Before long, Su Mo arrived at Ship Dock No. 2. After some effort, he found the Standard Level Star Destroyer, Light Crystal.

From afar, Su Mo frowned slightly.

The entire surface armor of the Light Crystal was charred black, with a large hole at the point of impact in the center, exposing various scorched circuits still occasionally sparking electrically.

Su Mo, somewhat puzzled, said to the creator, Swallower, "I don’t understand. Isn’t this Light Crystal a Standard Level Star Destroyer? Yet, even with its energy shield at full capacity, it couldn’t withstand a single strike from the God of Na Vessel. The performance gap between Star Destroyers seems too vast."

"Who told you the Light Crystal is a legitimate Star Destroyer?"

The creator, Swallower, replied with a sneer.

"Wait a minute, you’re saying the Light Crystal isn’t a Star Destroyer? How is that possible?"

Su Mo was a bit confused hearing this.

"Alright, let me educate you on the early classification and distinction of Star Destroyers, so you don’t remain ignorant. Initially, a ship equipped with a single Meteor Cannon and a Heart of the Ark was termed a Standard Level Star Destroyer. Above that level, there’s the Enhanced Level Star Destroyer, which essentially has reinforced armor compared to the original, improving its durability significantly."

"What about the Legendary Level Star Destroyer?"

"The Legendary Level Star Destroyer is a notch above the Enhanced Level. At this level, ships typically have two Hearts of the Ark and both main and secondary cannons. The main cannon’s power is greater than regular Meteor Cannons, and the energy output ranges from 1000W to 3000W, with additional special abilities."

The creator, Swallower, explained.

Curious, Su Mo asked, "What special ability does the Immortal Blade have?"

"Dual Power Coordination, allowing simultaneous activation and use of two Hearts of the Ark, along with short-range jump strikes."

"Oh, what about the Ancient Legendary Star Destroyer?"

"The situation is different for the Ancient Level Star Destroyer. Usually, ships at this level possess two to three power cores, with one no longer being a Heart of the Ark but replaced with a more advanced special power core. Additionally, their main cannon has even greater potency, reinforced armor, special abilities, and the energy output exceeds 3000W."

The creator, Swallower, roughly explained to Su Mo.

"Oh, I see. What about the Light Crystal?"

Su Mo asked.

"The Light Crystal uses a pseudo Heart of the Ark as its power core. What do you think?"

"Really? But isn’t it clearly labeled as a Standard Level Star Destroyer?"

"That label is crafted by those unscrupulous merchants in Star Ring City. As long as it has star-destroying capability, it can be called a Standard Level Star Destroyer, just to fetch a high price."

"Wait, but I remember seeing this ship in the merit exchange library too."

"What’s so strange about that? The logistics department also needs to make money; there’s nothing they won’t do."

"Such tactics are outrageous, selling inferior goods at superior prices!"

"But it’s not entirely fair to say that. The Light Crystal is actually decent; its construction is cost-effective. Those merchants even enhanced its outer armor, boosting its durability. Otherwise, a hit from an Ancient Level Star Destroyer would have completely obliterated it. Also, it’s equipped with a Meteor Cannon; though it charges slowly, its attack power is decent. It’s a classic weapon ship. Normally, it barely lives up to the Star Destroyer name when pitted against smaller ships."

The creator, Swallower, responded.

"Understood, it’s not great but not bad either. So, how does this ship compare to the Phantom Flower?"

Su Mo curiously asked.

"The Phantom Flower is definitely stronger. Its overall performance surpasses the Light Crystal in every way."

The creator, Swallower, responded bluntly.

"Got it."

Su Mo nodded, choosing not to say more.

Just then, Su Mo spotted a middle-aged man, in a Lieutenant Colonel’s uniform with partially white hair, standing alone before the wrecked Light Crystal, gazing at it with a complex expression.

Presumably, this middle-aged man should be the captain of the Light Crystal.

So, Su Mo walked over.

As Su Mo approached, the middle-aged man turned and saluted Su Mo.

"Commander Su Mo."

"Just call me Su Mo. Are you the captain of this ship? May I know your name?"

Su Mo asked politely.

"I’m Barimong, affiliated with the First Legion of Star Ring City, rank of Lieutenant Colonel."

Barimong spoke in a deep voice.

"Thank you very much for helping my ship endure that fatal strike. I heard your people suffered heavy casualties for it."

Su Mo sincerely expressed his gratitude.

"It was our duty. There’s no need for you to specifically thank us or feel guilty. Our orders were to support your ship."

Barimong shook his head, not intending to accept Su Mo’s thanks.

"Orders are orders, but how many truly follow them this far... so...."

Su Mo began to speak but was interrupted by Barimong.

Barimong sighed and said to Su Mo, "Lord Su Mo, let’s drop this. You don’t need to worry about it, just consider it our way of repaying a favor."

"Huh? When did you owe me a favor?"

Su Mo was puzzled, as he had never even seen this Lieutenant Colonel before.

"I’m from the Second Birthplace, the Mardon Kingdom, one of the weakest nations there. When the Second Birthplace was under attack, our planet was near Mist Star, and its fall was imminent. You understand what I mean now, right?"

Barimong gazed into Su Mo’s eyes as he spoke.

Su Mo was momentarily stunned, unsure of what to say.

"Lord Su Mo, let’s leave it at that. Don’t feel guilty, I’m leaving."

After speaking, Barimong saluted Su Mo and turned to leave.

Watching him depart, Su Mo sighed heavily.

At this moment, the creator, Swallower’s deep voice resonated in Su Mo’s mind.

"Seems like you got lucky, encountering such a straightforward person."

"Don’t say that. Though this world is harsh, not everyone is ungrateful. Forget it, let’s not discuss this matter and just head back to rest."

Su Mo replied, feeling quite heavy-hearted. In fact, he had wanted to offer some compensation earlier. But in the end, he chose not to, given how directly Barimong stated things.

"As you wish."

The creator, Swallower, remained unmoved, as if nothing could affect it.

Su Mo turned and headed for the elevator.

...