《Stellar Remnant: City Rebellion》

Acid rain fell like a storm of steel needles, slanting down and stabbing into every inch of land in the Rust Belt of Azure Star. It hammered against the battered alloy roof of the maintenance workshop, producing an endless c***k-c***k—a sound like a funeral bell that never stopped tolling. Inside, the sharp stench of machine oil mixed with the metallic tang of evaporating acid rain, blending into a scent so familiar it had become the very smell of survival for those at the bottom of the Rust Belt. Lin Feng hunched over, gripping a wrench with both hands as he struggled to tighten a rust-eaten mech bolt. Fine beads of sweat seeped from his temples, mixing with the grease on his face before dripping onto his scuffed work pants, leaving dark stains behind. He had awakened his transformation gene at seventeen. Now twenty, three full years had passed—and not once had he completed a full transformation. In a world where worth was measured solely by transformation ability, the words failed transformation were a death sentence. They chained him in place, branding him forever as useless. “Move it! What are you dragging your feet for—want to get beaten?” The shout exploded through the workshop, harsh and grating, like metal scraped against metal. The voice belonged to Zhao Hu, the foreman. A hulking man with a vicious scar carved across his left shoulder, he was a minor enforcer for the Scrap Iron Syndicate—and he took particular pleasure in tormenting lowly laborers like Lin Feng. Zhao Hu kicked the parts crate beside him. Metal components spilled across the floor, clashing loudly as they scattered. Lin Feng stiffened. His grip on the wrench tightened, but he didn’t dare raise his head or speak back. He simply clenched his teeth and worked faster. In the Rust Belt, the weak had no right to resist. His eyes drifted unconsciously toward the workshop’s cracked window. Beyond it, through the acid rain haze, the faint silhouette of a floating city hovered in the sky. That place was paradise on Azure Star—the core territory of the Star Remnant Alliance. It was said that the transformers born there could absorb pure Star Remnant energy from birth, effortlessly unlocking powerful mech or biological forms. As for people from the Rust Belt? Being able to snatch even a mouthful of contaminated Star Remnant energy just to stay alive was already a blessing. “Did you hear? The Alliance patrol came again yesterday. They took three newly awakened transformers and drafted them straight into the outer forces. From now on, they’ll be living in Prosper City.” The whispered voices nearby were thick with envy. “Prosper City… All pure Star Remnant energy there. Not like us, barely surviving on impurity-filled energy paste.” A quiet sigh followed. “But we don’t have that kind of fate. Especially trash like Lin Feng—can’t even transform. He’ll rot in this Rust Belt mud for the rest of his life.” The words pierced Lin Feng’s ears like needles. His cheeks burned, and a dull ache clenched his heart. It wasn’t that he hadn’t tried. For three years, he had trained relentlessly, clinging to even the faintest hope. Yet every attempt at transformation sent the energy in his body spiraling out of control—sometimes leaving him drained, sometimes making him cough up blood. Eventually, even the elders of the Scrap Iron Syndicate had given up on him. Bzzzz— A violent surge of energy suddenly rippled outside the workshop, followed by a shrill alarm. Zhao Hu’s face went pale. He yanked out his energy pistol. “Alliance forces? Or star pirates? Everyone stay put! Anyone who moves gets shot!” Chaos erupted. The laborers scrambled into corners, trembling. Lin Feng froze, unease flooding his chest. The Rust Belt was lawless, but Alliance patrols rarely triggered full alarms. Something was wrong. He quietly edged toward the window and peered through a narrow c***k. Outside, three black mechs hovered over the open ground. Their armor bristled with vicious spikes, radiating dense, oppressive darkness. The lead mech was massive, with twin energy cannons mounted on its shoulders. Dark Knight Mechs—elite units under Duke Locke of the Star Remnant Alliance. “Remnants of the Scrap Iron Syndicate,” the lead Dark Knight declared coldly, his voice devoid of emotion. “Hand over the hidden Star Remnant Energy Core immediately. Otherwise, the entire Rust Belt will be erased.” The Syndicate’s guards rushed to assemble, transforming into crude mechanical forms and raising energy weapons. But their transformations were incomplete, their weapons cheap and modified. Compared to the Dark Knights’ pristine machines, they were nothing. “Fire.” Twin black beams erupted from the shoulder cannons. BOOM. The defensive fortifications collapsed instantly. Several guards were buried beneath the wreckage, their screams echoing through the rain. Inside the workshop, terror spread like a disease. Zhao Hu’s hand shook uncontrollably around his pistol. Lin Feng watched the s*******r outside, a crushing sense of helplessness rising in his chest. This was the gap in power. Without true transformation strength, one could only be crushed beneath absolute force. Suddenly, a black energy beam veered off course and streaked toward the workshop. “Watch out!” Lin Feng shouted instinctively, throwing himself at a nearby laborer. BOOM! The beam punched through the alloy roof. Metal shards and debris rained down. Pain exploded across Lin Feng’s back. He groaned, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth. At that instant, a burning sensation flared in his chest—where a black jade pendant hung. The only thing his parents had left behind. Normally silent, the pendant now burned as if ignited from within. A torrent of pure Star Remnant energy surged out, flooding his meridians. His body burned as the chaotic energy inside him was forcibly drawn into a strange, unfamiliar flow. “This is—” His eyes widened. This feeling was nothing like before. “RAAAH!” A low roar tore from his throat as his body transformed uncontrollably. Bones cracked. Muscles swelled. From his back, massive metallic wings unfurled, etched with glowing blue energy patterns. His arms reshaped into razor-sharp claws, and fine metal scales spread across his skin. “Transformation… succeeded?” The workshop fell silent. Every laborer—including Zhao Hu—stared in disbelief. They had never seen such a form: mechanical yet fluid, brutal yet alive. The metallic wings alone radiated a terrifying presence. Power surged through Lin Feng’s body. Ecstasy flooded his mind. He had finally transformed. And this power far exceeded anything he had imagined. With a single beat of his wings, he rose effortlessly into the air. Outside, the Dark Knights noticed him. The lead mech turned, its cold gaze locking onto Lin Feng. “A hidden transformer?” A hint of surprise flickered—then vanished. “No matter who you are, anyone tied to the Scrap Iron Syndicate will be destroyed.” The cannons began charging again. Hovering in midair, Lin Feng felt no fear—only a burning desire to fight. Three years of humiliation. Three years of resentment. Today, it would all be released. Then the pendant burned again. Fragments of alien memories crashed into his mind. Star Remnant Core… Awakening… Entropy Demon… Guardian… His head split with pain. The blue patterns on his wings dimmed. The energy inside him destabilized. “What’s happening…?” Panic struck. The cannons finished charging. The beam fired. Lin Feng tried to dodge—but his energy cut out completely. His wings went limp, and his body plummeted. Despair filled his vision. Was this fragile hope about to shatter the moment it was born? At the last instant, a blue energy shield snapped into place before him, perfectly blocking the beam. BOOM! The shockwave hurled him away. He slammed into the ground as his transformation dissolved, reverting him to human form. Struggling to lift his head, he saw a girl standing before him. She wore a white research coat. Long light-blue hair framed her anxious face, round glasses perched on her nose. In her hands was a strange device—the source of the shield. “Who… are you?” Lin Feng asked weakly. She didn’t answer. Instead, she pulled him up urgently. “No time to explain. The Dark Knights are after the Star Remnant Core pendant on your chest. We have to leave—now!” She dragged him toward the back exit. Stumbling after her, Lin Feng clutched the still-warm jade. Questions flooded his mind. Who was she? How did she know the pendant’s secret? What was the Star Remnant Core? And what did those memories mean? Behind them, the Dark Knights closed in. Energy beams tore through the workshop walls as debris rained down. Lin Feng glanced back at the pursuing mechs, then at the girl pulling him forward. No matter what awaited him, he would survive. He would uncover the truth. He would never again be the trash left to be crushed underfoot. What he didn’t know was that the moment his transformation awakened, a storm destined to engulf Azure Star—and the entire stellar system—had already begun.