Chapter 121.1 – The Heart of the Universe
No one could have imagined that there was a tiny universe in the abyss.
It was incredibly unbelievable, and everyone was stunned, gazing at the monstrous creatures and the swirling stars.
Qi Hong stared intently at the scene before him, smiled, and said, “Back when I was training at the Space Center, I never thought I would see space in this way.” He tightly gripped the control lever and said, “Does this count as finally fulfilling my ‘Overlook’ mission?”
“…It’s truly amazing,” Zhou Qian whispered. “To think that such beings exist in the world.”
Ke Zhengrong cleared his throat. “We’ve never understood them. They are like… higher beings.”
Traversing through one galaxy after another, the journey was endless, and this planet was only a temporary stop for them.
No one could define the abyss. Is it a living organism or an inanimate object? How does it survive? Everything was unclear. Just as Lu Tinghan said, there are still many mysteries in the world, and the instinct to explore the unknown makes one imagine what lies on the other side of the waves when gazing at the sea or what lies at the end of the universe when looking up at the stars. Perhaps on the other side of the sea is a brilliant civilization, and perhaps at the end of the universe is a new universe.
Now, diving several kilometers deep, they came to know that humans have blood and pulse, and the abyss also concealed the heart of a universe within its dense fog.
Shi Yuan floated in the air, spinning around happily, and then his tail was grabbed.
Shi Yuan: ?
Lu Tinghan pulled him back to his seat and said, “Fasten your seatbelt. It’s dangerous.”
“Okay,” Shi Yuan agreed and sat back in his seat, but he couldn’t forget the feeling of weightlessness. He knew about the conditions in zero gravity from Lu Tinghan and Wu Zhengqing, but actually experiencing it was a different feeling altogether.
It felt as if he had arrived in a completely new and mysterious realm.
And there was… a strange sense of familiarity.
With the change in gravity, the propulsion of the escort ship had to be adjusted. Qi Hong was nervous and sweating on his forehead, but his movements remained smooth. The thrusters of the “Seeker 1” began to push downwards.
For human senses, they no longer knew where “down” was. They relied entirely on the positioning system of the ship as they steadfastly headed towards the bottom of the abyss, the end of this small universe.
Monsters whizzed past them, and Shi Yuan noticed that they often had venomous fangs, poison sacs, or colorful parts. The defining characteristic of Abyss No.1’s infection was “severe toxic contamination,” which gave birth to these creatures.
Fortunately, most of the monsters showed no signs of aggression. Occasionally, a few would come closer, coldly observing the ship with their compound eyes.
Once, a creature that resembled a wolf-bear approached. It circled the escort ship from a distance, then suddenly opened its huge mouth—
The cannon fired!
Silently, a giant bullet shot out into the vacuum and penetrated its head, completely obliterating its body!
Even after that, it was still alive, and its claws were reaching out for the escort ship.
In the next moment, darkness descended.
A giant fish with a colorful long tail swallowed it in one bite. Its scales shimmered in the starlight, and with a gentle flick of its tail, it disappeared into the newly rising black mist.
Afterward, the group witnessed many more things.
The giant beasts devoured each other, and the schools of fish and flocks of birds disappeared and reappeared again. A shapeless ghostly shadow swiftly floated above their heads, with countless eyes and limbs flashing through it. Creatures resembling horses leisurely walked, stepping on tiny clusters of light. With each step, they extinguished the starlight.
Just like when Shi Yuan and Lu Tinghan rode on the white snake, they saw the breathtaking landscapes of mountains and valleys… All living things thrived in their own ecology, and this was their world.
Occasionally, monsters approached the escort ships, attempting to attack.
Lu Tinghan commanded the cannons and laser weapons to repel them.
These shipborne weapons were originally designed for space, but after modifications, they still proved effective, ensuring a smooth journey.
Shi Yuan widened his eyes and looked around.
He saw those monsters, and he also saw xuejian flowers floating on his right side.
The crowd had given them the only few xuejian flowers. The Alliance’s emblematic flower represented hope and unwavering love. It was always good to bring good luck and sustenance.
The flowers were placed in small glass jars, blooming vibrantly with glowing petals. Now they floated in the jars, surrounded by large paper flowers, creating a lively and beautiful scene.
He was fascinated by the sight, and his wagging tail showed his joy. Suddenly, the ship shook violently!
The escort ship trembled, its body uncontrollably swerving and spinning, losing its course like a small boat in the waves, about to be torn apart at any moment.
Shi Yuan was dizzy from the shaking. In the chaos, Qi Hong tightly held onto the control lever. After about ten seconds, the trembling stopped.
“…” Qi Hong took a deep breath and said, “It’s a small turbulence.”
The two major obstacles of the “Deep Dive” were monsters and turbulence.
Countless Alliance aircraft had been torn apart by turbulence. They were lucky to have reached a depth of -110 kilometers without encountering turbulence until now. Looking outside the ship, the starlight remained undisturbed, shimmering calmly. The monsters had long adapted to the environment, and the only ones affected were them, the tiny beings in the vast universe.
If the turbulence were any stronger, it would be like a space storm, capable of tearing everything apart.
Qi Hong spoke softly, “I hope we won’t encounter it again.”
However, their wishes were not fulfilled. The deeper they went, the more frequent the turbulence became. Between -110 kilometers and -123 kilometers below sea level, they encountered three instances of small turbulence.
The depths of the abyss seemed unstable.
They alternated between clear starry seas and dense black fog. Gravity appeared and disappeared intermittently. They floated upward in one moment and fell heavily back into their seats in the next. They were shaken by turbulence, and they had to dodge monsters and suddenly accelerate, relying on their seatbelts to keep them from being thrown out.
All of this made Shi Yuan feel seasick.
He sat in his seat, feeling weak, and his tail drooped.
“Feeling uncomfortable?” Lu Tinghan asked him.
“…I’m okay,” Shi Yuan replied gloomily. “Just a little dizzy.”
The escort ship shook violently again.
Lu Tinghan touched Shi Yuan’s head and said, “If you’re feeling uncomfortable, look at the flowers, or… focus on the stars outside.”
Distractions could help shift attention.
After all, Shi Yuan was a little monster who loved flowers. He often looked through a telescope at the night sky, waiting for a magnificent meteor shower.
“I’ll try,” Shi Yuan said, still feeling a little wilted.
He looked at the starlight outside and then shifted his gaze to the pure white xuejian flowers. He tried not to think about the turbulence and weightlessness as much as possible.
It seemed like a psychological effect, but he actually started feeling better.
He thought that his human was really amazing.
Meanwhile, Ke Zhengrong’s condition was deteriorating.
He had taken one suppressant after another and consumed many medications, but his condition continued to worsen.
The infection value inside his body was skyrocketing, his face turned pale, and his breathing became rapid.
Zhou Qian, who had a medical background, took care of Ke Zhengrong together with Lu Tinghan. However, their options were limited.
In the end, Ke Zhengrong slumped against the chair, unable to utter a word.
Zhou Qian murmured, “How much longer?”
How much farther until they reached the bottom of the abyss, their destination?
Could they make it?
No one could answer her question.
For the next few tens of minutes, the escort ship battled the turbulence, while Ke Zhengrong struggled on the brink of death. Zhou Qian’s adverse reactions intensified, but luckily her condition was still manageable. One suppressant could keep her going for a long time.
At a depth of -150 kilometers, Shi Yuan asked, “What is that?”
Lu Tinghan followed his gaze and saw a cluster of starlight clearly forming the shape of a planet.
-It was incredibly small, perhaps only as big as a fist, with a few other points of light orbiting around it like planets. Its gaseous surface shimmered with vibrant colors.
It resembled what the Alliance had seen in the “Overlook” project.
It was an infected star.
Before everyone could get a clear look, the starlight suddenly contracted into a dim small black dot, almost invisible.
Shi Yuan exclaimed, “Huh?”
In the next instant, a blazing light silently exploded!
It was unimaginable that something so small could unleash such a brilliant light, piercing through the black fog. The cosmic brilliance shone brightly, making other stars pale in comparison.
The escort ship shook violently again! This time, it lost its balance completely, spinning several times.
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