178: celebration banquet

At the very center was a gigantic space turkey, roasted to a golden, glistening perfection and exuding an overpowering aroma.

The turkey's belly was stuffed with rice stir-fried with over a dozen kinds of mushrooms and herbs, and just the smell alone made one's mouth water.

Surrounding the turkey were various exquisite dishes.

There was "Golden Thunder Broth," cooked with the purest energy emanating from the thunderstorm core.

The broth was thick and melted in the mouth, a warm current flowing directly to the internal organs, as if one could hear every cell in the body cheerfully chirping, accompanied by tiny arcs of electricity joyfully dancing.

There was "Starlight Mashed Potatoes," made from glowing plant tubers collected from an ecological planet.

And there was a "Deep-Sea Dragon Shrimp Sashimi Platter" that looked unremarkable but made the old ghost's eyes nearly pop out.

Those were the most premium ingredients from the already extinct Mother Planet, Blue Star.

Every gram was priceless.

It was a luxury he couldn't even imagine, despite toiling his entire Life in the Cosmic Graveyard.

Besides these, there were also various adorable desserts and colorful freshly squeezed fruit juices.

And Q-version smiling faces of the Natural Selection family, which Nianqiu had personally drawn on the plates with jam.

Those Q-version smiling faces carried an innocent and carefree joy, as if all the childlike innocence of the entire universe was condensed within them, dispelling all the gloom in one's heart.

"Ta-da!"

"To celebrate Big Sister successfully defeating the big monster, and Brother Mo successfully finding the great treasure! I declare the first Natural Selection Universe Super Invincible Strongest Celebration Feast officially open!"

The Little Girl raised a "scepter" carved from a carrot and announced with a solemn expression.

The atmosphere, which had been slightly tense due to strategic disagreements, was instantly washed away by this warm current, a blend of food aromas and pure joy.

Gu Zhixia's taut, pretty face unconsciously softened.

She looked at her younger sister's face, brimming with pure happiness, and at the entire cart full of dishes that were clearly prepared with great care. Her heart, which had been restless with power, felt as if it had been gently soothed by a warm, small hand.

She took a deep breath.

The overpowering aroma of the food filled her nostrils, making her clearly feel that her body, already drained by battle and fatigue, was emitting the most primitive and intense desire.

She was indeed hungry.

Lin Mo also rose from his throne and walked to the dining cart.

He looked at the somewhat extravagant feast before him, then at Nianqiu's small, expectant face, which was practically screaming, "Praise me, praise me!" Finally, a subtle, genuine smile, unseen by others, appeared at the corner of his mouth.

He reached out, not for the priceless delicacies, but picked up a plain, slightly burnt butter cookie from the edge, and put it into his mouth.

The crispy texture, accompanied by the pure aroma of wheat and butter, bloomed on his taste buds.

It was a simple taste, yet it carried a warmth that reached directly into one's heart, a warmth called "home."

He wasn't hungry; instead, he savored and cherished each bite of food as a taste of this hard-won peaceful daily Life.

"It's delicious."

He looked at Nianqiu and said earnestly.

"Hehe!"

Nianqiu received the highest praise and happily narrowed her eyes, like a cat that had stolen a piece of candy.

On the Bridge, the atmosphere of the celebration feast was lively yet peculiar.

Nianqiu flitted like a happy butterfly between the dining cart and everyone, constantly adding food to their plates.

Lin Mo sat quietly to the side, slowly tasting each dish; his movements were slow, but he didn't miss a single one.

Gu Zhixia, on the other hand, was the absolute main force.

Her eating style combined the efficiency of a soldier with the elegance of a noble; she devoured everything, yet without making a single ungraceful sound.

Her body, which had consumed a massive amount of energy during the battle, was like a bottomless pit, greedily absorbing the energy from the food and repairing every tiny injury.

The fatigue in her phoenix-like eyes, which had been dominated by the rampant thunder, also dissipated little by little with the nourishment of the food, replaced by an unprecedented sense of satisfaction after being soothed.

She could feel that as the food went down, the special beneficial effects bestowed by Nianqiu's S-Rank Talent, Heart of the Divine Chef, were taking effect.

Streams of warm energy, imbued with Life, flowed through her limbs and bones, soothing the three unruly thunder laws within her body.

This significantly eased their frenzied conflicts, and there was even a faint hint of smoothness.

"Here, this is for you."

Just as Lin Mo was about to finish the last piece of "Starlight Mashed Potatoes," a fair, slender hand pushed a small plate of finely sliced, crystal-clear lobster meat in front of him.

It was Gu Zhixia.

She didn't look at him, merely drank her soup, as if it was a casual, unconscious gesture.

But her slightly reddened earlobes betrayed her current mood.

"I don't really like to eat raw food."

Her voice was very soft, carrying a subtle, almost imperceptible awkwardness.

Lin Mo looked at the plate of lobster meat, then at her slightly reddened earlobes, and said nothing.

He simply picked up a fork and put the lobster meat into his mouth.

Sweet and fresh, springy to the bite.

It melted in his mouth, as if it contained the vitality of an entire ocean.

This was the most precious dish of the entire feast.

Gu Zhixia took a crispy cookie handed to her by Lin Mo. Although a hint of defiance still lingered on her face, the agitation in her eyes had largely subsided.

As she took the cookie, her fingertips brushed his inadvertently, with an almost imperceptible tremor.

They exchanged a glance, looking over Nianqiu's oblivious little head, which was humming a song while arranging tableware, and reached a silent understanding.

That silent communication spoke louder than any words, revealing a profound bond within the warm atmosphere.

Lin Mo's gaze returned to the Bridge's main screen.

The Leviathan Headquarters, firmly locked by the bright red cursor, was like an ancient beast still in slumber.

The coordinates marked as "Leviathan Headquarters" became increasingly clear in the center of the star map, like a plump prey awaiting the hunter's judgment.

A cold, hunter's curve formed at the corner of his mouth.

"Eat well."

He said softly to the sisters.

"Such peaceful and harmonious days... won't last much longer."

"This will be the last calm before the storm."

Outside the viewport, the light of the orange dwarf star grew softer, casting a dreamy veil over this peculiar celebration feast held in the silent deep space.

The rest before the hunt had begun.

The hunter needed to conserve energy and sharpen his fangs and claws to their most perfect state.

And the prey, oblivious to all this, was still in its lair, dreaming of being invincible.

It didn't know that a vast net woven of death and laws had quietly begun to tighten.