Chapter 2: The WER-489 System: A Grim Discovery

The WER-489 Minor Star System was a small system nestled on the desolate fringes of the WER Grand Star System Alliance.

It comprised a single star, two habitable planets, and several others dedicated to mineral extraction and mechanical processing. Due to its remote location and unremarkable resource output, it occupied a rather awkward position within the Alliance.

Aside from a few essential rare metals, personnel at space transport hubs often complained that the energy consumed to transport goods here nearly outweighed the value of the cargo itself.

Consequently, these planets were almost exclusively inhabited by their indigenous populations. No advanced civilizations from major star systems expressed any interest in residing in such a place.

Life for the inhabitants was generally free and peaceful. Their primary concern stemmed from space pirates and Alliance fugitives, dangerous elements that posed a significant threat to their tranquil existence.

During this period, the people of the WER-489 system continued their usual work routines, arriving at the planets designated for mineral mining and mechanical production. The system’s most significant event, the Illumination Festival, was fast approaching.

They needed to quickly sell the extracted ore and manufactured mechanical parts, converting them into funds to host the grand celebration.

As several spacecraft slowly descended, figures clad in Alliance First-Generation Exosuits emerged from the cabins, making their way toward the mineral storage facilities.

With the assistance of Alliance Central, the WER-489 system boasted two fully automated industrial production lines: one for mineral extraction and another for mechanical manufacturing. However, these were equipped with only the most basic components, lacking an automated transport system.

As a result, personnel had to be dispatched periodically to manually collect the produced resources.

“Arijes, look! Another fifty kilograms of high-energy crystals! Ha ha, so much! We’re going to be rich!”

“Excellent, excellent… Oh, damn it, don’t touch that! Our First-Generation Exosuits can’t protect against such heavy radiation.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine! Even if I die from this high-energy crystal radiation, I’ll have no regrets in this life!”

“Alright, stop being foolish. Hurry and bring the pushcart over to load them into boxes.”

“Got it!”

Before long, a large tracked bulldozer slowly emerged from a nearby factory building. It then steadily scooped up the massive pile of minerals accumulated in the warehouse and began driving towards the spacecraft.

“Boom!”

Just as the bulldozer neared the spacecraft, the previously serene ground suddenly shuddered violently. A considerable amount of the high-energy crystals on the vehicle instantly tumbled off.

“What’s going on?!”

Arijes frowned. ‘An earthquake? It’s not impossible. There’s an entire automated mining line beneath us, digging directly along the planet’s mineral veins without considering its geological structure. Landslides or large-scale collapses are certainly a possibility.’

‘However, if such an event truly occurred, it would be extremely troublesome. Not only might the rudimentary mechanical production line below be damaged, but if it couldn’t withstand the impact, we’d have to call in others from the planet for manual excavation. In the worst-case scenario, we might even need to contact the Alliance for rescue.’

“Hey? Put the ore on the spacecraft first! I’m going to check if that tremor damaged the production line.”

“Alright! But I don’t think you need to worry so much. Alliance-made products are always of excellent quality; they won’t be easily destroyed.”

“If only that were true.”

Arijes shook his head.

He was an exceptionally rare outsider in this star system. He was born in WER-1, the Alliance’s largest star system, and hailed from an illustrious family.

His lineage, from his grandfather to his father, had consistently held high-ranking positions within the Alliance. Consequently, he had long grown accustomed to the care of his elders and the envy of those around him.

However, if his family hadn’t tried to force him into a departmental position he utterly despised, he would never have fled to such a remote place.

As a high-ranking Alliance family member, he had naturally encountered a great deal of advanced Alliance equipment. He also understood precisely where the early-generation gear fell short.

While this basic production line possessed some earthquake resistance, damage from falling rocks and burial under thick layers of earth would be fatal to it.

Therefore, he intended to inspect it in advance, preventing the unpleasant surprise of an empty warehouse on their next visit.

As his mechanical arm gripped the ladder, descending step by step, the ground suddenly jolted with another fierce tremor. The intense shaking caused the already subpar ladder, burdened by the heavy bulk of the Alliance First-Generation Exosuit, to instantly collapse. A sensation of weightlessness immediately surged through his hands.

“Damn it…!”

He had forgotten. This ladder was indeed meant for inspectors, but those inspectors wore Alliance Sixteenth-Generation Exosuits! His First-Generation Exosuit weighed more than double theirs!

“Thrust!”

Fortunately, he reacted in time, quickly pressing a button on his arm. A small box on his back suddenly spewed forth roaring flames, barely allowing his body to hover in mid-air.

“Whew…”

Arijes let out a sigh of relief. He was thankful for his quick reflexes and the First-Generation Exosuit’s jet-propulsion system. Otherwise, he would have plummeted straight down.

However, with the ladder destroyed, how was he supposed to descend and investigate the situation?

He scratched his head at this thought. ‘How am I going to manage this?’

Suddenly, he remembered that the spacecraft carried an extra-long space cable, typically used for towing other vessels that had lost power in space.

‘That thing’s length should definitely allow me to reach the bottom of this shaft.’

With that thought, he intended to fly back to the surface and request help from his companions.

However, before Arijes could even reach the ground, several dark shadows from the bottom of the shaft swiftly lunged towards him, who was hovering in mid-air. The sudden impact caught Arijes completely off guard.

Finally, a cold, sharp spike pierced straight through the thick armor on his chest, impaling his body entirely!

“Ugh…!”

The sudden, excruciating pain and burning numbness made him feel a churning in his throat, followed by a gush of blood.

Looking at the blood-stained screen before him, a grotesque creature with strange eyes stared back at him…

“Bug…?”

Just as he uttered a single word, the creature suddenly opened its mouth wide, bit off his head in one gulp, and began to chew.

“Crunch, crunch…”

Chilling chewing sounds echoed relentlessly through the silent mine shaft.

Below, countless similar insects gnawed continuously at the metal equipment and freshly extracted minerals. Not far from this planet, a massive insect drifted towards another planet dedicated to manufacturing mechanical parts.