Dreamlike
Pelek-Baw City, capital of Haruun Kal.
It was a city built on the only relatively flat plateau on Haruun Kal that stood over 5,000 meters above sea level. Compared to the hellish environment of Haruun Kal, Pelek-Baw City was practically paradise.
More than 400,000 residents lived here, all smugglers from elsewhere in the Milky Way Galaxy. The enormous profits from Thyssel tree bark constantly drew people in, and they settled down and raised families here.
They had even developed their own system of rules.
It was said that these rules had originally been established jointly by several of the strongest mercenary groups.
They were meant to counter the threat of the Korunnai and to harvest Thyssel tree bark more scientifically and efficiently, rather than mining it indiscriminately regardless of quality and damaging the growth of the Diesel trees.
They began harvesting Thyssel tree bark in an organized manner, with dedicated roasting plants and processing factories. They used volcanic materials unique to Haruun Kal to roast and refine it into expensive spices with no side effects.
These smugglers established a clear division of labor. There were hunting teams dedicated to killing Grassers, which they viewed as nothing but a scourge. Grassers fed primarily on Diesel tree bark, and bark they had gnawed became stripped of its hallucinogenic effects by their saliva, turning into useless waste too damp even for firewood.
Then there were armed units specifically tasked with dealing with the Korunnai. Grassers were the Korunnai's most important livestock. Their Grasser milk was delicious and nutritious, and drinking it over a long period improved the Korunnai's tolerance for the perilous jungles of Haruun Kal.
Because of the many poisonous gases and strange plants, Haruun Kal's jungles were often terrifying places from which no one returned.
Thus, the Korunnai could never