Chapter Twenty-Three

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“On February 8th, which falls on Thursday next week according to local calendar, a massive Stellar Radiance will erupt in the garbage star belt. The main stars affected will be Garbage Star No. 6, No. 9, and No. 13. Since there are no navigation routes through this region, the event will not impact the general public’s travel. However, to prevent unnecessary losses, the Environmental Department will cease dumping garbage onto these three stars. The government urges all citizens to reduce their waste output to support the department’s efforts.”

Stellar Radiance?! Ye Chong felt as though he’d been struck by a heavy blow, barely able to remain standing.

He couldn’t help but let out a bitter smile. After struggling for so many years in this forsaken place, he never expected that, in the end, he would still be unable to escape the hand of fate.

Stellar Radiance possessed a devastating lethality to all lifeforms. It swept through its range like a comb, passing again and again, and what remained outside its sweep was the extinguished vitality of all living things.

Ye Chong staggered out of Mu’s cockpit, his soul lost.

As he emerged, Mu cried out in alarm, “This is bad, the pulse signal has been cut off!”

Ye Chong shrugged, too apathetic to care.

Ye Chong and Mu were now completely isolated from the outside world. Ye Chong lay lazily in his chair. Somehow, his mind quickly calmed; after so many years surviving on this garbage star, now that the day had come, he felt no fear. After countless times hovering between life and death, he regarded death with indifference. What he felt was helplessness—he had fought so hard to live, always believing he could control his own fate. Yet when fate played its joke before him, he realized how insignificant and powerless he truly was. This brought him a deep sense of melancholy.

Mu said nothing, but the flickering lights in his eyes revealed his neural processor was operating at full speed.

The two sat quietly; no words passed between them. In the darkness, only Mu’s electronic eyes kept flashing, lending an eerie atmosphere.

The next morning, Mu woke Ye Chong.

Ye Chong, upon waking, instinctively planned to start his physical training, but then recalled that in a few days he’d be dead. No amount of training could withstand Stellar Radiance. Instantly, he lost all motivation.

Mu called him over, “Ye Zi, there’s something I need to tell you.”

“What is it?” Seeing Mu’s solemn expression, Ye Chong felt amused. Still, at least Mu would not die with him—Stellar Radiance had no effect on non-living entities. Ye Chong felt a bit relieved, though he wondered how Mu would handle the loneliness he himself had suffered here. Suddenly, curiosity struck him—what would Mu look like in solitude?

Mu spoke, his tone unusually grave: “Ye Zi, after calculations, we still have a chance to survive!”

Ye Chong was skeptical, “Chance? What chance? What method do you have?”

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Mu replied, “Escape this planet!”

Ye Chong almost reached out to check Mu’s forehead for fever, “Mu, have you short-circuited from excitement? Escape this planet? How? We don’t have a spacecraft. If I could escape, I wouldn’t have stayed in this accursed place.”

Mu answered calmly, “After calculations, although I have no experience in space navigation, theoretically, it is possible.”

Ye Chong asked, “Theoretically? What do you mean?”

Mu explained, “I simulated it. There’s a probability of successful escape.”

Ye Chong stared at Mu, unmoving, “What’s the probability?”

Mu responded evenly, “It fluctuates between 20% and 47%.”

Ye Chong stroked his chin in thought, “Hmm, that’s a bit low.”

Mu asked, “What’s your decision?”

Ye Chong swung his arm decisively, “Fight! Of course we fight. Better than waiting to die.”

Mu replied coolly, “Very well.”

Ye Chong looked at Mu, “Actually, you don’t need to risk this. Stellar Radiance won’t harm you. You could just ignore me.”

Mu replied coldly, “According to value theory, this is the optimal value orientation.”

Ye Chong shrugged with a smile, “Suit yourself. What do we need to do now?”

Mu answered, “Repair the cockpit and replenish energy. I need a lot of energy.”

The two set about collecting every energy cell at maximum speed, connecting them all to the solar collection panel.

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Ye Chong sat in the cockpit. On the left wall, there was a palm-sized hole, its edges scorched—evidently the result of a laser weapon hitting the metal. Ye Chong despaired, “This spot is hard to fix, mainly because we have no materials or tools!”

Mu remarked, “If you don’t repair it, your chances of survival inside are zero.”

Ye Chong froze, then pulled a bitter face and racked his brains for a solution. Materials, materials… he muttered repeatedly. The metals in the garbage heaps were far below the requirements for interstellar travel. What could he do?

The material needed to be strong, tough, impact-resistant, preferably sheet-like, since he had no tools for processing.

Suddenly, inspiration struck Ye Chong—he knew where to find such material!

Mu sped over one garbage hill after another, Ye Chong enjoying the thrill of high-speed flight in the cockpit. But the hole whistled like a bellows, instantly ruining his pleasure.

Mu asked, “Will the thing you mentioned really work?” The skepticism was clear in his voice.

Ye Chong hesitated, “It should work. I remember even Winney’s bone blade couldn’t pierce it.”

What Ye Chong referred to were the scales on the Iron Python Lizard. The Iron Python Lizard was the apex predator on this garbage star—ferocious and immensely strong. Its most troublesome feature was the scales covering its body, tough as steel, impervious to blades and bullets.

Ye Chong had once discovered the creature’s lair by accident, but never dared to act. Winney absolutely couldn’t withstand its tail, thick as a water barrel. Ye Chong had witnessed the Iron Python Lizard annihilate a group of Red Salamanders in under three minutes. It rampaged, unstoppable, and its invincible aura was burned into Ye Chong’s memory. The Red Salamanders’ claws could tear metal, yet left no mark on the lizard’s scales. This vivid impression was why Ye Chong immediately thought of the scales when he needed high-strength material.

As they neared the lizard’s lair, Ye Chong signaled Mu to slow down.

The tip of the seven-meter titanium rod was sharpened to a fine edge, gleaming with a cold light.

The Iron Python Lizard was indeed in its lair, leisurely tearing into a Red Salamander. Red Salamander meat was extremely tasty, the lizard’s favorite food. Ye Chong knew how good it tasted, but it was hard to find and even harder to hunt; only the lizard could ignore the salamander’s deadly power and treat it as prey.

Mu calmly flew toward the Iron Python Lizard. Ye Chong grew excited—this was a clash between the two strongest beings on Garbage Star No. 6. How could he not be thrilled?