Hunting Stars: The Eternal Staircase

Chapter 1: Planet Hunter

In the surreal sky, intertwining flashes of crimson lightning pierced through the enormous black mushroom clouds that billowed into the air, violently bursting open.

"Boom—"

The ground began to tremble, and the crowd scattered in panic. Faces marked with fear and despair scattered in disarray. In a scene that should have been filled with cries, pleas, and screams, an eerie silence enveloped the surroundings.

Only one voice echoed in the ears—

"My child, survive!"

As the explosive brilliance and heat wave approached, an indistinct woman cradled a child, shielding him from the inferno with her own body.

"My child, survive!"

The mantra repeated.

The shockwave, annihilating everything in its path, reached them. In an instant, the woman and child were reduced to white bones, shattered into ashes, and dispersed completely.

In the stellar year 3447, Gliese 163 star system, Mercenary Space Station. Tao Kai woke up from the recurring dream, drenched in sweat. It was that dream again.

He couldn't remember how many years it had been, but every time before undertaking a significant mission, he would have this peculiar dream. Tao Kai wiped the sweat off his face, took a deep breath, and entered the bathroom in his living quarters.

Setting the water temperature, he began to cleanse himself. The gentle water jets scrubbed his muscular physique from various angles.

This was a naturally carbon-based life form. In the profession of a Planet Hunter, bodies made entirely of organic material like this were becoming increasingly rare.

After the cleansing and drying process, a holographic screen at Tao Kai's bedside displayed a message:

Energy Market: Deducting 1 point. Account balance: 99,844 points.

Energy Coins were the universal currency in the entire galaxy, jointly issued by the three major military conglomerates—the Star Alliance Federation, Lambda Empire, and Omega Holy See. They were recognized as the circulating wealth by all lawful entities in the Milky Way.

Energy Coins could be used to purchase various items such as spacecraft, fuel supplies, weapons, equipment, food, medicines, residences, and all services within the legal scope.

"Ding, tap—ding, tap—"

Just as Tao Kai put on his armored combat suit, the communicator on the bedside urgently rang. Skillfully connecting to his neural interface, activating the real-time translation, Tao Kai answered the call.

"Tao! My dear comrade, where are you? Haven't forgotten today's mission, have you?"

"Rest assured, Dave. I've arrived at the Gliese 163 star system and am preparing to depart."

"Good. Complete this job, and you'll finally have the 100,000 Energy Coins you've been aiming for. But... have you really thought this through? A hunter as skilled as you, deciding to retire at such a young age?"

At 58 years old, Tao Kai was considered elderly for the human race, but for most highly intelligent species in the galaxy, he was still in the early stages of adolescence.

For instance, Dave, the intelligence officer of the Star Hunter Guild who was currently talking to him, was 436 years old.

As an arthropod creature of the Beiye clan, they molted every 100 years and entered adulthood after four molts. In other words, Dave, at over 400 years old, was just a newly matured youngling.