Starship Upgrades, Screwing Over His Son?

An asteroid belt filled with asteroids and meteorites.

Spatial ripples surged rapidly, and then a black starship appeared in an instant. It was the Star Origin, which had completed its first hunt in another universe!

"Can't believe it cost a thousand Star Points to bring you out. Can I get a refund if I stuff you back in?"

Feng Xiao shoved away Wang Hao, who had lost his footing during the teleportation.

Wang Hao grinned. "Brand-name genuine goods. No refunds."

Feng Xiao shook his head helplessly and looked toward the main screen.

[Star Points Acquired in Another Universe

Level 1 Star Beasts: 14000

Level 2 Star Beasts: 21000

Other creatures killed: 540

Mission: 5000

Total (Talent ×2): 81080]

"That many?"

Feng Xiao clicked his tongue inwardly. He could tell from that Thunder Giant Eagle alone just how difficult Star Points were to obtain.

"How do I upgrade the starship?"

Feng Xiao searched for quite a while without finding an upgrade option, so he finally asked aloud.

[Starship Core: lv0 (0/1000)]

[Star Weapons (Expand)]

Upgrading the starship core only raised his permissions and improved the starship's overall quality; it could not directly increase combat power. Upgrading Star Weapons was the real priority.

[Fierce Star: Main Cannon

Level: lv0 (0/500)]

[Mystic Azure Armor: Shield

Level: lv0 (0/1000)]

[Titanium Steel Armor: Outer Armor

Level: lv0 (0/500)]

"Let's try Fierce Star first and see how much the cost increases with each upgrade."

[Fierce Star: Main Cannon

Level: lv1 (0/700)

Attack: 1100

Charge Time: 115 seconds]

He immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, the increase was not multiplicative. Otherwise, upgrading even a blue Star Weapon once in the later stages would probably cost hundreds of millions.

"In that case, upgrade all three Star Weapons to lv10!"

[The level difference between Star Weapons and the starship core cannot exceed five levels. Otherwise, energy cannot be transmitted to the Star Weapons.]

Feng Xiao, who had been ready for a massive round of upgrades, froze for a moment before waving his hand.

"Upgrade them all to lv10!"

[Insufficient Star Points.

Note: Upgrade costs increase according to a somewhat complicated calculation and are not simple addition.]

Feng Xiao's bold expression stiffened. Raising his brows, he said, "Then raise them all to lv5. I want to see how much that'll cost."

[Core: lv5 (0/10000)]

[Fierce Star: Main Cannon

Level: lv5 (0/3000)

Attack: 1500

Charge Time: 90s

--

Mystic Azure Armor: Shield

Level: lv5 (0/6000)

Durability: 6000

Recovery: 50/s

--

Titanium Steel Armor: Outer Armor

Level: lv5 (0/3000)

Durability: 3000

Recovery: 20%/H (Indestructible)]

[Remaining Star Points: 4w...]

"Seriously? Don't tell me other starships need this many resources to upgrade too. Blue Star Weapons can't possibly be this expensive right from the start, can they?"

Feng Xiao's tone turned sour as he looked at the starship intelligence with questioning eyes.

[No. Because the enhancement ability of your Legendary-grade talent is exceptionally powerful, and its enhancement becomes greater as the starship's level increases.

Therefore, Star Points must be spent to upgrade the portion enhanced by you proportionally. Even Legendary talents must follow the fundamental rule of equivalent value.]

Well, no wonder he had never heard of any highly talented civilian captains rising to prominence. This resource consumption alone would crush countless people.

Having figured it out, Feng Xiao decisively accepted the explanation.

After all, he had the Heart of Dawn. Even if his resource consumption increased drastically, his development speed would still surpass that of most captains.

"Do captain talents also require Star Points to upgrade?"

[Your talent requires at least a blue-grade talent upgrade item to increase by one level.]

Feng Xiao sat in his chair, lost in thought, his heart aching a little for the future.

"Boss, what's wrong?"

After touring the starship, Wang Hao entered the control room and found Feng Xiao looking depressed.

Beep, beep, beep!

Just as he was about to speak, a communication mail notification suddenly sounded from Feng Xiao's Star Ring.

Frowning, Feng Xiao opened it, and a prerecorded video began to play.

Feng Xue'an still wore a monocle and a Tang suit. He stood tall and straight, holding a book glowing with blue light.

He looked refined and noble.

"Son, now that you've awakened your starship talent, there's no need for me to remain by your side. I have my own matters to attend to.

"For example, finding your mother. Or meeting some old friends...

"In any case, I trust that with your abilities, you won't disappoint me."

The image gradually darkened, and Feng Xiao could not help falling silent. Wang Hao had just been about to comfort him when the video suddenly brightened again.

"Oh, right. A pirate fleet is approaching Telan Planet. They don't have any starships, but they'll still be quite troublesome for an initial starship. Good luck!"

The video deleted itself automatically, leaving Feng Xiao standing there with a completely bewildered expression.

"Damn, he's really screwing over his own son. Boss, are you sure you're his biological child?"

Wang Hao stroked his chin and said solemnly.

"Get lost!"

"Right away!"

"Attack! Telan Planet's defender has gone to Blue Crystal Planet for a gathering. Those ordinary frigates and light warships are no match for us!"

"Kill! Wealth! Chicks!"

"Black stockings! Black stockings!"

Outside the once-prosperous starport, smoke and wreckage now filled the void.

More than thirty black-and-red light armored starships launched relentless attacks, with hundreds of energy cannons and countless missiles wreaking havoc.

The defending force, with only eight light warships and a dozen or so frigates, was steadily being forced back.

Boom!

One of the nearly two-thousand-meter-long warships was struck simultaneously by several energy blasts. The explosion and shockwave instantly tore a massive breach through it.

In contrast, the Blood Hole Pirate Fleet's warships were protected by a layer of black-and-red armor. Aside from three vessels that had suffered relatively serious damage, the rest remained unscathed.

"Order the fleet to retreat into the starport and send a region-wide distress signal to nearby areas!"

Seeing the fleet's heavy losses, the defending force commander immediately roared.

The adjutant said worriedly, "Even the starport's shield won't hold for long. If the starport falls, Telan Planet's entire defense system..."

"What other choice do we have?"

"..."

In the major cities across Telan Planet, large numbers of civilians were heading toward shelters. Traffic was hopelessly congested, and shouts and curses occasionally rang out.

A live broadcast from the starport was playing in Central Square.

There was no helping it. To make sure those stubborn idiots were willing to go to the shelters, they had to understand just how serious the situation was.

"Dad, the Blue Crystal Federation's military is so strong. They'll definitely defeat those bad guys, right?"

The little boy looked up at his father, a soldier he deeply admired, and asked with a serious expression.

The man touched his empty left sleeve, his face resolute. "Yes..."

Inside one of the Blood Hole Pirate Fleet's light warships, a well-dressed middle-aged man calmly listened to the report in a dim control room steeped in a bloody aesthetic.

"Fleet Commander, based on the shield depletion rate at Telan Starport, it will fall within ten minutes!"

Ster sneered. "To stop those merchants from escaping in their warships, deploy Li-style Particles and interfere with the surrounding spatial constants!"

"Yes!"

Watching the starport sway on the verge of collapse beneath the barrage on the screen, Ster picked up a cigar, looking thoroughly pleased...

"Commander, the starport shield is about to collapse."

At the defending force command center, the adjutant stared desperately at the starport, which was on the verge of breaking apart. If the starport was destroyed, all of Telan Planet would be lambs awaiting slaughter!

"Order the fleet to fight to the death!"

The remaining defending warships left the starport without hesitation, resolutely preparing to fight the Blood Hole Pirate Fleet to the death.

But in the next instant, everyone froze.

The Blood Hole Pirate Fleet suddenly stopped attacking.

"What happened?"

The commander hurriedly asked, while despairing civilians in cities across the planet also looked up at the screen.

"R-Report! The Blood Hole Pirate Fleet has suffered an unknown attack and sustained severe losses!"

The starport's observation equipment zoomed in. The formerly aggressive pirate fleet was now in complete chaos, with several warships shattered into dozens of pieces.

The remaining warships had also been damaged, some with armor that had twisted and burst apart.

"Regional announcement: this is the Star Sea Human Alliance-affiliated starship, Star Origin!

"Under the Anti-Piracy Act, your pirate forces are hereby ordered to immediately shut down your engines and deactivate your energy furnaces!

"Those who disobey will be killed without mercy!"