Chapter 2 part 1
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT438HkrcgH
Kebab to the Stars: A Boar-ing Victory
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLCfcHCAjHc
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMbG2X1F1Xt
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJmygkOdLXm
There’s a cantina I frequent—a place I’d almost call my sanctuary. Sure, the Mercenary Guild mess hall on the station is convenient, but it’s overpriced, the synthesized menu is uninspired, and the atmosphere is too sterile, too professional. It’s designed for brief encounters, mission discussions, and occasional deals over sub-par ration packs. They probably keep the credit rates high to prevent the hall from becoming a hangout spot for freeloaders.
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYfUpcpx0s4
So, when I need something real—something with flavor—I head to a smaller establishment nearby. A modest restaurant pod with private booths, no grandiose bar or holo-luxury nonsense. Its name? **"Gift of the Nebula."**
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpm8DkoUbUJ
Today, the pod is busier than I’ve ever seen it. The usual hum of conversation has grown into a symphony of voices, clinking utensils, and sizzling grills.
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFivwBqHA6o
"Venusian boar kebabs, fresh off the grill!" The call rings out from the kitchen, and I don’t waste a second.
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbf4LaCnzgn
"Mm, mmff mmm!"
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOQI0DPoT3X
Ten kebabs are set in front of me, their aroma wafting through the air, and I dive in without hesitation. The meat—juicy, tender, and seasoned with just the right balance of spices—melts in my mouth, the natural oils dripping onto the plate beneath.
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsGp0WzxyFj
**Half price today.** What kind of cosmic alignment is this?
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiakB2T90Nk
The holoboard outside the pod had caught my eye before the station even switched to its artificial night cycle. I’d read the words “Venusian boar—half-off” and practically slid through the doors. Turns out, a guild crew returning from the satellites of gas giants had brought back a haul of the beasts, enough to overflow their cargo holds. The owner of this place, unable to let such a bounty go to waste, had doubled the portions for the same price. **A deal worthy of the stars themselves.** Could I live here?
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3xJjJdshee
"Galaxia Narwhal, huh? You’re really going at it."
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHX0lCx5Y5q
"Mmga?" I pause mid-bite, turning to see who’s addressed me.
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9rywcTMkVK
"Swallow first!"
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqgSOBX6cAv
I gulp down the mouthful of boar and blink. "Aioi? Oh, hey. Good work out there. These kebabs are half-price today! What a glorious age we live in!"
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgXLb5sPz8k
"Yeah, I know," she replies with a raised brow, sliding into the seat beside me.
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm03KwClZRD
Aioi: a junior guild member, plasma bow specialist, and a rising star among our ranks. She’s part of the Diana crew now, working alongside a tech wizard and gaining a reputation for her prodigious long-range combat skills.
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNBz0Mwp7vo
Her suit, though? Utterly plain. No custom decals, no flair—nothing that matches her growing reputation. Still, she’s a decent kid. Polite enough to treat me as a mister, even if she occasionally sasses me.
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqgG1VwHXwi
"That boar meat you’re scarfing down? My crew brought it in," she says, a hint of pride in her voice. "The satellite clusters were crawling with those things. Took forever to hunt them all. My stabilizer joints are practically creaking."
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsl4jJoxWRc
"You’re telling me this meat’s from Diana?"
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1CT0NUBPRb
"Yup! Heheh. We had so much extra, we wholesaled it to half the station. I’m planning to drink until the next cycle to celebrate."
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSRhl3lW7ED
"Aioi... you’ve really grown up. Makes me proud."
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXMqybbcO0G
Her expression deadpans. "Galaxia Narwhal, that was the flattest praise I’ve ever heard. You don’t even sound remotely happy."
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV7lkhYCDoj
"C’mon, I’m being sincere!" I protest. "Look a little happier, will you?"
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxJoBUV0u1R
"No way. Oh, excuse me! One Martian ale, please!"
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn5Wxnx3RDY
"Mm. Make that two!"
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrWHGHZ60Dp
"Coming right up!"
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaDnKbX5o2e
The drinks arrive quickly, and I raise my glass, alternating between swigs of ale and bites of boar. The spices and the smooth, bitter tang of the drink are a match made in the void. "This," I declare, "is living."
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5D3CDt0Uwe
"...But Mister," Aioi interrupts, "I heard about your little scuffle at the guild yesterday. What’s that about?"
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4HUf9iIY5V
"Huh? Oh, that? Just some punk newcomers. They tried to rush me with thrust-packs like amateurs. I coolly evaded and took them down with unmatched elegance."
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIcYVZaoiDO
"That is *not* what I heard," she retorts, smirking. "The story is that it was a chaotic brawl."
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWcVftRjhh6
"You heard, huh? Tch."
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZUx02CUTqB
"But still, taking on four opponents in suits? That’s impressive."
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlX0YaAym6V
"Right? Well, they were half-competent small fry. Got lucky with the match-up."
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHmfGrLm3JS
Fights like that aren’t uncommon. Stations like this attract all sorts—ex-military types, drifters from the outer systems—most trying to establish themselves by picking fights with the wrong people. Yesterday, I was the unlucky target. They must’ve thought I was easy prey, sitting alone with a protein shake. Too bad for them—I’m a special ability enhanced mercenary.
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuRAsImCAbu
**A boring win, but a win nonetheless.**
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ91RVJFomVk
If I’d fought seriously, I could’ve wiped the floor with them faster. Not that I’d ever openly reveal just how many abilities I’m packing.
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡht3Xia3D2J
...No, really. I’ve got plenty of tricks I haven’t shown anyone! Really!
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6rrfxfc2KX
"You should join a crew, mister," Aioi says suddenly. "mister Burger’s invited you more than once, hasn’t he?"
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡThirHvOR5w
"Nah," I reply, shaking my head. "Not my style. I can’t stand the sound of other people’s suit fans or life support systems. Too distracting."
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOi1ohqe6Rq
"Not like you’re some Starborn elite..."
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Nh6cuwoYk
There’s more to it than that. I don’t like relying on others in an emergency. If some unexpected threat appeared, allies would only slow me down. For now, soloing suits me just fine.
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUlNMxsKKgm
"What about you, Aioi? Diana treating you well?"
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUHYtOCDvL1
"Yup! They’re great—no hazing or anything. They’ve taught me a ton about targeting techniques, and they split credits fairly too."
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5pbEXSpw5p
"Good. Glad you found a decent crew."
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhN8QD25jH8
"Yes!"
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5jhW3ANWko
When Aioi first left her colony, she’d stuck with childhood friends from her habitat. That crew fell apart after a few months, and her next attempts at finding a team didn’t go much better. But now, with Diana, she seems to have found her place.
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqgcACfNff4
Work environment matters. In space, it’s everything.
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDNNpeIuaaq
"Here you go!"
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAZECJnmVFS
"Ooh, sho delishush!" Aioi mumbles through a mouthful of kebab.
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtxYSOxSnpU
"Hm? What’s that seasoning?"
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhv1eC8kCyx
"You don’t know?" she asks, swallowing. "They’re using Europan crystal enzyme on the seared surface. Fancy stuff. Sheena from my crew says it’s all the rage with Starborn Elites."
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlivJwYur5X
"Oh, right. That stuff."
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8uqUTsQmY3
"...Whassat face for?"
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYKUS0fBzKP
"I’ve got no idea what that is. Salt’s the foundation of flavor, Aioi. Let the ingredients speak for themselves."
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzUeGUadzOO
"Mr Narwhal, you’re such a rim dweller. No wonder you’ll never blend in with the Starborn."
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsCmFvKbNkt
"Shaddup! I’ve got the most refined palate in the entire Lunatran Empire!"
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1eUAoSaSlY
"Pfft! Pfft!"
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE4SRl9LgtJ
And so, while celebrating my junior’s growth (even if she’s getting sassier by the year), I spent the rest of the cycle gorging on kebabs, drinking Martian ale, and basking in the simple pleasures of station life.
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwN3UbvwtRo
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp7ohWQxhMe
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrUQK678fAB
Author's note : wanna read future chapters earlier? visit :179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCsHlwgxPoy
galaxianarwhal.blogspot.com179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnAvVjIAuvm
然後按「加至主畫面」