Chapter 1 part 4
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQZJtg4QSs7
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoPsQcT0Yvv
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpU6AWMvlz6
The Gourmet Space Butcher (Still Needs Sauce)
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWHLpe9QRmV
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfV5Fa9GinF
The food in this part of the galaxy? It’s an affront to my senses. If I were to sum up the culinary offerings of this sector in one word, it would be *gross.* No exaggeration. It’s a universal truth that the dietary staples here are nutrient paste or synthetic protein blocks, both of which taste like they were made by malfunctioning replicators.
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc4pGx9zdeV
The protein blocks, more algae composite than meat, are chewy, like a mixture of multi-strain yeast and unrefined bio-mass. They don’t even come close to the juicy, fluffy synthesized meat I’m used to back home. Then there’s the nutrient paste, made from processed space kelp—everything about it screams ‘tacky survival food.’ The texture alone is jarring, like chewing through the hull of an old mining rig.
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Ywkp4twMe
The hydroponic broths? Barely worth the name. They lack the rich, complex flavors one expects from a proper meal. The savory umami is nowhere to be found. I suspect they’re trying to bring depth to the broth with vat-grown protein and fermented beans, but it’s all flat. I miss MSG crystals—*real* flavor. All they’re scraping by with are mineral salts.
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf0zsIAEBUh
The station-grown vegetables are no better—some are edible, sure, but since they’re not bothering with gene-modified varieties, they might as well be "space weeds" for all the flavor they bring.
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIRZjKxxUCi
You could accuse me of having a refined palate, and I wouldn’t argue. I’m from a civilization that knows how to indulge the senses. So yes, my tongue protests. Even though I’ve gotten somewhat accustomed to the blandness of this place, I can still taste the difference, and I haven’t forgotten the old, richer flavors of home.
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPMRw2KNGnJ
But there *is* good food in this sector. Xenofauna meat.
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡymUv6T8IbO
Adjusting the oxygen regulator on my helmet, I shouted,
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm3D1TB86YW
"Gimme the meat!"
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzKJLOUO5t5
“SCREEEEE!”
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW3vchZbUXX
Donning my spacesuit, I braced for the space boar’s charge, its tusks glinting like dark iron through my visor. The unnamed planet’s weak gravity made my movements sluggish, but with a powerful thrust of my suit’s leg boosters, I sidestepped the charging beast, my half-spec blaster already in hand, and with one swift blast, its throat bursts open in a spray of purple ichor.
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9PXcoKGmFT
The space boar—known for its maddened charge that has taken down countless naïve rookies—fell, the thud a dull vibration through my suit’s boots. The moment I hear of a request for this beast, I can’t help but fist-pump in silent victory. Because this mutant boar? Its meat is *delicious.*
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHFsJoED9WX
“Got to drain the ichor. Gotta remove the organs!”
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ80EozrCRro
The nearby space outpost has recycling tanks installed in several sections. With ease, I haul the space boar’s nearly 100-kilo carcass over to a decontamination chamber. As I cut open its belly with my blaster’s vibro-blade, the smell of raw meat fills the air. Some of its organs will be my meal, while others I discard. The liver analogue and the heart are the best parts. The rest? Too much of a hassle to sterilize and honestly, they don’t taste as good.
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp3JMP39C5d
I’ve become accustomed to this life, one that would make a *civilized* person hesitate. But when hunger strikes, people find strength they didn’t know they had. For food like this? I’ll carve through every inch of meat with determination.
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWi2JtXI3aP
“There we go, that’ll do, that’ll do…”
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ryR37jxvv
I carve out the flank, the back, and the neural tissue. That plump, brain-like organ is too irresistible to pass up. Sure, I’ve heard rumors about tentacle meat and other exotic xenofauna cuts, but I’m not quite sure how to prepare those, so I haven’t dared. Plus, there’s something unsettling about eating actual brains.
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ4JCJ4fRVD
But when it comes to grilled xenofauna meat, well, if it tastes good vacuum-sealed and plasma-grilled, I consider it a success. With nothing more than mineral salts and a quick grilling, the meat becomes incredible—far better than any synthetic protein block or bland nutrient paste.
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6IYfQYcP4M
That’s why I always take on requests for xenofauna elimination. The battles are straightforward, like missions designed specifically for feasting.
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs0SHuXHv0Z
“Mmm, yum.”
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0JumK6XckY
I divide the meat into portions: some to eat here, some to preserve in vacuum-sealed bags, and some to bring back to the station. The organs? A hunter’s bonus. The liver analogue, rich in nutrients, makes up for some of the vitamin deficiencies from station food.
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvIbaOyCNf0
The neural tissue, though, I keep to myself. There’s something special about that. The back meat is a perfect cut—tender, flavorful, and irresistible. The leg meat, however, is small and travel-friendly, ideal for trading or selling. A few credits in my pocket and a meal for later.
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8btexfvFQO
I’ll admit it: my butchering skills leave much to be desired. But that’s why I do this work out in the outer dwarf planets, where the space holds no judgment. Sure, there are xeno beast roaming the dark, but when there’s meat to be had, I’ll put my life on the line.
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ9GexAbMCv
…I just wish I had sauce. I crave sauce, something to complement this meat. But I don’t even know how to synthesize sauce, so I’m left with nothing but herb-infused mineral salts. It’ll do, but it’s not *perfect.* I miss demi-glace—the rich, velvety depth of flavor. I don’t care about synthetic carbs; just give me *sauce!*
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhTGl0aSGAz
“Oh, Narwhal? Took down something big again, huh?”
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqrTdfHP3Im
Returning from my hunt, the airlock controller greets me with a bored tone. I roll my hover-sled toward the docking area, the meat containers piled high—proud of my haul.
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhXFftzrX1G
“Deliveryyyy, want some meeeeat?” I shouted, my voice booming through my helmet's speakers.
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIuDKIxuWqO
“A space butcher! Gahaha!”
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGVpWXomDxN
I chuckle, offering the usual routine. “We make deliveries like this, sir. Can I dock?”
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0oixtaOwtQ
Back on the station, the airlock hissed open, and I stepped inside. As my suit cycled into standby mode, the airlock controller looked over my gear, glancing at my tag. “Narwhal the butcher, back from your hunt? Yeah, I see your credentials. But next time, dock through the cargo bay.”
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2b22W5lype
“No way. I’ll handle the butchering myself, rather than sending it to the processors.”
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg1VxLRmnOT
The cargo bay is convenient, sure, with a processing station that handles xenofauna corpses. Rather than do the messy work yourself, you can pay them to handle it. But I can’t stand the endless questioning about *what about the hide?* When I tell them I spaced it, they always give me those looks. So, unless I’m bringing in a mountain of bodies I can’t process myself, I don’t bother with that place.
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡERDtpqXOGS
“I want the meat for myself,” I say firmly. “I’ll do my own processing, no objections allowed.”
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSYXfx7wcES
“You’re one odd spacer. Gonna switch to being a meat processor?”
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmKGqi5jN69
“It’s crossed my mind.”
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXHJQ4O712V
“Oh really?”
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6p8mNoquSE
“Well, work using my brawn suits me more.”
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyMDr4fZ43M
“You’re not wrong. If you can take down a space boar solo, being a merc is probably the best gig for you.”
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzyRx3XlLZV
I could be a processor, sure, but I’ve got these powers—why not make moderate use of them for fun?
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs7xW8QKUgc
I unsealed the outer pouch on my leg, retrieving a vacuum-sealed packet of meat.
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWzjFUaw1qU
“Oh, I vacuum-preserved some meat in the field. Here’s a little something for you.”
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGRM8XKoVUP
“Nice! I’ll take it. Cheers as always!”
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjU9pdJTOvI
“Make sure to share it with the others. Don’t want any fights breaking out over who gets what.”
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWi6Bt4HZ0B
It’s important to keep the airlock controllers on my side. Not that I’m bribing them for anything shady—it just pays to be friendly with the folks who control access. If they know me, I’ll slip through busy airlocks with ease, or even squeeze in right before they seal up for maintenance. It’s also convenient if I’m seen as just an average brawny mercenary.
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjVRl7MUpns
“Off to the station bar again, huh?”
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYiW47XFJN6
“Yo! Let’s drink again sometime!”
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP9UXlicckD
And with that, my job’s done. Time to turn this fresh xenofauna meat into a proper feast, because even the worst nutrient paste and synthetic protein blocks can be elevated with a little meat from the hunt.
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKCjPNhqvMz
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1r0guvZHjZ
Author's note : wanna read future chapters earlier? visit :145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQXb8GMuBK7
galaxianarwhal.blogspot.com145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV4HZpsovns
145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVGFipdeYJd
然後按「加至主畫面」