He identified a cluster on the eastern side, a dense swarm but with a visible gap forming a potential break point. The insects were closing in rapidly, less than a kilometer away, their collective movement almost synchronized, a living wave of metal-eating predators. Aston made a quick decision: he would force a path through that section, using speed and firepower to carve a temporary escape corridor.
The X-Ray Ion Laser erupted along the eastern flank, beams lancing through the swarm. Sparks and fragments of metal flew off each impact. The console flashed endlessly with system messages:
[Congratulations, you have killed lv 1 Metal-Eating Insect]
[You have obtained Iron Insect Meat x10]
[Congratulations, you have killed lv 1 Metal-Eating Insect X200]
...
[Congratulations, you have killed lv 1 Metal-Eating Insect x500],
[You have obtained Iron Insect Meat x12,000],
[You have obtained Iron Chest x5].
[You have obtained silver Chest x2].
...
...
Aston had to silence the notifications; the constant flood of messages distracted him from the immediate threat. The system confirmed the danger clearly: these insects fed on iron, copper, and other metals—the very core of his ship's hull. Every moment they remained close, the threat increased exponentially.
He fired relentlessly, beams slicing through the first wave. But something was wrong. The swarm seemed to grow rather than diminish. Aston realized with a sinking certainty that the insects were coordinated, moving as if under the command of an unseen mind. The AI emitted a sharp, high-intensity beep, a signal that reinforced his suspicion.
Beep.. Beep... Beep!
Beep.. Beep... Beep!
Beep.. Beep... Beep!
A higher-level entity—a level two or perhaps even a level three queen—was directing the swarm. With only the white-tier X-Ray Ion Laser and a level one shield, engaging them head-on would be suicidal.
He gritted his teeth, abandoning any thought of heroics. He issued a command to the AI: prioritize escape. Calculate a route maximizing the ship's speed without causing catastrophic internal damage or overheating. The AI processed the parameters quickly, despite being a white-tier system, and presented an optimal trajectory.
The engines roared as Dark Star accelerated, pushing the hull to its safe limits. The ship jolted violently as it collided with the first cluster of insects, shaking under the impact. Warning lights flashed across the terminal, indicating minor breaches and stress across the armor. Sparks danced across the metal hull, but Aston ignored them. He did not have the resources to fight this swarm; survival depended on speed and distance.
The Ion Laser continued to sweep automatically, tearing through anything that dared cling to the hull. The swarm shrieked and twisted, their movements growing frantic as the ship tore through their ranks. Insects clinging to the hull were shredded instantly, torn apart by sheer velocity and the laser's focused energy.
The swarm's direction shifted, attempting to converge on the new course. The commanding queen's influence was evident; the coordination was uncanny. But even their best efforts could not match Dark Star's speed. Accelerating to 180 km/hr, Aston felt the hull strain under the combined weight of momentum and vibrations, yet the ship held.
Minutes stretched as the swarm struggled to keep pace. The insects attempted to match the trajectory, but their natural speed was capped at 120–130 km/hr. They began to fall behind, leaving a widening corridor between Dark Star and the mass of red dots now shrinking on the radar.
After twenty minutes, the swarm had retreated beyond detection range. The AI signaled system warnings about major hull damage and overheating sections near the engine., Aston allowed the ship to slow to 150 km/hr, easing strain on the internal systems while keeping a safe buffer from the swarm.
He exhaled slowly, scanning the damage reports. Panels flickered, some external plating was scorched, and the hull integrity had taken multiple hits, but the ship remained operational. The swarm, now reduced to scattered blips on the sensors, would not pursue him further—at least not immediately.
For the first time in hours, Aston allowed himself to sit back, watching the dark void stretch ahead. The experience had been terrifying, but it had reinforced a truth he had known only abstractly: survival in this galaxy was not about raw power, but speed, precision, and understanding the limits of both his ship and the threats surrounding him. With the AI's guidance, Dark Star had survived the swarm, but Aston knew that each encounter would only grow more complex, and the price of miscalculation higher.
He glanced at the console, noting the remaining resources: iron, copper, silicon, and bionic metal—all intact. The ship's hull was battered but holding. The experience had tested the limits of the Level 3 ship, but with infinite energy, an adaptive AI, and carefully chosen blueprints, Aston understood he had the tools to survive—and perhaps thrive—in the chaos that lay ahead.
.....
Thirty minutes passed in what felt like Eternity. The hum of the engines, the faint vibration of the hull, and the constant chatter of the AI had blurred into a rhythm Aston barely noticed. Then, the terminal pinged with a confirmation:
[Shield Emitter successfully upgraded to Level 6 MAX.]
The change was immediate and tangible. The energy field surrounding Dark Star expanded, more solid and responsive than ever before. Now, even if the swarm of metal-eating insects returned, the shields alone would stop them dead in their tracks. No longer would he need to rely on evasive maneuvers or his fragile white-tier weapon alone. With infinite energy pumping through the shield emitter, the barrier could remain active indefinitely, fully absorbing impacts that would have shredded the hull just minutes ago.
Aston let himself exhale, feeling a rare sense of relief. For the first time, he had a margin of safety. The ship could now withstand threats that would have forced most other captains into immediate retreat. Even if another horde of the same insect species closed in within a kilometer, as long as the shield was active, they could not breach the barrier. His ship had finally gained a buffer between survival and annihilation.
He leaned closer to the console to inspect the Level 6 effects, noting the additional entry unlocked at this stage.
Shield Emitter Lv.6 Max (Green)
Generates a powerful energy shield around the ship hull and armor. Absorbs significant damage depending on level.
Lv.5 Supernatural Entry: Adaptive Absorption – Automatically analyzes incoming threats, strengthens weak points in the shield, and neutralizes energy-based attacks depending on their level before they reach the hull.
The shield had gained a supernatural enhancement: Adaptive Absorption. It could now automatically analyze incoming threats, adjust energy distribution to strengthen weak points in the hull, and even neutralize energy-based attacks before they made contact. Essentially, the shield had become a proactive system, not just a static defense.
For Aston, this was a turning point. The realization settled in that with the shield now fully reliable and his infinite energy blueprint in constant operation, Dark Star was no longer limited by conventional constraints. The Level 6 upgrade had transformed the shield into more than protection—it had become a foundation on which he could push further into dangerous zones, confront higher-level threats, and mine aggressively without fear of sudden, catastrophic damage.
He allowed his gaze to drift over the darkened expanse outside the viewport. The red dots from the previous swarm were long gone, but the memory of their relentless coordination lingered.
.....
Hours passed quickly, the endless black of space punctuated only by distant stars and drifting debris.
Finally, the station's coordinates emerged on the horizon—a scattering of broken metal, the remnants of a once-functional hub now orbiting a small asteroid cluster. Other ships were beginning to appear on the scanners, slowly converging toward the meeting point. Aston noted their sizes, shapes, and probable levels based on emitted energy signatures.
Dark Star adjusted automatically, slowing to a controlled drift as it approached the coordinates. Aston watched as the other captains maneuvered into position.
Since none of the ships had docking or landing modules installed—(external attachments that required specific blueprints—); each vessel hovered at a cautious distance from the others. They maintained a slow drift, engines idling just enough to counter microgravity shifts and minor asteroid movements. The lack of docking forced a tense sort of choreography: no ship could get too close without risking collision, and the drifting formation created a semi-circle of cautious observation around the ruined station.
All ships were effectively in standby mode. Engines emitted a faint hum, barely enough to maintain position, while life support and essential systems continued running. The captains inside moved with quiet deliberation, aware that a single misstep could send their vessel careening into debris or another ship. Outside, the void was calm, deceptive in its stillness, while within each ship, a subtle tension lingered—anticipation for trade, alliance talks, or potential conflict.
Aston observed the fleet through Dark Star's sensors.
He kept a careful distance, letting the AI maintain exact positioning relative to the others. Each ship's captain seemed aware of the same limitations: no physical contact, only controlled drifting, and a silent acknowledgment that any aggressive movement could spark chaos.
The ruined station itself was a silent, jagged relic of old construction. Twisted metal beams jutted into space, some panels slowly tumbling along orbit paths. It was clear this hub had once been a node for resource distribution, energy transfer, or perhaps even ship repairs—but now it functioned only as a landmark. Captains converging on the coordinates treated it as a neutral zone, a place where transactions, alliances, and observations could take place without committing to planetary or artificial docking.
.....