Chapter Six: The Allure of Beauty

After a journey of over ten days, the transport ship finally reached its destination: Planet Tumu.

Tumu was a planet newly developed a century ago. Rich in resources and minerals, it played a vital role in the Federation’s development. The Star River Empire, recognizing this, had engaged in a protracted war with the Federation over the planet. Ultimately, neither side could fully expel the other, leading both to establish several bases on Tumu to extract resources. Nevertheless, conflicts flared up from time to time.

Lei Bin and his comrades had arrived to conduct routine patrols near Base 3. It was a simple mission; after two months of patrolling, a common conscript like him would be eligible to return home.

During the days on the ship, Lei Bin spent almost every moment outside of meal times lying in his bunk, being tormented by Star Dream.

After being killed over a thousand times in the street combat simulation, he had finally passed the stage. His victory was due to the significant improvement in his combat skills during the third phase of training, combined with his wealth of experience in using terrain and a repertoire of underhanded tactics.

Once the third phase was complete, Star Dream further intensified his martial arts training. She played various combat films and digital archives for him to internalize, then forced him to spar against even stronger opponents. Since Star Dream didn’t care what methods he used, Lei Bin’s repertoire of dirty tricks—deception, ambushes, throwing lime powder, groin kicks, and the like—became incredibly refined.

In the following days, the hand-to-hand training began to taper off, and Star Dream shifted to training him in mecha combat. This was just as brutal; if Lei Bin were defeated, the opponent’s mecha would turn him into a sieve, forcing him to endure the agony of death until he learned to defeat them.

Throughout this process, Lei Bin cursed Star Dream’s ancestors for generations, but it was futile. Star Dream ignored his outbursts and continued the prescribed training. Lei Bin dared not report her, fearing the Federation might eliminate him if the secret of the entity in his mind were discovered. He had no choice but to endure.

This reminded him of an old saying from the slums: "Life is like being raped; if you cannot resist, you might as well enjoy it."

Lei Bin felt exactly that way—as if he were being subjected to relentless, inhumane, daily gang-rapes. The pain was unbearable. "Even a rape victim doesn't have it as hard as I do! Damn it, why is my life so miserable? I finally served two years and was about to go home, only to be kidnapped by this piece of junk software. Boo-hoo..."

Raised in the slums by a deadbeat alcoholic father, Lei Bin had weathered countless setbacks; he wouldn't have survived this long without a certain degree of resilience. Since he couldn't resist Star Dream’s torment, he decided to play along. He would try to "enjoy" the ordeal by extracting benefits from her to compensate for his suffering. If she wanted him to save the Federation, she had to pay up.

"Hey, Star Dream, I’m training so hard every day—how about a little reward? Show me some beauties, and I’ll have more motivation," he requested after finishing a mecha sparring session.

"That can be arranged," Star Dream replied without hesitation.

"No way, really? Awesome! I want to see Monica Bellucci, and maybe some others..." Lei Bin reeled off a list of names.

"No problem. My database contains all their photographic records, including their most private personal photos," Star Dream said.

"Are you serious? Even the private ones? Show me, now!" Lei Bin jumped for joy.

"For every mecha you defeat, I will show you one private photo," Star Dream stated, setting the terms.

"One mecha per photo? You’re stingy!" Lei Bin complained.

"The upcoming combat training will take place in special environments. A single mission might involve destroying hundreds of mecha. If your skills are up to the task, you’ll see plenty," Star Dream promised. She initiated the program, and Lei Bin found himself inside a mecha cockpit.

"Fine, one it is! Dammit, I’m going all out!" Motivated by the prospect of private photos of celebrities, Lei Bin fought with newfound ferocity.

With the incentive of these photos, Lei Bin’s motivation surged. Seeing that this method worked, Star Dream provided even more secretive—and even illegally obtained—private images to drive him. While he still cursed her ancestors every time he died, the training was much more tolerable now that he had both the whip behind him and a carrot in front.

Forced labor and voluntary effort were two very different things.

A few days later, they arrived at Planet Tumu, and Star Dream had to pause the training. Having failed to get along with his bunkmates, Lei Bin was ignored by them as they disembarked. He crawled out of his bunk, rubbed his aching muscles, and grabbed his luggage.

As he picked up his bags, he paused, startled. They felt much lighter than before.

"What’s going on?" he asked.

"Your constant mental training over the past few days has sent nerve impulses to your body. Your cells have reacted as if you were performing the physical training, causing your muscle tissue to adapt and your overall physical strength to increase," Star Dream explained.

"No way! Can I become the number one martial artist in the Star River if I keep this up?" Lei Bin asked excitedly.

"Impossible. Physical growth requires the intake of specific nutrients; you cannot reach higher stages without them. Relying solely on my training will only get you so far before you hit a limit. Furthermore, true martial artists develop their potential by reaching an extreme level of consciousness. If you rely only on my external assistance, you will never become a true powerhouse. That requires self-realization," Star Dream shattered his dream.

"Damn," Lei Bin muttered, dragging his luggage off the ship.

Stepping off the ramp, he saw a massive, modern base. The architecture was exquisite, and the amenities were on par with any city, save for the high-powered weaponry deployed everywhere to defend against Imperial raids and the insectoid swarms from the nearby jungles.

After passing through an ID scan, he received a card indicating his assigned camp. As he wandered the base looking for directions, Star Dream suddenly spoke: "The camp is 2,413 meters away at your ten o'clock."

"Damn, she really is omniscient. I have to make the most of this and enjoy life. Since she’s forcing me to save the Federation, I’m going to collect interest. If she dares to 'rape' me, she’ll have to endure my 'counter-rape'!" Lei Bin thought, a wicked grin spreading across his face. Star Dream ignored him completely.

Following her directions, he reached the camp, which was already crowded. To his surprise, the soldiers at the reception were two beautiful women.

"Right, in a base like this, there’s no shortage of women. Maybe there are even special services? I’ve saved up some money during my service—should I lose my virginity?"

His recent high-intensity training had left him mentally drained, and he felt the need to blow off some steam. For a man, this was the best form of relaxation.

"Hey, Star Dream, are there any places for 'special services' in this base?" he asked shamelessly. He no longer felt the need to be polite; Star Dream knew his every thought anyway.

"There are no official sex services as they are prohibited by Federation law, but there are seven underground establishments," she replied calmly. In her programming, she considered moderate sexual activity an effective way for men to regulate their physical state for better training.

"Wow, seriously? Awesome! Send me some photos—let me see which girl is the prettiest. It’s my first time, after all; it’s got to be someone stunning!" Lei Bin drooled, rubbing his hands together.

"I have selected a few based on human aesthetic standards," she replied, projecting images of scantily clad beauties. These underground spots often advertised online, so the photos were easily accessible to her.

"Tsk, tsk... this one is gorgeous. Wow, look at that chest! And her legs are so long..."

As he stood in line for inspection, he browsed the images