Acai's Sky

Branch 1: Stardust Ore Exploration

The violent energy brought by the Greedy Wolf Devouring the Moon Star Ruins has not yet subsided, and the lingering sound of the Jade Tripod relic is still echoing in my heart.

When the "Firefly" starship was hovering in the relatively safe airspace outside the Stardust Ancient Station for emergency repairs and rest, a strange pulsation originating from deep within the earth quietly piqued the nerves of a certain little guy.

"Huh? Hmm?"

The Golden Raccoon was originally lying by the porthole, boredly looking at the floating stardust fragments outside, sweeping the floor with its sleek golden tail.

Suddenly, its small and delicate nose twitched violently a few times, and it turned accurately like a radar towards a seemingly ordinary belt of broken star debris shrouded in thick stardust clouds below the left side of the starship.

"This smell... is quite interesting!"

It stood up with a swish, its two little paws clinging to the porthole, its golden-bean-like eyes widening and gleaming with excitement as if it had discovered a new world: "Master! Master! Look over there! Down there! There's something good down there!"

Ah Cai was reviewing the damage report on the starship with Tong Jiaqi and Tong Shishan when she heard the voice. "Good stuff? What sparkly new thing did Jin Yuanbao find?"

She thought it was the lucky rat making trouble again.

"Zhi? Where is it? Where is the treasure?"

Jin Yuanbao, who was happily chewing on a small piece of energy crystal, immediately pricked up his ears, and his ruby ​​eyes darted around, as if he was ready to sprint at any time.

"Tsk! It's not the superficial wealth that a boss likes!"

The golden raccoon curled its lips in disdain, slapping the reinforced glass with its paws, pointing at the gray area. "It's a mine! A mine buried deep in the earth's veins!"

"Deep within the stardust, there's the scent of 'Star-Patterned Mithril' and 'Glowing Adamantine'! Although it's faint and obscured by this shoddy stardust, it's unmistakable!"

"My 'Midas' ability to turn stone into gold is extremely sensitive to this type of metal ore! I can smell it from eight hundred light years away!"

It puffed out its little chest and had a proud expression on its face that said, "Praise me!"

"Mineral vein?" A gleam of light flashed in Ah Cai's eyes.

Star-patterned Mithril is the top-level material for energy conduction and rune engraving, and Glowing Gold is a rare metal for strengthening defensive armor and refining magic weapons.

Under the shadow of the war between the gods, the acquisition of any strategic resources is of vital importance.

She immediately looked at Tong Shishan: "Shishan, scan the area below!"

Tong Shishan's fingers flew, and several miniature probes, like nimble flying fish, silently emerged from the starship and dived into the thick cloud of stardust.

On the holographic screen, a fuzzy energy map began to emerge, and the interference was very serious.

"Preliminary analysis of the detection data indicates... a large cluster of stellar debris is present below, with abnormal internal energy reactions... characteristic signals of high-purity metallic minerals are indeed present! However, the stellar dust cloud is too thick, and the environment is complex. The precise location, reserves, and associated hazards... cannot be accurately determined."

She called up the blurry images sent back by the detector: the jagged star debris was like the ribs of a giant beast, crisscrossing each other, and the gaps between them were filled with high-speed rotating stardust streams and tiny space folds. The environment was second only to the core area of ​​the Greedy Wolf Devouring the Moon.

"Squeak! Mine? Can I chew it? Is it delicious?"

Jin Yuanbao leaned in front of the screen and looked at the distorted images. It was obvious that the only criterion in his little head was "whether it is edible or not".

"Eat, eat, eat. Just eat! That's hard currency! It's money! Do you understand?"

The golden raccoon poked Jin Yuanbao's forehead with the tip of its tail, feeling very disappointed with him.

...

"Triggering the side quest: [Exploring the Star Ruins and Benefiting All Life]"

Mission Objective: Explore and collect rare minerals such as 'Star-patterned Mithril' and 'Glowing Gold' (lasts 3 days)

Mission Area: Outskirts of the Stardust Ancient Station, the 'Broken Bone Star Ridge' star debris belt.

"Mission Tips: The mine is deep, the environment is harsh, and the associated dangers are unknown. 'Turning Stone into Gold' is a pioneer, but requires careful protection. Daily harvest will affect the final reward."

A cold system prompt sounded in Acai's mind.

"Mineral vein..."

Ah Cai pondered for a moment, her gaze sweeping over her companions. The starship needed repairs, and the team needed rest, but this readily available strategic resource couldn't be missed, especially since the Golden Raccoon's abilities were designed for this very purpose.

"Alright! Golden Raccoon, you're the protagonist this time! Madam Rong, Madam Gu, select a team of secret guards to escort Golden Raccoon during its safe exploration. Xiaojia, Xiaoyi, the rest of you will cooperate with me in Golden Raccoon's operations. Shishan, provide aerial reconnaissance and data analysis support. The rest of you will stay behind the starship and work on repairs."

"Yes, sir! Just wait and see, master! I promise to dig a mountain of gold for you!" The golden raccoon rubbed its little paws excitedly, and its golden fur seemed to be even brighter.

"As you command!" Madam Rong and Madam Gu accepted the order solemnly and quickly selected eight secret guards (Xiao Jia, Xiao Yi, etc.) who were skilled in defense and positional warfare.

"Make sure to complete the mission!" Tong Shishan controlled the detector, with data streams flashing in his eyes.

"Zhi! I want to go too! I can help find the brightest mine!" Jin Yuanbao jumped onto Acai's shoulder, unwilling to be outdone.

"You?" The golden raccoon dog squinted at it. "It's pitch black down there, all rocks. There's nothing shiny for you to chew on!"

"I can smell energy! The purest energy point!" Jin Yuanbao puffed out his chest. His treasure-hunting talent was also sensitive to high-purity energy.

"Okay, Jin Yuanbao will come with us and help locate the high-purity mineral deposits." A Cai made the decision.