Buy The Marshal Omega Chapter 1
byThe Distance Between Snowy Nights 1
Marta Alliance, Star Calendar 3371, Second Star Sector, Planet Gladel.
Planet Gladel was a sanctuary for gamblers. This planet knew no daylight; an eternal, prosperous night reigned over everything. It was destined to be a fertile ground for chaos and crisis, but it was also destined to hold endless opportunities within that very chaos.
I won!!!
Amidst the chaotic gambling tables, an excited shout rang out. A bare-chested burly man was flushed with excitement, looking like a supernova on the verge of exploding. The electronic chip display in front of him was spinning frantically, the numerical column representing his stakes rising incessantly. He clenched his fists tightly, his very breath hitching.
As the red numbers settled one by one, the amount on the display stopped at a milestone in the billions—this was the first person to win a ten-figure stake on Gladel this interstellar year.
The roar of the surrounding crowd instantly drowned out the electronic chime of the deposit. Envy, jealousy, and longing surged through the crowd, surrounding the heroic winner.
The night sky of Gladel also lit up with brief fireworks for this newborn victor. The light of the flames filtered through the glass of the dome, reflecting a decadent crimson glow onto the face of every gambler.
According to tradition, this winner could become a Silver Sparrow member of Gladel, and Gladel would grant the gambler an F-class planet as a gift. Although F-class planets were unsuitable for habitation and devoid of life, if one could mine a Star Core and sell it, they could make a fortune.
The bare-chested man’s eyes were red with excitement. Friends! Tonight, all your expenses are on me!
With a grand wave of his hand, he proudly declared his victory. At the same time, he looked toward the friends who had come with him, only to find that the surroundings had become quiet at some unknown point. The people around him ignored his announcement, everyone staring wide-eyed behind him.
He turned back in confusion and was immediately stunned, his expression going blank for a moment.
Not far away, at the center point of the Gladel casino, stood a special display stand.
On the stand, chips made of rare meteorite gold were piled into a small golden mountain. Behind the mountain sat a knight’s sword. The sword was miniature, only the size of a palm, but the sharp light of its blade was intimidating, making it seem as if the entire golden mountain had been built upon the strength of this knight’s sword.
This golden mountain was arguably the most iconic landmark of Gladel. There were twenty coins in total, representing the Golden Falcon members of Gladel—
These individuals were the supreme members of Gladel. Not only did they possess unfathomable backgrounds, but their membership also signified that they had once won stakes at the ten-billion level within Gladel.
Since the founding of Gladel hundreds of years ago, there had only been twenty Golden Falcon members. Some had already passed away, and very few remained alive.
Aside from members, no one was permitted to take a gold coin from this small mountain.
But at this moment, a figure dressed in a white cloak had quietly stopped before the golden mountain. He was like a white bird landing in a chaotic battlefield, excessively dazzling and excessively out of place.
The bustling casino seemed to have its pause button pressed. Everyone curiously sized up this person, including the nearby dealers and attendants. Because they could not see the person’s face and could not identify him, the exquisite faces of the dealers and attendants already showed the charging traces characteristic of an android’s pre-attack state. Everything was ready, waiting for the slightest provocation.
In the past century, there had been no shortage of greedy gamblers who reached for the golden mountain. However, anyone other than a member who laid a finger on it would face Gladel’s cruel punishment—
The seemingly gentle and lovely dealers and the submissive attendants would instantly reveal their fierce android nature, mercilessly severing the hand that touched the gold coin.
Those who tried never left Gladel; their blood remained on the floors, turning into dark stains.
The owner of the white cloak remained perfectly composed. He reached out a hand, crossing the security infrared lines in front of the display without triggering any alarm. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he picked through the golden mountain, selected the one that belonged to him, and tossed it in his palm.
Holy crap! Who is that?!
I can’t see his face, he’s covered up too tightly!
Needless to say, he must be one of the Golden Falcon members…
What is he going to do with that gold coin?
Gasps of surprise echoed through the casino. Many people couldn’t help but speculate about the person’s identity, and the sounds of discussion rose and fell. The dealers and attendants, however, relaxed, returning to their original gentle expressions as they continued to invite the surrounding gamblers into the games.
The atmosphere eased, and the hall became lively once more. Seeing the guest take the gold coin, a fierce-looking security guard nearby walked to the display stand, cautiously bowed to the mysterious guest, and extended a hand to lead the way.
The brilliant gold coin was tossed high once more and soon fell steadily back into his palm. The person in the white cloak toyed with the coin while following the guard toward the doors of the casino’s inner hall.
As he walked, his cloak slipped slightly, revealing a face with the lower half covered by a black mask. A strand of hair of an indiscernible color hung to one side, and beast-like, glowing green eyes swept over the people watching nearby. He quickly adjusted his cloak, hiding that leaked flash of color once more.
The tall, heavy doors of the inner hall opened and closed. The white figure walked inside, disappearing into the darkness of the closing gap.
In the casino crowd, a spectator who had been watching the doors close suddenly spoke up. Hiss! I think I know who that was!
Who? The person next to him looked over curiously, following his gaze toward the closed doors.
I caught a glimpse of his eyes.
He should be the newest Golden Falcon member. He’s an Alpha who swept through Gladel ten years ago. Later, he took his ten billion in winnings and established Broken Star City in the 134th time zone of the First Star Sector.
Though few have seen him, legend says he has brilliant green eyes. You all must have heard of him, right?
It’s him!! I know! The Lord of Broken Star City, Lu Rong. Then it goes without saying, he’s definitely here for the auction!
Yeah, he must be here for this time’s Star Core.
The name of Broken Star City was widely known throughout the Alliance—no, even back when the Empire still existed a year ago. Many people knew of the City Lord’s obsession with Star Cores. Wherever he appeared, no matter the cost, the Star Core of that place would inevitably fall into his hands, without exception.
Inside the casino, the clamor reached a fever pitch before the discussions were gradually drowned out and the gossiping crowd slowly dispersed.
Behind the doors of the inner hall, Lu Rong unfastened his cloak and removed the leather mask covering his face. He handed the cloak and mask to a nearby male attendant. The attendant’s eyes, which had a metallic sheen, looked at Lu Rong and unexpectedly met Lu Rong’s green eyes.
Those eyes were like fireflies in the dark, the green so rich that it made all jewels pale in comparison. But this beauty was majestic; when he looked at someone, he carried a natural sense of pressure. The attendant looked down uncomfortably, his face flushing for some reason, and his movements showed a slight mechanical stutter.
Lu Rong adjusted his cuffs.
To attend this auction, he had dressed in a formal silver-grey suit today. His necktie was straight and rigorous, and the chandelier in the hall cast a pattern of light across his shoulders like ripples on water, as if he were draped in a quiet lake.
The attendant composed himself and no longer looked at Lu Rong, keeping his head down as he led the way. Your room has been prepared. Will you be using the Golden Falcon coin this time?
Using a Golden Falcon coin meant the user would definitely secure their chosen item. No matter how much others bid, he would outbid them by one level until everyone else gave up.
The Golden Falcon coin was currently being toyed with ruthlessly by Lu Rong. It flipped back and forth between the fingers of his left hand. Lu Rong had a smile on his lips. Yes, I want item number 07.
As he spoke, his left hand paused, and the gold coin flew from his fingers into his right hand. He held the coin between his index and middle fingers, presenting it to the attendant. Can I go see the goods first? Lu Rong looked down at the somewhat small attendant.
The attendant took the coin and uploaded Lu Rong’s request. A few minutes later, the attendant replied, You may. Please follow me.
The hall was empty and silent, their footsteps clearly audible. The attendant led Lu Rong to an encrypted teleportation point. Lu Rong stepped onto the platform, and a scanning beam swept over him. A few seconds later, Lu Rong’s figure vanished from the hall.
After two seconds of darkness, Lu Rong appeared in another hall. Standing by the teleportation point was a middle-aged man with slicked-back hair. He was a familiar face to Lu Rong; ten years ago, when he won ten billion at Gladel, this was the man who had checked him for cheating.
The security captain of that time, Lucas, had clearly been promoted significantly, becoming the private supervisor of the auction house.
Mr. Lu, good evening. It is a pleasure to see you again. Lucas stepped forward excitedly. Item number 07 has been prepared for you. However, according to the regulations, you can only view it first and cannot take it away immediately. After the auction is settled, we will deliver the item to your aircraft.
Fine. Lu Rong had no objection to this. He kept his hands in his pockets as he followed behind Lucas. What number are we on now?
We are currently on number 03, Lucas introduced. It is a Myriad Compass. A compass, well, you know how it is. In the eyes of those who like them, they are worth ten thousand gold; in the eyes of those who don’t, they are just scrap metal.
After all, there are far too many alternatives that can perform deductions, calculations, and provide directions. Moreover, the original Myriad Compass was destroyed long ago; these replicas aren’t worth mentioning. Lucas stopped before a door. After the security door recorded his biological information, the massive lock on the door rotated and extended, and the heavy door opened a crack. Lucas extended a hand, inviting Lu Rong in first.
Lu Rong, however, stood still. I want that Myriad Compass as well. Money is no object. Bid on it for me.
Lucas stalled for a moment, realizing he had spoken too quickly just now. He saw that Lu Rong’s expression didn’t seem to care about his words and gave a hollow laugh. Very well, I will arrange it for you.
Lu Rong was the first to step through the heavy security door.
Inside the room, a Star Core of 810 Monk dosage was safely placed within a radiation shield. It was a brilliant yellow of varying depths, with the darkest parts approaching reddish-brown. Placed together, they looked like a neatly arranged row of golden piano keys, or perhaps solidified magma. In a sense, Star Cores could be considered a form of magma, as they were produced from the scorching cores deep within planets, condensed from liquid to solid.
In the interstellar era, Star Cores were a vital energy source, capable of powering various aircraft, mechs, and large-scale factories. Therefore, the mining and circulation of Star Cores had always been restricted by various factions, and they served as another form of hard currency alongside gold.
The quality of this batch is excellent, and the energy output is superb. It’s rare to get such good stock these days. Lucas, having handled the auction arrangements, caught up with Lu Rong and began his enthusiastic introduction. You definitely won’t lose out by bidding on this batch.
Lu Rong carefully examined the Star Cores inside the radiation shield. He turned a display knob nearby, giving all the Star Cores a cursory scan.
Lu Rong: X01, how many of these are serial number F6134?
Out of thin air, a voice that Lucas could not hear answered Lu Rong: 67 Monk dosage.