Chapter 2

Luo Jia Star, belonging to the Fourth Administrative Region of the Galactic Federation, is the most remote planet in the federation's territory. A planet that should have only had a code name was named after the highest-ranking officer, Brigadier General Luo Jia, who sacrificed himself in several brutal battles defending the federation. Although it was an exception, it was still forgotten by most people.

The planet is surrounded by thick layers of space debris, and the only safe route is a special passage for the planet's management personnel. Supplies below the average level of the federation are delivered to the planet every two months. Most people are still struggling on the brink of hunger and poverty.

In the 22nd urban district, the central area is still brightly lit and bustling with people. As evening approaches, under the gray sky, two starkly different scenes—liveliness and desolation—coexist harmoniously.

Thirty kilometers away from the urban area, in an abandoned factory, industrial waste is scattered everywhere, and the remains of battle-damaged mechs are piled up. On this resource-scarce planet, the authorities have neither the energy nor the goodwill to deal with this waste. The free labor from the slums will help solve these mundane problems, and at the same time, save the government a significant amount of money. Why not?

The surrounding area is a silent wilderness, occasionally punctuated by a few screeches. In a corner of the factory, sparks occasionally flash, and a bonfire burns quietly, casting a slender figure against the ruins.

Mu Fan, 17 years old, doesn't know who his parents are. His adoptive parents told him that they found him behind a trash can while scavenging. It was just dawn, and the light from the star was gently and evenly illuminating the baby's face. When his adoptive father picked up the child, he found two tags on him: one was a dark yellow wooden tag with the character "Mu" carved on it, and the other was a black metal tag with the character "Fan" engraved on it.

Without much thought about the order of the characters, his adoptive father, who had read a few books, named him Mu Fan. When he was young, he never asked his adoptive parents about his origins. When he grew a bit older, his adoptive parents were killed by a stray bullet during a scavenging trip when pirates attacked. Mu Fan had no more opportunities to ask about the details. That year, he was ten.

Mu Fan is not very talkative but is very sensible. After receiving this news, he didn't cry. He returned to the dilapidated shack, found an old leather glove he had scavenged, and started helping people, both known and unknown, with labor. He moved things, washed dishes at a restaurant on the outskirts of the city, delivered mail to official citizens, and searched for scrap in the factory's waste piles to sell... Now that he was alone, he had to survive even more.

It has been seven years since his parents' death. Mu Fan glanced at the bonfire in front of him and continued to polish a small knife that glinted with a cold light. He hadn't taken much care of his appearance, with messy black hair, a not particularly strong build, but a decent height. When he lifted his eyelids, his brown eyes were revealed, but if you looked closely, you could see a red flash deep in his pupils, like a rose or settled blood.

In the 22nd urban district, the weather was getting cooler. Mu Fan wore a canvas jacket and a work pants stained with oil. Taking advantage of the evening, he came out to polish his weapon, a dagger made from industrial alloy. He was at an age where he was growing and easily hungry. The money he earned each week from working, he saved to buy books in the used book market. The remaining money was just enough to buy the lowest-grade synthetic food, which barely kept him from starving. If he didn't go out to find food, he would remain in this state.

One day, on his way back, he saw an old vulture take off not far away. Curious, he saw a black shadow fall from the sky—it was half a plant rat. In the flickering flames, Mu Fan tasted meat for the first time.

One of Mu Fan's survival standards is to go hunting twice a week. Whether it's a large or small animal, whether it's alive or dead, any harvest is a victory. He needed this energy because he could clearly feel his body's cells craving that meat.

"Zhis" the last spark splashed, Mu Fan put away the dagger, held the blade in his left hand, and looked at it in the firelight. He squinted his eyes, showing a satisfied expression. Tonight—he would eat meat!

...

The night on Luo Jia Star is as cold as steel, making one shiver to the bone.

Mu Fan, however, walked through the wilderness with his upper body exposed. The scars on his body, like battle medals, contrasted with his lean but naturally beautiful muscle lines, leaving no doubt about the explosive power hidden in his body.

Mu Fan didn't feel the cold that his neighbors talked about. Instead, he felt a refreshing coolness that made his mind incredibly clear, which he enjoyed. He didn't know why, but he always felt hungry, yet he found his endurance to be several times that of the people around him... or maybe even more. He had no concept of it, nor did he care to ask.

Taking advantage of the cover of night, Mu Fan ran to the edge of a forest fifteen kilometers away from the factory without attracting any attention. In the silent night, Mu Fan seemed to blend into the land, with only the steam rising from his body indicating his presence.

There is a river here. The icy water that people find bone-chilling is Mu Fan's favorite place to wash off the blood and sweat. If he's lucky, he can catch a fat fish in the water. Yes, the taste of raw meat is also good, as long as it's meat!

Mu Fan's goal today is to hunt a large animal. He feels his hunger growing stronger. Two plant rats are no longer enough to satisfy his body's needs. He needs to eat more meat.

This forest is far from the urban area. On a remote and impoverished planet like Luo Jia Star, the authorities don't have the resources to deploy many satellites for monitoring. The few human settlements struggle against nature, and this forest has remained well-preserved. There are more powerful beasts here, which means more abundant food for him!

"Whoosh" Mu Fan stopped, his bright eyes glowing. He stood at the edge of the forest, sniffing the scent of a nearby beast. There is a mutant beast there! He's right, this powerful aura. He can smell the aggression in the mutant beast's blood. His stomach growled again, and Mu Fan pressed his lips together. At this moment, a red glow surged in his eyes!

He needs to eat meat!

Desire is the driving force of humanity. When a rapidly developing body encounters hunger, it can unleash incredible energy, especially for Mu Fan, who has tasted meat!

Closing his eyes and then opening them, the faint red glow in Mu Fan's eyes completely disappeared, but his eyes were incredibly bright. The surrounding darkness seemed to vanish, and the forest, insects, and birds were clearly visible. He doesn't know when he discovered his ability to see clearly at night. When he accidentally used this ability to find several plant rats at night, he began to deliberately train himself to master this seemingly divine ability.

The night sky, thick clouds blocking the reflected light from the planet.

A "meteor" streaked through the atmosphere, shining a light above the clouds...

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