Chapter 1 The Domain of Calamity

Anu’er stood before the heavy, silver-alloy door, silent. Behind him stretched a long, straight corridor, with a small red indicator light on each wall every ten meters. Besides that, there was no light source. This door was at the end of the corridor. Looking back, one could only see two lines of red light extending into the darkness, converging toward each other in the distance.

The scene easily evoked words like "secret" and "forbidden."

He had been standing there for ten minutes.

*Tss*—

The door slowly opened, breaking the silence.

Light spilled out, illuminating Anu’er’s face, which was lined with wrinkles but still sharp.

A figure slowly walked out of the room, backlit, his face obscured in darkness. He stopped in front of Anu’er, their faces half in light, half in shadow. The light behind the figure stretched his shadow, covering Anu’er and extending down the corridor as a black line.

“Only with my permission can you contribute to DarkStar again, and now is the time, Ashes.”

A hint of a smile appeared on Anu’er’s stern face. He held out his palm, hovering in the air. “Welcome to the domain of Calamity.”

The figure reached out and shook Anu’er’s hand firmly, nodding his head. His face became clearer; it was indeed Ashes.

Today was the day Ashes ended his confinement and regained his freedom.

For him, confinement was equivalent to secluded cultivation. He didn’t need to rush around for missions, and he only had to do one thing every day: unearth his own potential. Day after day, he finally crossed the threshold that countless superhumans could never pass in their lives, entering the realm of Grade A. All his senses were refreshed, as if he had been reborn.

The enhancement of power was not isolated. His entire life level, worldview, and thoughts changed with it. Problems that once seemed difficult now seemed simple. Enemies that he once couldn’t let go of had long faded in importance.

During his confinement, Ashes had always been concerned about Black Star, who could restrain his ability. His hard work to break through to Grade A was partly motivated by the desire to meet Han Xiao again and wash away the shame of his defeat.

However, after truly reaching the realm of the Heavenly Disaster grade, this deeply rooted idea suddenly faded. Ashes genuinely no longer dwelled on Han Xiao. He realized that Anu’er was right—he and Grade B were already on different levels. This feeling was like being offended by a mosquito bite, ridiculous and absurd.

Ashes no longer regarded Han Xiao as an equal opponent. Even though this person could restrain his ability to some extent, he was still confident that he could turn him into ashes in ten seconds.

The gap between Grade A and Grade B was a completely insurmountable chasm.

“Teacher, thank you for your guidance.”

Ashes spoke with respect. Anu’er’s experience and guidance had helped him overcome many problems. He greatly respected this teacher.

Anu’er nodded, his smile fading.

“The current situation is not optimistic. Although we are hidden in the dark, Godora has never given up hunting us. As the next phase of our operations is implemented, the organization’s struggle will further escalate. Our high-end combat power is Godora’s primary target. Some have left us, and high-level combatants like you and me are currently the most scarce. You have no time to rest. I have a mission for you.”

Ashes said expressionlessly, “This is my mission. From the moment I open my eyes every day, I am ready to dedicate my strength to DarkStar’s cause.”

“…Good, follow me.” Anu’er turned and strode forward, saying in a deep voice, “This is your first mission after becoming Grade A. I will act with you to prevent you from losing control of your power. We are going to Norius to hunt down a traitor…”

…

In the Garton Star System, a pirate spaceship painted with stealth coating was traveling through space, in an untraceable stealth mode. At this time, a chase was taking place on the ship.

“Don’t run!!”

*Bang!*

A light cannon blast struck the ground beneath Sylvia as she sprinted past, blasting out a patch of red-hot molten residue. A large group of pirates was chasing closely behind, their faces full of anger.

Sylvia ran, wearing a black, simple, tight-fitting combat suit. Only her joints and vital parts were covered with machinery, providing defense or power. Her figure was already somewhat curvaceous, exuding youthful vitality. Her shoulder-length short hair fluttered as she ran, and a mechanical ring fixed to her head was on her right ear, extending a miniature tactical analysis screen in front of her right eye.

She was not alone. A young boy was being pulled along by her arm as they fled together. This boy was a pure-blooded Godoran, about the same age as Sylvia, wearing a prisoner’s uniform. Although he was half a head taller than Sylvia, he was panting, a normal person.

“W-Who are you? Why are you saving me?” the boy asked between breaths.

Sylvia glanced at him and whispered, “I’m a mercenary. Someone paid to save you. Stop talking nonsense, save your energy, and run faster.”

The boy stumbled along, dragged by her. The sound of laser explosions chased after them. In such a dangerous scene, the Godoran boy stared blankly at Sylvia’s delicate and lively profile, lost in a daze, his body mechanically following her as she ran.

He was a hostage kidnapped by this group of pirates. He came from a wealthy family; his father was the head of a Godoran commercial consortium, very rich, and therefore targeted by the pirates, who demanded a ransom. In addition to him, the pirates had also kidnapped other hostages, who were imprisoned together. However, ten minutes ago, this weak girl, who had also been captured as a hostage, suddenly turned into a warrior, opened the prison, and led him out of the cell.

Thus, the two logically attracted the pursuit of this group of pirates.

*Tap tap tap…*

Three pirates suddenly appeared around the corner ahead. They had circled around to intercept them and were about to shoot at the two. At this moment, the pirate captain shouted, “They are valuable hostages, don’t kill them!”

The three pirates hesitated for a moment as they pulled the triggers. Sylvia suddenly swung her hand and pulled out an alloy short stick from her tactical belt. The outer shell cracked open, and more components extended, transforming it into a silver mechanical longsword. The blades on both sides of the sword glowed with a yellow light. This was an energy weapon, and the sword was engraved with enchanting runes to make it lighter.

Sylvia moved quickly, slamming her shoulder into the stomach of the pirate in front. The combat suit provided power. The burly pirate was staggered by the young girl, whose development was not yet complete. Before he could react, Sylvia pressed his gun against his companion and helped him pull the trigger.

*Boom!*

The light cannon pierced through the head of the person next to him.

The pirate was furious and was about to kick Sylvia away, but his knee suddenly felt a sharp pain. His legs lost strength, and he knelt on the ground. Looking down, he found that his knee had been split open by a sword, a bloody mess. Before he could scream, Sylvia gripped the sword with both hands and stabbed it into his eye socket, the blade piercing out of the back of his head.

Two months had passed. Under the guidance of the great Mechanic Han, Sylvia had gradually unearthed her own superhuman potential and now had a Grade D level. Wearing the mechanical weapon Han Xiao had made for her, she could already cope with this pirate group, whose members were mostly ordinary people.

Seeing this, the third person ignored the captain’s orders and immediately opened fire. Sylvia quickly tilted her head before he could shoot, avoiding the laser, which almost hit her. She immediately pulled the alloy sword out of the dead pirate’s head and spun around, slashing upward and cutting off the barrel of the gun. Then, remembering the lessons Han Xiao had taught her on how to quickly disintegrate the enemy’s combat power, she immediately delivered a high kick, heavily striking the third pirate between the legs!

*Bang!*

The pirate’s face immediately turned purple, his knees bent inward, his forehead hitting the ground, shrinking into a shrimp, convulsing.

The Godoran boy shuddered, feeling a faint pain in his lower body as well.

This series of battles ended in an instant, but the pursuers had also closed the distance as a result. Sylvia didn’t have time to finish them off and grabbed the boy’s arm again, dragging him east and west.

“Let’s go!”

The pirate group had many members. Under the siege and interception, Sylvia’s range of activity continued to shrink, and she was finally blocked in a corner, surrounded by hundreds of pirates who were looking at Sylvia with ill intentions.

The boy was afraid, tightly grabbing Sylvia’s shoulder. Sylvia looked serious, protecting him behind her, holding her sword in front, constantly adjusting the direction she faced.

“You have nowhere to escape, little girl.” The pirate captain stepped out, a sneer on his face. “I didn’t expect that there would be a superhuman among the hostages we kidnapped, and you even caused a riot on my ship. You want to rescue this boy so easily? Where do you think you can run on my ship?”

Sweat trickled down Sylvia’s temples, and she gripped the alloy sword even tighter. Most of this pirate group were ordinary people, but there were also many superhumans. The pirate captain in front of her was a Grade C superhuman, an existence she couldn’t match.

“Tell me, who exactly are you?”

“…Mercenary,” Sylvia said in a deep voice, but her voice still sounded young and crisp.

As soon as she said this, the pirates looked at each other and burst into laughter.

“Hahaha… This kind of child is actually a mercenary?!”

Sylvia’s face flushed with anger. “I just killed three of your members.”

The crowd laughed even louder.

The pirate captain laughed wantonly, his face ferocious. “Little girl, you think you can be a mercenary just by killing three ordinary people? Overestimating yourself, you know nothing about power.”

Sylvia bit her lip, outwardly fierce but inwardly timid. “I have companions too. They won’t let you off.”

“What kind of mercenary group would want a child like you? A boy scout troop? Haha, I’ll kill as many of your companions as come.”

The pirate captain sneered. “As for you… Hehe, although you’re a little young, you’re quite pretty. I don’t think a mercenary group can come up with much ransom, so you can use your body to repay…”

All the pirates’ eyes lit up, and they laughed knowingly, unscrupulously sizing up Sylvia’s face and body.

“Don’t mess around…”

Sylvia suddenly became nervous.

Hearing this, the boy’s face changed drastically. He didn’t know where he got the courage, but he stood in front of Sylvia, about to open his mouth tremblingly when the pirates suddenly began to argue.

“I want her legs, the meat is the best!”

“Then I want her ass, I like fatty meat!”

“Ears are crispy, it’s best to cut them off and eat them raw.”

Sylvia’s face stiffened, unable to suppress the chaos in her heart. She shouted, “Hey, is this what you call repaying with my body?!”

Hearing this, the pirate captain looked puzzled.

“Of course, we’re eating you, what else could it mean?”

Sylvia had a sour expression, narrowed her eyes, and muttered to herself, “Suddenly, I don’t really want to kill them anymore, what’s going on…”

*Di di di…*

At this moment, Sylvia’s wrist suddenly made a sound, and everyone immediately looked over. Sylvia showed a smug smile, where had the previous panic gone? It was all a ruse to buy time.

She shook her wrist, her tone playful.

“This is a locator~”

As soon as she finished speaking.

*Rumble!!*

A thunderous roar exploded next to them. The ship shook violently, and amidst the exclamations, everyone almost fell. They hurriedly looked in the direction of the roar.

A large hole had been blasted open in the passage dozens of meters away, filled with dust and smoke.

Several figures appeared in the smoke, stepping onto the spaceship.

The leader emerged from the smoke first, wearing a black trench coat, his hands behind his back, his eyes shining with starlight, infinitely deep. He naturally exuded a pressure that made the pirates present feel a chill down their spines.

And this feeling became more and more obvious as the black-clothed human approached step by step. He stared at the pirate captain, and the pirate captain’s legs immediately weakened, as if he was being watched by a beast about to devour him.

In fact, Han Xiao was just casually looking at him. This pressure came from the suppression of the life level.

“I heard you have some opinions about my mercenary group?”