Episode 3: Milky Way Arch and Starlight Street Stall Fire Show (GALAXY FOOD)

The entrance to the Space Night Market, which passed through the third docking bay of the space station, was itself a living, breathing festival of light. Overhead, the gigantic Milky Way Arch lights, measuring 100 meters in diameter, were burning, drawing an arch-shaped rainbow, and at the top of it, a huge sign made of retro neon light bulbs was flashing, welcoming guests. [WELCOME TO THE UNIVERSE NIGHT MARKET]

[NO GRAVITY, NO WORRIES] Thousands of blimps landed on designated magnetic parking pads, and each time the blimp doors opened, various alien races poured out and flooded the market alleys. Hundreds of self-driving lighting drones floating in the air were pouring down warm orange and lavender pin lights. The moment he stepped onto the market's main street, what struck Leo's sense of smell was the aroma of fantastic food he had never smelled in any other restaurant on earth. An alley of starlight food stalls with purple smoke billowing out.

In the middle of it all, 'Zarr', a three-eyed alien chef wearing a chef's hat askew, was holding a huge wok and putting on a spectacular fireworks show. Quaaaaaaaaaaa! Every time Zar lifted the wok into the air, 2,000 degrees Celsius plasma flames rose up in the air, drawing the shape of a dragon. The ingredients being stir-fried in the wok were not ordinary meat or vegetables. Luminescent plankton from the Orion Nebula, canned ice crystals from Saturn's rings, and spicy Stardust seasoning from supernova remnants.

Bold English letters blinked on the neon menu board hanging under the eaves of the food stall. [GALAXY FOOD SPECIAL]

[ORION STIR-FRY: 50 CREDITS]

[SPICY SUPERNOVA SKEWER] “Hey, my Earthling friend! Try the Orion stir-fried seafood that just arrived today!” Zar's three eyes blinked cheerfully and he winked at Leo. The tentacled aliens and feathered joiners sitting on simple chairs in front of the food stall chewed their food and gave a thumbs up in unison. A night market night with the sound of sizzling oil, laughter, and the guitar melodies of street buskers. Leo took a hot skewer handed to him by Zar.

The moment I put it in my mouth, the spiciness of the stardust and the savory taste of the sea melted away all the fatigue in my body in an instant. The moment he passed through the third docking bay of space station Fantasia-9 and entered the market, all of Leo's senses were engulfed in the explosive energy of the festival. Overhead, a huge neon arch over 100 meters in diameter crossed the night sky in a semicircle. A dazzling welcome greeting created by tens of thousands of retro neon light bulbs blinking one after another like dominoes.

[FORGET YOUR TROUBLES, TASTE THE STARS] Below the arch, thousands of airships from all over the galaxy landed on the magnetic pad, making a cheerful metallic sound. Every time the door opened, all kinds of strange alien races poured out. Feathered centaurs, Andromeda nobles whose entire bodies are made of crystal and make a beautiful wind chime sound every time they walk, and even cotton candy-shaped luminous jellyfish floating in the air. In the air, hundreds of self-driving lighting drones were pouring down soft lavender and champagne gold pin lights, and the fusion jazz melody mixed with the electric guitars of street buskers and alien wind instruments echoed through the alleyways of the market.

Leo put his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket and walked into the heart of the market, ‘Starlight Food Street.’ A spicy and sweet smell that hits your nose from the beginning of the alley. The epicenter of the smell was the kitchen of Zarr, the three-eyed alien chef who ran the largest food stall on the street corner. Jarr had a sturdy physique, over 2 meters tall, and wore a chef's hat with a sharp angle on his head, and a colorful neon apron around his waist. His three eyes were constantly moving, alert, and focused on preparing the ingredients, controlling the fire, and observing the expressions of the guests.

Quaaaaaaaaaaa! As Zar powerfully lifted the huge cast iron wok into the air, pink plasma flames reaching 2,000 degrees Celsius rose up inside the wok, drawing the shape of a dragon. The alien guests on the way to the spectacular fireworks show cheered and clapped in unison. The ingredients dancing in the wok were truly amazing. Fluorescent octopus legs fresh from the depths of the Orion Nebula, crunchy ice crystal mushrooms mined from Saturn's rings, and spicy stardust relish released when a supernova explodes. Handwritten neon letters in English blinked on the analog menu board hanging under the eaves of the food stall.

[CHEF ZARR'S SPECIAL: GALAXY FOOD]

[ORION PLANKTON STIR-FRY: 50 CREDITS]

[SPICY SUPERNOVA SKEWER: 30 CREDITS] “Hey, Leo from Earth! I guess you worked overtime today too? Your face is pale!”

Zar's three eyes widened happily upon spotting Leo. “Don’t talk to me. Everyday life on earth is hell. I can’t survive without your cooking.”

“Hahaha! Welcome to the right place. The Orion Plankton that arrived today will energize you three times more than any other energy drink!” Jar put two hot, freshly fried skewers on a wooden plate and handed them to Leo. The moment I took a bite, an exhilarating spark of carbonated carbonate exploded in my mouth, like a small supernova exploding. The rich taste of the deep sea behind the spicy seasoning. Leo let out an exclamation and took a sip of beer. All the stress and fatigue that had been weighing on my heart on earth was melting away without a trace in this delicious bite.

Saar's food stall street was a huge melting pot where all the cultures and gastronomy of the galaxy peacefully melted together. Jarre was not simply a merchant who made dishes. He was a legendary master chef who once served as the chief royal chef of the Orion Empire's imperial family. However, he became disillusioned with the imperial court cuisine, which was full of regulations and protocols, and with the belief that "real delicious food is street food that warms the hearts of ordinary people who are hungry and tired," he ran away from the palace and settled in the space night market. His three eyes had the depth to look into the souls of his guests.

With his right eye, he analyzed the guest's planet of origin and constitution, with his left eye he adjusted the wok's plasma temperature and seasoning ratio, and with the third eye in the center of his forehead, he read how tired the guest had been that day. “Come on, Leo! This is the Orion Nebula’s secret sauce that will completely take away your fatigue!” Every time Zar flipped a skewer with his tongs, a spicy scent of flame exploded in the air. On top of the golden-brown skewers of Orion plankton, golden stardust dust collected from the remains of a supernova was sprinkled like salt.

The moment the powder came in contact with the hot meat juice, blue steam in the shape of a small milky way rose, accompanied by a 'chwiik' sound. Leo put a skewer in his mouth and took a big bite. The chewy texture and rich seafood flavor burst through the crispy exterior. And the pleasant carbonated spiciness that hits the tip of your tongue.

“Wow... it tastes just like this. Jar, you really are the best chef in the universe.”

At Leo's admiration, Zar's three eyes were bent like a crescent moon and he burst out in hearty laughter. “Hahaha! Of course! In front of my wok, the Emperor of the Empire and the miners of Sirius are all equal guests. If you can eat delicious food and laugh, that’s enough!” At the tables around the stall, various aliens were sitting side by side, sharing food. The silicon race, whose entire body was made of stone, split a piece of rock-hard crystal bread and handed it to the jelly alien sitting next to it, and the four-armed centaur warrior screamed happily while holding four long skewers at once.

On Earth, they used to build walls and fight just because of their different skin colors and religions, but here, under the tent of Starlight Food Street, everyone was smiling warmly in front of the same delicious food. Leo, with his stomach full, handed the credits to Jar and went out into the night again. A warm warmth welling up from deep within his heart was guiding his steps lightly. Saar's Starlight Stall Street was not simply a place to fill one's stomach, but a holy healing oasis that soothed the souls of space wanderers. Dozens of small orange light bulbs hanging under the eaves of the food stall swayed in the wind, casting warm shadows.

The cooking wok was rotated in the flames and the dish was completed with skill. His three eyes sparkled more clearly every time he heard the customers' laughter. “Hey, Leo! Food is like the universal language of the universe.”

Jarr chuckled as he handed over a new plate of snacks. “It doesn’t matter if you don’t understand the language, if your skin color is different, or if you have three hearts or just one. The moment you put something warm and delicious together in your mouth and exclaim, ‘It’s delicious!’, the whole universe becomes your friend.” Leo nodded deeply at Zar's simple philosophy. How insignificant and meaningless the Earth's complex politics, ideologies, conflicts and hatred are under this small tent. Leo took a bite of the crispy fries on his plate. The scent of sweet interstellar honey and savory nuts spreads throughout your mouth.

On the street outside the stall, various alien children were running around laughing, holding luminous clouds that puffed up like cotton candy, and an old alien couple was walking affectionately through the market streets, holding hands. Leo was deeply moved by the fact that the warmest and most humane scene unfolded right in the middle of this distant alien space station. Under the red tent of Saar's food stall 'The Blazing Comet', it was filled with the excitement and mouth-watering smells of gourmets from all over the galaxy.

Chi-ik-! Hahaha! Blue, high-temperature plasma flames soared from beneath the giant titanium wok with a diameter of 1 meter that Jarr levitated in the air. Each of Jarr's three eyes flashed independently and he made dazzling movements. The left eye was monitoring the doneness of the Andromedan crystal shrimp dancing in the wok, the right eye was measuring the proportions of supernova spice spraying out of the condiment container, and the large third eye in the center of the forehead was watching the reactions of the guests and table turnover.

“Now, let’s go in! Drop golden onions from Centaurs and luminous seaweed from Jupiter’s deep sea!” Zar's four arms moved so fast that they were invisible to the eye. With one hand, he swung a long ladle to spread the special galaxy oyster sauce around the perimeter of the wok, and with the other two hands, he vigorously flicked the wok handle, causing the ingredients to rise high into the air. He showed fantastic showmanship by wiping the sweat from his forehead with his last remaining hand using a sweat towel around his waist. The shrimp and noodles soared into the air, caramelized to golden color in the heat of the plasma flame, and had a fantastic fiery taste.

Sigh-! The customers surrounding the stall cheered in unison. “Bravo, Jar! As expected, you are the best wok master in the night market!” “I heard they warp from Venus every Saturday to see that fireworks show!” Jarr smiled brightly, placed the wok on the stand, and placed the boiling food in a large neon ceramic bowl. From the rising steam, a spicy yet deeply savory scent spread to the tip of the nose. When Jarr sprinkled his secret weapon, 'stardust parsley', on top of the bowl, fine purple sparks crackled and burst out from between the noodles.

Leo sat at the bar table and picked up the chopsticks that Jarr gave him. “Zar, the flames look much hotter than last week?” “Haha! Brother Leo, it’s been a while! This time, I added a little bit of ‘black hole pepper’ collected from the depths of the Orion Dark Nebula! One bite and you’ll feel the thrill of a pulsar exploding in your brain!” Leo picked up a large piece of shiny noodles and stuffed it into his mouth. In an instant, what exploded on the tip of my tongue was not just a taste, but a perfect cosmic symphony. The combination of the firm texture of crispy fried crystal shrimp, chewy noodles with a deep fiery taste, and the sweet yet spicy sauce that follows.

“...Wow! This is the taste. This taste is why I run through the stuffy city centers of the Earth at the speed of light.” “I’m glad you like it! Hey, Brother Leo, we’ll give you a glass of cold Comet cider on Thursday!” When I drank the fluorescent drink filled with thin ice that Jarr gave me, cool carbonated water poured down my throat, completely washing away all the fatigue in the galaxy. The bar tables at Saar's food stall were abuzz with the hilarious sagas of travelers from various alien planets. Right next to Leo, the feathered Andromedan Avian merchant was sipping fragrant grain wine, and next to him, the silicone-skinned Saturn hologram designer was capturing Zar's dazzling workmanship in a digital oil painting on a sketch pad.

“Hey, Leo! You’re a little later than usual today, aren’t you?” With his fourth hand, Zar took out a plate of well-fermented alien pickled radish from a large wooden barrel and placed it in front of Leo and asked. “While opening the dimensional jumpway on the ground, an unexpected electromagnetic storm occurred in the upper atmosphere. As a result, we had a bit of trouble adjusting the ion valve manually.”

“Haha! Are you still driving that old coupe manually? These days, if you just plug in an autonomous navigation chip, you can get here even with your eyes closed!” “Then it’s not fun, Jar. The feel of your hand when you step on the clutch and shift into gear, that heavy intake sound when the turbo engine sucks in air… A drive without that is no different from just lying in a moving coffin.” At Leo's answer, Jarr chuckled, narrowing his three large eyes in satisfaction.

“It’s you, after all! You’re a true romantic. That’s why you recognize the true value of my cooking!” Jarr grabbed the wok handle again and turned up the dial on the plasma burner to the maximum. Fuwaaaaaaa! Pure blue-white flames reaching 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit engulfed the titanium wok. The fresh space vegetables that Jarr put in died in an instant, retaining their crunchy texture and filled with the scent of fire. Every time the wok was turned, a whirlpool of gourmet food, like a miniature galaxy, was drawn in the air, and the smell spread throughout the market alleys, stopping the footsteps of passing aliens in front of the stall.

Leo swallowed another chopstick of crispy, warm noodles and looked up at the night sky. An endless shower of meteors beyond the awning of a red food stall. The hardships and troublesome thoughts on earth had long since turned to white ash and disappeared in Saar's plasma flames. As the night progressed, Jarre's wok show reached a more intense and fantastical level.

“Now, this time it’s the legendary ‘Supernova Flame Fried Rice’! Everyone, open your eyes and watch!” When Jar lifted the rice grains into the air with a huge ladle, thousands of golden rice grains slowly rotated in the air as if in weightlessness. Using the plasma torch held in both hands, the rice grains floating in the air were precisely seared one by one, coating them with a golden flame. Puzzle! Kwaaaaang! Small fireworks exploded like firecrackers in the air, creating a fantastic aurora show. The guests were busy taking out their smartphones and hologram recorders to record this spectacle with their mouths wide open.

“That’s not cooking, it’s an art, art!” The merchant Andromeda Join, sitting next to Leo, continued to exclaim in exclamation and emptied his glass. Jarr quickly put the finished fried rice on a plate and held it out in front of Leo. Fine starlight sparks were still bouncing on the plate, giving off a subtle sweet and spicy fire scent.

“What do you think, Leo? It’s something you can’t even see on Earth, right?” “What can I say, Jar? Even if I brought the chef from the best five-star hotel restaurant on Earth, he would kneel in front of your wok.” Leo took a generous spoonful and put it in his mouth. The flavor of fragrant space butter and the juice of crunchy vegetables exploded between the gently stir-fried rice grains. A feeling of warmth and happiness fills your mouth. The fatigue from driving on the highway all night disappeared like melting snow, and I felt a surge of vitality to my bones.

"Zar, you're the best. This is why I fill up my spaceship and come rushing here every night." “Hahaha! When you say that, it makes cooking taste good! Brother Leo, take your time and look around the night market! I heard there’s a legendary band performing on the central stage today!” Jarr smiled brightly and began to vigorously turn the wok to take another order. It was a beautiful night with shooting stars falling over the red tent of the food stall. The brass wind chime hanging in one corner of Jarr's stall swayed in the space wind and made a clear and pure sound.

Jingling- Jingling. The clear sound combined with the sound of oil splashing in a wok, the sound of steam escaping from a boiling broth pot, and the loud conversations of customers completed a friendly night market symphony. Leo emptied every drop of soup left on the bottom of the bowl and handed it to Zar.

“Jar, today was a meal that really filled my soul. All the stress I had accumulated on earth was blown away with this one bowl.” “Hahaha! As a chef, you’re happiest when a customer returns an empty plate! Brother Leo, stop by again on your way back after enjoying the night market! That’s when we’ll introduce our new menu item, ‘Black Hole Dantanmyeon’!”

“Haha, I’m looking forward to it. I’ll definitely come back, so cook your noodles well!” Jarr smiled brightly and narrowed his three eyes. Leo left Jar's stall and walked down the alley with light steps. There were endless rows of stalls selling all kinds of rare spices and fruits from around the galaxy, and colorful neon brooches twinkled like stars in the night sky on the lapels of passing aliens. With his stomach full, Leo now walked deeper into the alley to enjoy the night market scenery more leisurely.

As we left Saar's food stall alley, Eunha's night market revealed a more colorful and exotic scene. On both sides of the street, there were endless stalls selling accessories made from rare galactic minerals and starlight shaved ice made from ice collected from Saturn's rings. In the air, small luminous jellyfish-shaped guide drones were floating in groups, sending out warm pink guidance signals to lost travelers. Leo slowly walked down the street with his hands in his pockets and breathed in the night air of the night market.

Perhaps thanks to filling my stomach with Jar's spicy and fiery stir-fried dish, my whole body felt pleasantly warm even in the cool space breeze. “Look over there! That’s the famous Classic Machine Driver from Earth!” “Wow, that’s really cool! That leather jacket looks like vintage Earth style!” Young aliens passing by looked at Leo with curious eyes and whispered. Leo winked lightly at them and continued his leisurely walk. The streets of this night were open to everyone, and it was the only place of liberation in the galaxy where strangers could laugh and celebrate each other's differences.

With pleasant chatter ringing in his ears and the sweet scent of interstellar cotton candy wafting through the air, Leo walked one step deeper into this enchanting maze of the night. The blue plasma smoke rising from Saar's stall has now completely dissolved into the deep darkness of the night sky. The warmth of the subtle spices remaining at my fingertips and the warmth that filled my stomach gave me new vitality with every step I took. The simple smiles and looks of encouragement that strangers from all over the galaxy give each other. That was the most dazzling treasure that the Space Night Market contained, and the magical power that made Leo come across thousands of light years to find this place.

This street, with its colorful fireworks and fragrant smells, became more lively as the night deepened. In the cold darkness of space, the warmly lit food stalls were providing the most cozy resting place for all weary souls. The galactic festival had just begun, and Leo smiled deeply, looking forward to another meeting and adventure under the stars that decorated the night sky. The fantastic neon lights that filled the night sky were making his steps more lively. Another unforgettable night was deepening.