In the dark depths of space, a massive graveyard of wrecked starships drifted. Countless cosmic beings, exposed to the vacuum of space, were frozen solid like icicles.
A blue plasma thruster flared as a medium-sized spacecraft passed through the area, its occupants startled.
"Those are… Star Destroyer wrecks?"
"And a planetary forge?"
"A massive space battle took place here?"
The name Star Destroyer spoke for itself; its main cannons could reduce a planet to cosmic fireworks. Planetary forges were even more fearsome, capable of pulverizing entire planets for fuel and extracting valuable minerals with incredible efficiency.
The radar showed numerous signal sources. The spacecraft's onboard computer tallied roughly three completely destroyed Star Destroyers and a planetary forge.
This was an astounding amount of wealth in space. Ordinary civilizations couldn't even afford a tenth of the cost to purchase a single Star Destroyer, let alone build one.
Planetary forges were far more expensive, roughly equivalent to ten Star Destroyers. Their ability to continuously produce vast amounts of resources made them incredibly valuable.
"Captain, we've struck gold!"
Someone on the spacecraft exclaimed excitedly. "Before anyone else finds this, let's salvage everything valuable. We'll make a fortune!"
These Star Destroyers and the planetary forge—even their salvaged components would fetch a high price on the black market.
Boom!
Suddenly, the entire spacecraft shook violently, startling the captain.
"Did we hit something?"
"No!"
"No radar response, no visual confirmation of any object!"
Tzzz—
The onboard systems reported the situation. A panicked voice crackled over the communications frequency. "Report to the bridge! Intruder detected! Intruder detected!"
Boom!
Another deafening explosion. The thick metal hull was effortlessly breached; a figure slowly emerged from the gash.
Long white hair.
A longsword, faintly crimson, was held in her hand.
"Gentlemen, shall we change our course?"
...
Crack!
A crack appeared on the scale-like surface of the egg; it seemed ready to hatch. In the dim darkness, the boy huddled under a meager pile of debris, sleeping in a space that could collapse at any moment—incredibly dangerous, but perhaps the safest option in this ruined area.
His bright eyes focused intently on the egg, curious about what would hatch. He wondered if it would be edible.
Gurgles—
The boy touched his stomach.
"I'm so hungry."
Seeing the egg about to hatch, his eyes gleamed.
...
Time flew by. Exactly thirty days had passed since Mei returned to Earth from Hyperdimensional Space—a month had gone by, and the next mandatory mission was about to begin.
Tzzz—
Mei's figure flickered, entering Hyperdimensional Space. Time on Earth froze. The space was bustling.
Hyperdimensional Space's mandatory monthly missions were unavoidable. The closer it got to the mission start time, the busier the space became.
Passing Little Star Treasures, Mei noticed a large crowd outside the shop; they seemed to be playing some kind of game.
Plaza.
"Star!"
"Haha, Star, I'm buying you drinks when we get back!"
"What are you doing, man? Fight him!"
"Hey, hey, hey!"
Charles carried a massive backpack filled with survival tools and food. As a newbie, he couldn't afford spatial storage items, and had to carry everything.
He looked at the countdown timer on his interface.
"Five!"
"Four!"
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
When the twenty-four hour timer ended, interfaces appeared before Mei, Charles, Star, and a group of other Void Wanderers.
The interface displayed a message.
[Mission Type: Tethered Mission]
[Mission Difficulty: Tier 1]
Investigating the fundamental causes of a world's destruction or ruin was a process of tethering it to Hyperdimensional Space. Once the main mission was completed, the world would be fully tethered.
Furthermore,
Although Mei's power was Tier 4, Hyperdimensional Space only allowed Void Wanderers to undertake an advancement mission after every three tethered missions. Until her advancement, Mei remained a Tier 1 Void Wanderer, undertaking Tier 1 missions.
In an instant, a large group of people vanished from the space.
Tzzz—
Mei appeared on the top floor of a skyscraper.
[Main Mission · Phase One: This world is frequently attacked by Star Beasts. Before investigating the cause, kill a Star Beast to demonstrate your capabilities.]
[Mission Reward: 300 points]
[Mission Commencing]
...
[Name: Mei]
[Grade: Tier 1]
[Points: 0]
[Abilities: Telekinesis ·LV10, Danger Sense ·LV1, Extreme Burst ·LV1, Night Vision ·LV1, Survival Adaptation ·LV2, Voice of All Things ·LV1, New Human ·LV1]
[Items: Personal Spatial Storage ·1000 Cubic Meters, Bulwark Coat ·Tier 3, Chapter of Gaia, Zombie Virus Antidote, G4 Virus, Primordial Toxin…]
...
Hyperdimensional Space was generous; it didn't provide starting abilities, equipment, or items, but anything a Void Wanderer acquired could be brought to mission worlds—even the zombie virus.
This junk was worthless in the space, but undeniably devastating to civilizations; it could easily cause a catastrophe in a mission world.
Unlike the single-phase main mission in the beginner world, this main mission was divided into phases. Any Void Wanderer completing a phase received a points reward.
Mei read the main mission description.
"Star Beast?"
Was she supposed to fight monsters in this world?
The interface updated.
[Target detected.]
[Authority installation in progress…]
[Installation complete.]
[Random upgrade selection in progress…]
[Random selection: Star Beast.]
[Star Beast upgrade complete.]
Mei was still wondering what a Star Beast was when the system gave her a Star Beast upgrade. A flash of light appeared, and a soft, fluffy white orb materialized at her feet.
"Ooh—"
This Star Beast was only about the size of a soccer ball, perfectly spherical and pure white. Its eyes were like tiny black sesame seeds on a rice cake. It had no arms or tail, only two small, round legs; it was easy to miss.
Mei pondered whether killing this little creature would complete Phase One of the main mission. After considering it, she decided to name it first.
"From now on, you're Shiro."
"Ooh—"
Shiro seemed to understand Mei; its tiny eyes squinted, and it rolled happily around her feet, making Mei want to kick it.
It really was like a ball.
Its legs were truly just two spheres; it didn't even have knees. It wobbled as it moved, surprisingly fast.
[Star Beast: Shiro]
[Type: Pet]
[Grade: Tier 1]
[Description: This is a special Star Beast capable of infinite evolution by devouring other beasts. Its handler can share all its power.]
After reading Shiro's stats, Mei understood. Theoretically, as Shiro devoured beasts and evolved, Mei, as its handler, would also grow stronger.
The lack of power was because Shiro hadn't devoured any beasts yet; it was a harmless pet.
Then, a series of upgrade tasks appeared.
[Upgrade Task 1: Kill a Level 1 Star Beast; Star Beast level increases by one.]
[Upgrade Task 2: Kill a Level 2 Star Beast; Star Beast level increases by one.]
[Upgrade Task 3: Kill a Level 3 Star Beast; Star Beast level increases by one.]
...
[Upgrade Task 10: Kill a Level 10 Star Beast; Star Beast level increases by one.]
Ten upgrade tasks in total.
Ignoring the main mission and upgrade tasks for now, the priority was understanding the world's background and situation.
"Ooh—"
Shiro nestled against Mei's leg, squinting like a contented ball. Despite its small size, carrying it around was a bit inconvenient.
"Is there a way to hide yourself?"
"Ooh?"
Shiro seemed to consider it, then instantly vanished, its tiny legs surprisingly fast.
"Ooh!"
Half of its spherical body peeked cautiously from behind a corner; its sesame-seed eyes stared at Mei, seemingly asking if this was good enough.
The little creature was unexpectedly good at hiding; if Mei hadn't maintained her telekinetic lock on Shiro, she wouldn't know where it had gone.
"Yes."
"Ooh!"
Assured, Shiro hid again.
Unlike the beginner world, this world hadn't experienced large-scale destructive events, but it was clearly heading towards ruin.
A billboard on the street was playing a news report about a city under attack; the images were horrific, showing near-total destruction.
"Yesterday, Rong'an City was attacked by a Level 4.5 Star Beast, resulting in severe casualties. Starkillers engaged in a fierce battle, ultimately defeating the beast at a heavy cost. Unfortunately, Rong'an City was the main battleground, suffering over eighty percent destruction. The Allied Council decided to abandon the city; survivors will be relocated."
"After careful consideration, the Allied Council named this unprecedented Star Beast 'Viagra.' Viagra was 84 meters tall and 137 meters long, the largest Star Beast ever recorded…"
Mei stopped on the street, watching the news report. The fear and anxiety on the faces of the people around her were palpable. She wondered if this city would suffer a similar attack.
Then,
She went to a library to read old newspapers, proceeding as cautiously as she had on Earth. Before understanding the situation, she wouldn't unleash her telekinesis widely; she didn't want to alert anything.
Approximately twenty years ago, Star Beasts began appearing worldwide. Initially, conventional firearms were effective.
However, as the Star Beasts grew stronger, conventional weapons became less effective. The beasts frequently attacked cities, making nuclear weapons difficult to deploy. Nuclear weapons were eventually used in desperation, eliminating the Star Beast but causing horrific civilian casualties.
Then, one day, the Allied Council announced a breakthrough. Through research, humanity had finally grasped the power of Star Beasts, leading to the creation of Starkillers.
Starkillers, also known as Devourers, were new humans who gained power by consuming the flesh of Star Beasts.
Individual Starkillers were powerful enough to rival Star Beasts; their existence allowed for more effective hunting of Star Beasts.
Over the years, the Allied Council had gathered substantial data, classifying Star Beasts by their energy levels—Level 1 being the weakest, and the strongest being the Level 4.5 Viagra that destroyed Rong'an City.
Of course,
This was temporary.
Over the past twenty years, the Star Beasts had grown increasingly powerful; the highest level constantly increased—from Level 1 to Level 4.5. Higher levels were inevitable.
Level 1 Star Beasts could be handled with conventional heavy weaponry like tanks. Level 4.5 required nuclear weapons without Starkiller.
The question of whether even more powerful, nuclear-resistant Star Beasts would appear was practically certain; that would be humanity's true despair and the beginning of its end.
Boom!
An explosion rocked the bustling street. People stopped, then, with the sound of alarms, fled for shelter.
"Warning! Star Beast attack!"
"Warning! Star Beast attack!"
Star Beast attacks were commonplace for the world's inhabitants. They only hoped the attacking beast wouldn't be too powerful; they didn't want a new record set on their doorstep. Otherwise, they just ran—as far as possible.
"Run! What are you looking at?!"
"Get to the nearest shelter!"
City Center.
The once-bustling commercial district was now a ruin. A four or five-meter-tall Star Beast rampaged, unleashing its ferocious power.
"Roar!"
Mei stood amidst the rubble, observing the Star Beast. It appeared to be only Level 1, not particularly large, unlike those that reached dozens of meters tall.
"Probably the weakest level."
She spoke.
Bang!
Invisible telekinesis struck; a massive hole appeared in the Level 1 Star Beast's abdomen. It screamed before collapsing.
Mei approached. The Star Beast's wound was rapidly closing; left untreated, it would soon heal completely. Its regenerative abilities were formidable.
Star Beasts possessed powerful regenerative abilities; higher-level beasts healed faster, making attrition warfare particularly difficult.
"Shiro."
Hearing Mei's call, Shiro emerged from a corner, its body rapidly expanding before swallowing the entire Star Beast in one gulp.
"Burp—"
Shiro belched contentedly. Despite its small size, it had swallowed the entire Star Beast as if possessing a spatial stomach. After swallowing, Shiro instantly returned to its original size—remarkable.
Mei didn't feel a significant increase in Shiro's power, but after Shiro devoured the Star Beast, she felt a surge of energy enter her body.
Instantly,
Mei's physical attributes improved.
[Enhancement Successful]
[Survival Adaptation ·LV2.1⬆]
[New Human ·LV1.1⬆]
[Ability Acquired]
[Star Beast Body ·LV1]
[Detectable Mergeable Abilities]
[Merge Complete]
[Ability Acquired: Star Human ·LV1.5]
Due to the synergistic effects of several abilities, after acquiring the Star Beast Body, it merged with Survival Adaptation and New Human.
This Star Human ability combined the effects of the previous three abilities, seemingly opening a path towards a higher level of life.
Furthermore,
[Upgrade Task 1· Complete]
[Star Beast Level Up!]
[Star Beast ·LV2!]
Suddenly,
A blinding white light erupted from Shiro. Its already considerable power surged even further.
Simultaneously,
As Shiro leveled up, Mei, as its handler, shared in this power increase. A surge of energy flooded her body, and her newly acquired ability instantly leveled up.
[Star Human ·LV2⬆]
Mei's strength, speed, physical durability, sensory abilities, recovery rate, and energy sensitivity all improved dramatically.
With Star Human LV2 strength, she could throw a car without using telekinesis; she could run faster than a sports car.
Mei understood that continuing to level up in this mission world would soon transform her into a higher life form; she was excited.
How powerful would she become?
"Ooh—"
Shiro, somehow, had acquired a cigar, which it was smoking with surprising proficiency, like a wise old man.
Mei was astonished.
Could devouring Star Beasts affect Shiro's personality?
"Hide yourself."
"Ooh."
Shiro exhaled a puff of smoke, calmly walking towards the shadows. Its back seemed to bear the weight of untold stories, filled with an unspoken understanding and trust with Mei.
Midway through, Shiro paused, turned, and tilted its head before decisively vanishing into the shadows, as if acting in a play.
Mei was speechless.
"..."
Could this personality change be permanent?
Simultaneously,
The Star Beast monitoring system issued a major alert; a bright red signal flashed frantically. The monitoring personnel's faces turned pale; they hurriedly began locating the source.
"Star Beast alert!"
"Location: Shan City!"
"Energy level…"
Seeing the energy level, the monitors' faces turned white; then, terrified, they shouted, "Energy level 4.9!
Level 4.9 Star Beast alert in Shan City!"
"Quickly, dispatch a high-level Starkiller!"
The Star Beast Monitoring Department couldn't believe it. Two days ago, a Level 4.5 Star Beast had appeared, reducing Rong'an City to ruins. Now, a stronger one had emerged.
"This isn't right!"
The monitor's expression was grave. "The energy level shouldn't increase so quickly. This doesn't match our previous observations."
According to the Allied Council's research reports, Star Beast energy levels were steadily increasing, but this was a gradual process. There was no reason for a sudden jump from 4.5 to 4.9, especially within just two days—an unprecedented situation.
"Unexpected events are unexpected precisely because they're unpredictable. We're imposing our own patterns. Level 4.9… so close to Level 5."
As the entire monitoring department was on high alert, the first Starkiller to arrive reported that there were no Star Beasts at the scene.
"What?"
"No Star Beasts were present."
Shan City, City Center.
Two young men in Starkiller combat suits stood amidst the rubble, surveying the area. They found only a pool of blood.
"Actually, the initial alert indicated a Level 1 Star Beast. Based on the scene, it was a Level 1 attack."
The monitoring supervisor pressed, "No battle traces?"
"Just a pool of blood."
"..."
The supervisor fell silent.
The situation had worsened; a Level 4.9 Star Beast had vanished. The consequences of this were potentially catastrophic.
In reality, this was simply the energy dispersal from Mei's attack being detected. In fact, she had significantly restrained her power; otherwise, the energy level would have been even higher.
Regardless,
Mei could crush a planet effortlessly.
"Minister, what do we do?"
"Immediately report to the Allied Council."
Less than thirty minutes later,
The Allied Council held an emergency meeting in its headquarters in the First Allied City. High-level Starkillers who couldn't attend physically participated online.
"This is urgent; I'll be brief. Thirty minutes ago, a Level 4.9 high-energy signature appeared in Shan City. The Star Beast is currently missing, posing a significant threat. We suspect it possesses powerful concealment abilities."
All high-level Star Beasts encountered so far had been eliminated; the Starkillers' real-time locations were tracked by the Allied Council and the monitoring department.
Based on this, the high-energy reading was almost certainly a Star Beast. The Allied Council chairman outlined the situation and gave his orders.
"Lucia, Jayce, postpone your current tasks. Proceed to Shan City immediately and engage the target if it appears!"
"Understood."
"Understood."
In the online meeting, a blonde woman and a dark-haired man, both in Starkiller combat suits, appeared against a backdrop of ruins—clearly fresh from a battle.
Both were high-level combatants; Lucia was Level 4.3, Jayce Level 4.2—squad leaders among the Starkillers. Only Starkillers of this level could engage a high-level Star Beast; others would be suicide.
Despite ongoing battles and strained resources, these two were dispatched. The Allied Council was prepared for the worst; these two were merely the vanguard.
"Also,"
The chairman stated decisively, "Bring Flashy."
...
"Roar!"
A Star Beast over fifty meters tall roared, its sonic attack flattening nearby buildings.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Amidst the swirling dust and smoke, a blade flashed. A massive strike cleaved through the smoke, severing the Star Beast in two. It crashed to the ground; the fatal blow to its brain ensured its death.
Bang!
Lucia landed, sheathing her longsword. A mere Level 3.2 Star Beast; for her combat prowess, it was child's play.
"Anything else?"
"Just one more, Captain."
Star Beasts were appearing everywhere; the Starkillers were overwhelmed, facing both physical exhaustion and heavy casualties. Not all Starkillers were squad-leader level.
Then,
The whirring of helicopter blades filled the air, kicking up dust. Jayce, having arrived first, addressed Lucia. "I've brought Flashy."
"Good."
Lucia boarded the helicopter, rushing towards Shan City. They could only rest briefly along the way.
Onboard the helicopter, Jayce was accompanied by a cheerful and polite young man with a perpetually amiable smile.
"Captain Lucia, thank you for your assistance."
"Just a mission."
Lucia responded flatly.
She was generally pleasant, but disliked Flashy. Despite his amiable demeanor, he was arrogant and conceited—a trait Lucia despised.
Flashy didn't push it; after the greeting, he remained silent. He was good at outward politeness but secretly looked down on Lucia and Jayce.
In fact,
He looked down on everyone weaker than himself.
Unlike Lucia and Jayce, Flashy wasn't from this world; he was a Void Wanderer, a member of Nova, a top-tier squad within Hyperdimensional Space.
Although a newbie, he considered himself superior as a Void Wanderer. He viewed the mission world's inhabitants as insignificant, mere NPCs in a game.
Fortunately for him, many members of Nova were in this mission world; one even controlled a high-ranking member of the Allied Council within a day.
Through collaboration and his own luck, Flashy successfully absorbed Viagra's power.
That's right.
The Level 4.5 Star Beast that destroyed Rong'an City.
Starkillers derived their power from Star Beasts. By absorbing a Star Beast's essence and possessing sufficient genetic compatibility, they could merge, gaining the beast's power and becoming one with it.
The reports stated Viagra was completely destroyed, but it had been severely injured in Rong'an City and forced to merge with Flashy to survive. The cost was that its consciousness was trapped within Flashy, with Flashy maintaining full control.
Essentially, a living prison.
This was the truth behind the Starkillers' power.
Regardless of combat skills or experience, Flashy, possessing Viagra's power, was undoubtedly the most powerful Starkiller; that was his strength.
Though their time together was short, Jayce had sensed something was off about Flashy's attitude. He cautioned, "How's Viagra doing?"
"A bit cranky,"
Flashy chuckled, "But it should be fine after this fight."
"Let's hurry this up."
Jayce, a veteran Starkiller, understood the chairman's reason for bringing Flashy along, but he was concerned about Flashy's inexperience, especially his casual approach to handling Star Beasts.
He warned again, "Honestly, resolve this quickly. Otherwise, Viagra might seize an opportunity, and the consequences will be severe."
The Starkiller team suffered heavy losses fighting Viagra; Jayce didn't want another confrontation. He hoped Viagra would become an asset, not a liability.
"I understand."
Flashy nodded.
Jayce sighed; the man wasn't listening.
...
[Main Mission · Phase One · Complete]
[Points Acquired: 300]
[Main Mission · Phase Two: Killing one Star Beast is insufficient. Assist in or independently kill ten Level 1 Star Beasts to prove your capabilities.]
[Mission Reward: 1000 points]
The main mission didn't require immediate investigation into the Star Beasts' origins; it seemed designed to allow Void Wanderers to freely farm monsters.
Fortunately, there were many Star Beasts in this world. In just a few days in Shan City, Mei encountered two Star Beast attacks—both Level 1.
After a level-up, Mei realized Shiro's upgrades seemed to broadly enhance her existing power. Therefore, she decided to have Shiro devour many low-level Star Beasts to grow stronger before focusing on upgrade tasks, maximizing power gains.
The stronger Shiro became, the stronger she would be.
Logically sound, Mei planned to have Shiro devour as many low-level Star Beasts as possible before completing upgrade tasks.
This also conveniently progressed the main mission.
Frankly, Mei barely cared about the main mission rewards; they were dwarfed by the upgrade task rewards.
...
Shan City.
Boom!
Three Level 1 Star Beasts lay dying. Two Starkillers were about to finish them off when something unexpected occurred.
"Hey, let's finish these…"
Bang! Bang!
Before the Starkiller could finish, an overwhelming pressure descended from the sky. An invisible force pinned them to the ground, immobilizing them as if a mountain had fallen on their backs.
Terror gripped them.
"Wh…what?"
"Another Star Beast?"
As they panicked, footsteps approached. They tried to look up, but couldn't; they could only hear the footsteps.
Then came a chilling sound—something devouring the three Star Beasts. The Starkillers' faces turned pale; they dared not speak.
Simultaneously,
The monitoring department's frantic shouts echoed over the Starkillers' communication frequency: "45, 46, a Level 4.9 Star Beast signal has been detected! Report the situation immediately! Report immediately!"
One Starkiller, ignoring the danger, was about to report when the invisible pressure vanished.
They stood up and realized the three Star Beasts were gone. Recalling the chilling devouring sound, their faces were grim.
"Reporting to monitoring…"
Meanwhile,
"Burp—"
Shiro, a large gold chain around its neck, waddled beside Mei, contentedly belching. Mei confirmed that Shiro's personality and appearance changed depending on the Star Beast it consumed.
This time, it had a mischievous personality.
Devouring three Level 1 Star Beasts significantly increased Shiro's power; a surge of energy flowed into Mei, upgrading Star Human.
[Enhancement Successful]
[Star Beast ·LV2.3⬆]
[Star Human ·LV2.3⬆]
Over several days, Shiro consumed six Star Beasts, increasing Mei's Star Human level by 0.3. Mei planned to complete the second upgrade task once Star Human reached Level 2.5.
As Shiro consumed more Level 1 Star Beasts, its growth rate slowed. While it could devour infinitely, wasting time was unnecessary; it was sufficient.
"Hide yourself."
"Ooh."
Shiro shook the large gold chain around its neck, swaggering into the shadows. Despite its harmless appearance, its combat capabilities were significant.
Unfortunately, these Level 1 Star Beasts didn't drop anything. Based on this world's patterns, better equipment was expected.
Suddenly, the ground trembled. Mei initially thought another Star Beast was attacking Shan City but realized it was just a tremor.
A very faint tremor.
However,
As the seismic waves reached the surface, Mei, using Voice of All Things, heard the planet groaning.
Her expression hardened.
"The planet is groaning?"
The seismic information was limited; Mei couldn't gather more intelligence or determine the cause.
Was it due to humans?
Or Star Beasts?
Mei suspected it might be the Gaia consciousness at work.
The information was too scarce to analyze, so Mei temporarily dismissed her concerns. She would focus on leveling up.
It wasn't the right time to act rashly. If it truly was the Gaia consciousness adjusting the balance, attracting its attention would be problematic. Mei wasn't afraid of this planet's Gaia consciousness; she feared the universe's, a far more powerful entity.
Several hours later, Lucia and her team arrived in Shan City. At the battle site, Lucia and Starkillers 45 and 46 were investigating.
Their mission was to locate the high-level Star Beast and engage it if necessary; leaving it unchecked was too dangerous.
"Footsteps?"
"Yes."
"We're sure they were human footsteps!"
Lucia's expression turned serious. There were no surveillance images; if the Starkillers were correct, the situation was grave.
She speculated, "This Star Beast might be able to mimic human forms. Unlike previous Star Beasts with massive bodies, this one might appear human."
Not camouflage or invisibility, but a complete transformation into a human form, blending into Shan City's millions of people.
This would be incredibly difficult to handle.
"That's just speculation," Jayce sniffed the air, nodding confidently. "One thing is certain: four Star Beasts were here."
Star Beasts had a distinct scent unlike humans. Jayce's sense of smell was exceptional; he was sure of his assessment.
Flashy surveyed the area. "Even if it's not humanoid, it can't be too big. Anything over five meters would be massive; the buildings here are too low to hide something that large."
Most importantly, aside from the three Level 1 Star Beasts, there were no traces of other large creatures, supporting Lucia's hypothesis.
"Also,"
Lucia asked, "Was it hunting other Star Beasts?"
"Yes."
The two Starkillers nodded. "This is the third similar incident in Shan City. And we're certain we heard something devouring them."
Lucia and Jayce exchanged glances; they'd never encountered this before. Why would a high-level Star Beast devour lower-level ones?
Food?
Or growth?
If it was the latter, Lucia shivered. Regardless, they needed to find and eliminate this Star Beast quickly.
"Jayce, it's up to you."
"I'll do my best."
Since the Star Beast's scent remained, it would be easier. Jayce only needed to follow the trail; he might be able to capture it.
Meanwhile,
Mei was leisurely watching the news report on a street bench, appearing completely relaxed, rarely enjoying such peace.
Although Mei hadn't deployed her telekinesis widely, Voice of All Things provided complete situational awareness. Lucia's team alerted her that the Allied Council was searching for her; she anticipated a confrontation, but not yet.
"Shiro, lead them on a merry chase."
"Ooh."
Secretly, after Shiro agreed, it began to stroll around, swinging its large gold chain, its exceptional concealment abilities frustrating Jayce's team.
The next day,
Bang!
A sewer grate was lifted; Jayce's team emerged, looking terrible. Jayce frowned. "It's playing with us."
Lucia agreed. "We've been discovered."
"Yes."
Flashy suggested, "Let's try other methods. This isn't working. At least we know the Star Beast is small; otherwise, it couldn't fit in the sewers."
There was one positive point, Jayce noted. "Fortunately, it doesn't seem to have a strong destructive urge and hasn't harmed any humans."
Lucia remained silent.
She'd asked the Star Beast within her many times. From the moment they became sentient, Star Beasts were filled with destruction and annihilation; even with self-awareness, it was hard to control that urge.
This Star Beast was different—intelligent, adept at hiding, and capable of controlling its destructive impulses. These unusual traits were even more concerning.