Chapter 124: Force is the Foundation of Confidence

Ji Yun stared blankly at Du Yun’s completely contrasting reactions, feeling as if his eyes were no longer sufficient. What was going on? Had he been too ignorant of human women? Just moments ago, she was trembling as if terrified to death, and now, in the blink of an eye, she had transformed into a battle goddess.

What Ji Yun did not know was that for Du Yun, all her behavior stemmed from comparisons of combat strength. As long as her own fighting power was sufficient to ensure her survival, she naturally brimmed with confidence. This explained the stark difference in her demeanor.

Ji Yun shook his head. Even when he was still a human male, he had never truly understood human women. Now, having become a zombie himself, his grasp of human emotions had yet to recover, making it even harder to comprehend Du Yun’s actions.

“Fish? Is this something edible?” Though he couldn’t understand Du Yun’s emotions and behavior, it didn’t mean he couldn’t grasp other things. Hearing that the fish was for cooking, Ji Yun immediately scooped up the lively fish that had been wriggling in his hands moments ago, now firmly clasped.

“You used to be human, didn’t you? And you don’t even know this!” Du Yun rolled her eyes at him. Once assured that Ji Yun bore no ill intent toward her, her mood relaxed considerably. “Take it to the kitchen. I’ll change clothes and start cooking.”

After such a terrifying ordeal, it would have been strange if Du Yun could still fall asleep. Hastily, she pushed Ji Yun out of her cabin, slammed the door shut with a bang, and then exhaled deeply.

Surviving felt truly wonderful! Du Yun collapsed onto the bed in utter exhaustion, rolling around several times before feeling truly revived. She had originally thought that once she escaped the zombie-infested planet Bluewater Star, her life would no longer be in danger. But now, it seemed things were far from over.

For a long time to come, she would still have to contend with high-level zombies like Ji Yun and Brother Niu by her side. How to ensure her continued safety was a pressing concern that Du Yun had to face.

The only solution she could think of was to improve herself—boost her combat strength and fighting ability—so that she could proceed resolutely for the long haul.

“Douzhi, how do you think I can raise my combat power?” In her mind, Du Yun mostly considered physical training and honing archery skills. Though useful, these methods would take time to show results. Thus, she sought advice directly from Douzhi.

“Hmm, mental strength is very effective. You can practice that more. Also, absorb energy crystals,” came the measured reply, followed by a chart that appeared before Du Yun’s eyes.

Douzhi, as the core intelligence brain, did not disappoint. In an instant, it provided a detailed chart marking various ways to enhance combat power, along with their difficulty and effectiveness. Du Yun quickly realized that the two methods with low difficulty and clear effects were exactly what Douzhi had mentioned.

“Mental strength practice is no problem, but I don’t have enough energy crystals,” Du Yun lamented, thinking of the few second-tier energy crystals left in her storage—barely a dozen—and though she had more first-tier crystals, their quantity was limited. She had no idea how many crystals her improvement would require, so a shortage was a real concern.

“Aren’t there plenty in the warehouse?” Douzhi asked in puzzlement. The starship where they were stationed didn’t consume many energy crystals, yet it had a warehouse over a hundred meters in diameter, filled to the brim with them. Plus, some had been transported from other starships, so there should be more than enough.

“I’m not sure about those. They carry a very strong aura of violence. I’m afraid absorbing them might be harmful,” Du Yun frowned and voiced her concerns. Previously, just standing near the energy crystal warehouse, she could feel the heavy resentment and unwillingness emanating from them. The violent energy within the crystals tempted her, but she dared not absorb them, uncertain of the side effects.

“Save two for me in your storage. I’ll study them,” Douzhi said. It genuinely did not detect any violent aura. To it, energy was merely energy—quantifiable only by amount, nothing else. But since Du Yun mentioned it, it would investigate further.

“Alright!” Du Yun’s eyes brightened. She had been too quick to give up before; she should have waited for Douzhi’s research before deciding.

Thinking about how the energy crystals carried on this starship accounted for only a fraction of the total, Du Yun felt a pang of regret. She had wasted so many starships and energy crystals near Bluewater Star.

“No matter. Let’s eat first!” After such an emotional rollercoaster—fear, excitement, regret—Du Yun was exhausted. Now that she had a direction for the future, her mind was more at ease.

Remembering that she had several fresh fish stored in her compartment, her gastronome instincts stirred. Why not cook some fish first? With that thought, she changed clothes, left her room, and headed straight to the kitchen.

In the kitchen, Ji Yun stood by the sink holding the fish from before, looking dazed. It was unclear whether he didn’t know how to clean the fish or if he was silently taking revenge for the water it had splashed on his face earlier—he seemed to be struggling with it.

“Here, give me the fish. Go get some supplies; we’ll stew the fish,” Du Yun said, taking the now lifeless fish from Ji Yun’s hands. She then pulled out more fish from her storage and began deftly preparing them.

She thought to herself that Ji Yun’s grip was surprisingly strong—not wanting to kill her was good enough. If she had the chance, she’d have him help grind meat for making springy beef meatballs.

Du Yun’s skills were good and her movements swift. After just over an hour, a large platter brimming with fish was brought to the dining table. Of course, few ate only Du Yun’s cooking; others were lucky enough to receive two plates of fish meat as well.

With fragrant rice, delicious stewed fish, and fresh vegetables picked from her garden, everyone ate until their faces glowed with satisfaction, showering Du Yun’s cooking with endless praise.

Embarrassed by so much acclaim, Du Yun confessed that her culinary skills were merely at the level of home cooking. She had never understood why everyone praised her so highly before.

Only after spending time with the leader and others did she realize that about five hundred years after her own era, there had been a gray void—a period in which traditions reliant on inheritance, such as cooking and culture, were lost. This explained why, despite being from the upper echelons of the Imperial Star’s noble families, the leader and his peers had never tasted such traditional delicacies before.