Age of Cosmic Exploration

Chapter 383: Weird

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

This was something that had not happened before. Warp drive was cancelled just like that!

This was not something doable by the creator’s particle, because warp drive existed in a dimension independent of the cosmos, a dimension created from distortion of space using a great amount of energy. Technically speaking, it existed in a different dimension from the normal space and would not be affected by whatever happened in the cosmos. Under normal circumstances, there shouldn’t be a technology that was able to affect the Hope when it was in super light speed.

However, that really did happen, they got pulled out of warp drive. The moment the Hope entered this part of the cosmos, they left warp drive and entered the normal space, and this looked like it didn’t affect only the Hope, or else how was one going to explain the mess of alien spaceships around them?

When this happened, the Hope’s Workshop and Barracks were in a state of chaos. After all, it was 3 AM, so most of the Hope was still asleep, including Yao Yuan.

When the emergency alert reached Yao Yuan, in less than 10 minutes, he was already at the captain’s room. For the rest of the Hope, they were slowly roused from their sleep and returned to their assigned positions. At the same time, information from outside the Hope was slowly reported back to the related personnel.

"...There are so many spaceships? At least ten thousand or more."

In the captain’s room, Guang Zhen observed the 3D image of the situation outside of the Hope with a drawn face. Within the observable range, there were plenty of spaceships surrounding the Hope. There were at least 3,000 large motherships. A few of them even had plasma energy propellers, which were signs of level 3 space civilizations, and there were at least one hundred of them...

Not only that, the Hope had also detected two weirdly-shaped motherships. There was something that looked like a ripple effect around the ships, like they were submerged in water or the space around them had turned into liquid. These kinds of spaceships... belonged to level 4 space civilizations!

That’s right, even the legendary level 4 space civilizations were part of this massive fleet. The method of telling this was simple: that was a shield technology unique to level 4, or rather mid-tier space civilizations... space distortion shield technique. This was a new version of shield technology obtained after a civilization gained access to wormhole technology.

From the earlier war with the space merchants, humanity had received relevant information from them, information like how to discern the level of a space civilization from its spaceship. Of course, due to the level difference, the information only reached level 4 space civilizations. Beyond that... the information sounded like legends more than anything.

And the level 4 space civilization that was just a level lower than legends... there were two of them in this area!

This was a level 4 space civilization! This was a civilization that could no longer be beaten by an advantage of numbers alone. A level 4 space civilization could easily run over all the level 2 and 3 space civilizations before it and suffer practically nothing in return. This was a space civilization that was in a completely different league. After all, out of tens of thousands of level 3 space civilizations, only one would evolve into a level 4 space civilization!

Theoretically speaking, when these two level 4 space civilizations appeared, even if they had vassal races, they wouldn’t be approached by the lower level space civilizations. This was the power and presence of all mid-tier space civilizations. Even if they did not issue any warning, low level space civilizations would not have the audacity to approach them, just like how a rabbit wouldn’t go near a lion. This was natural instinct.

However, due to the high density of spaceships in the area, beside the level 4 space civilization’s spaceships were obvious signs of spaceships from lower levels. Even though the cosmos was endless and each individual spaceship in comparison was like a speck of dust, the number of spaceships was simply too high. There was not enough wiggle space for the spaceships of differing sizes. This observation was simply too weird and creepy.

When the Hope’s surveillance saw the fleet around them and the creepy sensation brought by the level 4 space civilization, Ren Tao’s hypothesis was confirmed. These alien civilizations were indeed either hypnotized by this ruin or attracted by the technology within it, or else, according to the density of space civilizations crowding this area, there would have been a giant scale space war already.

However, the humans on the Hope were not hypnotized by the ruin, and it probably really had to do with the presence of Yao Yuan, the Immortal. Regardless, no matter what, this was a godsend for humankind, as they could escape this conundrum by hiding themselves among the many spaceships and avoiding the detection of other dangerous alien civilizations before heading into the star path.

At the same time, the Hope was scanning the general direction every spaceship was heading toward. That was supposed to be the coordinates for the star path entrance, but the result of surveillance was... a flash of green light.

Yes, other than this green light, there was no cosmic entity or space or even products or creations that looked like the entrance to a star path. In a space far, far away, there was an endless slate of green light, and the light was so strong that the surveillance was only capable to pick up the light and nothing else.

"That’s the ruin? The star path is hidden behind this green light?"

In the third hour after the Hope fell out of warp drive, almost every important person had already gathered at the captain’s room. The emergency meeting was in full swing. There were also plenty of scientists present; they were discussing the implication of this green light.

From a scientific perspective, this kind of situation bordered on the impossible. Light needed a light source, like the sun and its rays, the light from a lightbulb. The source was either pure energy, fire, or radiation; there had to be a source that released the light.

However, this green light before them did not appear to have a source. Both light radar and electromagnetic radar scans came up with nothing. This was merely a pool of light and behind it was an empty space, there appeared to be no source. This was not some kind of light-emitting space gas either, it was simply light that was green in color.

From the 3D image compiled by the radar, an endless amount of spaceships were heading towards this green light, and when they reached it, their ships disappeared as if into thin air. As mentioned above, there was nothing beyond the green light, it was empty space.

This situation was beyond the basic comprehension of physics. Some scientists even suggested that this green light was probably some kind of teleport mechanism for a mid-tier space civilization. After entering the green light, they would be transported far away. This was similar to the star gate described by the space merchants, but if this was correct, this was a technology far superior to star gates.

Some scientists thought that the green light could be an alternative form of the creator’s particle which could conceal all information from any detection. If this was to be believed, it could explain why the Hope’s surveillance would not be able to pierce through the green light.

In any case, facing this situation, the Hope was still heading towards the green light following the major movement of the spaceship fleet. Using particle streams, the Hope’s speed was mediocre, not too slow or too fast. Based on calculations, the Hope would reach the green light in about three months.

"...For now, let us forget about the weird green light and focus on our original destination, the star path."

Yao Yuan addressed the roomful of people seriously, "The coordinates of the star path, after triangulating it with the solar system around us, is confirmed to be inside the green light. I do not care about whether the green light is the entrance of the ruin or not. On fact, I do not care about the ruin, I only wish to know how we are going to enter the star path!"

Blue 6, who was familiar with cosmic knowledge, was part of this meeting. This being his first time participating in such a high level secret meeting excited him greatly. After he heard Yao Yuan’s question, he answered rather hurriedly, "Could it be that the green light is the star path itself? After all, star paths are shrouded in mysteries. We know of their existence, but we have no idea what they are like in reality. What if this green light is the star path’s entrance?"

Someone questioned Blue 6’s hypothesis immediately. "Then what about the ruin? If this green light is the star path that could transfer something from one system into another, then where is the ruin that was supposed to be at the entrance? It disappeared?"

Blue 6 shrugged, signalling that he too had no answer to that. The room was silent, with the prospect of the ruin looming over them. Even the level 4 space civilizations were hypnotized by it... So it looked like this ruin was left behind by a powerful space civilization.

"...Then should we still head towards this green light?"

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