Every month, Brian Clark would come over to tidy up Field's house. The furnishings inside were not shabby at all; instead, they gave off a peaceful and simple vibe, just like Field himself—low-key and unassuming. Clearly, he wasn't short of money, yet he willingly chose to live quietly in this impoverished area.

In the backyard stood a towering tree over twenty meters tall, its massive canopy shading more than half the yard. Field once said that perhaps this was the only tree of its kind in the entire galaxy.

A wooden rocking chair lay quietly beneath the tree. Field always liked to lie on it and mutter to himself. When the chair rocked, it creaked, sounding like the gears of time turning.

Brian Clark walked to the tree, pulling out the crystal-like pendant hanging from his neck.

“Master, Hannah Clark and I have come to see you.”

In Brian Clark's world, there were only Field and Hannah Clark—well, Old David could barely count as one too. But now, both Field and Hannah Clark were gone, and Old David was about to start his own new life.

Sitting down against the tree, Brian Clark looked up through the gaps in the leaves, where scattered specks of light filtered down, but he could barely feel any warmth.

“Once again, I'm the only one left.”

Brian Clark raised his arm and, using the information in his mind, activated the control chip. He looked at his hands—though they looked no different from before, they could now easily pierce a ten-centimeter-thick steel plate, just like that eccentric old man earlier who could crush an alloy dagger with ease.

He hadn't yet digested much of the information stored in his mind, only some basic knowledge—like this control over his muscles, or the activation and silencing of genes...

It was worth mentioning that, thanks to the integration of those injected chips, Brian Clark's genotype had now reached level B. Before closing his eyes for the last time, Field had told Brian Clark that if one day his genotype reached level C, he would be able to open the box in his room; if not, he should never open it.

Standing up, Brian Clark walked into the room where Field used to live and opened the cabinet. Inside, a small box that looked wooden sat quietly. Around the box was an invisible protective membrane, used to verify genetic level. When Brian Clark's genotype was still at level F, he had been bounced away by it.

He placed his hand on the transparent membrane again. A faint halo spread out, then faded away. Brian Clark took out the box; the key to opening it was his genetic information—the double code in his genome and mitochondrial DNA.

Click—

The box opened.

Field's image appeared. Although it was only palm-sized, it was very clear.

“Brian Clark, being able to open this box means your genotype has not only reached level C, but you are also under fifty years old.”

Brian Clark raised his eyebrows, surprised that Field had even set an age limit.

“Brian Clark, if you plan to venture into space, then go ahead; if not, close the box and never open it again. This is your master's order!”

Brian Clark didn't move.

After a moment, the image flickered, then became clear again.

“Since you've chosen to venture into space, help your master with one thing. Take the ring inside the box with you. If one day the ring reacts, send me home...”

Hearing Field's voice, Brian Clark couldn't pretend not to be shocked. This ring was actually a subspace ring. Such technology was impossible to manufacture on Brian Clark's planet; only the super-rich in the bustling central regions could own one. It was the ultimate luxury item. Yet Field truly owned one, and Brian Clark could tell that its craftsmanship was even more exquisite and complex than those owned by the wealthy!

The more Field revealed, the more Brian Clark realized how extraordinary Field's identity was.

“The tree in the yard is called a Fuji tree. My family's crest is a Fuji leaf—climbing the Fuji, the Yuan family. Ever since I came to this region, I've never heard of it again...”

It turned out that as a child, Field had mischievously taken his family's spaceship out for a spin and accidentally entered the “Devil's Zone.” A suddenly appearing wormhole swallowed his craft, bringing him to this unfamiliar star system. His ship was destroyed, and after wandering for some time, he ended up on X-C362 Brown Earth, which is this planet.

Although Field didn't explain many details, Brian Clark could more or less guess the rest.

“Before the ring resonates, never mention the Yuan family or climbing the Fuji lightly...”

After giving his instructions, the image disappeared, leaving behind a wooden-looking ring.

The ring looked a bit large. Brian Clark slipped it onto his left thumb. The moment he did, the wooden ring suddenly transformed into a curled, leaf-shaped green pattern that clung tightly to his skin. It looked nothing like a ring—more like a tattoo. He couldn't pull it off, and no matter how he rubbed it, it was like trying to erase a tattoo that wouldn't come off.

Damn, if I'd known, I wouldn't have put it on my thumb! Who gets a curled leaf tattooed on their thumb?!

Following Field's instructions, Brian Clark dug up Field's coffin buried under the Fuji tree in the yard. Back then, there was no cremation; instead, according to Field's will, he was placed in a coffin made from the Fuji tree and buried beside it. Of course, only Brian Clark and Hannah Clark knew about this.