The lady next door noticed how frail and malnourished Chen Sui appeared, and often brought her nutritional supplements.
Grateful for her kindness, Chen Sui would use discarded parts to make toys for her neighbor's child.
These toys might have meant little in the central ring of the Interstellar Alliance, but on the impoverished Talos Star in the outer ring, they were enough to bring joy to a child for a long time.
The suspended rail above creaked continuously.
The aroma of nutrient fluid drifted out from a nearby shop.
Life in the Interstellar Alliance was peaceful and tranquil, a stark contrast to the chaotic, apocalyptic wastelands filled with alien species where survival was a daily struggle.
This was the quiet life she had hoped for.
Chen Sui glanced at the increasingly bustling street. Her gaze shifted to the swaying hovercar rails suspended in midair, and she lazily stretched her limbs with a trace of fatigue.
She thought, Once I pay off Mr. Peter's debt...
If she could save enough for tuition, she planned to spend a few years in military school. After graduation, she could acquire full citizenship and be eligible to purchase a residence in the star ring.
Only then would life become truly comfortable and carefree.
Chen Sui took a deep breath as she looked ahead with hope, then turned to start her day's work.
When she first arrived in this world, she had been hit by an unknown force and lost part of her memory. According to Mr. Peter, he had found her in a mining cave, covered in blood, her chest pierced by a sharp weapon, and her right eye wounded. It looked as if she had been through a brutal battle. She remained unconscious in a medical facility for three months before finally waking up.
As a result, Chen Sui could only register as an interstellar nomad. To settle down, she had two choices: join the border military forces or enroll in a military academy.
She had only just reached adulthood and was currently researching military academies with enrollment plans for interstellar nomads.
"Ding-dong."
"Customer No. 1869, Mr. Paisen, welcome," announced the voice of an intelligent service robot.
Chen Sui, who had just approached the service counter, quickly looked up. "Hello, welcome to Peter's Repair Shop."
The newcomer's towering figure blocked the doorway, casting a shadow across the interior. As he stepped inside, Chen Sui finally recognized his familiar features beneath the thick beard.
"Mr. Paisen, your mech repair order has been completed."
She straightened her posture, adopting a professional tone.
Tapping a few times on the console, two metal support pillars behind the wall extended, revealing a mechanical box. With a click, the metallic casing opened to reveal a palm-sized sphere with an attached chain.
"All done? I cannot wait to test the new mech," Mr. Paisen said courteously, retrieving the mech ring with a pleased smile.
Mechs were developed by the Interstellar Alliance to combat powerful and unpredictable energy beings. These suits amplified a person's combat abilities, syncing with neural pathways and expanding the user's physical form up to tenfold, enhancing strength and speed.
In her original world, Chen Sui had also encountered mechs as combat weapons. With her previous experience, she quickly adapted to Peter's repair work and even earned a solid reputation in the nearby star systems, bringing more customers to the shop.
After reviewing the mech's status through his light-brain interface, Mr. Paisen praised her, "No wonder my friends recommended Peter's Repair Shop. Technician Chen, your skills are indeed exceptional."
Chen Sui gave a polite smile. "You flatter me. Customer satisfaction is our greatest reward. We look forward to your next visit."
Mr. Paisen nodded, turned around with satisfaction, and walked toward the shop's entrance. Just as he was about to leave—
The mechanical door suddenly halted, shook violently, and slammed shut with a loud bang, locking tight.
Red warning lights flashed from the interior sensors.
The city's emergency alarm rang out.
A piercing broadcast shattered the morning's calm:
"Abnormal energy levels detected. All residents, please stay away from nearby objects and activate energy protection immediately!"
The voice spoke rapidly.
As the announcement played, Mr. Paisen froze and looked up.
Chen Sui lifted her eyes. Her hands moved away from the console, taking care not to touch anything, her gaze fixed on the scene outside.
"What is that...?"
In the sky, thick clouds darkened, blotting out the sun. The world dimmed within seconds, as if a solar eclipse had descended.
A ghostly blue veil fell from above, blanketing buildings. Feather-light in appearance, the veil collapsed structures instantly beneath its pressure.
A powerful storm swept in from afar, tearing the ground apart.
Cracks split open across the earth, the streets fractured. Beneath the blue veil, the ground erupted like molten lava, spewing layers of black soil.
Unimaginable forces reduced artificial structures to rubble.
The very space seemed to distort. Jagged peaks burst through the earth, reshaping the terrain.
People screamed and ran. The metallic streets beneath their feet were corroded and melted by black earth. Soft black mounds emerged from the ground.
Mr. Paisen's expression changed drastically. "No—an energy field has descended!"
He reached for his mech, but a storm charged with volatile energy swept in from outside.
The energy gust tossed the robotic assistant aside before it could utter a sound, shredding it instantly. The transparent door exploded under the force, scattering metal shards in every direction.
A violent shockwave surged in. Chen Sui backed away from the console, quickly grabbing a mech ring from the table.
The storm tore through the shop.
Energy-laced wind blades sliced her skin. Her black uniform was shredded, revealing crimson wounds across her exposed skin.
The console collapsed with a crash.
The ground surged with black soil. Dropped metal pieces were devoured by the rising land.
The shop's metal walls were pierced by jagged stone outgrowths.
Chen Sui's body was flung into the air by the gale, dragged and twisted by the wind. Energy blades cut into her flesh, numbing her senses.
She had no idea how much time passed before the wind finally weakened.
Sensing the drop in force, Chen Sui—honed by years of fighting in the apocalypse—reacted instantly.
With a burst of strength, she leveraged the storm's force to break free, leapt down mid-air, rolled to the ground, and dodged a stray wind blade just in time.
As the whirlwind passed, Chen Sui rose and quickly scanned her surroundings.
In mere seconds, the city had been transformed into a wasteland.
Streets had collapsed into ruins. Towering mountains had erupted from the ground, crushing buildings and roads. Black sludge corroded everything it touched.
Images of scorched wastelands flashed through Chen Sui's mind.
Her eyes darkened, fingers tightening around the mech ring.
Nearby, Mr. Paisen crawled up from a black mound, spitting out mud.
He was also covered in wounds, his beard shredded like it had been chewed by a wild dog.
But he had no time to worry about his appearance. He immediately retrieved his mech and rushed over. "This energy field formed way too fast. The energy creature must be terrifying."
"We need to get out of here. As far as I know, your planet doesn't even have Interstellar Guard Services."
"Damn it," he cursed under his breath.
The Interstellar Guard Services required planets to pay a massive service fee in order to request deployment from the Border Military via the Military Committee.
Since former committee chairman Song Baining vanished, the service fees skyrocketed. Many fringe planets couldn't afford protection and lost their stationed troops.
Talos Star was one such planet.
Chen Sui was unfamiliar with the Interstellar Guard Services, but she understood that Mr. Paisen was right—their situation was dangerous.
She held a basic mech ring and activated her mech pilot interface.
"You… are using a basic model?"
Basic mechs were the simplest type in the Alliance, equipped only with a lightsaber and energy cannon. Compared to advanced and custom models, their combat capabilities were severely limited.
Chen Sui was aware of the disadvantages, but this was the only model within reach, and the only one for which she had an activation sequence.
Mr. Paisen was momentarily speechless, but there was no time to dwell on it. He frowned. "Are you an Awakened?"
Chen Sui shook her head honestly. "No."
Awakened individuals, aside from mech pilots, were another powerful group within the Alliance. They could summon spiritual entities and were the main defense against energy creatures.
Chen Sui thought silently—I am not from this world. How could I possibly possess this world's unique awakening ability?
Mr. Paisen sighed with disappointment. "Let us pray we find an anchor point soon and get out of this energy field. If we encounter an energy creature… well…"
He trailed off, but the fear was evident.
Neither of them had ever seen one, but the stories were enough.
"What makes energy creatures so dangerous?" Chen Sui asked while they walked through the city's blackened ruins.
Mr. Paisen nodded without hesitation.
Though surprised she asked a question that everyone in the Alliance knew, he still answered:
"They have terrifying regenerative powers. Our mechs can barely scratch them. Only Awakened can truly destroy them. Energy creatures command natural elemental storms, and their energy particles can turn a person into ash in seconds."
Chen Sui's expression did not change. She nodded slightly in the mech cockpit, deep in thought.
Difficult or not, you never know until you fight.
Crossing a black mound, she spotted a piece of uncorroded silver metal lying in a puddle of black liquid.
"What is that?"
Mr. Paisen strode over, knelt carefully in a wider space, and used his mechanical fingers to lift the metal from the mud.
It appeared to be a metal sphere. Its edges were coated in black fluid, and the fracture was sharp—clearly not crushed or melted. The surface bore numerous scratches.
"It is energy metal."
This was a special material forged to mimic energy creatures' particles—commonly used in energy cannons or to lure energy beings.
Staring at the cut surface, Mr. Paisen's expression turned grim. He activated his exoskeleton's lights.
Chen Sui observed calmly. "The cut is clean. It does not look like it was broken by brute force."
Mr. Paisen's voice grew tense. "It is wind blades—energy creature wind blades."
"This was eaten by an energy creature!"
Which meant—
The creature was nearby.
Mr. Paisen's face turned pale.
Chen Sui's calm features took on a cold edge, her gaze carefully scanning the surroundings.
She was outwardly composed, but inwardly seething.
She had nearly finished paying off her debt this month. Now, everything was ruined by this damned energy field. She wondered whether Mr. Peter would still pay her wages.
The energy creature had destroyed her job and her peaceful life.
It was just like those apocalyptic monsters—detestable.
—And just as deserving of death.
Chen Sui lowered her gaze coldly.