207: Stargate Ruins and the Trials of the "Gatekeeper"

After successfully repelling the attack of the "Stardust Beasts," the Morning Star underwent a comprehensive self-check and system maintenance. It then set off again, continuing its journey deep into the target star system along the incomplete and blurry route deciphered from the "Planet Core" memory fragments. The closer they got to their destination, the more bizarre and perilous the surrounding space environment became.

The usually relatively calm interstellar space here seemed to have been violently stirred up by an invisible giant hand. Ubiquitous gravitational turbulence, like hidden reefs and whirlpools in the ocean, forced the ship to constantly make minute course corrections to avoid being torn off course or even ripped apart by the powerful gravitational forces. Eerie radiation belts, resembling colorful aurora curtains, filled the entire view, containing high-energy particle streams and unknown cosmic rays that posed a continuous challenge to the ship's shields and sensors. Even more unsettling were the occasional, unexplainable, low-frequency spacetime ripples that swept through the area, as if some colossal entity had just passed by, or an unstable spatial structure was oscillating nearby. Standard navigation was extremely difficult here. The Morning Star had to raise its shield energy to the highest level for cruising status and rely on Zhuo Yue's refined perception of energy fields to preemptively avoid the most dangerous zones. The atmosphere on the bridge was exceptionally heavy; everyone held their breath, closely monitoring the sensors for any abnormal fluctuations.

It was in this state of heightened tension that the ship's reinforced long-range deep space scanning array suddenly emitted a continuous, steady alert tone, shattering the silence on the bridge!

"Report! Abnormal spatial structure detected 0.3 light-years ahead!" The radar operator's voice trembled with excitement. "It's not a natural celestial body! Repeat, not a natural celestial body! Scans indicate... it's a massive, artificially constructed... architectural structure! The scale... the scale is comparable to a small planet!"

At the news, everyone on the bridge was instantly energized! The main screen quickly switched, and after superimposing and enhancing the images captured by the long-range optical telescope and various spectrum scanners, a stunning sight appeared before them!

In that relatively stable region of the void, like the eye of a storm, a magnificent creation, difficult to describe in words, silently hovered! Its main structure was composed of countless gigantic, interlocking rings that glowed with a dark, metallic sheen. These rings rotated slowly at different axes and speeds, their structure dizzyingly complex and precise, imbued with the beauty of non-Euclidean geometry. At the very center of these ring structures was an immense, slowly spinning spacetime vortex, radiating a deep blue and purple light! The center of the vortex was profoundly deep; light twisted there, as if leading to another unknown dimension! The entire structure emanated ancient, profound, and immensely powerful energy fluctuations!

"This... this is..." Dr. Evelyn abruptly rose from the science officer's seat and hurried to the main screen, her hands slightly trembling with excitement. She quickly pulled up the database for comparison, her voice filled with unbelievable shock. "A Stargate! A... a perfectly preserved, possibly operational, ancient interstellar portal! My heavens... the technology... the scale... it far exceeds our wildest imagination!"

The entire bridge erupted! Everyone was overwhelmed by this epic discovery! A Stargate capable of connecting two ends of the universe! If it was truly functional, it would not only drastically shorten their journey to the target star system but might even transport them directly near their destination! This was undoubtedly an incalculably valuable legacy left by the "Watcher" civilization for later generations!

The Gatekeepers Appear: A Cold Warning

Excitement was followed by extreme caution. Under Captain Lei Gang's command, the Morning Star meticulously adjusted its course, slowly approaching the massive Stargate at low speed, while all sensors were operating at maximum power, attempting to gather more data on this miraculous creation.

However, just as the ship was still several thousand kilometers from the Stargate, about to enter its noticeable gravitational influence, a sudden change occurred!

In the void around the Stargate, which had been empty moments before, thousands of dazzling points of light suddenly ignited without warning! These points rapidly coalesced and transformed, and within seconds, they solidified into humanoid energy beings, clad in shimmering energy armor, wielding spears or lightsabers made of pure energy, their forms ancient and majestic! They emerged silently from the void, quickly arranging themselves into a neat, impenetrable defensive formation, firmly blocking the Morning Star from the Stargate! These energy beings radiated immense energy pressure, and their gaze (if the concentration of energy could be called a gaze) coldly locked onto the ship, conveying an undeniable warning.

"Detecting ultra-high energy level signatures! Number... impossible to count precisely! Energy characteristics... non-biological, highly structured, suspected highly intelligent automated defense system!" The tactical officer's voice was strained to the limit.

Just as Captain Lei Gang was about to order the shields raised and the ship to retreat, a vast, cold, and utterly emotionless mental wave swept over the entire ship like an invisible tide, piercing through the physical barriers and resonating clearly in the depths of every person's mind on the bridge:

[Halt, outsider. This is the 'Watcher' Stargate, a sacred passage. Unauthorized entities are forbidden entry. Trespassers shall face destruction.]

The cold declaration, carrying undeniable absolute authority, seemed to drop the temperature on the bridge by several degrees. There were indeed "Gatekeepers"! And clearly, they were not to be trifled with!

Zhuo Yue took a deep breath, stepped forward, and concentrated his mind, attempting to respond with a powerful mental projection: "We are not trespassers. We possess the 'Beacon'!" As he spoke, he signaled to Evelyn. Evelyn immediately transmitted a carefully processed authentication protocol—one that concealed core secrets but was sufficient to prove its shared origin with the "Planet Core"—via the ship's universal communication channel, directing it toward the Gatekeeper energy beings.

A subtle energy ripple passed through the Gatekeeper formation; they seemed to be rapidly analyzing and verifying the information. After a moment of silence, the cold mental wave spoke again:

[Beacon information confirmed... Partial match... Access level: Visitor.] The mental wave seemed slightly less harsh, but remained absolute. [You possess basic access qualifications, but this is insufficient to activate the Stargate passage. To use the 'Watcher' Stargate, you must pass the 'Trial of Qualification,' proving that you possess the wisdom, strength, and will required to navigate this passage.]

The Triple Trial: Tests of Wisdom, Strength, and Will

"What is the trial?" Zhuo Yue asked in a low voice, already understanding that this was a necessary procedure.

[Trial One: Knowledge. Solve an ancient riddle, proving your wisdom is sufficient to comprehend the profound depths of the universe.]

In the void before the formation of Gatekeeper energy beings, a three-dimensional riddle suddenly illuminated, composed of countless complex, flickering energy symbols and geometric shapes! These symbols were not the script of any known civilization, and the concepts involved were profoundly difficult to grasp, seemingly explaining how fundamental universal constants interact in higher dimensions, where the boundary between consciousness and the material world lies, and even touching upon the nature of time flow! The extreme difficulty and obscurity of the problem caused all the scientists on the bridge, including Evelyn, to instantly frown, feeling completely lost. This was far beyond the current limits of human scientific understanding!

However, Zhuo Yue simply gazed quietly at the riddle. In his eyes, countless streams of data seemed to flash like a waterfall. He not only mobilized his deep understanding of "Energy Programming" and cosmic laws but also instantly connected to the ancient wisdom of the "Watcher" civilization within the "Planet Core" knowledge base—wisdom that had not yet been fully deciphered. After barely ten seconds of silence, he looked up, his gaze clear and confident, and began to elaborate using a fluent and precise language, mixing mathematical terminology and philosophical speculation:

"The core of the answer lies in understanding the stability of the 'Calabi-Yau manifold' within the eleven-dimensional hyperspace topology, and the precise impact of observer consciousness on the critical point of 'spontaneous symmetry breaking' generated by quantum vacuum fluctuations. This riddle is, in essence, describing a trans-dimensional law of information conservation..." He spoke clearly and directly to the core issue, linking the seemingly unrelated symbols into a perfect logical loop.

The Gatekeeper energy beings fell silent again, apparently rapidly verifying the correctness of the answer. The bridge was completely silent; everyone waited nervously. After a moment, the complex riddle silently vanished.

[Correct. Wisdom acknowledged.] The cold mental wave sounded. [Trial Two: Strength. Prove that you possess the power sufficient to handle the risks of the journey and protect yourselves and this knowledge.]

The space in front of the Stargate twisted violently, and three gigantic combat automatons were summoned, their forms savage, covered in dark energy armor, and their eyes flashing with dangerous red light! They radiated extremely high energy levels, surpassing even the "Stardust Beast King" they had previously encountered! Without warning, all three automatons attacked simultaneously! A destructive energy beam capable of tearing apart a small warship, a wide-area electromagnetic disabling field, and several tracking energy missiles instantly converged upon the Morning Star!

"Bring it on!" Far from showing fear, a flicker of excitement crossed Zhuo Yue's eyes! He strode to the weapons console, immediately taking control of the main cannon and parts of the point-defense system. "Energy Programming: Structural Resonance Disintegration Ray! Frequency synchronization, fire!"

The ship's main cannon did not fire a scorching beam of light, but rather an energy wave that appeared weak yet contained extremely complex frequency modulations! This energy wave precisely bypassed the automatons' powerful frontal armor and energy shields, striking, at a tricky angle, several extremely minute and rapidly shifting "resonance weak points" located where the energy cores connected to the limbs of all three automatons simultaneously! This was not a brute-force destruction, but the highest level of precision striking—a "pressure point" attack!

A miracle occurred! The three formidable combat automatons stiffened abruptly upon being hit by the ray, their movements instantly freezing! Immediately afterward, countless cracks appeared in their surface energy armor, like shattered glass. Their internal energy circuits flashed blindingly and crackled with overload sounds. Finally, in a burst of violent energy runaway, they disintegrated completely, dissolving into pure fundamental particles and energy, vanishing into the void! The entire process was clean, swift, and almost artistic!

[Strength acknowledged.] The Gatekeepers' mental wave seemed to carry an extremely faint ripple of something akin to approval. [Final Trial: Will. Confront the deepest fears and uncertainties within your heart, and stand firm in your core purpose and mission. Prove that your will is worthy of the 'Watcher' legacy.]

As soon as the words fell silent, an invisible, intangible, yet indescribably powerful psychic shockwave swept over the ship like a tsunami, accurately and primarily targeting Zhuo Yue, who stood before the console! Clearly, the Gatekeepers had judged him to be the core and soul of the team!

In an instant, Zhuo Yue felt his consciousness dragged into an endless vortex of illusion! He saw Su Mu severely wounded and dying while protecting him in fierce combat; he saw Evelyn's laboratory consumed by flames after a massive explosion; he saw the "Homeland" base reduced to ruins by powerful external enemies, with countless familiar faces vanishing amid cries of agony. Even more terrifyingly, he saw his own internal energy suddenly spiral out of control, turning him into the source of destruction, personally destroying everything he held dear... All the scenarios he feared most and least wanted to face were magnified and presented before him with terrifying realism! Intense pain, regret, and despair pierced his nerves like a billion steel needles!

However, the Zhuo Yue of today was no longer the naive youth he once was. Repeated trials of life and death, deep bonds with his companions, and the steadfast oath to protect his home had long since forged his will into something as indestructible as a stellar core! Amidst the raging storm of illusions, a sliver of clarity remained in his mind!

"Illusions... all are false! Su Mu, Sister Evelyn, Homeland, everything I protect is the bedrock of my will! My strength exists only to guard! My path cannot be twisted by anyone!" He roared internally, a deafening declaration! His powerful willpower acted like the strongest dam, utterly shattering all the illusions of fear! His gaze, even within the hallucination, became sharper and more resolute!

The psychic shock receded like a tide. Zhuo Yue breathed lightly, sweat beading on his temples, but his back remained straight, his eyes clear and firm, like a star that had been purified.

The Stargate Opens: The Start of a New Journey

Silence, prolonged silence. Then, under the tense gaze of everyone, the thousands of Gatekeeper energy beings simultaneously retracted their weapons and uniformly bowed slightly toward the Morning Star, performing an ancient, respectful salute. When the cold mental wave spoke again, it carried a subtle, almost imperceptible warmth of acknowledgment:

[The Triple Trial is complete. Wisdom, strength, and will have all been acknowledged. Qualification confirmed. Successors of the 'Watcher,' we wish you a safe journey. The Stargate is open for you.]

As the voice faded, the immense Stargate's central, slowly rotating spacetime vortex suddenly accelerated! The deep blue light became dazzlingly bright, finally stabilizing into a gentle yet powerful tractor beam that precisely enveloped the Morning Star. The ship vibrated slightly, then was drawn by an irresistible, gentle force, sliding toward the source of the light.

"All personnel secure positions! Prepare for spatial jump impact!" Captain Lei Gang ordered loudly, his voice tinged with uncontrollable excitement.

After a brief sensation of vertigo, as if passing through a film of water, the view outside the viewport changed drastically! The perilous gravitational turbulence and radiation belts were gone, replaced by a calm, unfamiliar starry sky. The star map in the distance was entirely different from the records in the database. And floating not far ahead of the ship was a planet, quietly suspended there as if it had waited for eons, emitting a faint but clear resonance signature identical to the "Planet Core" back at "Homeland."

They had succeeded! Not only had they passed the Stargate's trial, but they had also arrived directly at the target star system! The true objective—the planet potentially containing the second "Watcher Beacon"—was right before their eyes!

Deafening cheers erupted on the bridge! Everyone, including the usually composed Captain Lei Gang and Dr. Evelyn, was moved to tears of excitement! Once again, Zhuo Yue had used his extraordinary wisdom, immense strength, and unwavering will to secure a crucial victory for the entire expedition, saving an immeasurable amount of travel time!

The first encounter with the Stargate: a perfect passage! The new journey was about to begin on this mysterious planet right beneath them!