Barren Star – Chapter 1
by Little PandaArtificial Intelligence Stupidity has no sense of aesthetics.
Ning Buyi hid in a dirty, dilapidated warehouse, her limbs ice-cold.
Her heart was racing so fast it felt as if it would leap out of her chest.
Her ears were buzzing, her vision filled with scattered spots. Only after hearing the thunderous roar of the departing aircraft did she finally breathe a sigh of relief, collapsing powerlessly to the ground.
All around was silence.
As Ning Buyi’s eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness, her heart, which had nearly burst from extreme tension, began to calm. She finally had the leisure to sort through her muddled thoughts.
She had come back to life again, but had transmigrated into a book called 《The Imperial Prince’s Lover》, becoming a cannon fodder character who died upon first appearance.
Fortunately, she had now escaped mortal danger. The tense situation just now was due to hiding from the Imperial Prince’s execution order.
In the book, her identity was that of the Ning family’s illegitimate daughter, located on Barren Star No. 1, a territory owned by the Ning family. However, due to increasingly severe dark pollution, the planet was facing a new “judgment” with a 99% probability of being declared a “dead star,” so the Ning family decided to abandon this barren planet. Coincidentally, when the Imperial Prince passed through this place, the Ning family arranged one final night banquet. She had been tricked to the banquet by her sisters, made a fool of herself in front of the Prince, and thus brought death upon herself.
This “embarrassment” seemed minor to her – she had merely commented about Hua Zhuoyu under her sisters’ guidance. But this “Hua Zhuoyu” was no ordinary person – she was the female protagonist of the book, the Prince’s White Moonlight, the one who emerged victorious among countless women to become the legitimate consort. How could the Imperial Prince tolerate others discussing his beloved?
Ning Buyi happened to arrive at this point, becoming the unfortunate one.
Fortunately, the spacecraft was in a hurry to leave this severely dark-polluted barren star, and that Sword of Damocles (refers to imminent danger or doom) hanging over her head disappeared.
Ning Buyi exhaled a turbid breath, but quickly, her smile vanished. If everyone at the base had evacuated by spacecraft, didn’t that mean she was the only one left on this planet being gradually devoured by dark pollution? What should she do? Was death the only way out? Perhaps dying would allow her to leave this book world? No, her original body seemed to have also died in a car accident in that world.
【Ding, “Mountain Sea Atlas” at your service.】
【Detected host’s life signs, initiating binding with “Barren Star No. 1”, press “1” to confirm, press %…¥#@ to cancel】
【Ding, host’s soul has been bound to Barren Star No. 1, merged with the planet’s consciousness. As the planet exists, so shall you; as the planet perishes, so shall you.】
Strange mechanical voices rang out in her mind, completing this “forced binding” before Ning Buyi could even react.
Ning Buyi fell silent.
The mechanical voice in her mind continued, projecting an illusory image before her eyes – almost like a game interface.
【Beginning dark pollution detection… Warning! Dark pollution at 79%.】
【Beginning dark pollution absorption.】
Ning Buyi’s expression turned unpleasant. The high concentration of dark pollution meant this planet was unsuitable for human habitation. Even with protective shields, they wouldn’t last long.
In the novel’s worldbuilding, planets were classified into four tiers. First-tier were civilized planets, with dark pollution below 20% – only three existed in the entire Greedy Wolf Star System: Da Xia’s King Star, the Insect Clan’s Bug Star, and the Beast Clan’s Beast Star. Second-tier were construction planets, with dark pollution below 40%. Third-tier were barren planets, with dark pollution below 60%. As for the last tier, dead stars, once dark pollution reached above 80%, death was the only outcome.
The Greedy Wolf Star System had a planetary judgment institution called the “Star Court.” The Star Court’s judges were natural-born ability users, always numbering eight. They represented planetary fate, executing judgments on planets. Each planet underwent judgment once a year. If three consecutive judgments yielded the same result, a planet’s fate could be altered – something even the Imperial Emperor couldn’t interfere with.
According to the book’s description of the barren planet, it had already faced two judgments and was on the brink. If the third result matched the previous ones, it would be downgraded to a dead star. People on “dead stars” with dark pollution exceeding the threshold would be executed directly! No, this wasn’t about internal dark pollution levels – her soul was bound to the barren star as its true planetary master, sharing its fate. Once the barren star was judged as a “dead star,” both the planetary consciousness and life forms would be eliminated by the Supreme! The so-called judges were the Supreme’s butcher’s knife.
While sighing about her misfortune, Ning Buyi examined the Mountain Sea Atlas. It was like a card shop, but instead of various heroes, it contained all sorts of strange creatures. She mentally selected a tree and clicked on it, bringing up an introduction interface.
【Red-spotted Thorn Tree, windbreak forest species, low dark pollution absorption. Purchase price: 10,000 dark matter points.】
Ning Buyi’s eyelid twitched, her panicked heart gradually calming due to this cheat tool. Her gaze moved across the interface, finally landing on the brightest seed in the front row. With a thought, a packet of “vegetable seeds” appeared in her hand.
【100 dark matter points, deduction successful】
【Cabbage, one of the favorite fresh vegetables of the abandoned Blue Star people. Extremely low dark pollution absorption, but fresh and unpolluted, crisp and tasty.】
Was this “cheat tool” expecting her to farm on the barren star?
Ning Buyi scrambled out of the dirty warehouse, her stomach growing hungry. She hadn’t touched any of the food from King Star at the previous banquet. Now that everyone had left, the leftovers had probably been cleaned up by robots. The only thing she might find now would be nutrient supplements.
The base on the barren star wasn’t large, its white dome glowing unusually bright in the night.
Ning Buyi snuck into the administrative hall, and lights immediately illuminated all four sides. A smart robot approached her: “Hello, how may I help you?”
“Nutrient supplements,” Ning Buyi commanded the smart robot, frowning as she surveyed the administrative hall, recalling the book’s plot. After abandoning the barren star, the Ning family had unbounded from this planet. Now her soul was bound to the land – just a bizarre, supernatural mental connection. She needed to make this planet legally hers as well.
Ning Buyi quickly found the operating terminal. Fortunately, while the barren star was now unbound from the Ning family head, it still belonged to the Ning family before complete abandonment. The identity code in her wrist chip and her Ning family status meant her actions weren’t rejected. Within minutes, she became the planet’s true owner.
Ning Buyi breathed a sigh of relief, but when she discovered the base’s power supply would only last until August, just two months away, her expression soured again. Before being judged a dead star, the base’s power supply wouldn’t be cut off as long as there was money, but with the Ning family abandoning the planet, they naturally had no reason to invest more. Ning Buyi discovered her massive predicament: no money! This was truly a worry that couldn’t be escaped in any era.
Even without being bound to the barren star, leaving would be wishful thinking. Understanding this, Ning Buyi began taking inventory of her possessions. A cheat tool atlas, a base, a smart robot, a packet of cabbage seeds… if the dark pollution pervading the entire barren star counted as “assets,” she might be as wealthy as a nation.
In June, the barren star’s temperature reached 40°C (104°F), while nights were the other extreme.
Fortunately, the base’s protective shield was still operational. After filtering out the excessive harsh sunlight, the rays falling on her body were warm and cozy, like Blue Star’s spring. Of course, if you preferred other seasons, you could adjust it, but each adjustment required enormous fees, which the penniless Ning Buyi obviously couldn’t afford.
The base had a previously tilled planting area, giving Ning Buyi a ready-made advantage.
She had never farmed before and didn’t know how to plant. Searching the star network only yielded chaotic answers. The Greedy Wolf System’s people had completely different farming knowledge from her original world – perhaps under dark pollution’s erosion, most common plants had gone extinct, and those remaining on civilized stars were all specially protected species. As for what people ate, they were gene-synthesized simulated vegetables; ordinary people couldn’t hope to eat fresh ones in their lifetime.
Ning Buyi silently criticized this absurd worldbuilding while awaiting guidance, not knowing what else to do.
Fortunately, the cheat tool’s seeds didn’t disappoint her. In just one night, they broke through the soil, growing wildly in a way that shattered common sense. While shocked, Ning Buyi felt fortunate. Glancing at the Mountain Sea Atlas, she found the accumulated dark matter slowly increasing, meaning she could exchange for more seeds later and avoid those dog-sh*t-flavored nutrient supplements.
The vast base’s emptiness didn’t matter – as long as the network stayed connected, she wouldn’t feel isolated from society.
Ning Buyi’s peaceful pioneering life began, but when harvesting the third batch of cabbage, a massive impact explosion occurred behind the base, followed by billowing smoke. The base’s security system alarm instantly blared, piercing eardrums like sword blades.
【Beep beep, base western zone has encountered attack from unknown spacecraft. Activate security system?】
Ning Buyi was startled and hurriedly activated it. After confirmation, she watched as the administrative hall’s smart robot switched to combat mode and marched proudly toward the western zone.
Ning Buyi’s heart trembled.
Was her “doomsday” arriving so soon?
She paced back and forth in the hall, filled with unease.
Ten minutes later, the smart robot entered the hall carrying an unconscious humanoid being.
It was an unconscious woman.
The blue and white military uniform had several tears, with sleeves and collar covered in mottled bloodstains.
【Ding, detected dark pollution exceeding standard levels.】
The Mountain Sea Atlas’s alarm sounded.
Ning Buyi’s internal alarm bells rang loudly.
Organisms with excessive dark pollution would transform into blood-thirsty monsters, extremely dangerous entities.
The smart robot also spoke up: “Master, shall I activate the dark pollution waste disposal system?”
Logic told Ning Buyi that it would be best to eliminate such a dangerous existence.
However, her cheat tool gave her room to exercise misplaced kindness – well, from the atlas’s information, she learned there was a way to separate and absorb the dark pollution from the woman’s body. Both the concentration and volume exceeded the gradual absorption of cabbage.
“Don’t dispose.”
Ning Buyi commanded the smart robot.
She crouched down and wiped the blood from the woman’s face, her eyes lighting up slightly.
How could such a beauty be called waste?
Artificial Intelligence Stupidity has no sense of aesthetics.
“dog-sh*t-flavored nutrient supplements.” 😭😭
(˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶) .ᐟ.ᐟ