Early in the morning, the base was still shrouded in a thin starlit mist. The soft glow of the Star Energy light strips spilled across the corridors, washing away the stillness of the night and replacing it with a touch of daily life.
While most people remained immersed in their dreams, Tendo had already appeared on the base's training grounds.
Faint, pale blue Star Power swirled around him. He stood as straight as a pine tree, his aura steady and reserved, yet carrying an invisible, inherent pressure. It was an "absolute confidence" etched into his very bones; he did not need to flaunt it for others to feel a sense of awe.
The training ground was filled with various high-intensity equipment—all specially made by the Federation as Natural Disaster-class training gear. Ordinary powerhouses could hardly endure the mere touch of them. Yet, Tendo simply raised his hand, and with a light brush of his pale blue Star Power, the heaviest Star Iron barbell was hoisted steadily into the air without the slightest effort.
His movements were not fast, but every strike and every form was incomparably precise. Tendo did not engage in high-intensity explosive training; he simply stretched his limbs and tempered his Star Power. The pale blue energy flowed around him, as docile as an obedient child, yet inadvertently leaking a sense of dominance.
His terrifying talent allowed Tendo's control over Star Power to reach the pinnacle. Without the need for intentional polishing, the Star Power would circulate on its own, becoming increasingly refined. Consequently, even through simple breathing, Tendo could absorb the Star Energy from the air to nourish himself.
"Tendo, starting training so early again?"
Yun Meng entered the training ground slowly, carrying two glasses of Star Fruit juice, a gentle smile on her face. Behind her followed Little Jin, who wasn't fully awake yet. Little Jin rubbed against Yun Meng's trouser leg and looked up at Tendo, its eyes filled with reverence.
Even among Natural Disasters, there were levels. Though it was an "Purgatory Demonic Dragon," which was an indisputable "top-tier" existence among Natural Disasters, if compared to a monster like Tendo, there was fundamentally little difference between it and a common Natural Disaster.
Seeing Yun Meng appear, Tendo stopped his movements. The pale blue Star Power retracted instantly, and the surrounding pressure dissipated. His tone remained flat, yet it held a trace of subtle softness.
"Mhm. I woke up early, so I came over to temper my Star Power."
Tendo took the juice, his gaze casually sweeping over the surveillance camera in the corner of the training ground. It was the base's security monitor; a corner of it had been damaged last night by an interstellar beast that had wandered into the base. He had noticed it last night but hadn't made a fuss, intending to repair it himself after training.
Yun Meng followed his gaze and said with a laugh, "Is there a problem with the monitor again?"
"I thought I heard something outside last night, but I figured it was just my imagination."
"Mhm. A corner was broken by a Star Beast. It's no big deal," Tendo said nonchalantly, as if repairing a Federation-made monitor was as simple as picking up a fallen leaf.
Just then, a burst of cheerful footsteps echoed from the entrance. Jing Liuli came hopping in clutching her Spirit Fox. She was still wearing loose pajamas and her hair was a mess, clearly having just woken up. Her eyes lit up when she saw Tendo, and she ran over immediately.
"Tendo, you're up this early?"
The Spirit Fox, nestled in Jing Liuli's arms, also lowered its head submissively upon seeing Tendo, losing its usual liveliness. Like Little Jin, it felt an instinctive reverence for him.
Observing Jing Liuli's exuberant appearance, Tendo's tone was flat but patient. "I've had enough rest, so naturally, I got up."
Jing Liuli hugged the fox and leaned in close to Tendo, asking curiously, "You're already this strong, is there really a need to work this hard?"
If anyone else had said this, people would think they were trying to "kill with kindness." But neither Yun Meng nor the dimensional audience on Site 13 felt there was anything wrong with Liuli's words. In the current setting of Stars, Tendo's character was defined as someone whose "talent" was maxed out. Even if he did nothing, his strength would naturally grow alongside the plot.
But that was the perspective of a bystander. Only Tendo himself knew how much "effort" and "sweat" he put in to maintain this persona.
"Liuli, success is never a dandelion on a hillside, easily grasped."
Faced with Tendo's "reprimand," Jing Liuli stuck out her tongue. "I know!"
As they spoke, Caroline's terminal suddenly sent a communication.
"Tendo, are you at the training ground? There's a problem with the mechanical power core in the lab. The energy is in disarray, and I can't suppress it for now. If this continues, it might trigger an explosion. Get over here."
"Understood. I'll be there immediately."
Tendo's tone remained flat, without a hint of panic. He hung up and said to Yun Meng and Jing Liuli, "I'm going to the lab to take a look."
As soon as he finished speaking, his pale blue Star Power erupted. His figure became like a bolt of lightning, vanishing from the entrance of the training ground in an instant, leaving only a faint ripple of energy behind. His speed was so great that, without the help of any machinery, he could rival the fastest aircraft in the Federation.
Jing Liuli hugged her fox, her eyes wide with amazement. She was a Natural Disaster-class herself, yet she couldn't even see Tendo's movements clearly.
To this, Yun Meng added meaningfully, "Little Tendo's strength is becoming more and more unfathomable. At his current level, ordinary Natural Disasters probably can't even track his movements."
Jing Liuli nodded, because she was exactly one of those people Yun Meng mentioned who couldn't see him move.
By this time, the laboratory was already in a state of chaos. The mechanical power core was emitting violent, silvery-white energy, and the surrounding instruments had been knocked over by the impact. Caroline was enveloped in silvery-white Star Power, straining to suppress the energy disorder with a deep frown.
This power core was the Federation's latest development, possessing extremely high energy density. Once it exploded, the entire base would be heavily damaged. Even with all her effort, she could only barely suppress it; she had no way to repair it.
"Tendo, you're finally here."
Seeing Tendo appear, Caroline breathed a sigh of relief. "The energy in the core is heavily disordered. I can't fix it for now. I'll leave it to you."
Tendo did not speak. He simply walked slowly to the power core. His pale blue Star Power erupted quietly, and without hesitation, he placed his hand directly onto the violent core.
Shockingly, the moment the violent silvery-white energy touched the pale blue Star Power, it instantly became docile. The wildly chaotic energy gradually stabilized, and the surrounding instruments stopped shaking.
Caroline fell into thought. The violent energy she had exhausted herself to suppress was resolved by Tendo without complex operations or tools, relying solely on his own Star Power? It seemed his exploration of "Vector Control" had reached a "mind-boggling" level.
As Caroline pondered, Tendo raised his hand. In the next second, the pale blue Star Power was slowly injected into the core, accurately locating the root of the disorder. It was a break in the internal star energy conduction lines, preventing the energy from flowing normally and causing the chaos.
His Star Power acted like the most precise instrument, gently repairing the broken lines. His movements were accurate and fluid, without the slightest deviation. In just a few minutes, the power core had completely returned to normal, emitting steady silvery-white energy.
Tendo withdrew his hand, his pale blue Star Power retracting instantly. His tone was as flat as ever.
"It's fixed. When you're debugging in the future, pay attention to controlling the energy output to avoid breaking the lines again."
"Thanks, Tendo." Caroline let out a sigh of relief, a trace of fatigue showing on her face.
Tendo shook his head slightly without saying much. He turned to the corner of the lab where a mechanical detector had been damaged by the energy surge. He brushed his hand past it, and with a swirl of pale blue energy, the detector was instantly restored to normal, looking no different from when it was brand new.
When he walked out of the lab, Jing Liuli and Yun Meng were already waiting at the door. Seeing Tendo, Jing Liuli ran over immediately and asked excitedly, "Tendo, Tendo, did you fix the core already? That's amazing! I knew you could solve it easily!"
Tendo looked at her exuberant state and nodded slightly, his tone flat but soft. "It was a small matter."
"It's not a small matter at all!" Jing Liuli wrinkled her nose and said seriously, "Sister Caroline couldn't solve it, but you fixed it in just a few minutes. I need to learn from you and work hard to polish my Star Power. After all, even though I have Innate Great Luck, I can't rely on luck forever. I want to become very strong too, so I can protect everyone with you!"
Tendo looked at her serious face and teased, "I hope so. Just don't start crying for snacks in a few minutes."
"Hey!" Jing Liuli shouted in protest, clearly disagreeing with Tendo's "suspicion."
As noon approached, the base's restaurant gradually became lively. Caroline had prepared a sumptuous lunch, featuring Jing Liuli's favorite Star Fruit Mousse, the Star Beast jerky Little Jin loved, and the Star Energy vegetables that Tendo and Yun Meng enjoyed.
The group sat around the dining table in a warm and bustling atmosphere. While eating her mousse, Jing Liuli chattered about wanting to train with Tendo in the afternoon. Caroline nagged her occasionally, Yun Meng smiled gently while serving food to everyone, and Little Jin and the Spirit Fox lay obediently to the side, enjoying their own meals.
Tendo sat at the table, maintaining his usual calm demeanor. His eating movements were elegant and steady, without a hint of haste. His aura remained reserved, yet he had invisibly become the person everyone relied on. No matter what danger they encountered, as long as Tendo was there, everyone felt at peace. This was the charm of a natural-born powerhouse; he did not need to flaunt his strength to give those around him a sense of security.
After lunch, Tendo did not go to training immediately. Instead, he went to the base's monitoring room and repaired the camera that had been damaged by the interstellar beast last night. His movements were easy; with a light flick of pale blue Star Power, the damaged monitor returned to normal, becoming even more sensitive than before.
After fixing the monitor, he went to the perimeter of the base to check the defense systems.
Not long after, Jing Liuli found Tendo. Holding her Spirit Fox, she said seriously, "Tendo, I'm ready."
Tendo looked at her serious expression, nodded, and casually picked up a small stone. Pale blue Star Power was gently injected into it, and the stone instantly turned into an afterimage, accurately striking a distant target without the slightest deviation.
"While the core of a Star Envoy is the Star Source, the perception and control of Star Power are equally important," Tendo's tone was flat but patient. "Try to concentrate your spirit, perceive the star energy in the air, and condense your Star Power at your fingertips. There is no need for forced exertion; only precise control."
Jing Liuli nodded. Following Tendo's instructions, she closed her eyes and concentrated, perceiving the star energy in the air. Faint purple Star Power slowly condensed at her fingertips.
Initially, Jing Liuli's Star Power was chaotic and could not be condensed accurately. But under Tendo's guidance, and with the boost of her Innate Great Luck, it didn't take long for her to be able to condense the energy precisely at her fingertips. Although the power was still weak, it had begun to take shape.
Seeing her progress, a flash of gratification appeared in Tendo's eyes. Though Jing Liuli relied on her Innate Great Luck, she also possessed enough effort and talent. In time, she would surely become a top-tier Natural Disaster-class powerhouse.
As the sun set, the golden twilight spilled into every corner of the base, as well as onto Tendo and Jing Liuli. Tendo remained steady and reserved, patiently guiding Jing Liuli's training. The pale blue Star Power intertwined with the faint purple energy, looking exceptionally dazzling.
Jing Liuli practiced seriously with a look of concentration. Occasionally, when she encountered a difficulty, she would rely on her "Innate Great Luck" to cheat. Although Tendo saw this little trick, he didn't say much. After all, while "luck" was a fluke for others, for Jing Liuli, luck really was a part of her strength.
The sun gradually dipped below the horizon, and the starry sky began to emerge. The base's Star Energy light strips turned on once more, warm and bright. Tendo stopped the training. Looking at the sweating but still excited Jing Liuli beside him, his tone softened.
"That's all for today. We'll continue tomorrow; don't rush for success."
"Okay!" Jing Liuli nodded vigorously, her face full of smiles. "Tendo, I feel like I learned so much today. I'll train hard from now on and won't let everyone down."
Tendo nodded slightly and turned to look at the distant starry sky. Pale blue Star Power flowed quietly around him, and a flash of determination appeared in his eyes.
He knew that in the days to come, there might be new dangers and new challenges. But he would always be here, guarding the base and guarding everyone around him, using his strength to hold up a peaceful world for them.
Glimmers gathered can rival the galaxy; the protection of the strong allows one to venture into the distance. The path of a natural-born powerhouse belonging to Tendo would not stop here. It would continue to accumulate and grow stronger through protection and companionship, becoming the most dazzling glimmer in the interstellar space and the most reliable support.
He had no interest in competing with "Chen Kong" for the role of the protagonist of Stars, because what he wanted... was to be the 'Protagonist' of this era.