Stars See Me [Interstellar] | Chapter 184 | The Burning Galaxy | Novela.app

By now, the information had become clear—the unregistered prototype of the "Galactic Upright Sentient Centralized Civilized Carbon-based Lifeform Type I" was the primary biological entity of the "Star" civilization. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say they were also a variety of "human." In ancient times, as the precursors of the galaxy’s myriad races, they had developed a magnificent interstellar civilization within the Milky Way. Back then, no one in this entire barred spiral galaxy was their equal. "I came, I saw, I conquered" was more than just a slogan to them... ...Until a catastrophic turn of events forced these "First Men" to bow their heads to fate. ... A user on the Star Net once posted that they had seen the galaxy burning in a dream. It turned out that their race could perceive electromagnetic waves, and their visual organs had simply malfunctioned for a couple of days. However, this brief topic had sparked a concentrated output from many creative artists. In days past, Lei Ting had seen those works. The device "Ru" gave him contained them, and some were truly excellent. He resonated deeply with one particular passage: *Peace, life, and order are but occasional illusions of the starry sky; for millions of years, the burning of the galaxy has never ceased.* Lei Ting released his grip. The data card from Luoxian quietly crumbled. As the synthetic material shell hit the ground with a crisp clatter, shimmering metallic dust drifted away. Simultaneously, following his memories of his "past life," he dismantled parts of the Ring World’s mainframe structure, erasing some of "Copper’s" classified records regarding the Orion Human Union. Amidst the violent tremors, Copper’s sub-body, already nearly incinerated, finally evaporated completely. Susanna’s body floated in mid-air, her head suddenly lolling forward. A moment later, the blue light representing a rational state reignited in her eyepieces. The slender armored figure slowly rotated her hands, confirming she had regained control over her body, then looked up at Lei Ting. For a time, the silence was heavy enough to be awkward. After a long while, Susanna suddenly spoke. "I’m sorry. I shouldn't have said those things... nor should I have doubted that you had a plan." "..." Lei Ting tilted his head slightly and lowered her to the ground. "Actually, what you said back then wasn't wrong." *Losing everything, abandoned by all*—the Heterobeast Eibon had said the same of him. He knew very well that in the "last time," those words had defined his life. Back then, he hadn't awakened his memories from before his transmigration. Naturally, he had no memories of a "time before that"—because there was no such thing. Facing the darkness of the galaxy, he had been completely blind. Consequently, his mindset hadn't been as mature or stable. Although the power of "Immovable" had been guarding his spirit, his thoughts were occasionally chaotic and his temper volatile. That power, born from the depths of his heart, had naturally not been as strong as it was "this time." As for the concern he once had—that "Immovable" might make his emotions too indifferent... That wasn't a difficult problem. Logic told the current Lei Ting that this was a necessary price. Regardless, he knew that as long as Ivanheller and humanity existed, he would never truly lose his emotions. That was enough. "Then consider joining my plan," he said, without using anything as a threat. "Alright," Susanna answered without hesitation. "..." Lei Ting was silent for a moment. "Don't you want to know what role I need you to play?" "Nothing more than a pawn. I don't care. Besides, if I asked, would you tell me everything?" Susanna asked. Of course not. Lei Ting remained silent. "Will my ignorance of your plan have a negative impact on it?" Susanna asked again. Likewise, no. Lei Ting remained silent. "Is your plan harmful to the Union or humanity?" Susanna asked her final question. This time, Lei Ting was not entirely silent—he shook his head. "At least, subjectively, I harbor no ill will toward humanity. But to be honest, it might be harmful to you. It might... place a burden of pressure and sin upon you that you cannot imagine," he said. "You can take more time to consider." "Have you given other pawns the chance to consider?" Susanna shrugged. "I imagine not, Commander. I only need to know what you want me to do. I want very little. You promised to give it to me, and I see hope. That is enough." Indeed, Susanna was quite like Lei Ting in one respect... they were both people with almost no desire for personal pleasure. She only wanted a successful revenge that left no loose ends. And the Lei Ting of those years had promised to give her that. For her, that was enough. In the air, the tall man in black armor sighed. Currently, too many people in the Union, and even the entire galaxy, were already shrouded by his plan. Aside from their original duties, many had been forced to shoulder greater responsibilities. This was what he owed them. Strictly speaking, he was personally pushing the Union into the position of "Enemy of the Consortium." Though there were many reasons for this—primarily because his memories of his past life proved that in the coming era, following that damn thing would not only lead to a dead end but might directly bury the future of civilization—he was, in the end, further provoking a conflict that could have been concealed. This would inevitably cause astronomical damage to the Union, the Consortium, and the galaxy. Yes, everything was already rotten to the core. But he was performing surgery on it without a medical license. The tumor he excised was not just a tumor; it was also evidence of his crime. He had long since prepared himself to repay these debts. "Fine, I understand. Then, I have a mission for you." Lei Ting withdrew his thoughts and slowly raised his hand, producing a brand-new data card fitted with an old-fashioned interface. "Take this and go with the Legion to the third planet of the New Solar System..." As he spoke, he slowly closed his eyes beneath his visor. "I’ve installed a scrambler in your implant’s mainframe. You won't be able to link to any external networks via your internal hardware for the time being, but you won't have to worry about further technical intrusions. Go. When you arrive, I will tell you what to do next." "Yes, Commander." Susanna calmly accepted the item and the order, then turned to leave. Before exiting, she paused for a moment and said with a hint of a smile, "By the way, Commander, do you know that people on the Star Net have been discussing you constantly? Even now, the Union’s Star Net is full of information about you." "I know." Lei Ting nodded slightly, giving a clear answer, then asked with some confusion, "What about it?" "The topic those users have been focusing on lately is very strange. I think you need to find a terminal and take a look." Susanna shrugged. "Strange?" Lei Ting was somewhat bewildered—how strange could the topics about him be? Massacres? Tyranny? Or something else? But he had no intention of seeing those messages for himself. He simply asked, "So, what is the topic?" "You're young and strong but don't look for a partner. They're spreading rumors that you're... 'incapable.'" Susanna held it in for a long time before finally blurting it out. She then laughed toward the ceiling and walked out, leaving a trail of synthesized "Ha-ha-ha" sounds behind her. "..................?" *Can these netizens be serious for once at a time like this...!!* Lei Ting was rendered utterly speechless by the remark. He frowned with a strange expression for a while, feeling unable to synchronize with that line of thought. He then resumed reviewing the paper documents around him that he had never dismissed. After a long while, he suddenly gave a short laugh and tossed down the last document along with the powered stylus in his hand. "Whether I'm capable or not, someone knows," he muttered casually as he leaned back, stretching lazily in mid-air. ...... ... In the distant void, Ivanheller stumbled as he tumbled into the familiar starship. He didn't fall to the floor because his comrades immediately surrounded him, supporting him with many hands and taking him back to the medical bay. Once he had caught his breath slightly, he looked up at Morgan. "Solo... no, Leader, what do you plan to do next?" Solo Morgan’s brow was furrowed tight. He did his best to suppress the sorrow accumulated over thousands of years from a certain great being within his heart. He said solemnly, "What is the situation with 'Sun Star' now?" "..." Ivanheller sighed and shook his head. "The current him can no longer walk the same path as us. I’ve always been good at misjudging everyone and messing everything up. This time is likely no exception..." "Don't talk about yourself like that, Ivan." Solo also sighed, raising a hand toward Ivanheller. The latter was currently enveloped in a white light emitted by the medic Ani, with his internal and external injuries healing at a steady pace. A pale green light, like a flame, fell from Solo’s hand, quickly swallowing both Ivanheller and the white light. Faint red fiery tails flickered, beginning a harmless combustion. Within this burning flame, Ivanheller’s energy was quickly organized and restored. This was Solo Morgan’s power—he could participate in the operation of almost any supernatural force and guide it toward a development he desired. This made him a natural counter to most espers. In his youth, a mental accident had established a connection between him and the "Lover," granting him the other’s energy empowerment. This allowed him to even cross ranks to organize and guide "S-rank" or even "Double-S" energy. Of course, in this process, Solo Morgan himself would bear immense pressure and pain—he was, after all, only "A-rank." But at this moment, he showed none of it. Instead, he pulled over a chair and sat down with a relaxed expression, explaining the current problems the fleet faced to his good comrade. He added, "Tan’s chassis is almost completely destroyed, but fortunately, his central system is fine. He’s currently in the engineering department fitting himself with a new prosthetic body. As for us... I plan to follow the original plan and first scour the Union’s occupied sectors for survivors. The 'Lover' told me that the Union’s internal sectors are high-risk." As he spoke, he didn't mention a single word about the "Lover" also telling him that the fleet’s breakdown had been caused by "Sun Star." "The right choice. I suspect 'Sun Star' has the entire Union sector in the palm of his hand." Ivanheller coughed twice with a solemn face. Feeling that his splitting headache no longer made him want to die, he deactivated his external armor and pulled open the collar of his patient gown, showing his friends the glittering golden open collar around his neck. "By the way, this... might be a material called 'Sun Alloy'..." "'Sun Alloy'? A new name... does it refer to that high-risk golden metal 'Sun Star' has been recorded using?" Tita leaned in curiously from the side. "Judging by the energy release back then, this thing could probably blast a comet tail out of a planet... Wait, Star Stream, is your trapezius muscle injured—Mmph! Mmph!!" The fast-moving Morgan was sweating profusely. His powerful arms shot out like iron hooks; with one hand, he restrained Tita, whose mouth was being covered by Ani, and tossed the girl out of the crowd. With the other, he yanked Ivanheller’s Union-issue patient gown collar back up. ***