Beer and hot dogs were utterly commonplace items, yet for those who had been stranded on Hunting Star for several years, such things were completely unimaginable… A string of hushed whispers immediately traveled across the air, all perfectly audible to the keenly sensitive Fang Senyan.

“Damn it, this must be some kind of illusion-weaving monster, one that can even read our minds, our memories, so it clearly knows what we desire most! Don’t fire, the one speaking is just a decoy to draw bullets. We need to find the main body and strike it down instantly. Watch out for anomalies around us!”

“Calm down, calm down!! It’s not like we haven’t taken down illusion monsters before!”

“Oh my god, he actually pulled out my favorite Harbin beer. That alluring white foam, smoother than a woman’s skin. I can’t take it anymore.”

“I smell hot dogs!!!! This illusion is too realistic this time!”

“……”

Fang Senyan watched these miserable wretches, black lines already forming on his forehead. The men behind him were doubled over in laughter, tears streaming down their faces. Angered by his own embarrassment, Fang Senyan simply hurled the canned beer and hot dogs directly at the laughing group.

“Ouch!! Isn’t this beer just an illusion? Why does it hurt my head so much? Good heavens, I can’t resist this fatal ** temptation anymore, glug glug glug…… Waaah, this taste is so pure!!! I haven't tasted this in years!”

Looking at the first man who pounced on the offering, moved to the point of tears, and then at the empty can in his own hand, the remaining several people simultaneously rushed toward the hot dog rolling in the mud and water: “Even if it’s an illusion, I accept it!! Let me die then!”

“Damn it, let me test the poison first. You are all indispensable, while I am just a humble, dispensable passerby, so let me do it.”

“Get lost!”

The rest of the story needed no telling; nothing could prove their humanity better than steaming hot dogs and canned cold beer. These dozen or so soldiers charged forward like hungry wolves, their ragged uniforms making them look like starving refugees scrambling for reincarnation. Fortunately, Fang Senyan’s carrying capacity and spatial storage were sufficient, otherwise, this single feast would have bankrupted him.

Once they had confirmed they were all human, communication became significantly easier. In such a treacherous and difficult environment, encountering someone of the same race was an emotion beyond words—far more intense than meeting a neighbor who spoke with your hometown accent in a foreign land.

It was only after Fang Senyan’s group tried to inquire about the identities of these people that they were left dumbfounded, realizing their initial judgment had been completely wrong. Without exception, every single one of these individuals had been captured and brought to the planet by the Predators, who deemed them formidable combatants worthy of being pitted against themselves.

Most of these men were elite warriors, each possessing a specialized skill such as master sharpshooting, demolition expertise, or even being one of the so-called Gene Warriors currently rumored among humanity. Furthermore, there were two who had been convicted of crimes against humanity and first-degree murder. One was a doctor who killed hundreds using viruses, and the other was a military pilot who dropped a bomb on a residential area. Both men were scheduled for the electric chair, but because their ‘achievements’ were so spectacular—surpassing the hundred-kill mark—they had also attracted the attention of the Predators.

Upon arrival here, they had all undergone bodily modifications by the Predators to adapt to the vastly different atmosphere, and they were branded with a special mark: a small black dot on their arms. This way, when Predators scanned them, they would be treated as eligible ‘prey,’ and their data would be automatically filtered out.

When the Predators captured them, they were given almost no time to prepare, at most being allowed to bring their weapons. However, weapons require energy, and firearms require ammunition… So, the Predators also had their oversights. According to these individuals who viewed combat as life itself, they would naturally prefer their enemies to be at peak condition for a more thrilling and satisfying fight.

Therefore, the high-tech auxiliary equipment these men possessed had been scavenged from the wreckage of exploration vehicles the Empire had sent to the planet Eplos, which had crashed there previously.

Only then did Fang Senyan’s group realize the staggering cost the Empire had paid just to probe this planet. In a sense, this wreckage had become a technological bridgehead in the ongoing contest between the Empire and the Yautja (Predator race).

Countless spacecraft had fallen on this planet’s exterior. There were over ten large bases comparable in scale to Alpine Space Station 7, more than a hundred crashed ships like the Little Eagle, and the number of Hornet-class flyers was simply incalculable.

However, for these survivors, the crashed large stations and ships quickly became death zones. Why? Because the occupants could not survive directly in the atmosphere, and their frail constitutions made survival exceedingly difficult.

More critically, many high-level indigenous lifeforms on Eplos possessed high intelligence. They discovered that these downed ships contained not only delicious food (human corpses and stored rations) but also excellent shelters from the elements. Compared to this, natural caves were rare and often impractical—the derelict vessels were ten thousand times better.

Consequently, the fierce beasts quickly claimed these massive ruins as their lairs. For the few survivors, the biggest enemy remained the air of the planet itself; once the oxygen supply was compromised, it meant the end of life.

After a detailed exchange of information, these survivors answered every question Fang Senyan’s group posed without reservation. However, this absolutely did not mean they would fully cooperate. These men had clawed their way out of death; how could they easily risk their lives for newcomers? A mutual exchange of benefits was inevitable.

The greatest desire of these survivors was, of course, to leave this cursed place and go home. Regrettably, Fang Senyan’s group could not grant that. Even lying would be difficult to conceal from these astute individuals. Nevertheless, Fang Senyan’s possession of abundant food was a huge temptation.

So, the leader of these survivors, Hardrick, agreed that both parties would cooperate for now to rescue the people they were looking for. Afterward, Fang Senyan’s group would provide enough food in exchange for the intelligence they desired. No matter how Fang Senyan’s group negotiated, Hardrick and his men held firm to this condition. While this term was somewhat harsh, it met Fang Senyan’s basic requirements, so a fragile consensus was reached.

Speaking with these ‘native’ humans, Fang Senyan’s group also learned some vital local knowledge: if one wished to travel stealthily on Eplos, traveling by night, resting during the day, was the best option.

Because the more powerful the creature, the more it favored the daylight sun. Hearing this, Fang Senyan couldn't help but think of Earth, where dominant humans could roam freely during the day and sleep at night, while the living spaces of other wild animals were squeezed into the darkness. It seemed that on this damned planet, humanity’s position was pushed to the extreme of weakness.

The advantage of traveling at night was that creatures active on Eplos generally relied on acute smell and hearing to hunt. Therefore, simply walking along riverbanks allowed the sound of flowing water to mask most footsteps, and by smearing pungent plant juices on their bodies, the scents of predatory creatures were also interfered with.

This was also why these ‘native’ humans had managed to find Fang Senyan’s group at night.

After an hour of rest, Hardrick proposed they immediately set out to harass the camp of the Raging Beasts, as they were a dominant species that typically operated during the day. A stealthy approach now could give them a critical element of surprise.

Fang Senyan’s group didn't mind; only Paul hadn't fully recovered, but everyone else was almost back to normal. They also intended to gauge the combat prowess of these ‘native’ humans, so they set off immediately.

Before departing, Fang Senyan reviewed his team’s current configuration. He realized that the team currently only had himself and Ronnie as melee fighters. Even if Paul could assemble an Iron Golem with roughly 70% of the strength of a Heracles unit given a few hours, it still felt insufficient.

More critically, the team had too many magic-based attackers and lacked the sustained output capability of gunpowder weapons. After careful consideration, Fang Senyan decided to mix and culture the genetic samples previously acquired from Ramtas to cultivate a creature proficient primarily in long-range physical attacks, one that wouldn't be strong in close combat but would be quite resilient.

To demonstrate their strength to their new allies, Fang Senyan began the modification process right in front of them.

As test tubes boiled with gurgling sounds, mysterious emerald-green smoke enveloped Fang Senyan. Finally, Fang Senyan produced a giant egg the size of a coconut, crisscrossed with thick, bluish veins that snaked around its surface, even twitching slightly like a heartbeat.

Fang Senyan buried it underground, then poured in a sufficient measure of nutrient fluid—these fluids were incredibly valuable, easily worth fifty thousand universal credits. Soon, a silent, yet chilling heartbeat emanated eerily from beneath the soil. It was like a faint, ceaseless, yet powerful drum from the netherworld, resonating so strongly that it seemed to vibrate the very internal organs of the listeners!!!