"Yes, I do," Tatehan said as he walked over to the pilot's seat and essentially collapsed into it, almost lying down completely. He was profoundly exhausted, and the only thing he wanted to avoid more than anything right now was standing for extended periods.

He also desperately needed a bath. Fighting sixty-one shadow goblins had been one hell of a stressful endeavor.

All that jumping, dodging, rapid movements, and sustained high-speed combat. The physical and mental toll was definitely catching up with him now.

After bathing, he planned to eat something substantial and then sleep for an extended period. Maybe take two full days off from everything, doing only minimal activities while he recovered fully.

"I genuinely think it's a good strategic decision," Tatehan continued, looking through the viewport that displayed the desolate Martian landscape outside.

One interesting thing he'd learned about this particular viewport was that when someone was outside the spaceship looking in, they wouldn't be able to see what was happening inside at all. It would simply appear like a reflective mirror showing their own image.

But from inside, you could see outside with perfect clarity.

Not that this was some groundbreaking discovery or anything, he'd seen similar one-way glass technology on Earth in certain buildings.

[Why specifically do you think accepting this alliance is a good idea?] the spaceship's AI pressed, clearly wanting a more detailed explanation.

Tatehan inhaled and exhaled deeply but quickly, gathering his thoughts.

"While it was ultimately my decision to use the bio-neutral core to save Kael's daughter's life, on a purely practical, resource-management level, it might seem like a questionable choice. It's not that I regret what I did, in fact, I'm genuinely happy and satisfied that I was able to save a life."

He paused, organizing his reasoning.

"But you know what? Me choosing to use that core on Kael's daughter was, in the end, actually the better strategic choice for multiple reasons. And you want to know why?"

[Only you can fully explain your reasoning,] the AI responded.

Tatehan grinned, warming to his argument.

"Using that core directly on the spaceship would have made my existence here sort of... limited and boring. Sure, I would have gotten the repair points closer to the required forty, and then eventually I would have reached that threshold. I could have transferred the spaceship into my system space storage and secured it properly, but then..."

Tatehan paused dramatically.

"What happens after that? What would I do next?"

[Presumably, you would go on to explore Mars more extensively?] the AI suggested.

Tatehan shook his head firmly in the negative.

"That's the thing, meaningful exploration wouldn't have been truly possible under those circumstances."

Tatehan was absolutely certain the spaceship's AI would be surprised by what he had just said.

He couldn't know for sure since it was an artificial intelligence without visible expressions, but he could feel it somehow. This AI seemed remarkably responsive to concepts like shock and surprise, and right now, Tatehan was confident it was processing something unexpected.

[What do you mean exploration wouldn't have been possible?] the AI asked, and there was definite confusion in its synthesized voice.

Tatehan sat up slightly in the pilot's seat, gesturing as he explained his reasoning.

"Think about it logically. If I hadn't agreed to help restore Kael's daughter's life, I might have never received that map from him in the first place. And even if I had somehow obtained the map through other means, if I hadn't gone to Kael's home and been led to the Red Crest Clan compound, I wouldn't have encountered the clan at all. I wouldn't have had the opportunity to demonstrate my worth and combat capabilities. I wouldn't have earned their respect or been given this valuable communication device. Most importantly, I wouldn't have been given the dust rider—"

Tatehan suddenly stopped in the middle of the sentence, his eyes widening with realization.

He immediately stood up from the comfortable pilot's seat and rushed to the door. He placed his hand on the biometric panel, and his signature was instantly recognized. The door slid open, and he dashed outside.

There, parked right beside the spaceship's entrance where he'd left it, was the dust rider.

"Oh damn, I completely forgot I came back with the motorcycle," Tatehan muttered to himself as he grabbed the vehicle and carefully maneuvered it inside the spaceship. Once it was securely inside, the door automatically slid shut behind him.

He positioned the dust rider against the wall close to the entrance, making sure it was stable.

[I'm glad you remembered to bring it inside,] the spaceship's AI said. [Even though I'm somewhat doubtful it would cause any significant problems since this location is exceptionally well-hidden and largely unexplored by anyone, prevention is still better than cure, I suppose.]

Tatehan nodded in complete agreement as he walked back to the pilot's seat and sat down again, this time sprawling himself across it even more comfortably.

"So anyway," he continued his previous explanation, "what I'm trying to say is that by using the core to save Lyra, I gained access to so many opportunities. I got the dust rider, which gives me actual mobility across the wasteland. I got to explore a real Martian city and see how other humans are actually living and surviving on this planet. I made allies with a powerful clan. And most importantly..."

He paused for emphasis.

"I met Riven."

[So Riven is truly that important to your plans...] the AI observed.

Tatehan laughed at that observation.

"Nah, I didn't mean it quite like that," he said, though his smile suggested otherwise. He then went on to explain to the AI in detail about the core-hunting business that Riven was currently engaged in, how she tracked dangerous creatures, killed them, extracted their valuable cores, and sold them in the city markets for substantial profit.

The AI seemed intrigued by this information.

[So you and Riven are planning to go hunting together to acquire cores as a partnership? That seems like a strategically sound idea with multiple benefits.]

Tatehan nodded enthusiastically.

"Exactly. She mentioned that she'd been actively searching for something called a Crystalline Serpent before we met. She said it's an extremely rare and dangerous creature, but it harbors a core that is incredibly valuable in the market and would fetch enormous amounts of money if successfully sold."

He leaned back in the seat, looking thoughtful.

"But honestly, I'm not really in this for the money aspect, at least not primarily. The cores I gain from hunting these rare and powerful creatures can be used directly to upgrade and repair the spaceship. Once I reach good progress here and get the ship into my system space, then I can start selling excess cores to earn currency and use that as a reliable income source for food, supplies, equipment, and all the other necessities for survival."

[That approach should work quite effectively,] the AI agreed. [It will help you tremendously in accumulating the repair points needed to reach the required threshold for system space storage. The strategy is sound — prioritize ship repairs first, then establish sustainable income streams.]

Tatehan nodded, satisfied that the AI understood his reasoning.

"Plus, hunting with Riven means I'm not alone out there. Her ability to sense attacks before they happen is incredibly valuable, it saved my life once already. And having a partner means we can take on more dangerous targets that would be too risky solo."

[Indeed. Cooperative hunting significantly increases survival probability and success rates,] the AI confirmed.

Tatehan stood up from the pilot's seat, stretching his sore muscles. His entire body ached from the intense combat and the long ride.

"Alright, I'm going to clean up."

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