The AI-piloted spaceship wasn't bad at all. Along the way, it smoothly avoided incoming meteors and floating space debris.
"This ship is also equipped with a small laser," the clerk explained as he watched meteors streak past outside. "In case of attack, it can fight back—though the firepower isn't very strong."
"Meteors… can it break them apart?"
Yu Zhou wasn't too interested in the laser cannon. With that level of attack power, it couldn't deal with any real danger. If things got serious, transforming was still his only option.
"Of course." The clerk answered confidently. "Meteors are no problem. Let me demonstrate."
He gave a voice command to the ship's AI. At once, a laser emitter extended from the bow of the vessel, firing a beam straight at an approaching meteor.
Boom!
The rock exploded into fragments.
"Not bad."
Yu Zhou nodded. For unavoidable impacts, the ship's laser was more than enough to solve the crisis.
The ship continued to circle the star system. Though slower than manual piloting, its speed was still several times faster than any fighter jet back on Earth.
Before long, the ship completed its orbit and returned to the satellite dock.
Once they disembarked, Yu Zhou didn't hesitate—he swiped his card and bought the ship on the spot.
The clerk reminded him that as long as he had sufficient storage capacity, the vessel could be sealed away inside a spatial device. However, it couldn't be launched from within the terrestrial planet unless one held a special flight license like the sales company itself.
Yu Zhou stored the purchase inside his new spatial ring, then boarded the company's shuttle with Dark and returned to the Earth-like planet.
They stayed there a few more days, buying all the supplies they needed. Then Yu Zhou and Dark bid farewell to Charija and Eri, preparing to return to Earth.
"Back to Earth?" Charija raised an eyebrow. "Take me with you. I'm going the same way."
"The same way?"
Yu Zhou looked puzzled. Charija didn't seem like he was headed for Earth. Where could he be going?
"That's right—same way." Charija nodded. "I need to feed King Guesra."
"Ah, I see."
Yu Zhou immediately understood. Charija had mentioned it before: there was a planet of endless ocean, teeming with fish. A perfect feeding ground for King Guesra.
Though Charija called it "on the way," Yu Zhou still had no idea where this planet actually was.
Charija temporarily took over the ship's AI control. Yu Zhou leaned back, gazing at the glittering river of stars outside the window, a rare moment of calm washing over him.
Guided by Charija, the vessel soon approached a stunning azure world.
This planet was truly blue—an unbroken ocean without the slightest blemish.
"This planet… is impressive."
Hearing Charija describe it was one thing, but seeing it in person left Yu Zhou awestruck.
An entire world covered in water, not a single continent in sight. It was truly a paradise for fish.
"Wait a minute, Charija." Yu Zhou frowned. "Fish on Earth—and even on the Earth-like planet—need oxygen to survive. But there's no vegetation here. Where does the oxygen come from?"
"Algae," Dark answered before Charija could. "Fish need oxygen, unless they're a rare special type. Which means this ocean must be filled with massive amounts of algae."
Charija smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry. The planet has an atmosphere, and it has oxygen. Nothing's missing."
"Does this planet have a name?" Yu Zhou asked.
"It does," Charija said. "We call it Ocean Star."
Yu Zhou blinked. "Ocean Star? That's… pretty on the nose."
Still, he couldn't help thinking he'd seen the name in some video game before. It was so generic, it could appear anywhere.
Whoosh!
The ship pierced the atmosphere, hovering above the endless waves.
Charija popped open his black umbrella, stood atop it, and floated down toward the sea.
"King Guesra—come out!"
He tossed a capsule skyward. A streak of light burst out, transforming into a colossal beast that crashed into the sea with a splash.
"Roooaaar!"
King Guesra surfaced, let out a cry toward Charija, then slipped beneath the waves again.
"Eat to your heart's content!" Charija laughed cheerfully, seated on his umbrella as he watched his monster swim away.
"Hm? What's that?"
From the ship, Yu Zhou spotted several black dots in the distance.
"They look like people," Dark said after squinting for a better look.
"Let's go check it out."
Yu Zhou stepped out of the ship, summoned a personal flyer from his spatial bracelet, and mounted it.
It was a device he had bought on the Earth-like planet after seeing Eri use one.
Dark summoned his own and followed close behind. Together, they flew toward the mysterious dots.
As they neared, the shapes grew clearer.
"People," Dark confirmed.
"Are they… fishing?"
Yu Zhou's eyes widened.
Indeed, several figures hovered over the ocean on their own flyers, rods in hand, calmly fishing.
"Yes, they're fishing." Charija drifted over on his umbrella. "Catching fish is easy here, but sometimes folks come to Ocean Star to fish just for fun."
"You've got to be kidding…" Yu Zhou muttered. "With oceans back on your own planet, you had to cross star systems just to fish?"
"Here—take these."
Before Yu Zhou could protest further, Charija tossed him and Dark each a fishing rod.
"Where'd you even get these?" Yu Zhou asked suspiciously.
"Don't worry about it. Just fish."
With a wave, Charija cast his line into the sea.
Yu Zhou and Dark exchanged glances, then followed suit, hooks splashing into the water.
Time passed quietly until suddenly, Yu Zhou's rod jerked violently.
Something was pulling hard on the line.
Got one!
With a sharp tug, he reeled in a massive, unfamiliar fish dangling from the hook.
"Not bad!" one of the nearby anglers called out, impressed.
"Thanks," Yu Zhou replied politely, trying not to look smug.
But another fisherman suddenly frowned. "Wait a minute… that rod looks familiar…"
Yu Zhou: "???"
"Oh no."
His stomach dropped. Slowly, he turned to glare at Charija.
But Charija was already a tiny black speck in the distance—long gone.
"That's my fishing rod!" the man declared.
Yu Zhou groaned. That damned Charija—he stole these rods?!
"Sorry, this is a misunderstanding—my friend—"
"Friend? Stop pretending. It was you."
Before Yu Zhou could explain, another fisherman pointed at Dark's rod.
"Hey—that's mine too!"
A noisy argument erupted.
Yu Zhou sighed. "Fine, here—take the rods and the fish back."
"Hmph." The fisherman scowled. "Borrowing is one thing, but stealing? That's shameful."
"I told you, it wasn't me…"
Yu Zhou wanted to crawl into the ocean and drown.
Before the quarrel could continue, the calm sea suddenly surged. A massive wave rose, roaring as it rushed toward them.
And along with it came a thunderous, beastly cry.
"A monster!"
By now, Yu Zhou was all too familiar with that sound.
"Wait—there's more than one!" Dark shouted, his sharper ears catching a second roar.
"ROOOOAR!!"
The twin bellows shook the air. Yu Zhou and Dark shot their flyers higher, narrowly escaping as the wave crashed beneath them.
The fishermen scattered in panic. None of them had ever seen a monster here before. For Ocean Star, this was unprecedented.
"It's King Guesra!"
Yu Zhou spotted the familiar dorsal plates cutting through the waves.
"What's going on?! Where's Charija?"
Scanning around, Yu Zhou quickly spotted him.
"Charija! What's happening?!" he shouted.
Had King Guesra overeaten?
"My King Guesra found another King Guesra," Charija called back excitedly. "It's courting!"
"…What?!"
Yu Zhou was dumbfounded. Charija's Guesra had barely been with him, and already it was seeking a mate?
If Charija captured this one too, he could breed monsters endlessly. Two Zoigers, two King Guesras… only Golza was left as a single specimen.
Another great wave surged, revealing the second King Guesra.
Sure enough, there were two.
"Wait a second…" Charija flew closer, observing carefully. Slowly, his grin faded.
"What is it?" Yu Zhou asked.
"These two… are both males," Charija sighed, rubbing his forehead.
Yu Zhou: "…"
Dark: "…"
"Both… male?"
They stared blankly at the two titans frolicking in the sea.
"Can't they tell each other's gender?!" Dark muttered.
Yu Zhou thought for a moment. "Actually, it makes sense. Charija's Guesra grew up in the Earth-like planet's oceans, never meeting another of its kind. It probably thinks it's just a big fish.
And this Ocean Star Guesra? Charija said no monsters were found here before. It must have grown up alone too. Neither has ever seen their own species before. So, they can't even recognize gender."
Dark shivered. "That's terrifying. If two males Guesra… paired up… ugh."
"What do you think, Charija?" Yu Zhou asked.
Charija raised one hand and made a slicing motion. He fell silent, staring at his two affectionate King Guesras.
Yu Zhou sucked in a breath. Cold-blooded.
He bowed his head for three seconds of silence.
"Let's capture the new one first," Charija finally said, producing another capsule and hurling it toward the two giants.