Chapter 53 Galaxy Exploration

When the bow of the Allied Fleet pierced through the dark red, blood-thick mists at the periphery of the Nibelungen Galaxy, the entire vessel violently shuddered, as if striking an invisible hidden reef. The radiation-proof glass of the observation window instantly fractured into spiderweb-like cracks, the delicate lines shimmering in the gloom like a pre-destined web on the verge of shattering. Outside the portholes, three purple stars arranged in a pinwheel formation pulsed at an eerie frequency. Every contraction and expansion was accompanied by intense energy fluctuations, releasing radiation streams like surging tides that dyed the floating asteroid belts a ghostly purple. The surfaces of these asteroids were densely covered with spiral luminescent patterns, slowly rotating within the energy field like giant tombstones abandoned in the cosmos. Every single pattern emanated a cold light belonging to no known civilization, as if recounting an ancient and forbidden secret. The Chrono-Spatial Administration's quantum detector suddenly erupted into a piercing shriek, a sound resembling the agonizing cry of a wounded beast, echoing throughout the bridge. Warning lights on the dashboard flared to life one after another like apocalyptic fireworks, and the overloaded needles spun frantically within the red zones before snapping with a crisp sound, their fragments scattering across the control console with a clear and despairing chime.

"Curvature radar has captured S-class energy anomalies! All units immediately—" Lin Yu's warning was abruptly cut off by a burst of harsh static erupting from the communication channel. The space ahead of the bridge warped like a mirror crumpled by an invisible giant's hand, the air emitting a teeth-setting distortion. Emerald lightning tore through the void like the claws of an ancient dragon, accompanied by deafening thunder, as an energy storm carrying dark matter struck at faster-than-light speeds. At the center of the storm, vague outlines could be dimly discerned, resembling some unknown entity peering at the intruders. The Entropy-Silence Watchers' luminescent warships deployed their diamond-shaped energy shields first, the silver defensive stasis fields rippling and boiling under the impact, emitting a sharp sound akin to fingernails scratching against titanium alloy—a sound that pierced straight to the marrow, chilling one to the bone. Lin Yu's assault ship was grazed by the edge of the storm, its entire hull vibrating violently as though about to be torn to pieces by this terrifying force. Unsecured equipment within the cabin flew wildly about like wild horses untethered, and the moment Suyao was hurled toward the console, the metal frame of her tactical goggles slashed a bloody gash across her temple. Fresh blood trickled down her cheek, dripping onto the operation panel to form vibrant blooming red plums.

"Warp engine response delayed by seventeen seconds! Port side armor melt-through rate at sixty-two percent!" The Chrono-Spatial Administration commander's roar exploded amidst the blaring alarms, his voice turned raspy by extreme tension and fear. Lin Yu gripped the control stick for dear life, his knuckles turning white and veins bulging from the exertion. As he watched the danger index leaping wildly on his tactical goggles, he suddenly noticed countless distorted human facial contours emerging within the energy storm, their features flickering in and out of the plasma, expressions brimming with agony and despair like wronged souls trapped in a temporal rift, emitting a silent cry. Just as everyone was struggling to maintain formation, an even more terrifying crisis descended—thousands of translucent creatures crawled out from the turbulence. They resembled bloated jellyfish, yet possessed tentacles covered in human facial features. Ghostly blue fluorescence flowed across their bodies, piecing together agonizingly distorted faces. Every time these creatures wriggled, they emitted a hair-raising sound, reminiscent of whispers from the abyss of hell.

"Sonic frequency matches human brainwaves! It's a psychic contamination attack!" Old Zhou's scream was drowned out by a sudden, high-frequency screech. This sonic wave directly penetrated the warship's soundproofing layer, churning up towering waves within the crew members' cochleas as though tens of thousands of fine needles were pricking their eardrums. A-Ken felt a surge of warm blood instantly rush from his nasal cavity. Through his blurred vision, the tentacle of a giant creature coiled around a silver-gray warship like a living snake, viscous dark-green liquid dripping down the hull, corroding the metal with a sizzling sound wherever it passed, instantly melting deep gouges down to the bone. The alarms of the warships, the corrosion of the metal, and the screeches of the creatures blended into a despairing symphony.

The leader of the Entropy-Silence Watchers' battle armor suddenly erupted with brilliant golden light, twelve energy beams precisely piercing the void and carving dazzling trajectories across the dark universe. Yet the creatures that were struck did not perish; instead, they split into eight smaller individuals, swarming toward the Allied Fleet like unquenchable blue flames. Lin Yu's tactical goggles rapidly locked onto the targets, discovering that each creature possessed a pulsating core in its abdomen—a glowing tissue resembling a human heart, throbbing at an eerie frequency. "Concentrate fire on the core! Suyao, lead Alpha Squad to execute the decapitation strike!" His pulse rifle spat tongues of crimson fire, and the moment the bullets struck the targets, the creatures shrieked like crying infants, the light at their cores visibly dimming. However, more creatures poured in from all directions, surrounding the Allied Fleet tightly.

Suyao pulled her tactical mask down to her jaw, revealing a blood-stained corner of her mouth, her eyes burning with resolute fighting spirit. She turned to look at the team members behind her, each of their gazes brimming with steadfast determination. Taking a deep breath, she led her team out through the airlock hatch, the antimatter thrusters spewing azure exhaust plumes and carving hazardous arcs through the turbulent energy fields. Shock daggers flashed within the ghostly blue energy field, every slash kicking up star-like sparks accompanied by the sound of metal colliding with biological tissue. When her blade pierced into the core of a creature, viscous blue liquid gushed out like a fountain, immediately emitting a piercing corrosive hiss upon touching her armor, as if scorching her very willpower. Yet she did not retreat in the slightest, continuing to wield her dagger and fighting a bloody battle amidst the enemy swarms.

The Allied Fleet pushed forward painstakingly amidst a hail of gunfire and shells, the damaged warships dragging long plasma tails like wounded giant whales cruising through the cosmos. The hum of energy shield recharging, the roar of weapons firing, and the reverberating screeches of the creatures intertwined into a tragic and heroic battle hymn. Lin Yu wiped the bloodstains from his tactical goggles, gazing into the depths of the galaxy ahead still shrouded in dark red mists. There, the coordinate signals potentially belonging to the mysterious organization's base flickered like a demon's eyes peering from the darkness. He knew that this game of wits against the unknown had only just begun, and they had long since prepared themselves to burn away everything. Every single team member stood firm at their posts; despite the exhaustion, despite being battered and scarred, unyielding brilliance gleamed in their eyes, swearing to uncover the truth and fulfill their mission within this perilous galaxy.