Blue-Quality "Superconducting Laser Cannon"

The moment he fastened his seatbelt, the sensation of weightlessness surged to its limit, followed by a dizzying spin.

In the outskirts of Jiangyuan City, at the Ultra-Long-Range Star-Sea Deployment Platform, the crowds were clearly far smaller than yesterday's sea of people. Even so, nearly three thousand citizens had gathered here.

At this moment, most of the more than two thousand people present wore worried expressions. These were parents and elders anxious for their children.

Awakening a Kindling Seed and gaining control of a Kindling Starship was indeed a shortcut that could propel anyone to the top, granting extraordinary social status. Yet this shortcut was no smooth road; it was covered in thorns.

Every Alien Starfield Exploration sounded, at best, like a coexistence of danger and opportunity. Put bluntly, though, it was a gamble with one's life after another. Win, and live. Lose, and there was only death.

All the parents present understood this, yet they had no choice but to let their children do it, because it was one of the few opportunities ordinary people had to change their fate.

As long as even one descendant could go a little farther down the path of Kindling Starships, the entire family could benefit. They might even rise in one leap into a newly established Kindling family, one that could be passed down for centuries or even millennia with ease.

For ordinary citizens within the territory of Kindling Human Civilization, this was practically the common goal pursued by everyone.

Bzzzz!

Amid the intense hum, the parents finally saw that pillar of light reaching into the heavens light up once more. When the light faded, nearly a hundred Psionic Shuttles had appeared on the previously empty deployment platform.

They were precisely the hundred Psionic Shuttles from yesterday's first deployment. Yet judging from their numbers, only ninety-four of those hundred people had returned.

"All students, heed the order! Leave the deployment platform immediately."

Outside the platform, the Kindling Bureau agents' command rang out at once. One Psionic Shuttle after another then departed, making room for the shuttles that would return afterward.

Nearly two hours later, all the students awakened in Jiangyuan City this year had returned. According to the Jiangyuan Kindling Bureau's statistics, 1,032 people had successfully awakened in Jiangyuan City this year. All 1,032 had received the welfare deployment, while 980 had successfully returned.

In other words, fifty-two students had died or become stranded in an alien starfield for unknown reasons.

This was an entirely normal number, yet the atmosphere at the scene was inexplicably heavy. This was not merely a number, but fifty-two living lives.

The heavy mood did not linger in the students' hearts for long. On the hovercars back to school, the First Kindling Academy students soon began chatting excitedly. The academy-created "First Kindling Academy Class of 255 Awakening Students Chat Group" was even more lively.

"{Class 10 'Lu Jie'}: How were everyone's gains this time?"

"{Class 3 'Zhou Lu'}: Hahaha, my luck wasn't bad. I ran into an asteroid belt and got thirty tons of 'Uranium Ore.'"

"{Class 4 'Zhang Chao'}: Jealous. One ton of Uranium Ore is worth eight strands of Zero-Rank Floating Continent Essence, so thirty tons is 240 strands. Why did I only find Refined Iron? And not even sixty pathetic tons of it. Sob, sob, sob."

"{Class 5 'Sun Hao'}: Jealous +1. Boss, please carry me."

After glancing through the chat history, Song Chi glanced at Sun Hao sitting beside him.

"Haozi, how were your gains this time?"

Sun Hao typed on his communication wristband while replying in a low voice.

"Fifty tons of Gas Ore."

At the words "Gas Ore," Song Chi's brows twitched slightly and the corner of his mouth spasmed.

Gas Ore was a high-tier resource. It was said that certain high-quality starship components required this resource for upgrades, so it had always been valuable. On the market, one ton could generally sell for ten strands of Zero-Rank Floating Continent Essence.

"Five hundred strands of Zero-Rank Floating Continent Essence, and you're jealous of others?"

After tapping the communication screen shut, Sun Hao draped his thick left arm over Song Chi's shoulder and grinned.

"Brother Chi, you know me. What's the use of showing off in front of others? Keeping a low profile is my life motto!"

Song Chi lowered his head and glanced at that arm, thicker than his own thigh. He truly could not understand how a hulking man nearly two meters tall and close to one hundred and fifty kilograms, someone who drew attention everywhere he went, could possibly be associated with the words "keeping a low profile."

Ignoring Song Chi's eye roll, Sun Hao quickly asked in return.

"Brother Chi, what about you?"

"Ten tons of Mithril."

Song Chi casually put forward the ten tons of Mithril. It was not that he deliberately wanted to conceal anything, but the more than six hundred tons of Purple Copper were simply impossible to explain.

He knew full well that the Myriad Heavens Market, this cheat of his, could not be exposed under any circumstances. Otherwise, endless trouble would come for him.

The value of an extraordinary item that allowed free, random trade with alien civilizations across the Shattered Star Sea was unimaginable.

As for that purple Atomic Fusion Nuclear Engine component, he had no plans to reveal it for now either. A purple-quality engine component was also exceedingly valuable, and would inevitably draw covetous eyes.

As for whether he would keep it for himself or trade it through the black market or the Myriad Heavens Market, he had not made a decision yet.

He was more inclined to use it himself. A purple-quality engine would be enough to serve him for a very long time in the future.

Just then, a rather astonishing message suddenly appeared in the chat group.

"{Class 1 'Deng Chang'}: Basic component, blue-quality main cannon 'Superconducting Laser Cannon.' Any interested bros are welcome to DM me. Superconducting Laser Cannon attributes JPG attached."

Superconducting Laser Cannon lv0

Quality: Blue

Consumption: 20/shot (Dark Energy Points)

Attack: 15

Charge: 5s; cooldown: 10s

Upgrade Required: 3 strands of Floating Continent Essence (Zero Rank), 300 Dark Energy Points

The moment this message appeared, the chat group exploded.

"Is this for real? A blue main cannon? @Class 1 'Deng Chang,' you got it during this exploration? That's awesome, bro."

"Holy shit, I don't even have a single white component, and the boss already got a blue component? Sob, sob, sob."

It was not just the students. Even the academy teachers were alerted.

"{Class 2 Homeroom Teacher 'Huang Guowei'}: @Class 1 Deng Chang, if you truly want to sell it, we can discuss it in person after returning to the academy."

Song Chi's gaze flickered, and he felt somewhat tempted as well, though he did not show it.

"Is he stupid? Why not keep a blue-quality main cannon for himself?"

Sun Hao's complaint sounded by his ear, but Song Chi merely shook his head lightly, disagreeing with him.

"Everyone has their own plans. A blue-quality main cannon certainly has astonishing damage, but without enough resources to upgrade it, he might not even survive the next exploration.

If he sells it now at a high price, the resources he obtains can fully upgrade his Psionic Shuttle across the board and increase his survival rate in future Alien Starfield Explorations. There are gains and losses. As long as he thinks it's worth it, that's enough."