Near the River in the Southern Continent of the Planet Cedric led a group of people fiddling with ferns, trying to make fishing nets.
"There are plenty of big fish in the river. Whether or not we can complete the quest, at least they're food. Damn it, eating the same meat on the train every day is making me sick," Cedric complained, a blade of grass tucked between his lips.
3,000 Kilometers East in a Primeval Forest Atticus and his two hundred members were weaving through the woods.
"Those are unicorn rabbits, a type of star beast. We can hunt them for quests."
"But boss, these rabbits are fast. Can we even catch them?"
"Let's try. The forest isn't just about rabbits. There are targets everywhere."
Different guilds headed to different locations, most with success, while a few faced setbacks due to powerful star beasts. Take Orion, for example. Reckless as ever, he navigated swamplands fully armed, dodging water snakes and swarms of fist-sized mosquitoes. He'd flinched, but the promise of a big payoff kept him pushing forward. The ship's scanners detected unusual energy fluctuations in the swamp—likely a source of superpower-rich materials. If he was going to risk his life, he'd go all in.
Orion had maxed out his credit line renting the ship and registering with the guild. If he failed today, there'd be no point returning to the train.
Whoosh! Vines dropped from above, hissing as they neared. Orion stayed calm, slashing with his knife to kill a hanging poison snake.
"Weird-looking snake!"
It had an oval head, slender wings along its back though it couldn't fly, and scales resembling a pangolin's.
"Too bad these snakes aren't star beasts. Their heads are worthless."
Orion didn't care about collecting genes. He wanted bigger game.
After kilometers of struggle, Orion finally reached his target. But there was no treasure—just a rat.
"The train's database didn't mention this."
The rat was tiger-sized, with a white head, exposed fangs, and blood dripping from its maw. Even Orion's nerves faltered. He tried to sneak away, but the rat's reflexes were lightning-fast. It pounced like a bird of prey.
Bam! Bam! Bam! Orion backed up, firing his pistol until the clip clicked empty. The rat staggered but grew more furious, hissing as it burrowed into the swamp's soft ground.
Orion's palms dampened. He sheathed his gun, gripped his combat knife with both hands, and stood on a brown rock, eyes locked below. Five seconds later, a muffled thump signaled the rat's underground charge—at his blind spot!
"Attacking from behind?" Orion rolled forward, used momentum to stand, then dodged sideways as the beast's claws missed him by inches.
"This isn't just a star beast. Its level must be higher than mine."
---
Orion's Desperation
He knew he had to fight or be worn out. Worse, he didn't know if more creatures lurked nearby.
"Come at me. Kill me if you can."
The rat sensed his defiance. It leaped—graceful as a predator. But Orion dropped low, slashing upward with brute force. His knife punctured the rat's belly.
"Knew this was your weak spot. Die!"
He carved open its guts, colorful organs spilling out. The rat screeched, trying to flee underground, but Orion grabbed its tail and wrenched it out.
"Its corpse should sell for something." After dragging it out, the rat gasped its last breath. Orion finished it with a clean stroke.
"First star beast I've killed. Memorable. But…" His knife now had a nasty nick.
"Fifty coin piece of junk? That damn train cons everyone!"
He grumbled, hauling the body to his ship. After a quick rest, he returned to the swamp. The scanner still showed energy spikes.
"Maybe it has a nest?" Instead, he found a vein of blue-crystal minerals embedded in complex metal ores.
Orion tested a shard—discarded it instantly. "Too impure to absorb. Guess I'll sell it as raw ore."
He spent two hours loading the ore, then limped back to the train with an underfilled ship.
---
Back at the Train
"He's the first one back? That fast?" Damian sounded surprised.
More shocking: Orion solo-killed a near-Level 2 star beast. Screens showed him dragging the corpse to the quest hall, but before unloading, a drone intercepted him: "Three star beast bodies incomplete any quest. Sell to the train for 0.5 star coins? Accept?" Orion nodded, too tired to argue.
"Three tons of ore submitted. Completes three resource-gathering quests. Earn 15 star coins. Submit?" His face darkened as he confirmed.
Ship rental: -200. Knife repair: -50. Net loss: devastating.
"Can't solo this. Need a real team."
Just then, the drone asked: "Did you discover a crystal mine?"
Orion paused, then nodded. The drone offered: "Submit coordinates, receive 500 star coins reward."
His eyes widened. "Coordinates uploaded now."
His account surged by 500 coins—debts wiped out, topping the wealth leaderboard.
"Debt-free feels nice."
---
In the Ship's Bridge
Damian ordered Fuyao the AI to update rules:
"Anyone who finds rare mineral deposits and shares coordinates gets a reward. Make it Task 15, permanent."
He noticed a flaw: "People don't know what to collect because we didn't specify exchange rates. For example, certain plants aren't quest-related, but the train buys them at premium prices."
[AI Prompt]: "Master, mass-produce wristwatches. Benefits: Real-time monitoring of everyone. Instant access to info/quest updates."
"It's not spying—it's protection. If we have materials, start production immediately."