Chapter 310: City of Stars

"What are you talking about? Aren't all the residents here from Mountain City Mountain?"

Long Ming's heart sank.

"Yeah, but we're all part of the Star Alliance now."

Xiaopang explained to Long Ming.

"The Star Alliance? What's going on?"

A look of utter astonishment crossed Long Ming's face.

"Boss, let me give you the short version of what happened after you died."

Seeing that Long Ming seemed completely clueless, Xiaopang started to explain.

"Go on."

Long Ming did his best to stay calm.

He'd only been unconscious for a few days and his home was gone. No one could be expected to take that well.

"After your sacrifice, Mountain City Mountain erected a tombstone for you in the memorial park. It's still there, actually."

"Get to the point."

"Right after that, Starry City reopened, and we started the countdown to match with other civilizations again."

"What civilization did you get matched with?"

"We matched with a lizardman civilization, and it was an absolute nightmare! The three cities combined were no match for them. Their combat strength was terrifying; our exoskeletons were like paper in front of them."

A look of terror crept onto Xiaopang's face as he spoke.

"So how did you win?"

"Win? How could we? We were defeated not long after the fighting started. But at the critical moment, people from the Star Alliance appeared like gods descending from the heavens and saved us. The price was that we had to join the Star Alliance."

"How did the Star Alliance get involved?"

Long Ming's brow furrowed as he asked.

"How would I know?"

Xiaopang replied, shaking his head.

Long Ming's expression shifted as he listened to Xiaopang.

'Back when the three cities were fighting the Blood Breath Beast clan for their very survival, no one came to save us!'

'Was it just a lucky coincidence?'

Long Ming felt something wasn't right, so he kept questioning Xiaopang.

"Xiaopang, what exactly is this Star Alliance?"

"They're like gods. The Star Alliance is a massive Level 5 civilization."

Xiaopang told Long Ming with a deep sigh.

"A Level 5 civilization?"

Long Ming was stunned.

He had figured the Star Alliance was powerful, but he never imagined they were *this* powerful.

"That's right!"

"A Level 5 civilization... and they took us in?"

"Yeah. And of course, it's not just us. From what I hear, the Star Alliance has been around for centuries and has absorbed nearly a thousand lesser civilizations. We're just one more on the list."

Xiaopang explained.

This was starting to give Long Ming a headache. He said to Xiaopang,

"So, after you joined the Star Alliance... has life been good?"

"Boss, does it look like life is good?"

Xiaopang shot Long Ming a resentful look.

"Is it that bad?"

Long Ming was taken aback.

"Look at all these buildings! They were all contracted and developed by the big shots in the Star Alliance, and the prices are killer. Electricity and water are completely monopolized. You see the shops on this commercial street? Eighty percent of them are run by people from 'up there'! Within the Star Alliance, we're treated as inferiors. Life is just miserable. We're struggling every day just to make ends meet!"

Xiaopang whined, a blubbering mess.

"Is everyone really that bad off?"

"Not everyone. The capable and the wealthy all moved away."

"Moved where?"

Long Ming asked in confusion.

"This place we're in now is actually a Star Island. Its main structure is just a floating platform with a bunch of buildings and facilities on it. There are thousands of Star Islands like this one, all of us orbiting the central City of Stars! The City of Stars itself is shaped like a cake, with three floating tiers. The bottom tier is for the rich and the elite. The middle tier is for nobles and corporate magnates. The top tier is for the Star Alliance's government agencies. And us, the ones living on the Star Islands, we're the 'inferiors.' To even go to the City of Stars, you have to apply for permission."

Xiaopang explained to Long Ming.

"I see."

Long Ming's brow furrowed at this.

"But even though life is so hard, nobody complains about joining the Star Alliance."

Xiaopang added.

"Why not?"

"Because after joining the Star Alliance, you can at least sleep at night without worrying that you'll open your eyes and find a monster eating you. So, no one holds any grudges."

"..."

For a moment, Long Ming was speechless.

'He was starting to suspect the City of Stars had deliberately waited for lesser civilizations to be on the brink of collapse before stepping in to "save" them.'

"There are downsides to joining the Star Alliance, though. After all, joining means getting involved in wars between advanced civilizations."

Xiaopang said, scratching his head.

"I get it. By the way, are Luoxue and the others okay?"

Long Ming asked.

"They're fine."

"That's good. Where are they?"

"Uh, they should be at the Star Wish Cafe."

"The Star Wish Cafe is still here?"

"No, it's a new one."

"Take me there."

"No problem. It's this way."

Xiaopang led Long Ming toward the commercial street in the distance.

Just then, Long Ming saw a virtual ad projected onto the wall of a distant building.

A girl with pink skin, bright eyes, an adorable face, and waist-length pink hair appeared. She was wearing a white formal dress, which she grabbed and pulled with one hand.

The next second!

The pink metal bracelet on her wrist dissolved like sand.

Then, countless metal particles materialized from thin air, rapidly multiplying and swarming over her body. In their place, a stunningly cool, pink Mechanical God appeared.

She announced with a radiant smile:

"Star Wall, forging infinite possibilities. Asmat Heavy Industries, your trustworthy partner!"

...

"Holy shit, what was that? Special effects?"

Long Ming was so stunned he stopped in his tracks.

Xiaopang turned and called back to him.

"Boss, hurry up!"

"Oh, coming."

Long Ming stole a few more glances at the ad before hurrying to catch up with Xiaopang.

「Late at night.」

Xiaopang led Long Ming to the Mountain City commercial street and said,

"This is the main residential area for people from Mountain City Mountain."

"Right."

Long Ming scanned the passersby. He didn't recognize anyone, but he still felt an inexplicable sense of kinship.

"The Star Wish Cafe is over there!"

Xiaopang pointed into the distance.

Long Ming turned to look and saw a cafe with a storefront only three meters wide. A sign with the three words "Star Wish Cafe" hung above it.

'He was a little surprised. How did the Star Wish Cafe get so small? And it looks so much more downmarket now.'

"Let's go."

Long Ming immediately walked over with Xiaopang in tow.

After the two entered the Star Wish Cafe, they found the hall rather empty, with only a few scattered customers inside.

Long Ming turned his head toward the counter.

He saw Xiaoqi, dressed in a black and white maid's outfit, slumped over the counter, fast asleep.

A wry smile touched Long Ming's lips. He walked up to the counter and knocked on its surface.

KNOCK KNOCK~