“This is… Bishoujo Instant Noodles?”
She was all too familiar with it.
It was one of the best-selling instant food brands in the universe.
But what impressed March 7th wasn’t its popularity, but rather—
It was Nie’s favorite instant noodle brand.
Nine times out of ten, Selene’s late-night snack was a steaming cup of “Bishoujo Instant Noodles.” March 7th often went to Selene’s room to chat and hang out, and had eaten it with her many times.
Over time, she had even come to like the taste herself.
But…
this was Jarilo-VI, a planet that had been almost completely cut off from the outside world for hundreds of years.
Resources were extremely scarce in both the Overworld and the Underworld.
“Where did she get this best-selling instant noodle brand from across the universe?” March 7th wondered.
With her sharp eyes, she noticed that the production date and packaging design were from the latest release.
“…The newest version?”
“Here, hot water.”
Celine’s voice interrupted her thoughts.
She pulled out a small, highly insulated kettle from somewhere and deftly poured boiling water into the two cups of instant noodles.
“Ah, thank you!” March 7th and Star quickly thanked her, using the included forks to secure the noodle lids.
“Let’s go. I’ll take you two to find that Cold-Faced Little Azure Dragon,” Celine said as she put away the kettle.
“The noodles will be ready by the time we get there. You can eat on the way. If we’re lucky, we might even catch one of his matches.”
Led by Celine, the two of them followed her through the winding alleyways of Boulder Town, each holding a cup of instant noodles that was beginning to release an enticing aroma in one hand and a fork in the other, carefully blowing on the steaming noodles.
Inside the Fight Club.
The rugged ring was illuminated by makeshift lights, and the surrounding area was packed with excited residents from the Underworld.
The announcer shouted in a thick accent with great enthusiasm:
“The most anticipated match of the Boulder Town Super League begins now!”
“Our rising dark horse—Cold-Faced Little Azure Dragon—faces…”
“The Invincible Three-in-One Robot!”
(It’s actually just three traffic lights stacked together. The author was feeling lazy and didn’t want to come up with something more complicated.)
“The match begins!”
On the stage, Dan Heng moved like a ghost.
Facing the seemingly intimidating charges and swings of the “Three-in-One Robot,” he stepped lightly, dodging every attack with ease.
Seizing an opening, he struck! This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Three precise, swift, and powerful straight punches struck the protective shields of the three machines.
Against absolute skill and power, their sturdy armor was completely useless.
Crash!
The once-aggressive “Three-in-One Robot” instantly fell apart into three piles of sparking scrap metal.
The entire fight was clean and efficient, lasting less than ten seconds.
After a brief silence, the audience erupted into even louder cheers and whistles.
“Incredible! Not even our strongest defensive Three-in-One Robot could withstand ten moves from the rising dark horse, Cold-Faced Little Azure Dragon! Congratulations to our winner—Cold-Faced Little Azure Dragon!”
Dan Heng expressionlessly accepted the reward handed to him by the host.
Wrapped in coarse oil paper were a few hard pieces of rye bread and a small stack of Winter City Shields.
He weighed them in his hand and silently estimated:
(If I use these sparingly, they should last a few days. Food and basic expenses are covered for now.)
(I should head back and see if March and Star are awake…)
He put away the reward and turned to jump off the ring.
His gaze swept across the crowd below.
Then, he saw them.
In a relatively uncrowded corner near the edge of the ring, Star and March 7th were happily eating instant noodles, each holding a cup.
Rising steam blurred their faces, but the rich aroma of the food, so different from the smells of sweat and engine oil that filled the arena, drifted clearly toward him.
“Dan Heng! Over here!”
With a strand of noodles still hanging from her mouth, March 7th waved happily and called out when she saw him looking over.
Dan Heng: “…”
He silently stepped off the stage and walked over.
His gaze shifted between the beautifully packaged instant noodle cups in their hands—clearly imported from another planet—and the few hard pieces of black bread in his own arms.
“…What’s this?” Dan Heng’s voice sounded colder than usual, tinged with disbelief and confusion.
“Where did you get these instant noodles?”
He had fought for half a day to earn this meager meal.
Then he turned around and found his teammates happily slurping fragrant instant noodles in this frozen, resource-starved world.
The contrast was simply too great.
“Ah, these?” March 7th swallowed the noodles in her mouth, pointed to the side with her fork, and cheerfully replied, “Sister Lin gave them to us! She’s so nice!” Read the latest chapters at novelping dot com.
As she spoke, she subconsciously turned her head.
But…
The space beside her was empty.
“Huh?” March 7th paused and looked around while holding her cup of instant noodles.
“Where’s Sister Lin? She was just here… Star, have you seen Sister Lin?”
Star, who was intently slurping her noodles and had even finished some of the broth, looked up blankly with a bit of oil still on her lips and shook her head.
“No.”
“Sister Lin…?” Dan Heng repeated the name, his eyes instantly sharpening.
That Stellaron Hunter…
that doll named Celine…
her name contained “Lin.” Could it really be her?
His heart tightened.
He was about to warn his two unsuspecting companions about the mysterious Stellaron Hunter and the potential risks of eating food from an unknown source…
But seeing March 7th and Star eating happily, completely fine, their cheeks even flushed from the hot soup, with no signs of poisoning or discomfort…
(Never mind…)
Dan Heng swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.
(Since they’re alright, saying anything now would only put them on guard. That woman must have some ulterior motive for giving them food.)
(But if she ever shows any malice toward March 7th or Star… or tries to use them…)
(I will never let her get away with it.)
“You three… are outsiders?”
A deep male voice interrupted Dan Heng’s thoughts.
The three of them turned around.
A middle-aged man approached.
He wore a thick fur coat.
His gray hair, full beard, and weathered face gave him an experienced appearance, while his eyes revealed remarkable shrewdness.
A seemingly friendly smile rested on his face.
His gaze swept over the bread in Dan Heng’s hands, the instant noodle cups held by Star and March 7th, and their clothing, which was clearly different from that of the Underworld residents.
“My name is Oleg,” the middle-aged man introduced himself calmly, carrying the composed demeanor of an influential figure in the Underworld.
“I’d like to get to know all of you…”