The Record of Unusual Creatures

From the beginning of the mission, Hessiana had been a lost ball in high weeds, following the team around wherever they went. It knocked her socks off when she saw the spaceship, and it was not until she went aboard the flight deck that she began to come to grips with reality. The spacecraft was as real as it got when she saw it with her own eyes and touched it with her own hands. No one on Earth could have built such a high-tech spacecraft at that point yet, she figured.     

"It's all true..." Hessiana looked around the flight deck but she did not dare touch anything for fear that she would accidentally spoil things and Hao Ren would jump on her. She still saw Hao Ren in a bad light; that had never changed. "Where did you get this thing from?"     

"There are vampires and werewolves on Earth, what's so surprising about extraterrestrial technology?" Hao Ren replied casually. "It's common sense that alien technology's more realistic than fantasy."     

Hessiana looked at Hao Ren in astonishment. "Are you from Mars? Or a distant star?"     

There was a distinction between a progressive vampire and a traditional vampire; this girl's knowledge of distant stars was telling.     

The Petrachelys passed through the passage of the upper crust and cruised above the surface slowly. The scene of the turbid atmosphere and decaying upper crust showed up on the screen as the spacecraft flew over an area of rugged hills where dirty hot air spouted from the sporadic hot springs. They turned the surrounding atmosphere into a disgusting dark-green color. Vivian could not help but sigh as she observed the hellish world. "It's hard to imagine there's a paradise underneath."     

"How are you going to deal with this layer of crust?" Nangong Wuyue asked. "Toxic water and noxious gases are everywhere. There are even mutant monsters and a crust that blocks out the sun too. You need to get rid of all these elements, even though the sanctuary is just right beneath them. I don't know how we're going to do that safely. A drop of a piece of the crust down would be catastrophic."     

"Aren't we taking control of the First Born's nervous system? We could retract the canopy after we revitalize Heaven's Pillars," Lily said simplemindedly.     

Hao Ren flicked her with his finger. "The entire canopy will crumble down if we do that. There are more than a hundred tons of fossilized materials up here; a slight tremor on Heaven's Pillars would cause an extinction-level disaster below. MDT, check if there's a better way to deal with such a situation. Is there anyone who specializes in peeling a planet?"     

"Do you think there are such companies?" the MDT scoffed. "But I know someone who can do similar things."     

While it spoke, the MDT showed Hao Ren a piece of information. Hao Ran took a gander at the info and froze. "The Fairy Mining Conglomerate? These guys are everywhere!"     

"They have a finger in every pie that makes money. They'll do it even if the job doesn't make money but makes them famous. People don't call them Fairy Void the profiteers for nothing."     

Hao Ren took a second look. The Fairy Mining Conglomerate? He could sense that something was not right. "I'm looking for a planet-peeling company, but you're giving me a bunch of freaking miners. Are you getting them to dig the crust?"     

"You guessed right. They're the best civilian miners in the universe. It's said that once upon a time, a tiny civilization sphere near Arcturus could do nothing but watch as a group of stray asteroids flew towards their planet. The asteroids were about to wipe them off the universe. In desperation, they sent out a distress signal. At that time, a group of miners from the Fairy Mining Conglomerate happened to pass by the region. Those miners responded and dug away every single piece of the asteroids before the rocks had a chance to come close to the tiny civilization."     

Hao Ren was silent, feeling astounded.     

He wiped the cold sweat off his forehead; such efficiency may just be what he was looking for. "Okay, I'll use them. But one question; is it safe to dig the crust? When they start to dig with their heavy equipment, Heaven's Pillars could collapse."     

"They have the technology to create a gravitational barrier that envelops the entire planet to prevent broken pieces of the rocky dome from falling."     

Hao Ren thought for a moment. "Well, there's still one more question: How much will they charge?"     

The MDT appeared delighted at the question. It showed the structure of Inferno's upper crust via holographic projection and marked the different layers of the petrified canopy with different colors. "Do you know what this is?"     

"Rock."     

"Wrong. It's money, dude!" the MDT said. "This petrified strata comes from the body and high-strength secretions of the First Born. Eighty percent of the civilizations in the Milky Way can't produce such a substance. Although I don't know what this thing can do, there are venture capitalists in the universe who are willing to pay for this rare stuff. Those collectors of arts, antiques, pearls, and jewels of alien galaxies like to show off their collections to their visitors. While neither the one who's boasting nor the one who's listening to the boasting knows what the stones are for, they still enjoy it."     

Lily nodded and said, "Collecting stones is a classy hobby. I collect stones too."     

Hao Ren waved her away. "Oh, please spare me. You even collect bricks from the construction sites as if they're gemstones! Don't equate yourself with the parvenus."     

Then he asked the MDT, sounding interested, "So, you're saying that people are willing to pay for this thing? I think they're rich but not stupid. Even if you tell them that it's a fossilized super-creature and a valuable collectible, will they believe you?"     

The MDT smiled wryly. "Of course they won't. But what if there's the signature of an inspector on the certificate?"     

The penny dropped, and Hao Ren suddenly came to his senses.     

An inspector; the witness of civilizations, undertaker and recorder, the eyes and mouth of the goddess, the only mortal in the universe who had the authority to appraise and evaluate historical events from the perspective of a bystander. Many ordinary civilizations treated an inspector like a demigod. It was just that Hao Ren had not fully grasped the concept earlier.     

As long as he put down his signature, the petrified substance on the surface of planet Inferno would soar in price in the eyes of the collectors. Sometimes one could not rationalize the thinking of the rich.     

However, the certification meant nothing at all to Hao Ren and the laws of the divine world.     

He began to see things in a new light. "I let the Fairy Mining Conglomerate mine for free and sign a certificate that says these rocks have historical value. Then all they need to do is ensure the safety and efficiency of the mining process while they keep the planet in orbit. No one has to pay a single cent for it."     

"In the long run, the profiteers will still make a fortune." The MDT made a strange buzzing sound, as though it was feeling somewhat regretful. "If they've got guts to buy normal type of stones, they'll certainly buy the ones with the signature of an inspector. It's a shame that the wealth of the Pan-Civilization Sphere means nothing to you. Let the profiteers take what they want, and they'll owe us a favor."     

Hao Ren smiled wryly. "Often, owing a favor is better than owing a debt."     

Suddenly, a crispy voice rang from the side. "Long time no see. Sounds like Pattie and you have become like the profiteers."     

Hao Ren looked up and saw Nolan's holographic image standing next to him. He put on an arrogant smile. "I'm not boasting, but inspectors are awesome people. Don't underestimate my abilities."     

"I know," Nolan said. "I visited Aerym a couple of days ago and learned about the elves from the database. They've built a huge statue and monument for the Sun King. I know what you've done."     

"You've been there?" Hao Ren scratched his head. "I was thinking of bringing you to visit my bases later, but it seems that it's unnecessary now since you have everything in the database."     

Nolan nodded. She suddenly pointed at the console. "I have a question though."     

"What question?"     

"Why is this PDA insisting on plugging itself in me while I'm the one piloting the spacecraft?"     

Hao Ren was a little startled. He then turned to look at the MDT. "Since Nolan's piloting the spacecraft, what are you doing up there?"     

The MDT suddenly felt like its job was in jeopardy. It squeezed itself harder into the slot and shouted, "I'm not leaving! This is my throne! I'm destined to be the battleship's host for life. Whoever dares to pull me out, I'll fight him to the death!"     

"This dude can't be serious!" Hao Ren said to himself.