"He's weakened, but not completely defeated yet," Shadow explained, his tone steady, "This kind of attack only temporarily suppresses his power, giving us a chance to escape. Once we enter hyperspace, we'll be safe for the ti being."
Rowan stared at the struggling Aster on the monitor, his mind flashing back to the innocent lives on Planet Brant. "What about the people there? What's beco of them?"
Shadow's expression darkened. "The energy storm Aster unleashed has likely devastated most of the planet's surface. But based on previous records, such storms usually only affect the upper layers and nearby space. Life deep underground might still have a chance. The Federation should dispatch rescue teams to save as many survivors as possible."
As the hyperspace system approached its critical threshold, the entire warship beca enveloped in a peculiar energy field. From the outside, its contours blurred, as if the distorted space itself was slowly swallowing the ship.
Aster let out one last roar of rage. "You won't escape! I will find you! The core belongs to !"
But it was too late. The warship had fully entered hyperspace, vanishing from normal space and leaving behind only a trail of dissipating energy.
When their vision cleared, Rowan realized they had arrived in a completely unfamiliar starfield. There were no familiar constellations or nebulae, only endless darkness dotted with sparse, distant stars.
"Are we… safe?" Thor asked uncertainly, still clenching his fists, ready for any sudden threat.
Shadow exhaled slowly, finally letting his tense muscles relax. "Safe for now. This is an uncharted sector, on the edge of both the Black Dragon Empire and the Interstellar Federation's territories. Few ships ever pass through here. Aster won't find us anyti soon."
Hong walked to the viewport, gazing out at the alien starfield. "So what do we do now? We can't just hide here forever."
Shadow approached the core, which had returned from the energy track to its container. It looked slightly dimr, as if it had expended a considerable amount of energy.
"I need to contact the Black Dragon Empire's Intelligence Bureau and report on this mission," Shadow said. "Especially Aster's betrayal and the discovery of the Celestial King's core. But from this location, establishing a secure quantum communication link will take ti."
"How long exactly?" Rowan asked.
Shadow calculated quickly. "Considering our current position and transmission conditions, it will take about three days to establish a sufficiently secure encrypted channel. Until then, we'd better keep a low profile and avoid drawing unnecessary attention."
Thor rolled his stiff shoulders. "So we just wait here for three days? This ship is advanced, but space is limited. Three days of waiting will be boring."
Shadow shook his head. "We won't just wait. The ship is equipped with a full-function scanning system. We can conduct preliminary exploration of the surrounding star systems. Though uncharted, this sector may hold valuable resources or phenona."
The proposal imdiately piqued the others' interest. As challengers of the Virtual Universe Corporation, exploring the unknown had always been their passion.
"Then let's start scanning," Rowan suggested. "Might as well make use of the ti."
Shadow nodded and activated the ship's deep-space detection system. The holographic projector in the center of the bridge displayed a map of star systems within tens of light-years.
"Initial scans show seven stellar systems," Shadow narrated, "Three of them appear to have Earth-like planets, which could potentially harbor life."
Thor examined the hologram closely and suddenly pointed to one system in the lower right corner. "Wait, what's that? That planet looks… unusual."
Shadow zood in on the image. It was a dium-sized star system with a yellow dwarf and eight planets. The fourth planet stood out, glowing a strange bluish-purple, with countless streaks of energy dancing across its surface.
"Interesting," Shadow said as he pulled up the planet's detailed data. "The atmosphere contains a high concentration of charged particles, generating constant electromagnetic storms. The entire surface is nearly permanently covered by lightning activity."
Thor's eyes lit up. "Permanent lightning storms? This is the perfect training ground for !"
Rowan and Hong exchanged smiles, knowing Thor had long been seeking an environnt suitable for refining his lightning-based abilities. Though the Virtual Universe Corporation's challenges offered training scenarios, the laws of energy in the natural world often held deeper, more intrinsic rules.
Shadow continued analyzing the data. "The atmosphere is breathable, gravity is about 1.2 tis Earth's, and surface temperatures are moderate. Despite the intense electromagnetic storms, our protective gear should allow us to land and explore safely."
"What are we waiting for?" Thor said eagerly. "We can use the three-day window to check out this planet."
Shadow considered for a mont. "Theoretically feasible. But be aware, such intense storms may interfere with communications and so equipnt. We'll need thorough preparation."
Rowan glanced at Hong. "What do you think?"
Hong smiled slightly. "I support exploring it. Since we've arrived in this unknown sector, it would be a sha not to see what's around. And Thor definitely needs such an environnt to advance his abilities."
With the decision made, the four began preparations. Shadow retrieved four sets of advanced protective suits from the ship's equipnt bay. These suits were capable of withstanding extre environnts and included independent energy shields and life-support systems.
"Wear these," Shadow instructed as he handed out the suits. "They can withstand most forms of energy impact, including lightning. Still, for safety, we should avoid the most intense storm zones."
Thor hesitated. "But if I want to absorb lightning energy for training, wearing a fully insulated suit might block from sensing and absorbing it."
Shadow pondered briefly. "You're right. But exposing yourself recklessly to such intense energy is too dangerous. Perhaps we can find a compromise."
He returned to the equipnt bay and brought out a unique device. "This is an energy conduit. It can attach to your suit and selectively absorb external energy, safely channeling it into the user. That way, you can absorb lightning energy without direct exposure to danger."
Thor examined the device carefully, then nodded with satisfaction. "This looks perfect. Thanks, Shadow."
During preparations, Rowan noticed Shadow frequently checking the Celestial King's core, ensuring it remained safely stored in its special container.
"How's the core?" Rowan asked quietly.
Shadow exhaled softly. "It used a massive amount of energy to resist Aster. The core itself wasn't damaged, but it will take ti to fully regain its activity."
"Will it… talk to again?" Rowan asked hesitantly. Since the battle, he hadn't heard the core's voice, leaving him with a strange sense of loss.
Shadow glanced at him, curiosity flickering in his eyes. "You really can hear it? That's extrely rare. Normally, only those with a special connection to the Celestial King or extraordinary innate talent can do that."
Rowan shook his head. "I don't know why it chose to communicate with . But ever since approaching that crate, I could faintly hear its call."
Shadow appeared thoughtful. "Perhaps the Celestial King sensed potential in you. Ancient legends say that immortal kings possess 'the insight to recognize hearts,' able to perceive potential and destiny beyond ordinary perception."
"You know about the Celestial King?" Rowan asked.
Shadow nodded. "As an intelligence agent of the Empire, I've accessed secret records on ancient immortals. The Celestial King was a legendary figure tens of thousands of years ago, fad for his mastery of telepathy and cosmic laws. He was among the few able to communicate across star systems through consciousness alone."
"Then why did he die? I thought immortal kings were nearly indestructible."
Shadow's gaze grew distant. "Even the strongest beings have limits. He fell in a war against a higher-level civilization. His body was destroyed, leaving only the core preserved by loyal attendants, which eventually ended up in Aster's hands."
Their conversation was interrupted by the ship's AI. "Attention, approaching target planet orbit. Prepare for landing."
The four returned to the bridge to observe the approaching planet on the main screen. As they drew closer, the surface details beca clearer. The planet was indeed shrouded in permanent lightning storms, with countless blue-and-white bolts creating a breathtaking web of energy.
"Incredible," Thor exclaid, excitent glinting in his eyes. "I've never seen lightning so concentrated. Not even in Virtual Universe training simulations does this compare."
Hong analyzed the planet's data. "Atmosphere is primarily nitrogen and oxygen, similar to Earth, but with higher inert gas content. Surface gravity is 1.2G, day-night cycle roughly 28 hours. About 75% of the surface is ocean, with remaining land concentrated in the northern hemisphere."
"Any signs of life?" Rowan asked.
Hong pointed at the display. "Organic scans show abundant simple life forms, mostly microbes and primitive aquatic organisms. There appear to be plants on land, but no higher animals detected."
Shadow began planning the landing. "Given the storm intensity, we should choose a relatively calm region. Scans show a plateau in the northern hemisphere where lightning activity is weaker. That can serve as our base camp."
Thor asked eagerly, "How far from the strongest storms?"
Shadow brought up the map. "The most intense storms are over the southern ocean. Lightning there is at least ten tis stronger than normal, extrely dangerous even with protective gear. However, moderate storm zones near the plateau will allow you to start training safely."
Preparations completed quickly. After reaching planetary orbit, the four boarded a small landing craft. Shadow ensured the Celestial King's core remained securely locked in the ship's vault, with multiple layers of protection.
"It's safer to leave the core here for now," Shadow explained. "We don't know what unknown factors might exist on the planet's surface. I've also set up automatic defense systems; any approaching ships will trigger imdiate alerts."
The landing craft descended toward the planet. As they passed through the upper atmosphere, Rowan could see the flashing currents around them. Even through the protective craft, he felt the raw, savage energy in the air.
Thor was completely enthralled, eyes fixed on the lightning outside, body trembling as if resonating with the energy. For a practitioner specializing in lightning, this planet's allure was undeniable.
As they descended further, surface details beca clearer. The northern plateau was relatively calm, with lightning less frequent and intense. The ground was covered with unusual blue-green vegetation, resembling a rolling sea from above.
"What kind of plants are those?" Rowan asked.
Hong scanned the data. "Preliminary analysis indicates they are adapted to high-voltage environnts. Their structure contains conductive material, allowing safe conduction of lightning energy. Fascinatingly, they seem to gain energy from absorbing lightning, rather than photosynthesis."
The landing craft touched down smoothly on a relatively flat section of the plateau. The four donned their protective suits, and Thor attached his energy conduit. As the doors opened, a rush of ionized air poured in. Even filtered through the suits, Rowan could sll the tallic scent and ozone in the atmosphere.
They stepped onto the surface of the lightning planet. The dark blue soil was firm yet springy, giving a peculiar sensation as if each step conducted a tiny electric current.
The surrounding vegetation was even stranger. The blue-green plants, a cross between ferns and cacti, were covered in fine tallic hairs that occasionally sparked at the tips.
"Amazing," Hong bent down, carefully scanning a plant with his portable analyzer. "These plants have evolved chanisms to thrive in high-voltage conditions. They essentially 'eat' lightning, converting its energy into chemical energy stored in specialized cells."
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