Stars See Me [Interstellar] | Chapter 281 | The Sovereign's Reintegration | Novela.app

If a target could disable an entire line of weaponry in a single second through some singular, strange power, then he could just as easily end every life within that same second. Thus, whether for the sake of cost and efficiency or simply for survival, a reception room specifically designed for races the size of Orion humans was smoothly put into use. After all, given that they had clearly displayed hostility, the fact that Lei Ting had not simply destroyed everything was already an act of immense goodwill. Furthermore, he had even offered a salute. After the five "Unbound" on their side unanimously agreed that the stranger was a powerhouse even among their kind, the highest-ranking official of the "Star" civilization in this sector took his seat in person. Neither side was willing to provide their linguistic database to an unknown civilization, so the conversation was conducted via a form of psychic communication conversion technology. This also proved that the "Star" civilization’s research into supernatural power and mental energy was profound—perhaps these things had not merely appeared after Kaligan tore the universe asunder, but had simply become more prevalent afterward. Through the subsequent conversation and his own subjective perception, Lei Ting confirmed his suspicions. In the process of researching any technology, evaluating its potential consequences is a vital step. Therefore, "Kaligan" must have long possessed an understanding of, and even conducted research into, the lightless world that would later be known as the "Spirit’s Depths." The fact that "Star" could fight "Kaligan" to a standstill proved that their technological trees were, in a sense, on par with one another. In this era, superpowered individuals did indeed exist. However, the difference from later eras lay in the fact that the superpowered individuals of this time were, without exception, artificial products. Through technological means, they constrained irrational forces from beyond the universe, encapsulated them, and infused them into suitable young lifeforms to grow alongside them. While the mortality rate was high, the growth ceiling low, and the average strength mediocre—far from being able to decide the course of a war at will like Lei Ting or the creator of the black hole—the two great civilizations had still managed to push this technology to its limits based on their massive populations and mature genetic engineering. The "Star" civilization’s supernatural technology allowed recipients to easily break through limitations, becoming "Unbound" whose internal energy cycles could exist independently of universal laws. "Kaligan’s" technology, on the other hand, was infectious and followed a more stable growth path. As long as one superpowered individual existed, other non-powered individuals nearby could be "infected," subsequently entering a painful state of supernatural symbiosis and potentially reaching an awakening phase. It was difficult to judge which approach was more inhumane. But under the premise of war, both seemed to have their necessities. Lei Ting shook his head and said, "Your actions will cause immense destruction to the universe." "But we have no choice," the other party replied calmly. That was the nature of war. If they did not strike the enemy, the enemy would strike them. But in the end, those most deeply wounded were always ordinary lives. Lei Ting did not intend to dwell too much on ancient history. "Do both of you possess conceptual weapons targeted at the opposing civilization?" The other party became visibly tense, clearly realizing something. "Don't be nervous. The ones who caused the most harm to my race were not you," Lei Ting said. He clasped his hands, gazing at the square characters on the nearby wall that bore a striking resemblance to Chinese script. "I do not intend to interfere in your war. At least, not for now," he said. "But I make no guarantees about the future, nor do I guarantee that I won't do something outside of the war. After all, for me, this qualifies as a counterattack in self-defense." "...My apologies," the other party sighed. At this level of development, no one expected Lei Ting’s attitude to be any softer. It would be a joke—your war caught a third party's home in the crossfire, and you didn't think you were in the wrong then. But when a ridiculously powerful figure from that home comes knocking, you suddenly think you deserve to be treated with kindness? Please. If you're going to lose, lose cleanly and with some dignity; don't be unreasonable. Energy was better spent thinking about how to preserve one's remaining forces rather than trying to beg for mercy from an enemy who was a natural counter to everything you were. "I need you to provide the coordinates of your conceptual weapons within the physical universe. If possible, those of the Kaligan side as well," Lei Ting said. "Or, provide a method to 'whitelist' a certain target civilization or set of coordinates, exempting them from the strike." He didn't even need a specific shutdown method—those things inevitably had a physical foundation. As long as there was a physical foundation, everything was negotiable. As for whether the other party might suddenly focus their fire to kill him in an instant... ...Wasn't a fragment of his missing soul and self currently arriving here? *** "It’s not far. The starship will hover here; I’ll be back in a moment," "Solar Star" said. Without the slightest hesitation, he stepped forward. An energy phantom, far taller than Lei Li, emerged from before him, brilliant golden flames burning in Lei Li’s eyes. When this figure appeared, the dust in the surrounding air was instantly illuminated and just as instantly dissipated into silence. Lei Li looked up. He found it hard to imagine how such a person, when previously releasing the people in the life-support pods, had used his own body to perform those incredible maneuvers. —Did he not have any issues with perspective discomfort? Moreover, when the man was killing those villains, he had clearly tried to distract him... —Was he still being treated like a child? "When you return, what form will you take?" he asked softly. "Father?" "It might be a bit different, but I will still be your father," the golden phantom said, patting the top of Lei Li’s head. "Don't overthink it. Even if you can't fully grasp the concept of dualistic unification, you can simply think of it as me reclaiming my missing humanity." Fine. Lei Li lowered his head in silence. "Solar Star" felt that the boy wouldn't be able to wrap his head around it anytime soon. He looked somewhat helpless, yet a trace of a smile touched his face—because that was exactly how Lei Ting would react. Then, he transformed into a streak of golden radiance, vanishing into the void of space in an instant. *** Lei Ting suddenly raised his hand. His movement startled the other party, and the hidden defensive batteries in the vicinity all poked their heads out. However, to their surprise, Lei Ting did not strike. Instead, a golden light plummeted from the heavens, passing through dozens of layers of protection without a trace and striking the back of Lei Ting’s hand. It burst into a spray of magnificent golden brilliance, spiritual light splashing out like a golden butterfly. Just as the other party was about to breathe a sigh of relief, they discovered with horror that behind Lei Ting’s pitch-black visor, his deep black eyes were momentarily flooded with a terrifying golden light. It was... like a burning ocean upon a star. The suppression from a higher level of existence caused the official to stumble back as he stood, turning his head away in a disheveled manner to avoid eye contact. Lei Ting closed his eyes slightly, letting the golden glow recede, leaving only a faint, dim light deep within the darkness of his pupils. "Apologies," he said. "I have reclaimed something of my own..." He spread his hands, and golden light rippled across his entire body like flowing electricity. At this moment, every individual observing this scene felt a realization dawn in their hearts: no one could shake this man anymore. But if he wished, he could turn this place into a ruin or a single mass of pure metal weaponry at any time. "...Give me what I want. Please." Lei Ting lowered his eyes, feeling his own power, and spoke softly. "I have no interest in this war or your civilization itself. I am very busy. If you do not give it to me, I will find it myself... learning a new language and reading a database is not a difficult task." As he spoke, everything within a few meters of him began to bend. Everything—not just the metal. "Please wait a moment." The other party bowed his head in pain, feeling fortunate that the man was still willing to show limited politeness. "Soon, we will give you an answer... I mean, everything you desire, we will deliver." *** When "Crater 900" welcomed its returning guest, Lei Li was the first to rush to the viewport. He watched the man in black-and-gold armor pass through the non-metallic synthetic viewport. For a moment, he didn't even realize what had happened, only looking into the man's eyes. He saw a pair of deep, pitch-black eyes—eyes that were both familiar and strange, yet they quickly put his worries to rest. "You're back," Lei Li said with a smile. "How do you feel now? Still think I might become someone entirely different?" Lei Ting spread his hands and casually poked the boy’s forehead. "Let's go." "Ah! Hiss... so you knew all along." Lei Li rubbed his forehead and followed his lead. "Wait, where are we going?" "Back to the 40th century," Lei Ting said. He leaned back into the commander's seat. "We might encounter some unexpected situations on the way, but do not panic," he said. "I will handle everything..." ... "...Just like this. I said I would handle everything," Lei Ting said in the void a short while later. While calmly conversing with Lei Li across the distance, he made a grasping motion with one hand, crushing the kinetic core of an enemy Colossus weapon. He tore the wreckage out of the hull through the vacuum, wires flying, and crumpled it into a ball before hurling it into the distance. The Colossus, which had been technologically stripped of its metallic properties, likely never expected its end to come so swiftly. To this, Lei Li offered his thoughts: "Cool!!" The subsequent battles held no suspense. The path back to the 40th century was not particularly treacherous. With sufficiently powerful individual strength coupled with a clear mind, all difficulties could eventually be overcome, whether easily or not. However, halfway through, "Crater 900"—which had traveled through time because of "Kaligan"—underwent an irreversible disintegration as it passed the point in time where Kaligan and the universe had exploded. It was originally a phantom frozen in time and space; that explosion had merely awakened it. In the emergency, Lei Ting quickly made the most correct choice. He grabbed everyone on the ship, including Lei Li, wrapped them in energy carrying a trace of "Immovability," and threw them toward the other end of time and space. As for himself, he was swept into the storm—but this time, the winds could no longer shake his power, not even by a fraction.