"Holy shit!" Li Xuan couldn't help but exclaim as he stared at the creature before him.
What stood before Li Xuan was a colossal squid. He recognized it as such because its head was an elongated, oval shape distinct from an octopus's, and unlike a squid, it possessed a boat-shaped, calcareous shell.
'Hmph, this is easy for a top student like Li Xuan to identify.' Most people wouldn't know the difference anyway—they'd probably just assume it was something to grill.
"...After System analysis, this squid has been infected by Honkai Energy..." Bronya stated with her usual emotionless expression.
"Hmph, little runt, do you even need to say it? How could a normal squid grow this big?!" Kiana scoffed. Bronya and Kiana exchanged glares, sparks flying between their eyes.
"In a way, Honkai Energy really is all-powerful," Li Xuan mused, gazing at the squid that towered over them like a two-story building. Even humans trying to artificially create such a massive squid would face considerable difficulty... Even with hormones or nuclear radiation, it would be a challenge!
"Wow! Such a huge squid must make a ton of barbecue!" Kiana's eyes sparkled as she stared at the giant squid, drool streaming down her chin. Just imagining the squid grilled to a deep purple-red, dusted with chili powder and other seasonings, Li Xuan's mouth started watering uncontrollably too.
"Could this be why the Dead Soldiers are gathering here?" Mei asked, looking at the giant squid.
"No, this is only part of the reason," Bronya replied flatly. "The Bronya System's calculations suggest that the Dead Soldiers' gathering is linked to a unique fragrance in the air."
"Speaking of which, I've been smelling a delicious aroma since earlier," Li Xuan said, sniffing the air.
"Really? I smell something strange," Kiana said, puzzled.
"The smell seems to be coming from over there," Li Xuan said, pointing to the other side of the giant squid. He walked around to the other side, followed by Kiana and the others.
"Holy shit!" What the hell is this now? Li Xuan was startled again. On the other side of the giant squid, two food carts had appeared. In this godforsaken place called Nagazora City, humans were practically extinct, as rare as pandas. Yet here were food carts, as if a ghost had appeared in broad daylight.
"Those look like an ice cream cart and a curry rice cart," Mei said, glancing at the pictures and logos on the carts.
"Oh~ Someone's here!" the ice cream cart suddenly spoke. "Weakling, they must be here to taste my curry rice! Hmph hmph~" the Curry Rice Cart chimed in.
"You stupid rabbit! No one would eat your disgusting cooking!" the Ice Cream Cart retorted, starting a heated argument.
"You dumb dog! Your cloyingly sweet concoctions are the ones no one should touch!" the Curry Rice Cart shot back.
"You stupid rabbit!"
"You dumb dog!"
"Wait! Can you two come out and talk? We can't even see you," Li Xuan interjected just in time to prevent a full-blown, earth-shattering catfight.
"Since it's a customer's request, I'll agree," said the Curry Rice Cart. "Alright, customer, I'm coming out," replied the Ice Cream Cart.
With that, a three-inch-tall, rabbit-eared girl with an impressive bust hopped out of the Curry Rice Cart. Meanwhile, a three-inch-tall, dog-eared girl with a flat chest (who claimed to be a wolf) emerged from the Ice Cream Cart.
"What are they?!" Li Xuan exclaimed in shock.
"Oh, they're familiars," Kiana explained. "They appear with Honkai Energy, though their origins are unknown. They generally don't attack humans and sometimes even help them."
"So! Which of us do you want to eat from, customer?" the two familiars asked in unison, pushing each other forward. Then they turned to each other and said, "The customer wouldn't eat from you!"
'What the hell is going on?' Li Xuan buried his face in his hands.