This series is free and finished. Two books. English on this site. No paywall, no cliffhanger waiting for a third volume that never arrives.
Start here
Open Book I chapter 1: From Earth. Dawn Lucius is an Earth engineer. In 2059 he is sent toward the Kuiper Belt. He has a son, Stacean. That is the spine — not a skill tree, not a litRPG UI.
Then keep reading Book I: Federation War (25 chapters). When you finish, go to Book II: Fate of the Galaxy (22 chapters). Book II opens when dark matter begins to vanish. Read Book I first; the stakes land harder that way.
What kind of SF this is
Hard SF with politics. First contact. Dark matter that gathers where a Draftsman appears. Immortality sold as governance (White Crystal). Short sentences. Clear stakes. Father wants to get home. The galaxy does not care.
It is not LitRPG. There are no levels, no loot menus, no “+5 charisma.” If you came for that, this desk is the wrong room.
A useful side door
If you want order, platforms, and FAQ answers in one place, use How to read. For world orientation between chapters, the lore hub has fiction guides — White Crystal, the Draftsman role, Kuiper 2059, the three federations — not science encyclopedias.
After a few chapters
The Star Atlas is an explore-only Orion Spur map. Full place spoilers. Open it when you want the geography; do not treat it as a required first step.
One sentence
Start at From Earth, finish both free books, use lore when a term sticks, and keep the father-son cost in view the whole way.