Trading is the fastest way to level. If that is all you want to do. I would not recomend the Humpback. The thing is a pig. Get the Dromedary instead.

If you want to make serious money you need to get out of Liberty space. The enemies are harder to kill in other sections but the bounty rewards offered in "kill the bad guy" missions pay substantially more.

Buy a freghter in Rheinland space. The Humpback costs $62k but hauls 250 units. There is one larger freighter but you have to be on good terms with the Corsairs (I believe) in order to get it. The Humpback is quite ugly but mounts a lot of guns/turrets.

Buy Diamonds in Rheinland space, Planet New Berlin is good, for $396.00. Sell in New Tokyo (Kusari) for $1650.00. Pocket almost $1200.00 times 250. Lots of money. When you sell the diamonds you will automatically level up.

Buy Engine components in Kusari at Planet New Tokyo for $225.00. Sell anywhere in Magellan for $1440.00. Once again over $1200.00 times 250. When you sell you will automatically level up.

Buy any items in Magellan and sell back at New Berlin just so that you are not empty at any point in the trip.

"Rinse and Repeat" as someone here in the forum once said. I can't remember exactly but the round trip is worth about $600,000.00 if memory serves. I kept making this trip until I had about $5,000,000.00. This took about 7 or 8 trips but was well worth it.
Regards,
Daddyo

It takes about an hour to go up to lvl 38 as a merchant. You only need 2 mio $, and there are tradelanes where you can make 3 mio/hour riding a dromedary ...

The Blood Dragons in Chugoku offer some nice high level missions which pay about 130.000 Credits each. It's hard and fun fighting and you earn lots of money fast that way.

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For the Dromedary, you need a neutral or good relationship with the Lane Hackers...