By the time Tian Xiao piloted his mining vehicle back to the base, it was already 8:00 PM.
He'd applied for an energy supplement and routine maintenance for the mining machine. Standing before the massive floor-to-ceiling window, he felt a rare calm settle over him.
Earning 8,900 credits in one day—wasn't much.
He'd seen bigger sums.
Back when he was part of the security team on mission assignments, a single day's earnings could easily hit 3,000 credits. And if they encountered Zergs or Star Beasts, capturing a low-level specimen could bring in over 100,000 credits.
He remembered one particularly dangerous mission: the team had brought back a Zerg warrior—a mutated F3-class combatant with its body half torn apart. The creature was worth over 10 million credits, and Tian Xiao had received a 2 million credit share from the bounty.
Now, looking down at the base's towering structures, bathed in the bright glow of thousands of lights, Tian Xiao quietly discarded an empty nutrient vial. He then headed for the shower.
The mirror reflected a perfectly toned body, yet it lacked the striking eight-pack abs and well-defined "mermaid line" some fighters boasted. His back muscles, too, lacked definition—he hadn't been working on them enough.
"It's time to start working out," he muttered to himself.
"Once I become a citizen, even with access to all kinds of weaponry, without a strong physique, I'll be limited to using basic firepower weapons. I won't be able to pilot mechs or combat ships, and the effects of my battle suit will be far less impressive. I'll just be a bottom-tier fighter."
"To truly meet the standards of a warrior, my muscle strength and muscle agility need to exceed 12 points."
The standard for adults was 10 points.
The warrior standard, however, was 12 points.
Bio-energy was calculated by multiplying muscle strength with muscle agility, and it directly influenced combat performance.
Tian Xiao's muscle strength was 9.7, his muscle agility 9.3, giving him a total of 100 bio-energy units. Compared to the elite warriors, who often surpassed 30 in muscle strength and agility and had bio-energy in the thousands, Tian Xiao's numbers were pale in comparison.
At his current level of physical fitness, even the base's top security personnel were in better shape than him.
He was still too green!
There were plenty of ways to improve his physical condition.
The slow method was simple: exercise daily, and within six months, he could easily reach the standard of a true warrior.
The faster route was through injections.
Gene enhancement injections, costing up to a million credits per dose, were the most common. There were two types: the Gene Enhancement Injection and the Gene Activation Injection. Only the wealthy, or battle-hardened warriors who had achieved financial independence, could afford these.
Another method was one developed by the Earth Military.
It involved a concoction made by combining the pancreas and saliva of fierce beasts—Zergs, Star Beasts, or even other planetary monsters—through a rigorous, multi-step process. Once consumed, it provided gene-like enhancements that could last for 24 hours.
During this time, the effect of the user's physical training would be multiplied by ten, or even more.
At the moment, this method hadn't been widely adopted by the military, but it was an effective shortcut, and Tian Xiao had used it frequently in his past life to build his strength.
Miner workers rarely came into contact with beasts, but there were always a few dangerous creatures lurking on various planets.
The security personnel at the base had the luxury of going on hunts in their spare time, tracking down fierce beasts for sport. Hunting helped them hone their combat skills while also earning a bit of extra income.
Tian Xiao had once been part of the security team, and he knew the hunting routes well. In fact, he knew of a few team members who enjoyed collecting the corpses of beasts as trophies.
As he exited the base building, Tian Xiao ran into an unexpected group of people on the street.
There was Li Ying, the logistics team leader whom he'd met just recently, Wang Jingyi—his former love interest, and Zhu Xiaotian, who he had only interacted with through video calls.
They were accompanied by four men and three women, all of whom were friends of Wang Jingyi's, along with a tall, slim man wearing gold-rimmed glasses.
Gao Chong, the tower liaison.
Tian Xiao immediately recognized him. Gao Chong's reputation was nothing short of terrible. Despite his gentle appearance, he was known for being a sleazy womanizer. Gao had a penchant for drugging women using a combination of chip interference and hypnosis to carry out his vile deeds.
Many women on the base had fallen victim to his manipulations, and the whispers surrounding his name were far from flattering.
Tian Xiao wasn't particularly interested in the group, but the presence of Gao Chong certainly caught his attention. He had no intention of letting such a man get close to Zhu Xiaotian or Wang Jingyi—two people he considered valuable in his network.
"Didn't expect to run into you here, Tian Xiao," Li Ying said, breaking the silence. He was cordial, though his smile didn't quite reach his eyes. Tian Xiao gave a polite nod in return, maintaining a calm, unbothered demeanor.
Wang Jingyi looked over, her eyes narrowing slightly when she saw Tian Xiao. A hint of surprise crossed her face. "Tian Xiao," she greeted, though her tone wasn't particularly warm.
Zhu Xiaotian, standing beside her, gave Tian Xiao a subtle glance but didn't speak. The last interaction between them had left her with more questions than answers, and she wasn't sure what to make of him now.
Gao Chong, on the other hand, didn't seem to notice Tian Xiao's intensity. He smiled at him in a way that felt disingenuous, as though sizing him up.
"Well, well, Tian Xiao, I didn't expect to see you mingling in this crowd," Gao Chong said with an air of superiority, his voice laced with hidden malice.
Tian Xiao remained silent, his eyes not leaving Gao Chong's face. He knew exactly what kind of man he was dealing with—someone who would stop at nothing to manipulate others for his own benefit. Gao Chong was the last person Tian Xiao would allow to get close to any woman he cared about.
The air between them felt charged, as though an unspoken challenge hung in the space between their words.
Wang Jingyi, sensing the subtle tension, stepped forward, offering a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Gao, you're always making waves. Let's just have a peaceful night, shall we?"
The group, sensing the awkwardness, started to disperse, though the undercurrents of rivalry and unspoken history between Tian Xiao and Gao Chong still simmered beneath the surface.
As the crowd continued to move away, Tian Xiao's mind drifted back to his goals. He wasn't here to waste time with petty squabbles or past relationships. He had bigger plans on the horizon—plans that would push him far beyond the confines of this base, into the boundless starry sea.
And Gao Chong? He was just another insignificant obstacle to be removed when the time came.
Tian Xiao's gaze lingered on the fading figures of the group as they disappeared into the night. With a quiet determination, he turned and began to walk in the opposite direction. The journey ahead was his alone.