander wouldn’t begrudge a little mascot like this the meal.

After finishing the fish soup, Jié Jié even dipped half his body into the pot, trying to lick the last drops of broth. But the soup was too good, leaving no residue of flavor behind.

Regretfully, he restrained himself, allowing the Chef Lady Ailu Cat to pat him before wandering toward the deeper parts of the cave.

The expedition team had excavated considerable space within the cave, mainly used to store precious supplies.

Deeper still was the Temporary Workshop built by the Technical Team Leader.

Besides forging everyday tools and materials, two technicians worked under oil lamps, circling the mountain countless times to draw design plans.

Whether idealistic concepts or practical purposes; whether overall visions or detailed designs—they all rested on the belief that the future will be better, founded on trust in the Guild.

The ship may have run aground, but they weren’t trapped here.

“Starlight.”

“Starlight.”

The Technical Team Leader, whose hair and eyebrows were already white, put down his pen, muttering this word while skillfully drawing the symbol of the Crossed Blue Stars in the corner of the blueprint.

He looked at the Smoky Snow Weasel watching him:

“Hey, little guy, this is Starlight.”

Jié Jié blinked, not understanding the words but sensing their significance. From the drawings, he roughly grasped what it referred to. Despite being an alien soul, humans’ comprehension remained intact, gradually learning through observation.

As the Technical Team Leader packed away the new design plans, Jié Jié followed him out, watching the old Dragon Person do some stretching exercises.

Jié Jié began searching for the Master Swordsman around the base, but before the swordsman left, he had wandered outside and didn’t know where he went.

In the following days, the Master Swordsman didn’t return, nor did any Dragon People Hunters appear at the base.

So once again, he dove into the sea, swimming along the previous route until reaching the waterfall, attempting to ascend against the current.

The water crashed onto rocks due to gravity, splashing chaotically, making it hard to climb the waterfall.

But Sea Dragons retained front limbs during evolution. Though their range of motion was limited, they possessed enough strength and resilience to climb the rocks within the waterfall.

Climbing up, Jié Jié began pondering if the Ice Curse Dragon chose to ram the iron gate instead of flying over, sharing the same psychology as himself.

No, he was just a Sea Dragon now—how could he fly?

The Sea Dragon’s gaze grew increasingly intelligent as it swam upstream along the river.

The rivers and lakes appeared somewhat unfamiliar compared to before, primarily because there were fewer Water Dragons, most having migrated closer to the sea.

Jié Jié climbed ashore, transforming from a Sea Dragon into a Male Fire Dragon, flying towards the direction of the Giant Ant Hill Wasteland.

As he flew, distant clouds drew nearer, thickening and darkening.

It was drizzling lightly in the Giant Ant Hill Wasteland.

He arrived just in time; several Gas Frogs and frogs were spotted in the marshlands. For large monsters, frogs were rare delicacies not to be missed.

A rather clumsy Mud Fish Dragon stirred up the swamp, and upon closer inspection, it was entangled with a heavily scarred Sand Earth Dragon.

It looked dead for some time, but the culprit responsible for its sorry state obviously wasn’t the Mud Fish Dragon.

Upon noticing the airborne dragon, the Mud Fish Dragon roared but didn’t loosen its grip.

A fireball later, the dried-out Mud Fish Dragon obediently dropped the Sand Earth Dragon’s corpse and fled.

Though rumors say the Sand Earth Dragon’s tail is delicious, Jié Jié, living comfortably, had no intention of eating carrion. Instead, he approached closely and made an interesting discovery.

Some Mud Fish Dragon larvae were burrowing into the wounds beneath the shattered shell of the Sand Earth Dragon, feeding on the carcass inside.

Looking further in, the interior of the Sand Earth Dragon’s body had been hollowed out by the larvae, leaving only an empty shell.

“Tsk tsk tsk.”

With a sigh of admiration, Jié Jié discarded the shell and turned to look for Gas Frogs.

The Spiny Dragon chased after Gas Frogs wandering in the vast marshes. Occasionally raising its head, it glimpsed a fragment of clear sky amidst the dark clouds.

Beyond the clouds, the high temperature boiled visibly blurred air—a common sight in distant deserts but strangely extended into the continuous cloud cover in a relatively regular pattern.

Swallowing the Gas Frog in his mouth, with nothing else to do, Jié Jié decided to take a look.

~~~~~

Chapter 166