"Really?!"
The Star Spirit wasted no time once Rora Starsea agreed.It stretched out a slender finger, and a clear blue beam burst from its tip, shooting straight toward the center of Rora's forehead.
Warmth spread from between her brows, flowing through every vein, every fingertip—until her whole body felt like she was soaking in a hot spring, melting into pure comfort.
But before she could fully sink into that warmth, the strange-colored sky above began to change.Wisps of white mist gathered in the air, swirling faster and faster.
At some point, the wind rose.The clouds of mist twisted under the breeze, their shapes constantly shifting.
Soon, more clouds joined in, spreading across the heavens, covering the once eerie sky. The whole planet seemed to be wrapped in light—everything turned brighter, cleaner, alive.
Then, the clouds thickened, pressing downward as if too heavy to float.As they sank, the white slowly turned to gray, merging with the odd-colored sky below.
Boom—!A deafening crack split the heavens, and the clouds turned black.Golden lightning tore across the dark mass, and a few bolts struck the ground with blinding force.
Thunder rolled. Darkness loomed.
Everyone on Planet LX045 instinctively looked up, fear flashing in their eyes.They had never, in their entire lives, seen anything like this.
"What's going on?" A young man scavenging through piles of junk froze, panic all over his face.Nearby, a burly man blinked, snapping out of his daze. He swallowed hard, a terrifying thought striking him like lightning.
"Wait... could it be—someone's actually forming a contract with a Star Spirit?"
The moment he said it, everyone went silent.
"Seriously?" the young scavenger asked, disbelief all over his face.
"Of course! You don't trust Hank? He's seen more of the world than all of us combined! He even worked off-world once—on a planet that had a real Star Sovereign!"
"Yeah, that's right!" others chimed in quickly.
Hank, the man they called "Tiger," forced a laugh, but only he knew how bitter it was.
Years ago, when he was young and restless, he'd spent every last coin he had just to leave this dump of a planet—dreaming of making something of himself under a real Star Sovereign.
But reality hit him hard.To even live on such a planet, one had to give up their homeworld citizenship—become an immigrant starborn, bound to a foreign planet's ruler.Only then could one awaken and receive a sliver of their Sovereign's blessing.
Of course, immigrants only got a tenth of the power that natives did. Any hope of reaching the top was crushed before it began.Still, people lined up for the chance.
Hank had been lucky—his strength and physique got him selected.At first, he thought his dream was about to start. But when it came down to signing that contract—when he realized it meant cutting ties with the planet he was born on—he just… couldn't do it.
He refused.
People praised him in public for "loving his homeworld," then mocked him in private for being a fool.In the end, after failing to fit in anywhere else, he came back home—to the same old garbage planet.
Now, watching the blackened sky above, his heart pounded louder than the thunder.If what he guessed was true—if a Star Spirit was truly contracting with a Sovereign right now—then his homeworld might finally rise again.
Could they really… have a Star Sovereign of their own?
"Hank?"
He blinked, turning to find everyone staring at him.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Let's head back," one said. "Looks like a storm's coming."
"Yeah… good idea. We'll call it a day," Hank said. His gaze lingered on the sky.Only time would tell if his hope meant anything.
On their way back, everyone buzzed with excitement.
"Hank! If we really get a Star Sovereign… do you think we'll get powers too? Like the ones on the StarNet?"The question came from Mick, a scrawny boy barely thirteen, bouncing beside him with stars in his eyes.
"Of course—Wait, hold on! You've been sneaking on StarNet again, haven't you?" Hank barked, grabbing Mick by the collar as the boy tried to bolt.
"Hehe! I'm sorry, Hank! I won't do it again!"
But the man's grip was iron, and Mick's expression quickly turned tragic.Just as he was about to beg harder, his eyes caught something—a body lying motionless in a pool of blood.
"Hank! Look! Over there!"
"Nice try," Hank grunted. "I'm not falling for that again."
"No, really! I'm not lying this time—someone's there!" Mick insisted, voice trembling.
Hank sighed but turned his head anyway—and froze.There was someone lying there.
"You all stay here," Hank ordered, his tone instantly sharp.
"Be careful!"
He nodded and crept forward, stopping a few meters away. From his pocket, he pulled a small nutrient vial and tossed it toward the figure.
If it was a trap, the bait would tell.
Nothing.
The body didn't move.
Hank exhaled, crouched, and approached slowly. The face was faintly familiar—but not someone he knew well.Probably someone he'd seen scavenging in a nearby town.
"Wait—that's Ava, from Eon Town!" Mick gasped as he came closer.
"You know her?" Hank asked.
Mick nodded quickly. "Yeah! She used to live near us… until some thugs kicked her out."He glanced at the woman's still body, worry clouding his voice. "Hank, is she okay?"
Hank knelt and checked her breathing. Warm air brushed his fingers—she was alive.
"She's fine," he said, glancing back at the quiet woman in their group."Tara, check her injuries."
Tara nodded silently and knelt beside the fallen woman. As the only woman among them, this was her role.The others turned away politely.
Minutes later, Tara spoke up."All done," she rasped, her voice rough, clearly damaged from old wounds.
"How bad is it?" Hank asked.
"She's not hurt," Tara said. "The blood's not hers."
Hank exhaled in relief. "Good. Take her with us."
Without a word, Tara hoisted the unconscious Rora Starsea onto her thin shoulders.
Rora groaned softly, her mind swimming. She tried to open her eyes—but she was still deep in the binding process. Her body wouldn't respond.
She could only feel—the sharp bones pressing into her stomach, the fragile frame carrying her with surprising strength.
How is she so strong?
Time blurred. Eventually, Rora felt herself being set down on a hard, creaking surface—wood, by the sound of it.
"All right, Tara. Let her rest. We'll talk when she wakes," Hank's voice said somewhere above her.
"Got it," Tara replied softly.
Moments later, Rora's world went dark again.
She drifted in and out of sleep, vaguely aware of something sweet being poured into her mouth.Warmth filled her chest again—then nothing.
When she finally opened her eyes, she had no idea how much time had passed.
"You're awake?" a hoarse voice asked beside her.
Rora turned and saw Tara—a thin, dark-skinned woman whose body seemed made of bone and resolve. Despite her frail frame, Rora could still sense the strength in her movements.
"You're the one who saved me?" Rora asked, scanning the small room. "Where am I?"
Tara studied her calmly. "You can call me Tara. We found you on the road and brought you back here. This is our camp."
"Thank you," Rora said with a faint smile. Well… that told me nothing useful at all.
Tara handed her a few glass tubes filled with colorful liquid."You must be hungry. These are nutrient vials. Pick a flavor."
Inside were three tubes—white, green, and pink.
"The green one's fine. Thanks," Rora said. She took a sip—then winced.Definitely not apple flavor. More like bitter grass.
"You're still weak," Tara said flatly. "Rest here. Don't go outside. I'll be out working—back by night. Take the white one if you get hungry."
"Okay. Thanks again," Rora said. She set the vial aside and waited until Tara left.
Then she lifted her gaze to the air before her—
where a faint, translucent blue panel floated in the void.