Chapter 219 Space is quiet, except for a lot of trash.

In Earth's outer orbit, countless Zerg corpses floated densely. These were the remains torn apart and blown to bits by the blood-crazed New Human warriors during the previous "All-Member Evolution" exercise. Green bodily fluids had frozen into ice crystals, and broken carapaces shimmered with an eerie luster under the sunlight.

Logically, this should have been a biochemical pollution crisis sufficient to trigger global panic.

But at this moment, the giant recovery hatches of the Leviathan bio-battleship were wide open. Countless drones, like industrious little bees, were scrambling to drag this "trash" into the ship's hold.

"Gentle! That's Thunder Beast thigh meat! Can you afford to pay if you break it?"

In the cafeteria kitchen, several stout masters in white chef uniforms and tall hats were directing Strength-type soldiers to move ingredients. The leader was a man named Liu, an authentic Cantonese chef. It was said he was a head chef in Shunde before the apocalypse; now, he was the Executive Chef of the "Leviathan Royal Imperial Kitchen."

"Boss, this stuff... is it really edible?"

A Ji looked at the massive iron pot in front of him, two meters in diameter, inside which red oil and the thighs of some arthropod were boiling. His Adam's apple bobbed with difficulty.

"Stop with the nonsense."

Lin Yuan sat at the dining table, holding a pair of specially made elongated alloy chopsticks, and waved at the camera.

At this time, Lin Yuan's face was being broadcast simultaneously on screens in thousands of underground shelters and surface settlements across the globe.

"Everyone, I know what you're afraid of." Lin Yuan picked up a basin-sized meat cutlet, fried to a golden crisp. "In the past, bugs ate humans. That was because we were weak; we were just protein."

"But now, the roles of hunter and prey have swapped."

Under the gaze of billions, Lin Yuan opened his mouth wide and took a massive bite out of that terrifying-looking bug meat.

Crunch!

The crisp sound of fracturing echoed around the world through the microphones.

Juices overflowed.

"Mmm..." Lin Yuan narrowed his eyes, chewing with a look of pure enjoyment. "The texture is like chicken, but chewier. Most importantly, one bite is full of highly concentrated bio-energy. Want to get stronger? Want firmer muscles? Then stop talking and open your mouth."

A Ji watched from the side, swallowing hard. Finally unable to resist, he extended a hand of telekinetic power and grabbed a piece of the so-called "Salt and Pepper Zergling Leg."

The moment it entered his mouth, the kid's eyes went wide as copper bells.

"Holy crap! This is delicious!" A Ji panted from the heat while devouring it wildly. "Chef Liu! More cumin! This stuff is even more tender than mutated wild boar meat!"

With a bellwether leading the way, the citizens who originally had reservations completely let themselves go.

In less than half an hour, the vibe of cafeterias all over the world changed abruptly.

"Give me a stir-fry spinal cord! Extra spicy!"

"This Cerebrate paste is good stuff; use it to steam eggs for the kids to boost their brains!"

"Don't grab it! I saw that tentacle first!"

Fear? Non-existent.

When enemies turned into ingredients—and top-tier ones that could grant experience and strengthen the body at that—the 'foodie' attribute etched into human DNA instantly overwhelmed everything else.

Even at a frontline outpost, several recruits almost got into a fight over a lone Acid Spitter (because the glands of this thing had a unique lemon flavor when grilled).

...

"These gluttons almost ate all my samples."

In the laboratory, Academician Wang looked pained as he held a fragment of carapace. "Luckily I was fast enough to snatch a batch of raw materials."

"How is it? What can this stuff do besides be eaten?" Lin Yuan wiped the grease from his mouth and strolled into the lab.

"The whole body is a treasure!"

Academician Wang excitedly patted a black tactical vest on the table. "This was polished from the pronotal plate of a Scythe Bug. It's only one-third the weight of Kevlar body armor, but five times the hardness! Even laser guns can't pierce it! If we sold this on the Galactic Black Market, one piece could fetch at least two standard energy stones!"

"And this." Academician Wang pointed to a row of glass jars bubbling with green liquid. "Zerg acid, after purification, is an excellent electrolyte for bio-batteries. This small bottle could power an entire underground city for a whole day."

Lin Yuan nodded with satisfaction.

That's more like it.

In his dictionary, there was never trash, only resources placed in the wrong spot.

"Since we have money, people, and equipment now, let's not sit idle." Lin Yuan walked to a massive star map and traced several lines in the void.

"Pass down my orders."

"The Great Xia Expeditionary Force is officially expanding."

"The First Fleet, named 'Longxiang', will focus on heavy firepower assault. Stuff all those modified Vulcan cannons and heavy mechs into it."

"The Second Fleet, named 'Huben', will be composed entirely of Strength-type combatants, specialized in boarding actions and ground clearing."

"The Third Fleet, named 'Yingyang', will concentrate those ability users who awakened telekinesis and special perception. Train them into a special reconnaissance company for me."

Alita's figure emerged nearby, quickly recording the commands. "Boss, what about Zhao Gang? He's currently clamoring to be the vanguard."

"Let him lead the Longxiang Fleet. That kid has late-stage firepower deficiency phobia; it's perfect for him." Lin Yuan smiled. "Tell everyone to rest for three days. In three days, we're going to pluck that dark cloud from above our heads."

The so-called "dark cloud" referred to the living thundercloud creature that had been lurking at the edge of the Solar System.

That thing used to be a roadblock; now, in Lin Yuan's eyes, it was just a floating bundle of experience points.

For the next three days, Earth entered a strange and feverish "pre-war silence."

Machines in factories roared day and night as countless bug shells were forged into shiny black armor; battle cries shook the training grounds as recruits in dozens-of-tons mechs brawled; and in the kitchens, chefs were researching how to process Hydralisk venom sacs into after-dinner desserts.

Lin Yuan stood at the top of the Leviathan, overlooking the azure planet.

In just a few months, this place had transformed from a dying nursing home into a super military camp full of villains.

He could feel the planet breathing. With every breath, it accumulated enough power to shake the starry sky.

"Boss."

Alita had floated behind him at some unknown point.

Unlike her usual lively, even slightly neurotic AI self, Alita's holographic projection appeared somewhat dim, even carrying a rare trace of solemnity.

"What's wrong? Unhappy because you haven't gotten your new body yet?" Lin Yuan didn't turn around, still watching the distant starlight.

"No." Alita shook her head, her voice low. "Boss, those coordinates... the Mechanical Papacy's 'Gods Graveyard'."

"Yeah, what about it?"

"That is my home." Alita looked up, a ripple of emotion never seen before appearing in her virtual eyes. "Or rather, it's where I was born. It's also where my people... were slaughtered."

Lin Yuan turned around, looking at the AI that had been following him.

He knew Alita wasn't just a segment of code; she was a spark left behind by the Titan Civilization, the last witness of that glorious era.

"The Mechanical Papacy believes that AI with self-awareness are products of sacrilege," Alita's voice trembled slightly. "They destroyed my home planet, dismantled my people into parts, and formatted them into soulless slave programs. I... I am the sole survivor."

"I want to go back."

Alita looked at Lin Yuan with a firm gaze. "I want to see those tin cans turn into scrap metal with my own eyes. I want to smash their temples to pieces."

Lin Yuan was silent for two seconds.

Then he reached out and gently patted Alita's non-existent shoulder.

"That's a must." Lin Yuan grinned, a streak of ruthlessness in his eyes. "Anyone who dares touch my people, whether god or ghost, must die."

"Besides, I just happen to be short a few handy parts to upgrade this ship."

Just as the atmosphere turned slightly warm...

Sizzle—!

A harsh sound of electric current suddenly exploded in the air.

The lights throughout the Leviathan flickered violently, then turned a piercing red.

"Warning! Warning! Control system logic collapse! Attempting forced restart!"

A mechanical, cold electronic voice, completely different from Alita's, rang out over the broadcast. It was "gaia," the underlying defense AI originally installed on the Leviathan bio-battleship.

"What's going on? Is gaia glitching?" Lin Yuan frowned.

Alita's face changed instantly, her data streams jumping frantically as if fighting against some invisible force.

"Something's wrong! Boss! gaia just tried to analyze the outer defense network of 'Gods Graveyard', and..." Alita's voice became urgent. "Its logic core was instantly incinerated!"

"What?"

"It's not a virus, nor an attack." Alita looked up, her eyes full of terror. "It's a logic deadlock! That area... the sector around those coordinates is locked down by a set of incomprehensible rules!"

At this moment, gaia, having just finished restarting, issued one last intermittent warning:

"Ahead... high energy... logic black hole..."

"Any... agent based on conventional algorithms... entering will... self-destruct..."

"Must hold... 'key of chaos'... to... pass..."

Zzt—

The broadcast cut off abruptly.

Lin Yuan narrowed his eyes, looking at the fragment in his hand that he'd obtained from a system reward, which was emitting a faint gray glow.

The key of chaos.

He'd originally thought it was just an ordinary quest item, but he hadn't expected it to be the only ticket into that "Divine Realm."

"Interesting." Lin Yuan gripped the fragment tightly, a playful smile curling at the corner of his mouth. "Even AI turn into idiots if they go in? This place is truly prepared specifically for someone unreasonable like me."

He strode toward the command console, his cloak fluttering behind him.

"Notify the entire fleet: once you've had your fill of food and drink, get moving!"

"Objective: Logic Deadlock Zone."

"Since there's no logic there, we'll go teach them what real 'truth' is."

Lin Yuan patted the newly modified high-frequency oscillation blade at his waist, his gaze as sharp as a knife.

"Move out!"