Chapter 36: Chapter Thirty-Six: Leaving Greenfield (2)

Chapter Thirty-Six: Leaving Greenfield (2)

Unlike the previous day, when the Day Walkers sieged the city with fiery ferocity, today was different.

Surprisingly, they didn’t dare stage an attack today. Perhaps they were fearful of the might of a Void Ship, or maybe they feared the commanders who boarded one even more.

Valen contemplated this as he watched three enormous shadows descend from the sky.

The clouds parted, revealing three gargantuan Void Ships slowly emerging. Each vessel was several kilometres long, their metallic hulls glistening beneath the sunlight.

Their sheer size dwarfed the people on the plaza, making them appear smaller than ants.

Even Valen felt a trace of shock. Although he had seen Void Ships before, he had never witnessed ones this massive.

The three vessels slowly lowered themselves above the plaza, powerful streams of energy erupting from their undersides.

The resulting pressure swept across the area like a storm, and many Evolvers subconsciously held their breath.

A few moments later, giant boarding platforms extended from the ships.

At the same time, a figure rose into the sky, clad in a unique Power Suit. For an odd reason, Valen felt something about it was familiar, but he couldn’t put his finger on it.

The man’s presence alone caused the surroundings to become silent. It wasn’t that he possessed some mystical aura, nor was he exerting any supernatural force.

Rather, it was a psychological phenomenon. Humans instinctively assess danger, status, and authority within fractions of a second. When confronted with an individual who displays overwhelming signs of power, confidence, and control, the brain often enters a heightened state of attention.

Conversations grow quieter, movements become restrained, and people unconsciously focus on the individual.

It was not fear in the ordinary sense, but a deeply ingrained psychological response that evolved to recognise dominant figures. It was the same instinct that once compelled ancient creatures to acknowledge the apex predator of their environment.

Valen didn’t know the man’s identity, but he figured he should at least hold the rank of a Commander if he possessed such overwhelming confidence.

The commander hovered in midair while his voice spread throughout the entire plaza.

"Citizens of White Star City. Today marks the beginning of your journey into the Astral Veil — the land on the other side of the abyss."

"It is the place from which the first Evolvers emerged. It is the place where countless ancient civilizations rose and fell, and it is the place that gives us hope of surpassing our limits. As dangerous as it is, it is also the greatest source of opportunities known to mankind."

He paused, his cold gaze sweeping through the crowd. A moment later, he continued:

"Some of you will obtain fortunes beyond your imagination. Some of you may become legendary Evolvers whose names will be remembered across the stars. Some of you... may become extraordinary."

The crowd roared with excitement, clenching their fists as they dreamed of becoming the strongest after their return.

Even Valen was slightly moved, feeling his blood pumping in exhilaration within his veins.

The commander added indifferently:

"But do not mistake opportunity for safety. The Astral Veil is not a training ground, nor a playground. It is a world of its own, with its own civilisation and heritage. There are also beasts who want to kill and devour, and there are hidden dangers that have claimed the lives of countless geniuses. Many who enter may never return, but we have no choice. We either have to grow stronger, or die by the hands of the monsters invading our planet."

The atmosphere instantly became heavier. The excited expressions on many faces faded.

Many Evolvers gradually lowered their heads in thought.

The commander nodded in satisfaction as he saw this.

Introducing the benefits first, and then the losses afterward, would make the new Evolvers feel dread... and fear was necessary.

Without fear, arrogance would only get people killed.

Seeing his strategy proving effective, his voice became even louder:

"Remember this: your enemies are not only the creatures lurking within the Astral Veil. Greed, ambition, and betrayal from allies are just as deadly. Trust carefully, fight wisely, and, most of all, survive!"

After a brief pause, he raised his hand toward the sky and beckoned.

"Now, board the Void Ships and look ahead with determination. May your names one day be recorded among humanity’s heroes!"

The entire plaza erupted into cheers as thousands of Evolvers surged toward the boarding platforms.

Valen walked atop the boarding platform of the Void Ship to his right with shining eyes.

The Astral Veil.

Although he didn’t know if that place would be a land of opportunity for him, at last... he was going there.

***

Before he was allowed entry, Valen had to display his pass to the Astral Veil. Once he stepped inside, the magnificent corridor before him made him let out a small gasp.

He walked down the corridor, following the small crowd that had come in before him. Soon, assistant personnel arrived before them and guided them to a central plaza.

At the centre of the plaza was a massive orb which displayed the view of the situation outside the Void Ship from different angles.

’It was probably made as such so we could witness the abyss when we’re crossing it.’ Valen thought, anticipation filling him.

He had always aimed to conquer the abyss, and now was the perfect opportunity to see just how it looked from a skyward view. He also wondered if he would get to see a Day Walker, as he had only heard snippets of their might and had only seen vague images of them.

Seeing that the Void Ship would take a while before it set off, Valen decided to search for the system store within the ship to claim his rewards from slaying the Level 22 Tetydraco.

Usually, Void Ships such as these always had system stores within — just in case someone was going to or returning from the Astral Veil and wanted to claim their spoils.

While not every system store might possess the reward granted, as they could be out of stock, Valen’s rewards certainly weren’t in that category. They were still too low-levelled. Such things as ’going out of stock’ mainly occurred for Level 50+ rewards.

Under the guidance of his Silver Watch, Valen arrived before a bustling trading hub. It was then he remembered that one of his Silver Watch’s Level 2 Privileges was the Evolvers’ Exchange Platform — a virtual platform where he could trade and the system would serve as administrator.

It just so happened that he had a lot of materials on hand he would like to exchange. His initial plans had been to try crafting the Level 1 Freezing Ray Shield Blueprint, then place it in the system store for trade.

However, circumstances led to him not being able to fulfil that. Moreover, he didn’t want to risk doing it on the ship as there might be cameras recording his actions.

While these thoughts swirled in his mind, Valen approached an automated counter to the right. To avoid immoral behaviours and prevent some lecherous Evolvers from taking unscrupulous advantage of females, the trading hub had been divided in two.

The left section was where the females traded, and the right section was for males.

To Valen, he couldn’t be any happier with that.

At least the queue would be a lot shorter.

He had to wait a while before it was finally his turn. He inputted his ID and the list of rewards was displayed on the counter at an angle only he could see.

Then, the walls behind the counter parted, and a robotic arm extended outward, handing him a pouch and two leather books. Valen received them without hesitation and turned to leave.

Suddenly, a commotion from the automated counter next to his drew his attention.

"What?!"

"Are you serious?"

"An Egg?"

The trading hub instantly erupted into noise.

Even the orderly queues began to break apart as countless Evolvers craned their necks toward the source of the disturbance.

Valen furrowed his brows while glancing over. Standing before the neighbouring counter was a teenager with luminous black hair and smooth skin.

His expression was blank, but the shock on the faces around him suggested he possessed something astounding.

The holographic screen on the counter had not entirely hidden the information from prying Evolvers.

As a result, dozens of nearby Evolvers had already caught sight of it — Valen was one of them.

On the counter’s screen was a single line.

[Reward Available For Collection]

[Normal Beast Egg]

The words were simple. Yet they carried an astonishing weight.

The surrounding crowd collectively sucked in a breath.

A Beast Egg!

It was incredibly valuable, especially because an unhatched beast could potentially be tamed.

The teenager’s face turned dark as he realised his mistake. He hurriedly attempted to close the screen.

But it was too late. The information had already spread, as whispers rapidly swept through the trading hub.

"A Beast Egg..."

"How did he obtain something like that?"

"I’m so envious of him."

"Forget that. If he sells it, he’ll become rich overnight!"

Valen noticed several Evolvers staring at the young man with burning eyes.

The teenager swallowed nervously. Without lingering, he grabbed a dark metallic container from the counter and hurried toward the exit.

Valen shook his head. The teenager was acting too nervously. In this Void Ship, no one would dare act against him.

But he also couldn’t help feeling a faint trace of admiration for the teenager’s luck.

He had slain a Level 22 Tetydraco and had only been awarded some purple coins in return, yet the young man had gotten a Beast Egg from his own kill.

No matter what, the young man couldn’t possibly have recreated Valen’s feat, right? So why was the system being so stingy with him?

Just as he dismissed the thought and was about to leave, a faint hum came from beneath his feet.

His expression changed to one of delight.

’It’s starting...’