Page 10
The exaggerated scene made them forget for a moment the fear of being trapped in the main control cabin by the Legion, and they were amazed at his huge appetite.
After receiving permission to eat, Kong seemed to have transformed into a Saiyan, constantly swallowing the various foods brought by the ordering robot. Some of them even had no time to be processed. The lunch boxes on both sides of the table were already stacked up to a head taller than him when he stood upright.
Fortunately, the main control section was the area where the staff members ate and rested, otherwise Esta wouldn't have been able to let Sora eat as much as he wanted.
Not to mention that the train crew had never seen such an exaggerated appetite, Eula and Holhaiya had also never seen him eat so much.
Paimon on the side was stunned. In Teyvat, when she and Sora were eating, Sora would always take some out of his own share and give it to her, but... Paimon now felt that the pancake in her hand was not delicious anymore. She felt full just by watching Sora eat.
"Ha, half full, not bad. Oh? No need to share with me, Paimon, I'll only eat this much, otherwise it will be inconvenient for me to move around."
"Eh? Only half full?!"
Kong's stomach didn't swell at all, as if all the food had been sent to another dimension. He looked around, then was satisfied with the impact his behavior had brought to the staff.
Modular lunch boxes and tableware can be stacked together to facilitate transportation, cleaning and disinfection. Looking at the mountain of tableware on the side, only robots and staff wearing exoskeletons can lift them all up.
But he was seen carrying the mountain of lunch boxes, and despite Dan Heng and San Yue Qi's looks as if they were looking at a ghost, he easily put all the boxes onto the automatic transport vehicle - and when he let go, it caused quite a shock.
The dejected staff members who had just been whispering about whether to escape from the space station were all diverted by him, as if space itself was a strange thing.
"Hey, is that the mercenary that the stationmaster specially asked us to entertain?"
"He's a bounty hunter. If he can eat so much, he must be a very good fighter, right?"
...Sora's purpose is simple, which is to create topics and attract the attention of the space station staff, as well as to complete the commission from Station Master Estelle - to help the staff rebuild their confidence.
Not only was it to make it easier for them to get jobs later, but it was also to create a fixed impression and turn rumors into propaganda that was beneficial to them...
"A big-eating bounty hunter with extraordinary strength" is definitely more convincing than "a pretty boy kept by two female warriors".
"Doctor, don't put too much burden on your stomach. Even if you are very hungry, it is dangerous for you to consume so much food in a short period of time--"
Hol Haiya knew that Kong could definitely control his appetite, but out of concern for his old lover, he still reminded him.
"Now, everything that enters my stomach is not so much nutrition as it is a repair agent. Don't worry."
Kong stretched his shoulders and neck, then sat back at the table. After San Yueqi was dumbfounded and the tiger-skin roll in his hand fell onto the plate, he naturally took the cup of coffee handed to him from behind:
"Gulp, cool... This body has almost recovered... If we only consider the explosive power, it should be half of the level when I was in Teyvat. The star core is really a good thing."
"What do you mean by 'this body'...?"
With her other hand, Ester was holding the coffee she was going to give to Eula and Holhaiya. She smiled and leaned over from behind Sora.
"I seemed to have heard... a star core just now?"
She didn't come here specifically to deliver coffee to Kong. Even in the vacuum period when the antimatter army was organizing an attack, she only had a short break. However, some of the more precious equipment in the warehouse still required her biometric code and identity card to take out. Considering the special nature of the equipment, she had to make the trip in person. Of course, she also planned to take this opportunity to come down and express her condolences, so as to restore the morale of the staff who were resting in the restaurant.
...and then I heard such explosive news.
"Well, the Star Core Hunter stuffed a star core into my body. Now my main energy for activities is provided by it, and food is used to repair muscle tissue."
Kong Ting seemed to be caught off guard when he revealed his shocking secret, causing Dan Heng and San Yue Qi to frown when they heard it:
"Sora! Why didn't you tell me such an important thing just now?!"
"...Do you understand the importance of the star core?"
Dan Heng's expression gradually changed from surprise to seriousness - he no longer had any defenses against Kong, but the other party's words just now still scared him.
He felt that it wasn't that Sora was hiding these horrific experiences... but in the eyes of the other party, having a star core stuffed into the body was not even a "fun thing" worth mentioning. Such a big heart was awe-inspiring.
"Of course I understand. The Black Tower Space Station was built to seal the star core. Jizi has already introduced it."
Kong's relaxed and happy expression coupled with Esta's face behind him, who was trying to be playful but ended up freezing in mid-air, was hilarious no matter how you looked at it.
"But this thing seems to have formed a symbiotic relationship with me. I'm not bragging, but my compatibility is quite strong. The Black Tower can save a lot of care fees—"
"This is not about money... Kong, if you can't explain how you absorbed the star core... I'm afraid the Black Tower will not let you move around freely."
San Yue Qi also became a worried old lady: "That woman is very petty!"
The other party trusted them so much that she casually said such a terrible thing. They were a little worried that Estelle would turn against them on the spot and imprison Kong.
You have to know that 90% of the significance of the existence of this space station lies in this star core. And the company lady with a smile behind him is not a naive person. It is impossible for her to let a mobile natural disaster run around, even if the other party is a newly signed partner.
"Star Core Hunters...what exactly is their purpose...?"
Esta had no doubt that Kong was in cahoots with the Star Core Hunters. Just by absorbing the special feature of the star core, it was enough for Kong to become a guest of honor of many forces. If there was a way to stably seal the star core, they would not let Kong run around.
"Don't be afraid. The star core is quite stable now. I've said it before... I'm special and can be compatible with a variety of energy sources. It's only in the middle of the range among all the energy sources I've absorbed. It's just that the installation process is semi-forced, and I can't refuse."
Kong still looked indifferent, and his words were full of arrogance that almost reached the level of "arrogance": "They ran away after tinkering with it, without even giving me a chance to ask why. But the star core is quite stable with me now, and I can ensure that its power is used in the right place."
"Huh... Looks like I have to send another letter to Ms. Black Tower... She won't come back this time."
Esta stood up with a headache. She was so shocked that her hair hung down unnaturally, just touching Kong's ears. The boy, who was about to continue his heroic speech, vaguely noticed it and his expression became strange.
Because Eula and Fatty Snake's faces were also gradually turning darker - they felt uncomfortable because of the smooth little combo that Ester performed on Sora.
"We need to revise the employment contract... Mr. Kong... As Dan Heng said, the Black Tower Space Station cannot bear uncertain risks right now... Can you accept my request to only let your team members assist in the battle, while you command in the main control cabin? I can even add some money."
Esta was a very tactful girl. She didn't explicitly say that she wanted to put Kong under house arrest, but only said that she wanted to keep him out of the front line of the battlefield for the sake of control.
"I think if you are really worried about the impact here, you should stick with the original contract and let me go out to fight."
Kong said calmly: "This way, even if I explode, the civilians in the main control cabin will not be implicated."
"I don't mean to put your life at risk...it's just..."
Esta hesitated: "The star core is very unstable, and the destructive power it contains will also affect others..."
"I'm willing to vouch for Sora!"
Sanyueqi raised her hands with a clang - it was hard to imagine that she and Kong had only known each other for less than two hours.
"If he hadn't intervened, we would have been overwhelmed by the locust-like empty soldiers. Stationmaster Estelle, do you think he is a dangerous person?"
No, I was actually worried that if I lost such an important experiment, Ms. Heita would be unhappy... I wasn't really worried that he would betray me...
Moreover, Esta really wanted to refute March Seven. She could sense a sense of "deliberateness" in Kong's every move. She often smelled a similar atmosphere from the old men at home... She brought the expensive equipment here to further test Kong.
But neither Alan nor the train crew were very wary of Kong, which was contrary to her experience. In just a short period of time, people were impressed by his honesty and were willing to casually reveal his background with no sense of self-protection - everything was very counterintuitive.
It would only make sense if he was a saint or he was practicing a "Tao".
Estelle prefers the latter.
At least he is not the same kind of person as Destruction. As for which star god he believes in, she can investigate slowly. If he is always consistent and has not concealed anything, then if she controls him too much now, it will chill his heart. He is here to help her in times of need!
Seeing that the two female teammates around him looked at her more and more unfriendly, Ester sighed inwardly and was about to compromise.
"It's not impossible for me to command from the rear, but I need a more detailed map of the space station and a more complete means of communication."
Before Esta could back down, Sora took the initiative to speak again.
He took a look at the daily tasks provided by the newly-formed "Star Dome Railway System" and decided to let Ester do it.
[Release daily tasks: Complete Esta's commission. Rewards: Unlock the next cooperative system in order and provide three minutes of invasive compatibility testing qualifications. All rules tested during this period can affect the real universe. ]
"Invasive compatibility testing" is the most powerful plug-in prepared for him by the Suture System and the local tyrants. Enabling this test qualification means that no matter how outrageous the power of the rules he activates is, he can use it on local enemies at will, and the resulting rule changes will be recognized by this world.
The power rules that Holhaiya and Eula carry with them are already highly compatible with this world, so they will not be suppressed by the virtual soldiers in battle. But after all, they have not reached the level of the order envoys mentioned by Aha, and they cannot get energy replenishment on a normal basis. If they want to fight against the order envoys or even the star gods, Kong must get this precious three-minute test qualification.
"You actually questioned Sora's motives! He's a world-renowned hero!"
Sora was thinking about how to complete the mission, but Eula stopped working:
"Esther, right? I'll remember this grudge!"
"Eula, it's okay. This is not in Teyvat after all. I have to start over again." It was Sora who turned around and began to comfort Eula.
"Sora, we can definitely stay out of this - we've already been very kind!"
"The Golden-haired Fool has done so many stupid things. It doesn't matter if he does one or two more. As long as his reputation spreads, everything will be fine."
...This singing and dancing made Esta stunned.
She had seen similar "performances" at home, but leaving aside the fact that she was so angry, Eula's indignant look did not seem like an act, as if she had suffered a great injustice.
"After all, this is about the most important containment... Please allow me to express my apologies. I am not targeting you, Mr. Kong."
When Esta heard that Kong was willing to endure a little grievance, she quickly clasped her hands together and pretended to be a little girlish.
Although she has always been very girlish in some aspects, she is one of the best people who can be seen acting nice in the workplace. Danheng and Sanyueqi both breathed a sigh of relief, as if they were glad that no conflict broke out.
"Humph, you said you are not targeting travelers, but can you show enough sincerity?"
Paimon also looked angry, and with the same classic move as Tiger Brother, he pointed his little finger at Estelle's cheek - she knew best how many times Sora had been wronged, and naturally didn't want him to suffer in the new environment.
"In addition to maps and equipment, I will also need detailed information about the Star Core Hunters afterwards. Although they have done me a favor by burying the star core in my body, I don't know their purpose in doing so. I don't know them well enough either." Sora took advantage of Paimon's help and continued to make requests to make his reasons for working more convincing.
Have I done you a favor?
If this is considered a favor, then isn't this world a bit too cruel to you?
Everyone was complaining fiercely in their hearts.
"Information is not a problem. I will immediately take you to familiarize yourself with our star array system. It can help you get in touch with all the defense department terminals in the entire star system from the main control cabin. Of course, we will provide you with matching advanced terminals..."
But the development of things is never subject to human will. Just as she was about to hand over the light cone she had just picked up and continue to drain her favor, the shrill alarm of the star array sounded at an inopportune time.
"what……"
Red warning signs surrounded Ester. She quickly pointed at the air a few times, called up the hologram, and synchronized it with the monitoring equipment in the support module. She just saw a giant creature that looked like a dragon trying to break through the space station's shield.
"...Doomsday Beast."
After seeing the giant beast clearly, Dan Heng's tone suddenly became serious:
"They are determined to take this place."
At the same time, Ji Zi, who was comforting the clerk outside the rest area, seemed to sense something and quickly ran towards the table where Kong was.
After Asta quickly assessed the situation, her expression became less gentle. She handed a photo frame-like device to Sora, and then said to Sora and Himeko who was running over, "Mr. Sora, our contract is going to be terminated. I will pay you the penalty. Go to shelter first and protect yourself. Himeko, you guys take the train and I'll stay."
After saying this, as if to prevent the alarm from putting further pressure on the staff in the restaurant, she ran back to the command desk of the Star Array with a swift movement that did not suit her body shape.
Kong scratched his cheek - maybe today was not a good day for doing business, as he cancelled two contracts in a row.
What should I do with my daily mission? Should I listen to her and take the train to escape? Or should I take Eula with me and chop the dragon to death?
"……let's go."
Ji Zi, who knew the situation better, was not as hesitant as he was. She first checked the status of Eula and Holhaiya, and then in front of them, she grabbed Kong's arm without any hesitation and pulled him out of the main control cabin.
"???"