Rusty Star Nation.
The year is 223457 CE.
"Miss CEO, are you preoccupied with time as well?"
At this moment, a technician passed by. Luna's focus on the time displayed on a large square clock had piqued the worker's curiosity.
If this were just a few centuries earlier, a worker would never have dared address Luna so casually.
But through prolonged, close interaction, everyone had come to realize that this absolute powerhouse of the Supernova Technology Company was, in fact, remarkably gentle and approachable.
Luna shifted her gaze from the clock, stating:
"Time serves as the ultimate witness to the significance of all existence. Regardless of the past, present, or future, time also serves to evaluate the worth of many things. For instance, the White Dragon-class vessel. A few millennia ago, it was formidable. Now, it has become obsolete."
Her gaze finally settled upon a colossal warship situated some distance away.
"Distant" was relative; it didn't seem overly far. The entire warship occupied Luna's entire field of vision.
However, when measured by specific metrics, the vessel was actually 13 kilometers away from Luna's position.
Perhaps insignificant on a cosmic scale, but for a single biological entity, this still represented a substantial spatial gap. It wouldn't shrink simply because contemporary life moved rapidly, as light speed remains constant, and people don't suddenly grow to be hundred-meter giants.
The overall color of that warship was remarkably pale, almost translucent.
There were no superfluous or complex structural features across its entire hull. No visible weapon emplacements, no windows; it presented as a single, unified mass.
Viewed from the side, it resembled an arched bridge spanning a gulf.
Viewed from the front, it possessed a streamlined shuttle shape.
Viewed from above, it took the form of the ancient Greek letter "Omega."
To put it plainly, the front and rear tips of the omega curve swept downward, and the surrounding edges were not arc-shaped, but rather tapered sharply like a blade.
It was undeniably unique.
Its designation was "Ghost."
The Ghost warship.
Luna had been meticulously preparing for this vessel for an exceptionally long period.
It represented the perfectly integrated culmination of all top-tier technologies. Luna dared assert that within the entirety of human Civilization, no warship surpassed this one in advancement.
At this precise moment.
Inside and outside the vessel, countless robotic arms were still operating, and numerous technicians were making final adjustments and conducting tests.
Nevertheless, this was unequivocally the final phase.
"Precisely, Miss CEO, but this isn't time changing; rather, we are the ones who have changed."
The technician felt his effort deserved greater acknowledgment.
Luna smiled upon hearing this.
"You need not envy time, because time itself is one of our assets. We assign its nomenclature; we dictate its application."
"It is a tool, no different from the Gundam you pilot."
Gundam!?
The technician was thoroughly confused by the unfamiliar designation.
"What is a Gundam, Miss CEO? We only utilize engineering robots."
Luna nodded.
"It is an engineering robot. A magnified humanoid mecha, is it not? Extremely tall, and incredibly advanced."
The workers of this era simply did not recognize that term.
Apart from Luna, only Ayla knew the context.
Luna's explanation left the technician even more bewildered.
Based on his knowledge, factory engineering robots were incredibly antiquated technology. Their initial design traced back to a type of combat mecha from tens of thousands of years ago, later repurposed by an industrial equipment firm. A total of 100,000 units were manufactured before that company ultimately faced bankruptcy.
Since the legs and lower chassis of that specific factory robot model were completely cumbersome, what practical use did they hold in zero-gravity space? A mere head unit equipped with two or more arms would have sufficed.
The sole reason they were currently utilizing these units was that the original manufacturing company had been founded by one of Supernova Technology Corporation's own initial architects. Adhering to a principle of maximum resource utilization, these robots had been in continuous service for nearly a millennium.
Reflecting on this history,
the technician experienced a moment of sudden realization.
But that insight was immediately dismissed as incorrect.
Did the Miss CEO also need to offer unnecessary courtesies or flatter former associates?
Furthermore, the person in question wasn't even present now.
The worker couldn't quite grasp it.
It was the first time he fully recognized the vast gulf separating his mindset from that of a superior.
Was his entire method of thinking flawed? Were the standards he considered common sense actually anything but?
The worker pondered this confusion for a long time. By the time he snapped out of his mental loop, Luna had already departed.
"Duston, how much longer until the starship docks?"
"Madam, this is only the first 15,000-meter-class warship. If this single vessel takes this long, then ensuring the production pace for subsequent void-class ships might become unsustainable!"
Luna walked along a massive steel girder. Calling it a mere girder was an understatement; it spanned 30 meters wide, resembling a vast, elevated highway.
This was one of the primary structural supports for the entire factory, and Luna was utilizing it as a shortcut back to her administrative office.
She initiated a connection to Duston's communications channel.
Duston was the robot that had previously greeted her, now holding the distinguished command role of managing the entire factory complex.
Luna remained accustomed to delegating operational tasks to artificial intelligence rather than human staff.
"Madam, had it not been for your numerous subsequent demands, this warship would have been ready for deployment five hundred and seventy-three years ago."
"Implementing a new engine onto a warship represents an extremely bold undertaking, given that the propulsion unit has zero history of long-term operational risk mitigation testing."
"Moreover, this new engine utilizes a nascent super-technology never before implemented by the entirety of Human Civilization. The investment required for this single engine likely exceeds the construction cost of the entire previous warship model."
Duston's digital expression conveyed a sense of helplessness.
As an intelligent robot, it possessed emotional capacities akin to any ordinary sentient being.
Consequently, regarding Luna's barrage of seemingly unreasonable mandates, and her subsequent tendency to assign blame, the robot felt obligated to offer a logical defense, which implicitly served as a quiet accusation.
"Then, for all future warships, can you establish a projected production volume estimate calculated every one hundred years?"
The current timeline for warship construction had severely surpassed Luna's original projections.
It was now approaching the full-production commencement phase for the Ghost-class vessels.
"That depends entirely on your specifications, Madam. If every unit utilizes this same novel engine, I estimate we can manage only 0.2 units per century. We currently lack the infrastructure for mass production of this engine type."
"However, if we revert to the original engine specifications—and thanks to your rigorous oversight over the years, we know the manufacturing details of the Ghost ship intimately—I estimate that within the first millennium, our output could peak at 50 units per century. After one thousand years, we could then commence large-scale fabrication, achieving production rates between 150 to 170 units."
Duston's metrics managed to quell Luna's restless impatience.
The quantum field engine was technology she had personally derived from the creature capable of influencing quantum fields, which she had successfully captured previously.
Luna had immediately recognized its potential application for a warship's propulsion system, directing the propulsion research department to invest heavily in its study.
And eventually, that potential was realized.
Indeed, Luna's initial assessment was correct.
This quantum field engine increased the warship's speed by 30%. The original Ghost warship, at its maximum velocity, only reached 95,283 km/s, but now it could achieve 123,878 km/s—a truly monumental qualitative leap.
However...
The developmental cost associated with this new technology was staggeringly high.
It had, for a period, pushed Supernova Technology Corporation to the brink of a complete financial chain collapse.
Fortunately, as a near-monopolistic entity, it managed to weather the crisis after several decades.
Yet, even now, the corporation had not fully regained its prior stability.
"The Ghost warship, naturally, must be as perfected as possible. I've heard that the Federation's 100,000 meters per second class warships have already entered mass production. If we remain below that threshold, our vessels will become obsolete."
Luna harbored no real hope that the Ghost warship could outright surpass Federation technology.
Her primary goal was controlling the strategic development trajectory of Supernova Technology Company.
But now, that objective seemed increasingly futile.
Giotto seemed capable of producing just a handful of devices to utterly crush current Federation technology in any technological domain.
Perhaps in the future, Giotto could genuinely shatter the Federation entirely.
What would the Federation's destiny be then?
Luna could only conjecture; she lacked concrete knowledge herself. Regarding all matters pertaining to Giotto, she was limited to speculation. She could not fully comprehend the Civilization that stood behind him.
Whenever she attempted to investigate information related to Giotto, an inexplicable systemic resistance would always manifest.
This resistance did not originate from Giotto himself.
Giotto was, in fact, quite receptive to sharing information when asked directly.
But this resistance bypassed the content of their discussions; it directly interfered with Giotto's cognitive process. When Giotto spoke of these specific subjects, he would invariably display an abnormal clarity—a clarity not his own—as if his consciousness had been temporarily overlaid by another entity.
Giotto himself remained entirely oblivious to this shift.
This provided the explanation:
The Civilization that supplied him with the technology had embedded other, unknown safeguards within Giotto.
Often, Luna would contemplate a critical question.
Could Giotto and Toma K simply be advanced decoys, and that Civilization had seeded other comparable assets within the Federation infrastructure?
This was achievable!
That Civilization was truly beyond comprehension.
The reason Luna remained here, foregoing the search for other entities, was that they had not yet located any other beings comparable to Giotto.
Even if such beings existed, at the current technological stage, they could only gather intelligence via Giotto and Toma K.
"Challenges are many!"
Duston responded immediately after hearing Luna's words.
"Indeed, difficulties are numerous, but I shall endeavor my utmost, Madam."
Duston, the robot, despite its high level of intelligence, did not possess personal ambition.
It wasn't that it was incapable of harboring secondary motives.
As a sentient entity, how could it entirely lack ulterior motives?
However, as a construct of code, its fundamental architecture was bound by strings of programming, imposing certain inherent restrictions on robots like Duston.
Luna snapped out of her contemplation and instructed Duston: "The vessel can be equipped with conventional propulsion systems, but a quantum field engine production line must also be established here."
"Within the next 3000 years, the production line must be finalized, commencing operation only after that threshold. Eventually, the ratio between the two production lines must settle at 9:1, increasing gradually over time."
The quantum field engine was a novel type of propulsion; its most significant aspect wasn't sheer velocity, but energy conservation.
The quantum field engine generated propulsion by directly inducing ripples in the quantum field. It was fundamentally different from traditional engines that relied on expelling energy; the core principle was manipulating the quantum field itself.
The structure of that quantum field creature had been replicated and subsequently modified. This initial iteration of the quantum field engine, utilized on the Ghost warship, achieved an 18% energy saving for the vessel.
For a nascent technology, such a result was already astonishing.
It is worth noting that the Federation was already straining the limits across multiple technological domains.
Predictive models like Moore's Law had long since become irrelevant in this era.
A technological breakthrough achieving significant improvement in less than a year was considered high-yield progress.
Eighteen percent—this represented the absolute apex of new engineering at present.
Furthermore, Duston projected that the second batch of warships would exhibit even greater efficiency, exceeding 20% energy savings.
If this technology were fully integrated, it would conserve between 1.49% and 1.84% of the entire Federation's energy consumption.
The quantum field engine was a perfect illustration of increasing efficiency through fundamental redesign.
Of course, Luna knew this technology would likely be surpassed in the future. She had already learned that the Eternal Cycle Star Nation had developed the Angola Funnel, a type of black hole thruster.
Although currently, it only permitted ships to approach near sub-light speeds.
But it was expected to soon be adapted for warships, enabling combat vessel speeds to also reach near sub-light velocity—that truly would mark a historical milestone.
However, that technology was likely still too unrefined in its present state to be widely implemented, probably remaining inaccessible in the near term due to issues of cost or stability. Therefore, the quantum field engine currently held its position as the superior propulsion engine, unrivaled.
"Understood, Madam. I will formulate the corresponding plans for your directives."
"The finalized plan will be dispatched to your private inbox within 20 hours."
"Oh, and Madam, a contingent of workers arrived from Sheltondine. One of them bears the appearance of a deposed noble from the Rusty Star Nation. He accompanied the laborers, requesting an audience with you."
Sheltondine is the royal capital of the Rusty Star Nation.
Luna had visited there once.
The Rusty Star Nation and Chötons Corporation maintained an exceptionally close alliance. Over the past few millennia, Chötons had distributed its colossal beasts across various star nations, selling over 170,000 units in total.
The most significant of these was Sheltondine.
This was both the name of a Star City and the name of a colossal beast residing there.
The colossal beast was pale purple, strongly resembling a jellyfish.
However, its head was distinctly oval, much like a rugby ball, and it navigated by rotating itself. As it spun, its seaweed-like tentacles unfurled like a skirt, shedding countless scales. These scales were transparent, each measuring an impressive 20 meters in length. Luna had one retrieved; in fact, Sheltondine was almost perpetually shedding its old scales for new ones.
Luna could potentially extract certain genes from it, but Sheltondine's genetic makeup was excessively complex, almost like encrypted data, surpassing the limits of Luna's current biological comprehension.
Yet, Luna's memory of Sheltondine remained sharp. It was undeniably a beautiful and dreamlike colossal creature; Chötons never compromised on its aesthetic presentation.
Having delivered so many colossal beasts, each one could arguably be called perfect and flawless.
"What does he desire?" Luna's recollection was brief; she quickly refocused on the immediate issue.
"He refused to state his business. He claims he can only speak after seeing you in person. He insists it is a matter of great significance, concerning all of Supernova Technology."
Luna currently had no pressing engagements.
She only needed to wait for the Ghost warship to finalize some inspections, leaving her with unexpected free time.
"Let him approach."
"Instruct him that if he fails to present something that satisfies me, he will very soon become waste for my pets."
Luna kept pets.
They were the genetically cloned descendants of the colossal beast that once controlled quantum fields, captured previously.
Strictly speaking, they were products of advanced genetic cloning.
Duston directed a robotic assistant to escort the individual before Luna.
Luna was momentarily stunned upon observing the figure.
This entity possessed a humanoid form, approximately 3 meters tall, covered in scales, and a head somewhat reminiscent of a rat, giving the overall impression of a large, genetically modified rodent transformed into a bipedal form.
"What species are you?"
Luna bypassed inquiry about his crucial matter, becoming instantly fascinated by his biology instead.
Despite his outwardly impoverished presentation, upon hearing Luna's question, his eyes immediately shone with distinct pride as he responded.
"Jiansi species. This is a unique genetic blueprint specific to my lineage."
As the Federation expanded, the number of distinct species within its territory also grew.
Many of these species Luna did not fully comprehend.
However, even with the increase, there were only a few dozen major classifications.
Far more numerous were the "species" like the Jiansi standing before her.
They were self-engineered life forms.
This meant they utilized wealth to design their own genetic codes, then deliberately discarded their original forms to adopt these new bodies.
This technology wasn't cutting-edge; in the Star Nation, it was essentially at a stage of widespread, common implementation.
Luna estimated that the number of such self-created species was no less than 100 million—a significant figure, yet Luna believed this was actually a conservative projection.
Aside from these self-created organisms, the species Luna encountered most frequently were the humanized variants.
These were originally Kate species or Multi-eyed beings that had adopted human forms, though their bodies still retained subtle characteristics of their native biology. This appearance trend was quite common within the Star Nation.
While not numerous here in the Rusty Star Nation, Luna anticipated encountering many humanized species in other territories.
Upon learning that the other party was a self-created entity, Luna did not press the topic further.
She calmly inquired: "What is it you seek from me?"
"I do not wish for my time to be wasted; the ramifications for such an act would be quite severe."
At this, the other party bowed, replying politely: "Of course!"
"Esteemed CEO Miss, please allow me to introduce myself first. My designation is Secti 1 · Blissiana · Liansovo · Jiansi. You may address me as Secti 1. I hail from the Jiansi family, a minor second-rank nobility within the Rusty Star Nation."
"Approximately 650 years ago, my lineage enjoyed great prosperity and was highly esteemed by the royal family."
"But 310 years ago, I became the last survivor of my entire family. This is precisely why I have sought you out."
"We uncovered a critical secret pertaining to the Rusty royal family, which is why our survival became impossible. My continued existence is entirely due to my function as a contingency pawn. I was handed over to a trusted retainer for upbringing immediately after my birth. My family mandated that I shed my recognized lineage, concealing me, to ensure that even after offending a powerful entity, a trace of our bloodline might persist."
Luna observed Secti 1 from head to toe.
As a self-created species, how could such an individual truly remain concealed?
Secti 1 acknowledged this point. Its body began to shift, and it successfully transformed into the appearance of a Kate species.
He explained: "I possess a shapeshifting mechanism embedded within my core structure that allows me to control my physical form to resemble a Kate species."
"This feature is what enabled my survival."
Shapeshifting devices were not considered high technology; such gadgets were commonplace throughout human civilization.
However, Luna hadn't immediately presumed he would utilize such a tool for subterfuge. It seemed everything had its niche application.
"Based on your account, this appears to be an internal conflict between your lineage and the Rusty royal family. What precisely connects this situation to our Supernova Technology Corporation?"
Luna had always diligently managed the Supernova Technology Corporation and deliberately avoided entanglement in extraneous affairs.
It wasn't that she lacked the capacity, but she preferred not to dilute her focus and energy.
After finally escaping the clutches of politics, returning to her old professional habits would be decidedly uninteresting.
The company was a colossal organization.
If she were to neglect it, someone else certainly would step in.
Toma K had participated in the major operations to subdue the Dragon Star Nation, the Multi-Mind Star Nation, and the Obsidian Shield. After all conflicts concluded, he was assigned the responsibility of maintaining diplomatic relations with the Rusty Star Nation's royal family.
This assignment was not a form of political sidelining; it was Toma K's personal request.
He was genuinely uninterested in engaging in the company's core management, particularly since Luna took over those critical operations.
Neither Giotto nor Toma K demonstrated significant administrative talent.
Thus, for Toma K, handling a singular opposing force proved considerably easier.
Giotto was similar; he would seek out tasks he could manage independently, lest he make himself, the boss, appear completely incompetent.
Luna, however, remained only moderately concerned by this explanation; her mind was already developing a distinct unease.
She hadn't anticipated Secti 1 delivering such a bombshell next.
"Of course there is a connection."
"The royal family is actively plotting to seize control of Supernova Technology. They have been coordinating this takeover for an extended period, embedding numerous loyal agents within the company over the years."
"As soon as the opportune moment arrives, they will directly usurp your authority."
"This is not mere alarmism, but critical intelligence my family secured at the cost of their lives."
"One of the company's primary executives, Toma K, has been completely compromised and rendered docile for the past few centuries, effectively becoming an empty shell."
"Following that, they plan a grand wedding between the royal princess and Toma K. They will invite you and Mr. Giotto to attend, and at that juncture, they will capture all of you during the ceremony, thereby forcibly enacting the corporate takeover."
This development was truly unexpected.
In Luna's assessment, Giotto's rapport with the royal family had always appeared quite strong.
It wasn't a fixed prejudice, but almost every time Giotto communicated with her, he would share tidbits about the royal family's latest compliance. Giotto took great pride in the monarchy's obedience and constantly sought to demonstrate his own diplomatic shrewdness.
So... she had clearly overestimated the capabilities of both Giotto and Toma K in handling this situation.
These two couldn't even manage such a small, external threat.
This realization only deepened Luna's suspicion that the alien Civilization was utilizing these two specifically as a diversionary tactic.
"Isn't it easier just to function as a decorative mascot?"
Luna sighed.
This royal family, too, insisted on causing unnecessary trouble.
As a well-behaved asset, it should simply remain quietly in her care without causing a scene.
Secti 1 misinterpreted Luna's words as an expression of sheer annoyance. He also offered a grievance: "The royal family resents perpetually remaining subordinate to the company. Clearly, we are the primary entity of the Star Nation."
"As the organization strengthens, their demands have also escalated."
"They fail to realize that without this company, they would still be a minor Star Nation, perhaps even destined to be annexed by the Obsidian Shield."
"How can such ungrateful entities be permitted to remain?"
He harbored the hope of using Luna's influence to dismantle the royal family.
If Luna were truly enraged, such an outcome would certainly materialize.
But Luna was not.
To her, all of this was merely trivial noise, hardly worth noting.
Did the royal family truly aim to ensnare them all in one massive scheme?
It was truly a pipe dream, driven by insatiable greed. They weren't afraid of collapsing under the weight of their own ambition.
"I understand. Thank you for the intelligence report. You may proceed to the relevant department afterwards to claim your reward for the information."
Luna stated nonchalantly.
This response left Secti 1 somewhat stunned.
Normally, wouldn't the expected narrative involve him becoming a trusted operative upon delivering crucial intelligence, subsequently being dispatched to lead an army to expose the royal family's conspiracy?
But clearly, he had consumed far too many fictional narratives.
Luna had no such intention.
After dismissing Secti 1, Luna refrained from transmitting the information to either Giotto or Toma K.
Not only was it unnecessary,
but she also wished for those two to confront the reality of their own incompetence.
These two had grown overly complacent over the years; they hadn't even detected such a transparently naive scheme.
Luna had originally anticipated that resolving this issue would consume considerable time.
But she was surprised to receive the wedding invitation only 7 years later—this was even faster than the Ghost warship's scheduled inspection completion.
Consequently, Luna would have to postpone testing this magnificent warship until after the wedding ceremony.
"Duston, is the vessel prepared?"
She transmitted the message to Duston.
Duston was perpetually occupied; he wouldn't remain solely at Luna's side managing only her personal affairs.
This situation made Luna miss Ayla immensely.
Ayla was far more reliable!
"Ready, Madam. The ship is prepared for immediate departure."
When Duston's affirmative reply arrived, Luna, now situated within her personal mecha, was stepping out of her quarters.
She appeared to be wearing a dark overcoat, but this was merely the mecha's camouflage system at work, as the liquid mecha could fluidly transform into any chosen attire.
At the door, a diamond-shaped hovercar, measuring 11 meters long and 3.7 meters wide, was docked.
Luna entered. The interior space was incredibly expansive. A plush sofa upholstered in soft Tibetan yak leather and a tea table fashioned from dragon horn occupied approximately 6 square meters of the volume.
The Tibetan yak in question was not the diminutive creature from Earth's era, but a modern, genetically engineered behemoth—a wild beast whose shoulder height reached 300 meters, possessing an astonishing body weight of 11 million tons.
This yak possessed the biological resilience to withstand temperatures exceeding 100,000 degrees Celsius, yet its surface remained remarkably fine and soft to the touch, feeling akin to down.
The hide of this colossal creature was naturally thick, but after countless specialized processes, it could be refined down to a thickness of 0.5 cm. Coupled with the sofa's internal cushioning—Water Velvet Floss, a plant cultivated in aquatic environments softer than goose down—and then shaped with human-form padding, this sofa could simply be described as the absolute pinnacle of terrestrial comfort.
The hovercar had no conventional doors.
Its mid-section was completely open, protected only by a thin energy barrier that prevented high-speed interstellar debris from colliding with the interior.
Upon reaching the factory floor, there was no scenic vista to behold.
Only a towering forest of steel gantries and machinery.
The hovercar accelerated to speeds reaching 100 kilometers per second here, quickly arriving at the factory's spaceport bay.
Duston had specifically prepared a vessel shaped like a flat, isosceles triangle for Luna.
The two equal sides of the triangle measured 531 meters, and the base spanned 98 meters, giving it a notably slender profile.
Notably, the two corners of the base curved downwards, creating an arched contour at the rear—a distinct design language inherited from the Ghost warship class.
Luna had never laid eyes on this particular ship before.
It was clearly a vessel Duston had custom-built for her.
The warship's exterior was incredibly understated, yet Luna was very pleased.
"What is this vessel named?" Luna inquired.
Duston replied: "Currently, it only possesses a designation code. Madam is free to christen it. It utilizes updated technology compared to the White Dragon, and although its direct weapon capabilities are limited, its top speed can reach 144,154 kilometers per second."
This speed was exceptionally high.
"Then let's name it 'Blink'."
Luna's talent for naming things was something only Ayla truly understood. At this moment, she conjured a name that wasn't entirely unpleasant.
However, did this speed actually relate to this specific ship? If 140,000 km/s could be designated "Blink," what would they call a ship capable of moving even faster? Instant?
"The Blink is prepped for departure. Please board, Madam."
"Duston wishes you a safe journey."
Luna entered the Blink. Because the vessel housed a DataNode, its interior was surprisingly vast.
There was approximately 500 square meters of open, rectangular space, entirely undivided, giving the interior the feel of a small, self-contained residence, complete with every amenity one would expect in a home.
It even included a kitchen. This was a feature Luna particularly appreciated.
As soon as she stepped inside, the Blink instantly accelerated and departed the spaceport. Luna, within, felt not the slightest physical sensation; the entire ship maintained terrifying stability.
Luna headed directly to the kitchen, intending to showcase her culinary talents.
There was no refrigerator in the kitchen setup.
Only a single device remained: a food fabricator.
Any desired cuisine could be automatically generated by this unit once its data was downloaded online. This device theoretically could fabricate anything, but due to specific legal constraints, its internal programming limited output strictly to food items.
But if someone were to reprogram its core system, the possibilities would be drastically different.
If this device had landed on Earth in the 21st century, it would undoubtedly have been deemed a divine artifact, directly propelling 21st-century humanity into the cosmic age. But in this era, it was merely a food fabricator, costing a mere 9.9 Energy Credits—meaning an average person could acquire one after working for just a few days.
Luna used it to generate fried spare ribs and pig trotters.
These were relatively commonplace dishes. Over her many long years, she had sampled countless expensive delicacies, but after tasting them all, she still concluded that good, old-fashioned pork was the most delicious.
The data profile for this pork had been personally inputted by her; otherwise, no one could truly replicate this specific future version of the dish.
She prepared sweet and sour fried spare ribs and a bowl of pig trotter soup. Luna also synthesized a portion of chili peppers.
The soft, tender pig trotters were bathed in the chili sauce, turning a tempting shade of red. Popped into her mouth, they required no chewing; they slid down her throat like rich jelly. The spiciness continuously stimulated her oral cavity, making Luna exclaim in delight.
After finishing, she picked up the sweet and sour spare ribs beside her. They were not cut into small portions, but remained as whole ribs. Using her teeth, she deftly stripped the tender meat adhering to the bone from the top joint downward. The sweet, sour, and savory notes converged into a single burst in her mouth, expanding her appetite.
Luna did not consume a large volume overall.
Only about 17 kilograms of meat.
She possessed the capacity to eat indefinitely. The quark robots integrated within her body would automatically break down any excess substances, expelling them directly from her body through her skin pores.
Consequently, obesity was virtually nonexistent in this era. Even if individuals were overweight, it was not due to overconsumption, but rather for aesthetic choices.
Next, Luna entered a virtual world accessed via the ship, immersing herself in leisure travel within the virtual reality environment.
This virtual world was her own independent domain. It had been developed by a Federation game company.
They had observed that most virtual worlds invariably demanded a plot structure, and while this made them expansive and content-rich, it also meant they would inevitably reach a conclusion. The sense of accomplishment would end when the storyline resolved, compelling players to seek new excitement.
So, the developers posed the question: why not create a dedicated leisure-type world?
This world was not akin to the typical leisure simulations involving farming, fishing, or simple entertainment. Instead, it was a slowly evolving ecosystem.
On the first day, there was nothing. On the second day, a sprout appeared. The sprout gradually matured into a tree. Flowers and grass began to flourish beneath it. Bees, butterflies, and other insects gradually materialized. Eventually, the tree bore fruit, and its seeds fell, growing into a forest.
The initial world occupied only the size of the tree's shadow, but as the forest expanded, the world itself gradually grew larger.
The sky would eventually produce rain. Players needed to excavate a lake to collect this rainwater. Subsequently, the lake would become populated with small fish and various aquatic flora and fauna.
Once the forest matured, one could fell trees and construct a wooden domicile... It was essentially possessing one's own miniature, controllable world.
The underlying development process for this simulation was exceptionally complex.
But overall, the experience was tranquil, characterized by a distinct lack of adversity. Elderly individuals like Luna were particularly fond of such pursuits.
As a company CEO, Luna was, in fact, far less burdened than she had been while leading the Federation.
The Federation was too immense; every decision carried significant weight and necessitated her personal final approval. But for the company, aside from her, numerous capable individuals within the organization could manage all operations effectively, allowing Luna to secure moments of personal time.
And so, Luna immersed herself deeply in her own small world. Unconsciously, decades passed, and she finally arrived at the wedding venue.
Sheltondine!