Chapter 20: 020 Delicious Paste

Song Ying, who originally looked somewhat agitated, concerned his teammate might have injured themselves, belatedly opened his mouth wide in realization.

"That looks cool?"

["Lucky Hit" energy charge +5.]

…

Bai E stood up, dusting off his hands, and gently smiled at Wood, who appeared somewhat dazed, "I'm fine."

"Oh oh~"

Wood felt that, for the first time in his life, he was truly awestruck, and just nodded blankly, "Alright, go rest for a bit. We'll join everyone for breakfast soon."

Facing the new recruit who shattered his preconceptions, Wood's tone became unconsciously gentler.

"Okay."

Bai E maintained as much composure as possible, even though he was utterly exhausted.

But within his pale smile, he couldn't hide his weakness.

He might still have a bit of newborn strength in him, but both his body and spirit were incredibly tired.

He also had no thoughts of squandering that newborn strength on another test of his limits.

According to the official website, self-breakthroughs are incredibly hard, and it's difficult to achieve them consecutively in a short period.

Having managed to break through on his own during the first training of the morning was satisfying enough for him, not to mention that it was a double boost through a single breakthrough.

Both his physical fitness and reflexes improved.

Looking back, the consistent external supplementation was crucial; it made his process of pushing limits much more prolonged and thorough.

The players can be said to have played a significant role in this.

It's just that it was quite painful for him…

Well done, next time, hmm… should we continue?

That's the question.

"Brother, have some water."

As Bai E, lost in thought, walked back to his own squad formation, a deep voice immediately rang out in front of him.

The robust man who had stayed with him until the end now looked at him with admiration, handing over a bottle of clear liquid with no labels.

"My name is Rock, this is the name I've given myself. Brother, you must remember me!"

Bai E took the bottle of fluid offered by the other man and smiled gently, "Thank you."

[Advertisement space for rent: Electrolyte Water (Level 3 Composite) (300ml): Quickly replenishes nutrients lost with sweat after intense physical activity, recovering 5% stamina within 5 minutes of consumption.]

After checking the item's properties, Bai E twisted open the cap and drank it all in one go.

In his moaning mouth, the cells reveled as if parched land meeting sweet rain, eagerly absorbing the moisture from outside.

"Everyone continues to rest for 5 minutes, then proceed to the canteen for a meal!"

Wood, still keeping a stern face, shouted to everyone present.

His gaze unintentionally softened into a faint smile when it swept over Bai E.

…

"We should also go train."

You whispered a soft reminder.

Since Bai E clearly didn't need their supervision, it was time for them to do their own thing.

Veterans needed training too, their gains from it might not be immediate, but over time, they would still be useful.

As part of the special forces squad, they had more freedom, but at the same time, they were more disciplined.

But today they didn't feel like being disciplined…

You's eyelashes fluttered gently, her face calm, "I want to watch a bit longer…"

Shan Meng vigorously shook his head, "Our training can be done anytime, but Bai's initial training only happens once."

Song Ying nodded, "Indeed."

Wood sighed softly, watching Bai E walk towards the canteen with the team, and shook his head, "Alright, we won't train today."

"By the way, what training do they have when they come back?"

"Weapon training, right? I think that's it."

Continuous physical training won't yield particularly good results, and the new recruits still had many skills to master. Scheduling their time wisely was the best way to enhance their combat capabilities.

…

The canteen.

Bai E scooped up a colorful paste-like viscous liquid in front of him with his spoon.

[Delicious Gloop (Level 3 Food) (500g): Made from a mixture of starch, meat, fruits, and vegetables, this gloop is high in calories and easily absorbed, eating it restores "Energy Reserve" by 15 points and satiety by 80%.]

Is this what food looks like in this world?

Do they really not consider taste or flavor at all?

Luckily I'm not picky…

Bai E braced himself to eat a clump of thirteen-spiced flavor mudpie and abruptly stuffed a big scoop of it into his mouth.

He almost swallowed without chewing, and it was only after a two-second delay that the taste buds belatedly caught the returning odor through the brain's perception.

Unexpectedly... not bad?

The unknown spices were wrapped in the thick soup, covering every inch of the food, with the fresh fragrance of fruits and vegetables, and the rich taste of minced meat blending perfectly. The starch gathered what was originally a loose thick soup together, adding elasticity and toughness...

"Burp~"

A satiated Bai E gently let out a satisfied burp, with an 80% fullness that was just right.

Being too full can cause drowsiness and is not conducive to continuing training thereafter.

The recovery of 15 "Energy Reserve" points could not be compared, so it wasn't clear if it was good or bad.

Energy Reserve is the energy stored inside everyone in Galaxy World, where stamina can be restored by sitting and resting after being exhausted, coming from its conversion.

In fact, if you replace it with a more familiar term, it might be easier to understand—fat.

It's just that the fat in the real world is not as flexible and convenient as this world's "Energy Reserve."

The full value of a person's Energy Reserve is usually around 100 points. It's rarely consumed during normal actions, and it's only during intense exercise or prolonged hunger that it gets used to convert into physical energy.

15 points of Energy Reserve would be enough for me to use up my stamina... one and a half times.

After all, it's military rations, so it must have some merit.

Having eaten his fill, Bai E turned his attention to the silver machine that had made the mush.

[Delicious Mush-Making Machine (Neutral)—If destroyed using "Lucky Strike," the following will drop: Certain (Delicious Mush*250kg, Cooking Experience by 500 points); Possible (Recipe: Delicious Mush)]

Hmm... If there's a chance, I'll blow it up. S~eaʀᴄh the nôvelFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

No matter where you are, food is always the most important.

What if... one day I defect?

Without food, wouldn't I starve to death?

...

"Without food, I'm going to die..."

Kuang Xin never imagined that, after wittily playing mind games with NPCs and bravely battling against wild wolves, not dying to natural disasters or calamities, he would succumb to hunger at the crack of dawn after laboring.

A night of frenzy topped off with morning toil drained all his Energy Reserve.

The inconspicuous, slender yellow bar under his character's health bar on the panel was now bottoming out.

And Kuang Xin, who had simultaneously depleted physical strength and Energy Reserve, found himself unexpectedly waiting to die where he stood.

In fact, even if he had the strength to move, he wouldn't know where to find food.

Meat?

The fresh chunks of meat obtained yesterday seemed to have a trait for restoring Energy Reserve, but he had turned them all in... not saving a single piece.

"I've been careless..."

So, I actually have to prepare food in advance in this game to prevent starving during missions?

I'll definitely keep this in mind next lifetime!

Bullets cost 2 black water coins each.

Hans is a cheap bastard.

Kuang Xin began to summarize the experiences that might come in handy in his next life.

Starting over didn't seem like such a big deal.

It was just a shame to lose the current quest on his person... and all that experience he'd worked so hard for.

I wonder if I could find that big-headed soldier again? Did I meet that big-headed soldier because I got Hans's information first as a prerequisite, or was it just luck? Could other big-headed soldiers also give out quests?

As a seasoned online gamer, Kuang Xin knew that some games operated this way; without fulfilling the prerequisite conditions, going directly to the target was likely to trigger nothing.

Damn it! Do I really have to be cheated by Hans once in order to get key information?

Starvation was a slow process, and Kuang Xin leaned against the tree stump he had felled, lost in thought.

He even considered stabbing himself to death but hesitated for so long that he couldn't bring himself to do it.

The game had no pain feeling adjustment, and while pain wasn't "painful," the sensation of committing suicide probably wasn't pleasant.

He was scared...

"Sss~"

"Sss~"

"Sss~"

The rustling sounds of something sweeping through the bushes came from nearby, and Kuang Xin immediately perked up his ears.

Human? Or wolf?

If it's a person, maybe I could ask for help; if it's a wolf, maybe it's a fight to the death, drinking wolf blood!

I still have one bullet, maybe I could turn the tables.

"Eh? What happened to you?"

A crisp female voice asked curiously, as the girl with 50 bullets stood not far away, hands clasped behind her back, smiling while looking over at Kuang Xin who was sprawled on the ground in a disheveled state.