The Star Market never truly slept.
Even past midnight, its hidden corridors pulsed with quiet ambition. Deals were whispered in shadowed corners. Artifacts from dead civilizations changed hands. Information more dangerous than weapons passed between cautious minds.
Kaiser walked through it all with controlled restraint.
He could feel it now.
This place was not merely a black market.
It was a node in a greater cosmic network.
Every Ascender here carried invisible threads connected to higher forces, secret organizations, or unknown entities. Some were pawns. Some were players. Some were already halfway to becoming monsters.
Max leaned closer to him. "So what is the plan? Because if this turns into a trap, I want to know who to punch first."
Lenzo scanned the surroundings with restrained fascination. "This environment confirms the existence of an underground Ascender society. If we survive long enough, this data will rewrite modern science."
Nux smirked. "Survive first. Publish later."
Suzy stayed close to Luna, her expression tense. "It feels… heavy here. Like the air is judging us."
"It is," Luna replied softly. "Places like this are built on contracts, secrets, and consequences."
Ahead of them, Astra waited near a dimly lit corridor etched with glowing star sigils.
"You came," she said smoothly. "That means you want answers badly enough to risk danger."
Kaiser nodded. "We want truth."
Astra smiled faintly. "Truth is expensive."
She turned and gestured for them to follow.
They passed through a corridor that seemed longer on the inside than the outside. The walls were embedded with fragments of alien metal that pulsed in irregular rhythms, like fossilized heartbeats.
At the end stood a circular chamber.
A symbol was engraved into the floor.
A broken crown orbiting a ring of stars.
Kaiser felt his Seed react immediately.
The symbol resonated with his Path.
"This is a Contract Circle," Astra explained. "An ancient mechanism adapted by Ascenders to formalize agreements beyond ordinary law."
Lenzo frowned. "You mean a binding contract?"
"Not just legal," Astra replied. "Cosmic."
Nux muttered, "I officially dislike that word."
Astra faced Kaiser directly.
"You seek knowledge," she said. "And I seek opportunity. So here is the offer."
She raised her hand, and a projection formed between them.
It showed a distant planet.
Crimson storms raged across its surface. Ruined cities sprawled like carcasses beneath violent skies. Strange structures protruded from the ground like broken bones.
"Designation: Erebus Minor," Astra said. "A fallen colony world. Recently, an Anomalous Relic has awakened there."
Kaiser narrowed his eyes. "What kind of relic?"
"One tied to the Ascension System," Astra replied. "Possibly a fragment of the mechanism that creates Seeds like yours."
Lenzo's breath hitched. "That could reveal the origin of Ascenders."
Astra nodded. "Or destroy those unworthy of knowing."
Max crossed his arms. "So you want us to retrieve it."
"Yes," Astra said. "You bring it back intact. In return, I provide information about the Cosmic Organizations, the Pathways, and the entity that chose Kaiser."
The room fell silent.
Suzy whispered, "This sounds like a suicide mission."
Nux shrugged. "Most profitable opportunities do."
Luna watched Astra closely. "Why him?"
Astra's gaze returned to Kaiser.
"Because he is newly awakened," she said. "Because his Path is unstable. Because his fate is already attracting attention."
"And because," she added softly, "the relic may resonate with him."
Kaiser felt the Seed stir again.
A quiet pull.
Like a distant echo calling him forward.
"What are the risks?" Kaiser asked.
Astra's smile sharpened.
"Erebus Minor is infested with Aberrations. Former humans twisted by failed Ascension attempts. Reality distortions. And possibly… other Ascenders."
Max grinned. "So monsters, cosmic horror, and rival competitors. Perfect."
Lenzo looked conflicted. "This could kill us."
"It will shape us," Luna said calmly.
Suzy looked at Kaiser. "You decide."
Kaiser stared at the projection.
If he refused, he would remain ignorant.
If he accepted, he might die.
But this path did not allow stagnation.
"I accept," he said.
The moment the words left his mouth, the Contract Circle activated.
Light surged through the engraved crown.
Astra extended her hand. "Then seal it."
Kaiser placed his palm above the circle.
The Seed reacted violently.
Energy surged from within him, flowing into the contract.
Symbols ignited across the floor, wrapping around his arm like chains of light.
A voice echoed faintly in his mind.
Contract acknowledged. Trial initiated.
Pain lanced through him.
Not physical.
Existential.
A mark appeared on his wrist.
A faint sigil shaped like a fractured star.
Astra nodded with satisfaction. "The contract is sealed."
Max muttered, "No refunds, I guess."
That night, preparations began.
Lenzo gathered data on Erebus Minor.
"Planetary environment is unstable," he reported. "Frequent electromagnetic storms. Collapsed infrastructure. Unknown energy contamination."
Nux secured equipment through Star Market contacts. "If we are risking our lives, we might as well look professional."
Suzy helped pack medical supplies, her hands trembling slightly. "Promise me we will come back."
Max smirked. "Relax. If we die, we will haunt Kaiser."
Luna remained silent, observing Kaiser.
"You are stepping deeper into the unknown," she said. "Are you afraid?"
Kaiser considered the question.
"I was," he admitted. "But fear was part of what I sacrificed in my ritual."
Luna studied him. "Then promise me something else."
"What?"
"Do not sacrifice your conscience."
Kaiser nodded slowly.
The next day, they boarded a discreet transport vessel provided through Astra's connections.
As the ship ascended beyond Earth's atmosphere, Kaiser looked down at the shrinking planet.
Once, it had been his entire world.
Now, it felt like only the beginning.
Stars stretched before them like silent witnesses.
Lenzo stared at the navigation screen. "Entering warp trajectory toward Erebus Minor."
Nux smirked. "First off-world job. No pressure."
Suzy whispered, "I have证明 a bad feeling."
Max grinned. "Good. That means it is important."
Kaiser closed his eyes briefly.
The Seed pulsed in anticipation.
This mission was not just a job.
It was a trial.
A test by the Ascension System.
A step deeper into a universe where power demanded sacrifice.
Far away, in an orbiting citadel of black glass, Charles observed a holographic projection of their ship's trajectory.
"So," he murmured, "your first contract begins."
His smile curved with quiet amusement.
"Let us see whether you return as a stronger Ascender… or another forgotten corpse."
On Erebus Minor, crimson storms raged.
The ruins waited.
And something ancient stirred beneath the planet's broken surface.
A trial was about to begin.