Stars See Me [Interstellar] | Chapter 251 | A Scalpel Through the Stars | Novela.app

Evenheiler leaped from one stretch of starry sky to another, then looked down to pat the protective gear on his chest, which was flickering with a faint blue light. ‘XIV001’—this thing was indeed useful. If mass production were possible, he would equip every one of his soldiers with a set for any mission. The blonde man looked up. His eyes reflected two grand, fluorescent blue rings: the ‘Chang’an-Rome’ Stargate. During the war, this gate and several other large-scale gates like it had borne the heavy responsibility of linking the internal passages of the Federation. For some reason, Evenheiler felt a sense of familiarity in this scene... but considering this wasn't the first time he had passed through it, he quickly pushed the thought to the back of his mind. At this moment, a faint golden light shimmered upon him—the color of the ‘Solar Star.’ Although this had happened before, this time, fine stardust drifted within the golden radiance. Though dyed by the gold, the dust clearly maintained its own distinct shapes. As for the reason... Evenheiler raised his hand and made a grasping motion. Starlight flowed between his fingers, shifting and unpredictable, manifesting nearly every type of power he had ever experienced. In the game *Galactic Superpower Wars*, the developers had even given the character ‘Stardust’ the trait of being able to use others' powers, and ‘Stardust’ himself had no objection to this... Why? Because, naturally, he was inherently capable of assimilating and mimicking the energy of others—just as he assimilated matter. The title of an S-class Energy-type esper was no joke. In terms of precise energy control, Evenheiler was the undisputed master, even with the ‘Solar Star’ in the picture. He was fully capable of converting an entire planet into his stardust energy and then partitioning it to recreate it in the world. The speed of this process would take no more than an hour, yet his subjective adjustments could be precise down to every single hair on the creatures inhabiting that planet. As for more detailed information, he would temporarily record it within the entire energy mass; upon recreation, the energy would simply execute the program automatically. Now, he could naturally manifest the power of the ‘Solar Star’ with ease, though his degree of simulation for the ‘Immovable’ attribute was low. It was more practical for him to stick to ‘Metal Manipulation.’ Normally, he shouldn't have been able to simulate ‘Immovable’ at all, as change and disguise were his true essence. However, when he had been on the verge of shattering previously, Lei Ting had torn off a portion of his own Lingsi to repair and mend him. This had made his Lingsi equally steadfast now, providing the fundamental condition for understanding ‘Immovable.’ Every time he recalled this fact, Evenheiler’s heart would give a sudden, sharp throb... followed immediately by his fist tightening. He couldn't take it anymore. The urge to punch that guy was becoming irresistible. He must have committed some terrible sin in a past life to have ended up entangled with such a headstrong bastard... and even having a child together!! —He wondered how that child was doing now... Thinking of the child, Evenheiler lost himself in thought for a moment. Then, he suddenly lunged into the stargate’s framework. Along the way, he banked to avoid several pieces of space debris—mostly jagged fragments of ships and drifting meteorites. Some clearly came from desolate, frigid lands, while others originated from commercial planets. He landed within the great construct that linked two separate reaches of the starry sky. While Evenheiler had dodged the meteorites earlier, now the vast, modular square platforms shifted on their own to make way for him. The silver-grey steel pillars on either side reflected a glint of light, and he saw his own reflection clearly: a tall, lean man in black with blonde hair, swift and powerful, light and elegant. Even in the simplest clothes, he looked as though he were draped in the most magnificent formal attire. This figure had once been the nightmare of his enemies. Now he had returned, like a scalpel returning from the stars. The living beings of the galaxy had always existed within a long-term pathological state. Evenheiler once thought he could be the one to excise the tumor, but later, he thought he was wrong. Finally, the black-and-gold figure plummeted into a space filled with neat arrays of old-fashioned computers. Inside the core of each machine sat a small life-support tank—so small they could only hold cables and a human brain, for they only needed to maintain a single brain. “Hello, ‘Stardust’,” the synthesized voice of ‘Wannian’ rang out, mechanical yet rhythmic. “They pose a question to you: What is your request in coming here?” “I need to go to the Galactic Core,” Evenheiler said. “The ‘Solar Star’ is fighting there, as are my comrades and my child. I must find them. The environment of the ‘Spirit’s Depths’ has fluctuated too much; I cannot perform a transit.” “They have noticed that you are simulating the power of the ‘Solar Star.’ Furthermore, you are equipped with the current highest technology of the Orion Arm’s Human Federation,” Wannian said. “Are you preparing to attempt a spatial transfer?” Evenheiler nodded. “Yes, but the Galactic Core must have also undergone massive changes. The conditions I remember no longer apply. While I can pass through matter, this...” He pointed to the blue light on his chest. “This cannot. If the transit fails, its physical carrier could very likely get stuck inside something.” “Your caution is correct; this is indeed a valid concern. Setting aside its immense value, the damage of a space-related tool like this could also cause spatio-temporal turbulence.” Wannian approved of Evenheiler’s choice to prioritize stability at this critical moment. “However, Abyssal Demons, Star Beasts, and Abominations from across the galaxy are all swarming toward the Galactic Core. We have sensed intense superpower fluctuations occurring there. If you act rashly, you will inevitably encounter danger.” “If I were twenty and someone warned me of ‘danger ahead’ while knowing full well who I am, I would think they were insulting me.” Evenheiler nodded slightly. “But I know you are concerned. Thanks. Please, clear the way for me.” “...” Wannian fell silent for a moment. Evenheiler knew that in this instant, an internal discussion long enough to fill a million words was taking place. Countless data points were being exchanged, citing classics and precedents in a brilliant display of logic. Finally, Wannian said, “Very well, if you insist.” “Much appreciated,” Evenheiler said. “You are welcome,” Wannian replied, expressing the thoughts of those within—the ‘personnel on duty.’ “You are a key figure. You always have been.” Evenheiler did not want to accept this undue praise. He did not agree with the statement; the true ‘key man’ was not him. He had understood this ever since he turned twenty. But he wanted even less to waste words over it, so he asked, “What should I do?” An old drone approached him, its cables neatly exposed and painted with fresh orange-and-white fluorescent coating. “Follow it,” Wannian said. Soon, Evenheiler arrived before a wall. He tapped it and heard no echo, but his perception told him that the deepest layer of the surface was smooth concrete—a primitive building material the Federation had completely phased out three hundred years ago. The guiding drone landed, and Wannian’s voice issued from it. “Please prepare to face danger,” it prompted thoughtfully. “What is about to be revealed to you is the gap between ‘Chang’an’ and ‘Rome’...” “What is in there?” Evenheiler asked. “A mechanical void devoid of the concept of ‘space,’ heavy pressure, and chaotic energy storms. The latter two come from the universe itself being forcibly propped open and fixed,” Wannian said. “The barrier between reality and ‘that place’ is weakest around the stargates. You are well aware of this. And what you are about to see is the reason it became a weakness.” “Alright.” Evenheiler nodded. The golden light on his body intensified. The power of ‘Immovable’ covered his entire body and the space roughly twenty centimeters around him. Amidst a massive roar, the wall cracked open, spiraling into a circular door. Behind it was another wall, which cracked open again—this process repeated nearly two hundred times. Circular, square, triangular; rotating, sliding, lifting. A full two hundred doors revealed themselves one by one before Evenheiler’s eyes, opening a passage for him. The drone flew forward, and Evenheiler followed. He walked through one doorway after another, and they closed behind him one by one. Some doors were as wide as giant passages, others so narrow only four people could walk abreast, but each one recorded a segment of history, and each was inscribed with a period of time. At the end of the passage was the final door—a horizontal double-opening type, as ordinary as could be. The sealing technology used was at least four hundred and thirty years old, but it was rigorously fitted with fifteen safety locks on all sides. *Those locks could be arranged into a wall themselves,* Evenheiler thought. The searchlight on the drone swept over each lock, and they opened accordingly. The sounds of pulleys and bearings echoed within, heavy and fierce. “This kind of sound can probably only be heard on land-based multi-person mechs nowadays,” Wannian said. “The direction of scientific and technological development is always toward simplification and lightweighting. The Federation has done well. Their materials science is fully capable of simplifying these two hundred doors into a single one, only fifty centimeters thick.” “No.” Evenheiler shook his head. “As long as the cost of building that one door is greater than these two hundred, they won't do it.” “That’s a bit biting.” Wannian’s mechanical voice seemed to grow much lighter. It flew away from the last opened lock. “You will enter a violent ocean, and you need to catch a fish and follow it to find its nest. Please stay safe,” it said. “And, good afternoon, ‘Stardust.’” Evenheiler paused for a moment. He hadn't heard such a greeting in a long time. Good morning, good afternoon, good evening? People living in the stars should have long ago lost such concepts. If there were no barriers between a ship and a star, life for everyone on board was a matter of a sun that never set. Yet these details of life’s heritage were still etched into the marrow of the Orion people, brought into the present bit by bit. However... “...What time is it now?” Evenheiler suddenly asked. He truly did not know the answer. He was currently a wandering soul; the information exchange he had previously established with Morgan through ‘Tita’ wouldn't waste words on mentioning the year, and he hadn't contacted anyone else since returning to the physical world. Naturally, it was impossible for him to know what year it was. “December 23, 4033, at 5:19 PM. Tomorrow is Christmas. You sound like some kind of time traveler...” Wannian’s mechanical voice told a stiff joke: “...Or, more likely, like someone who just woke up.” Evenheiler offered no comment on this, nor on the time. He simply turned around and watched the door slowly open to both sides. A powerful torrent of energy surged out, and chaotic, multicolored winds rapidly eroded and wore down the surrounding metal framework. He stepped quickly into the gap between the doors, and his figure soon vanished. But before that, he still said briefly, “Thank you.” “You are welcome,” Wannian’s reply was as polite as ever. The drone’s searchlight flickered for a moment in the storm before crashing to the ground. Soon, it turned into a puddle of alloy ash shimmering with the sheen of engine oil. *** Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation ---|---|--- XIV001 | XIV001 | A high-tech protective gear/armor mentioned in the chapter. 长安-罗马 | Chang’an-Rome | A major modular stargate linking parts of the Federation. 星流 | Stardust | Evenheiler's title/codename (Xing Liu). 万年 | Wannian | Literally "Ten Thousand Years"; the AI or collective consciousness managing the stargate. 灵思 | Lingsi | A term for psychic/spiritual essence or thought-matter. 灵之底 | Spirit’s Depths | A metaphysical or spatial layer (Ling Zhi Di). 阳星 | Solar Star | Lei Ting's title/codename (Yang Xing). 不动 | Immovable | The core attribute of Lei Ting's power. 金属操纵 | Metal Manipulation | One of Lei Ting's primary superpowers. 猎户旋臂 | Orion Arm | The region of the galaxy where the Human Federation is located. 银核 | Galactic Core | The center of the galaxy.