Chapter 20: Achievement Settlement

In the vast Star Sea, a brand-new force suddenly appeared out of nowhere, and its fame quickly spread throughout the entire cosmos.

It is an alliance possessing a top-tier gene ascension technology system, which regards hunting heavenly calamities as its primary mission, vowing to exterminate all heavenly calamities and blood calamities in the universe.

The leader of that alliance is a heavenly calamity slayer wielding a blood-red spear; she leads the alliance like cosmic police, appearing wherever a heavenly calamity arises.

That alliance leader is so powerful that all factions tremble at her name; her blood-red spear has slain countless heavenly calamities, and rumors say this blood calamity slayer even possesses the strength to shatter a star with a single strike, with innumerable star‑level blood calamity nests falling beneath her lance.

In the Star Sea there are countless loathsome heavenly calamities—blood calamity, insect calamity, dream calamity, beast calamity, etc. —but blood calamity is undoubtedly one of the most rampant heavenly calamities in the Star Sea.

They erode stars, weave blood‑armed fleets, scatter blood‑seeds, infect planets, and their presence can be found in every corner of the Star Sea.

Few forces dare provoke them, yet this newly emerged alliance regards hunting heavenly calamities as its sole purpose.

Its members loathe heavenly calamities with a passion, especially blood calamity, and they are all civilizations that have suffered grievously from blood calamity.

It is said that the alliance originated from an asteroid in a remote star field of the universe; after their star was eroded, a leader stepped forward, using herself as a torch to ignite that eroded star, and from then on the alliance began its revenge against blood calamity.

Of course, the historicity of this tale is debatable, but the only certainty is that, after the Star Sea era began, the alliance's forerunner saved several life‑bearing planets that had been ravaged by blood calamity.

Eventually, the intelligent beings of three life‑bearing planets chose to join, signing an agreement with the leader of the alliance's predecessor.

The agreement reads: "Live and die together, hunt the blood calamity, never cease!"

Thus, the alliance whose primary duty is hunting blood calamity was born; ever more planets afflicted by blood calamity were liberated, and the alliance quickly became a towering power in the Star Sea that none dare underestimate.

Now their fame has spread throughout the Star Sea, known to all, and they call their alliance the "Gleaming Alliance"!

Not knowing how long he had slept, Zhang Jie was abruptly awakened by his own communications device; he dazedly opened it and chose to answer.

"Where have you run off to, Zhang Jie? You don't want such a huge order from the Alliance?"

"If this order falls through, our performance will go down the drain too!"

Hearing the man's voice on the phone, Zhang Jie stared blankly, then suddenly recalled his recent ordeal.

Crash, simulator, leader, Lin Ran...

These keywords flooded his mind; Zhang Jie suppressed the chaos, glanced around briefly, and spoke as calmly as he could.

"Dad, I was shot down by a blood calamity on my way here; I'm probably lying in some treatment center now."

The man's voice in the device fell silent for a moment, then grew much gentler.

"Send me your location; I'll come see you."

"Done."

Indeed, the person on the line was Zhang Jie's father—just like Zhang Jie, a corporate drone, only holding a slightly higher position.

Of course, no one at the company knows their relationship.

After hanging up, Zhang Jie picked up his battered device and sent his location to his father.

"This thing's quality is really good; it's not broken at all."

Setting down the communications device, Zhang Jie looked around; it was a standard single‑patient room.

His head was still a mess; Zhang Jie recalled again the moment he crashed and obtained the simulator—back then he was clearly already a goner, reduced to a soul drifting about, surely blown to bits with nothing left.

"It seems the simulator saved me."

As he spoke, a panel unfolded before his eyes, revealing

"Remaining lifespan: 178 days 17 hours 24 minutes"

Besides that, a red dot for simulation settlement was flashing, triggering Zhang Jie's obsessive‑compulsive tendency, so he tapped it immediately.

"First simulation completed, codename: Blood and Fire"

"Congratulations, you have earned the following achievements"

"(SSS) Limited Achievement 'I Am the Torch, My Body Becomes the Blazing Sun': With me as fire, with my body as torch, I ignite the sun and become the Blazing Sun! Your death is great and heroic; you will leave a profound mark in that civilization's annals."

"(S) Limited Achievement 'Immortal Legend': Although you have died, your deeds, thoughts, and ideas will forever permeate every facet of this world; you are this world's legend, and you will never fade away."

"(S) Limited Achievement 'Heavenly Calamity Devourer—Blood Calamity': You have successfully absorbed the power of the blood calamity, becoming the nemesis of all blood calamities in the universe; but never let the heavenly calamities know of your ability, or they will hunt you across the cosmos."

"(S) Normal Achievement 'Way of Salvation': You have accomplished a great salvation!"

"(A) Normal Achievement 'Everlasting Remembrance': If sacrifice is the most beautiful farewell, then in our next life we shall meet again; she will never forget you, no matter how many centuries pass, she will seek the world where you exist."

"(A) Normal Achievement 'Peak Scholar': Your gene‑editing technology has reached its peak in this world; the genetic equation theory you researched laid the foundation for racing across the sea of stars, and no one, past or future, can surpass the achievements you have attained."

"Simulation rating: SSS"

"Summary: You used your knowledge to inaugurate a new era; your life was brief yet heroic, and your deed of igniting a star with your own life is worthy of praise throughout the cosmos. The descendants of Yong State honor you; everyone who reads your biography feels awe and fervor. Your everything has been split into two volumes by the schools, and simultaneously the genetics you studied, your thoughts, your deeds, and every aspect thereof have been authored into countless books. You are the legend of Yong State, an undying legend!"

Gazing at this long string of achievements and evaluations, Zhang Jie fell silent for a moment.

"Lin Ran..."

He could face the whole world, but he felt guilty only toward Lin Ran.

To be frank, the aftermath of this simulation is a bit too strong; even now he keeps putting himself in the shoes of Leader Zhang Jie, although that is himself.

"If it were the old me, I might have gone with Lin Ran to build an ark…"

"No, the old me couldn't even take on the company alone."

Zhang Jie shook his head; at this moment he finally grasped the gap between a great person and a minor role.

The former him was merely a lowly corporate drone scraping by at an interstellar company.

Born on an ordinary planet, in an ordinary family, with ordinary studies, he scraped into a slightly better interstellar academy with barely passing grades, graduated with barely sufficient credits, and became an ordinary corporate drone by scraping by on performance.

Zhang Jie only feels that he is now a schizophrenic tangle of contradictions: one side is the leader's great thoughts and guilt, the other is an ordinary mortal's worries and conflicts, leaving him utterly at a loss.

"Please claim your reward as soon as possible."

A sudden alert tone brought Zhang Jie back to his senses; he shook his head, forced himself awake, and chose to claim the reward.

"Reward claimed successfully!"