The crimson blip grew brighter on Li Feng's radar—fast, erratic, predatory. A pirate drone.
"Of course," he muttered, flicking a switch on the console. The Rusty Glider's defense grid coughed to life, emitting a faint shimmer around the hull. The shield strength readout hovered at a pathetic 12%. One good hit, and it would crumble.
Through the cracked viewport, a shard of light streaked across the void—then another. The drone was close enough for its targeting sensors to lock on.
Li Feng steadied his breath, hands hovering over the controls. "You want a fight? You'll get one."
The pirate drone broke from stealth, an angular machine with crimson thrusters and serrated limbs. It spat plasma rounds that sizzled past the Glider's hull, scoring molten streaks along the metal.
Li Feng rolled the ship hard to starboard, feeling the inertia strain his exosuit. He toggled the mining laser from harvest mode to pulse discharge. The beam lanced out, a burst of white-blue energy slicing through the dark.
Direct hit. The drone's armor flared, its limbs twitching before spinning away into the debris field.
"Still alive?" he muttered, scanning for a signature. Nothing. Only static.
A small chime sounded.
[Combat Salvage Acquired: 200 Neutron Shards, 1 Biotech Vial]
[Item Identified: Low-Grade Biotech Serum – Enhances Physical Attributes (Temporary)]
Li Feng raised an eyebrow. "Now that's a drop."
He unscrewed the vial's seal, watching iridescent liquid swirl inside. A faint biotech scent—synthetic and metallic—hung in the air. "If this boosts my stats, even temporarily…"
He downed it. The serum burned cold down his throat, spreading like liquid fire. His muscles tightened, nerves humming with energy.
[Temporary Buff Activated – +15% Strength, +10% Reflex]
[Duration: 00:29:58]
"Not bad."
Reorienting the ship, Li Feng drifted toward the largest asteroid in the cluster—a glowing mass veined with luminescent ore. He fired the mining laser in short bursts. Fragments of rock peeled away, releasing shimmering crystals.
[Resource Acquired: 200 Neutron Shards, 1 Rare Biotech Vial]
He leaned back, satisfied. "Now we're talking."
The Eternal Void Emporium icon pulsed within his neural interface, urging his attention.
"Let's see what you can really do," he whispered.
With a thought, the Emporium unfolded again in his mind's eye—endless shelves, shifting markets, spectral traders bartering across timelines. He navigated to the Trade Initiation tab and selected his haul.
Listing Created:
Low-Grade Biotech Serum ×1
Rare Biotech Vial ×1
Quantum Scrap ×10
Li Feng hesitated, setting a modest price: 200 Neutron Shards per serum.
Moments later, a notification blinked to life.
```
[Incoming Offer – Origin: Arcane Drift Trader "Lunaris-7"]
[Trade Proposal: 1 Augment Blueprint Fragment + 100 Neutron Shards → 1 Rare Biotech Vial]
"Already?" Li Feng blinked. "You guys move fast."
He examined the trade window. The blueprint fragment shimmered—half a schematic for some form of Adaptive Armor.
He accepted.
The transaction rippled through the void. His neural implant buzzed, and the blueprint fragment materialized as a holographic projection before him.
[Item Acquired: Adaptive Armor Blueprint (Fragment 1/3)]
Li Feng's grin widened. "Not bad for my first trade."
Outside, the glowing debris field drifted lazily, but the radar pinged again—multiple red dots this time, circling like vultures.
He tightened his grip on the controls. "Looks like word's out."
The mining laser powered down with a whine as he rerouted energy to the engines. The Glider lurched forward, fleeing into the streaked expanse of the Nebula Sea.
For the first time since waking, Li Feng felt something strange in his chest—not fear, but exhilaration.
A dead miner's body, a broken ship, and a store that defied the laws of reality.
He might just survive this after all.
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