You have gained a level!

Level 2

Stats have increased.

Skill points are available.

I browsed through the new stats, small boosts and the usual stuff you’d expect. It didn’t seem like I had any control over where the points went, though. I would’ve loved to put more into constitution to offset my invader penalty, but it seemed like the real customization came from skills.

As I looked over the available skills, I started to figure out the skill up system. There were general skills tied to my overall level and specific skills based on what I’d actually done. I could select from things I had experience with, like ship piloting, but I couldn’t unlock skills for things I hadn’t tried yet. Laser rifle proficiency, for example, wasn’t an option because I hadn’t used one.

Curse you, my useless, clumsy human hands!

General Spacecraft Repair

Grants the knowledge and ability to perform repairs on space worthy vessels. Also provides bonuses to repairs initiated through external sources, including ship self-repair systems, station repair facilities, and more.

Zero-G Combat

Increases combat effectiveness and provides bonuses when fighting in zero or low gravity environments. This skill also grants minor improvements to ship piloting and combat abilities in such conditions.

Material Extraction

Increases the quantity and quality of salvaged materials during extraction. Provides bonuses to overall resource collection from debris, asteroids, or dismantled ships.

Environmental Awareness

Enhances perception and understanding of your surroundings, whether on ships or stations. Improves detection of hidden threats, traps, or structural weak points.

The selection wasn’t the most thrilling, but I couldn’t expect too much from level 2 general skills. Zero-G Combat looked useful, but since anti-grav tech wasn’t exactly rare around here I wasn’t itching to snag it. Environmental Awareness also had potential, and I suspected it might even enhance my shipboard weapon systems, making it a solid pick.

But the other two skills felt more immediately practical. General Spacecraft Repair would be a lifesaver if the station lacked proper repair facilities. At the very least, I’d be able to patch up my ship and fix the airlock. Material Extraction seemed like an investment that would pay off in the long run, the sooner I upgraded it, the more I’d benefit from extra salvage throughout my journey.

I chose the two skills, and my mind was instantly flooded with new knowledge: ways to break down components for better salvage yields, quick-fix techniques for basic ship issues. It wasn’t comprehensive, but it was a solid start, like downloading a series of "Repair and Salvage: For Big Ol’ Dummies!" right into my noggin.

Satisfied with my picks, I moved on to the more specialized skills that aligned with my personal skill set.

I could choose between upgradeable skills and new ones:

Spacecraft Pilot - Level 1

Light Spacecraft Pilot - Level 2

General Spacecraft Knowledge - Level 2

There were the language and alien knowledge skills, Dulox language had exploded up to level 5 and my knowledge level on them had flown up to level 3. I guess being an alien for a while lended a huge boost.

The new skills were much more enticing and I perused over the ones available:

Combat Opportunist

Increases combat effectiveness when using improvised weapons or environmental elements. Provides a bonus to melee attacks when using non-standard weaponry.

I liked that. Guessing it was from my use of the hammer, using alien corpses and even my own dismembered body parts to gain an edge in combat.

Fast Learner (Language)

Increases speed of learning alien languages. Provides minor boosts to diplomacy and understanding enemy communications when exposed to their language.

This seemed useful as well, if I could avoid combat with at least some of the aliens I encountered, being able to understand them would be paramount. A little extra diplomacy, to my already excellent vocal skills, would be pretty nice as well.

Adrenaline Burst

In moments of extreme stress or danger, you can tap into a burst of adrenaline, granting a temporary increase in combat speed, strength, and awareness. This ability activates automatically during life-threatening situations, giving you a brief edge in combat when you need it most.

Now that was a skill. I’d been running on pure adrenaline and instinct for most of my fights so far, and sure, it was working out… but only just barely. Once I started running into better trained enemies, ones who didn’t just stumble around or lunge blindly at me, I’d be outclassed. Completely. Those types wouldn’t give me the luxury of scrambling to figure things out; they’d dismantle me without a second thought.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

I had enough skill points to either upgrade a few of my existing abilities or snag two of the new ones. As much as I wanted to keep boosting my current skills, the two combat-related options were too tempting to pass up.

I felt the familiar rush of energy as the new skills settled in, but this time, there wasn’t a flood of knowledge. Instead, I just felt… more ready. Like the difference between strapping into a pilot seat with a couple hundred hours of stick time versus a few thousand. You’re competent in both cases, but with that extra experience, you’re comfortable, reactive. Instinct takes over, and you start to feel at home.

I wasn’t just a scrappy survivor anymore. I was starting down a path to becoming actually dangerous. And that was a hell of a thought.

----------------------------------------

I felt less exhausted after sitting with my guest for a while, scrolling through menus and upgrading my abilities. With that done, I turned my attention to the station's systems, eager to see what I could get out of this place. And, well, the station was awesome. Not only could I repair any connected ships, but I could upgrade and fit new components, as long as I had the materials. Unfortunately for my new Kleeth friends, my suspicions were right: building new ships wasn’t on the menu. Too resource-intensive and way too large of a project to handle through a random airlock connection.

Next, I dug into the station’s material and refining capabilities. From what I could gather from the old Dulox scans before the infestation, this section of the asteroid field was stocked pretty well with common ores, enough to justify the station's existence in the first place. It had refining capabilities too, what with the mess of pipes and belching outlets wrapped around the structure.

There was a downside, though: whatever the Kleeth had done during their infestation had caused the station's ore stores to dump most of their stock. Worse, they seemed to have tried refining what was left and completely botched it, wasting nearly everything. It sucked for my immediate needs, but with my guiding hand, and a little help from my general knowledge skill, I was able to reset the station on the right path. It would take time to rebuild the reserves, but the mining drones would keep working, bringing in ore and refining it. Thankfully, the process was fully automated, meaning I could leave it running and come back later to reap the rewards.

At least I had enough material from my salvage and what was left to fully repair my ship’s hull, add a thin layer of protective armor, and upgrade the laser battery to level 2. The upgrade would give it a bit more damage output and a slightly wider firing arc. Still garbage in the grand scheme of space lasers, but hey, progress is progress.

Lastly, there was one last screen to look over before I had exhausted the exploration of my new station:

Additional Perks:

Kleeth Inhabitation

A small enclave of Kleeth inhabit this station, lending subtle bonuses to repairs, protection, and enhanced refinery rates. As they become more intertwined with the station’s core systems, their influence grows, with the potential to unlock unique synergies.

It was clear that with my interference the Kleeth had transitioned from infestors to something more symbiotic, their presence now woven into the fabric of the station itself. There was a sense that their integration would bring unexpected advantages, but exactly how far it would go remained elusive for now.

“"We good?" I asked, approaching the restrained Kleeth with a pair of grubby scissors I’d found somewhere in the control room.

"Good. Yes," the softball-sized creature replied, nodding and bouncing atop the Dulox’s head.

"Alright, don’t make me regret this." I reached out and snipped the restraint tied around the Kleeth’s adorable little leg. As I glanced from the clawed-hand scissors to the mess of ropes I had used to bind the host, I muttered, "Hm, might need something a little bigger for those."

"No need. Kleeth handle."

The Kleeth emitted a strange, high-pitched hum. A few seconds later, half a dozen smaller Kleeth, mounted on their Dulox steeds, shuffled into the room. They quickly sawed through the ropes with unsettling efficiency, freeing the lead Kleeth in seconds.

"You had all those guys just waiting in the wings? Why didn’t you have them come out and attack me?"

"After you restrained for the second time," it said, clearly referring to some incident that hadn’t happened, no way I’d be dumb enough to leave the host unrestrained, able to pop off whenever it wanted.

"I realize you no want harm," it continued. "Make bad choices. Kill children. But overall good." The Kleeth and its Dulox narrowed their eyes at me, I really hated that. "Need more make up for kill children."

"Alright, alright. I will. I’ll do my best to make up for it. Even though they were also aggressors," I muttered the last part under my breath, no need to rattle the hornet’s nest. "Do, uh, do you have enough Kleeth around to rebuild your numbers?” I asked, changing the subject, “I don’t have to fly somewhere and get more of you, right? You’re not gonna die out from not having enough, like, genetic diversity, are you?"

I tried to make sense of the Kleeth’s expression, if it even had one. I settled on something like puzzlement.

"Of course, Kleeth make more children," it said, glancing at the few Kleeth still remaining. "That strange question."

Satisfied with the answer, I decided not to push the conversation any further. My curiosity about parasitic breeding had reached its limit, and I was not about to dive deeper into that rabbit hole.

Just then, a notification dinged from the console. I practically ran to it, grateful for the distraction.

"Looks like the repairs and upgrades on my ship are done. The station’s fully operational and should be pumping out refined ore soon." I gave the Kleeth leader a quick rundown of the station’s status, and it seemed pleased, if you could call its vague expression pleased. The idea that they could stay and possibly even level up just by interacting with the station seemed to go over well.

I bid my new friends farewell, tossing about thirty not-so-subtle hints about cleaning up the station and maybe not leaving dried blood puddles all over the place. Then I made my way back to the ship. The clang of the outer airlock door closing and the bolts sliding neatly into place was one of the most beautiful sounds I’d ever heard. The Strommäsk Test Vehicle, still a dumb name, I really needed to rename it, wasn’t much of a home, but it was the closest thing I had to one at the moment.

I stripped off my tattered suit, adding about the sixth mental checkmark to my ever-growing to-do list item: ‘find better armor, or, y’know, just armor in general.’

I slid into the pilot’s seat and let out a breath.

A few swipes through the console, a quick press of buttons, and the ship was back on course. We continued on our spiraling journey toward the far side of Dulox territory. My next stop was just outside the gravity well of a planet sitting in the famous ‘Goldilocks Zone.’ I was curious to see if these were Dulox-inhabited worlds or just systems they had control over, pillaging resources and killing off any locals, much like the Kleeth had hinted at.

One way or another, my journey was still in its infancy, but at least I had a slight step up from where I started.