Just as he fastened his seatbelt, the sensation of weightlessness reached its limit, followed by a dizzying whirl.
In the suburbs of Jiangyuan City, at the ultra-long-range Starry Sea launch platform, the crowd was significantly smaller than the sea of people from yesterday, yet still close to three thousand citizens had gathered.
At this moment, the expressions on the faces of the more than two thousand people present were mostly one of deep concern, revealing the anxiety parents and elders felt for their children.
To awaken the Seed of Torch and command a Torch Warship is indeed a shortcut to heaven for everyone, granting an extraordinary social status. However, this shortcut is not a broad avenue, but one bristling with thorns.
Each foray into the Alien Star Domain, to put it nicely, is a mix of danger and opportunity. To phrase it unpleasantly, it is a life gamble repeated over and over. If you bet right, you live; if you bet wrong, death is the only outcome.
All the parents present understood this, yet they had no choice but to proceed, because it is one of the few opportunities for common people to turn their fortunes around.
If one of their descendants could make it just a little further on the path of Torch Warship operation, the entire family could benefit from it, and even leap to become a newly emerging Torch Family, easily carrying on the legacy for hundreds or even thousands of years.
For the average citizens within the domain of Torch Human Civilization, this is almost a common goal pursued by everyone.
Hum hum hum!
Amidst the intense humming sounds, the anxious parents finally saw the beam of light piercing the heavens light up again. When the light dissipated, the once empty launch platform had nearly a hundred Spectral Shuttles appear on it.
These were the first hundred Spectral Shuttles launched yesterday. However, looking at the numbers, out of the hundred people, only ninety-four had returned.
"All students, listen to the command, immediately fly away from the launch platform."
Outside the launch platform, the Torch Bureau officers' directives rang out immediately. One after another, the Spectral Shuttles began to leave the platform, freeing up space for the subsequent return of the Spectral Shuttles.
...
Nearly two hours later, all the students from this year's awakening in Jiangyuan City had returned. According to the statistics of Jiangyuan's Torch Bureau, there were 1032 successful Awakeners, and the actual number of beneficiaries was 1032, with 980 successfully returning.
That means the number of students who died or were lost in the Alien Star Domain for unknown reasons totaled 52.
It's a figure that couldn't be more normal, but the atmosphere on site was inexplicably heavy because these weren't mere numbers; they were fifty-two living beings.
The heavy atmosphere didn't linger too long in the hearts of the students. On their ride back to the school on the hovercar, the students from the First Torch Academy excitedly began to exchange stories. In the "First Torch Academy Class of 255 Awakening Students' Exchange Group" created by the academy, the chatting was incredibly lively.
"{Class 10 'Lu Jie'}: What did everyone gain this time?"
"{Class 3 'Zhou Lu'}: Hahaha, my luck wasn't too bad. I came across an asteroid belt and got 30 tons of 'uranium ore'."
"{Class 4 'Zhang Chao'}: Envious, a ton of uranium ore is worth 8 strands of Zero Rank Floating Land Origin, 30 tons is 240 strands. Why did I only find Fine Iron, and just a pathetic amount of less than 60 tons, sob sob sob."
"{Class 5 'Sun Hao'}: Envy +1, big shot please bring me with you."
...
After glancing at the chat history in the group, Song Chi turned to look at Sun Hao sitting next to him.
"Haozi, how did you do this time?"
While typing on his communication bracelet, Sun Hao spoke softly,
"50 tons of gas ore."
Hearing the words "gas ore," Song Chi's eyebrows twitched slightly, and the corners of his mouth twitched.
Gas ore was a high-rank resource, rumored to be used in the enhancement of high-quality warship components, thus its value was always high. On the market, one ton could typically sell for 10 strands of Zero Rank Floating Land Origin.
"500 strands of Zero Rank Floating Land Origin, and you're envious of others?"
Clicking to close the communication light screen, Sun Hao let out a chuckle and draped his muscular left arm over Song Chi's shoulder.
"Brother Chi, you still don't know me. What's the use of glory in front of others? Keeping a low profile is my life motto!"
Lowering his head to glance at the other's arm, which was thicker than his own thigh, Song Chi really couldn't see how a hulking figure nearly two meters tall and weighing close to one hundred and fifty kilograms, who attracted attention wherever he went, could possibly be associated with the words 'low profile'.
Ignoring Song Chi's eye roll, Sun Hao quickly responded with a question:
"What about you, Brother Chi?"
"10 tons of Mithril."
Song Chi casually put forward the 10 tons of Mithril, not that he intended to hide anything, but the 600-plus tons of purple copper could not be explained.
He was very clear that the golden finger of Zhu Tian Ruins Market should never be exposed, otherwise he would be faced with endless trouble.
Being able to randomly trade with Alien Races throughout the Shattered Starry Sea was a valuable and unimaginable Strange Object.
And that Purple Quality component, the "Nuclear Fusion Engine," he hadn't thought about exposing that yet either. The engine Component of Purple Quality was also valuable and might invite covetous stares.
As for whether he would keep it for himself, trade it through the black market, or through the Zhu Tian Ruins Market, he hadn't decided yet.
He was leaning more towards using it himself. An engine of Purple Quality would be sufficient for him to use for a long time to come.
Just then, an astonishing message suddenly appeared in the chat group.
"{Class 1 "Deng Chang"}: Basic Component, Blue Quality Main Cannon "Superconductive Laser Cannon," interested brothers are welcome to DM, attached is a JPG of the Superconductive Laser Cannon attributes."
Superconductive Laser Cannon lv0
Quality: Blue
Consumption: 20/shot (Spectral Energy Points)
Attack: 15
Charge: 5s; Buffer: 10s
UpRank Requirement: 3 strands of Zero Rank Floating Land Origin, 300 Spectral Energy Points
Once this information appeared, the chat group exploded.
"Is it real? A Blue Main Cannon? @Class 1 "Deng Chang," did you get this from the latest exploration? Awesome, man."
"Damn, I don't even have a white Component, and the big guy's already showing off a Blue Component? Wuuuuu."
It wasn't just the students who were stirred up; even the Academy teachers were excited.
"{Class 2 Homeroom Teacher "Huang Guowei"}: @Class1 Deng Chang, if you really want to sell it, we can talk face to face after you return to the Academy."
…
Song Chi's eyes flickered slightly, and he felt somewhat tempted, but he showed no outward sign of it.
"How foolish, not keeping a Blue Quality Main Cannon for oneself!"
Sun Hao's complaint reached his ears, but Song Chi shook his head gently, disagreeing with his view.
"Everyone has their own plan. While a Blue Quality Main Cannon's damage is shocking, if one doesn't have enough resources for Enhancement, they might not even survive the next exploration.
Selling it now for a high price, the resources obtained could be used for a comprehensive Enhancement of the Spectral Shuttle, increasing the survival rate for subsequent explorations in the Alien Star Domain. There are losses and gains; as long as he himself finds it worthwhile, that's enough."