Volume 4: Twilight Galaxy
The live stream had already exploded with reactions, and even Lie Yang’s sudden appearance couldn’t calm the viewers’ complaints about the Twilight Galaxy’s dietary culture. The chat was flooded with horrified emojis.
“!!!”
“Oh my gosh! Did this highly evolved intelligent species forget to evolve their taste buds? Their culinary culture seems to be way off!”
“I can’t believe my eyes! Even the Beast Clan, after all its evolution, doesn’t eat raw meat and blood anymore!”
“What’s wrong with the Beast Clan! We haven’t eaten raw meat for years! Don’t pin this on us!”
“It’s not just the blood on the plates. I’ve noticed that the drinks in this restaurant are also blood-red. I suddenly feel incredibly freaked out!”
“Oh no! Now that you mention it, I’m also creeped out. Is there something wrong with the natives of this world? As we discussed earlier, intelligent species’ evolution tends to resemble humans, including their taste preferences. So in this era, while there are differences in cuisine across races, something like this shouldn’t happen!”
“Am I the only one feeling sorry for our King? Forget Shu Xun, but Gray, you’re not the considerate Gray I once knew! But… haha… it’s kind of funny!”
“Lie Yang came just in time! Truly, the one irreplaceable person in the team is Lie Yang. He’s a jack-of-all-trades… except when it comes to using his brain!”
The livestream chat was in chaos, with most viewers immediately noticing how strange the Twilight Clan’s food seemed. Speculation ran wild, but since this was the first restaurant Shu Xun and his group had visited, there wasn’t much to base conclusions on—just endless theories.
In the restaurant, Lie Yang obviously didn’t get away. Shu Xun and Gray firmly pinned him in place, forcing him to stare at the two plates in front of him with a look of resentment.
A long time later, when Shu Xun and his group finally left the restaurant, Shu Xun and Gray maintained their usual calm expressions, while a dark-faced Lie Yang walked beside them. The reason was simple: in the end, Lie Yang had eaten both plates of undercooked meat, and unsurprisingly, it didn’t taste great. During the meal, both Shu Xun and Gray had tried a bite, then patted Lie Yang on the shoulder in encouragement. Lie Yang, on the verge of flipping the table, held back his urge and silently finished the meal.
Once they were far from the restaurant, the three of them discreetly found a quiet alleyway. They pulled out water bottles and drank, finally washing away the lingering taste of blood and salt in their mouths. Lie Yang, after finishing most of his bottle, put it back into his storage. “I seriously can’t understand why the taste buds of the natives here are so bizarre!”
Shu Xun couldn’t figure it out either. Based on how quickly Qing Kong’s wounds had healed earlier, the Twilight Clan seemed to be evolving beyond the five major races. Their appearance was almost identical to humans, so their sense of taste shouldn’t be so different. And yet, the result was baffling. “The Twilight Clan seems to have a particular fondness for the taste of blood. From food to drinks, everything centers around blood. Could their physiology be fundamentally different from the five major races?”
Gray glanced at Shu Xun, then at Lie Yang, before raising his hand to reveal a single strand of hair pinched between his fingers. “Pi-pi-picked up…”
Lie Yang’s eyes immediately lit up. He took the hair from Gray’s hand. “Twilight Clan hair? I have a gene analyzer, but we’ll need to find a quiet spot since it’ll take some time.” In games like this, where players enter with their real bodies, the system allows them to carry certain items. In this new intelligent species’ galaxy, a gene analyzer is one of the must-have tools for many players. Of course, it’s quite expensive.
“When we arrived, I noticed that the tavern also offers lodging. It’s a good chance to rest. While the analyzer runs, we can continue investigating Qing Kong.” After recalling the area they had passed through, Shu Xun and the other two made their way toward a nearby tavern.
Before long, they found the place, a three-story building. Even before they entered, they could hear the sound of singing and musical instruments, the tune leisurely and calming, as if praising something.
Pushing open the tavern door, Lie Yang, who had been leading, immediately shrank back and stepped behind Shu Xun. The reason was clear—the overwhelming scent of blood filled the air. Across the long counter directly facing the entrance, there were transparent glasses, their contents predominantly a striking red, with only a few exceptions in other colors.
The tavern was busy. In the soft music, groups of customers sat together, enjoying their rare moments of relaxation. Occasionally, they would lift their glasses and take a light sip of the vivid red drinks, their faces showing pleasure. Seeing this, the trio felt something was off, though none of them let it show on their faces.
Shu Xun quickly scanned the tavern’s surroundings and then approached the bartender with a pleasant smile, naturally striking up a conversation. After ordering a few drinks and confirming their room, Shu Xun, Lie Yang, and Gray were led to the third floor by the staff.
Once inside, Shu Xun swiftly used his spiritual sense to check the room, finding nothing out of the ordinary. He then set up an array to ensure the privacy of their space. Soon after, the drinks Shu Xun had ordered were delivered and arranged neatly on the table in the room.
Lie Yang stood by the window, eyeing the table warily from a distance.
Shu Xun glanced at Lie Yang in exasperation. “Lie Yang, come over here.”
Lie Yang’s hidden antennae immediately extended, drooping down to cover his ears, as he continued to stare out the window with an indifferent expression.
Shu Xun walked over to Lie Yang, grabbed him by the antennae, and dragged him over to the table. Despite his vocal protests, Lie Yang’s feet obediently shuffled toward the table, where Gray enthusiastically pressed him into a seat.
Lie Yang: “…”
“I’m telling you now, I’m not drinking this time! Not even if it kills me!” Lie Yang’s antennae stood upright as he stared at the strange drinks on the table.
Shu Xun and Gray sat down as well. Shu Xun responded calmly, “There are no natives here. Who said you had to drink? What’s the point of your antennae if you’re not using them for the analyzer?”
Gray scratched his head and stammered, “N-no worries, King… y-you can… still… eat… you’re still useful…”
After Lie Yang sat down, the blue butterfly that had materialized earlier quietly landed on the table, tidying its own antennae. “Honestly, you really don’t have much other use left.”
Lie Yang: “…” Furious, he took out the gene analyzer, placed it on the table, and inserted the strand of hair Gray had picked up earlier. The machine activated and the screen began displaying the analysis data. A progress bar at the bottom showed it would take more than three hours to complete the analysis.
Shu Xun gestured toward the various drinks on the table. “Gray and I will head out for a while. We’ll be back in the evening. Once the analysis is complete, just upload the data to the chatroom. After analyzing the hair, try to examine these drinks as well. Maybe we can uncover some clues about the Twilight clan’s diet.”
“Why do I have to stay behind?” Lie Yang clearly didn’t want to remain in the tavern, knowing full well that Shu Xun and Gray were going out to gather information.
Lan Yang spoke slowly, “Generally speaking, taking you along would increase the risk of exposure. You’re better off staying here at the tavern and just coasting along like you always do. After all, that’s how you’ve been winning so far.”
Already standing at the doorway, Shu Xun waved his hand with a smile. “Lan Yang’s right.”
With a click, the door closed, and the room was left in silence save for the faint beeping of the working analyzer. Lie Yang glanced at Lan Yang, who was calmly grooming its antennae, then suddenly reached out, grabbed it by its feelers, and placed it on the analyzer. “You keep watch. I’m going out for a walk.”
With that, he darted out of the room like the wind.
Lan Yang was left standing stiffly on the analyzer. After a long moment, it tilted its head to glance at the device before nonchalantly continuing to comb its antennae with its tiny legs. Meanwhile, Shu Xun and Gray had just barely left the tavern when Lie Yang quickly caught up with them.
“I have a bad feeling about this world. It’s too dangerous for you two to be out here alone. I’d better stick with you,” Lie Yang said, clearly concerned.
Shu Xun raised an eyebrow, surprised at Lie Yang’s sudden display of caution. Just as he was about to ask why, Lie Yang continued, “I ran into a few players earlier, and out of nowhere, they were struck by lightning and kicked out of the game. I think the world’s awareness has a strong ability to detect powerful players, making it easier for them to get caught.”
Shu Xun tugged at his hair. Lie Yang’s landing spot must have had a lot of players in close proximity, which was why he’d experienced such an immediate response. “All right then, let’s walk around together and get used to this world.”
The three of them wandered aimlessly through the streets, chatting as they went. Lie Yang shared his experiences since entering the game, which were similar to those of most players—encountering the native inhabitants early on and choosing to temporarily avoid them. During this time, he had also witnessed a few players being forcibly logged out.
He recalled landing for the first time, barely having a chance to observe his surroundings, when a terrifying bolt of lightning suddenly shot down from the sky, striking a group of players.
That scene had left even Lie Yang, who wasn’t directly involved, deeply shaken. He had seen it clearly: the night sky had been completely cloudless and the formation of the lightning seemed to have no environmental cause. The energy it contained was immense, and not even the evolved races could withstand it. Some players had attempted to flee as soon as they noticed the sky’s anomaly, but the lightning moved faster than they could. It even appeared to have some sort of automatic tracking, making it impossible to avoid, no matter where they tried to hide.
At that moment, Lie Yang realized just how strange this world was. It wasn’t just about facing the end—it was much more mysterious and dangerous than that.
Moonlit: Updates will be 2 chapters every weekday. It will be uploaded at 4:00 am (GMT +8)
