"Ah—!"
In the blink of an eye, the people standing on the garbage mountain—who had been craning their necks to watch the transport ship in excitement—suddenly fell into chaos and panic.
Those who first realized something was wrong tried to run, but the crowd was too dense. The people trapped inside were desperate to escape, while those on the outside, unaware of the danger, kept squeezing inward. In an instant, the scene spiraled out of control.
"Get down and cover your heads!"
Han Hu shouted at the top of his lungs when he saw what was happening.At the same time, he yanked the nearby A-Mao toward him, shielding him with his own body.
His booming voice startled everyone, and those trying to flee instinctively obeyed his command and crouched down.Still, many people remained confused and panicked—then, from above, heavy crates began plummeting straight into the crowd.
Each crate was roughly as tall as a person, made of hard, durable material, and packed full of goods.Falling from such a height, even a single hit could easily crush someone to death.
"Tiger bro! A-Mao!"
Because they had fallen behind, Ah Cha and Luo Xinghai weren't caught in the middle of the crowd.Just as Luo Xinghai was about to reach Han Hu and the others, a sudden sense of danger surged through her.Without thinking, she grabbed Ah Cha and turned to run the other way.
Fortunately, she moved fast.By the time the transport ship dumped all those crates of expired food, the two of them had already reached the outskirts—just far enough to avoid being crushed.
Ah Cha quickly realized that something was wrong and tried to rush back to help, but boxes were still falling overhead, making any rescue impossible.
When the last of the crates finally hit the ground, the sight before Luo Xinghai was horrific.
Crates were piled chaotically atop one another; beneath them spread a widening pool of dark red.The air was thick with the groans of the injured, each one stabbing into her ears, and the overpowering stench of blood made her body tremble uncontrollably.
The brutality of the scene tore at her heart.Every instinct screamed for her to run—but instead, she drew a deep breath, forced down her fear, and began lifting boxes, trying to free those trapped beneath.
"Damn it! This was deliberate—murder!"A man with blood streaming down his face cursed furiously."They changed the dumping coordinates on purpose!""Yes! They have to pay for this!""But… how? Who can we turn to for justice?"
At those words, the shouting died instantly.The noise gave way to a suffocating silence.No one gathered to argue anymore—they just kept their heads down, quietly pulling survivors out from under the crates.
Because the truth was, that man was right: they couldn't get justice.
On this planet, there was no Star Lord—no ruler, no authority.They couldn't even connect to the galactic network through their optical brains.All they could do was passively receive whatever information the outside world sent them.
On the Muyuán Star Transport Ship
The young man with smoke-gray eyes hesitated, glancing at the captain. After a moment's pause, he finally spoke."Captain… if someone finds out that we changed the dumping coordinates and caused civilian deaths, we'll be sentenced to death."
The captain's hand froze over the control panel. His eyelid twitched once before he turned his gaze sharply toward the youth, his expression fierce."So if you value that little life of yours, you'd better keep your mouth shut! And don't worry about anyone dying. This batch was just compressed military rations—they're light. No one's going to die from that."
He sneered."And even if someone does, it's because those filthy lowlifes were too greedy, rushing in before the cargo fully landed. Has nothing to do with us. Understand?"
The gray-eyed youth flinched under that glare, trembling as he stammered, "Y-yes, Captain… I understand."
Satisfied, Captain Aonie leaned back in his chair.So what if a few garbage-dwellers died?He knew perfectly well that this planet was on the verge of self-destruction. The lowborn residents, cut off from the galactic network, couldn't possibly harm him.
A smirk tugged at his lips.Besides, this was his last mission as a garbage freighter captain. He was about to be reassigned as an interstellar trade procurement officer—no more filthy trash runs for him.
On Planet LX045
Everyone trapped beneath the fallen crates had been rescued.
Rora Starsea stretched her aching arms and only then realized how much stronger she'd become. It must be the fusion with her Star Spirit's power—the transformation had already begun to strengthen her body, and enhanced strength was just the first visible change.
As she rubbed her sore shoulder, a sharp pain shot up her scalp."Ah!" she hissed, reaching up to touch the top of her head and wincing again. She must've been struck by a crate earlier without noticing—now there was a swelling bump. It hurt like hell, but at least there wasn't any bleeding. A few days' rest would fix it.
Her minor injuries were nothing compared to the casualties around her.Scanning the area, she saw over a dozen bodies laid neatly on the ground—mostly frail elders and small children. None of them were breathing.
Rora's chest tightened. Her breath hitched painfully.In that moment, staring at the tragic scene before her, she truly understood—this world and the one she came from were two completely different realms.
She turned away, crouching in a quiet corner, absently feeling the bump on her head just to distract herself. She didn't notice a few people walking toward her until the sound of boxes thudding to the ground snapped her attention back.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Dust rose. A few crates were set down beside her.
Rora looked up—and accidentally brushed her sore scalp again, making her wince. When she saw who it was—Ah Cha and the others—she immediately stood up.
The burly man, Han Hu, stepped forward and offered his hand."Rora Starsea, thank you. If it weren't for you, Ah Cha would've been in serious danger."
Rora forced her pained expression into something resembling a smile."Han Hu, no need to thank me. You and the others saved me before—I still owe you my thanks."
From the side, the young boy A-Mao crossed his arms and muttered, "Adults are so fake."
"You little brat—what did you say?!" Han Hu gave him a light smack on the head, then turned serious again."I heard from A-Mao that you've got nowhere to stay right now. We happen to have an open spot. How about joining us?"
Rora blinked, surprised.
Thanks to the partial memories she'd absorbed, she knew what that invitation truly meant. "Joining them" wasn't just about living together—it meant being under their protection. As long as she didn't stir up trouble, they'd handle anyone who tried to give her problems.
Han Hu wasn't making a rash decision, either.He'd already been impressed when he learned she volunteered to scavenge for supplies, and after hearing how she risked herself to protect Ah Cha earlier, his respect for her only deepened.
After all, Ah Cha had told him: even though they ran fast, several crates had fallen dangerously close. Without Rora's quick reflexes pulling her aside, Ah Cha might not be alive right now.
That was reason enough for Han Hu's offer.
"Alright," Rora said at once, smiling.It was a good choice—for someone new to this world.Not that she really needed protection, but still.
"Big Sister Rora," A-Mao piped up proudly, puffing his chest. "If anyone bullies you, just tell them A-Mao's name! Nobody around here dares mess with me!"
A young man beside him chuckled, ruffling A-Mao's hair."That's right, everyone in this sector knows our A-Mao." He turned to Rora with a polite nod. "I'm Evergreen. If you ever need help, come find me."
"Thanks," Rora said, smiling. Her gaze flicked—subtly—to his right eye, which was covered by a black patch.
Sensing her curiosity, Evergreen smiled faintly."I was born without a right eye," he explained, lifting the patch slightly. "I had a mechanical one implanted, but… it's got some quirks. It keeps scanning everything around me uncontrollably, so I have to keep it covered. Don't be scared."
A faint blue gleam flashed in the metallic socket before he covered it again.
"I'm not scared," Rora said with a grin. "Actually, it looks kind of cool."
Evergreen froze for a moment—then laughed softly, almost to himself."Really?" he said, half as a question, half as if reassuring himself. Then he broke into a wide, genuine smile."Thanks. I think so too."
He reached behind him and pulled someone forward—a young man about his age, who looked nervous and uneasy. His eyes darted everywhere like a frightened animal.
When he noticed Rora's gaze, he forced a timid smile and quickly hid behind Evergreen again.
Evergreen sighed with mild exasperation."This one's Dan Bing. Don't take it personally—he's not avoiding you, just… easily scared."
Rora nodded. She could tell.
As they chatted and got acquainted, more people began dropping off boxes near them.Without a word, they set them down and walked away. Before long, a small hill of colorful packages had piled up beside them.
"What's all this?" Rora asked, puzzled.
Han Hu's expression remained calm."Nothing much. Payment. The ones next to you are yours—just take them. Alright, time's short. Let's pack up and head back."
"Got it," Rora nodded.
Thankfully, the rest of the return trip was uneventful.
Back in her room, she looked at the crates taking up two-thirds of the space—all filled with food. Enough to last her two or three months.
"Little Star Spirit, see? I did great! So much food—I'll be fine for a long while!"
The Star Spirit floated closer, its light flickering faintly."Star Lord, your appetite is going to increase significantly."
It gave her a meaningful smile but didn't elaborate further.
Rora blinked at the look on its face, feeling a twinge of unease.Of course she knew her appetite would grow. No need to remind her again.
Still… it probably wouldn't be that much bigger.…Right?Probably?