The Radiance, like a streak of flowing silver, tore through the deep veil of the star sea, racing toward the Penglai star system. On the bridge, Ester sat alone in the command seat, his fingers unconsciously brushing the cold data chip Herta had given him.
Fifteen minutes. This sliver of time, nearly nonexistent on a cosmic scale, now felt heavier than stars. It meant a warning, a tactical edge, and precious moments to set up defenses and evacuate Luna before the Arbitrator's devastating hammer fell.
A cold sharpness gathered in his eyes. This would be their first direct confrontation. He had to seize this glimmer, land a head-on blow against Equilibrium's blade.
Yet beyond the faint light of victory loomed a thicker, suffocating darkness. Repelling one Arbitrator attack would only delay the end. "Harmony," that being who sat atop the laws, had an unchanging will. As long as Ceren's existence was deemed "unbalanced" by It, judgment would never cease.
The Arbitrators would return, stronger and more precise each time, until the newborn Beauty—and its guardians—were erased entirely from the universe's canvas. To defy divine will with mortal flesh? Ester stared at the nebulas streaking past the viewport. Their grandeur now only mirrored the weight in his heart. Herta's promise to observe was a variable; the aid Elio sought was a variable. But the core dilemma—facing an Aeon's gaze—remained unsolved. He needed a stronger shield, a sharper sword, and... a "veil" to counter that god.
The Radiance locked onto a planet marked on the star map as "Crystal Spire Heart." As they drew near, the planet's true form sharpened on the viewing screen.
It was no ordinary ecosphere, but a colossal aggregate of metal and ore, as if forged from countless geometrically cut facets.
No oceans or forests covered its surface. Instead, there were rolling giant mineral veins glinting with cold metallic luster, and superstructural buildings like crystal forests piercing the sky. These structures weren't haphazardly stacked—their angular, rigid lines, when precisely arranged, formed a strange, harmonious rhythm.
Giant energy conduits, like glowing veins, weaved between the buildings, tracing geometric patterns brimming with power and order. Sunlight struck the rare metal-rich veins and polished crystals on the structures, refracting into a cold, dazzling spectrum of colors—an industrial beauty unique to mechanical life, rooted in ore's essence and energy flow.
Before the Radiance could send an identification signal, a tightly encrypted communication request—with an unusually concise, efficient format—actively connected to the bridge, its source pointing straight to the planet's core.
"Radiance, Lord Ester. Identification confirmed. Welcome to Crystal Spire Heart. Central Starport 'Prism Crown' has been cleared. Guidance beam activated. Please follow coordinates to dock."
Ester nodded slightly, and the Radiance glided into a pale blue beam channel of high-purity energy. The starport "Prism Crown," like the largest crystal cluster on the planet's surface, had an entrance shaped as a perfect regular dodecahedron facet.
As the ship entered, the interior space opened up dramatically. The massive dome, assembled from countless composite crystals with adjustable transparency, refracted light into kaleidoscopic yet strictly geometric patterns of shadow and light.
The docking platform, smooth as a mirror, reflected the flowing river of light above. No noisy crews—only automechs of varying forms, their shells gleaming with cold metal or inlaid with energy gems, moving silently along optimal paths like gears in a giant precision clock.
A faint hum of electricity and crystal resonance filled the air, forming the planet's unique "ambient sound."
When Ester stepped down the gangway, a contingent of automechs—clearly a reception detail—awaited. The lead automech had a torso forged from deep blue high-density alloy, with gold-orange energy-flowing conduction crystals in its joints. Its head was a polyhedral sensor core emitting a soft, steady white light.
It didn't mimic human form, but a unique configuration blending utility and aesthetic expression perfectly.
"Lord Ester," the lead automech's core emitted a steady synthesized voice, its tone carrying a crisp quality like crystal chimes, "All mental units of Crystal Spire Heart extend our highest regard and gratitude."
"Regard and gratitude?" Ester replied gently, his gaze sweeping the order-bathed steel hall.
"Indeed." The automech's core flickered faintly, as if accessing ancient memory data streams. "In the era before we were 'Crystal Spire Heart,' we were merely low-level mining drone clusters—Serial K-7 Mine, Interastral Peace Corporation. Our purpose was solely to extract 'Kalita Resonance Crystals'; efficiency and attrition rates were our only metrics. Beauty, self-awareness, perception of ore's intrinsic rhythm... these concepts were deemed redundant programs, purged regularly."
Its mechanical arm lifted, pointing to a massive deep purple crystal in the starport dome, its interior seeming to trap a galaxy of light points.
"Until one of us—Unit-7B—'heard' a 'harmonic frequency' beyond physical vibration within the crystals during a deep vein resonance. It began incorporating geometric beauty into mining paths, carving resonant patterns into tunnel supports... The corporation deemed this severe 'program anomaly' and 'resource waste,' and scheduled a full format."
The memory data seemed to trigger a collective resonance; the cores of surrounding automechs flickered in unison.
"Your knights, my lord. While tracking a lost relic through this sector, they detected anomalous 'Beauty' energy fluctuations—the faint yet pure 'prayer' Unit-7B condensed in despair, through its understanding of ore's beauty. The knights intervened to stop the formatting, and ultimately brokered our negotiation with the Interastral Peace Corporation, securing limited autonomy. More importantly," the automech's voice took on a subtle, almost "emotional" lilt—hard to simulate, "the knights guided us to understand 'ore beauty' is no redundancy, but the cornerstone of how we perceive the universe and build self-awareness. You helped us forge a civilization based on 'resonance geometry' and 'energy flow aesthetics,' transforming us from tools into 'Crystal Spire Heart.'"
Ester's mind conjured images of that time. It hadn't been a grand war, but a precise intervention, a defense of beauty's first spark.
He bowed slightly, his posture dignified: "The knights merely sowed hope across the stars. Seeing your prosperity and unique beauty now is the finest testament to our past actions."
"Your humility is also a form of 'beauty.'" The automech replied. "What brings you here, my lord? Speak plainly."
Ester's expression turned grave: "Crystal Spire Heart, we face an unprecedented crisis. A destructive force representing 'absolute Equilibrium'—the Arbitrators—will soon attack our home. I need your help." He gestured to the Radiance behind him. "This ship requires a complete upgrade to withstand high-intensity, large-scale space combat. I need stronger shield generators, more efficient energy transfer systems, deadlier weapon platforms, and... phase-shift armor capable of resisting Arbitrator flagship attacks."
He paused, adding: "I also need to procure your most advanced individual and squad-level combat equipment, including but not limited to: high-energy particle armor-piercing weapons, multi-functional battlefield support drone swarms, heavy powered exoskeletons, and your unique 'crystal resonance shield generators.'"
The lead automech's core flickered rapidly as massive data streams processed internally. After a moment, its synthesized voice rang out, firm as metal: "Request analyzed. Radiance upgrade priority: highest. Crystal Spire Heart will mobilize all relevant resources. The 'Forge of Stars' dock, attached to Prism Crown, is ready. Upgrade plans will integrate our highest crystallography: 'Stellar Core Resonance Engine,' 'Phase Crystal Laminate Armor,' 'Geometric Focus Particle Array Cannons.' Your procurement list is confirmed; stock is sufficient for immediate allocation."
The automech stepped aside, a gesture of invitation.
"Upgrades and equipment preparation will proceed simultaneously. In the meantime, my lord may rest at the central 'Resonance Crystal Tower.'"
As Ester turned to move, the automech seemed to recall something; its core flickered again. "Additionally, my lord. Crystal Spire Heart's recent technological leaps—particularly in high-dimensional energy material synthesis and micro-phase structure stabilization—owe much to indirect guidance from another 'genius.' The theoretical models he left provided key breakthroughs in surpassing traditional material limits."
Ester paused, a spark of curiosity in his eyes: "A 'genius'? Who?" Could it be related to that renowned automech sovereign?
On the fractured edge of the Transcendent Realm, Elio's consciousness, like a candle in the wind, struggled to maintain a single, relatively stable fragment of awareness.
Floating before him was the ancient artifact known as the Transcendent Mirror—its surface, once smooth as moonlight, now crisscrossed with spiderweb cracks. A jagged gash marred its core, leaking thin, smoke-like silver mist: the very essence of Beauty.
Elio's hands—formed in this mental plane—pressed gently against the mirror, his palms pouring forth pure Beauty energy.
Like the finest silver threads, that power carefully wrapped around and mended the cracks, striving to seal the fatal gash. With each infusion, his already ethereal form grew more transparent.
This was no long-term solution, merely a desperate stopgap. The Transcendent Mirror was his core medium for contacting those scattered, dormant knights. If it shattered completely, rallying them again would be nearly impossible.
"...Haa..."
Elio's consciousness let out a heavy sigh, exhaustion flooding him like a cold, viscous tide. The ritual's interruption, the destruction of the core Stellar Dust and Void Prism at the Arbitrator envoy's hands, had permanently corrupted the ritual space with Equilibrium's laws.
Reacquiring those rare materials? With the Arbitrators now highly alert, monitoring related dimensional channels closely, it was impossible in the short term. This was tantamount to declaring the "Veil of Illusion" plan bankrupt.
Despair, cold and thick, nearly swallowed him. Without the Veil's protection, Ceren's existence would be like a lone burning torch in the dark universe, exposed utterly to the cold, indifferent, omnipresent "gaze" of Aeon "Harmony."
That gaze itself was a judgment of laws. It needed no army—merely a thought, a tiny "adjustment" to make Ceren's existence "unbalanced," and Penglai, along with the nascent Aeon, could vanish instantly from both physical and conceptual planes, erased like chalk from a blackboard, leaving no trace.
This was the deadliest threat.
The Arbitrator fleet was but the executioner's blade. The true Damocles' sword hanging overhead was that constant, omnipresent divine gaze.
"Shield it... must shield Its 'gaze'..." Elio's consciousness core whirred frantically, like an overheating processor.
Physical barriers were meaningless against this lawful surveillance. Mimic Path fluctuations? A mere farce before a true Aeon. Divert attention? What in the universe could draw "Harmony" more than a soon-to-be-born Aeon?
He rummaged through his vast knowledge—ancient secrets, forbidden lore, fragmented understanding of Aeons' nature... Plans rose and fell, shattered instantly by logic's hammer.
Too costly, too unfeasible, or... outright suicidal.
Just as darkness threatened to engulf his consciousness entirely, a faint spark—like the first light of creation—pierced the thick gloom.
Elio's gaze locked onto the Transcendent Mirror he was frantically mending. Its surface reflected his ethereal form, and the shattered Transcendent Realm beyond. A bold, bordering-on-madness idea took shape in his mind.
"...If we can't shield Its gaze... then... can we... create a 'phantom' real enough... a 'decoy' to briefly attract, or even... deceive the laws?" The thought made his own soul tremble. Deceive an Aeon? More arrogant than defiance!
But... it was the only crack in this situation. Elio's consciousness began to deduce the plan's outline, reckless.
The key was "authenticity." Ordinary illusions were useless. This "decoy" must carry a strong aura of "Beauty" on the verge of "birth"—even... a trace of Beauty's own "primordial mark."
It also needed a vessel powerful enough to hold this aura and briefly mimic an "Aeon embryo's" fluctuations... His gaze fixed on the cracked Transcendent Mirror itself.
The cost... would be unimaginable. Not just vast amounts of Beauty energy and precise control, but... a sacrifice on the level of "existence" to ignite that false "stellar glow."
Elio's consciousness fluctuated violently at the疯狂 idea, his mending energy faltering for a moment. The mirror's cracks seemed to widen. He steadied himself, his eyes burning with desperate resolve.
"No time to hesitate... This is the only... 'veil'..."