https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-178-Red-Farewell-to-the-Red-Epic-Curio/12833788/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-180-Neutron-Star-Core-Armor-in-Hand-Skybound-Great-Enhancement/12833796/
Chapter 179: The Red Epic [Neutron Star Core Armor]
Chapter 179: The Red Epic [Neutron Star Core Armor]
A rapid journey brought Aron’s starship to a halt before the void gateway.
However, upon confirming the size of the gateway, his expression turned grim.
Clearly, the gateway was only large enough for a single person to pass through, making it impossible for his starship to follow. This left him with only two choices.
He could continue piloting his starship and flee, eventually being caught by the space pirates.
Or, he could take a gamble and enter the unknown spatial gateway alone, hoping to find a sliver of hope for survival.
After a brief two seconds, Aron made his decision.
The worst outcome was death either way, so he might as well take the risk.
With that in mind, he swiftly grabbed the storage capsule beside him and carefully placed the red oddity inside.
Whirr—
The starship’s airlock door opened, and Aron, clad in a space combat suit, rapidly exited the ship. This suit was the only commendable thing he had, a cutting-edge model he had stumbled upon during a scavenging mission a few years ago.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Sharp cannon fire whizzed by from behind, leaving no time for hesitation. Aron stepped through the void gateway.
A violent spatial shift ensued, and despite the suit’s internal environmental control system, Aron felt a wave of disorientation.
Once the sensation subsided, he instinctively scanned his surroundings with caution. However, when he saw the diverse array of star sea creatures inside the market through the gateway, he was momentarily stunned.
It wasn’t until he approached the gateway and saw the floating rules display that he fully comprehended the situation.
“The Market of All Realms, where trade is fair and equal...”
Sensing a glimmer of hope, Aron dashed through the market’s entrance.
His appearance in the combat suit naturally drew a lot of attention, but it quickly dissipated as he merged into the crowd of vendors.
In a corner of the free market area, Song Chi, disguised as a four-armed Blueblood, observed the man from a godlike perspective.
More precisely, he was scrutinizing the unique armor the man wore.
From its form, it was clear that the armor was perfectly suited for star sea humans. Even without seeing the wearer’s face, Song Chi deduced that the man was likely a star sea human.
With a thought, he channeled his rule power, and the man’s face, hidden by the armor, became visible.
“Indeed, a star sea human...”
Confirming his guess, Song Chi’s attention returned to the man’s special armor.
He referred to it as armor rather than a suit or mech because it was remarkably light, unlike exoskeletons or mechs.
Of course, it couldn’t compare to the bionic skin armor Song Chi currently wore, but it was similar to the iron armor worn by soldiers in ancient kingdoms of his past life. It was more flexible and better suited for single combat than exoskeletons or mechs.
After a thorough inspection using his rule power, Song Chi had a basic understanding of its parameters.
“Second-tier alloy layer for defense, internal recycling system, powered by a miniaturized fusion reactor, and it seems to have a light weapons system...”
After mentally reciting these details, Song Chi concluded that this armor’s overall performance would easily outclass the military-grade exoskeletons used by the Morning Star Principality.
In fact, most of the exoskeletons used in the Ember Human Civilization’s territory couldn’t match this armor’s performance.
This realization piqued Song Chi’s interest.
Given its significant performance advantage, there would be a substantial market for this armor in the Ember Human Civilization if it could be acquired at a reasonable cost.
Thinking this, Song Chi was about to approach the man to initiate a conversation when the man made an unexpected move.
After visiting several stalls and failing to find what he was looking for, the man’s anxiety got the better of him.
Suddenly, he pulled out a capsule-like object, several centimeters long and made of an unknown material, from the back of his armor.
Just as Song Chi was puzzled, the capsule was opened, and a brilliant red light filled the market space.
“A red star sea oddity? Someone actually brought out a red oddity?”
”
"Are you kidding? You're putting up a relic of this caliber for trade?"
"Quickly, don't crowd! Let me see what relic it is first."
...
In an instant, the entire market erupted into a frenzy. The bustling market of the Star Seas, already a hub of activity, reached a new peak with the appearance of this red relic.
Even Song Chi, the master of the market who already possessed a red relic, found himself unable to calm down for a long time.
In the center of the free trade zone, Alon, clutching an opened storage capsule, shouted in the Star Seas' universal language.
Amplified by his battle armor, his voice boomed out, reaching the ears of every being present in the market.
"Red Epic Relic [Neutron Star Core], priority for life-saving items. If you're interested, place your bids, and I'll consider who to trade with!"
With that, he placed the small, black, ping-pong ball-sized sphere, which emitted a brilliant red glow, on his stall.
Amid the crowd, Song Chi, using the power of the Law, silently pushed his way to the front. His gaze focused intently on the black sphere.
Soon, a flash of light appeared before his eyes, revealing the attributes of the [Neutron Star Core] relic.
[Relic: Neutron Star Core]
[Quality: Red]
[Convertible: Neutron Star Core Armor]
[Note: Originating from the remnants of a neutron star in one of the universes from the Multiverse Era, this relic has evolved over countless ages. Due to a lack of energy over time, the neutron star remnant's energy was depleted, and it gradually degraded into a red relic.]
After reading the relic's attributes, Song Chi's eyes gleamed with intense light. However, with the concealment of the Law, this subtle change in expression went unnoticed by the other beings.
His gaze fell on the two most crucial words in the attribute panel.
Degraded!
Even after degradation, it remained a red relic.
What did this mean?
It meant that initially, this [Neutron Star Core] was likely a relic of even higher quality.
Even though it had degraded to red, it was still vastly different from ordinary red relics.
Typically, red relics, whether in terms of inherent attributes or future potential, could not compare to a relic that was once of a higher quality.
As he pondered, Song Chi's thoughts shifted, and a wave of Law energy, interwoven with threads of dark energy, swept over the [Neutron Star Core].
Soon, the specific attributes of the relic when converted into a ship component were revealed.
Neutron Star Core Armor (Level 0)
Quality: Red
Trait: Neutron Star Fission
Trait 2: Neutron Star Core Pulse
Trait 3: Additional 70% Armor Defense
Consumption: 20/s (Dark Energy Points)
Defense: 36
No Recharge or Buffer Required
Upgrade Requirements: 50 strands of Floating Land Essence (0th Rank), 5000 Dark Energy Points, 5kg Cobalt Ore
{Neutron Star Fission: Consumes 5000 Dark Energy Points, temporarily transforming the ship into a miniature neutron star to resist external attacks for 10 seconds, with a 72-hour cooldown.}
{Neutron Star Core Pulse: The armor layer converted from the neutron star core contains boundless pulse energy. When the ship is damaged, this pulse energy will continuously repair the armor and energy shield, restoring 1% of the armor layer every 30 seconds and 1% of the energy shield every 60 seconds.}
Song Chi's breathing grew heavy. The calm lake of his heart, already stirred by the initial revelation, now turned into a tumultuous storm.
If seeing the [Neutron Star Core] relic's attributes had only made him somewhat excited, then reading the detailed attributes of the [Neutron Star Core Armor] component had completely immersed him in the fervor and desire of the surrounding alien races.
However, unlike the surrounding aliens who could only dream about it, Song Chi was determined to obtain it.
The ship component that the [Neutron Star Core] relic could convert into was undoubtedly a supreme treasure. Its three traits were each more astounding than the last.
First, the 70% increase in armor defense was self-explanatory. Compared to the [Dark Matter Energy Shield Generator] of orange quality, which doubled the shield's defense (a fixed 100% increase), it might seem inferior at first glance.
But the key point was that the [Dark Matter Energy Shield Generator]'s 100% defense increase was fixed and unchanging, no matter how much it was enhanced.
However, the [Neutron Star Core Armor]...
Unlike others, its initial enhancement rate is only 70%, but as it undergoes subsequent upgrades, this rate will continuously increase. Eventually, it won’t just reach 100%; it might even surpass 150%.
Moreover, the "Neutron Star Fission" characteristic, although it may seem similar to "Obsidian Guard," how can a neutron star be compared to obsidian?
In his past life, neutron stars were among the strongest celestial bodies in the universe, often compared to black holes. In their presence, obsidian would be nothing more than a mere speck.
Song Chi estimated that once he obtained and upgraded the Neutron Star Core Armor to level 30, activating the "Neutron Star Fission" characteristic would transform the Azure Sky into a miniature neutron star, capable of withstanding attacks from even fifth-stage entities.
The "Neutron Star Core Pulse" characteristic is equally impressive. If the ship is damaged, it can continuously repair the hull armor and energy shields.
While the current 1% repair rate every 30 seconds and 60 seconds might seem lackluster, it can be enhanced along with the component. Once the upgrade level is high enough, it will become an extremely formidable characteristic.
As he pondered, several alien races began to place their bids.
As if they had a mutual understanding, almost all the bidding aliens were second-stage beings. Clearly, the zero-stage and first-stage aliens felt that their offerings were not substantial enough to compete.
However, Song Chi, as the master of the market, could clearly sense that with the appearance of the red artifact, many alien beings began to leave the market.
They moved hurriedly, and if he hadn’t guessed wrong, these aliens were likely going to inform their higher-stage clans outside.
Given the nearly eighty spatial gates, it was impossible for all of them to have been discovered by individual beings. Some must have been found by entire tribes or races, who sent their zero-stage, first-stage, and second-stage subordinates into the market while they guarded the entrances.
Song Chi actually hoped to avoid such situations, as each additional force would mean more competition, reducing his chances of obtaining the red ship armor.
However, he couldn’t actively intervene, as that would violate the neutral and elevated status he had set for the market.
He frowned but quickly returned to his usual demeanor.
If he only had the Market Guest Token, things might be uncertain, but he was confident in the Market Walker Token that appeared after his ascension to the second stage.
The ability to instantly boost a being’s combat power by a major stage was undoubtedly the best life-saving measure.
As the bidding heated up, a first-stage being, one of the few in the auction, spoke up. It was Zhou Ping, an old acquaintance from the Luo Fu Sword Sect.
"I offer three third-stage fire ape puppets, activated by Nascent Spirit Talismans. They require no mana to control and can protect the user for half an hour."
From the other side, a sharp voice quickly joined in.
"Lord Luke is willing to offer a third-stage magic energy shield belt and ten deep space magic energy bombing drones. The former can generate a third-stage single-target magic energy shield, while the latter possesses third-stage power."
...
Although the bidding continued, the value of the offered items was far from matching the red artifact.
Yet, all the alien beings in the market seemed to have a tacit agreement. They took advantage of the fact that Ailong was under the threat of a Damocles' sword, bidding continuously while keeping the value from rising too high.
Suddenly, a first-stage alien who had just left the market and quickly returned broke the tacit agreement.
"I have an orange-quality dark ability field stone that can activate a dark ability field capable of resisting fourth-stage attacks for half an hour, every ten days."
As this first-stage alien spoke, Ailong, who had been silent behind the stall, clearly showed a flicker of interest.
Among all the bidders, this alien had clearly offered the highest value. An orange-quality artifact, though far from the red epic artifact, was not a consumable and could be used multiple times.
The ten-day cooldown might be long, but compared to the offers from other alien beings, this was indeed a very fair price.
Considering this, Ailong naturally felt some interest.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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