Although Luo Xinghai hadn't spent much time with Acha and Han Hu, she had already seen enough to understand what kind of people they were.
From small moments, she could tell—they weren't bad people.
For one, the fact that they had rescued her in such a harsh, hopeless environment spoke volumes about their character. They had principles. Afterward, they had taken care of her patiently, and even in that bloody chaos days later, they had still risked their lives to save others.
And now, time was running out. She couldn't possibly level up her planet relying on herself alone.
A sudden thought crossed Luo Xinghai's mind. She snapped her head toward the Star Spirit sitting on the table and asked sharply, "Little Star Spirit, how much longer can this planet survive?"
The spirit froze, its luminous form flickering faintly. After a few seconds of silent calculation, it finally replied, "This planet will explode in approximately three years. However, if the Star Master reaches Level 1 before that, the time limit will be removed."
Three years.
Only then did Luo Xinghai realize she had completely forgotten to search for how a Star Master's level could be raised. But now her StarNet connection time was used up—she would have to wait until tomorrow.
There was no time to waste. Luo Xinghai pushed herself up and, without hesitation, left her room to find Acha.
When Acha opened the door and saw Luo Xinghai standing there, she looked puzzled. "What's wrong?"
Luo Xinghai glanced around the corridor to make sure no one was nearby before lowering her voice. "Acha, can you take me to see Han Hu? I need to talk to him."
Han Hu was the de facto leader of their little group.
"Right now?" Acha blinked.
"Yes. Now."
Seeing the seriousness in Luo Xinghai's eyes, Acha didn't ask further. "Alright, come with me."
Before long, she led Luo Xinghai through the dim settlement and stopped in front of an unremarkable-looking house. The exterior was painted completely black, blending perfectly with the surrounding darkness. If Acha hadn't led her here, Luo Xinghai would have easily overlooked it.
Knock, knock, knock—
Acha rapped on the door.
Moments later, Han Hu opened it, peeking out cautiously before saying, "Come in."
The two slipped inside through the narrow opening. The moment they stepped in, Luo Xinghai's eyes widened slightly—
From the outside, the house looked ordinary, even shabby. But the interior was bright and clean, lavishly furnished, far more comfortable than her own bare little shack that held nothing but a bed, a chair, and a table.
Han Hu settled himself onto a leather sofa and gestured toward them. "Sit."
Once the two women were seated, he asked calmly, "So, what brings you here this late?"
Acha turned to Luo Xinghai. "Should I give you two some privacy?"
Luo Xinghai shook her head. "No need."
Han Hu's gaze sharpened slightly as it fell on her, waiting for her to speak.
Luo Xinghai looked around the room, her tone cautious. "Is it safe to talk here?"
Han Hu nodded. "Relax. This place is shielded. The walls are soundproofed, and I keep the jammer on at all times. No one but the three of us will hear a thing."
Only after that assurance did Luo Xinghai meet both of their eyes and say seriously,
"Have either of you ever heard of Star Spirits and Star Masters?"
"Star Spirits and Star Masters!"
Han Hu, who had been leaning back casually on the sofa, suddenly straightened up, his large eyes widening in shock.
Realizing his reaction was too obvious, he cleared his throat awkwardly and tried to compose himself. "Where did you hear about that?"
As the words left his mouth, his mind flashed back to that strange day not long ago—the day when the weather had gone wild. His heart skipped a beat. Could it be that what happened that day was really a Star Spirit binding ceremony?
Before Luo Xinghai could even respond, he asked again, more cautiously this time,
"Don't tell me—you actually met the Star Master?"
Luo Xinghai slowly shook her head.
A flicker of disappointment immediately crossed Han Hu's face.
Seeing their reaction, Luo Xinghai felt the tension in her chest slowly ease.Just moments ago, she could clearly feel the emotions flowing from Han Hu and Acha — excitement, confusion, anticipation… but not even a trace of hostility.
Could this be another ability that came with her evolution as a Star Master?
She wasn't sure.But with such a gift, even without that so-called "Beginner Star Master Guidance" system, she would still be able to sense others' intentions toward her — to distinguish friend from foe in an instant.
"I am the Star Master," Luo Xinghai said calmly, meeting Han Hu's gaze head-on.
Both Han Hu and Acha froze, staring at her in disbelief, as though trying to decide whether she was joking.
Seeing the earnest expression on her face, Han Hu rubbed a hand down his face and muttered, "Luo Xinghai, that's not something you should joke ab—"
Before he could finish, his eyes suddenly locked onto the small, water-blue figure hovering beside her.
"Th-that… that's… a Star Spirit!"
The instant he recognized it, Han Hu shot up from the sofa, eyes wide in shock.
Even Acha, who had always been composed, couldn't hide her astonishment.
Luo Xinghai smiled softly."This is the Star Spirit of this planet. He's already bound to me. So no, I'm not joking — I truly am the Star Master. Do you believe me now?"
Han Hu could only nod dumbly. "I believe you…"
Luo Xinghai didn't press further. She simply sat there in silence, waiting patiently for the two to calm down.
Fortunately, neither of them were ordinary people. Before long, both regained their composure.
Han Hu looked at her with a complicated expression. "Why are you telling us this?"
Luo Xinghai sighed, a trace of helplessness softening her tone.Even the Star Spirit beside her seemed to wilt a little, its glow dimming as it floated listlessly near her shoulder.
"What's wrong? Just say it!" Han Hu urged, anxious at her silence.
Luo Xinghai finally spoke, her voice steady. "Since you know about Star Masters, you probably also know that for a planet to enter the Interstellar Spirit Ranking, its Prosperity Value has to reach at least ten thousand."
Han Hu nodded immediately. "Yeah, I know."
Luo Xinghai gave him a deep look. "Then do you know what our planet's current Prosperity Value is?"
Han Hu frowned, shaking his head.
Luo Xinghai said quietly, "Negative nine hundred and ninety-nine."
Both of them froze.
"What? That's impossible!"
In their understanding, even if their planet's prosperity was poor, it should never be a negative number.
But then they thought of those endless mountains of garbage stretching across the wasteland, and silence fell over them both.
Luo Xinghai's next words hit like another thunderbolt."The planet only has three years left before it explodes," she said softly. "Unless I reach Level 1 as a Star Master before then, it will all end. But with my current strength, I won't make it through cultivation alone. To level up faster, we must get this planet onto the Interstellar Spirit Ranking. Once our Prosperity Value exceeds ten thousand, we'll receive a huge reward. That reward will allow me to advance to Level 1."
"The fastest way to raise Prosperity," she continued, "is to build as many One-Star structures as possible. Here — these are the materials and quantities required to construct them."
She retrieved several folded sheets of paper from her wristband's storage space and handed them to Han Hu.
Han Hu took them solemnly, and Acha immediately leaned over his shoulder to read the list.
Rora Starsea continued, her tone calm but firm."To construct a One-Star building requires quite a lot of materials. If I were to gather them on my own, it would take months—maybe longer. That's why I need manpower."
She looked directly at Han Hu and Acha."So, I need your help. Gather as many people as possible. The more hands we have, the faster we can build."
Her eyes swept across the two of them."So—what's your answer?"
Han Hu put down the papers in his hands, emotions surging through him like a storm. Excitement, awe, determination—all colliding at once.Was there even another possible answer?
Of course not.
"Alright!" he said, slamming his palm on the table, eyes blazing. "Since you trust us this much, we won't let you down! Starting tomorrow—we'll build our first One-Star building!"
Beside him, Acha spoke up, her tone cooler and more rational."But there's a problem. We don't have enough materials. Based on our current reserves, we can only construct two One-Star buildings. That's nowhere near enough."
Han Hu blinked, realizing she was right. The heat in his head cooled, and he frowned in thought.After a long pause, he turned toward Acha helplessly.
Acha looked at Rora. "Do you have any suggestions?"
Rora smiled and gestured toward the window."How can there be no way?" she said softly. "Look outside. Aren't we surrounded by materials already?"
The two followed her gaze. Through the transparent wall, they saw the endless dark mountains of garbage stretching into the horizon.
"You mean… to find materials from the garbage mountains?" Acha asked slowly.
Rora nodded. "Exactly."
She explained her plan. "Those mountains have been accumulating for who knows how many years. I'm certain there are plenty of usable materials buried within them. Since we can't buy anything off-world—and don't have the money anyway—why not make use of what's right in front of us?"
Han Hu frowned. "But sorting usable materials out of those mountains… that's not exactly a small task."
"Of course," Rora said. "That's why I want to ask—do we have any automated sorting machines? If we rely on manpower alone, it'll take too long. But with machines, we could process the waste quickly and efficiently."
Acha thought for a moment. "Maybe we should call Evergreen. He's good at this sort of thing."
Han Hu turned to Rora. "Don't worry—Evergreen can be trusted. He won't leak anything about you."
Rora caught the subtle emphasis in his words and asked sharply,"So… you mean my identity as a Star Master must not be revealed?"
Han Hu looked startled. "Wait—you don't know?"
Rora blinked. "Know what?"
He stared at her for a long moment, his face a mixture of disbelief and resignation."You really don't know that a Star Master below Level 1 can be killed if discovered by others?"
Rora shook her head slowly.
Han Hu groaned, dragging a hand down his face."Alright," he muttered, "then let me tell you something that's technically a 'secret,' though everyone in the interstellar worlds already knows."
He took a deep breath."If a Level 0 Star Master is discovered by a Level 1 or higher Star Master, they'll quietly eliminate them. It's… an unspoken rule."
Rora's brows furrowed. "So do higher-level Star Masters get hunted too?"
Han Hu gave her a slightly admiring look. "No. Only Level 0s. Once you reach Level 1, you're safe. Now you understand how dangerous this is, right?"
Rora nodded. "I see. Then what's the difference between Level 0 and Level 1 Star Masters? Why kill Level 0s—what do they gain from it?"
Han Hu shook his head. "That, I don't know. Maybe only those higher-level Star Masters do. You might find out once you reach Level 1 yourself."
"Understood," Rora said. "I'll keep my identity secret—except from those I truly trust."
Only then did Han Hu relax, visibly relieved. The last thing he wanted was for their planet's only Star Master to be assassinated.
He immediately sent messages through his wristband to Evergreen, Amo, and Sol.Though their bands couldn't connect to the interstellar network, they could still communicate locally within the planet.
Before long, the three arrived.
Han Hu quickly briefed them on what had happened between him and Rora.
Amo and Sol were both visibly shocked, their eyes wide.Evergreen, however, stayed perfectly calm.
He simply asked, "So—you can connect to the Star Network now?"