Prologue
In the Star Epoch year 45703, humanity has survived in this vast universe for tens of thousands of years. The first colonial star was established 45,703 years ago, marking the dawn of the Star Epoch and the beginning of humanity’s journey to conquer the cosmos.
The boundless, limitless universe teems with countless intelligent races and civilizations—some far older than that of mankind. Yet, through their ingenuity and uniquely aggressive nature, humans have risen to become the rulers of dozens of star systems. Although humanity itself is divided into numerous nations, large and small, their outward unity remains a hereditary trait from their ancestors. Whenever an alien civilization threatens from the depths of space, humanity unites, driving back and defeating their common enemy before resuming their internal struggles. It is this characteristic that preserves their fierce spirit, allowing their dominion over the stars to slowly expand.
The Caro Empire is one of the most formidable nations within human civilization. Though it cannot compare to the three strongest powers, its strength surpasses that of most others. Governing two vast star systems, the Caro Empire holds a significant place in human society. Located on the fringe of humanity’s starlit territories, even the three greatest nations dare not underestimate the Caro Empire’s military prowess.
The protagonist of this story was born on a small, unremarkable planet belonging to the Caro Empire.
On the Wild Warrior Planet, the Wild Martial Continent is the only landmass suitable for human habitation. Today, having finally reached the age of eighteen, Kuang Chi cheerfully made his way early in the morning to the school’s bio-pod distribution center to receive his very own bio-pod.
The bio-pod itself warrants a lengthy explanation. According to legend—and the historical records of humanity—our ancestors began their interstellar explorations from Earth, the birthplace of mankind. It is uncertain who first discovered a space jump point a few hundred light-years from Earth, a passage small enough for only tiny ships. Beyond this jump point, humans found a peculiar star, whose true location remains uncharted on any planar star map. Even now, the only way to reach this star is through that minuscule jump point.
On this enigmatic star, humans discovered a strange organism capable of merging and evolving with human genes. Since ancient times, these have been known as bio-pods. Studies revealed that they belonged to the fungal category as understood by humanity at the time. No matter how deeply scientists probe, they can only classify them as a type of fungus.
Yet these bio-pods possess an extraordinary ability: they can fuse with a human, and after merging, they mutate into a different life form according to the genes of their host. The resulting forms are endlessly diverse—sometimes animal, sometimes plant, sometimes even a kind of material. Not only do these mutated beings possess a certain intelligence, but they also grant their host unique transformative abilities. The most common manifestation is the formation of a chitinous layer on the host’s skin, the composition of which depends on the species generated through fusion.