Chapter 26: Zero Element Equals Cold, Hard Cash

Generally speaking, energy weapons and kinetic weapons each have their own pros and cons; a mature fleet or a seasoned commander would never take things to an extreme. However, that is at the scale of interstellar fleet warfare. When the perspective shifts to atmospheric combat or even individual infantry, the miniaturization of energy weapons has remained one of the most persistent problems for every civilization in the universe. Mounting a phase ion cannon on a heavy combat vehicle is about as far as current technology can go.

Otherwise, wouldn't it be wonderful for a soldier to carry a kinetic rifle, a blaster, and a laser cutter?

What’s that? You speak of the light-swords and light-spears used by Pathfinders and Astral Knights, capable of slicing through battleship armor and shields? Didn't I mention them already? Those things, crafted from the condensed energy crystals found within "Element Zero," are essentially the realm of alchemy. Can something that cannot be mass-produced or generalized even be called a weapon? At best, they are merely garlands for superhumans to adorn their status.

However, these two blasters stripped from the "large Bakugan-like machine" are energy weapons that can actually be used by an individual soldier. Including the barrel, they are no more than two meters long, weigh less than ten kilograms, and require no heavy ammunition. An adult can simply carry one and walk away. As for their power... Yu Lian had witnessed it "back in the day." Suffice it to say, dealing with Sand People and their stitched-up tanks was absolutely no problem.

"Keep it up!" Yu Lian cheered, putting his back into encouraging Uncle Carl. "If you manage to fix that hive-missile launcher and the laser cutting beam, I’ll acknowledge you as a master technician in whom all the brilliance of the sun and moon converges."

To think that such talent is forced to make a living in the colonial garrison—if this broken nation doesn't fall, then who will?

As he mused, Yu Lian fished a thumb-sized, pale green crystal from the pile of "Bakugan" parts and inspected it under the light. As the rays passed through the crystal, they seemed to reflect the patterns of a galaxy within.

He expressed his satisfaction and casually handed it to Ina.

"No," the girl shook her head.

"..." Why don't you play by the rules?

"I can tell by your expression that it’s something very valuable, certainly much more so than those two big guns. What kind of relationship do we even have for me to accept such an expensive gift?" Ina continued to shake her head.

"This is a weapon..."

"Oh." The Sergeant didn't hesitate a second longer and accepted it. Miss Belinda, watching from afar, felt a pang of sorrow, but unfortunately, no one cared. Only Dr. Banks gave her shoulder a comforting pat before emotionlessly signaling for her to get back to work.

Why do you still refuse to play by the rules? Yu Lian glanced sideways at Ina and continued, "This is a Perception Gem, a type of psychic stone—and, of course, a form of 'Element Zero.' If you find a superhuman research lab at a major corporation, you can use this as the primary material to craft an extraordinary piece of equipment. Alternatively, if you know a private artisan, that works too. The former will quote you a price that makes you question reality, while the latter carries the risk of being cheated or robbed. It’s all down to your choice."

"I have no money, and I grew up in a veterans' home; I don't know any underworld types." The Sergeant wore a smug, "I'm a good girl and I feel superior to you shady riffraff" expression as she handed the gem back.

What is there to be so smug about?

"It has another use... Sensitive individuals can perceive its rhythm and absorb the internal meta-energy to strengthen themselves. Of course, those with talent can directly unlock the star-ring of the 'Star Hunter' path. The end of this path is the legendary 'Star-Falling Hand'."

"Star-Falling Hand?" Ina felt a spark of interest. She didn't know what on earth that was, but it sounded powerful.

"Exactly. It's the title for the ninth ring of the Star Hunter path, the supreme realm for a psychic. As the name implies, it can shoot down the stars!" This was not a metaphor, but a literal meaning. This is why psychics above the seventh ring are regarded as living gods. In fact, if the power of a high-level psychic were placed in a "primitive civilization" that hadn't yet left its birth planet, they would truly be a god whose every word becomes law.

However, "shooting down stars" is, in the final analysis, something of a semi-legendary nature.

In such a vast galaxy, with thousands of civilizations and trillions of sentient beings, a "golden age" for psychics is defined by the birth of three or five ninth-ring masters in a millennium. As for the pinnacle of the "Star Hunter" path, the Star-Falling Hand, it hasn't appeared in over two thousand years.

Thinking of this, Yu Lian felt a wave of emotion. Back then... no, in the future, he had been caught off guard by this suddenly activated machine, but at least he had been a high-ring master himself and managed to take it down after three hundred rounds of combat. Of all the loot it dropped, the only thing of value (to the Yu Lian of that time) was this Perception Gem. He had originally intended to give it to that young person—the most talented young sharpshooter since the "Scarlet-Eyed Witch" Ina Silica... but the winds of the grand era are so cruel, always swallowing up those flickers of hope before they have a chance to grow.

Wait, hold on. That flicker of hope hasn't even been born yet. And isn't her idol, the legendary "Scarlet-Eyed Witch," right in front of him?

"How do I use it?" the idol of the yet-to-be-born hope asked with great interest. "Don't tell me I have to swallow it."

"Actually... you can swallow it."

"Just like that?"

I feel like I've heard this line before. If I told her she needed a glass of Alliance-produced Saint-Honoré red wine, a Green Court Bay torpedo cigar, a hum of a melodious Milyang tune, and an elegant imperial court dance—or perhaps the spirited war dance of Wookiee gorillas and Endor bears—followed by a game of Star-Cards, I would definitely be begging to be punched in the face, wouldn't I?

Most importantly, it feels like bad luck.

"You don't need anything else. Just swallow it."

Ina glanced sideways at Yu Lian. Seeing he wasn't joking, she popped the glowing, radiation-looking object into her mouth like a piece of candy.

"..." Although I know this is your style of being decisive, acting too impulsively leaves everyone else at a loss.

Regardless, don't be fooled by it being a gem; for a gifted sensitive, it melts upon contact, leaving a lingering sweetness. Ina smacked her lips, seemingly wanting more.

"Is that it?"

"You should feel something else soon. Like getting hot, feeling restless, feeling filled, or even injected... I told you it varies from person to person. Experience it yourself; I have high hopes for you."

Yu Lian was looking forward to seeing if Ina would have red, green, yellow, or black auras erupting from her, but the girl simply wore a contemplative expression, her eyes glazing over as she entered a state of meditation—or, more commonly, zoning out. This made Yu Lian feel rather bored. If it were anyone else, he might have carefully monitored them, but this was the "Scarlet-Eyed Witch." Could she really suffer a Qi deviation while breaking through the first ring?

Thus, Yu Lian left Ina to digest her power and, after "many days," stepped once again into the familiar hall. With the exception of a few who stayed behind to guard the vehicles, the loot, and Ina, everyone else hurried to follow.

Compared to the towering statue at the entrance, the main part of the ruins was not as impressive. Everyone had expected a magnificent underground palace, but it turned out to be a hall about twenty meters long and wide, and no more than five or six meters high. The Star-Rose Bank branch in Tulong Port was grander than this. The ceiling was decorated with a star-map, the only ornament present. The walls on either side appeared to be made of metal, bare and plain. The hall was divided into several areas, scattered with various unidentified instruments. On the front wall sat a console-like instrument, though it lacked any visible buttons or intuitive control panels.

"This is... a laboratory? Or perhaps a workshop?" Uncle Carl, having just entered the hall, paused, a look of fascination and nostalgia crossing his face. He didn't understand any of the instruments here, nor did he know how to use them, but as a "wild" master technician, he felt an immediate, empathetic connection, as if his soul had reached out to his counterparts from tens of millions of years ago.

Or perhaps, was he simply mourning the career to which he had devoted his entire life?

"These facilities are antiques, You-You, don't touch them!" Yu Lian shouted.

The big black sergeant trembled and quickly pulled his hand back.

"Break one, and your contribution report will be docked, and you might even face disciplinary action!" Yu Lian added.

"Con-contribution? You're going to report this?" Dr. Banks asked.

"We can't take these things with us. We might as well wait until we're done here and report it to the Governor's office for some credit and a bonus. The Commonwealth government has a listed bounty for the discoverers of Progenitor ruins. Trust me, I will argue our case; no one will be allowed to embezzle everyone's hard-earned credit."

Everyone nodded stiffly. If Yu Lian hadn't already earned significant prestige among them, someone would likely have objected. Any person with a normal IQ knows that turning things over to the public is entirely different from private profit. While none of these garrison grunts knew how to find a reliable black-market buyer, that didn't stop them from fantasizing!

The story of a down-and-out scavenger in a remote sector digging up Progenitor relics while mining mud on an asteroid, only to sell them to a passing "kind" collector and reach the pinnacle of life, is a tale as old as the galaxy itself.

Human nature, indeed! Yu Lian thought. But it was precisely because it was so real that there was nothing to be disappointed about. Besides, he had been prepared for this long ago.

So, under the gaze of the group, Yu Lian walked straight to the central console, lifted a box from behind it, and opened it. The silver light that spilled out immediately captured everyone's attention. Taking advantage of the moment, Yu Lian swiped a small chip from a gap in the console and slipped it into his pocket.

His movements were swift and subtle; even the nurse, who had been peeking at him, didn't notice.

"This is Nether-silver, also known as Mithril, a type of active metal," Yu Lian explained to the crowd.

A Commonwealth explorer named Nether was the discoverer of this substance, but using that term from mythology was the best way to name it.

"Of course, it is also a form of Element Zero!"

Everyone's breathing became heavy.

They didn't know how much Element Zero existed in the universe, nor did they know its various forms and uses, but the simple common sense that "Element Zero equals money—lots and lots of money" was something they all understood.