9: Resource collection

As the words fell, the cabin plunged into a dead silence, more stifling than a vacuum. Han Zhe could hear the roar of his own blood pounding against his temples, and the faint yet omnipresent hum of the system's operation. His gaze swept over Oleg's gradually stiffening, hollow face, passed over the filthy shroud covering Lina's remains, and finally settled on his own slightly trembling, white-knuckled hands.

Was this truly necessary?

Yes. There was no other choice.

What Kahn pushed open with his life was a door to survival, not to paradise. Beyond this door, it was still a jungle—a world of the strong preying on the weak, where only the fittest survive. Emotions, morality, humanity... these luxuries required a solid material foundation and secure barriers to sustain them. And right now, apart from this barely clinging-to-life body and a broken system, he had nothing.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath of the turbid, faintly putrid air, and when he opened them again, only icy resolve remained in their depths.

"Execute the command. System, initiate scanning. Formulate the most efficient and covert conversion plan. Ensure... the process... does not affect the escape pod's basic structure or subsequent construction." His voice was unnervingly steady, devoid of any fluctuation.

[Command confirmed. Initiating full-cabin non-living matter scan... including... designated organic targets. Scanning...]

On the pale blue light screen, data streams refreshed at an even higher frequency. Complex molecular structure diagrams, mass analysis, energy density assessments... cold numbers and charts decomposed two once-living beings into carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, trace elements... a series of quantifiable "resources."

[Scan complete. Target A (Oleg): Standard adult male human remains, approximate mass 65 kg, mild dehydration. Target B (Lina): Standard adult female human remains, approximate mass 48 kg, presence of unknown energy residue and tissue damage post-psy-awakening. Analysis complete.]

[Calculating optimal conversion plan... Adopting 'Silent-Type Biomass Deconstruction/Energy-Matter Simultaneous Extraction Protocol (Primary)'... Estimated resource points obtainable: Target A - approximately 120 points, Target B - approximately 95 points (psy-residue may cause partial material units to energize, actual points may fluctuate slightly). Conversion process will generate trace heat and inert gas residues, processable slowly by escape pod's circulation system. Estimated duration: Target A - 4 standard hours, Target B - 3.5 standard hours.]

[Warning: This operation will have an unknown impact on the host's psychological state. Ethical protocol module missing. Please reconfirm.]

"Confirm." Han Zhe's voice held not a trace of hesitation, as if he were merely confirming the launch of an insignificant program. "Begin conversion, starting with... Target A."

[Final command confirmation. Initiating Silent Conversion Protocol.]

There was no earth-shattering sound, no bizarre, fantastical spectacle. Only an extremely faint, almost imperceptible blue halo, like the thinnest mist, emanated from Han Zhe's palm (he had subconsciously placed his hand on Oleg's forehead, as if performing a final farewell) and slowly enveloped Oleg's remains.

Where the halo touched, clothing, skin, muscle, bone... everything "dissolved" in a manner that defied common sense. Not burning, not rotting, but more as if their very existence was being "deconstructed" layer by layer, reduced to the most fundamental particle streams, gently pulled and absorbed by that pale blue halo. The process was slow, quiet, even carrying a bizarre... sense of cleanliness. No strange odor, no residue, only a once-human outline gradually becoming transparent, thin, and ultimately vanishing completely like morning mist, not even a speck of dust left behind.

Only the rough jumpsuit beneath him remained, left behind because it wasn't defined by the system as "high-value resource," lying empty, outlining a faint human shape.

Han Zhe watched the entire process. Initially, he forced himself to look, as if to punish himself with this cruel procedure, or to confirm he had truly done it. But gradually, a numb calm enveloped him. He watched the final traces of that life being erased bit by bit, converted into the flickering numbers on the system interface—resource points climbing slowly and steadily from 85 points: 105... 130... 150... finally stopping at 205 points.

Oleg, that timid, nagging miner who ultimately died in madness, had become 205 cold points.

[Target A conversion complete. Resource points acquired: 120 points. Energy level slightly increased to 8.1%. Initiating Target B conversion.]

The blue mist shifted towards Lina's remains. This time, Han Zhe did not watch. He turned around, facing the observation window and the eternal starscape beyond, along with that slowly rotating debris field. His fists clenched at his sides, nails digging deep into his palms, bringing a sharp pain that reminded him he was still alive, still capable of feeling.

Behind him, that eerily quiet "dissolution" process continued. He could almost "hear" the system's silent hunger as it absorbed matter, could "feel" that faint but tangible flow of energy and matter converging into the broken system core within his own body.

An unknown amount of time passed.

[Target B conversion complete. Resource points acquired: 102 points (trace Warp disturbance and psy-echo detected, purified). Energy level: 8.9%. Current total resource points: 307 points.]

Han Zhe slowly turned around. Inside the cabin, on the side that belonged to Lina, only an empty jumpsuit and that shattered gear amulet remained—the system seemed to have judged its structure special, containing no standard resources, and left it. The amulet lay on the jumpsuit, dull and lifeless.

307 resource points. Still 193 points short of the 500-point goal. Energy at 8.9%, still a gap from 15%. But at least, the first step, the hardest step, had been taken.

The cabin space seemed slightly more spacious, but an intangible weight pressed even more heavily upon his heart. He walked to the two empty jumpsuits, silently folded them, and along with the gear amulet, placed them deep inside the storage locker. His movements were gentle, as if handling fragile treasures.

Then, he looked out the window at that debris field. Now, he needed to acquire the remaining resources from there.

The spacesuit's life support battery was depleted, the heating unit largely ineffective, and the leak persisted. Venturing outside again carried even higher risks than before. But he had no other choice.

He checked the toolkit, taking the magnetic lock (almost out of power) and the alloy wrench with him. He then forced himself to consume the last of the filtered water mixed with the final bit of synthetic nutrient paste (its taste nauseating) to replenish his strength.

"System, plan the next EVA route. Objective: locate high-density metal blocks or ice crystal-rich zones. Assess my current condition and equipment, calculate a safe operational time window."

[Analyzing... host's current physical condition: low. Spacesuit estimated safe operational time: not exceeding 15 minutes (based on leak rate, hypothermia risk, and oxygen reserve calculation). Recommendation: execute short, precise collection, prioritize acquiring high-quality metal.]

[Scanning debris field... Marking new targets: 9 o'clock direction, distance 22 meters, a dense alloy debris fragment (suspected armor plate fragment), estimated mass 80 kg, high titanium-steel ratio. 3 o'clock direction, distance 30 meters, small ice crystal and metal shard conglomerate, low ice content but easily collectible.]

22 meters, 30 meters... In zero gravity, wearing a bulky, leaking spacesuit, a round trip was the limit.

"Preparing for EVA. Target: alloy debris. Ice crystals... depending on circumstances." Han Zhe put on the cold spacesuit, still carrying the chill from the previous EVA. The low-power alarm of the life support system weakly chimed inside his helmet. He took a deep breath and unscrewed the inner airlock door.

Stepping into the void for the second time didn't feel any easier. The cold, loneliness, and ever-present sense of danger felt even sharper. He carefully adjusted his posture, drifting towards the marked alloy debris. This time, his movements were stiffer and slower due to exhaustion and the cold.

The 22-meter distance felt like crossing a chasm. He avoided a few unexpectedly drifting small fragments and finally touched the cold metal again. This armor fragment was thicker and sturdier than the previous engine casing, its edges jagged like fangs. He tried prying it with the wrench but found no purchase; a few strikes only left shallow dents.

Time ticked by. The frost on his helmet visor thickened, his vision beginning to blur. Breathing became somewhat difficult, the temperature inside the suit plummeted, and his limbs began to grow numb.

[Warning: Safe operational time remaining: 5 minutes. Life support system approaching critical point. Recommend immediately abandoning current target, attempt to collect nearer ice crystal conglomerate.]

Han Zhe looked unwillingly at this "treasure" so close at hand. Abandon it? No, he needed metal, needed high-purity matter to convert into points!

His gaze swept over the fragment's surface and suddenly spotted a relatively weak dent and crack formed by an impact. He immediately drifted over, wedged the wrench tip firmly into the crack, then mustered all his strength, using the minimal thrust from the suit's maneuvering jets, and gave a fierce pry!

"Crack!"

A dull, bone-conducted snapping sound. A heavy metal chunk roughly the size of a washbasin but astonishingly thick was pried loose by his sheer force! The massive recoil sent him drifting backward, nearly losing control. He quickly stabilized himself, using the magnetic lock (almost out of power, weak attraction) to barely secure the heavy prize.

There was no time to collect ice crystals. He immediately activated the jets, towing the heavy metal, struggling back towards the escape pod.

The return journey was exceptionally strenuous. In zero gravity, the metal block's weight wasn't apparent, but its inertia was enormous; every course adjustment consumed immense effort and the already scant gas in the jets. When less than ten meters from the escape pod, the oxygen alarm in the suit wailed shrilly, and black spots began to appear at the edges of his vision.

Gritting his teeth, using his last shred of consciousness, he shoved the metal block towards the escape pod with a final push, simultaneously throwing himself at the airlock door with all his remaining strength.

The metal block struck the escape pod's hull with a dull thud, bounced slightly, and was barely held by the magnetic lock Han Zhe extended (its last bit of power). He practically crashed into the airlock, slammed the outer door shut, didn't even have time to fully tighten it, and collapsed in the narrow airlock chamber, darkness completely engulfing his vision.