After Crossing Over, I Just Want to Live Well – Chapter 5

Ch 5: Encounter with Star Beasts

Immediately following was another violent tremor, prompting Yu Duoduo to quickly activate the safety mode inside the cabin. This was either an encounter with star pirates or star beasts.

Yu Duoduo didn’t panic. Whichever it was, neither situation spelled good news for them!

Just as Yu Duoduo was pondering how to escape, the starship’s broadcast crackled to life:

“Ladies and gentlemen, the starship has encountered a star beast attack ahead. There will be some minor turbulence. All cabin passages have been sealed. Please return to your safety cabins and activate protective mode. We apologize for the inconvenience and sincerely thank you for your understanding and cooperation!”

Yu Duoduo double-checked her safety cabin once more, only relaxing after confirming everything was in order.

The starship had been stable, with no further turbulence like at the start. Just as everyone began to believe the incident would pass safely, the broadcast sounded again.

“Ladies and gentlemen, hello! First, allow me to extend my sincerest greetings and utmost respect to you all! Today, the starship has been attacked by a pack of star beasts. Despite the security team’s all-out efforts, they were ultimately overwhelmed.

The starship has requested assistance from the Imperial Army, and we believe help will arrive soon.

Until then, we ask everyone to step forward—for self-preservation, for survival, for the chance to reunite with our families safely. We must take up arms and fight bravely! As long as we unite and stand together as one, we will surely hold out until rescue arrives and return alive to the Imperial Star!”

Once the broadcast ended, the crowd erupted into chaos. Some cried, some cursed, others shoved the staff trying to calm the passengers. Only a small group retrieved their weapons, readying themselves for battle—though this group was entirely male.

Yu Duoduo swiftly changed into her combat armor and joined the combat-ready team.

The Star Network buzzed with activity over the incident. It all started with a small-time streamer from a remote star, taking his first trip to the Imperial Star. Overcome with excitement and joy, he went live the moment he boarded, sharing his feelings with his star friends.

Just as he was about to end the stream and rest, the camera shook a few times. His star friends, eager for drama, urged him to find out what was happening.

What followed was a flood of viewers into the live broadcast room when it became clear they were facing a star beast pack, drawing even the Empire’s attention.

Yu Duoduo paid no mind to any of this. Right now, she was with the team, hunting star beasts. Wearing a helmet, her height of just 1.8 meters stood out starkly among the men, all at least 1.9 meters tall—not to mention her distinctly female figure.

The Star Network was filled with criticism aimed at her, though she was unaware of it. Even if she knew, it probably wouldn’t have mattered to her!

At that moment, Yu Duoduo was with the team, awaiting task assignments. Not a single man present took her seriously, and when tasks were distributed, they simply ignored her.

Not wanting to waste everyone’s time, Yu Duoduo had no choice but to follow the arrangement. Her assigned role was flexible support.

This wasn’t Yu Duoduo’s first encounter with star beasts—she’d faced them before while on missions with Leng Ruoheng. Seeing a dozen or so star beasts, she remained calm, though some of the men in the team were already swallowing hard from nerves.

One star beast charged forward, claws bared, heading straight for a man in the group. The man, likely facing a star beast for the first time, froze in place. Fortunately, Yu Duoduo’s quick reflexes allowed her to yank him out of harm’s way just in time.

After ensuring his safety, Yu Duoduo calmly retrieved her weapon from her space button—a Tang Blade （. This Tang Blade, a reward from the system, was no ordinary masterpiece ）—and began her hunt.

With a single leap, she gripped the hilt with both hands and swung down at the star beast. The blade seemed infused with boundless energy, cleaving the creature in two with one strike.

With Yu Duoduo’s impressive start, the others followed their pre-assigned tasks, working together to hunt the star beasts.

Unbeknownst to them, someone behind them was using an optical brain to stream their every move live on the Star Network.

The live broadcast screen fell silent for three seconds before erupting with a flood of “Oh my gosh” and “My god.”

【 “Oh my gosh, was that the short one in the team who just sliced a star beast in half with one strike?” 】

【 “What short one? That’s a woman!” 】

【 “A woman? Are you kidding? Have you ever seen a woman that strong?” 】

【 “Compared to a woman, I’d rather believe it’s a short man!” 】

【 “Didn’t any of you notice the weapon she used?” 】

【 “What about her weapon? Isn’t it just a particle blade?” 】

【 “Look closely—that’s clearly a so-called cold weapon from ancient times!” 】

【 “You’re not mistaken, are you? A cold weapon from ten thousand years ago that can slice a star beast in one hit?” 】

【 “Right, right, it might be a particle blade styled like a cold weapon!” 】

【 “Look, look, the short one’s at it again!” 】

【 “By the way, why hasn’t the Imperial Army shown up yet?” 】

【 “Yeah, it looks like they’re about to collapse!” 】

【 “They’re not a proper army, after all. Holding out this long is already impressive!” 】

After Yu Duoduo cleaved one star beast in two, the remaining beasts grew cautious. Using their abilities and superior resilience, they switched to long-range attacks and ramming the ship’s hull directly.

With no other choice, Yu Duoduo pulled out a thermal weapon for ranged combat. With every shot fired, her heart bled a little—this was way too expensive!

On the Star Network, two people were particularly anxious: Shi Yichen and Leng Ruoheng. Upon learning that the starship Yu Duoduo was on had been attacked by star beasts, they couldn’t sit still, itching to fly out in a spaceship themselves.

Yu Duoduo flatly refused their help. Now, the two were like ants on a hot pan, glued to the live broadcast without blinking. Though they knew she had means to protect herself, they couldn’t help but worry.

More and more of the counterattack team were running out of energy. Even with potions, recovery took time, while the star beasts kept pouring in endlessly. At this rate, they’d all die together.

Yu Duoduo slipped away to an empty spot and pulled out box after box of fruit from her space, instructing the starship staff to distribute them to the fighters.

While Yu Duoduo went to fend off the star beasts, the staff handed out the fruit.

【 “Are they eating energy fruits?” 】

【 “Are they that rich?” 】

【 “It’s not just about money, okay? Energy fruits are something you can’t always buy even if you have the cash!” 】

【 “Suddenly so jealous—jealousy’s making my tears drip from the corners of my mouth!” 】

【 “With just one energy fruit, these fighters are already coming out ahead!” 】

【 “It was the starship staff handing them out, right? Right? Right?” 】

【 “Which company is this?” 】

【 “I just checked—it’s apparently the Lezheng Group!” 】

【 “The Lezheng Group is that loaded? Ahhh, from now on, I’m only taking Lezheng Group starships!” 】

【 “The guy above me, I can hear your abacus beads clacking all the way over here!” 】

【 “Look, after eating those energy fruits, their condition’s completely turned around! These energy fruits are better than anything on the market!” 】

【 “Look, look, isn’t that the Marshal’s starship?” 】

【 “It really is! Reinforcements have finally arrived—these starship passengers are saved at last!” 】