CHAPTER 64: The Imperial Star Market of Sector 7
(ARC 4: COSMIC DOMAIN & THE STARLIGHT BEACON)
The Central Star Market of Sector 7 was a sight that defied mortal imagination.
Built into the hollowed-out ring of an ancient, dead star, the artificial station stretched over fifty thousand miles in diameter. Millions of glowing crystalline docks hosted star-ships ranging from tiny single-seated void skiffs to thousand-meter trade leviathans belonging to warlords, rogue sects, and galactic merchant guilds.
High above the central trading ring, neon-lit spatial banners projected advertisements in a hundred alien dialects, showcasing deep-space spirit herbs, slave beasts, spatial arrays, and star-ship engine blueprints.
A golden spatial ripple opened at the outer boundary of the station’s neutral zone.
Out glided The Sterling Sovereign—the six-mile-wide, dark-iron flagship adorned with the glowing golden crest of House Sterling. Its majestic, immaculate presence instantly drew the awe-struck gazes of thousands of alien captains and port controllers along the docking ring.
"Look at that hull design!" an alien merchant gasped, adjusting his multi-lens goggles. "Is that a refitted Vorathian dreadnought?! Who conquered a Vorathian flagship?!"
"Look at the crest... a soaring dragon wrapped in silver starlight... that belongs to the newly ascended realm of House Sterling!"
Inside the flagship's grand landing bay, a sleek, white-and-silver shuttle detached, carrying Ethan, Elena, and a dozen Pentagon elite guards clad in pristine dragon-scale power armor.
Ethan walked down the landing ramp, resting his wooden spear shaft casually over his shoulder. His dark eyes glittered as he took in the bustling, alien environment of the market plaza.
"Man, look at this place!" Ethan chuckled, taking a deep breath of the station's synthesized air. "And I thought the Central Capital's night market was big."
Elena walked beside him, her azure sword sash fluttering slightly, her sharp eyes scanning every shadow, sniper perch, and hidden spatial formation built into the station's architecture.
"Stay focused, Ethan," Elena reminded him calmly. "Arbiter Vael said the central market operates under neutral Federation laws, but rogue warlords and star-pirates operate freely in the lower rings. We are here to purchase spatial engine blueprints and cosmic spirit seeds, not pick fights."
"Relax, Elena," Ethan grinned, his dark golden dragon aura pulsing faintly within his Dantian. "Nobody's looking for trouble."
As the Sterling party walked through the high-tier Grand Pavilion Ring, surrounding alien merchants—representing various sects, beast-folk, and mechanical races—bowed respectfully, eager to showcase their finest wares to the wealthy representatives of the newly ascended world.
Ethan stopped in front of a high-tier alchemy stall run by an elder of the Azure-Flame Sect.
Floating inside protective spatial bubbles were glowing, ancient seeds that emitted dense waves of raw cosmic vitality.
"Greetings, Young Sovereign!" the sect elder bowed deeply, his long white beard twitching with commercial excitement. "These are genuine Thousand-Year Stellar Lotus Seeds, cultivated directly near the core of a sun! Perfect for extending one's life or enriching high-grade spirit veins!"
Ethan touched the edge of the spatial bubble. His newly absorbed Void-Dragon Heart Core throbbed softly, confirming the seeds were indeed untainted and rich in cosmic energy.
"How much for the whole batch?" Ethan asked directly.
"For House Sterling? Just fifty high-grade cosmic spirit crystals per seed!" the elder smiled warmly.
Before Ethan could finalize the purchase—
BANG!
A heavy, spiked iron boots slammed into the floor nearby, shattering the marble tiles!
A tall, seven-foot-tall brute clad in dark, blood-red armor flanked by twenty heavily armed mercenaries shoved through the crowd, kicking over a nearby display rack with total disdain. His skin was pale blue, covered in jagged battle scars, and his red eyes burned with arrogant, bloodthirsty hostility.
It was Captain Kargon of the Blood-Skull Pirate Armada—a infamous mercenary warlord operating under the backing of Sector 7's northern warlord faction.
"Move out of the way, scum!" Kargon barked, his voice echoing through the pavilion like grinding iron. He stopped directly in front of the alchemy stall, glaring down at the Stellar Lotus Seeds, then turning his narrow red eyes toward Ethan and Elena.
Kargon let out a cruel, mocking laugh.
"So these are the wet-behind-the-ears kids from that primitive livestock world?" Kargon sneered, crossing his massive arms. "I heard your father got lucky and wiped out a tiny Vorathian vanguard. Now you think you can strut around the Central Market like cosmic royalty?"
The surrounding crowd of alien merchants instantly backed away in terror, whispering in panicked hushes:
"It's Captain Kargon... he's an Intermediate Void Sovereign... he's backed by the Northern Warlords!"
Elena’s hand rested quietly against her azure blade hilt, her posture instantly shifting into a silent, lethal razor edge. "State your business, pirate. You are blocking our path."
Kargon leaned down, his ugly, scarred face inches away from Ethan’s, radiating a heavy, blood-soaked Void Sovereign pressure designed to crush a teenager's spirit.
"My business is simple, kid," Kargon grinned maliciously. "Hand over the spatial coordinates of your world, turn over that refitted flagship in orbit as tribute to the Northern Warlords... and maybe I'll let you two leave this station with your limbs intact."
Ethan stood completely still. He didn't flinch, he didn't pull back, and his warm golden smile didn't fade for even a fraction of a second.
Instead, Ethan slowly reached up, placing his bare hand onto Kargon’s heavy, armored shoulder.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The raw, terrifying weight of Ethan’s Void-Dragon Heart Core erupted in an instant!
A golden, mountain-crushing dragon pressure localized entirely onto Kargon’s body slammed the seven-foot pirate warlord straight onto both knees, cracking the floor for fifty yards!
CRACK-SHATTER!
Kargon’s red armor collapsed under the sudden, divine gravity, his eyes bulging in utter, paralyzed horror as he looked up at Ethan’s glowing, golden dragon eyes!
"I promised my dad I wouldn't break anything in the market," Ethan whispered softly, his voice echoing like rolling thunder directly inside Kargon’s panicking mind.
"So... are you going to pay for that broken floor, or do I need to send your head back to your warlord in a box?"