Star Hunter

Chapter Four: The Secret of the Wilderness

In the midst of his slumber, fragments of information recorded in his mind flashed by, while subtle changes were occurring within Xilin’s body.

When he opened his eyes again, two days had passed. Xilin did not visit Old Daven’s shop but instead went to the home of his master, Yuan Ye.

Xilin had been found by Yuan Ye in the forest to the west of the small town. At that time, an unusual solar flare had sent high-energy radiation sweeping through nearby planets, causing crop failures and skyrocketing prices for nutritional supplements. For the impoverished, it was a disaster—many starved to death, children too weak to survive were sold to the wealthy in the prosperous districts, and Xilin was one of the children who hadn’t yet been sold. That day, a violent skirmish broke out in the western forest over food, and by the time Yuan Ye arrived, the only survivor was the infant Xilin, left in a hollow of a tree.

Yuan Ye, though only a level F in the Seven Yuan Genetic tier, lived better than many in the higher ranks, his strength far surpassing that of those in level D. He taught Xilin a unique fitness regimen, one far superior to those seen on television, incorporating improvements based on human kinetics and other sciences. These exercises would later become vital for Xilin’s hunting skills. Yuan Ye had once told him that the regimen was adapted from martial arts—stripped of its lethality, yet imbued with a sense of balance. Over time, however, Xilin would gradually restore the lethal aspects that had been removed.

Yuan Ye passed away when Xilin was twelve. No one knew Yuan Ye’s true age. All Xilin knew was that his master was far from ordinary. As for the rest, he was left in the dark.

Every month, Xilin would come to tidy up Yuan Ye’s house. The interior was modest but not lacking, exuding a tranquil simplicity, much like Yuan Ye himself—low-key and unpretentious. Despite not lacking in wealth, he had chosen to live humbly in this impoverished region.

In the backyard stood a towering tree, over twenty meters tall, its massive canopy casting shadows over half the yard. Yuan Ye had once remarked that this was perhaps the only tree of its kind in the entire galaxy.

A wooden rocking chair sat quietly beneath the tree, a favorite resting place for Yuan Ye, who often spent hours there murmuring to himself. The creaking of the chair seemed to echo the turning of time’s gears.

Xilin approached the tree, retrieving a crystal-like pendant hanging from his neck.

"Master, I’ve come with Hena to visit you."

In Xilin’s world, only Yuan Ye and Hena remained, with Old Daven barely considered a part of it. But now, both Yuan Ye and Hena were gone, and Old Daven was about to embark on his own new life.

Sitting beneath the tree, Xilin gazed through the gaps in the leaves, where tiny specks of light scattered down, but the warmth was barely perceptible.

"It’s just me now."

Lifting his arm, he activated the chip implanted in his body. His hands, unchanged in appearance, were now capable of effortlessly piercing through a ten-centimeter-thick steel plate—much like that twisted old man, capable of crushing an alloy dagger with ease.

Though Xilin had yet to fully absorb all the information recorded in his mind, there were some basic concepts he understood: like the control over his muscles and the activation and suppression of his genes...

Remarkably, due to the chip’s integration, Xilin’s genetic level had already reached B-grade. Yuan Ye had once told him that when Xilin’s genetic level reached C-grade, he would be able to open the box in his room; if he never reached it, he was to leave the box untouched forever.

Rising to his feet, Xilin entered Yuan Ye’s former room and opened a cabinet. Inside lay a small wooden box. An invisible protective membrane surrounded it, designed to test the genetic level. Xilin had been thrown back when he tried to access it as an F-grade.

Placing his hand on the membrane once more, a faint glow radiated from it, gradually fading away. Xilin took the box out, and the key to opening it lay in his genetic data—the dual passwords embedded in his genome and mitochondrial DNA.

Click—

The box opened.

Yuan Ye’s image appeared, small but clear, barely the size of a palm.

"Xilin, being able to open this box means that your genetic level has not only reached C-grade but also that you haven’t yet reached the age of fifty."

Xilin raised an eyebrow, surprised that Yuan Ye had even set an age limit.

"Xilin, if you plan to venture into space, continue; if not, close the box and never open it again. This is a command from your master!"

Xilin remained still.

After a long pause, the image flickered and then became clear again.

"Since you’ve chosen to venture into space, there’s something I need you to do for me. Take this ring from the box. If one day it reacts, return me home…"

Listening to Yuan Ye’s voice, Xilin could not hide his astonishment. The ring was an interdimensional ring—such technology was beyond anything that could be made on Xilin’s planet. Only the ultra-wealthy in the central districts could possess such luxuries. Yet Yuan Ye had one, and Xilin could sense that it was far more finely crafted than the rings owned by the wealthiest.

The more Yuan Ye spoke, the more Xilin realized how extraordinary his master truly was.

"The tree in the yard is called the Fuchi Tree. My family’s crest is the Fuchi leaf. ‘Up the tree, Fuchi’—the Yuan family. Since I’ve come to this region, I haven’t heard of anyone else…”

Xilin learned that as a child, Yuan Ye had once mischievously piloted his family’s spaceship into the "Devil’s Zone," where a sudden wormhole swallowed his craft, bringing him to a foreign star system. The ship was destroyed, and he was forced to wander until he arrived on X-C362, the brown dwarf planet that was now his home.

Though Yuan Ye left out many details, Xilin could piece together the fragments of his story.

"Before the ring resonates, never mention the Yuan family or the Fuchi tree…"

With those words, the image faded, leaving behind a wooden ring.

The ring seemed too large, so Xilin slipped it onto his left thumb. The moment it was placed, the once wooden ring transformed into a curled green leaf pattern that clung tightly to his skin. It no longer resembled a ring but more like an indelible tattoo, impossible to remove no matter how hard he tried.

Damn, why did I put it on my thumb? Who would want a curling leaf tattooed on their thumb?

Following Yuan Ye’s instructions, Xilin dug up Yuan Ye’s coffin buried beneath the Fuchi tree. Rather than being cremated, Yuan Ye’s will had specified that he be placed in a coffin made from the Fuchi tree and buried beside it. Only Xilin and Hena knew of this.

Without disturbing the coffin, Xilin placed the leaf tattoo on his thumb against it. A green light shimmered, and the coffin was absorbed into the ring. Xilin could feel its precise location within the ring, and he knew there was plenty of space left—enough to store supplies for a long journey.

After settling everything in the yard, Xilin gently kissed the pendant hanging around his neck, looked at the leaf tattoo on his thumb, and smiled. "The three of us are going on an adventure!"