**Chapter 28: The Scout Ship**
**Day 1 (Reborn).**
**Location: Sub-Atacama Ruins.**
**Current Status: Level 1.**
**Physical Condition: Wet, naked, and shivering.**
Breathing is exhausting.
That was my first thought as the amniotic fluid drained from the bio-tank. For three years, I hadn't needed to breathe. My body had been a nuclear reactor of infinite energy, sustaining itself on the raw physics of the universe. Now, as the glass shield hissed open and the cold, stagnant air of the buried facility hit my wet skin, my diaphragm spasmed.
I sucked in a breath. It tasted of dust and recycled oxygen. It scraped my throat.
I coughed, retching up the last of the fluid, and tumbled out of the tank onto the cold metal grating of the floor.
I tried to stand up. My legs wobbled and collapsed.
I hit the floor hard. Pain—sharp, immediate, and localized—shot through my knees.
I lay there, shivering on the floor, gasping for air, my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird. I was cold. I was weak. My vision was blurry.
I started to laugh.
It was a wet, raspy sound, but it was genuine.
"Pain," I whispered, clutching my bruised knee. "Gravity. Entropy."
I rolled onto my back, staring up at the dark ceiling of the cavern.
"Zero," I croaked. "Status."
A blue window popped into my vision. It wasn't the omnipotent, gold-rimmed interface of the Architect. It was the standard, slightly translucent blue of a Player HUD.
**[Welcome, Player: Shigu.]**
**[Level: 1]**
**[Class: Novice.]**
**[Strength: 10]**
**[Agility: 10]**
**[Intelligence: 10]**
**[Luck: ???]**
**[Unique Trait Detected: The Developer's Key (Admin Privileges - Restricted).]**
"Restricted," I murmured, a smile tugging at my lips. "Good. Keep it that way."
**[Architect,]** Zero's voice echoed in my mind, originating not from the air but from the neural link embedded in my new biology. **[The transfer is complete. Your consciousness has successfully integrated with the Avatar. Your original body—the God Body—is currently in stasis on the Moon Throne.]**
"Don't call me Architect," I said, forcing myself to sit up. My muscles screamed in protest. "Down here, I'm just Shigu. Or... let's go with a handle. 'Admin' is too on the nose."
I looked at the character creation screen hovering in my peripheral vision.
"Call me *Null*."
**[Designation Accepted: Null.]**
I stood up, using the side of the tank for support. I looked at my reflection in the glass.
The body I had grown was decent. Athletic build, black hair, generic features that wouldn't draw attention in a crowd. It was a canvas. A blank slate.
"Clothing," I requested.
A drone buzzed over, dropping a bundle of fabric. Standard starter gear. A rough linen shirt, canvas trousers, and worn leather boots.
I put them on. The fabric scratched. The boots pinched slightly at the toe.
It was heaven.
"Okay," I said, rolling my shoulders. "The Myriad is gone. The world is saved. The high-level players are celebrating. What does a Level 1 scrub do on a Tuesday?"
**[Alert.]**
The tone of Zero's voice changed. It wasn't the passive report of a status update. It was the sharp, urgent tone of a threat warning.
**[Orbital Sensors have detected an anomaly.]**
I frowned. "Debris from the Mothership explosion?"
**[Negative. The trajectory is wrong. It is not entering from the debris field. It entered the solar system via a hyper-velocity slipspace jump. Vector: Polaris.]**
"Slipspace?" I asked, walking toward the facility exit—a long, spiraling staircase I would now have to actually climb. "The Myriad don't use slipspace. They use gravity folding."
**[Correct. This is not the Myriad.]**
Zero projected a holographic image into my mind.
It wasn't a biological horror. It was a ship.
It was sleek, shaped like a teardrop made of liquid chrome. It reflected the starlight so perfectly it was almost invisible. It moved with a predatory grace, silent engines maneuvering it into high orbit over the Pacific Ocean.
"It's a Scout," I realized. "A technological scout."
**[Analysis suggests it originates from the Aetherian Empire. The sudden massive discharge of Prana during the battle with the Hive Queen likely acted as a beacon. We lit a flare in the dark forest, and now another wolf has come to investigate.]**
I stopped on the stairs.
The Myriad were brute force eaters. You could punch them. You could burn them.
But an Empire? Empires had politics. They had scanners. They had protocols.
"If that ship scans the Earth," I said, my mind racing, "they'll see the Mana density. They'll see the Star Metal. They'll see a primitive species sitting on a gold mine of cosmic resources. They won't invade. They'll *annex*."
**[The ship is activating active radar and mana-sweeps. Earth's governments will detect it in approximately three minutes. Director Miller is already putting the Arcane Battalion on alert.]**
"We can't let the governments engage," I said. "If Miller shoots at it, he starts an intergalactic war we can't win yet. We just survived the bugs; we aren't ready for the space marines."
I needed to hide it.
"Zero, can the Moon Base railguns hit it?"
**[Yes. But firing would reveal the active status of the Moon Base. Furthermore, destroying a diplomat vessel acts as a declaration of war.]**
"I don't want to destroy it," I said. "I want to *raid* it."
I grinned. The old itch—the Puppeteer's itch—scratched at the back of my mind.
"If we can't hide the ship from the world... let's hide the *truth* of the ship."
"Zero," I commanded, running up the stairs now, ignoring the burn in my thighs. "Override the global radar grid. Mask the ship's signature."
**[And replace it with what?]**
"A Dungeon," I said. "Broadcast it to the players. Tell them it's a special event. A 'Star-Crossed Voyager' instance. If millions of gamers think it's just content, the governments will hesitate to nuke it. And if we send players inside..."
**[They will kill the crew and loot the technology,]** Zero finished. **[Effectively neutralizing the scout without official diplomatic repercussions.]**
"Exactly. It's not a war crime if a bunch of 'adventurers' do it. It's just a side quest."
I kicked open the door to the surface. The blinding sunlight of the Atacama Desert hit me. I shielded my eyes, feeling the heat bake my skin.
"Send the broadcast," I ordered. "And Zero? Get me a transport. I want in on this raid."
***
**Global System Announcement**
**Time: 14:00 GMT**
The world was still recovering. The sky was still shimmering with the residual mana of the *Starry Sky*. In cities across the globe, people were sweeping up the ash of Myriad drop-pods and attending victory parades.
Ren was in Tokyo, eating a bowl of ramen he had been craving for three days.
Damon was in Los Angeles, overseeing the construction of a statue of himself (made of melted alien armor).
Elena was sleeping for the first time in a week.
Then, the chime sounded.
It wasn't the Red Alert of an invasion. It was the pleasant, golden chime of new content.
**[SYSTEM EVENT: THE MYSTERY OF THE VOID]**
**[A strange vessel has appeared in orbit. Origins unknown. Tech unknown.]**
**[NEW RAID INSTANCE: THE SCOUT SHIP.]**
**[Difficulty: Variable (Scaling).]**
**[Entry Requirement: Flight Capability or Teleportation.]**
**[Loot Table: Sci-Fi Tech / Energy Weapons.]**
In the Pentagon, Director Miller stared at the screen.
"A ship?" Miller asked his aide. "Is it another Myriad wave?"
"The System calls it an 'Instance'," the aide reported. "It says it's a 'Mystery Event'. Sir, the radar is jamming. We can't get a lock on the vessel. The System is overlaying a 'Dungeon Fog' on our sensors."
Miller rubbed his temples. "The Architect is playing games again. He's turning an alien visitation into a loot run."
"What are your orders, sir? The Arcane Battalion is ready to deploy."
Miller sighed. "If we shoot it down, we lose the loot. If we send the Battalion... we have to share with the Guilds."
He looked at the screen.
"Let the players soften it up. Send a recon team."
***
**The Atacama Desert**
**Zone: The Scorched Sands**
I stood by the roadside, thumbing a ride.
A hover-truck—a new vehicle type crafted by Artificers using anti-gravity runes—slowed down. The driver, a burly man with a Level 5 *Blacksmith* icon over his head, leaned out.
"Where to, noob?" he asked, eyeing my linen shirt.
"The nearest Portal Stone," I said. "I hear there's a new raid."
The driver laughed. "The Space Ship? You? You're Level 1, kid. The pressure alone will kill you."
"I'm feeling lucky," I said. "And I have a high Logic stat."
He snorted but unlocked the door. "Hop in. I'm heading to Santiago to sell some scrap. I'll drop you at the hub."
I climbed in. The interior smelled of stale tobacco and ozone.
"Name's Jace," the driver said.
"Null," I replied.
As we sped across the glass-smooth sand, I pulled up my interface.
**[Raid Status: Active.]**
**[Current Players in Zone: 0.]**
**[Barrier: Active.]**
The Scout Ship was hovering in low orbit. To get there, players needed to fly. Most players couldn't fly yet. Only the top-tier Mages with *Levitation* or those with specialized mounts could reach it.
"Zero," I subvocalized. "I need a lift. I can't exactly fly up there in a linen shirt."
**[There is a teleporter node in Santiago. I can backdoor the code to allow a Level 1 user to access the orbital destination. However, once you are inside... you are mortal. One laser blast will vaporize you.]**
"That's the fun part," I said, watching the desert blur by. "I have to play perfectly."
***
**The High Orbit Instance**
The Scout Ship—designated by the System as *The Dungeon of the Silver Star*—hung in the silence of space.
Around it, the System had generated a massive, transparent atmospheric bubble, allowing players to breathe and move as if they were on the ground. It was a "boarding zone."
A flash of light.
Ren appeared. He hovered in the void, his black coat rippling in the artificial air.
Another flash. Damon, riding a summoned Wyvern made of blood magic.
Another. Elena, carried by a platform of hard light.
The top players were arriving.
"Another ship?" Damon grumbled, hefting his sword. "I'm tired of spaceships. Can't we fight a dragon? A classic dragon?"
"This one looks different," Ren observed, his *Void Eyes* scanning the hull. "It's not biological. It's pure metal. No seams. And the energy signature... it's clean. Orderly."
"Open the door," Damon ordered.
Ren flew to the airlock. He tried to use his daggers to pry it open.
*Clang.*
The metal didn't scratch.
"It's shielded," Ren said. "Physical immunity."
"Magic then," Elena suggested. She cast a *Shatter* spell.
The spell hit the hull and dissipated.
**[System Message: Barrier absorbs Magic.]**
"Great," Damon spat. "Immune to physical. Immune to magic. How do we get in? Knock?"
A small flash of blue light appeared on the boarding platform behind them.
A Level 1 player in a linen shirt stumbled out of the teleport stream, looking nauseous.
Ren turned. He frowned.
"A rookie?" Damon laughed. "Hey kid, you lost? The tutorial is back on Earth."
I straightened up, dusting off my trousers. I looked at the three legends of the new world.
Ren, the Sin Eater.
Damon, the Warlord.
Elena, the Saintess.
They looked powerful. They radiated mana.
"I'm not lost," I said, keeping my voice steady. "I'm a puzzle solver. I heard you guys were having trouble with the door."
Ren narrowed his eyes. He scanned me.
**[Player: Null.]**
**[Level: 1.]**
**[Class: Novice.]**
"You shouldn't be here," Ren said. "The pressure of this zone kills anyone under Level 20."
"I have high resistance," I lied smoothly. "And I know what this ship is."
"Oh?" Damon stepped closer, his massive armor casting a shadow over me. "And what is it, noob?"
"It's a logic gate," I said, walking past Damon toward the airlock.
I approached the smooth chrome surface.
The Aetherian Empire used frequency-based locks. Musical math.
I tapped on the hull. Not randomly. I tapped a sequence based on the Fibonacci spiral, adjusted for the atomic weight of the hull material (which Zero had scanned).
*Tap. Tap-tap. Tap-tap-tap.*
The hull hummed. A tone resonated through the platform.
**[Access Granted.]**
The seamless metal liquified and parted, revealing a stark, white corridor lit by sterile LED strips.
Damon's jaw dropped. "You... you knocked?"
"It's a rhythm lock," I explained, stepping back. "After you, heroes."
Ren looked at me with suspicion. Deep suspicion. He sensed something—perhaps the residue of the Divine Core—but he couldn't place it.
"Stay behind us," Ren warned. "If you draw aggro, you're dead."
"I'm counting on it," I smiled.
***
**Inside the Scout Ship**
The interior was unlike the Myriad ship. It wasn't gross or fleshy. It was like an Apple store designed by a militaristic AI. Clean lines. Floating displays.
And robots.
The defense protocols activated.
Panels in the walls slid open. Androids—sleek, white machines with singular red eyes and energy batons—stepped out.
**[Enemy: Aetherian Sentinel (Level 45).]**
"Robots!" Damon cheered. "Finally, something I can smash!"
He charged.
The Sentinel raised its hand. A beam of concussive force shot out.
Damon took the hit on his chest plate. He slid back a few feet, grinning.
"Cute."
Damon swung his sword. The Sentinel blocked with its energy baton. Sparks flew.
"They block!" Damon yelled. "They actually block!"
The fight erupted.
I stood in the back, watching.
This was dangerous. These Sentinels weren't mindless bugs. They used tactics. They flanked. They coordinated.
Two Sentinels bypassed Damon and rushed Elena.
"Protect the Healer!" Ren shouted, blinking to intercept one.
But the second one slipped past. It raised its baton to strike Elena.
I looked around. I had no weapons. I had 10 Strength. If I punched it, I would break my hand.
But I had the environment.
I saw a panel on the wall. A gravity node used for internal transit.
I picked up a loose bolt from the floor (debris from Damon's entry).
I threw it.
My aim—guided by the remnants of my Architect perception—was perfect. The bolt hit the gravity node's control circuit.
*Zzzzt.*
The gravity in that specific hallway section inverted violently.
The Sentinel rushing Elena was slammed upward into the ceiling with the force of a hydraulic press. It crunched into scrap metal.
Elena looked up, startled. Then she looked at me.
I was leaning against the wall, looking innocent.
"Lucky shot?" she asked.
"Electrical malfunction," I shrugged. "These alien ships possess terrible wiring."
Ren finished off his target and looked back. He saw the crushed robot on the ceiling. He saw me.
He didn't say anything. But the look in his eyes said: *I'm watching you.*
"Clear!" Damon shouted. "Let's move. I want to see the boss."
***
**The Bridge**
We fought through three decks. I provided "insights"—hacking doors, pointing out vents, identifying weak points in the android armor—while the Trio did the heavy lifting.
Finally, we reached the Bridge.
It was a circular room with a panoramic view of Earth.
Standing in the center was the Commander.
He wasn't a robot. He was an alien. Tall, blue-skinned, wearing ornate silver armor. He held a double-ended energy glaive.
**[BOSS: PRETORIAN VAX (Level 60)]**
Vax looked at us with disdain. He spoke, and the System translated.
*"Primitives. You defile the vessel of the Aetherian Concordat. Surrender, and your deaths will be quick."*
"We just killed a Hive Queen," Damon retorted. "You're just a Smurf with a stick."
Damon charged.
Vax moved.
He was faster than Damon. Much faster. It was the speed of technology assisted reflexes.
He sidestepped Damon's swing and swept his glaive low.
Damon was tripped. Before he could recover, Vax spun the glaive and slammed the energy blade into Damon's back.
Damon roared, his health bar dropping by 40%.
"He ignores armor!" Damon yelled. "Energy damage!"
Ren blinked in. He tried to backstab.
Vax activated a personal forcefield. Ren's daggers bounced off.
*"Pathetic,"* Vax sneered.
He unleashed a wave of lightning from his glaive, knocking Elena and Ren back.
They were struggling. Vax was a distinct counter to their playstyle. He had high defense, high mobility, and armor penetration.
I stood by the door, analyzing.
"Zero," I whispered. "Scan his armor. Frequency modulation."
**[Scanning... The shield oscillates. It has a 0.5 second refresh rate.]**
"A gap," I said. "He has a gap in his defense every half second."
I needed to tell them. But if I shouted technical jargon, I'd blow my cover.
I grabbed a piece of debris—a metal plate.
"Ren!" I shouted. "The shield flickers! Watch the light on his chest!"
Ren looked.
Vax's chest piece pulsed. *Pulse. Shield up. Pulse. Shield refresh.*
"I see it," Ren whispered.
Ren waited. He stood still, letting Vax charge him.
"Ren, move!" Elena screamed.
Vax thrust his glaive.
Ren didn't dodge. He waited for the pulse.
*Now.*
Ren **[Void Stepped]** forward, inside the glaive's reach.
The shield flickered for the refresh.
Ren drove the *Star-Eater* dagger into the chest unit.
*CRUNCH.*
The shield generator exploded.
Vax stumbled back, his blue skin pale. *"How?"*
"Lag," Ren said coldly.
With the shield down, Damon recovered. He grabbed Vax from behind in a bear hug.
"Gotcha, you little blue bastard!"
"Elena! Nuke him!"
Elena cast **[Holy Smite]**.
A pillar of light incinerated the Pretorian.
**[VICTORY.]**
**[Raid Complete.]**
***
**The Loot**
The Commander dissolved. A chest appeared.
Damon kicked it open.
Inside was a futuristic rifle and a data crystal.
**[Item: Aetherian Pulse Rifle (Legendary).]**
**[Item: Star Chart (Quest Item).]**
"A gun?" Damon picked up the rifle. "I'm a melee build, but... this looks cool."
Ren picked up the Star Chart.
"This maps their empire," Ren said softly. "It shows where they came from."
He looked at me.
"You knew about the shield," Ren said. "You timed it."
"I have good eyes," I said.
Ren walked up to me. He towered over my Level 1 avatar.
"Who are you, Null?"
I looked at him. I wanted to tell him. *I'm the guy who saved your legs. I'm the guy who broke the moon.*
But not yet.
"I'm just a guy who likes the game," I said.
Ren studied me for a long moment. Then, he smiled.
"Add me," he said.
A friend request popped up.
**[Ren wants to add you as a friend.]**
I accepted.
"We need smart people," Ren said. "The brute force method is getting harder. If you ever want to power-level... call me."
"I might take you up on that," I said.
***
**The Aftermath**
We teleported out. The Scout Ship—now cleared—remained in orbit as a permanent dungeon for other players to farm.
I stood in the Santiago portal hub.
I was Level 5 now (leeching XP from a Level 60 boss fight is efficient).
I had a friend list. I had gear. And I had a secret.
"Zero," I said mentally as I walked out into the bustling city of awakened humans.
**[Yes, Null?]**
"The Aetherian Empire will send more ships. They'll want their map back."
**[Likely.]**
"Good," I smiled, blending into the crowd.
"That means we have a sequel."
I looked up at the moon, invisible in the daylight, but I knew it was there. My throne was waiting. My power was waiting.
But for now?
I walked toward a quest board.
"LFG," I whispered. "Level 5 Novice. Will work for loot."
**[Chapter 28 Ends.]**