Secrets in the Cracks

"I'm full. I'm going back to read."

Having filled his stomach with the big bug, Zhou Yi got up and prepared to return to his room.

"You girl, don't stay up reading too late. Get some rest early so you don't delay tomorrow's Awakening Test."

"I really don't know who this child takes after. She reads like she's possessed. If no one watches her, pulling an all-nighter is practically normal. I wonder what kind of book could possibly be that good."

Tang Zhen felt a little sorry for her daughter.

"Isn't she just like her father?" Zhou Jiang said proudly.

Tang Zhen: Silently too lazy to call him out.JPG

Zhou Yi returned to his room, sat at the desk by the window, and opened the book she had nearly worn to pieces.

"Star Weaver Manual Vol. 1"

The book had not been new to begin with, and after more than half a year of Zhou Yi's tireless reading, it had become even more tattered.

It was the most important treasure Zhou Yi possessed so far.

The houses on D71 Star Block were all built from stone. Half a year ago, Zhou Yi had found this book in a crack between loose stones beneath her bed, along with a letter.

That letter had been written by the original owner's grandfather, and it contained the Zhou family's greatest secret.

Speaking of the Zhou family's secret, one first had to introduce a legendary profession in the interstellar world: Star Weavers.

To most people, Star Weavers were important figures who existed only in interstellar legends.

There were only a handful of Star Weavers left in the entire interstellar world, few enough to count on both hands.

Simply put, Star Weavers awakened star patterns for mechs.

That was right. Mechs could awaken star patterns too.

Ordinary mechs could only display combat power matching their own mech grade, while mechs that had awakened star patterns could greatly increase their combat power, even doubling it.

Legend had it that an elite Star Weaver had bestowed an above-S-grade star pattern upon a mech, creating consciousness of its own and turning it into a true killing machine.

If people spoke of Mech Masters with respect and admiration, then when they spoke of Star Weavers, there was only reverence and worship.

Yet this profession, which fascinated everyone, was not something people could choose for themselves.

It was the star patterns that chose who could create them.

A person's star pattern could not be changed, but not everyone was like that.

There was one kind of person whose star pattern, upon awakening, was merely a tiny star. Yet as their star power grew, a second star and then a third would appear. Lines would emerge between the stars, like connected star blocks in the universe, boundless and endless.

Once three star points appeared, one gained the basic qualifications to create star patterns. The more points and lines there were, the stronger one's abilities became.

People with these growth-type star patterns were called Chosen Ones.

And the Zhou family had once produced such a Chosen One, someone hailed as the most talented Star Weaver in the interstellar world.

Unfortunately, heaven envied talent. That ancestor had not lived long before being persecuted. Otherwise, Zhou Yi's family would not still be living on a lowest-grade star block at risk of being dissolved.

Although that ancestor had left behind no wealth, he had left behind a book he had written himself—"Star Weaver Manual Vol. 1." As for the second volume, it had long since vanished with the passage of time.

For generations, the Zhou family had preserved this book, waiting for another gifted child to appear in the future.

Sadly, none had appeared, even by Zhou Yi's grandfather's generation.

For generations, the Zhou family's star patterns had all been stars, the lowest-grade star pattern.

Unless one was chosen by heaven, the vast majority of people would have only that single star for their entire lives.

At first, every child who awakened a star believed they might be a Chosen One.

But they were not. Even among the descendants of Star Weavers, the odds of another Chosen One appearing were less than one in ten thousand.

Some descendants even spent their entire lives training frantically and waiting, only to waste their lives and be left with nothing but desolation.

What had once seemed like good fortune became a tremendous misfortune. To gamble on a possibility that almost did not exist, generations were doomed to mediocrity. Perhaps that was the price of a Star Weaver being born.

Zhou Yi's grandfather had been the same. Only in his twilight years had he realized his regret came too late, so he hid the book away, hoping his descendants would abandon their fantasies and live properly.

Unexpectedly, Zhou Yi, who had crossed over here, found it by chance.

"He says he hid it, but he hid it this carelessly. The old man probably never completely gave up hope."

Zhou Yi complained inwardly. If he truly had not wanted his descendants to learn from it, why not simply destroy the book? There had been no need to leave behind a letter either.

"Star Weaver Manual Vol. 1" mainly described how those who had been chosen could quickly achieve personal growth.

Only a small section at the end described some simple methods for awakening star patterns in mechs.

As for the more complicated methods, they were all in "Star Weaver Manual Vol. 2," which had long since disappeared without a trace.

But that was still far too distant for Zhou Yi, and it was not important.

What mattered was finding out whether she was truly one of the chosen. If she was not, then no matter how precious the book was, it would be nothing but waste paper to her.

Fortunately, because it was the first volume, the beginning of the book was extremely detailed and even included content on how to awaken oneself.

Zhou Yi found the book exactly half a year after crossing over, and her awakening day was not far away. After putting in much effort, she finally awakened her own star pattern a month later.

It was a tiny star point.

Zhou Yi was not disappointed. The chances had been nearly zero to begin with, and she had never expected herself to be a Chosen One.

But she did not intend to give up immediately. Instead, she worked even harder to try the cultivation methods in the book, often seeking out secluded places late at night to train alone.

That was right, cultivation.

The energy levels on D-Class Star Blocks were terrible and unsuitable for cultivating star power. Fortunately, the book contained a secret art left behind by their ancestor: the Star Gathering Art.

The Star Gathering Technique had both a chant and a set of movements, allowing star power to grow with twice the result for half the effort.

Every night at midnight, Zhou Yi secretly went out alone to practice. She had not missed a single day in the past half year.

Although her star power increased slowly, Zhou Yi discovered that her five senses had become clearer and her body stronger.

She had already decided that even if her talent was only at the lowest level, she would practice the Star Gathering Technique for the rest of her life. Having a strong body was a good thing too.

In her previous life, her health had been so poor that she had to go to the hospital every month. She never wanted to experience that helplessness again.

Zhou Yi was not greedy. If people were not greedy, they would not be disappointed. Without delusions, they would not feel pain.

However, what she had not expected was that after five months of hard work, a second star point appeared at the back of Zhou Yi's neck. The two points had actually connected into a line!

She had actually succeeded.

No one knew whether trading generations of mediocrity for a single genius was worth it.

But regardless of what history had to say, from the moment the second point appeared in Zhou Yi's star pattern, the life of Zhou Yi, who had happened to arrive in this world, was destined to become extraordinary.

Let me briefly clarify the setting: star pattern is a noun, star weaving is a verb, and Star Weaver is a profession.

The setting of this book was entirely created by the author, so there may be a little more buildup early on, and it may seem a bit complicated.

Give it some time. This book will bring everyone surprises~ Thank you, everyone!