307: Battlefield Ruins and "Star Scavengers"

The hope continued along the newly planned route. On the large screen inside the bridge, the dark golden behemoths that had appeared from the direction of the Anvil remained stationary, suspended in the starry sky like cold metal sculptures. But everyone knew this was just the surface—the calm before the storm was often the most unsettling.

“Boss, what exactly are those big guys waiting for?” Zhao Iron Pillar stared at the monitoring screen, scratching his short hair that was practically a brush. “It's been seven or eight days now, and they haven't moved at all. It's creepy.”

Wen Youyi leaned back in the captain's chair, fiddling with the crystal key that continuously emitted a faint glow. The speed at which the star map flowed across the key's surface was faster than usual, as if it had sensed something.

“Either they are establishing a more stable spatial passage, preparing to drag more of their kind over,” Wen Youyi narrowed his eyes, “or... they are waiting for that 'big guy' underground to fully awaken so they can act together.”

Senior Brother Zhang pushed up his specialized “Alchemist's Glasses,” which could display data streams directly on the lenses, and took over the conversation: “Analyzing the energy fluctuation pattern, the second possibility is greater. The newly appeared units seem to be... guarding? Or perhaps 'welcoming'? The spatial vortex they surround precisely corresponds to the point of strongest underground energy pulsation in the Anvil region.”

“Midwives?” Zhao Iron Pillar's mind spun, and he blurted out, “They're raising an even bigger baby underground, and now it's about to be born? These guys are here to deliver it?”

Although the metaphor was crude, it was unexpectedly vivid, and a few suppressed laughs sounded on the bridge.

“Iron Pillar, your mouth...” Senior Brother Li shook his head, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. “But seriously, if that's the case, we really left at the right time. If we had waited for whatever is underground to fully crawl out, it probably wouldn't be a problem that a fight in the Gravel Belt could solve.”

Just as everyone was discussing, the hope's ship spirit's thoughts calmly rang out: [A region of high-concentration energy residue has been detected ahead. Distance: nine thousand li. The energy signature is complex, showing traces of conflict from at least four different Systems. Trajectory analysis suggests a medium-scale space engagement occurred within the last week.]

The light screen switched, presenting an enlarged image of the Star Domain ahead.

It was a relatively empty area, but currently, a large number of strange fragments were floating there. There were dark purple remnants resembling the exoskeletons of some creature, covered in bizarre patterns; there were fractured metal structures resembling warships, but the material was neither the dark gold alloy of the "Hive" nor the silver-white star radiance metal of the hope, but a strange, deep cyan substance with tiny, scale-like reflections; there were also some completely unrecognizable gelatinous masses and crystalline shards, reflecting colorful light under the starlight.

Most striking of all, at the center of this "space junkyard," floated a relatively intact but clearly severely damaged ship wreck.

The ship was about one-third the size of the hope, with a peculiar, streamlined shape, resembling the skeleton of a deep-sea fish. It was entirely covered in deep cyan, scale-like armor. There was a massive tear on the side of the hull, almost slicing the entire ship in half, barely held together by a few twisted metal beams. Several structures suspected to be weapon platforms were visible on the hull, but most were either damaged or melted.

“These are the traces of combat we detected earlier?” Wang Wu leaned closer to the screen, his eyes shining. “The style of this ship... I've never seen it before! It's neither like the Star People's nor like those metal lumps belonging to the Reapers.”

Wen Youyi stood up and walked to the observation window to examine it closely. The key warmed slightly in his hand, and as the star map flowed, it seemed to have a faint reaction to the wreckage.

“ship spirit, can you analyze the technological level of this ship?” Wen Youyi asked.

[Performing remote scan. The hull material possesses high energy conductivity and self-repair properties. The technological path differs from all known Systems. A faint life support System signal was detected, but it is extremely unstable. The weapon System is completely destroyed, and the power core... is in a dormant state, but shows a weak energy reaction.]

“There are survivors?” Zhao Iron Pillar widened his eyes.

[Possibility is less than 5%. The life support signal may originate from an automated System or... a life form within a Seal.]

Wen Youyi rubbed his chin, his mind working rapidly. According to conventional avoidance strategies, such unknown battlefield ruins should be bypassed—heaven knows what dangers lurked inside. But on the other hand... “What we lack most right now is information,” he muttered to himself. “Information about this Star Domain, information about forces other than the Reapers, and even information about the situation around Guixu. This ship... might be an opportunity.”

“Boss, you want to go grab a haul?” Zhao Iron Pillar understood the implication, his eyes starting to gleam. “You're right! We're currently dirt poor. Although the hope is powerful, we lack ammunition, supplies, and spare parts! It would be a huge waste not to open up this 'Starry Sky Express Delivery' that showed up right on our doorstep!”

Senior Brother Zhang was worried: “Isn't the risk too great? What if there are traps inside the ship, or some... unclean things? There are countless strange and bizarre things in the starry sky.”

“So we can't be rash.” Wen Youyi looked at the people on the bridge. “We'll proceed in two steps. First, the 'Submerged Dragon' will conduct an outer reconnaissance, using the highest precision scan to thoroughly map the ship inside and out. Second, if we confirm the risk is controllable, we'll send a small, capable team to board and investigate—not many people, but they must be elite.”

He paused, adding, “And we have an advantage. The hope's purification energy counters most 'anomalies.' If we really encounter something sinister, we can handle it. Furthermore...”

Wen Youyi raised the key in his hand; the starlight on its surface seemed a little brighter: “This thing is reacting to that ship. I suspect... it might have some connection to the Star People, or at least, it doesn't belong to the Reapers' faction.”

The plan was quickly formulated.

After receiving the order, the "Submerged Dragon" silently detached from its escort position and slid toward the cyan wreck. It disguised itself as an inconspicuous metal fragment, maximizing its stealth capabilities, and slowly approached like a ghost in the starry sky.

After the time it takes an incense stick to burn, the "Submerged Dragon" transmitted detailed scanning data.

[The internal structure of the hull is severely damaged, but the core areas (suspected to be the bridge and power cabin) contain relatively intact sealed spaces. Low-intensity energy barrier residue was detected. No active life signals were found, but multiple 'energy storage' nodes were detected, similar to hibernation pods or storage devices. No obvious energy fluctuations from traps or self-destruct Systems were detected. Overall danger Rank assessment: medium-low.]

After reading the report, Wen Youyi made the final decision: "Boarding team, prepare to depart. I will lead the team, along with Iron Pillar, Senior Brother Zhang, Wang Wu, and two Purifier Fellow Daoists. Senior Brother Li will remain on the hope to command, and Senior Sister Mu will prepare for medical support. Xiao Wu, bring some of your Flowing Silver to see if you can 'communicate' with the ship's residual Systems."

“Boss, is it really appropriate for you to go personally?” Although Zhao Iron Pillar wanted to go himself, he instinctively tried to dissuade him.

“The key is reacting, so it's most appropriate for me to go.” Wen Youyi waved his hand. “Besides, we have limited manpower right now, and these are the only ones who can fight. Don't worry, I'm not the weak chicken who only knew how to write code back then.”

That was true enough. After fighting his way out of the Ranch World over the years, although Wen Youyi's main focus was strategy and technology, his cultivation hadn't fallen behind. Furthermore, the "Human Body Micro-Universe" energy circulation System within him, which combined scientific thought and cultivation civilization, was so strange and troublesome that even practical fighters like Zhao Iron Pillar marveled at it.

Half an hour later, a small transport shuttle ejected from the belly of the hope and flew toward the battlefield ruins. A fully armed six-person squad was aboard—Wen Youyi wore specialized light armor integrated with a miniature Spirit Disturbance Array and energy shields, holding the short staff found in the Star People ruins, which could amplify Star Power; Zhao Iron Pillar carried his Dark Iron Greatsword, which had been modified countless times and could now be used as an energy cannon; Senior Brother Zhang and Wang Wu brought various detection and dismantling tools; the two Purifier Fellow Daoists stood on the left and right, radiating a gentle yet resilient silver-white purification halo.

The transport shuttle silently approached the cyan wreck. Up close, the damage to the ship was even more shocking—the edges of the tear showed traces of melting and crystallization, clearly having been instantly pierced by some kind of ultra-high energy attack.

“The wound is very 'clean',” Senior Brother Zhang observed via the external camera. “Killed in one blow. The attacker either had overwhelming strength, or... used a method specifically designed to counter this ship's defenses.”

The transport shuttle hovered outside a relatively intact hatch on the side of the wreckage. Wang Wu manipulated the mechanical arm, attempting to connect to the hatch's control interface.

"Interface standard mismatch... hold on, let me try a universal decoding protocol." Wang Wu's fingers rapidly tapped on the control panel, muttering, "The design of this thing is quite interesting. The energy circuit is spirally nested, somewhat like... biological nerves?"

After trying several solutions, the hatch suddenly made a soft 'click' and slowly slid open a crack. A cold, faintly sweet-smelling air surged out from the gap—it was residual artificial atmosphere, but already too thin to sustain life.

The team members exchanged glances, activating the life support Systems and lighting built into their light armor. Wen Youyi took the lead, Zhao Iron Pillar brought up the rear, and the six of them filed into the interior of the wreckage.

The situation inside the ship was worse than it appeared from the outside. Corridors were twisted and deformed, and the walls were covered with scorch marks and residues of some kind of viscous liquid. The lighting System was completely defunct, with only emergency indicator lights stubbornly flashing an eerie green. Some areas showed clear signs of explosion, scattered with broken instruments and... several carbonized corpses.

"Watch your step," Wen Youyi reminded. The crystal key in his hand was now glowing much brighter, seemingly guiding their way.

The six cautiously moved deeper into the ship's hull. The sights along the way made even them, accustomed to life and death, feel a little uncomfortable—it was clear that a brief but fierce battle had taken place here. The attackers' methods were brutal; many of the corpses had extremely bizarre death poses, as if torn apart from within by some force, or instantly vaporized by high temperatures.

"The attack method doesn't seem to be the pure energy beams of the Reapers," Senior Brother Zhang said, crouching beside a relatively intact corpse to examine it. "It's more like... some kind of biological weapon? Or energy attacks with strong corrosiveness?"

Wen Youyi didn't speak, his attention drawn by the increasingly strong guidance from the crystal key. Passing through a messy living area and bypassing the collapsed main passage, they arrived before a relatively intact metal door.

This door was noticeably thicker than other parts of the ship, covered with complex patterns, and currently emitting a faint blue-green glow—an active energy barrier.

"This is it," Wen Youyi said, feeling the clear pulsation from the crystal key. "The ship's core area."

Wang Wu stepped forward to try opening the door, but this time, even the connector didn't match. The patterns on the door were clearly a unique encryption System.

"Let me try," Wen Youyi walked up and gently placed the crystal key in his hand on a recessed area in the center of the door.

A miracle occurred.

The star map on the surface of the crystal key suddenly lit up, and the blue-green door seemed to be activated. The patterns on its surface began to flow and reorganize, finally forming a pattern that partially matched the star map on the key. Accompanied by a low hum, the heavy metal door slowly slid open to both sides.

The sight behind the door stunned everyone.

This was a relatively spacious circular cabin, about half the size of a basketball court. In the center of the cabin floated a transparent crystal sphere, approximately three meters in diameter, filled with a hazy blue-green mist. Within it, faint, tiny data streams, like star maps, could be seen floating. Surrounding the crystal sphere were twelve 'cocoons'—or rather, stasis pods—also made of transparent material.

Ten of them were already dim, their internal liquid murky, with faint, distorted humanoid shadows visible. But two of them still emitted a soft blue-green light.

In the corner of the cabin, some well-sealed boxes and containers were stacked, marked with strange symbols.

Most striking was the cabin wall—the entire wall was a massive observation window, currently displaying the external starry sky. And on the control panel beneath the observation window, lay a corpse dressed in a blue-green robe.

It was a humanoid creature that looked like a middle-aged male, but with slight differences from humans—there were tiny protrusions on both sides of his forehead, like horns or sensory organs, his skin was a faint blue-green, and his fingers were long and slender, with web-like membranes between them. He had a terrifying 貫穿傷 (penetrating wound) on his back, the edges of which also showed signs of melting and crystallization.

He seemed to have been operating the control panel before his death, one hand still pressed on a translucent button.

Wen Youyi walked to the control panel, and the light from his crystal key illuminated the surface. He discovered that in the alien's other hand, he tightly clutched a... crystal fragment remarkably similar in material to the crystal key in Wen Youyi's hand.

"This is..." Wen Youyi carefully took the fragment from the deceased's hand.

The moment the fragment left the corpse, the control panel suddenly lit up! The button the deceased had been pressing automatically sank, and an ethereal but distinctly urgent synthesized voice echoed throughout the cabin—in a language they couldn't understand at all, but combined with the holographic images appearing on the control panel, its meaning could be guessed with about eighty to ninety percent accuracy.

The holographic image showed the ship being attacked: several hideous purple-black warships, resembling a Fusion of biological and mechanical entities, suddenly jumped out of subspace and launched a surprise attack on the blue-green ship. The battle was brief and fierce; the blue-green ship was outnumbered, its power System destroyed. The captain (the one lying on the control panel) activated the core cabin's sealing procedure at the last moment, sealing the ship's most important data and some crew members into stasis pods, and then... sealed a piece of information into that crystal fragment.

"This fragment is the key," Wen Youyi brought the two crystals close, and they immediately resonated, their lights intertwining.

Suddenly, the fragment taken from the deceased's hand projected a holographic image—it was the deceased captain. He 'looked' forward with a tired but resolute gaze and began to speak. This time, the voice resonated directly in their minds, transformed into understandable information through some kind of mental resonance!

[Latercomer, if you can see this message, it means the Green Scale has fallen, and I, Captain Garo Starscar, have also returned to the Sea of Stars.]

[We are a scientific research fleet of the Star Patrol Civilization, tasked with investigating abnormal energy fluctuations in this Star Domain. We discovered a terrifying truth—a terrifying civilization calling themselves the Star Devourers is expanding in this Star Domain. They devour stars, corrupt life, and transform everything into their sustenance and source of soldiers.]

[We intended to send the intelligence back to our homeworld, but we were ambushed by a Star Devourers hunting fleet. The Green Scale is the last survivor, but we are also beyond help.]

[Latercomer, please be careful—the Star Devourers' tendrils have reached every corner of this Star Domain. They are particularly interested in the remnants of civilizations that possess ancient Star Power, seemingly searching for some... key, or a door.]

[If you hold a star key (he looked at the crystal key in Wen Youyi's hand), please be extremely careful. The Star Devourers are frantically searching for it. They seem to believe that by collecting all the 'star key fragment,' they can open some... ancient Seal that imprisoned their progenitor? Or, conversely, release some power that can completely destroy them? The information is incomplete; we are only guessing.]

[Finally... if possible, please take away the Green Scale's data core and surviving crew members. The two in the stasis pods are my 副官 (aide-de-camp) and chief scientist; they know more. The data core contains all our research on the Star Devourers, as well as... a star map marking the Star Devourers' active areas and suspected lairs.]

[May the stars guide your path, latercomer. Whether you are friend or foe, at least... we share a common enemy.]

The image ended there, and the fragment's light dimmed, completely merging with Wen Youyi's crystal key. The merged crystal key was noticeably more complete, its surface star map more complex, and an additional small blue-green area was marked.

The cabin was silent.

Several seconds passed before Zhao Iron Pillar swallowed: "So... we inexplicably gained another enemy called the Star Devourers? And this enemy is also looking for the key in our hands?"

"More than that," Senior Brother Zhang said, pointing to the sealed boxes, "They also left 'research materials' and a 'star map.' This is simply... a star-faring gift package delivered to our doorstep!"

Wen Youyi looked at the corpse on the control panel, then at the two still-operating stasis pods, and the crystal sphere in the center of the cabin, swirling with data streams.

He suddenly smiled.

"It seems our 'Star Scavengers' side business can officially open for business."

"Notify the hope to prepare to receive 'cargo.' Today... we've struck gold."

(End of chapter)