"The Abyss. This starship was once used to … explore the Gate of the Abyss!"
Sandora's expression was solemn and her words were resolute.
Maybe the impact of this news was too great that I couldn't react for a moment. I just subconsciously said "Oh." It wasn't until a few seconds later that I realized how exaggerated Sandora's words were. I immediately shouted, "Wait, it sailed inside the Gate of the Abyss?! You said that this thing sailed inside the Gate of the Abyss?! "
"That's the only possibility." Tawil quickly operated the holographic projection. He divided the scanned image of the spaceship wreckage on the screen into a few areas and kept zooming in until the details of these areas were clearly visible. "As a medium-sized starship, it has too many unnecessary defense equipment. These equipment are almost all designed for super conceptual damage. The so-called super conceptual damage refers to the effect of an attack that breaks away from any kind of tangible damage such as matter or energy. The effect of an invisible force that damages the target. The void, the abyss, the power of God, and many special powers that the emperors have all belong to the category of super conceptual damage. At present, the easiest example for you to understand is Matriarch Chen Qian's curse power. This is one of the most powerful super conceptual damage methods. The number of equipment that this starship has to defend against super conceptual damage is far more than necessary. Obviously, it was not prepared for battle … at least in theory. "
Tawil only came to the conclusion that this starship had been used to face the abyss from the perspective of theoretical reasoning. However, Sandora's conclusion was more firm and straightforward. "I feel that it is related to the abyss."
"It has an abyss reaction?!"
I was shocked and subconsciously wanted to get rid of the two pieces of wreckage. Of course, it was just a thought. According to Sandora and Tawil's current calmness, I knew that Sandora was talking about something else. It was just that the abyss was too dangerous. It could be said that it was our most dangerous enemy from the beginning until the foreseeable future. You couldn't help but feel nervous when you heard about it.
"It's not an abyss reaction." Sandora shook her head gently and then raised her slender white arm. In the next instant, black flames and thick smoke engulfed half of her body. One of the girl's hands turned into a huge black claw and the claw spewed dangerous abyss flames. She gestured at the two pieces of wreckage with her claw and then said in a low voice, "This is a very strange feeling. Tarver didn't detect any abyssal reaction from the wreckage, but the abyssal power in my body resonated with the wreckage, as if it had found a companion … I'm guessing that perhaps these two pieces of wreckage were just purified, and at some point in the past, this starship was definitely traveling in an environment filled with abyssal energy, and this voyage lasted for quite a long time. After being in contact with the abyssal environment for a long time, no matter how many defensive facilities we have, it's difficult to completely avoid being affected, to the point that it has now become a mutated substance that has an affinity for abyssal energy. Although from the data, every piece of metal is no different from ordinary interstellar alloy, I can feel its restlessness in the face of abyssal flames. "
"To be honest, I'm completely confused about this." Tawil looked at me guiltily. The bespectacled lady who was always full of confidence revealed a defeated expression for the first time. "Until now, the research institute has not been able to decipher what is going on with the mutation in Her Majesty Sandora's body. I can't analyze the scientific basis of Her Majesty Sandora's intuition about these two pieces of wreckage, but it should be accurate. Now, we can assume that this starship wreckage was designed to explore the Gate of the Abyss and successfully carried out a mission in the Gate of the Abyss for a period of time. In the end, it was destroyed for unknown reasons. It could be the effect of the abyss, or it could be destroyed by the flames of war. In theory, that's the case. "
After listening to Tawil's explanation, I turned my gaze to the huge metal wreckage floating in space. It looked lifeless. The silver-gray armor layer had been forcefully torn apart, revealing a deep tunnel and mechanical structure. It was no different from a normal spaceship wreckage. If it wasn't for Sandora's ability to use her mutated natural talent to sense the remnant aura of the abyss, perhaps no one would have thought that this thing had once sailed in the Gate of the Abyss. Of course, up until now, the conjecture about "sailing in the Gate of the Abyss" had not been proven. However, according to Tawil's theoretical deduction and Sandora's intuition, we might as well believe this theory. Then, perhaps this could explain why the Fallen Apostle Fleet had risked such a large number of casualties to snatch this primordial heritage. Even if we didn't know what this starship had researched in the past, it must have had a great significance.
"What exactly is the Gate of the Abyss? Is it those black spheres? "
I suddenly asked Sandora.
The Gate of the Abyss. We often mentioned this term. We had also seen the real Gate of the Abyss with our own eyes. However, there seemed to be no accurate description of the nature of this thing. In my memory, the Gate of the Abyss was a pitch-black sphere, like a black hole. It had absolutely smooth edges and a symmetrical shape. It wasn't a physical object, nor was it energy. It wasn't even a spatial phenomenon. All the known descriptions in the multiverse were unable to describe the Gate of the Abyss. Thus, the words "Gate of the Abyss" became its only description.
Sandora was the only person I knew who had personally entered the Gate of the Abyss and came out alive. Thus, I wanted to hear what she had seen with her own eyes.
"A black sphere?" Sandora shook her head. "It only looks like a sphere, but in reality, the Gate of the Abyss is a flat surface. It is a circular surface that is always at a ninety-degree angle from the observer's line of sight. To every observer, the Gate of the Abyss will appear at a different angle. Furthermore, it will change according to the external perspective. Thus, you will have the illusion that the Gate of the Abyss is a black sphere."
"Ah? That works? "
I felt that it was a little hard to imagine. It wasn't hard to understand that a circular surface would appear in space. It was like placing a piece of paper vertically in front of you. However, it was inconceivable that it would appear as a flat surface in front of any observer. If that was the case, then was there any difference between it and a sphere?
Hearing my doubts, Sandora explained, "To an observer, there is no difference. But to the world, a flat surface is a flat surface. Reality cannot be changed. An observer with a single perspective will never be able to tell whether the black shadow in front of them is a sphere or a flat surface. Unless you can stare at the Gate of the Abyss from all the dimensions of the world at the same time. Thus, in ancient times, the Empire had always thought that the Gate of the Abyss was similar to a black hole. "
"It appears to be facing each other from any perspective, but in essence, it is a flat surface." I could only accept this setting that wasn't easy to understand. "In other words, if there are countless observers, then the Gate of the Abyss will have countless fronts … Alright, let's not discuss this first. What is it like inside the Gate of the Abyss? Sandora, you've been in there before. Is it another space? "
"Inside the Gate of the Abyss …" Sandora revealed a look of reminiscence. Then, her expression became strange. "It can't be measured with common sense, and there are no suitable words to describe it. After entering the Gate of the Abyss, perhaps you will feel that you have arrived in a dark space. However, this' space 'is filled with a sense of disharmony. Matter is no longer matter, and energy is no longer energy. Everything that you know has properties that you don't recognize, including yourself. In the endless darkness, you can feel countless things. They are complex, flourishing, and constantly changing. It is as if you are walking on a bustling street with your eyes closed … Well, that is the only way I can describe it. That feeling is too strange. Inside the Gate of the Abyss, there is no passage of time. Or perhaps, time is passing, but you are unable to integrate into the time system of the Gate of the Abyss. As the only abnormal existence inside the Gate of the Abyss, the Gate of the Abyss will reject you. All sorts of strange illusions will begin to attack the invader, and there will be no end to them … Alright, that is all I can say. Back then, my situation was quite chaotic as well. Perhaps there are some deviations in my memory, but the inside of the Gate of the Abyss is indeed a disorderly 'space.' Physical things can enter, but exiting isn't so easy. "
Yet another pile of vague knowledge that gave me a headache. However, I knew that it wasn't that Sandora didn't want to explain more clearly. It was just that something like the Gate of the Abyss was impossible to understand using the concept of an orderly world. Apart from experiencing it personally, it was likely that nobody would be able to explain what that place was like. Of course, normal people wouldn't jump into the Gate of the Abyss for no reason.
Seven hundred thousand years ago, Visca and the Imperial Army had a fierce battle. After the battle, she seized the spaceship in front of us. However, it was impossible to determine whether the spaceship had been torn into two during the fierce battle, or whether it had already become like this a long time ago. The latter was also very likely. If this spaceship was an experimental specimen back then, then it might have been torn into two when it was dragged out of the Gate of the Abyss. What Visca snatched was someone else's specimen. As for the girl's motive for snatching a specimen, we didn't need to think about it. Seven hundred thousand years ago, Visca didn't need a motive for anything.
"At that time, the Old Empire hadn't been destroyed yet, and Project X should have been in progress. I didn't expect that someone would be using such a radical method to study the Gate of the Abyss at that time," Sandora whispered to herself as she looked at the wreckage of the spaceship. "Perhaps this research spaceship was also one of the many research projects of Project X."
"Speaking of which, I forgot to ask." I suddenly remembered something and said to Tawil, "Why haven't you dismantled the spaceship yet?"
Normally, according to the efficiency of the Empire's demolition team, such a research specimen would have been dismantled long ago. How could it still look the same as when it had just been dragged back?
Tawil seemed to have expected that I would ask this question. He immediately pulled out a scan of the spaceship that had a lot of key points marked on it and replied, "Your Majesty, we ran into trouble when we were dismantling the specimen. I'm afraid that these two sections of wreckage can't be cracked with simple brute force."
I roughly glanced at the scan of the spaceship. Although the complex structure was dizzying, I could almost see a set of nested energy systems. They extended from the reactor at the front of the spaceship to the place where the spaceship was cut in half. Then, the remaining energy pipes on the other section of the wreckage extended to a sealed cabin. It didn't extend all the way to the engine, which meant that the energy system wasn't the power part of the spaceship, but a huge independent device.
"There is a set of complex energy circuits in the wreckage that are used to provide additional power to its core research cabin. Currently, this circuit has been cut in half along with the disintegration of the spaceship. What's worse is that this system was probably charging before it was cut off. The circuit was filled with high concentration of psionic energy. The damage to the middle section of the spaceship caused the circuit to automatically activate safety measures. All the energy networks were blocked in sections to prevent the active energy inside from leaking to nearby sensitive equipment. Now that 700,000 years have passed, these safety locks have been damaged under the constant impact of the internal energy …"
"In other words …" I seemed to understand.
"In other words, we can't release the pressure on more than two thousand sections of the energy network that have been sealed in a safe manner." Tawil spread his hands. "Unless we can find the original blueprint of this spaceship and determine a safe passage, then send workers into the spaceship to release the pressure in the six main energy pipes. Otherwise, if we disassemble it rashly, it will most likely cause damage to the sensitive equipment in the research ship. After all, this is not a battleship, but a scientific research ship. Its most important equipment is all very fragile, especially the database. As long as that thing is destroyed, this wreckage will immediately become a pile of scrap metal. "
Then, Tawil explained the difference between disassembling a research ship and disassembling an ordinary battleship. I understood the problem that the technicians were facing now.
Disassembling a sophisticated scientific research ship was different from disassembling a large battleship because their most valuable parts were different. The valuable parts of the latter might be the weapon system, the armor, or the advanced shield generator. The most valuable parts of the former might be the fragile and sensitive database or various sensors. The degree of tolerance of the two to harsh environments was obviously different. The battleship wreckage that we had snatched had already experienced a major explosion. Most of the sensors inside it were probably destroyed. Even if there were some that were still intact, they were in a shaky state. To make matters worse, there was still a large amount of energy left in the two sections of the wreckage!
Ordinary spaceships wouldn't retain energy in such a fragmented situation, but this one was very special. The special mission of navigating through the Gates of the Abyss allowed it to continue operating in a fragmented situation. At the very least, its energy system could do this. Even though it had been cut in two and had been releasing energy for 700,000 years, the energy network of the wreckage still contained eighty percent of activated psionic energy. Right now, all the energy switches in the wreckage were offline. If we used conventional methods to disassemble it, it would easily cause the energy network to go berserk. It was like digging out a handful of sand from a shaky sand tower. If we didn't know where the balance point of the tower was, randomly touching an energy switch would cause a disaster.
Under the suppression of all kinds of energy restraints, the energy network might not completely destroy the wreckage, but the sensitive database and research equipment would definitely be destroyed.
"Do you have a specific plan?"
I saw that although Tawil didn't look well, he was only solemn and not hopeless. I couldn't help but ask.
"I have a plan, but … I'm afraid it will take some time." Tawil quickly adjusted the image on the holographic projection next to him. "I want to try the energy leeches. If we place a set of energy leeches on every energy node of the wreckage and activate them at the same time, we might be able to reduce the pressure on all the networks without destroying the energy balance of the wreckage. However, this will take time. The energy leeches will operate at the lowest output to ensure that the psionic energy network won't collapse and destroy other equipment. Also, setting up the energy leeches will take time, at least in theory."
"Let's do that for now. We don't have the blueprints for this thing from back then anyway." I nodded. Looking at Shadora's expression, she probably thought the same way. "No matter what, the Fallen Apostle has lost a main fleet. Plus, such a huge commotion has already attracted the attention of the Gods. They definitely won't make any big moves in a short period of time. We also need time to replenish our forces, so you have plenty of time."
Tawil saluted and said, "Your will!" Then, the holographic projection slowly dissipated into the air.
"You know, Ah Jun, I have a feeling." Sandora and I were the only ones left. She took the opportunity to lean into my embrace and intimately rubbed her face against my chin. "It seems that we are about to come into contact with a shocking truth … During the final period of the old Empire, there were too many sensational studies. Every project in Project X looks chilling now, but to build a research ship that can sail through the Gate of the Abyss … Even the Protoss didn't seem to be that crazy. I don't know who did it, but it definitely has something to do with the slumber of the Empire … This feeling is very strong, and the intuition of a Soul Snatcher has always been very accurate."
I agreed. Then, I suddenly had the urge to play a prank. So, I hugged Sandora's soft body from behind and kissed her earlobe gently.
At that moment, the girl in my embrace couldn't help but shiver. Then, she twisted her head and hit my chin fiercely. "What's the matter? So sudden."
I chuckled and said, "Nothing … I suddenly wanted to say that it has been hard on you all this while."
Sandora turned her head and her pretty face, which was inches away from mine, was filled with confusion. "Ah? Ah Jun, you suddenly became artistic again? "
When the two of us were alone, the aloof and cold Queen was actually just a slightly clingy and silly girl. In the past, I wasn't used to such mushy and sudden intimacy, so Sandora seemed to be at a loss as to what to do.
Maybe the long conversation with Icetis this morning made me think a lot. I felt the need to thank Sandora properly. I also told her about the conversation I had with Icetis this morning. It was about how a leader should fulfill his responsibilities and how I, as an Emperor, should stand out. I treated it as a chat with Sandora.
"Oh, a long conversation with Icetis." After listening to what I said, Sandora didn't pay much attention to the 'Leader Theory'. Instead, she revealed a subtle smile. "Most of what she said makes sense. Ah Jun, you really aren't suited to handle everything personally. You should be a leader like a navigation light. However … Actually, that fellow didn't tell you the truth."
I replied, "Ah?"
"It's about the Gods usually ignoring the prayers from the mortal world. In reality, with the special talents of the Protoss race, it doesn't take much effort to deal with those prayers. Even Jingle has the ability to do so."
I felt that my feelings were being cheated by a certain female pervert …
"Icetis doesn't like to deal with the prayers from the mortal world because those things always sound like complaints. That's the truth."
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