Volume 5, Chapter 6 – An Encounter

Even on Okelia, a planet notorious for chaos, offices of the Star Hunter Guild could still be found.

In fact, there were three of them on this planet.

On closer thought, however, that made perfect sense. As an “intermediary platform” that posted jobs and facilitated transactions, the Star Hunter Guild was most active precisely in places beyond the reach of the law.

Naturally, Star Hunters did not spend their time helping elderly men and women cross the road or escorting children to and from kindergarten.

They were far more interested in “looking after” filthy-rich tycoons, or perhaps the beautiful mistresses of certain gang bosses.

They refused poorly paid jobs and would not lift a finger without benefits. For enough profit, they were always ready to risk their lives, and whenever they had free time, they would find some lawless, undisciplined place where they could indulge themselves to their hearts’ content. That was the normal lifestyle of most Star Hunters.

Anran understood this very well.

Therefore, when a hulking young man from the Forehead-Horn race walked toward her with a leering chuckle, Anran said nothing and shaved off half his hair with a single slash.

Although he had become half bald, his strength had not increased. When the wind blew, the hair on the other side of his head fluttered in disarray.

In the plaza outside the guild, the young Forehead-Horn suddenly felt that the air on this summer morning was as cold as a winter midnight. He trembled slightly. The people nearby were startled as well.

W-What a precise slash.

Anran sheathed Hurricane and entered the guild with Aila, pulling a small handcart behind her.

Showing off at the right moment would save her from having to deal with a crowd of troublemakers later. If she wanted to sell some of these minerals, people with ulterior motives were bound to notice her.

But that did not mean just anyone could come up and take a bite out of her.

“I want to sell some things and buy some things,” Anran said bluntly.

At a transaction counter, naturally, the thing to do was transact.

Anran sold seven million Bilu’s worth of raw ore, then purchased several things that would be extremely useful to her.

First was a fairly advanced AI-assisted mask. It covered the upper half of the face and was essentially a vastly evolved version of tactical goggles. The glass display in front of the wearer’s eyes automatically showed all kinds of supporting data, including direction, approximate distance, number of people, temperature, humidity, and other detailed information. It was extremely practical and cost 230,000 Bilu.

A one-time investment for permanent use.

Anran’s current Intelligence was high enough for her to analyze the mask.

Next was a compact ore-smelting unit worth 1.7 million Bilu.

Besides that, she bought a pile of basic mechanical-manufacturing components of various sizes, spending a little over 300,000 Bilu in total.

She also bought two more advanced jetpacks for 620,000 Bilu.

Their performance far surpassed her own jetpack. They had 90/90 Armor, 600/600 Energy, an adjustable speed of 0 to 200, a load capacity of 0 to 500 kilograms, and an ideal flight altitude of as much as two kilometers.

Of course, these were only transitional equipment.

Had anti-gravity technology and force-field technology been on sale here, Anran would have sold everything she owned to buy a set.

Those two technologies would allow her exoskeleton armor to undergo an instant ultimate evolution. Even the robots she built later, regardless of how low their AI might be, would be able to crush everything in their path through brute force alone.

Still, it was not a serious problem. If they had no guns and no cannons, the enemy would make them for them.

They might not be available here, but that did not mean Fitch did not have them.

In addition to the mining company, he also owned a military factory, a deep-space trading company, and a space-infrastructure company.

Anran refused to believe that none of those companies possessed the two technologies.

Even if she could not obtain them here, that did not mean she could not buy them elsewhere.

As long as one had money, especially Energy Coins, almost anything could be bought.

Including lifespan.

Ordinary currency could not buy anything that extended one’s life, but Energy Coins could.

After leaving the transaction counter, Anran headed to the mission counter.

At this stage, players had not yet arrived in Sea Blue Forest on a large scale. Therefore, if she wanted to obtain more information about the outside world, Anran felt that the Star Hunter Guild’s mission board was an excellent option.

Pioneering missions, assassination missions, errand missions, bodyguard missions…

A wealthy merchant was recruiting bodyguards to accompany him to a certain location for a transaction. A spaceship would be provided.

A development company intended to turn an uninhabited planet into a tourist destination and was recruiting “warriors” to conduct a preliminary survey.

Fitch Mining Company had posted a bounty to track down the bandits who had robbed its White Sea Star branch.

“Hmm?”

Anran quickly noticed the mission, which had been marked in eye-catching red.

The reward was five million Bilu.

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Well, well. So she was only worth five million Bilu right now?

“Five million Bilu? Is this some kind of joke?” A large man beside her immediately opened his mouth wide in shock. Combined with his broad, flat face, the expression looked even more exaggerated.

“Is five million that little?”

“You clearly haven’t heard what happened. Once you know how badly Fitch Mining Company was hit, you’ll understand just how stingy a five-million reward is.”

“What happened?”

“They lost more than a billion Bilu. Most importantly, they never even saw what the robbers looked like. They want people to investigate under those conditions, and they’ll only pay five million if someone succeeds? What a joke.”

“…”

After learning the actual situation, a large group of people stepped forward and began denouncing the miserly Fitch Mining Company.

Five million? Were they trying to dismiss beggars?

Naturally, it was best if no one wanted to accept the mission.

Anran quietly walked out of the Star Hunter Guild. She had arrived with a large sack of ore and left with a great deal of money and equipment.

The guild offered a dedicated delivery service, but Anran declined it. Instead, she pulled everything into a secluded corner, disposed of several walking EXP packs that had followed her, and stuffed the goods into her subspace.

Then she and Aila disguised themselves and went to the market to purchase daily necessities.

…

Day 28 since arriving in Sea Blue Forest.

Zhou Jieyu felt that her older brother had probably kept her under such tight control before that, the moment she reached Sea Blue Forest, she became like a little lamb released into the wild and ran around causing trouble with extraordinary enthusiasm.

After fooling around for a while, however, Zhou Jieyu realized that she could not continue like this.

She had previously gained quite a lot of EXP from a faction mission. On top of that, she and Leading the Charge had diligently completed missions for the Security Department, so Zhou Jieyu had actually reached Level 26. Among the current player population, that put her somewhere in the upper-middle ranks. She was still behind those fanatical quest grinders who had already advanced to intermediate professions, but she was nevertheless quite strong.

Therefore, the problem was not that she had neglected leveling. Zhou Jieyu was worried that if she continued messing around on Senting Star, her brother would catch her. Then she would be in serious trouble.

Of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, retreat was the best.

Zhou Jieyu decisively boarded a spaceship bound for Ruilanduo Star.

She had heard that there was a Mechanic Guild there. Once she advanced to Intermediate Mechanic, the vastness of Sea Blue Forest would be hers to roam, and she could go wherever she pleased.

Day 34 since arriving in Sea Blue Forest.

Zhou Jieyu successfully arrived in Sarina City. She had no idea that she and Leading the Charge had missed each other perfectly, though she probably would have been even happier if she had known.

Poor Leading the Charge was about to embark on an arduous journey through the game in search of his younger sister.

The Star Hunter Guild.

This was Zhou Jieyu’s first stop after arriving in Sarina City.

Since she was only Level 26, she needed to complete more missions and raise her level first.

“You want to register as a Star Hunter?”

The male NPC behind the counter looked in surprise at the girl who had suddenly appeared before him.

She was certainly quite pretty, but she looked as though she could not lift anything with her hands or carry anything on her shoulders. Even her entire demeanor seemed extremely lazy and undisciplined. She did not look capable of fighting at all.

Then again, some experts appeared casual and relaxed despite possessing extraordinary strength. This girl looked full of confidence, so perhaps she was one of those hidden experts.

“That’s right. Hurry up and register me. I’m still waiting to go do missions.”

“Move aside a little. Move, move.”

Just as Zhou Jieyu was about to place the money on the counter, an NPC more than two meters tall suddenly squeezed forward from behind. She lost her balance and was shoved aside.

“…”

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Puffed-up cheeks.

So what if he was tall? He was only Level 25. His level was not even as high as hers!

“Why are you cutting in li… Hey, hey, hey!”

Before she could finish speaking, Zhou Jieyu stepped forward, only to be pushed back again by the “barbarian.”

“Ummm…”

The staff member behind the counter fell into confusion.

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An expert… apparently not.

“A weakling should obediently stand at the back.” The “barbarian” immediately activated taunt mode.

“So what if you’re tall? You’re unbelievably stupid.”

“Does the shorty want a fight?”

The “barbarian” turned around, rolled his neck, and looked down on her in every sense of the phrase.

She had actually been mocked by an NPC for no reason. This game was far too realistic.

Zhou Jieyu became furious on the spot, and her expression changed.

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This was not some fantasy world or modern urban world. This was a game, and she was a player who could resurrect endlessly!

Rage rose from her heart, and malicious courage surged from her guts.

Zhou Jieyu immediately prepared to draw her weapon and fight the “barbarian” to the death.

She could restore health. She could resurrect and fight again. The “barbarian” could not.

“Pat!”

At that moment, someone suddenly tapped Zhou Jieyu on the shoulder. When she turned around, she saw a girl dressed in traditional clothing walk past her.

A player.

The name above her head was “Yushang.”

Level: 31.

Wow.

An antique-looking longsword was strapped behind her waist. With a calm expression, she walked up to the “barbarian.”

“Breaking the rules?”

Her voice was cold and sharp. She was clearly approaching with hostile intent.

“What do you want?”

The barbarian shot back.

Grab him. Throw him out.

Yushang directly demonstrated her purpose through action.

Even with shoes on, she was only a little over 1.7 meters tall. That was already slender and statuesque, but standing in front of the “barbarian,” she still looked like an elementary school student.

Despite such an obvious height difference, she threw the barbarian with remarkable decisiveness and ease.

It looked roughly as effortless as throwing a javelin.

“Thud!”

The barbarian crashed onto the ground.

Although he had lost only a few dozen HP, he immediately lost his nerve.

The strength he took such pride in was worthless before her. Moreover, she had not even used her weapon. How could he possibly defeat her? The moment the barbarian climbed to his feet, he turned around and fled.

Amazing!

Zhou Jieyu’s eyes sparkled.

This player was incredibly powerful.

She had just checked the Sea Blue Forest player rankings. Yushang ranked 178th, which was already extremely high.

After throwing the man out, Yushang turned and left.

Zhou Jieyu really wanted to call after her, “Expert, carry me!” Unfortunately, she was not quite shameless enough to do that, and she found it difficult to speak to strangers. Besides, the other woman left quickly, as if she had just accepted a mission and was hurrying off to carry it out.

Forget it.

“Please register me,” Zhou Jieyu said, turning back to the staff member.

“Please wait a moment.”

A short while later, Zhou Jieyu successfully registered as a Star Hunter.

Next, she needed to complete missions and level up as quickly as possible.

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Thinking about her low level, the little money she had left, and how powerful other people were, Zhou Jieyu felt a rare surge of powerful motivation.

Yet the moment she reached this point, she began missing the days when she had followed Anran on missions. Every mission had been thrilling and dangerous, but the rewards had been generous. By clinging to a powerful expert and following the mission process, she had always managed to complete them in the end. Was that not wonderful?

Now she had to force a bitter expression onto her face and charge ahead alone. Exhausting.

“Missions with more EXP.”

Zhou Jieyu rapidly searched through the mission board.

Although the missions were open to both players and NPCs, NPCs could only receive material rewards when they accepted them. If a player accepted the same mission, they would also receive an EXP reward.

Zhou Jieyu soon noticed the bounty mission as well.

“Track down the bandits who robbed the White Sea Star branch. Reward: five million Bilu and 500,000 Free EXP.”

“The reward is so high!”

But it was on White Sea Star, which was far too distant. Ignore it.

“Pioneer Frost Island. Employment reward: 700,000 Bilu and 350,000 Free EXP. Requirement: five to eight people.”

Frost Island seemed to be near Ruilanduo Star. Although it was called an island, it was actually a small asteroid. There were suspicions that alien lifeforms lived on it, which was why the employer had posted the mission with the Star Hunter Guild.

The mission would not take long, and the reward was substantial. The problem was that accepting it required a five-person team.

Here it was.

The most common kind of party “dungeon” in games.

This was the moment to exercise her social skills, recruit a few reliable strangers, and pioneer the asteroid together.

Recruit…

“Are you interested in joining our party?”

A voice sounded beside her.

Zhou Jieyu turned around in delight, only for her face to darken immediately.

Damn it.

She had thought a player was calling out to her, but he was actually speaking to another player behind her.

The inviter was Level 27, a young man wearing very futuristic armor. The person being invited was a middle-aged uncle dressed like a western cowboy.

Sniffle.

Zhou Jieyu turned around gloomily, planning to find other players to form a party with. Then her gaze swept across the inviter’s teammates behind him.

Among them was a young woman in plain clothes with a sword on her back.

Her ID was Yumo, and she was Level 28.

She stood there with a displeased expression.

A sword on her back, and her ID was even Yumo. Although she was a little shorter, she really did resemble the long-legged woman from earlier.

No, the more Zhou Jieyu looked, the more alike they seemed.

Lin Yumo also noticed Zhou Jieyu staring at her.

Wait. The ID Yumo felt extremely familiar. Zhou Jieyu had the vague feeling that she had seen it somewhere before.

With that thought, Zhou Jieyu immediately opened her game interface and searched.

There was a chat history.

After reading the contents, she realized that this was the person Anran had told to contact her after slipping away from Twinmoon City.

They had even accepted a mission together.

In that case, she probably knew Anran too.

“Hello.”

Unable to figure out how to begin a face-to-face conversation, Zhou Jieyu simply @mentioned Yumo in the chat system.

A message arrived.

Lin Yumo shifted her gaze away from Zhou Jieyu.

The person who had messaged her was “Leading the Escape.”

Hmm?

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Leading the Escape.

She raised her head and looked at Zhou Jieyu.

The newly opened message also allowed Yumo to see their previous conversation.

She immediately remembered who Zhou Jieyu was. Although they had never met in person, Lin Yumo had an extremely deep impression of Anran.

Strictly speaking, it was because Anran had sold her that detailed swordsmanship manual that she had been able to leave the beginner village so quickly and fight her way all the way here.

“Hello,” Lin Yumo replied through the chat system.

“Do you know Anran?”

“…I suppose you could say that. She helped me a lot.”

“Is that so? Actually, Anran and I are super close too.”

Okay, contact established. Now they could communicate normally.

Zhou Jieyu breathed a sigh of relief.

After a moment, Zhou Jieyu asked, “Are you going to do a mission?”

“You too?”

“More or less.”

Invite me. Invite me.

“What mission are you planning to do?”

“Any mission is fine.”

Invite me. Invite me.

“Then why don’t you join our party and come with us?”

At last, Zhou Jieyu heard the answer she had been waiting for and immediately replied, “Sure, sure!”

“Add her too,” Lin Yumo said to the young man in armor.

“Huh?”

The armored young man looked at Zhou Jieyu. After hesitating for a moment, he agreed. Even with Zhou Jieyu, they only had seven people, so they had not exceeded the limit. Since the party’s main damage dealer had requested it, there was no reason to refuse.

Phew.

Zhou Jieyu breathed a sigh of relief.

Not bad. She really was incredibly clever.

“Oh, right. Do you know a player called Yushang? I think you look a lot like her.” Now that she had some free time, Zhou Jieyu called Lin Yumo through the chat system again.

The other side fell silent for a while.

Lin Yumo’s expression changed slightly, but she still replied, “She’s my older sister.”

“Wow, your sister is amazing! Why aren’t you leveling with her? I saw her at the registration counter just now, and she even helped me once.”

Maybe she is like me?

Zhou Jieyu wondered.

Lin Yumo replied, “Actually, we don’t get along very well.”

“Oh, really? Come to think of it, my brother and I don’t get along very well either. Let me tell you, my brother is incredibly annoying…”

Thought-controlled typing was extremely fast. Zhou Jieyu instantly entered chatterbox mode and began listing one complaint after another about Leading the Charge in the chat window.

“I somehow feel…” Lin Yumo paused. “You two actually seem to have a pretty good relationship. It doesn’t sound nearly as bad as you claim.”

“Do we? How could that be? My brother, he…”

Blah, blah, blah.

Another enormous block of text appeared in an instant.

After this brief little episode, however, Lin Yumo discovered that the girl called Leading the Escape was extremely interesting. Perhaps she was someone worth befriending.

Afterward, they recruited one more stranger. Once they had assembled a full group of eight, they accepted the mission.

The player party, whose average level was 27, followed their employer and set out on the journey to Frost Island.

Zhou Jieyu was actually a fairly reliable damage dealer now, provided that she remained at long range and used her firearms.