Stealing the Nest

The Star Origin quickly shook off the Aurora Rats pursuing it and continued speeding toward the direction from which a huge horde of Aurora Rats was surging.

The level-four Star Beasts among the Aurora Rat army had spotted the Star Origin, but paid it no mind.

It was only a "low-level" human starship. Its firepower probably wasn't even as strong as that of a level-two member of their kind. The special substance coating the outside of their nest could withstand attacks from even level-three members of their kind.

They didn't know why this weak human starship knew where their lair was, but the human fleet was the greatest threat right now.

They were the ones threatening the nest.

So the few level-four Aurora Rats sent only a handful of level-one and level-two kin after the Star Origin, then ignored it.

Even as it approached the nest.

There were plenty of level-three kin inside, and several level-fours had stayed behind to guard it. What was there to worry about?

"Whew... They really don't care."

When the Matrix's alert showed a high-energy mental pulse sweeping over the Star Origin, and the group of level-four Aurora Rats didn't come to stop them, Feng Xiao finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The jump from level three to level four was a major threshold. Level-four Star Beasts were far stronger than level-threes.

The Star Origin could fight several level-three Star Beasts at once, but against a level-four, it could barely penetrate its defenses. Whether it could kill one would depend entirely on luck.

As for an elite level-four Star Beast, retreat was the only option.

As they drew closer to the nest, the Star Origin proceeded with ever-greater caution. A nest capable of sending out level-four Aurora Rats was likely to have a level-five guarding it.

Level-fours were already difficult enough to deal with. If they ran into a level-five, they might not even be able to escape.

Even so, Feng Xiao had no intention of giving up. Fortune favored the bold.

The Star Origin attached itself to an asteroid and drifted naturally toward the nest, which was now visible.

The Aurora Rat nest lay within a large, shattered planet. It seemed that some celestial body had once smashed apart half of the planet, but countless mysterious black substances had since fused its fragments back together.

Cavern after cavern dotted the surface of these substances, apparently leading deep into the planet. Millions of Aurora Rats, each dozens of meters long, scurried in and out.

Their life energy was considerable, but they hadn't reached the level of Star Beasts. The black substance was a mixture of their saliva and hard rock.

After thousands of years of buildup, it had become hard enough to withstand attacks from Star Weapons with a power rating below 500!

The crew aboard the Star Origin, hidden within an asteroid belt after steering the asteroid into the orbit of a nearby planet, soon spotted their target.

Several thousand kilometers from the planet containing the nest,

they could see a starship drifting through space. It had lost all power, but its exterior still shone with a polished, substantial gleam.

It was roughly oval in shape and estimated to be around ten thousand meters long.

Its metal surface had a violet-pink sheen. If not for the enormous hole in one side of the hull and its completely ruined railgun system,

no one would have guessed it was a starship that had been derelict for decades!

Feng Xiao didn't rush to investigate. Frowning, he studied the starship's condition on the virtual screen.

Three enormous gouges marred the hull's left side, each dozens of meters wide and about a thousand meters long. They were so deep that the interior of the ship was visible.

"Those are... claw marks from some kind of creature?!"

Ilde noticed the shape of the damage and was stunned. What kind of life-form could breach the defenses of a starship above level 61 in a single blow?

At that level, regardless of the Star Weapons' ratings, the ship should have been able to equip its main slots with purple-quality Star Weapons!

High-quality Star Weapons weren't difficult to acquire as long as one had enough potential and combat strength. Even red-quality Star Weapons, though rare, could be obtained.

Of course, in the "backwater" Morton Galaxy, where the Blue Crystal Federation was located, red-quality Star Weapons were already exceptionally rare, top-tier items.

But within humanity's core territories, red-quality Star Weapons weren't the highest level one could upgrade to, and they could be manufactured in batches.

No high-potential first-generation starship that attracted official attention would keep using Star Weapons below red quality for long.

They'd replace them after a while. Only Star Weapons of red quality and above were true treasures, obtainable only with the right opportunity and luck!

For one thing, they couldn't be mass-produced. For another, they had high base stats and upgrade limits. Even one could give a starship a considerable advantage over others of the same level.

The difference in combat power could be enormous.

A Star Weapon of this kind could even remain with its starship for its entire service life, never needing replacement.

That meant a starship at least level 61 would certainly have a purple-quality shield or better, with defensive power of at least tens of thousands!

And yet this powerful starship had been ripped apart, shield and armor alike!

Yes, torn apart at the same time!

The ship had only one wound. Judging by the damage, it hadn't even had time to react and evade before the attack landed!

As for the railgun system, its high-energy components had probably attracted other powerful Star Beasts, which had then attacked the wreck after it was already destroyed.

Feng Xiao compared the estimated size of the claw marks with a simulated claw and couldn't help marveling.

"A life-form at least ten thousand meters long..."

"Ten thousand meters?!"

Wang Hao's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Ten thousand meters means at least a level-six Star Beast. It could even be level seven."

Feng Xiao was certain.

As for even higher-level Star Beasts, some accounts described them as the size of planets.

As an explorer, Feng Xiao cared most about the unknown and the thrill of discovery. High-quality Star Weapons and the like were merely there to keep him safe on his expeditions.

After marveling for a while, Feng Xiao finally prepared to investigate what treasures the starship held.

"Heart of Dawn?"

[Heart of Dawn (Repair: 5%)

Scan: Target identified (Expand)

Lock-on: No target selected

Analyze: No target selected]

"Confirm!"

Feng Xiao was delighted. He hadn't expected it to work.

[Scanning target starship...]

[Large quantities of equipment and Star Weapons have been destroyed]

[Starship has lost its value]

[One usable resource detected]

[Storm Piercer—Propulsion Star Weapon

Description: Special Star Weapon containing a high-energy engine, spatial propulsion turbine, space-jump device, and other propulsion systems.

Quality: Purple (level cap: 25)

Level: 0

Speed: Up to four times the speed of light

Jumps up to 50 light-years (1 light-year/hour)

(↑ Level 1: +20%)

Restriction: Must be installed on a high-level starship

Purple Enhancement: Storm Cruise

While traveling at full speed, speed increases by 25% every 6 hours, up to a maximum of 75%. The effect ends when the ship stops.

(Can be installed on low-level starships with an Epic-grade or higher hull, occupying two Star Weapon slots)]

"Now that's a good find!"

Feng Xiao's eyes lit up. Speed was crucial for a starship, especially one built for exploration.

Light-speed travel combined with space jumps could greatly improve its chances of survival, letting it escape danger in time.

Most elite starships couldn't even reach the speed of light. The Star Origin's near-light-speed velocity was already enough to leave mid-level starships behind.

And this one could reach four times the speed of light!

It also had a purple enhancement. It wasn't suited for combat and could only be used for long-distance travel, but it was still exceptionally powerful.

With it equipped, the Star Origin's speed would reign supreme throughout the surrounding region of the Blue Crystal Federation!

Besides, the Star Origin was only one level away from becoming a mid-level starship (level 11). Its legendary hull enhancement would also give it four additional Star Weapon slots.

It could equip the new weapon without any trouble.

"Can any of you think of a way to retrieve it safely?"

This was a rat nest, after all. Even if they hadn't been spotted yet, discovery would certainly bring an attack from the level-three and level-four Aurora Rats guarding it.

No matter how weak the Star Origin looked, its ability to threaten the nest couldn't be concealed.

Everyone fell into thought. If a level-four Aurora Rat attacked, it would surely alert the Aurora Rat King, who was very likely to be nearby. Then they'd all be doomed.

Suddenly, Wang Hao had an idea. "If I understand correctly, this Star Weapon is unclaimed. So as long as we get within a certain distance, we can take it, right?"

Feng Xiao nodded. "Yes. But even if we get our hands on it, we won't be able to escape the level-four Aurora Rats. They're faster than the Star Origin right now."

"Then we'll enter the Other Universe!"