Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high!-Chapter 857: Are there really aliens?_2

The turbulent space was full of mysterious allure, while also radiating a wild and chaotic energy.

Bai E took a step forward, and once again saw that magnificent world filled with countless purple zigzag patterns...

...

Within the players' realm, a piece of news quietly leaked and spread like wildfire across every channel of information.

"Holy crap! There really are aliens in this world!"

"Why do these aliens look just like humans on our planet?"

"Man, that alien girl is freaking gorgeous! I want to go to space and pick up alien chicks too!"

"Don't go, you'll end up mining. Our great artist already got sent to the bottom of the ocean."

"I'm the loyal dog of the Pirate Queen! Bow down to her!"

The buzz started with a player using the ID "Artist" who shared their journeys and discoveries after joining humanity's Star Sea Fleet on a forum.

There might be names completely dissimilar to the person in question, but their nicknames and IDs were unmistakable.

As the name suggests, "Artist" was, without a doubt, a master of painting.

Everything witnessed in the game could be effortlessly replicated onto the real-world forums through their artistry.

The initial leg of "Artist"'s journey was rather mundane, to the point where followers almost lost interest in updates.

However, when the Starship heading out to explore the cosmos encountered an unknown disaster leading to disintegration, plans to return home were made. During this time, "Artist" and several other players proposed piloting small escape pods for alien exploration, a suggestion that received approval from the Starship's lord, Bai E.

From that moment on, "Artist"'s journey could only be described as a blaze of glory.

The large Starship disintegrated, so how safe could the smaller escape pods really be?

Yet, "Artist," who hadn't respawned back into their pre-selected artificial body, managed to survive—but not due to the quality of the escape pod.

Not long after leaving the main fleet, "Artist"'s escape pod, along with others, exploded.

Blown far away by the blast wave, "Artist" didn't forget to look back and document this unprecedented moment while drifting freely in space.

Compared to other players who gradually lost their lives due to the hostile cosmic conditions, "Artist" was slightly luckier.

Before truly meeting their end, they encountered an alien spaceship.

Together with a few other fortunate players, "Artist" was rescued by the aliens aboard the ship.

Strangely, the aliens on this spaceship bore an uncanny resemblance to humans on the planet. Moreover, their attitude toward these stranded players was exceptionally friendly.

With the assistance of these amicable aliens, the rescued players learned an earth-shattering truth: Humanity in the universe far outnumbers those confined to the planet's small domain.

Humankind's footprint spans the galaxy, with all visible territories dominated by humans.

Although these humans are divided into various nations under different titles, humanity as a whole reigns supreme as the galactic overlords!

A macro-level peace exists, with localized competition.

This was the fragment of the interstellar landscape revealed to the players.

The spaceship rescuing the players was actually a merchant vessel traveling from one nation to another for trade.

The reason this ship saved the players was the impressive resilience displayed as their physical forms wandered in space. They were invited to serve temporarily as guards for the merchant vessel—pirates had recently been troubling its route.

This rumor immediately drew the laughter of a stunningly gorgeous and seductive woman aboard the ship.

Soon, this captivating woman became the target of many heated gazes.

It must be said that the ship's intelligence division was exceptionally adept in gathering accurate information.

The spaceship indeed encountered pirates.

And the pirate leader turned out to be none other than that strikingly beautiful and seductive woman.

Though the players fought hard to repay the ship for saving them, their efforts proved futile against overwhelming odds. Enhancements and combat prowess that allowed them to dominate planets were reduced to mere elite combat units in small-scale cosmic battles.

The new interstellar chapter of the players' lives had barely begun before it took a drastic turn—transforming them into the personal property of the Pirate Queen...

Thrown into the ocean to work as miners.

On a planet with horrifying underwater pressures, they extracted an extremely viscous and durable seabed clay—a fitting fate for individuals with resilient constitutions.

The experiences of "Artist" and a few other fortunate players might not evoke envy, but the worlds they unveiled resembled a deep-sea bomb detonating in the player community.

Aliens truly existed in the universe!

While the contents of the planet had yet to be fully explored, humanity's civilization in the distant cosmos seemed far more dazzling and diverse.

"Artist" and other abducted players captured by pirates were far from the only lucky ones.

Given "Artist"'s consistent live-streams showcasing their artistic prowess, they had gained considerable attention and credibility.

Some other fortunate players also shared their experiences, but their accounts were typically dismissed as mere fabrications.

It was only after "Artist"'s story proved the existence of numerous human civilizations in the universe that these overlooked accounts were unearthed by players, one after another—

"Thanks for the invite, currently in Freeport, just got off the ship. Freeport's vibe is seriously chill. As soon as I stepped off the ship, a girl pulled me away. I'll update after I find out more details..."

"Turned out she wanted my kidneys! She saw I didn't have any to take, so just left me for dead! Damn it!"

...

"Got rescued by a small exploration team. Everyone in the group is super nice. They're heading to a floating pyramid abandoned in space..."

"Damn! The pyramid's loaded with traps!"

"Hehe~ One flash of green light and I was toast! Space is awesome. Can't wait to go again next time."

...

"Holy crap, you guys will never believe what I just saw! A city floating in outer space!"

"They said it used to be the moon of a planet. After the planet got blown up, they started flying the moon around as a roaming base."

"Wait, what the hell? Turns out they're calling this place Freeport too? A girl's already approached me, gotta go now hehe~"

"Got murked again..."

...

The varied and vibrant space exploration tales of those lucky players instantly ignited unparalleled enthusiasm across the entire player community.

"Holy smokes, there's no way we're not going now!"

"When's the alliance organizing the next galactic expedition? This time, take me along! I'll do anything for a spot!"

"Don't go. Didn't you see how many people went and how few actually made contact with alien societies? Most of them didn't survive."

"I'm the chosen one—those other losers can't compare to me, right?"

"The alliance is probably broke. I suggest everyone pitch in and fund a new Starship for the cause!"

"One Starship? Is that all? Who are you underestimating? One per person! One per person!"

"With your current skills, you'd just end up as slave labor when you land! You haven't even mastered the planet's gameplay, yet you're dreaming about roaming the galaxy? Unless you've got some bigwig backing you up, any expedition's doomed. I suggest you catch up to Bai E's level before venturing into space."

"So when's Bai E heading back into the cosmos? Any insiders willing to spill the tea? Waiting online for answers—urgent, urgent, urgent!"

Among the players, Kuang Xin and a few companions couldn't ignore the overwhelming buzz.

The group exchanged silent glances among themselves.

"Is the universe really this lively?"

"So many people are talking about it—it can't all be fake. Plus, based on what I've gathered, they didn't even use their prepped artificial bodies. Adds a bit of credibility."