"So that's how it is?"
Inside a meeting room on the "Cosmic Island," a blond man named Horkos, standing beside March 7th and Dan Heng, explained their reason for heading to Planet "Keya V."
This tall man was no ordinary person.
He was not only a supermodel for the "Galaxy Trend Guide" but also the leader of the [Mirror Holders] organization. The former was an interstellar fashion magazine founded by "Idrila, the Astral God of Beauty," while the latter were Idrila's retainers.
Most of the members of Idrila's original retainers, the [Knights of Beauty], had vanished along with Idrila. The few remaining members had reorganized into a "remnant retainer" group called the [Mirror Holders].
All their actions served a single purpose: to search the entire universe for Idrila's relics in the hope of resurrecting her.
And the most recent relic of Idrila...
...was located on Planet "Keya V," which had already been more than halfway devoured by the Stellaron.
"I have already explained the risks very clearly."
"Miss March 7th, Mr. Horkos."
Jorah, seated at the small round table, met their gazes. The current situation was much better than what the spaceport commander had anticipated.
"This will no longer be a transaction."
"Yes, we are willing to call it 'mutual assistance'."
Horkos, smiling, took over from Commander Jorah.
The [Mirror Holders] had already paid the Astral Express crew their fee. The retainers of the Astral God of Beauty had no ill repute, but the M81 Galaxy was, after all, a territory belonging to its own power: "Fuli, the Astral God of Remembrance."
As was evident from the Astral Express's ability to travel unobstructed through the myriad worlds, relics of Astral Gods were absolutely precious treasures. Attempting to take such an item from within the sphere of influence of another Astral God (even one with only casual followers) was not something that would be easily permitted.
This was where the importance of [The Nameless] came in. Although Akivili, the Astral God of Trailblaze, had fallen, as one of the most powerful Astral Gods, he had once made pacts with many other Astral Gods, staking their very Paths as collateral: Wherever the [Path of Trailblaze] reached, the Astral Gods would not obstruct their steps in exploring the unknown. Fuli, also an ancient Astral God, was one of them.
Therefore, in many situations, the vast network and the "face" of [The Nameless] were their most important weapons. Once the higher-ups reached an agreement, those below would not defy their leaders' will, but building a good relationship was still necessary.
This was also why Horkos had to rely on the connections of [The Nameless].
At the same time, [The Nameless] conducted their business honorably. They would not give others cause for criticism and would dispatch their own personnel to participate in all their missions.
Now, the situation had evolved into one of mutual assistance between the [Mirror Holders], [The Nameless], and the M81 Galaxy.
Regardless of whether the "Destruction Stellaron" had the ability to devour Idrila's relic (as both were creations of Astral Gods), if it did, then the level of monster that would emerge from the "Fragmentum" evolved from the Stellaron... was truly unknowable.
"In that case."
Commander Jorah hesitated for a moment.
"Your Excellency Eden, if you are truly willing to accompany them, the terms of our 'deal' will remain unchanged."
The mission's combat strength had increased by three people.
Although Eden couldn't sense the strength of March 7th and Dan Heng, Horkos beside them was very clear. As the leader of a faction of Astral God retainers, even though the [Path of Beauty] had been affected by Idrila's disappearance and he no longer possessed the power of an [Emissary], Horkos's strength was at least at the "star-destroying" level.
Even he required the help of [The Nameless], which likely meant March 7th and Dan Heng's combat capabilities were on a similar level.
Eden wanted to witness the combat power active on the front lines of the cosmic sea, so in the previous discussion, she had rejected Commander Jorah's original plan for her to protect the spaceport, expressing her wish to accompany the group instead.
As for Jorah...
He saw the situation very clearly: if such a powerful "exploration" team couldn't resolve the crisis hidden on Planet V, the fleet from the motherworld would likely just be feeding reinforcements into a losing battle. It was more probable that the entire star system would suffer. Compared to that outcome, committing all available combat power to the upcoming plan was the best, albeit reluctant, choice.
"This deal is a complete extra expenditure for you."
"No."
Facing Eden's teasing remark, Commander Jorah replied with great solemnity.
"I have a premonition..."
"This may be the most successful 'investment' of my life."
"I agree with Mr. Jorah's view."
Horkos once again interjected into their conversation.
"Miss Eden's aura is something I have rarely encountered in all my travels across the sea of stars—it is in no way inferior to the stunning impression Miss March 7th made upon our first meeting... These are two completely different kinds of 'beauty'."
"If the Knights were still around, I would definitely invite you to become one of us."
The [Knights of Beauty].
Just as its name implied, Idrila's retainers were mostly handsome men and beautiful women "universally" acknowledged by all races. Unlike the physical "flawlessness" brought by "Yaoshi, the Astral God of Abundance," the [Knights of Beauty] were a faction that was truly beautiful both inside and out.
As for how much of the [Knights of Beauty's] "skill" the [Mirror Holders] had inherited, that was likely another matter entirely.
"You flatter me."
Eden gave a perfunctory reply. In her not-so-long life, she had long grown accustomed to such praise.
"Since everyone has reached a consensus."
Jorah did not interrupt their "idle chat" but waited until it was over to take the lead.
"Planet V cannot hold on for much longer. We must act without delay."
The group's gazes swept over their new teammates—
"Let's move out!"
---o---
M81 Interstellar Federation, Keya System.
With a spatial fluctuation on the outer edge of the star's rings, the flagship of the "Cosmic Island" garrison fleet, a [Yamato-class Battlecruiser], rapidly emerged from its warp jump.
High speed and heavy armor.
Numerous secondary batteries combined with a low-frequency, high-powered plasma main cannon made this class of battlecruiser extremely popular among civilizations of all levels. The "flagship-grade" battlecruiser built by the M81 Interstellar Federation surpassed the performance of its peers by over 50% in all metrics.
"Your martial virtue is quite abundant."
"A lightsaber... is this standard issue for Pathstriders of the Path of Remembrance?"
March 7th, Dan Heng, Horkos, Eden, and Commander Jorah, who had chosen to enter Planet V with them, constituted the main combat force for this operation.
"You're too kind."
Jorah's attire was completely different from before.
Over his form-fitting combat suit, he wore an inconspicuous but outrageously well-made linen-colored cloak.
The most eye-catching feature was the "lightsaber" hilt clipped to his waist.
Using a Kyber crystal as a medium, it converted injected Imaginary energy into a high-intensity plasma blade twenty to thirty centimeters long. The plasma, constrained into a blade shape by a magnetic field, would display different levels of destructive power depending on the user's strength.
The principle seemed simple.
But [Kyber Crystals] themselves were a rare and expensive strategic resource. The stronger the lightsaber wielder (the higher their Imaginary energy output), the higher the required quality of the Kyber crystal and the [Blessed Alloy] used to generate the containment field. These two resources were only produced in trace amounts on a few planets, and their supply was almost entirely controlled by the [Garden of Recollection].
The [Garden of Recollection] was the faction of retainers for Fuli, the Astral God of Remembrance. They were responsible for coordinating all political, economic, and diplomatic aspects for all of Fuli's believers.
As for war...
They had a specialized faction, the [Incinerators], to handle it. The [Incinerators] were composed almost entirely of purely spiritual races. By walking the [Path of Remembrance], they had no need to worry about any physical harm.
On a side note, a race known as the "Protoss" was the main component of both the [Garden of Recollection] and the [Incinerators]. The latter's three Titan-class ships—the [Pride of Altaris], [Spear of Adun], and [Memory of Nezin]—were among the very few warships in the cosmic sea to be granted the title of "Super Titan." Furthermore, the [Garden of Recollection] possessed the largest spaceport and starship manufacturing base in the entire universe: the [Mothership Megastructure], whose size was comparable to a star system.
The most basic ground unit of the [Incinerators] was the "Zealot," famous for their dual-wielded lightsabers and A-rank power and speed.
"In terms of combat power, everyone present surpasses me by an unknown amount."
"My main role on this trip is to maintain contact between the 'Cosmic Island' and the 'Yamato'... and to command the [Iron Warlords]."
The elite combat units of the M81 Interstellar Federation, who piloted [Heavy Titan Mechs] and possessed the highest level of "full combat capability certification," were commonly known as the "Iron Warlords".
The number of [Iron Warlords] stationed on the "Cosmic Island" did not exceed 200, and over 90% of them were participating in this operation on Planet V.
Though they were elites, they were not the main force.
Their primary job was to survey and record the changes in the planetary environment after the implantation of the [Destruction Stellaron], providing experience for similar situations that might occur in the future. Their secondary role was to provide cover for the main combatants of this operation. After the Stellaron generated a "Fragmentum," the difficulty of drawing energy from Imaginary Space would greatly increase. With the actual danger unknown, the main group of five needed to conserve their energy as much as possible.
In other words, the Iron Warlords were here to serve as cannon fodder.
"Commander!"
The voice from the radar room echoed through the comms.
"The starship has reached the edge of Planet V."
"We cannot get any closer—shield energy consumption is exceeding 400%, the stability deviation of the structural integrity field has passed the critical point, and the trititanium armor is melting!"
"..."
Jorah glanced at the others, who had also received the message.
"It is a Stellaron, after all."
Horkos didn't seem particularly nervous.
"Even if it's just the peripheral fluctuations, the power of a planet-destroying weapon requires at least dreadnought-class armor to withstand."
Dan Heng extended his palm and closed his eyes, feeling the faint tremors of the starship.
"The 'Fragmentum' fluctuations have already begun."
"Unless the starship uses a full-coverage 'Hardened Uranium-19 Alloy,' the structural integrity field and trititanium armor will last for 260 seconds at most... and that's only if the ship does not advance any further."
"Your troops—"
"The Titans can handle it."
Jorah responded to Dan Heng's concern.
"A battlecruiser requires too many materials; we can't afford it. But the manufacturing materials and production processes for the Titans have the full support of the [Garden of Recollection]. The Iron Warlords have experienced environments far harsher than this... At least, this level is not a problem."
"Excellent!"
With a crisp clap of her fist against her palm, March 7th took over the conversation.
"Sister Eden,"—the girl got familiar with people very quickly—"Uncle Jorah mentioned your mastery of space before."
"Sending us in together with the Iron Warlords..."
"Shouldn't be a problem, right?"
"..."
"Not a big problem."
Eden didn't possess many Authorities, only [Geo] and [Erudition]—both of which relied heavily on innate talent.
"Now that we're this close, the landing error won't exceed fifteen kilometers."
"As for the rest..."
As soon as Eden finished, everyone's gaze turned to Jorah.
"Hangar bay."
Jorah connected the comms to the transport bay.
The voice that came from the other side was filled with a reassuring sense of stability.
"Titans are ready. Iron Warlords standing by."
"..."
A bracelet resembling a miniature galaxy appeared on Eden's wrist. Her spreading psionic power instantly enveloped the entire starship, sequentially placing anchors on all targets.
"Then—"
"Let's go."
Swoosh!!
---o---
BOOM!
Crimson lightning roared across the sky.
Thick, black storm clouds rolled and churned, blocking all the light the star cast upon life.
The ground beneath their feet, which should have been solid, had turned into a fragile, glass-like crystalline substance.
Swoosh!!
The five-person team appeared simultaneously on the surface of Planet V. Compared to the Iron Warlords, who landed scattered across a ten-kilometer radius, the five of them had stabilized their coordinates with their own abundant Imaginary energy, allowing them to land at the exact target location provided by Jorah.
"Whoa!"
March 7th, looking around, was the first to express her surprise.
"Compared to the disaster scene overhead, the ground is actually quite pretty."
The Stellaron's devouring process was more than two-thirds complete. The planet's mass, which was becoming part of the "Fragmentum," looked like a work of art created by a master glassblower.
March 7th tiptoed and gently tapped the translucent ground.
"This really looks like the work of the [Self-Annihilators]." —Unlike [Finality] and [Destruction], the [Self-Annihilators], retainers of "IX, the Astral God of Nihility," were extremely skilled at crafting exquisite glassworks, which were widely acclaimed among some "chaotic" factions.
"Is that so."
Eden slowly opened her eyes.
A special kind of "empathic" psionic energy that served as a medium quietly dissipated from her. Combining what she knew with the information March 7th had just provided, Eden's initial contact with the Stellaron yielded a significant amount of intelligence:
Nanook's creation of the "Stellaron" was definitely not based purely on the [Dominion of Destruction].
Besides the possible [Nihility] that March 7th had just mentioned, Eden also detected a faint but extremely familiar Dominion...
[Order]