Destiny Among the Stars - Scifi - LitRPG - Adventure

Lord, what fools these mortals be.

— William Shakespeare - A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act 3, Scene 2

Because the universe is a cruel and unforgiving place… Ryan fucking Mitchell noticed.

He turned mid-sentence, his gaze snapping to Danny and Zoe, and his grin widened like the smug shit he was.

No. No. NO.

"Hey!" he called, loud enough to send every single alien bird within a hundred meters squawking into the air.

Danny flinched. Zoe stiffened.

Luca's soul left his body. Ryan, what the actual fuck? Let them live. God, what a tool.

Danny stopped dead, guilt written all over his face. Zoe, meanwhile, turned at a speed that would make a sniper jealous, eyes locked onto Ryan like she was about to murder him in broad daylight.

Luca rubbed his temples. Ryan. Brother. My buddy. My literal partner-in-crime. Why are you like this?

"Oh, come on, Ryan," Zoe groaned, her voice dripping with I will set you on fire later. "We've been out here for hours. Can't we take, like, a ten-minute break? I need some… air."

Air.

Danny, still clueless, nodded way too earnestly. "Yeah, air."

Luca winced. Jesus Christ, Danny, don't make it worse.

Ryan, already insufferable, smirked. "Ohhh, is that what they're calling it now?"

And Joey, because he's a traitor and lives for drama, fucking jumped in.

"Yeah, totally. Air. Very believable. I, too, frequently wander into the woods for no particular reason at all."

Zoe shot him a death glare so sharp it should've counted as a combat skill. "Yes, Joey, fresh air. Not all of us want to sit around jerking off over tech schematics all day."

Ryan grinned, completely unbothered. "Well, save it for after we finish packing. I'm sure Danny can wait a few more minutes."

Danny made a sound that might have been actual pain. Hands up. Completely red-faced. "Fine, fine."

Zoe huffed, then stuck out her tongue at Ryan like she was twelve, but not before flashing one last, unfiltered, 'I will ruin you' glance.

Goddamn.

Luca stood at the edge of the clearing, watching the slow-motion wreckage of whatever this was in real time, biting back a grin. She was playing the long game. She'd win, eventually.

But Ryan? Ryan was a menace.

A walking, talking disaster prevention system, radiating third-wheel energy so hard Luca was surprised he hadn't been classified as an environmental hazard.

And the worst part? Luca was pretty sure he was doing it on purpose.

Zoe's mind wasn't on the mission, or even the goddamn alien signal. Her eyes flicked toward Danny, watching as he strapped down the last of the crates with practiced ease.

She let out a dramatic sigh, stretching her arms above her head. "You know," she said, voice light, teasing, "weird signals on alien planets? That's usually the part where the horror movie music kicks in."

Danny smirked, not looking up as he yanked the strap tight. "Yeah? Who do you think bites it first?"

Zoe tilted her head, pretending to consider. "Hmm. Joey's the medic, so statistically? He's got survivor energy."

Danny snorted. "And me?"

"Oh, you?" She grinned. "Big guy like you? You're making it to the final act for sure."

His hands stilled for half a second, and when he looked at her, his expression softened just a little. "And you?"

Zoe rolled her eyes. "Obviously, I live. I've got the best reflexes."

Danny laughed, shaking his head. "Right, right. You'd be the badass taking out monsters left and right."

She waved a hand. "Exactly. And let's be real, I've got an advantage."

Danny raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

Zoe smirked, leaning in just a little. "I've got you and your big warhammer to keep me safe."

Danny blinked, his brain clearly short-circuiting for a second before he let out a nervous chuckle. "Oh. Uh. Yeah, well, I guess that's true. I mean… it's got a lot of stopping power."

"Oh, I bet," Zoe said, biting back a smirk.

Danny finally looked at her, something flickering in his eyes. He opened his mouth like he was about to say something, finally, Zoe thought, but instead, he just reached out, squeezing her hand lightly.

"We'll get there, Zo," he said, voice low but sure. "Promise."

Zoe blinked, momentarily caught off guard. Her first instinct was to make a joke, to play it off. But instead, she let the moment settle, let herself feel the warmth of his hand against hers.

She squeezed back. Just for a second. "Yeah," she said quietly.

And just like that, the moment passed.

Luca watched them, his arms crossed, and tried not to laugh out loud. Zoe, ever the relentless force of nature, was finally getting somewhere. But damn it, Ryan, he thought, glaring at the idiot still yammering about pre-System tech. Just shut up and let them have their moment.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

The crew resumed their tasks, but the atmosphere had shifted. What had started as a routine wrap-up was now charged with tension and anticipation. Luca could see it in the way they moved, quicker and more alert; their earlier lightheartedness had been replaced with a sense of purpose.

As Luca secured the last of the crates, his eyes drifted to the dense, shadowed forest surrounding them, the trees towering and still, hiding God knows what beyond them. Portals. Beasts. System bullshit. And now? An unknown signal, pulsing for them like an invitation.

"Alright," Luca called out, raising his voice so everyone could hear. "We're heading out as soon as we're loaded. Gear up, stay sharp, and let's see what's waiting for us."

Ryan flicked a switch, retracting the last of the survey equipment, and shot Luca his usual shit-eating grin. "Coordinates are locked, Cap. The Triumph has the source pinpointed. Just say the word, and we're off to poke the cosmic bear."

The hum of the Peregrine's engine came to life as the crew buckled in.

Emily leaned forward from her seat, her eyes sharp and her voice steady. "You sure about this, Luca?" She knew him. She knew they were going, whether or not it was a good idea.

"Not even a little," Luca replied, giving her a crooked grin. "But we don't have the luxury of sitting this one out. Whatever it is, we need to know."

A few hours later, and Emily was sulking.

Luca got it. He really did. They'd changed everything. The moment they stepped through that first portal, they'd shifted the balance of this entire planet. Before, the wildlife had been... wild life. Just normal creatures, living normal lives in an ecosystem untouched by progression, stats, and System interference. But now?

Now, everything was a mob.

It wasn't just them who were gaining XP. Every predator, every scavenger, every poor little alien bug was now considered a beast by the system, and they were leveling up, adapting and evolving.

Ryan, the smug bastard, was thrilled about it. Emily? She was pouting.

Something landed on the roof with a thump. Then another. Then another. Luca stopped the Peregrine and stood up, heading to the monitors.

Ryan turned, practically vibrating in his seat. "Oh, hell yes."

Luca sighed, already knowing where this was going. "What now?"

A chirping trill sounded from above, followed by an eager chattering noise. Ryan was grinning like an idiot before he even checked the exterior cameras. "Oh, Luca," he said, far too excited for what was likely just some overgrown lizard. "You really wanna see this."

Luca glanced at the camera feed. Jesus Christ.

They were adorable.

Little four-legged bastards, sleek bodies covered in iridescent, feathery scales, about the size of a puppy. They had big, bright eyes, massive hind legs built for speed, and long, curled tails that flicked back and forth as they drooped onto the Peregrine's armor.

Zoe, of course, was already gushing.

"Oh my God," she cooed, practically pressing her face against the glass. "Luca. Luca. Tell Ryan not to shoot them. Look at those little faces!"

Ryan, already climbing up to the roof hatch, ignored her completely. "Zoe, they're mobs. I'm absolutely shooting them."

Zoe turned to Luca, wide-eyed. "Can't I keep one?"

Luca sighed. "No, Zoe. You can't tame the wildlife."

Before she could argue, Luca activated his new Combat Predictive Modeling skill, his interface flaring with fresh data:

"That's it?" Luca questioned himself. "Just the basics?"

He grabbed his multitool scanner, pointing it at one of the creatures still perched on the roof. The display lit up after an unbearably long time with comprehensive data:

"Now that's what I'm talking about," Zoe said, reading over the detailed analysis. "Look at all that information! This is exactly what we need for the fauna survey objectives."

Emily groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Of course they're attacking us. Of course they are. No more natural behavior, no more working food chains, no more peace, just endless waves of XP." She sighed, looking genuinely sad about it. "I miss when they were just... animals."

"You miss those furballs?" Luca asked, grinning despite himself. "The ones that nearly shredded Danny?"

"That's different," Emily said, shooting him a look, but there was a hint of a smile tugging at her lips. "These ones are actually cute."

"So were those," Zoe chimed in, "before they showed their teeth."

"You're the one who wants to keep one!" Luca exclaimed, motioning out the window.

Luca chose to focus on the battle mostly because he was not about to get distracted by how adorable Emily looked when she was worried about alien ecosystems while Ryan was unloading plasma rounds into the cutest damn monsters he'd ever seen.

The moment he fired, all hell broke loose.

The Peregrine bucked slightly as the little bastards scattered and swarmed, dozens of them leaping from the trees, their clawed feet scrabbling against the hull. A wave of them came bounding through the underbrush, their long tails whipping through the air, their eyes locking onto them.

Danny, already out of the vehicle, laughed like a goddamn maniac, gripping his warhammer in both hands. "Oh, come on!" he called, gleeful. "You little guys think you can take me?"

One of them lunged, and Danny just swung. Crunch.

Then he activated Taunt: the effect was instant.

The large pack of Gale Striders went still. Heads snapped toward Danny in eerie synchronization, their glowing amber eyes narrowing. Then, as one, they charged.

Ryan, watching from above, groaned. "Oh, come on. That's not fair."

Danny just grinned as the first wave slammed into him. Their claws skittered uselessly against his heavy armor, their teeth barely making a dent. Meanwhile, his warhammer was a blur, sending them flying in all directions.

Zoe, still pouting, sighed dramatically. "Poor babies."

Ryan fired a few quick plasma shots, the high-pitched whine of his rifle cutting through the air. One of the critters yelped, flipping midair before hitting the ground. Zoe shot Ryan a glare of pure betrayal.

Joey, leaning against the window, his hand against his forehead. "Guys," he muttered, his voice low and exasperated, "Chris is still in the med pod. Can we try to be quiet while he's recovering?"

Danny bodyslammed one of the Striders. Another got its tail stepped on. Ryan took three more shots, and Zoe was still dramatically mourning for their cuteness.

Yeah. This was not a quiet battle.

[+0 XP]

[+138 Credits]

Level disparity was real. No loot drops.

At least not until these little critters leveled up.

Emily? Still pouting.

Luca wasn't sure what was more frustrating: the fact that she looked so damn adorable when she was sad about the ecosystem changes, or the fact that all he wanted was a quiet moment alone with her. Just five minutes without an alien bird squawking, Ryan smirking, or a monster attack.

He ran a hand down his face, exhaling slowly.

This was fine. Everything was fine.

Except for the fact that they hadn't had a single moment alone since the system activated, and Emily was worried about the planet. Too many goddamned portals and now they had the wildlife to contend with.

Nothing but 0 XP and mobs and Ryan ruining everything.

Luca turned his head slightly, watching Emily out of the corner of his eye. Her arms were crossed, her jaw was tight, and her gaze was locked firmly on the battlefield of adorable chaos outside.

She caught him looking and raised an eyebrow, her lips twitching with the hint of a smile. "What?" she asked.