Star-Blessed Person
Lu Heng led the Bone Demon out of the abandoned building's iron gate.
A gust of wind blew in, carrying the scent of desolation, making his sleeves flutter. Before he could even survey the ruins around him, a sudden warmth filled his chest.
The mark of the Forest Will shines.
A faint green light emanated from beneath the skin, not dazzling, yet very clear. The coordinates that had been stably locked onto this fragment were now covered and shifted by a larger, gentler force.
There was no hostility.
It is precise traction.
The next second, a voice of consciousness rang out directly in his mind. There were no sound waves, only pure mental resonance.
"So that's where it was! I've been looking for ages."
Lu Heng stopped in his tracks.
His first reaction was—to find him?
I'm slightly on edge, ready to react at any moment.
Then the voice continued on its own, with a hint of relief in its tone.
"This World Fragment was hidden so well that we almost missed it."
Lu Heng remained silent for a second.
... I'm not looking for him.
He silently withdrew the mental energy he had been concentrating on.
The Frost Forest's will, after much effort, has finally locked onto this long-hidden, wandering World Fragment. That last sentence was purely a soliloquy.
Before he could speak, the voice continued, as calm as if stating something that had already been determined.
"I will move this entire World Fragment into the Frost Forest territory to ensure its stable existence."
"I'll take you back first, back to your Moonview Valley Shelter."
Lu Heng immediately remembered the supplies that were stranded here.
He quickly spoke in his mind, "Wait a minute."
What should I do with the base I built in this fragment, and all the intelligent plants I planted around it?
As soon as he finished speaking, a semi-transparent thin card appeared out of thin air in front of him. It had an ethereal texture, no flashy light effects, and quietly floated in the center of his field of vision.
The explanation of the Forest Will is straightforward and simple.
"With this card, when you travel to any new World Fragment, you can return to this location at any time to retrieve all your remaining items."
The problem has been temporarily resolved.
Lu Heng paused for two seconds before asking the last question, which was also the one he cared about most.
What will become of the ordinary people left in this world?
A brief period of silence ensued at the level of consciousness.
After a moment, the voice of the Forest Will came again, with an unusual hint of relaxation.
"According to the rules of heaven and earth, you have no right to know or inquire about the fates of these outsiders who do not belong to this realm."
"But you are different."
"You are blessed by the stars, and you are entitled to know the truth."
"All remaining humans on this fragment will perish physically as their bodies merge with the fragment. However, their souls will not dissipate; they will be fully reincarnated."
"They will be completely stripped of any trace of their original world, reborn as legitimate beings of the Frost Forest, possessing entirely new life trajectories. Ordinary birth, aging, sickness, and death, and the rest of their lives, will be no different from those of other beings in this world."
"If they have enough opportunities in the future, they too will be able to step into various World Fragment and participate in adventures in the outside world."
Finally, the Forest Will added a sentence.
"If there is someone you know here, I can sever all ties and preserve that bond for you."
Lu Heng stood still, the wind blowing the corner of his clothes.
He shook his head slightly.
"No need."
Our connection ends here; there's no need to deliberately hold on.
"Having made the decision, I will proceed with the extradition process."
The moment the words left his mouth, the space in front of Lu Heng silently distorted.
There was no vibration, no burst of intense light.
A simple, soft gray-white portal quietly unfolds, connecting to an unknown other side.
A slight dizziness rushed to my head, and my vision became slightly blurred.
"Go in."
Without hesitation, Lu Heng raised his hand to signal the Bone Demon to follow, and stepped into the portal of light.
After a brief feeling of weightlessness.
A cool breeze, the sound of the cliff face, and the familiar scent of frozen earth instantly enveloped me.
Open your eyes.
They had already returned to Moonview Valley, back to the Fortress Shelter they had built with their own hands.
The mountains and rivers remain the same, silent and desolate.
Lu Heng stood still, the wind blowing across his face.
The words that had been made an exception earlier kept echoing in my mind.
Those who are blessed by the stars.
He raised his hand to his chest, feeling his steady pulse, a hint of inexplicable contemplation hidden in his eyes.
The Greedy Wolf Star Power, repeated exceptional treatment, and special consideration from the world's will --
What does this statement actually mean?
I can't figure it out.
Lu Heng suppressed the jumbled thoughts in his mind.
Whether it's a stroke of luck or exceptional treatment, there's no point in delving into it now. Without sufficient strength, knowing more secrets will only add unnecessary distractions.
He stood on the cliff platform outside the Shelter, the cold wind brushing past his shoulders, dispelling the last trace of dizziness.
The Bone Demon stood quietly to the side, its posture upright, silently guarding its surroundings.
Lu Heng raised his hand and lightly tapped the Wristband interface with his fingertips.
The system treasure chest I obtained from killing the Nightmare Eater and had deliberately kept unopened appeared out of thin air in my palm.
The chest is square, made of dark material, without any fancy light effects, and feels cool and heavy to the touch; it is a standard treasure chest exclusive to Silver Tier monsters.
There were no unusual phenomena throughout the entire process; it was quiet to the point of being almost unassuming.
Lu Heng gripped the edge of the box with his five fingers, applying slight pressure with his fingertips.
Click.
With a soft click, the lock on the box opened by itself.
There were three things lying inside the box.
Silver Tier [Heavy Anvil Assault Mech]
Heavy combat machine, designed specifically for head-on combat. Its thick armor supports hydraulic power, allowing for rapid switching between axe and grenade launcher modules. Equipped with both shield and spikes, it is a formidable weapon for charging into battle and destroying Aberrant.
Silver Tier [Mechanism Hub Butler]
This multi-functional humanoid machine excels in resource management, equipment maintenance, and environmental reconnaissance. Equipped with concealed wrist blades for self-defense, it can coordinate and link various defensive devices, making it the core of the base's stable operation.
Silver Tier [Rotary Hub Automatic Crossbow Turret]
Fixed automatic defense equipment capable of 360° rotation and elevation. Automatically loaded with alloy weighted arrows, it serves both as a ground attack and air defense warning system, autonomously engaging in combat based on an IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) system, and protecting the outer defense line of the stronghold.
Lu Heng took out the three items one by one and placed them on the ground in front of him.
Heavy Anvil Assault Mech, Mechanism Hub Butler, Rotary Hub Automatic Crossbow Turret.
He glanced down at the three pieces of equipment, his gaze lingering on them one by one.
Silver Tier. Each item is a real boost to combat power.
He reached out and picked up one of the Energy Core he had acquired earlier, trying to place it close to the interface on the back of the Heavy Anvil Assault Mech.
Click.
The interface automatically engages, and the Energy Core is embedded. The indicator light on the body changes from green to blue, and the power reading instantly reaches full.
It can be used to fill Energy Core.
He glanced again at the spare interface on the side of the Crossbow Tower —since it could connect to the Shelter's energy source, this one wouldn't need to consume any additional cores.
Without hesitation, Lu Heng placed his palm directly on the armor plate of the Heavy Anvil Assault Mech, his mental energy seeping into it along the contact surface. The Wristband simultaneously popped up a binding interface, and he confirmed the authorization.
[Binding successful. Heavy Anvil Assault Mech has been added to command sequence.]
Next came the Mechanism Hub Butler.
Press your palm down, infuse your mental energy, and confirm.
[Binding successful. The Mechanism Hub Butler has been added to the command sequence.]
Both machines simultaneously entered standby mode, standing quietly on either side, awaiting instructions.
Lu Heng picked up the third item— the Rotary Hub Automatic Crossbow Turret —from the ground.
I just got the Wristband, and a notification popped up.
[Deployable equipment detected. Activate now?]
He tapped it with his fingertip.
[Automatic deployment in progress...]
The Crossbow Tower base automatically deployed, four anchoring posts pierced the ground, the turret body rose, and the alloy heavy arrows were loaded. The enemy identification system scanned Lu Heng and the Bone Demon, the green light turned on, and then it turned to the perimeter, entering autonomous alert mode.
[The Rotary Hub Automatic Crossbow Turret has been deployed and can be connected to the Shelter's power source.]
Lu Heng stood up and dusted off his hands.
The Heavy Anvil Assault Mech is on the left, its monoplane lowered. The Mechanism Hub Butler is on the right, its sensors silently scanning. The Crossbow Tower is high up at the rear, its body slowly rotating to cover the blind spot.
Looking at these things, this is the first time I've felt this sense of security.