"What I meant was," Valianna seemed to realize there was something wrong with her phrasing, "well..."
She tried to organize her thoughts.
...And failed.
"Forget it." She quickly gave up on the small talk. "In short, an Astral Behemoth has hidden itself on the edge of the Orion Nebula. The First Legion needs to exterminate it and its Abomination Legion. Our first phase is to lure it and its legion out of there."
She didn't even ask Lei Ting if he knew what an "Astral Behemoth" or an "Abomination Legion" was.
"Follow my Esper Mecha Regiment," she said, her deep voice echoing in the corridor. "Prepare for war. Now."
"Yes, ma'am," Lei Ting said calmly.
The "Astral Behemoth" was a species unique to the Milky Way that had existed since time immemorial. They were powerful, craved energy consumption, lacked a uniform appearance, and were incredibly difficult to truly kill.
This was because, upon reaching adulthood, they would first lay eggs in mild, high-energy aggregates—such as yellow stars—which served as their incubators.
If the egg-laying adult died in space, certain "eggs" they left behind would automatically awaken and enter the hatching phase, rapidly siphoning the energy of the star. They would depart once they gained enough strength or once the star died.
Although only one hatched at a time, the number of "eggs" an Astral Behemoth could carry was unknown. The highest recorded count currently stood at one thousand two hundred and eleven.
The juvenile behemoths hatched from these "eggs" would develop new physiological adaptations based on their incubation environment. They did not inherit the memories of their predecessors, but they did receive basic negative emotions such as fear and loathing.
Consequently, every Astral Behemoth was a terrifyingly massive collection of negative emotions. The mental strength of an esper below B-rank might snap instantly upon contact, leading to suicide. B-ranks fared little better, and even some A-ranks with unstable psychological foundations might not be able to withstand that kind of mental pollution.
However, once mental strength reached S-rank, one could deal with such pollution without issue.
To date, the Human Union of Orion had no record of an "SS-rank" esper releasing mental strength to combat an Astral Behemoth, simply because there had never been an SS-rank esper in human history.
This also highlighted the current state of internal power chaos within the Union. Regardless of the circumstances, any sane person, upon confirming Lei Ting as an "SS-rank," should have initiated a full battery of official testing and intervention...
Yet, so far, the level of attention he received was completely abnormal. Abnormally low.
But that was fine; it didn't have much of a negative impact on Lei Ting himself.
The problem he was currently pondering was the Behemoth's "Abomination Legion."
In truth, these destructive, disordered clusters composed of vast numbers of "Abomination creatures" were named by the old Galactic Empire, as was the term "Abomination" itself. They came in various types, each with its own distinct yet equally disgusting appearance and strategic role. However, they lacked a central command; they automatically carried out attacks and slaughters according to their own capabilities, all for the sake of destroying and devouring their locked targets.
Astral Behemoths had no record of natural reproduction; every behemoth and its successor had its own codename. Abomination creatures were different; they seemed to have "Mother Hives" hidden throughout the galaxy. When an Astral Behemoth flew through a nearby sector, they would awaken and tear through everything like locusts, following in the behemoth's wake.
Humanity had searched for the locations of these "Mother Hives," but so far, they had found nothing. The combined instincts of the Astral Behemoths devouring energy and the Abominations devouring life were too horrific. Even though deep space was vast, the Union dared not let them roam at will. Otherwise, the Milky Way would eventually be eaten hollow.
Every awakened Astral Behemoth and its legion was monitored for long periods. Once they reached a certain scale, the nearest legion would be automatically assigned an extermination mission.
Furthermore, every official military or security maintenance organization of every civilization carried a long-term mandate to monitor high-energy signatures within their jurisdiction, destroy behemoth eggs, and kill all visible Abominations.
Within the Federation, it was a hard rule: if a commander ignored or allowed these entities to roam when no higher-priority mission existed, they would be charged with the highest crime of treason and endangering the collective once the offense was confirmed. This was one of the few Federation criminal laws so harsh it reeked of blood; though some members of parliament proposed amendments every year, it had never actually been changed.
Incidentally, Abominations mostly took the form of pitch-black and crimson flesh-monsters, and the behemoth eggs were much the same. After obtaining specimens and testing their contents, the academic community generally believed there was some unknown but inevitable connection between the two, though the exact nature of that relationship was still a matter of debate.
...
Finally, research and practice by the Union's internal research institutions—especially personnel related to biotech civilizations—had proven that Astral Behemoths could be captured and hollowed out to be used as living bio-ships or space shelters. However, because their bodies possessed varying degrees of "energy siphoning" properties, they could not be processed for food, nor could they be used to cultivate plants. At most, they could be used to manufacture energy-dampening grenades, and even then, the yield was low.
To be fair, the fact that they couldn't be used for farming and would even consume the energy of plants was a source of great melancholy for the Union researchers on that project for quite some time. In those days, the entire Union looked at these things as "tasteless to eat, yet a pity to discard."
The problem was that the danger of letting them act was too great. Even if fighting them wasn't very profitable, they still had to be fought.
Fortunately, once the Union accepted the premise that these two things could be used as weapons, the task of purging them seemed slightly less like a loss—it was better than working for nothing.
Over years of development, the various legions had become increasingly skilled at hunting Astral Behemoths and Abomination Legions. However, given their migratory and mutable nature, losses occasionally occurred due to some unforeseen evolutionary trend in a behemoth's successor.
But such losses rarely befell the First Legion. Valianna Belikov was an A-rank esper whose will was so firm and powerful it bordered on S-rank. Her ability was a state secret, but it was said to be of a very formidable "Guardian" type.
As long as she was there, it was difficult for the fleet to suffer major losses.
Lei Ting just wondered why she was so tall... Perhaps she had undergone body modification, or maybe her ability had an "Augmentation" aspect?
After walking a path that diverged from his classmates with the Commander—whom anyone would have to look up at—Lei Ting arrived at the lower-middle decks of the *United Victory*.
As he walked, he mused on idle thoughts: *In space, there is no real distinction between up, down, left, and right. If luck is poor, the enemies a ship or fleet encounters might be upside down. That's why the Union's artificial gravity and vessel orientation technologies are so advanced... Speaking of which, to be able to use black-tech like "Compression Cans," I really have to thank the major legions of the early years.*
He kept these vacuous thoughts in mind until they entered an equipment showroom, at which point he shifted his gaze from the void to the walls.
At first glance, he saw a handheld mini-missile launcher.
Lei Ting: "...?"
At second glance, he saw a swarm drone system where each sub-unit was equipped with different ammunition.
Lei Ting: "??"
At third glance, he saw an individual tactical nuclear weapon launcher equipped with corresponding warheads.
Lei Ting: "!!!!!!!"
*Wait, hold on—isn't the firing range of this thing shorter than its blast radius??*
His gaze swept over them in shock. Meanwhile, at the other end of the modest showroom, Commander Valianna opened a locker and pulled out a massive, heavy object.
When she placed it on the central long table, a powerful vibration rippled through the surface. Lei Ting looked closely; it was an energy cannon over a person's height. The overall look was dark, cold, and solemn. The core emitted a sharp, cold blue-purple breathing light that tinged slightly toward red.
With just one look, Lei Ting could judge its power, potential heat, recoil, and a series of other parameters from its metallic structure and energy levels. He reached a conclusion: this was not something a normal human... no, a normal esper could use.
Without mechanical assistance, an ordinary person might not be able to move it even a centimeter in their entire life, even if they exerted all their strength.
And most espers couldn't use it as a weapon either. Setting aside the fact that most couldn't move it, the recoil alone when it fired would be enough to tear their arms from their torsos.
"This is a weapon I used in my youth. It's called 'New Sun.' It's an antique passed down from before the Second Total War. It became what it is today after generations of modifications and enhancements by its users."
As Commander Valianna spoke, she casually picked up "New Sun," looking over its exterior decorations as if it were a toy before tossing it to Lei Ting. "Try it."
"New Sun" cut through the air with a terrifying whistle. Lei Ting stood by the table, expressionless, as it fell obediently toward him.
He focused on it and its power core.
After a moment, he suddenly asked, "An esper reactor?"
"Correct. It used to be a nuclear reactor, but it was later replaced with an internal circuit in an esper-excitation format. The medium is a 'Virgo Core Gem,'" Valianna said. "It was precisely because it was used to modify this weapon that the gem earned such a name."
Lei Ting gave a sound of acknowledgement. Without making a move, "New Sun" began to transform automatically. With several mechanical clicks, its grip remained in place, but the rest of the components reassembled into an asymmetrical greatsword with a handguard and twin blunt edges.
*Vroom!*
A vibrant blue-purple-red energy light flared from its edges and guard. Lei Ting raised his arm and gripped it. A piece of chromium flew out from his sleeve toward the blade; it was sliced in two effortlessly, the cut as smooth as a mirror.
"A fine weapon," he praised sincerely. "A design that is unrefined yet difficult to replicate..."
"The reaction most people have when they see it is: 'How have you not been blown up yet using something like that?' It's hard for me to explain the logic of 'with enough power, even a brick can fly' to them—a mindset unique to certain humans of Old Earth. Of course, there's no need to explain." Commander Valianna looked at "New Sun" with affection. "She is a loyal and powerful comrade-in-arms.
"Take it. You like her, don't you? We will soon arrive at the Orion Nebula's border, and it will accompany you through the coming battle."
Lei Ting looked at the greatsword in his hand. After a moment of silence, he cancelled his superpower control. His arm suddenly felt a heavy weight, but he still held it steadily.
The injection of superpower ceased, and the light on the blade faded. The blunt, heavy block of metal dented the floor, but it made it easier for him to actually prop up this greatsword, which was over two meters tall—taller than he was.
A moment later, Lei Ting smiled. He licked his lips; this was the first time he had made such a gesture in front of others, except for when he was dehydrated.
*I was wrong,* he thought. *A long journey isn't a boring thing.*
*At least, not anymore.*
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
星空巨兽 | Astral Behemoth | Ancient, energy-devouring space creatures.
憎恶军团 | Abomination Legion | Swarms of flesh-monsters that follow Astral Behemoths.
超能机甲团 | Esper Mecha Regiment | A military unit composed of espers using mecha.
新太阳 | New Sun | Valianna's former weapon, a massive energy cannon/greatsword.
室女座核心宝石 | Virgo Core Gem | A high-energy medium used in the "New Sun" weapon.
力大砖飞 | Brute force makes even a brick fly | An engineering/slang term meaning sheer power can overcome poor design.
