Three days were enough to formulate a solid plan.
Most of that time was spent exploring the ship, testing systems, opening panels, and familiarizing myself with every function I could access.
That’s when I discovered something useful.
The neural cradle wasn’t limited to piloting.
It had a neural chip now attached to my temple.
With it, I could control the ship remotely, navigation, targeting, and scanning without ever sitting in the pilot’s seat. Everything responded directly to thought.
I would say it was more efficient this way.
Additionally, the ship had a weapon module, a T0 autocannon energy blaster mounted beneath the hull.
Surprisingly, there was also a standard T0 combat suit and an automatic-action rifle stored in one of the ship’s compartments, neatly secured as if waiting to be used.
The rifle held 12 rounds. Each bullet was as large as a .50 caliber, yet the weapon itself felt unexpectedly light in my hands. The materials used… definitely advanced. Carefully engineered for efficiency, recoil control, and ease of handling, far beyond what its simple design suggested.
As for defenses, the ship only had a T0 energy shield, along with a shield battery device integrated into the combat suit. Basic and limited, but for now, sufficient. At this stage, survival mattered more than power, and this level of equipment was more than enough for a beginner trying to stay alive in an unfamiliar world.
Over the past few days, the player count has stabilized at 550,403. That number… it was likely the real count of players trapped inside Eterna Galaxy Online. The others might be unfortunate souls who got dragged into this world. Worlds with extreme environments were high-risk, high-reward, but the mortality rate was close to 99%.
Nevertheless, the global chat was still flooded, messages overlapping, questions piling up, but it was gradually becoming more organized.
Ding!
The orbital scan finished, multicolored streams of data flooded my vision, clusters of light marking lifeforms scattered across the planet, layered over detailed geographic mapping. Terrain elevation, climate zones, density readings… everything unfolded in real time and precisely.
With this, I could finally proceed with the first step of my plan.
Awaken my gene, and ascend to a T1 player.
There was a method for this. On beginner planets like this one, it was possible to extract genetic templates from the top three apex inhabitants. It wasn’t a guaranteed outcome, though. It never was.
In the game, everything about this process relied on RNG.
Some players had the patience to reroll over and over to different starting planets, chasing the perfect gene, rare traits, optimal growth paths, and ideal synergy. Others didn’t bother. They pushed straight into mid-game progression, accepting whatever they got to avoid wasting time.
This time…
There were no rerolls. No resets.
So the best course was to accept whatever result I obtained and move forward.
Still… I pray to the RNG's to bless me with good rolls.
First, I checked the civilization data.
What appeared before me was an elven kingdom, its presence spread across vast, ancient forests. The civilization is registered as medieval, evident from the structures below. Their houses were built from a combination of carved stone and aged wood, carefully shaped to blend naturally with their surroundings. Towering trees intertwined with their architecture, forming elevated walkways, natural fortifications, and open halls that felt both primitive and refined, as if nature itself had become part of their design.
Next came the human kingdom. Sprawling settlements stretched across open plains, reinforced by fortified walls, clustered towns, and clear signs of organized infrastructure. Their civilization level was nearly identical to the elves' medieval times. Stone-built houses, wooden reinforcements, and basic defensive structures dominated the landscape, reflecting a society that had learned to survive but had yet to evolve beyond its limits.
Different race.
Same level.
A smile crept on my lips, which tells me this was a fantasy world, which means the genetic sequencing will be immense.
I immediately move to the genetic fusion data
[Gene Fusion Compatibility: 54%] [Gene Type: Kobold]
[Gene Fusion Compatibility: 62%] [Gene Type: Orc]
[Gene Fusion Compatibility: 79%] [Gene Type: Human]
[Gene Fusion Compatibility: 93%] [Gene Type: Demon]
[Gene Fusion Compatibility: 71%] [Gene Type: Frostborn]
[Gene Fusion Compatibility: 63%] [Gene Type: Beastlord]
The list went on, line after line of possibilities, each with its own strengths, traits, and potential paths. But I already knew how this worked. In the game, what mattered weren’t the dozens of options… they were all filler, only the top three. The ones that reached perfect compatibility could be chosen.
In the end, the results settled.
[Gene Fusion Compatibility: 100%] [Gene Type: Dragon]
[Gene Fusion Compatibility: 100%] [Gene Type: Elven]
[Gene Fusion Compatibility: 100%] [Gene Type: Human]
Sometimes the results are not to be expected.
I let out a slow sigh.
Most players would call those trash rolls. Elven and Human were considered 'dupe or duplicate' in the game. They were mostly picked to “humanize” more monstrous gene types like insectoids, beasts, and other grotesque evolutions, making them more acceptable to look at.
I closed my eyes for a brief moment, then let out a slow breath. There was nothing I could do about it now.
Without the rerolls and second chances.
I just had to work with what I had.
With enough information gathered, time was of the essence. I donned the ship’s combat suit and stored the gene fusion core in my inventory before moving to secure my first genetic sequence.
[Gene Fusion Compatibility: 100%] [Gene Type: Dragon]
The map had already pinpointed the dragon’s location. I tracked it, an adult black dragon, isolated from the rest of its kind.
Without hesitation, I aligned the targeting system and fired the autocannon. A single blast tore through the air, striking with devastating precision and punching a massive hole straight through the dragon’s enormous body. There was no resistance, no struggle, only overwhelming force. The creature collapsed almost instantly, its immense weight shaking the ground as it crashed down. In the end, this was a beginner world with beginner-level inhabitants.
I initiated beam-down shortly after.
The heat hit me first, dry, suffocating, laced with the scent of ash and scorched earth. Then came the sight of the corpse up close. Even in death, it was imposing, thick, obsidian-like scales, a massive frame, every part of it built for dominance.
I retrieved the gene fusion core, set it down, and opened its empty 200ML cylindrical chamber. Carefully, I filled it halfway with the dragon’s blood, the dark liquid thick and faintly steaming as it settled inside. Once the chamber was sealed, I secured it back into my inventory.
Then, without lingering, I moved on to my second target. Between a Human and an Elven gene, the choice was obvious.
I was already human. The Elven gene offered far more value.
Noticing the surroundings, things might be complicated for this part, since the target was an elven gene, which was located in the middle of the elven kingdom, possibly a High-status individual.
This wouldn’t be as simple as pulling the trigger.
Or maybe it was. The thought lingered, and with it came an unfamiliar weight. A quiet resistance stirred in my chest, sharp and unsettling. It felt different than just slaying a beast.
Having arrived at the wall, I opened the forum to see how the others were faring.
[INSECTOID World, this game ez fuckers see my Gene Type: Insectoid, Titan]
[You’re not the only one, dumbass. See you at the mid-game.]
[Ew bug plebs]
[Veteran Players, If ever in doubt, you know, they might feel real now, but try to think of them as a unit. This is OpusKnox of the Prometheus Clan. To my Clan members who read this message, messaging directly is unavailable now. Let’s meet at the old Galactic Federation zone. Survive well!]
I scrolled through a few more messages, but nothing felt particularly useful. Just noise, ego, and fragments of coordination.
OpusKnox… and the Prometheus Clan.
One of the top PvP-heavy groups in Eterna Galaxy Online.
I knew them.
If they were here, and they clearly were, then falling behind in progression wasn’t an option. Not against players like that. Not with my current setup.
My rolls were already a mess.
A slow breath escaped me.
Was there really no other choice?
I closed the forum and looked back at the target on the screen.
What was she doing?
The tracking feed adjusted, zooming in. The dense signals of the elven stronghold faded into the background as her marker drifted away from the main cluster. She was moving, no, wandering, beyond the inner defenses, toward a quieter section of the forest.
A garden.
Hidden beneath towering trees, shielded by natural growth and subtle enchantments. Isolated. No guards in immediate proximity. No overlapping signals.
My eyes narrowed.
An opportunity.
The beam-down sequence initiated silently, placing me at the edge of the garden’s perimeter with a rifle in hand. My boots touched soft earth, barely making a sound. The combat suit adjusted instantly, masking heat, dampening noise.
Further ahead,
She stood among pale blossoms, her figure partially obscured by drifting petals. Blonde hair caught the filtered light, almost glowing. No armor. No visible weapon.
I didn’t move.
This wasn’t a dragon. Not a beast.
My grip tightened around the rifle. Elves always had a trick up their sleeves, spirit, or possible elemental tricks. I could never let my guard down.
The system interface flickered faintly.
[Target within range]
“…Just a unit,” I whispered under my breath, repeating the words from the forum.
At that moment, paused.
The target moved and turned, and for the briefest moment,
Our eyes met.
Shock flashed across her face, her expression tightening as she spoke, soft, urgent words in a language I couldn’t understand. It wasn’t a scream. Not yet. More like confusion… disbelief.
My grip tightened. Instinct took over. I raised my rifle, locking onto her center mass.
“Don’t move!” I shouted.
The words cut through the stillness of the garden, harsh and foreign against the quiet. She froze, her body tensed, eyes locked onto the weapon, then back to me. There was fear now clear.
The system pulsed again.
[Target Stable]
My finger hovered over the trigger. Please don’t make me do this.
But she didn’t run or scream. Instead, she took a step back, slow and careful. Her hands rose slightly, not in surrender, but in uncertainty. Then she spoke again, softer this time, questioning. I didn’t understand a single word, but I understood the tone.
And for some reason,
The language barrier felt harder.
This time, I took a step forward. Slow. Deliberate. The rifle remained raised, but not as steady as before. The distance between us closed, ten meters, eight, six. She didn’t move, didn’t try to escape. Her eyes stayed locked on me, the fear still there, but something else beneath it.
She was trying to understand.
“…Don’t move,” I repeated, quieter this time.
Pointless.
She couldn’t understand me.
The neural-chip holographic visor flickered softly before a small translucent text window materialized within my vision.
[Target within optimal range]
Her breathing was uneven.
Mine wasn’t much better.
Within range, I lowered the rifle, just slightly. Enough. Slowly, carefully, I extended one hand toward her. No sudden movements. No threat. Just… closer. She flinched, barely, but she didn’t pull away. My fingers hovered near her shoulder, then shifted, hesitating for a fraction of a second before moving toward a loose strand of her blonde hair.
That’s all I need. A genetic sample. Nothing more.
“…Stay still,” I whispered, even though I knew she wouldn’t understand.
My fingers brushed against the strand, soft, warmer than I expected. For a split second, she tensed, her shoulders stiffening as her breath caught, but she didn’t recoil. Her eyes widened, searching my face, trying to understand what I was doing… or why.
“Shh…” I murmured instinctively, though the word meant nothing to her.
Carefully, I pinched the strand between my fingers and gave a slight pull. She winced, and a single blonde thread came free.
My chest tightened. That was it, no blood, no killing, just a strand. I stepped back immediately, putting space between us, the rifle still lowered at my side. She lifted a hand to her hair where the strand had been taken, confusion flickering across her face before her gaze returned to me, still wary, still afraid, but no longer the same kind of fear as before. Less terror. More questions.
For a moment, neither of us moved. Silence settled between us, heavy and fragile.
Then reality snapped back into place.
I exhaled slowly, steadying myself.
“…I’m done.” The words felt hollow, meaningless to her.
Again, it was pointless.
Without giving myself time to hesitate, I activated the beam-up. Light swallowed my vision, and in an instant, she was gone.
────────
Back aboard my moving ship, I set up the Gene Fusion Core and carefully placed the strand into the cylindrical compartment alongside the dragon’s blood. The chamber sealed with a soft hiss as I initiated the fusion process.
The Gene Fusion Core lit up.
A low hum filled the cabin as energy pulsed through the device, faint light flickering along its surface while the fusion began.
Then, with a sharp click, the chamber opened again.
This time, the cylindrical compartment was empty.
In its place, a syringe module slid forward, its casing sleek and metallic. A small indicator blinked steadily green.
It was ready.
Without further waiting, I drove the injector into my thigh.
Thump!
“Argh!!!”
The pain hit instantly. A sharp, invasive, like liquid fire, forcing its way through muscle and bone. My leg buckled, and I dropped to one knee, breath tearing out of my lungs as the syringe locked in place and discharged.
A surge.
Not just pain, pressure.
Something moved beneath my skin.
“Damn it!”
My fingers dug into the floor as heat flooded my body. It spread fast, up my spine, into my chest, across my arms, like something was rewriting me from the inside out.
My heartbeat spiked.
Then doubled.
A deep, resonant thrum echoed through my body, heavier, stronger… different.
“Ghh—!”
My back arched as something shifted beneath my skin. Muscles tightened, expanding slightly, fibers reinforcing, layering. It didn’t feel like growth.
It felt like optimization.
A second wave washed over me, sharp and precise, cutting through the chaos like a blade.
My throat burned.
Instinctively, I clenched my jaw, fighting the urge rising inside me, something primal, violent.
Something that wanted out.
Then, it felt cold, as if freezing water poured over a raging fire.
My breathing steadied, just slightly.
My mind… cleared.
I gasped, dragging in air as the worst of it began to settle.
The pain dulled.
Replaced by something else.
Strength.
“…So this is it.”
[Status Screen Unlocked!]