The flight from District A to Sunset City at the edge of the Eastern Mountain Range took nearly four hours. By the time Ye Cheng and Yang Yu arrived, it was far past midnight. Aunt Zhou had planned everything down to the last detail—she'd booked the cheapest red‑eye flight, and since they landed after twelve, even the hotel rate was cut in half.
Morning brought clear skies. Ye Cheng slept till eight, had a leisurely buffet breakfast, and then, together with Yang Yu, headed to the Resource Department to register their mining trip.
Once paperwork was complete, Yang Yu borrowed an off‑road dust‑proof vehicle. He slid into the driver's seat while Ye Cheng climbed in on the other side. Still hoping to dissuade her, he said, "Owner, the eastern mines are harsh. Even though it's not storm season, dust storms can happen anytime. Perhaps stay in Sunset City for a couple days and let me bring the ore back to you?"
Ye Cheng raised her wrist, shaking the white Subspace Ring deliberately.
"I know. But leaving you alone out in the wild will be boring! I'll keep you company. Don't worry—I brought tons of things to pass the time, plus plenty of food. I'm genuinely curious to see what mining looks like." She pressed her palms together with a pleading smile. "Please?"
He had no choice. With a sigh, he started the engine, taking them east toward the wilds.
The Eastern Mountain Range stretched endlessly. Every few hundred kilometers there was a dim refueling stop, barely enough to call a settlement. The only real city was Sunset City at its edge; beyond that sprawled stone, wind, and silence.
Few ventured here. The area was rich in minerals but dotted with predators like the Rockfire Megarhino. Those with money piloted industrial mechs; the poor trudged on foot. Ye Cheng and Yang Yu's dust‑proof truck put them somewhere in the middle.
By Yilan law, registered freelance miners—and even licensed slave workers—must surrender half their findings in tax. Concealment meant confiscation and prison. But Ye Cheng had already decided she wasn't giving up a single pebble. No one could access the second space of her ring, and nobody would believe a young girl and her silent slave could unearth anything valuable anyway.
Yang Yu had once mined for years and could read terrain well. The outer veins were picked clean, so he drove straight toward the deep interior.
The scenery soon grew monotonous—rock, sand, more rock. Ye Cheng quickly tired of it, opened her ring, and pulled out books from her father's library. Time to cram world history.
She learned that the universe's current ten‑tier classification system originated with the First Empire of humankind—the ancient First Humans, born with innate control over elemental forces. Their lifespans spanned centuries, even millennia, and their societies thrived on pure, renewable energy, their world a literal paradise.
In the beginning, they had welcomed contacts from New Humans, descendants of old Earth. Fascinated by the newcomers' art—music, literature, painting, architecture—they mingled and intermarried. From that union came Mixed‑Bloods: beings gifted with weakened but still potent elemental energy… and a dangerous instability.
To curb accidents, scientists created the Element Lock, a control collar to stabilize the energy flow. Many refused to wear it—it looked ugly—but for some, it was life or death.
In exchange for New Human technology and culture, the Firsts shared their miracles: the Star‑Tree Fruit that purified the body and extended life, and the Source Crystals, pure elemental energy condensed into solid form. For a while, both worlds flourished.
Then came the backlash. The Firsts discovered that their ecosystem was collapsing under the strain of foreign settlers. Their reigning King and Queen sacrificed themselves to mend the corruption in space‑time. Nobles followed, giving their lives. The new Emperor, inheriting grief and rage, turned to war—demanding all New Humans leave.
It was too late: New Humans had learned to harness Source Crystals for weapons. They armed themselves and fought back. Mixed‑Bloods—the bridge between races—became indispensable: only they could safely handle the Crystals or cultivate Star‑Trees.
Thus began the Great War.
The Crimson Ninth Galaxy Campaign ended in utter ruin. Mixed‑Blood troops, their unstable energy exploding out of control, slaughtered enemies and allies alike. The First Empire counter‑attacked and crushed the United Union forces, driving New Humans from their domain.
In the aftermath, the Union institutionalized slavery. Most Mixed‑Bloods were captured, branded, and forced into the hardest, dirtiest work—kept alive only because their bodies could refine the very energy sources the Union coveted.
Generations later, the chains had loosened a little. Slaves could no longer be killed on a whim, but freedom was still far away.
Ye Cheng closed the book with a silent sigh and peeked at the boy driving steadily beside her. For him—and for others like them—her heart ached.
She thanked whatever luck made her so different that she could hide her heritage. If she hadn't been born with an exceptionally stable energy core, would she now be like Yang Yu—bowing, kneeling, or worse, living out life as someone's property? The thought chilled her.
"Owner," Yang Yu's voice interrupted her thoughts. "We're here."
It was noon. They ate a quick meal in the truck, then geared up and entered the site.
This mine had once belonged to the government, but poor yields had left it abandoned. Its remoteness suited Ye Cheng's secret purpose perfectly.
She trailed behind him into the tunnel, excitement bubbling.
The interior was bleak—dim walls, uneven ground, a few harmless cave creatures scuttling by. She had prepared herself for hardship, but reality proved far more exhausting: slippery rocks, uneven floors, endless climbs. She nearly fell several times before giving up and grasping the strap of Yang Yu's backpack just to keep balance.
He moved with seasoned ease, barely noticing her weight pulling behind. At first, he'd assumed her curiosity would fade after an hour or two. Yet she trudged on five hours without complaint. Impressed, he stopped insisting and focused on guiding the way.
After nearly seven hours, he finally called for a break—and Ye Cheng promptly collapsed onto the ground, legs refusing to move.
He unpacked supplies from his ring, spread a cushion for her to sit, then set up an energy stove. The savory smell soon filled the air.
When he handed her the hot meal, she slid over, occupied the spot by the stove, and began pulling ingredients from her own ring.
Before long she produced a steaming bowl of rice and tender steamed pork. She presented it proudly. "Try it!"
In the dim light his expression tightened. "I… can't." It was unthinkable—a mistress cooking for a slave.
Ye Cheng's voice turned stern. "Taste it. That's an order."
He obeyed. The rice was soft and fragrant, the meat rich and savory. He set down his chopsticks. "Your cooking is very good, Owner."
She propped her chin on her hand. "Keep tasting."
He blinked in confusion but complied bite after bite until the bowl was empty.
Satisfied, she reheated her own portion and ate in silence.
Resigned, Yang Yu checked the time, cleared a patch of flat ground, laid out sleeping bags, and wrapped himself in a thermal jacket.
That night they slept inside the tunnel. Before drifting off, Ye Cheng tried again to sense the elemental flow—nothing. She sighed and decided rest was the best preparation for tomorrow.
Dawn glowed faintly at the cave mouth. They washed, ate quickly, and delved deeper.
Past the lit, reinforced tunnels stretched natural caverns untouched by drills. Yang Yu chose one of those wild paths, judging that official routes were long exhausted.
Here, the very air hummed with energy. Ye Cheng could feel cool ripples dancing across her skin.
"This area should contain Source Crystals," Yang Yu said. "But raw ore is toxic to New Humans. Please stay at least twenty meters back. I'll collect it and seal it in containers before you approach."
She agreed, smiling inwardly. If only you knew, she thought. I'm not exactly a New Human.
As if rewarded, Yang Yu soon struck gold—or rather, green. Three small thumb‑sized crystals gleamed in his lamp light, all Third‑Tier, Verdant Dawn grade—worth thousands each even after tax.
While he worked, Ye Cheng casually sensed another pulse of energy—stronger, somewhere down the third cavern to the right. Pretending fatigue, she sat down. Yang Yu, seeing no danger, told her to rest and disappeared into the first tunnel.
The moment his footsteps faded, she leapt up and slipped into the third entrance.
The passage widened startlingly, opening into a massive hollow like a ship hangar. Conscious that time was short, she whispered, "Shennong!"
With a hiss of displaced air, the dark‑green mech materialized before her.
"Help me out," she said quickly. "We need to finish fast and get back."
Emerald sensors flared to life. The giant crouched, extending a hand. She stepped onto it; the cockpit opened, swallowing her inside.
"Sorry to make you do mining work," she murmured.
"No apology necessary," came the even mechanical voice, and the mech began to move, carving through stone with its blade like butter.
Under its strength, rock layers peeled away, revealing the prize within: a solid blue crystal, ocean‑bright and gleaming, the size of a clenched fist.
"The energy density registers at Azure Chaoshi," Shennong reported. "Estimated black‑market value: six million credits."
Ye Cheng almost cheered aloud. She jumped out, slid the stone into her second storage space with reverent care, and dismissed the mech. After a final sweep to ensure no trace remained, she returned to the resting spot, opened a book, and pretended she'd never left at all.