“Cola, connect to the StarNet.” Eric Thompson ordered softly.

After last night’s practice, Eric Thompson and Colin had developed a good rapport, and he knew how to make use of this little guy’s powerful abilities.

Meanwhile, Colin was very fond of Eric Thompson, because Eric Thompson’s way of thinking seemed very accepting—he didn’t treat Colin as a machine, but as a good partner. This was very different from Colin’s previous owner.

Whoosh~

The images on the screen shifted rapidly as Eric Thompson logged into the interstellar network as an exorcist. The countless high-level items fascinated Eric Thompson.

As a prospective warrior, Eric Thompson would eventually need battle armor and weapons. Only high-level armor could withstand the frenzied bites of mutant beasts, and only razor-sharp advanced weapons could cut through their thick scales.

Although the armor and weapons currently used on Earth also came from advanced alien technology, Earth had only had access to high-level tech for a short time. Compared to the equipment made by advanced alien civilizations, there was still a huge gap.

Eric Thompson looked on with envy and muttered to himself, “Colin, is there any way to earn some star coins on the StarNet?”

Chapter 3: Morningstar System

Eric Thompson looked on with envy and muttered to himself, “Colin, is there any way to earn some star coins on the StarNet?”

Colin replied, “Basically, there are only two ways to make money on the StarNet: trading and missions. For trading, you can sell Earth’s products to other civilizations.”

“As for missions, there simply aren’t any that can be completed on Earth. First, you’d need to buy a starship and come up with enough of a deposit. After all, the paid missions posted on the StarNet all have targets on other planets, sometimes even across star systems.”

Eric Thompson stuck out his tongue. Talking about starships to someone as broke as him? That was just unrealistic. Eric Thompson’s living expenses were still provided by his school—just six hundred yuan a month.

“There are also prizes for participating in virtual battlefields, but first you need a virtual battlefield device that connects to the tactical network. The cheapest one in the star system currently sells for fifty thousand star coins.”

Eric Thompson cried out in dismay, waving his hands for Colin to stop. With not even a single star coin to his name, hearing numbers in the tens of thousands felt absurd.

What Eric Thompson lacked now was startup capital. You have to invest to get returns. If Eric Thompson wanted to make money on the StarNet, he’d first have to spend some money to equip himself with the necessary gear.

After thinking it over, the only option was to sell Earth’s products to aliens for money. But with those advanced alien civilizations, how could they possibly be interested in the goods produced by little old Earth?

The magical StarNet was like a bottomless black hole, firmly drawing Eric Thompson’s attention. Unknowingly, the clock’s hands had already moved to 8 p.m.

Bang bang bang~

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Eric Thompson was startled, jumped up, and hurried to open it. He saw a middle-aged man in a sky-blue uniform, holding a small package.

“Mr. Eric Thompson?”

“Yes.”

“This is your package. Before handing it over, I need to confirm your DNA as per the rules.” The courier smiled. He wore a high-tech device on his ear, like a headset—probably what allowed him to understand Earth’s language.

Eric Thompson immediately reached out his hand, and the man touched the skin on his wrist with a pen-like object. The DNA scanner beeped, and the light at the top of the device turned green.

“All done. Here’s your package and my business card. My name is Evan Harris, and I’m the courier responsible for this area from JetExpress. If you need anything, you can contact me through the StarNet. Interstellar Express—mission guaranteed!”

Eric Thompson excitedly took the package. It wasn’t very big, just the right size to tuck under his arm, and weighed less than two kilograms—much lighter than he’d expected.

“I’d like to ask, if I want to send a package from Earth to another planet in the star system, how much would it cost? The cheapest way,” Eric Thompson asked curiously.

Evan Harris thought for a moment and said, “The cheapest is 110 star coins per package, with a volume limit of one cubic meter and a weight limit of ten kilograms. If you go over, there’s an extra charge.”

“This kind of delivery is cheap but slow—it takes at least half a month to arrive. Besides that, there’s also a 520 star coin express option, which can reach any location in the star system within seven days.”

“I see, thank you!” Eric Thompson said with a smile after hearing Evan Harris’s explanation.

“You’re welcome. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me,” Evan Harris replied warmly.

……

Eric Thompson carried the box into the living room and couldn’t wait to open it.

Microdust Machinery really lived up to its reputation as a top-tier company. Not only was the packaging exquisite, but it also came with a reinforced fiber backpack as a bonus. The Morningstar System could be packed inside and carried anywhere.

It was said that this backpack could withstand the bites of large mutant beasts—the level of reinforcement was astonishing. It bore the Dust-type logo of Microdust Company, and didn’t look tacky at all. It actually looked pretty cool slung over the shoulder.

Taking out the Morningstar System, Eric Thompson couldn’t wait to put it on.