BATTLE FOR STARS

“Alright, Princess,” Sade replied. He reached out and firmly squeezed Heidi’s butt. “I’ll decide after I see your performance tonight.”

“Yes, Master,” Heidi answered with a feigned shyness.

“What other interesting activities are there?” Ding Yufei asked Heidi. He was already getting bored of the casino—it wasn’t really his thing.

“Our planet also offers various sports, adventure entertainment, and gourmet dining experiences,” Heidi said as she tapped a button on her arm. A projection appeared in front of them. She scrolled through it while explaining.

Ding Yufei looked through the options. Gourmet dining was the easiest to understand—many of the foods were unfamiliar, but that could wait until mealtime.

The sports section had a wide variety—some physically demanding, others being almost entirely virtual simulation games. These could be played alone or with friends and attendants. Though diverse, they weren’t the most attractive options, since similar games could be found elsewhere.

Adventure entertainment, however, caught Ding Yufei’s attention. Besides performances like singing and dancing, what fascinated him most were expeditions—climbing mountains, diving into the sea, even exploring deep within the planet. He hadn’t experienced anything like that before. Soon, he also noticed many hunting activities listed.

“You can hunt here?” Ding Yufei asked curiously. He had never seen alien animals before, so the idea intrigued him.

“Yes, there are many types of animals available for hunting—both fierce and docile. Hunting can also be combined with adventure activities,” Heidi explained while scrolling. Various strange creatures appeared before him, most of which he had never seen.

“Many of these are products of genetic modification,” Belina added. “A lot of the animals on this planet were created by combining different genes—purely for novelty or hunting.”

“Are there creatures like aliens? You know, like in movies?” Ding Yufei asked.

“Aliens? What do you mean?” Heidi asked, confused.

“A kind of creature with a hard shell, high speed, some intelligence, about three to four meters tall,” Ding Yufei tried to explain.

“Something like Kami, but much bigger,” Belina added quietly. “Kami look somewhat like a mix of cockroaches and crabs from Earth.”

“There are similar ones, but they don’t have much intelligence,” Heidi said after understanding.

“Are there any with high intelligence? Like us?” Ding Yufei asked.

“…Yes.” Heidi hesitated slightly before opening a new projection.

“Isn’t that a human?” Ding Yufei looked at the image in confusion. This wasn’t an animal.

“High-intelligence hunting targets are called life slaves,” Heidi said. Though she still smiled, there was a hint of discomfort.

“Life slaves?” Ding Yufei asked.

“They are slaves whose work is to risk their lives,” Belina explained. “It’s similar to stories on Earth where real humans are hunted.”

“That actually exists?” Ding Yufei looked at her in disbelief. Belina nodded. “If they know they might die, why would anyone agree to it?”

“They don’t necessarily die,” Heidi explained. “With current medical technology, about 95% of near-death cases can be saved. Also, the game has many levels, each with different limits on injury severity.”

“Life slaves receive the highest compensation. After participating a dozen times, they can earn enough to buy their freedom. Because of this, not only slaves but even some free citizens choose to participate.”

“That’s insane,” Ding Yufei muttered. “Still too dangerous.”

“It can’t be helped,” Belina said. “If a slave isn’t claimed by an owner by the age of sixteen after being produced by a slave company, they usually end up as either life slaves or drug slaves. The companies won’t keep spending resources on them indefinitely.”

“Slave company?”

“Organizations that mass-produce slaves using artificial wombs and raise them,” Belina explained.

“Artificial wombs?”

“Yes. Humanity now relies entirely on them for reproduction. Pregnancy is long and painful—maybe I’ll show you someday.”

“…Alright. Then what are drug slaves?” Ding Yufei asked, hearing yet another unfamiliar term.

“Drug slaves are used for testing drugs,” Belina said. “Similar to test subjects on Earth, but more dangerous. They test various genetic drugs—basically like lab mice.”

Hearing the term “lab mice,” Ding Yufei immediately understood. He fell silent. He hadn’t imagined that some people’s lives could be reduced to such a level.

“In some hunting modes, both sides can choose weapons,” Heidi added, trying to lighten the mood. “But the guest’s equipment is better, with more support tools. So some are still willing to take the risk.”

“Wouldn’t that put the guests in danger too? Could they get killed?” Ding Yufei asked suddenly.

“No. We have strict safety measures. Guests may be injured, but actual death will never occur,” Heidi said. “Master, would you like to try it?”

“I’ll pass. I’d rather choose another kind of adventure,” Ding Yufei said after thinking for a moment.

“This kind of game is too disturbing,” he thought. “How about deep-sea exploration? We can even hunt sea creatures. Want to try that?” he asked Belina.

“Sounds good. I was thinking the same,” Belina replied.

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Today was the opening day of the global carnival. Master Jace brought Gias and Lina to the gladiator center. Both of his slaves would be participating in matches today—Gias in the opening exhibition match, and Lina in the first round of the mech fighter tournament.

The carnival was a grand entertainment event held every five years on the Boman Planet. It attracted countless visitors from across the star system. During this time, there were major discounts and rare entertainment activities unavailable at other times. It was also the best opportunity for slave owners, slaves, and civilians alike to earn money. Many restrictions on slaves were also temporarily relaxed during this period.