1. The Unlucky Alien

“Warning! Severe structural damage detected; the external shell is showing signs of disintegration…”

“Warning! Requesting emergency landing! Requesting emergency landing!!”

Blinding red lights flashed rapidly as Li Miao, tense and anxious, pressed hard on the braking lever.

Crunching noises erupted, as if some invisible monster were gnawing at the machine. The outer shell split and shattered first during the high-speed descent.

The intricate internal mechanisms were laid bare to the searing heat and raging winds, melting away like hot butter.

The alloy-plated ground trembled violently, the high-energy machine shuddered madly, and even the once-comfortable seat beneath him was now shaking in protest.

“No… It’s over! I have to abandon the craft!” Li Miao’s eyes sharpened. He quickly pried open a concealed, thick alloy plate. Beneath it was a high-strength plastic shield, under which lay a large red knob emblazoned with emergency symbols.

Ignoring all protocol learned during training, Li Miao smashed the plastic cover and slammed the button down.

With a hiss, a mass of multicolored materials burst from the seat, swarming under the control of the central hub to envelop Li Miao.

They molded, adjusted, solidified…

The materials, fluid-like at first, quickly hardened into a suit—comfortable, flexible, heat-resistant, shockproof.

Li Miao had only seen this device once, and it was a prototype at the time. But the crisis left no room to ponder its merits.

With a loud snap, the cockpit canopy blew away and a fierce wind surged inside.

Wasting no time, Li Miao released his harness. In an instant, he shot out as if on a rollercoaster.

The wind roared in his ears, and gravity, like an old friend, yanked him mercilessly downward.

He spun and tumbled, unable to control his orientation. All he could do was try to keep his head and feet aligned, leaving the rest to fate.

A kilometer, a hundred meters, then mere dozens—within a blink, Li Miao crashed down onto a mountaintop like a falling stone.

“What? There’s a building?”

Despite the speed, he caught a fleeting glimpse of ancient architectural outlines.

“Watch out! Move!!”

Whether anyone could hear or not, Li Miao forced a warning from his chest, shouting at the top of his lungs.

With a thunderous crash, he struck a dilapidated building.

After a while, wracked with pain, Li Miao slowly regained consciousness. The impact had left him dizzy and seeing double, and he lay in the rubble for some time before his senses returned.

His protective suit was utterly ruined, hanging off him like tattered rags. The heat and explosions from the crash had blackened him like charcoal—there was nothing dignified about his appearance.

He crawled out from beneath the debris, surveying his body—mostly minor injuries, with the worst being a contusion on his right elbow.

“Lucky,” he muttered with relief. Crash-landing on an unknown planet was the riskiest thing he could imagine.

Even as a superhuman warrior of the Galactic Multispecies Alliance, exploring strange worlds was always a mission with the highest mortality rate.

But where there were buildings, there were intelligent lifeforms.

And intelligent life could usually communicate, even if not in the same tongue…

“Who…who are you? Why did you destroy my kitchen?”

A timid voice called out from a nearby clearing.

Li Miao’s eyes brightened. Adjusting his expression to appear as harmless as possible, he offered a warm smile. “Hello, I am a superhuman warrior from the Seventh Guard of the Ninth Fleet, Galactic Alliance Expeditionary Force. My craft malfunctioned, forcing me to make an emergency landing—unfortunately, on your kitchen.”

He stepped toward the clearing, finally seeing the owner of the voice.

Her skin was sallow and dull; her hair, brittle as straw; her ill-fitting clothes hung on her like a sack. She was a waif of a girl, cheeks sunken, chin pointed from starvation.

She shrank back, wary of the stranger, yet curiosity and wonder glimmered in her wide, bright eyes.

After all, it wasn't every day a man fell from the sky like a ball of fire.

Noticing her apprehension, Li Miao smiled gently and walked toward her, speaking softly: “Don’t worry, little one. The Galactic Alliance will compensate you for your loss. Rest assured—”

As he recited the compensation protocols, he saw her caution melt away, her eyes lighting up, body relaxing as she looked at him with hope. “You’ll compensate me? What about the rice in the kitchen…?”

Li Miao smiled, guessing she hadn’t had a proper meal in ages. “Don’t worry. I’ll personally make up for your rice—will ten bags be enough?”

“Ten bags of rice? Really? I’ll finally have enough to eat!!”

At the mention of ten bags, her eyes crinkled with joy; clearly, a full belly was far more important to her than a stranger in her home.

Glancing around, Li Miao saw they were in the wilderness—only a few battered buildings stood, with no shops or stores in sight.

“Little one, I don’t have grain with me, but I do have some expeditionary military rations. Would you like to try some first?”

Seeing the hunger in her green-tinged eyes, Li Miao had an idea. He reached out, and a box of high-energy nutrient supplements appeared as if from thin air.

The box was small. With a touch, a cool mist escaped, revealing rows of neatly packed nutrient vials inside.

As the temperature changed, a layer of energy granules on the vials began to dissolve, quickly blending into the solution.

Li Miao took one, gave it a gentle shake, and opened it. Instantly, a fragrant aroma filled the air.

The girl swallowed hungrily. After Li Miao briefly explained how to use it, she clutched the vial and bounced toward the main house.

As she ran, she called out excitedly, “Master, we have food now!”

Li Miao followed. From his brief interaction, he’d learned her name was Guo’er, and she hadn’t eaten her fill in a long time.

He’d gleaned nothing more, but he had patience.

Soon, the two entered the main house. Main house, though it was, it was merely larger and just as dilapidated.

The door latch gleamed from years of use, the stone floor was cracked, the wooden door sagged and the gap beneath was wide enough for mice.

Years of wind and sun had left the house gray and weathered, with not a trace of paint or protection; the smell of rotting wood was thick in the air.

The brick walls were pitted and scarred, rainwater having carved hollows and gaps everywhere.

Inside, it was dim and nearly empty of furniture.

By the faint light at the door, Li Miao glimpsed, behind yellowed curtains, an emaciated old man lying weakly in bed.

He looked half-starved—if he didn’t eat soon, he might not last.

Before Li Miao could think further, Guo’er helped the old man to drink a vial. A flush of color rushed to his gaunt face, and after a few deep breaths, his energy returned as if he’d been inflated with air.

Catching his breath, the old man’s eyes gleamed as he gazed at the remaining nutrient vials.