Star Pirates

After completing the registration procedures, the old Fox Demon took Golden Horn to tour the mission hall.

The mission hall was even more spacious than the testing room. All kinds of missions scrolled densely across a massive Curtain, categorized by difficulty and type. Demon hunters of every race gathered in the hall. Some studied missions, some exchanged intelligence, and some waited for teammates.

"There are many types of missions." The old Fox Demon pointed at the Curtain as he explained. "The simplest are escort missions: protecting merchant caravans or escorting nobles. They're not very dangerous, but the rewards are average. There are also hunting missions, where you go into the wilderness to eliminate rampaging demon beasts or foreign races. Both the risks and rewards are moderate. Exploration missions are more difficult, usually involving unknown secret realms or ancient ruins. The gains are great, but so is the death rate."

He paused and pointed to the missions marked in red at the top of the Curtain. "Those are bloodbath missions. They require you to participate in racial wars on the border battlefields. They're extremely dangerous, but offer the most Merit Points. Generally, I recommend taking them only after reaching Silverwing Hunter rank or above."

Golden Horn silently committed that to memory.

"There are also bounty missions," the old Fox Demon added. "Bounties issued by races or individuals to capture or kill specific targets. Some targets are extremely powerful and may even involve Universe-level experts. I wouldn't advise newcomers to take them."

Golden Horn nodded.

He knew clearly that his priority now was to accumulate real combat experience, improve his secret techniques, and ensure his own safety at the same time.

After returning to the courtyard, Golden Horn released his Void Beast clone from his internal space.

"I'll leave the Origin Core with you." Golden Horn said to his clone. "The main body will go out to train. You'll remain on Myriad Monster Star as backup."

The clone nodded. The two bodies shared the same consciousness, so there was no need for more words.

Golden Horn thought of something else. Over the past three years, he had been living off his savings, and the Demon Coins in his possession were dwindling. He could not keep surviving by selling miscellaneous goods. His inherited memories gave him an intimate understanding of all kinds of metals, so why not open a small shop? He could run it while gathering resources.

Having made up his mind, Golden Horn summoned Mouse Nine-Nine.

"Are there any cheap storefronts nearby? I want to open a Metal Grocery Shop."

Mouse Nine-Nine's eyes lit up. "Yes! My lord, I know a place. The location is a little remote, but the rent is cheap."

Golden Horn followed Mouse Nine-Nine around the outskirts of Myriad Monster Star and eventually chose a small storefront. The location was indeed secluded, and the surrounding residents were all lower-class Demon Races, but it was quiet and spared him from having to deal with too many customers.

"Let's call it the 'Metal Grocery Shop.'" Golden Horn said to his clone. "You don't need to put much effort into running it. Sell things if customers come; cultivate if they don't. Mainly, it'll give you a public identity."

The Void Beast clone nodded.

Golden Horn took one million Demon Coins from his spatial ring as startup capital, then set out some of the metals he had stored before.

"From now on, you're the owner."

The clone sat behind the counter and cultivated Absolute Space with its eyes closed. That lazy appearance truly gave it the air of a small shopkeeper.

After settling the clone, Golden Horn returned to the mission hall and began selecting his first mission.

He did not want to throw his life away right from the start, but neither did he want to waste time in the safe zone. After scanning the Curtain for a long while, his gaze finally settled on an escort mission.

Mission details: Escort the young master of a top Universe-level powerhouse family back to his home planet. The escort party already included ten Stellar-level guards and one hundred Planetary-level guards. The journey would take approximately half a year. Reward: fifty thousand Demon Coins before departure, and another fifty thousand upon safe arrival, for a total of one hundred thousand.

The notes specifically stated: This family's young master had encountered star pirates when he came to Myriad Monster Star previously, and the guards had suffered heavy casualties. For this return trip, they hoped to recruit stronger guards.

"This young master is pretty afraid of dying," Golden Horn muttered.

He considered it. The mission was not particularly difficult. At most, they would encounter some star pirates along the way, which made it perfect for testing the results of his closed-door cultivation in real combat. Besides, the half-year journey was not short, and he could make some friends along the way.

Golden Horn accepted the mission.

On the day of departure, Golden Horn arrived at the docking area.

The employer's young master was a tiger demon with golden fur covering his entire body. He was draped in gold and silver and looked like a spoiled young wastrel, surrounded by dozens of guards. Beside him stood an old Wolf Demon who looked like a butler. His aura was unfathomable; he was at least Universe-level.

"Another one." The young master glanced at Golden Horn. "Stellar-level? Fine. One more is still one more. Follow my arrangements on the road, and don't cause trouble."

Golden Horn said nothing more. After both sides confirmed their identities, he silently joined the guard formation.

There were nine other Stellar-level guards in the group: Wolf Demons, Leopard Demons, Bear Demons, and several from relatively uncommon races like Golden Horn. They sized one another up, but did not speak much.

The spacecraft rose into the air and sailed into the vast universe.

After Golden Horn left, a figure in the corner activated a communication wristband. "My lord, the target has accepted an escort mission for the Golden Tiger Family. He is expected to return in three months. The route is... We can set an ambush in advance."

The other end of the call fell silent for a moment. "Don't rush. The Golden Tiger Family's patriarch is not someone easy to provoke, and the target is only a minor character. He isn't worth such a major operation. We'll deal with him after he returns. Continue monitoring him."

"Yes."

The first half of the journey was calm and uneventful.

Other than cultivating on the spacecraft, Golden Horn chatted with the other guards. Gradually, he became familiar with several Demon Race members who had good personalities.

One was a Bear Demon named Shi Tai, huge in stature and honest by nature. He was the captain of a mercenary unit. Another was a Leopard Demon named Wind Shadow, who spoke little but was incredibly fast and skilled at tracking. There was also a Fox Demon woman named Fox Meier. She was stunningly beautiful and the only psychic in the team.

"Golden Horn, where are you from?" Shi Tai asked bluntly.

"A remote star system. An unnamed mining planet," Golden Horn answered casually.

"A mining planet?" Fox Meier blinked. "You don't have that sour stench miners carry."

The corner of Golden Horn's mouth twitched, and he did not respond.

"I heard we might run into star pirates this time." Shi Tai lowered his voice. "The young master was robbed once when he came here last time. A lot of people died. That old wolf demon butler is a Universe-level expert, but the other side also had Universe-level experts holding the fort."

"Then why didn't they hire a few more Universe-level experts?" Golden Horn asked.

"Money." Fox Meier curled her lips. "The young master's family has money, but they're unwilling to spend a fortune. Hiring even one Universe-level expert was already a painful expense. The rest can only be made up by Stellar-level people like us."

Golden Horn was speechless. Sure enough, when a cowardly young master met a miserly family, it was the low-level guards who suffered.

What was bound to come eventually came.

In the third month of their voyage, as the spacecraft approached an asteroid belt, an alarm suddenly sounded.

"Unknown spacecraft detected ahead! Five vessels! They are rapidly approaching!"

The young master's face turned pale with fright, and he hid deep inside his cabin. The old Wolf Demon butler snorted coldly and stepped onto the spacecraft's deck.

Five pirate ships emerged from the asteroid belt. Their hulls were painted with skull emblems, and they looked vicious and menacing.

"Hand over your goods and valuables, and we'll spare your lives!" an arrogant voice shouted from the other side.

The butler did not waste words. He stepped forward, and the pressure of a Universe-level expert poured down like a mountain. Two figures flew out from the other side as well, both Universe-level. Facing two against one, the old butler's expression became rather grim.

"All guards, engage!" the butler ordered.

Golden Horn and the other Stellar-level guards rushed out of the hatch and fought the Stellar-level pirates.

It was Golden Horn's first time experiencing such a chaotic melee. The pirates coordinated seamlessly and possessed abundant combat experience, unlike the guards, who each had their own agenda.

A snake demon lunged at Golden Horn, its mouth full of sharp teeth snapping toward his throat.

Golden Horn twisted aside and avoided it, then slapped his claw against the demon's back, sending it flying. Soon, two more pirates surrounded him. One wielded a blade, the other a spear, and their coordination was flawless.

Golden Horn did not rashly use his full strength. He merely circled around the three pirates, intending to observe the situation first.