Chapter 1 Survival Rules of a Desolate Planet, Rule Number One: Survive, survive, and...
Endless darkness swallowed everything in sight. Blood slowly flowed from a fist-sized hole in his body. His feet could not touch the ground, and his hands could not reach the ceiling. His entire weight rested on three heavy dragon-locking nails driven into his body. Coral gold chains bound his hands and feet, suspending him in the dark prison.
Tick-tock, tick-tock.
What sound keeps echoing in my ears?
"Sinners drink the moon, bandits break the law."
Greed will not lead to death, but will cause war and calamity.
Humans and gods are of the same kind, but heaven and earth cannot tolerate them.
It is right to execute them decisively to settle the matter.
now
Considering his past merits, he was spared the death penalty.
Shedding scales and reincarnating, past sins are forgiven.
Exiles beyond the reach of civilization, never to return.
"No one may trample on the areas under their jurisdiction."①
The elders who came and went all had filthy hearts, were eloquent and flattering, and fabricated words and phrases.
He vaguely heard someone sobbing, a faint sound he mistook for the murmur of a dream.
Red dragons swaying, green pines standing tall.
Blood stained his entire body crimson, old bloodstains seeping into the rock slabs, the detached dragon scales resembling withered pine trees—
Dan Heng suddenly opened his tightly closed eyes, his whole body tense as he cautiously surveyed his surroundings. Seeing the endless yellow sand before him, the laborers were laboriously carrying pieces of ore towards the weighing platform not far away.
As if waking from a dream, his consciousness gradually returned to reality. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and focused his gaze straight ahead.
A local man with dark skin stood a few meters away, bending over and cautiously looking at him, speaking in a low voice.
"Manager Mei, a new batch of laborers is arriving soon. Steward Kulen asked me to call you to take a count."
Dan Heng pursed his lips, his face grim, not yet fully awake from his dream. Seeing the number tag on his chest, he replied after a long silence, "I know."
My gaze gradually moved from the laborer's bright eyes down to his chapped lips. I wondered how long he had been waiting for me to wake up.
Danheng nodded and handed him a clean bottle of water that was placed to the side: "Thank you for your hard work."
The worker's face showed gratitude: "Thank you, Supervisor Mei! Thank you, Supervisor Mei!"
Danheng gave a faint smile, put on his sand-proof hood, and went to greet the new laborers.
The sun shines exceptionally long on this desolate planet. Yellow sand clings to the hills and valleys, and when the wind picks up, it sticks to people's faces, the fine particles rubbing against their cheeks, which is very painful.
Upon receiving the list of new personnel, the fresh faces on the paper resembled clearly priced goods in a store, left to be disposed of at the discretion of others.
After the verification was completed, Danheng signed his name on the paper and then stepped aside to conduct a routine "surveillance."
Finally, his gaze settled on a new recruit who had collapsed. He stood there quietly, and soon the man got up as he expected. But when he stood up, he looked around like a drunkard waking up, trying to figure out where he had woken up.
The unusual behavior quickly attracted the attention of the manager. Seeing that someone was interfering, Danheng withdrew his gaze from the new staff.
...
Shen Mi stared blankly at a world he had never seen before—a desolate planet, dim light illuminating its yellowish land, dust swirling around it. All around him were unfamiliar faces.
Shen Mi lay on the ground, his palms touching the cold sand, staring at the strange planet. It looked hot and dry, but the actual temperature was quite different from what he expected.
The air was filled with the low hum of machinery and the echoes of metal clanging.
She stood up, looked down at her perfectly intact hands, and tried to figure out what had happened.
"Where... am I?"
No one answered her question.
She vaguely remembered being in her dorm room, turning on her laptop, opening the updated game, and waiting for 11 PM to collect all her favorite characters. She ate instant noodles for a whole month to prepare, and just when she was finally able to collect them, she suddenly found herself here.
A flashback to her memory: the lights in the dormitory flickered on and off, her fingers flew across the mouse on the table, her eyes glued to the screen showing a train passing by.
Just as the golden light flickered, she knocked over a glass of water on the table. The water flowed along the curve of the laptop, quickly seeping into the gaps between the pages. The screen flickered a few times, and finally, with a piercing hissing sound, darkness silently descended.
Shen Mi's first reaction was that something was wrong—she didn't even know if she had pulled the featured character. But the next second, before she could even think of how to salvage the situation, a numb, stinging sensation suddenly came from her fingertips.
"Ugh..." She jerked her hand away, only to find herself unable to move.
An electric current climbed along the water stains, like a transparent net, trapping her firmly in place. It felt as if someone was pressing down hard on her chest, making it difficult to breathe. Her consciousness receded like the tide, and the last thing she heard was the dull thud of the chair overturning as she fell.
—And then, she came here.
Soul transmigration? Body transmigration?
Shen Mi glanced down at her clothes, which she had just changed into that morning. She thought to herself that they must have been her old clothes.
Perhaps she had been in a daze for too long, when an administrator with the same logo as the Interstellar Peace Company pinned to his chest walked over, glanced indifferently at her clothes, and handed her a blank identity chip: "New here? Registration number 6013. From today onwards, you are under the management of the labor camp."
Chen Mi: "..."
It seems she's in trouble.
Shen Mi was forced to follow the administrator all the way.
The gravel beneath her feet reflected a dim light in the sunlight, and the star rings on the horizon resembled a broken bracelet hanging in the air, making her wonder if she was still dreaming.
But when a sharp pebble poked her foot painfully, she completely gave up on that idea.
—It's not a dream.
She really did time travel. It seems she traveled into a game...
“Number 6013, starting today, you will be responsible for moving ore in Zone E.” The administrator’s voice was mechanical and cold, without even turning his head. “Working hours are from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM every day, with one 30-minute meal break in between. Overtime, leaving early, or slacking off will all be recorded.”
As Shen Mi listened, he quietly glanced around.
The labor camp was vast, filled with dilapidated buildings and smoking machines. The workers wore identical drab work clothes, their faces etched with numbness. She noticed that her companions varied in age, some looking no more than teenagers, others with full heads of white hair, but their eyes were all the same—lifeless and devoid of vitality.
For a fleeting moment, she felt that her future, like these people's, was locked onto this desolate planet.
No, she can't just sit here and wait to die.
"Excuse me," Shen Mi took a deep breath and asked cautiously, "can I leave here?"
The administrator finally glanced at her, his expression as if he were looking at an idiot: "Of course you can. As long as you accumulate enough credits, you can buy a way to leave, or you can dedicate all your working hours."
"How much does it cost to buy a road permit? And what about my working hours?"
"Judging by your work efficiency," the administrator paused, a cold smile creeping onto his lips. "A newcomer like you will probably only last eighty years."
Eighty years?!
Shen Mi nearly fainted on the spot. The law stipulates that the latest retirement age is sixty-five. He thought that was old enough, but he didn't expect there to be an even higher one.
She looked down at her dusty clothes, then glanced around at the group of laborers numbly carrying ore, and felt a chill run down her spine.
"Get to work!" the administrator urged impatiently. "Sector E is short-staffed. If you don't finish your task today, you won't even get dinner tonight."
Shen Mi gritted his teeth and dragged his aching legs step by step toward Zone E.
Upon arriving in Zone E, she was assigned a truckload of ore. Shen Mi looked down at the pile of dark stones, her heart sinking. This ore looked ordinary, but it was actually much heavier than she had imagined; she could only carry a small piece at a time. By the time she laboriously lifted the first piece of ore, her arms were already numb.
This is only the first piece...
Today's workload isn't just one or two pieces, but a whole truckload.
"Calm down, Shenmi," she told herself. "First, figure out how to survive."
Just then, a deep voice sounded from the side: "Don't use brute force when moving ore."
She turned around and saw a tall man standing not far away.
He wore the same uniform as the other administrators, his bangs covering most of his face, making him appear aloof and distant. Following the other person's gesture, Shen Mi noticed the subtle details on his hands—distinct knuckles, strong and bony wrists, and even barely perceptible calluses on the base of his thumb.
Judging from the location of the cocoon... it doesn't seem like that of a typical labor manager.
"Use your leg strength, don't let your waist bear the whole weight." The man said casually, without looking at her much, and turned to the side to continue supervising the workers to move the ore.
Shen Mi was stunned for a moment.
She tried to steady her breathing, silently remembering the man's advice, and followed his method to lift the second ore. Sure enough, it was easier than before.
She glanced at the man and whispered, "Thank you."
The man didn't respond, but simply lowered his eyes slightly, as if he didn't take the words of thanks to heart at all.
But a strange feeling inexplicably arose in Shen Mi's heart.
Perhaps it's because he's more enthusiastic than others.
The sun moved slowly overhead, and time stretched out like an elongated line, endlessly.
Shen Mi buried herself in moving ore, her collar soaked with sweat. Her arms, which weren't particularly strong to begin with, started to ache from a muscle strain. But she gritted her teeth and persevered, because she had already witnessed the scene of a worker resting nearby being punished by the manager to do double the workload—the worker collapsed to the ground from exhaustion, his face as pale as a corpse.
The supervisor ignored the worker's pained expression, raised his voice to urge him on, and when words failed to work, he took out a stick and slammed it hard on the worker's back, as if treating a vicious criminal...
Shen Mi withdrew his gaze, unable to utter a single word; this was not a place for reason.
Finally, when the sunlight began to fall at an angle, Chen Mi let out a long breath after putting the last piece of ore into the truck.
"6013".
That cold voice rang out again.
Shen Mi looked up and saw the man who had taught her how to move ore leaning against the wall, holding a bottle of water he had somehow gotten his hands on. He lazily shook the bottle and handed it to her.
"Replenish fluids."
Shen Mi paused for a moment, hesitating before taking it immediately: "This... is it okay to drink?"
The man looked down at her, his expression unchanged: "It's not poison."
"..." She knew it wasn't poison, but in this labor camp, even death was as common as grass. Why was he taking special care of her and even bringing her water?
But she also knew that now was not the time to worry about this, because if she didn't drink it soon, she would probably become dehydrated.
After a moment's thought, Chen Mi reached out and took the bottle, carefully unscrewed it, and took a small sip. The water was cool and had a slight metallic taste, but for her throat, which was already parched, this was a great relief.
"Thank you," Shen Mi said softly.
The man didn't respond, but just stared at her movements, his gaze seemingly lost in thought.
Shen Mi secretly sized him up, her gaze landing on his name tag—Plum Blossom...
What? Before she could even see him put his arms around her chest, the position perfectly covered her name tag. Helpless, Shen Mi had no choice but to look away.
His features were hidden by the slightly loose uniform and his bangs, but his straight back made him look extraordinary. He didn't look like an ordinary labor camp administrator at all.
Moreover, he was too composed.
Unlike the other administrators who were arrogant, or the laborers who were timid and apathetic, when he stood there, Shen Mi even felt a faint sense of detachment emanating from him, like a sword with its edge sheathed.
Before her thoughts could drift away, the man suddenly spoke: "You're not from here."
Shen Mi was startled and almost dropped the water bottle.
He actually figured it out?!
She quickly looked up into those dark eyes, trying her best to keep her expression calm, and said ambiguously, "I'm new here."
"Hmm," the man responded ambiguously, without pressing further.
Shen Mi's heart pounded like a drum, but he forced himself to remain calm, trying to glean something from the man's reaction. But the man seemed to be asking casually, yet also appeared to have already seen through everything.
Just then, shouts from other staff members rang out from nearby: "Lunch is served! Line up for your food!"
As if awakened, the laborers walked numbly toward the canteen.
Before the man turned to leave, Shen Mi heard him mutter to himself, "Too conspicuous."
—Who is he referring to as conspicuous? Her, or himself?
Shen Mi frowned slightly and subconsciously followed the others, but the voice in his mind kept lingering.
She always felt that this mysterious man had noticed more than just something was wrong with her.
Beep! An abnormal individual has been detected crossing the coordinates.
—Identity verification in progress…
—Matching failed, data link broken.
—System loading (0.3%)...
Chen Mi, who was eating, felt a jolt of fear.
The cold, electronic voice echoed in her mind, mechanical and devoid of any inflection. She subconsciously looked around, only to find the other laborers still eating their food listlessly, their eyes vacant, and the supervisors staring indifferently at the workers. No one reacted to the abrupt voice.
This means—
Only she could hear it.
Before she could even sort out her thoughts, the voice in her mind jumped out again:
System initialization failed.
-- Current version: 1.0 (unstable)
—The host data link is missing; temporary permissions have been enabled.
Immediately afterwards, a semi-transparent blue panel appeared out of thin air in front of Chen Mi, hovering in front of her like a holographic projection. Several lines of crooked text, mixed with garbled characters, appeared on it:
[Main Quest - Phase 1]
Mission objective: Get Danheng to remove his mask in front of you.
Task Reward: 200 Experience Points
System upgrade requirement: 100/100 experience points
—Note: The current system version is too low, and some functions are unavailable. Please complete the task as soon as possible to upgrade the system level.
—Start the concise introduction: The story you have traveled to is "Honkai Impact: Star Railway".
That's all? Is that all? Tell me something else, you're only giving me information I already know.
Chen Mi: "..."
This system is not only immature, but also dilapidated.
She almost wondered if she had drawn a defective system.
Before she could finish complaining, the blue panel flashed abruptly, and then an explanatory text automatically popped up:
Mission Description: Please adapt to life in the mining area and complete the main quest "Let Danheng remove his mask in front of you." This may involve danger. If you lose your life, you will not be able to restart! You will not be able to restart! You will not be able to restart! Please consider your strategy carefully.
Shen Mi stared at the words "may involve danger," and the corner of his mouth twitched violently.
She's already transmigrated to some godforsaken labor camp, and now she has to figure out how to get Danheng to take off his mask in front of her? It's uncertain whether she can even get out of the labor camp; does she really have to wait eighty years?
—Is this a beginner's quest?!
And tell me, how can I prevent Danheng from pulling out a gun and stabbing someone to kill him as soon as they meet him, since the person can tell him everything about him right away?
Well, the only good thing is that at least I can see my favorite character in person, and at least I can see a background that I'm familiar with.
Just as she was in despair and questioning the meaning of life, a cold voice sounded from behind her: "It's time to get to work."
Shen Mi suddenly turned around.
It was the person who handed her the water.
He stood in the corner bathed in the slanting rays of the setting sun, giving instructions. His uniform buttons were neatly fastened, and his bangs hung down slightly, partially obscuring his eyebrows and eyes. His seemingly emotionless expression made him appear calmer than the other administrators.
Above his head, two words flickered and hovered on his forehead like a short circuit on a circuit board—Danheng.
For a moment, Chen Mi's heartbeat went awry.
A note from the author:
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①: From "The Judgment on the Great Rebellion of Drinking the Moon"
La la la la! First, happy birthday to March 7th!! And then! I've started a new story! I have plenty of drafts, so please feel free to follow along. Updates will be every other day! The update time will generally be around 8 PM, barring any unforeseen circumstances! I'll update daily according to the rankings! Please leave lots of comments, I love seeing you all! [shy][shy][shy][shy][kiss][kiss][kiss][kiss]
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