Meteor Fall Master in the 'Starry Abyss'
Chapter 659 - 272. Talk to me

Chapter 659: 272. Talk to me

Three hours later, with Li Aozi’s help, Caramel Snail requisitioned a speedboat using the president’s authority and left the fleet, heading towards a planet named ’Ziluo’ in the Red Pupil System.

The fleet commander, Dalian, quickly noticed the ship’s movement but seeing it was under presidential authority for a special mission, he didn’t say anything. For safety reasons, he dispatched two reconnaissance ships to escort it for a while.

[Switching to automatic cruise mode]

"Speaking of which, what exactly are we going to do?"

Caramel Snail turned his head curiously to the boyish Li Aozi.

"Ordinary methods don’t make enough money. I need some special means."

Li Aozi, with his fingers intertwined and legs crossed, sat back with his eyes closed, seemingly resting.

"It always feels like you know everything..." Caramel Snail scratched his head.

"Just think of me as a prophet," Li Aozi opened one eye and smiled at Caramel Snail, "You can even consider me an omniscient god."

"Though it sounds a bit undermining... even a god would need to rely on others."

Caramel Snail retorted,

"Since coming from Azure Star, you’ve often acted alone. We Descenders feel like you’ve abandoned us."

"It’s just that you are too weak right now, and can’t keep up with me," Li Aozi responded.

"I just think, Li Aozi, aren’t you too lonely?"

Caramel Snail scratched his cheek,

"You could try relying more on others, but you always face everything alone. From an immigrant to becoming the local president without saying a word, we are still benefiting from your success... You don’t have to be so solitary."

"In the ocean called the starry sky, no one is an island. Even gods must be closely connected under the call of the Starry Abyss. Even the complex society is composed of countless atomized citizens, and every narrative cannot be described without the individual microscopic strength."

Li Aozi said calmly,

"If I have someone to rely on, I hope it’s you."

After speaking, he closed his eyes again, continuing to rest, seemingly also adapting to his implanted gear’s body.

"...What a thing to say."

Caramel Snail shrugged,

"I’m just chasing your footsteps... If you trust me too much, it’ll be pressuring."

[Prompt: The spaceship has entered orbit, switching to descent mode]

"We’re here," Li Aozi said blandly, "(2346, 5674), land at these coordinates."

"Got it." Caramel Snail entered the coordinates Li Aozi provided without question. The speedboat slowly adjusted its angle, deploying camouflage and magic shields to offset the red heat from atmospheric friction.

[Altitude decreasing...]

[Braking initiated...]

[Smooth landing at target location]

Sss...

The spaceship lit up with the teleportation array, and Li Aozi and Caramel Snail stepped out, landing on the alien terrain.

Caramel Snail was fully armed, wearing a tightly sealed helmet, surveying the surroundings. They had landed in a forest.

This seemed like an ordinary Earth-like planet, with green trees, red flowers, and flying birds. The creek flowed gently, winding around the stones, occasionally making pleasant tinkling sounds.

"Hmm, why does the natural environment here seem better than Baizhu Star?" Caramel Snail wondered.

Li Aozi answered calmly,

"Because it is. Industrial pollution is minimal here, and the technological level doesn’t surpass the atomic age."

"I see..."

Caramel Snail nodded, then activated concealment magic to hide the spaceship.

"The air here is non-toxic and abundant. Remove your helmet and hide your gear."

Li Aozi, now dressed in ordinary clothes, said,

"We don’t need to engage in much combat."

Caramel Snail, trusting him, took off his armor, now wearing casual clothes like Li Aozi, looking like a slender young man.

"Where do we go next?"

"Follow me."

Despite it being his first visit to an alien planet, Li Aozi navigated Ziluo Star effortlessly.

He picked up a pebble, struck a colorful-feathered bird from a tree, and told Caramel Snail it was a Hayabusa Dove, a plump and delicious forest bird that couldn’t fly but reproduced in large numbers, safe to hunt and eat.

While walking, he collected some berries and deliberately gave Caramel Snail some herbs for making healing items.

Then, he led Caramel Snail on a hike through the forest, up a mountain, where they ’coincidentally’ found an abandoned camp with useful cookware, salt, and animal fat. They could live and cook there, sleeping in sleeping bags.

"Hmm, your cooking skills are pretty good."

Li Aozi, gulping down a mouthful of meat soup made by Caramel Snail, brightened up and said in a youthful voice,

"Who taught you to cook? You handled this well with just salt."

"Garidon taught me," Caramel Snail replied, cracking an egg into the pan, "Though his food often has issues, the few dishes I tried were quite good."

"Maybe he’s just unlucky."

Li Aozi chuckled, his black hair hanging smoothly as the firelight tinted his face orange, his gray eyes sparkling like zircon, bright and clear.

Though he knew Li Aozi was male, Caramel Snail still stared dazedly for a moment, avoiding eye contact.

"...Li Aozi, why did you choose me to come with you?"

"I needed a strong bodyguard."

Li Aozi, resting his face on one hand, had a mature, handsome demeanor. As a boy, he had a more gender-neutral beauty, with delicate features and skin as smooth as silk. He looked like a fragile doll that might break with the slightest breeze.

For some reason, Caramel Snail thought Li Aozi’s face resembled someone else’s.

"Due to special circumstances, this body cannot have any super genes. I didn’t even assign it the Sovereign pathway."

Noticing Caramel Snail’s stare, Li Aozi seemed to read his mind, smiled, and said,

"You noticed, didn’t you? This face looks like someone else’s, right?"

"Hmm... I thought so before. Even in this youthful form, you don’t have a particularly androgynous look." Caramel Snail nodded, asking bluntly, "I feel like you’ve incorporated some female genes..."