After seeing everyone off, Han Xiao walked into the room alone, letting out a long sigh of relief. He finally had a chance to be alone, and the first step into interstellar travel was complete.
There are many possibilities in interstellar space, and there are many possible plans for the next move; he needs to determine a course of action.
First, his location is in the Garton Star System of the Colton Star Cluster. Based on his own strength, this area is a dangerous but just right environment for development. As a level 70 mechanic, Grade C- rank, he can be considered a backbone of superhumans in the Colton Star Cluster, neither the best nor the worst.
It is evident that the universe is divided into many star regions, and the Colton Star Cluster belongs to the [Shattered Star Ring] star region. The Shattered Star Ring is located at the edge of the visible universe, a remote area. Its name comes from the structure of the star map. This star region is like a scattered and broken ring of stars, and the various star clusters are part of this "ring".
The ring encircles the central core of the Shattered Star Ring, a dangerous place containing an extremely large and unstable cluster of wormholes. Various kinds of cosmic debris are constantly being thrown in from different star systems, floating and forming a junkyard. As a result, the scavenger forces are very active in the Shattered Star Ring.
There's a common saying that goes, "Wherever there are people, there's a world of intrigue." The universe is full of shady professions, such as space pirates, scavengers, mercenaries, and colonists. The Shattered Star Ring lacks a strong ruling government, consisting only of scattered star cluster and galaxy-level civilizations, resulting in many lawless and dangerous areas.
The Shattered Star Ring is nominally under the jurisdiction of "Visterland," but this civilization merely sends envoys to reside in its offices and rarely intervenes in its management... "Visterland" is the official name of the cosmic-level civilization [Federation of Light].
The larger the region, the greater the level of danger. Han Xiao remembered many opportunities, but given the current situation, staying in the Colton Star Cluster to develop and grow stronger was the best decision. This was version 1.0, and he wasn't fully familiar with the interstellar storyline of this period. After all, theoretically, players shouldn't have any contact with interstellar space at this stage, but some large-scale missions were likely unchanged.
"The first step is to obtain information channels. Juberly Hub is a place where all sorts of people mingle, and there are offices of many forces. I can try to attach myself to one of them to obtain initial intelligence." Han Xiao pondered to himself. As long as he obtained information, he could deduce some large-scale story missions that would suit him.
The core objective is naturally growth; he must remain ahead of the players, unaffected by version updates. This advantage must be maintained, as danger lurks everywhere, and in a competitive market, one either progresses or falls behind.
Currently, Han Xiao's main profession is stuck on the job change quest. He needs to find a secondary profession, level up to 80, and obtain enough attribute points to push his intelligence attribute past the 400 mark. He's not a casual person; leveling up consumes more and more experience, so he needs to find a valuable and rare secondary profession before he can choose to change professions.
Through his achievements in the league, Han Xiao has accumulated approximately 2.7 billion experience points, which will be a substantial foundation for a long time, and there is no need to worry about experience depletion in the short term. The accumulated resources and equipment are worth approximately several thousand to tens of thousands of Enas, with the specific value depending on the needs of the trading party and the fluctuating value of machinery, making it impossible to estimate before the transaction.
Another requirement for changing jobs is five advanced Mechanic Class Advanced Knowledge. In the universe, there are many ways to acquire knowledge about superhumans. However, Advanced Knowledge is not difficult to obtain. Some conglomerates and forces sell Advanced Knowledge, which can be purchased as long as you spend money.
Making money can solve this problem. As long as you have enough money, you can buy all the Advanced Knowledge you need. With money, you really can do whatever you want.
As for making money, Han Xiao isn't bragging; he's genuinely quite capable.
"Players are essentially a source of labor; I can indirectly obtain Enas through them, and they are also my asset. If they act as mercenaries or [illegible characters], they can do quests while I collect the money... But to make big money, it's best to sell rare items, such as mining rare minerals... or complete some long-standing bounties..."
The presence of player teammates is his advantage; if played well, it can make things much easier, which is why he chooses to bring players along.
While growth and leveling up are the core objectives, Han Xiao also has another goal: to stay ahead of the storyline and attempt to resolve the Mutation Disaster on Planet Aquamarine in version 2.0 ahead of schedule.
When discussing the Mutation Disaster, one must mention the evil faction of the Colton Star Cluster — the DarkStar. In version 2.0, multiple planets in the Shattered Star Ring suffered from the Mutation Disaster, and this faction was the instigator. The newbie planets in other star systems experience different storylines.
The DarkStar is a reactionary force that originated from the Goddora Civilization, Han Xiao is very clear about the history of the DarkStar.
The DarkStar's origins largely stem from the discriminatory views of the Goddora's pure-blood ideology. Many members of the DarkStar are mixed-race Goddora, and due to discrimination based on their Bloodline, they developed extreme ideas, constantly seeking to overthrow the Goddora regime. They believe Goddora is a corrupt system, and they are the true "Goddora" of the new era.
Every civilization has its own ideology and traditions. Advanced and backward are merely different perspectives and are not absolute. Perhaps true advancement lies in inclusiveness. Civilizations have their own characteristics. Respecting the habits and traditions of other civilizations and species, and being tolerant of each other during negotiations, but not accepting everything wholesale, is the norm for communication between races in the universe.
Of course, in the early stages of space exploration, there were many civilizations with irreconcilable conflicts due to differences in concepts, characteristics, and habits. For example, humans and species that feed on humans had virtually no possibility of communication. However, these extreme civilizations suffered heavy casualties, and as super-civilizations spread order, these species had no choice but to accept the existence of each other.
The Goddora originated from magic. Before contact with interstellar space, the Goddora were all pure-blooded. It was only after interbreeding with other intelligent species that hybrid Goddora were born, thus perpetuating the belief in pure-bloodedness and emphasizing tradition. Since those in power were all pure-blooded, a class distinction began to emerge between pure-blooded and hybrid races. As the Goddora grew and more hybrids were born, the inherent bloodline talents of the Goddora were gradually diluted, leading to an even greater emphasis on pure-bloodedness. Radical pure-blood theorists even did not consider hybrids as a single race.
The conflict intensified, eventually leading to the birth of "DarkStar," who constantly antagonized Goddora and adopted an extreme and evil approach.
"To resolve the Mutation Disaster, we must start with the Goddora Civilization..."
Han Xiao thought to himself that the Mutation Virus was extremely latent. In his previous life, it only attracted attention when the disaster actually broke out. For now, all he could do was prepare for the worst.
These two goals are the focus in the near term. As he pondered the details of the plan, he turned on his communicator and browsed the interstellar channel to get a better understanding of the current situation and environment of the Colton Star Cluster.
At this moment, an announcement came over the loudspeaker. "Please return to your rooms. The spaceship is about to accelerate and enter a light jump orbit. Turbulence may occur at that time. If you experience dizziness, please do not panic; this is a normal reaction."
A flurry of footsteps sounded outside the door. All the passengers returned to their rooms, Kerlodd and the players also came back. Black safety buckles popped up on the walls; this kind of low-level tour group shouldn't expect any protective measures like safety pods.
After the seatbelts were fastened, the room door automatically locked, and a roaring sound came from inside the spaceship, causing the metal walls and floor to tremble incessantly.
Immediately afterwards, a sudden jolt pressed down, firmly pinning everyone to their seats—this was after the reaction force had been weakened many times over by various devices.
The Short Horn Star emitted a blazing exhaust plume, its speed continuously increasing.
Suddenly, streaks of light appeared outside the dark window, as if we had entered a tunnel of light.
Buzz--
Just as the feeling of being pushed back reached its peak, the Short Horn Star suddenly flashed and transformed into a beam of light.
With the engine running at full power, we entered the jump channel. Thanks to the internal stabilizing device, the reaction force was rapidly reduced, and everyone's bodies relaxed.
"Next stop, the fifth sector of the Garton Star System. Travel time: 3 days. Enjoy your journey."
For three consecutive days, Han Xiao kept a low profile on the ship. The players, on the other hand, were very enthusiastic, chatting with the passengers and offering their help. This was the first time the passengers had seen such enthusiastic humans, and as they talked to them, they realized that the players had limited knowledge and were probably natives.
Kerlodd was sipping a deep blue, vibrant drink at the bar when a gaunt, half-human with pointed ears approached him, tossed him an Enas coin to indicate the drink was on him, and said with a smile, "You boarded the ship from Planet Aquamarine? That low-level planet is just a low-level civilization. Were all the people you brought on board natives?"
"What's it to you?" Kerlodd glanced at him sideways.
"Hehe, interested in doing some business? My name is Sisoli, and this is what I do..." The man wore gloves and secretly lifted one to reveal a tattoo on the back of his hand. The design was a chain wrapped around a bird, a symbol of a slave trader's power, which he considered an extension of his scavenging business.
Kerlodd looked impatient and waved his hand, "Get lost, I'm too lazy to waste my breath on you."
The interstellar travel fleet is a mixed bag, harboring many shady forces that prey on easy targets. Therefore, those who can afford it disdain taking interstellar travel groups. Kerlodd hates interacting with scavengers, which ruins his mood, and he also loses interest in drinking his favorite [Deep Blue Star Bubble].
"Don't rush to refuse. I can see that all the natives you brought are superhumans. Superhumans are in high demand. Why don't you consider it?" Sisoli coaxed patiently.
At that moment, Han Xiao's voice sounded from behind the two of them, his tone indifferent.
I think you should leave.
Sisoli turned around and saw Han Xiao standing expressionlessly behind him. He smiled indifferently, ignored Han Xiao, bowed slightly to Kerlodd in farewell, and turned to walk away.