As Aston waited for the captain who had called the meeting to make the first move, his gaze drifted to the bounty he had collected after the insect swarm. The haul was staggering— 40,000 units of iron insect meat, 5 iron chests, and, most curiously, 2 silver chests. He had never encountered silver chests before.
Without hesitation, he opened five of the iron chests, expecting the usual resources. True to form, they yielded nothing but raw materials. This time it was iron and silicon.
[You have obtained 10,000 units of iron, 5,000 units of silicon, 2,500 space coins.]
After the costly shield upgrade, which had consumed 18,000 units of iron, and the automatic repairs the AI had performed on the hull and armor using the ion laser, his reserves were dangerously low—only 6200 units of iron remained.
Aston quickly tallied his updated inventory:
16,200 iron, 50,000 copper,
19,350 silicon, 4,000 space coins,
50,000 bionic metal, and 40,570 units of insect meat.
He made a mental note that the current white-tier storage blueprint could only hold up to 50,000 units per resource. If he wanted to continue accumulating in high quantities, he would need a higher-tier storage blueprint to expand capacity further.
Shaking off the calculations, he turned his attention to the silver chests. Unlike the iron chests, these should promise more than just raw materials. His hands trembled slightly with anticipation as he opened the first silver chest. The contents made his pulse quicken:
[You have obtained: x1 Blueprint Tier Upgrade Crystal,]
[You have obtained: Target Positioning Blueprint(Green)]
[You have obtained: 10,000 units of titanium,]
[You have obtained: Control System Module crystal .(??)]
Aston's eyes widened. Rare finds!
He quickly opened the second silver chest with barely contained excitement, though the system message was slightly less dramatic this time:
[You have obtained: Auxiliary Connection Chip Blueprint( white).]
[You have obtained: 5,000 units of titanium,]
[You have obtained: 10,000 space coins.]
The second silver chest was modest but also very valuable!.
Aston blinked, his mind racing. Unlike the blueprints, the first silver chest had contained something far rarer—a Control System Module!
According to the beginner's guide he had read, modules were leagues above blueprints in value and importance. While blueprints performed a single function, modules integrated multiple blueprints into one system, creating amplified or entirely new capabilities. A module could link navigation, sensors, AI, and weapon systems, coordinating them far beyond what any blueprint could manage on its own.
He couldn't believe his luck. Modules were nearly impossible to obtain for a solo captain, tightly controlled by corporations and high-tier guilds of civilizations already existing in the Star Galaxy. Blueprints could be looted, bought, or crafted with effort—but modules? Modules were treasures, engines of synergy that could transform a ship from capable to extraordinary. That he had acquired one so early in his journey felt like stumbling into a hidden vein of pure energy, a resource more valuable than any metal or currency he could mine.
Even as he marveled at his luck; he knew the Control System Module would change everything. It could fuse the AI, navigation, and sensor blueprints he already had, multiplying their effectiveness and allowing Dark Star to operate as a single, cohesive entity. Where other captains relied on careful timing and energy management, Aston could push further, faster, and with more precision, all because a single module could coordinate functions he had once had to manage individually.
....
Coincidentally also , the tier upgrade crystal alone was a game-changer—it could elevate the tier cap of a single blueprint, offering potential to evolve from white-tier limitations to Green Tier!.
The target positioning blueprint suggested precision enhancements for weapons or mining.
And lastly, the titanium… titanium was a high-grade material crucial for advanced hull reinforcements or Blue-tier module construction.
He leaned back in the captain's chair, scanning his inventory again. The juxtaposition was striking—he had amassed a massive stockpile of resources, rare materials, and potent blueprints.
....
Aston Immediately opened the build function while the ships around the ruined station remained in standby. Since the meeting had not yet begun, he decided to use the waiting time efficiently and complete all pending constructions and upgrades.
The first blueprint he selected was the Target Positioning Blueprint (Green). According to the system, its maximum level was six. Upgrading it fully required 12,000 units of iron and 6,000 units of copper. Aston confirmed the construction sequence, and the blueprint began upgrading level by level, each stage requiring thirty minutes.
Next, he moved on to the Auxiliary Connection Chip Blueprint (White). This blueprint was simpler, with a maximum level of three, requiring 3,600 units of silicon in total. He initiated the upgrade without hesitation.
...
With the blueprint upgrades underway, Aston turned his attention to the ship's hull armor.
He selected the Iron Composite Hull Armor (White) Lv 3 and applied the Blueprint Upgrade Stone he had obtained earlier. The system immediately issued a notification.
[Upgrade Stone Detected]
[There is a low probability of blueprint evolution from White Tier to Green Tier.]
A brief pause followed. Then the ship shuddered lightly as energy rippled across the hull. The system chimed again, this time sharper and clearer.
[Upgrading the Ship's Hull.....]
[Evolution has been triggered..... Evolution Successful]
[Iron Composite Hull Armor has evolved from White Tier to Green Tier.]
Current Level: Lv 3 (Green)]
The evolution was instant, requiring no construction time. Aston felt a quiet surge of relief. The hull's structural integrity and resistance values rose noticeably. However, when he checked the upgrade requirements for further levels, reality set in. His remaining iron reserves had dropped to only 5,000 units, far short of what was needed to push the green-tier hull armor to its maximum Level 6.
He closed the armor upgrade panel without regret. The evolution alone was already a significant gain.
........
Time passed very fast and by the time the construction timers finished, Aston reviewed his ship once more.
The Target Positioning system had gained supernatural entry.
Target Positioning Blueprint(Green) Lv 6 MAX.
Lv 5 - Supernatural Entry: Precision Lock
The ship gains the ability to lock onto hostile targets with predictive trajectory alignment, increasing hit accuracy and reducing targeting delay, even during high-speed maneuvering.
The Auxiliary Connection Chip had stabilized internal coordination;
Auxiliary Connection Chip Blueprint (White) Lv 3 Max
Reduces system delay between connected ship functions, slightly improving response speed and coordination across active blueprints.
....
He finally turned his attention to the last item resting quietly in his inventory: the Control Module Crystal.
For a moment, he simply stared at it.
According to the beginner's manual, modules were in an entirely different class from blueprints. Blueprints were common. Even green-tier ones could be farmed, traded, or salvaged with enough effort. But modules were rare by design. They were the backbone of high-tier ships, the reason corporate fleets dominated entire zones. A single functional module often required the sacrifice of many compatible blueprints.
And now he had one.
Aston selected the crystal.
[Confirm module activation.]
The system paused, then prompted him again.
[Please register manufacturer name.]
He hesitated only briefly before typing:
[Dark-Star Corporation]
The moment he confirmed, the crystal dissolved into a lattice of light that streamed toward the ship's core.
New messages appeared in rapid succession.
[Detected: Ship Core has 3 available module slots.]
[Notice: Modules can only be embedded into the Ship Core.]
[1 module slot will be consumed upon activation.]
Aston exhaled and confirmed.
The ship vibrated softly as the core reacted.
[Control Module attaching…]
A sudden flash rippled through Dark Star, deeper and heavier than any blueprint construction he had experienced. This was not an installation. It was assimilation.
System messages flooded the screen.
[Blueprint integration Initiated....]
[Consuming compatible blueprints…]
One by one, the list appeared:
[Danger Scanner Blueprint (Green)]
[Resource Scanner Blueprint (White)]
[Basic AI System Blueprint (White)]
[Navigation Console Blueprint (Green)]
[Survival Drift Mode Blueprint (White)]
[Signal Receiver Blueprint (White)]
[Auxiliary Connection Chip Blueprint (White)]
[Target Positioning Blueprint (Green)]
Aston's eyes widened.
That was nearly the entire operational brain of his ship.
Another line followed, colder and more ominous.
[Detected blueprints with supernatural effects.]
[Evaluating retention probability…]
[Warning: Supernatural effects may be retained, altered, or lost during module evolution.]
The light around the core intensified.
For several seconds, nothing happened.
Then—
[Module evolution in progress…]
[Module rank recalculation complete.]
The result appeared.
[Control Module embedded into Ship Core.]
[Module Rank: Rare.]
Aston went still.
Rare.!!
The Beginner instruction manual had been very clear about this. A common module could be assembled with difficulty. A rare module required either exceptional luck or the deliberate consumption of high-quality blueprints with overlapping functions. Most alliances needed months, sometimes years, to create one.
He had done it in a single integration.
A final explanatory note appeared, as if the system sensed his disbelief.
[Modules are ranked by integration depth and functional synergy.]
[Current module exceeds Common-grade complexity.]
Aston finally understood.
Blueprints performed single tasks.
Modules unified systems.
And unlike blueprints, modules could be replicated, manufactured again and sold—if one had the facilities, the resources, and the nerve to part with such power. That was why corporations ruled the upper zones. They did not just own ships. They owned modules.
Dark Star's hum changed subtly, smoother, more deliberate, as if the ship itself had learned how to think more efficiently.
He opened the panel For his first ever module....
Control Module (Rare)
Manufacturer: Dark-Star Corporation
A unified command and coordination module that centralizes decision flow minimizing system latency making the ship response becomes smoother and more efficient across all operations.
Integrated Functions:
Central AI Core(Evolved from the Basic AI System.) - Manages all integrated functions, optimizes system efficiency, automates diagnostics, and executes complex commands with minimal delay.
Target Positioning - Supernatural Entry: Precision Lock
Navigation Control - Supernatural Entry: Advanced Map Plotting
Danger Detection - Supernatural Entry: Adaptive Filtering
Resource Analysis
Auxiliary Optimization Network
[System Notice:
Supernatural effects detected during integration.
Retention status: Fully retained.]