Planet LX-045.
A thin, fragile figure moved through the narrow cracks between towering mounds of garbage.On both sides of her, the trash piled high, reeking of decay, forming mountains that stretched as far as the eye could see.
Just as the small figure stepped out from the narrow gap, a black shadow appeared behind her—out of nowhere—and threw a heavy punch at her back.
Bang!
Her small body was sent flying, crashing hard onto the cold ground.Crimson spread beneath her like a blooming flower. Her fingers twitched once, her eyelids fluttered as if trying to open… then fell still.Moments later, her faint breath disappeared completely.
The black shadow leaned over, checked her pulse with a finger, and once certain she was truly dead—vanished.
Not long after, a black rift suddenly tore open in the air above the girl's body.Tiny lightning bolts flickered with violet light, writhing like claws around the edges of the crack, giving off a suffocating sense of danger.
From within that rift, a golden-glowing orb slowly drifted out.It fell through the air and—by sheer coincidence—landed right on the lifeless girl lying in a pool of blood.
The orb bounced twice, almost as if thinking.Then, as though it made up its mind, it rolled to the girl's forehead and slipped right into her body.
The body on the ground twitched.Fingers curled.A breath returned.Her eyelids trembled—then finally opened.
When Rora Starsea opened her eyes, the world was drenched in red.For a moment, she froze. Then memory hit her like lightning.
She had been a full-time webnovelist, finally taking a rare day off to go shopping…only to get crushed by something that fell from the sky.
She stared at the crimson below her. Wait… is this my blood?
"Oh come on, what a way to go…" she muttered. "No one's even found me yet? Guess I'm lucky to still be breathing!"
Just as she sighed, the ground nearby began to ripple.A round blue head popped out from the dirt, shaking off dust like a cartoon character.
It had a shiny blue body, big round eyes, no nose—just a curved line for a mouth.After brushing off imaginary dirt, it turned toward Rora.
"Hey there, traveler from another world! Welcome!"
The voice was soft and echoing, strangely soothing.
Rora blinked, her mind slow from blood loss. When she finally processed what it said, she froze—then snapped her eyes wide open.
"What the hell?! Am I hallucinating from blood loss? Or did I eat bad mushrooms? Why am I seeing a cartoon blob?!"
The blue creature stiffened, its smile line flattening for a moment before curving again.
"Greetings, foreign traveler," it said proudly. "I am no illusion. I am Lumo, the Star Spirit of this planet! You may address me as Lord Lumo!"
Rora: "…"She looked away, expression deadpan.
Lumo's big round eyes flickered with confusion.It raised a finger, only to find it slowly turning transparent. Panic flashed across its face as it rubbed furiously at its fading hand.
Then, realizing the danger, it sprinted toward Rora on its stubby legs. She's my only chance!
It poked her head nervously.Rora looked up, face blank. "What do you want?"
Lumo quickly hid its hands behind its back. "Traveler, I… I need your help."
Rora frowned. "Help with what?"
"I am this planet's Star Spirit. For a hundred years, no one has been able to bond with me. You—are the only one who can!""Your arrival awakened me from my long sleep!""So please—bond with me!"
Those big glowing eyes stared at her, full of hope.
Rora, still weak, shifted from lying face-down to lying on her back.She stared at the sky above—green and black, nothing like the blue she remembered.Raising her hand, she saw long, dark fingers that clearly weren't hers.
Her voice came out hoarse:"So… you're telling me… this isn't my world anymore?"
Lumo nodded. "Yes. Your soul crossed through a spatial rift and ended up here, merging with this body that had just died."
Then it added quickly, "I already spoke with this girl's spirit. She agreed to let you use her body—and if one day you can avenge her death, that'd be great. So you don't have to feel guilty."
When she'd arrived, the strange energy from her soul had awakened Lumo, who had also absorbed part of her essence and learned about her moral sense.So it explained carefully, knowing she'd never accept something that felt wrong.
After hearing that, Rora nodded. The guilt in her heart faded.
"Fine. Then tell me—why do you need me? What exactly is a Star Spirit? What happens if we bond? Can it ever be undone?"
Her barrage of questions left Lumo staring blankly, tiny spirals spinning in its big eyes.Never before had a human asked so many questions instead of just agreeing.
After a pause, it gathered its thoughts and began explaining seriously:
"This planet is dying. Once I fall asleep again, both I and the planet will perish.""A Star Spirit is the soul of a planet, and the planet itself is our body. We're one.""To survive and evolve, every Star Spirit must bond with a compatible human—one whose soul matches perfectly. Once bonded, the link can't be undone unless destroyed."
"Such humans are extremely rare—sometimes appearing only once in thousands of years. But when the bond is complete, the planet can rise onto the Interstellar Star Spirit Rankings, gaining access to resources and ensuring survival."
"Wait—Star Spirit Rankings? Survival?" Rora asked, a bad feeling creeping up her spine.
Lumo waved her off. "That's not important right now! What matters is—will you bond with me or not?"
Rora fell silent. She wasn't impulsive. She knew nothing about this world. She couldn't decide lightly.
Seeing her hesitation, Lumo looked crestfallen—but kept explaining:
"Once we bond, you'll become this planet's Star Master. You'll grow the planet, apply to join the Rankings, and once approved, we'll live on."
Rora saw the eager shine in its eyes. For a brief second, her heart softened.But she shook her head. "I'm just a writer… I can't handle a whole planet's fate."
Then she noticed Lumo's lower body fading to transparency."Hey—what's happening to you?!"
Lumo looked down calmly this time. "It's fine. I've burned too much energy. I'm just going back to sleep."
Back to sleep?
Rora's scalp tingled. She remembered what "sleep" meant for Lumo—death.
"Wait, what are you doing?! Bond! Bond now! I said bond right now!!"
She lunged at the little blue creature.Damn it, if you'd said that earlier, I would've agreed instantly!
When it came to survival—nothing else mattered.