Blazkowicz put on his gauntlets. Although he didn't feel uncomfortable in the vacuum, wearing armor was still a safeguard.
They sprinted at a ninety-degree angle on the Sky Pillar. The further they got from Argent Nur's gravitational environment, the faster they became.
To prevent accidents, Blazkowicz connected Harlan with a thin fiber rope, to avoid them losing their footing in the cosmic environment.
Master and servant ran on the orbit. To speed up, Blazkowicz sometimes carried Harlan forward.
In the zero-gravity environment, Blazkowicz was like an accelerating meteor, moving rapidly along the orbit.
"We're almost at the defense platform," Harlan said, held by Blazkowicz, as he reviewed data on outer space.
At twenty thousand kilometers on the Sky Pillar, far from the planetary defense system, there were numerous automated defense platforms.
"I see them."
Blazkowicz had already seen the faint glow of equipment outline lights flickering against the dark cosmic background.
"Can we avoid them?" he asked in a low voice, stepping onto the outer wall of the Sky Pillar, temporarily stopping.
"I'm afraid not," Harlan shook his head, raising his hand to show Blazkowicz ancient records: "Automated defense platforms are distributed along the entire Sky Pillar, between twenty thousand and thirty thousand kilometers, with no blind spots for attack."
Blazkowicz lowered his head in thought. A ten-thousand-kilometer journey was a death road covered in firepower.
As long as they got through here, it would be a success.
The Nur Ring was silent, and the ring's defensive firepower was also offline, so there was no problem there.
"I have a method," Harlan, seeing Blazkowicz preparing to charge through, offered a suggestion for his consideration: "We can use weapons to dig a hole in the wall and bypass the automated fire platforms from inside the Sky Pillar."
"No," Blazkowicz thought for a moment, then shook his head, rejecting the proposal.
Entering the Sky Pillar would mean returning to a gravitational environment, greatly reducing their speed, and the danger would be just as great.
A one-kilometer-thick alloy wall would be no easy feat to excavate.
"We'll just charge through!"
Seeing his mind was made up, Harlan said no more and silently activated his defense system.
Blazkowicz grabbed Harlan and no longer jumped forward, but used his magnetic boots to gain mobility by staying grounded.
He shut off the internal assist of his power armor. With his full power unleashed, the system couldn't keep up with Blazkowicz's speed and would even be counterproductive.
"Go!"
Blazkowicz let out a low growl and shot out like a bolt of lightning.
In the zero-gravity environment, his body, which ran at supersonic speeds in the planet's atmosphere, burst forth with incredible speed!
Three thousand meters per second! And it was still increasing.
Harlan, looking at the real-time speed displayed on his helmet, was numb. Fortunately, they were in space, otherwise he would now be a pile of rotten flesh inside his armor.
Blazkowicz carried Harlan, constantly accelerating and evading.
This was not his limit; it was the limit of the magnetic boot's circuit breaker. Any faster and the circuit breaker would malfunction, causing rapid wear on the power armor.
The automated defense platforms suspended in the void quickly scanned and detected the intruders, emitting a red glow.
Lasers, solid projectiles, plasma. Various types of firepower poured down, forming a colorful net of fire in the silent vacuum. Blazkowicz moved through it, his body instinctively giving him warnings. His brain worked at high speed, finding loopholes in the net of fire.
He was like an incredibly slippery fish, immediately stopping and changing direction before being locked on, heading to the next safe spot.
Harlan tensed his body, watching lasers graze his armor and feeling the high temperature of plasma penetrate the armor.
If he had tried to break through himself, he would probably have died eight hundred times over.
He steadied his breathing, not daring to disturb Blazkowicz's thoughts, rigid like a corpse.
"Don't be nervous!" Blazkowicz, however, had relaxed. After mastering the weapon's firing patterns, his slippery movements were effortless.
"How can you expect me not to be nervous?"
Harlan's voice was stiff, and he dared not move. The trajectories of projectiles were inches away in his goggles, and the alarm blared incessantly.
He couldn't imagine how Blazkowicz could maintain such composure while carrying him during prolonged, high-intensity evasion.
In tense silence, Harlan spent two hours before being carried out of the automated defense platform's fire net.
"We need to rest for a bit."
A voice came through the communicator, and Harlan's tense heart somewhat calmed. So Blazkowicz got tired too?
But the next sentence made his mouth twitch.
Blazkowicz lifted his foot; the bottom of his combat boot was red, radiating heat: "Let's walk a bit slower and wait for the magnetic boots to cool down."
The magnetic boot's circuit breaker had reached its limit, switching on and off hundreds of times per second.
The heat inside the armor had reached its peak, and the cooling system was overwhelmed, needing time to cool down.
The two waited for their equipment to cool, then accelerated forward with large leaps, their speed undiminished, even increasing.
They gradually approached the ring, and gravity began to reverse, pulling them downwards.
"Nur Ring! I'm here!"
Harlan roared with excitement. His body accelerated under the influence of gravity, which only made him more exhilarated.
"We're going over there!" Blazkowicz pointed to one side, where there was a large oasis, the ecological zone of the ring.
Both tensed their bodies, preparing for the impact of the ring's still-active shield, but there was no anomaly.
"Why?" Harlan asked in confusion, as his body met no obstruction.
Blazkowicz drew the sword from his waist, lit the blade, and shot upwards. The dimensional cutting beam hit the translucent dimensional shield and immediately disappeared.
"Only entry, no exit!" Harlan's face sank. He immediately realized that something was wrong with the Nur Ring.
"Prepare to decelerate!"
"Understood!"
Harlan braced his Darklight, plunging it into the wall. The weapon's sharpness adjusted to his will, using friction to reduce his speed.
Blazkowicz held onto the wall with one hand. When they were at a suitable height, he aimed at a spot and leaped.
His figure crashed to the ground, finally stepping onto the Nur Ring.
Looking up, the buildings on the ring's surface showed no signs of life. The highly automated, gigantic factories of the ring were silent and dim.
"What happened here?"
Harlan held his spear, on alert. He no longer felt the joy of stepping onto the ring, his eyes filled only with confusion.
"We're going that way," Blazkowicz opened the map and pointed to the south of the ring, where there was an oasis, directly on the way to the main control room.
They could resupply along the way and check the area around the oasis for survivors.
The Nur Ring once housed a considerable population; it couldn't have disappeared without a trace.
"I never imagined it would be like this."
Harlan shook his head in disappointment, walking through the geometric buildings. The wide steel streets were filled only with wind and dead silence. He cursed angrily, "Were they all killed by machines?"
They walked for hundreds of kilometers, passing through various areas, seeing neither people nor machines along the way.
Blazkowicz shook his head, disagreeing with Harlan's guess. There were no signs of battle on the ring, and the disappearance of the personnel didn't look like a massacre.
"Follow me!" As they approached the oasis, the view opened up. Blazkowicz called out and hurried forward.
Harlan's eyes lit up, knowing Blazkowicz must have discovered something. He was tall, and his eyesight was also astonishing.
By the lake in the oasis, Blazkowicz found a square-shaped plantation and indeed saw traces of human activity.
Harlan grabbed a handful of plants. The golden-yellow crops had full grains. He said with a surprised look, "High-energy wheat!"
He picked up his Darklight, cautiously looking around, searching for the owner of the wheat.
Now, Harlan was unsure whether the residents of the ring, after thousands of years of separation, were friends or foes.
"Come out!" Blazkowicz faced the buildings at the edge of the oasis, speaking in a low, clear voice that conveyed both authority and basic friendliness.
Harlan immediately looked over. At Blazkowicz's command, several humans emerged from the shadow of a building. They appeared to be a family.
They were in tears, kneeling on the ground and approaching on their knees, continuously shouting, "Noble Overlord! You have finally arrived!"
Blazkowicz and Harlan exchanged glances, both with a hint of joy in their eyes.
In ancient times, the Argent Nur Golden Men were the noble "Overlords"; the ring's residents worked for them and accepted their leadership.
Clearly, Blazkowicz's tall stature led the ring's residents to believe he was an Overlord.
Blazkowicz walked forward and helped up the prostrating people, noticing that they were poorly dressed and emaciated, seemingly having lived a difficult life.
Blazkowicz knelt before them, adjusting his language to be as gentle as possible, while also showing authority and friendliness, and softly asked, "What happened here?"
"The main control AI sealed Argent Nur and sealed the ring's passages," the leader said, emotional and somewhat stammering, as if he hadn't communicated in a long time: "We were locked on the surface, awaiting slow extinction."
"Are all the people dead?"
Blazkowicz took off his helmet, frowning, dissatisfied with this outcome, and asked a series of questions: "Is it just you left?"
"Where did the Iron Men go?"
"Are there still Iron Men?"
"Are there any intelligent machines left?"
"S-s-s-sir." The leading middle-aged man was very nervous, gesturing wildly but unable to speak for a long time.
Blazkowicz pressed his hand down, signaling them to speak slowly.
He understood the excitement and nervousness of these commoners; they had lived alone for too long, and being able to communicate verbally was already a great effort for them.
"Only us!" The thin middle-aged man swallowed hard and replied, then pointed into the distance: "After the ring was sealed, the Iron Men took the others and left!"
"Take us to see!"
Blazkowicz gestured for them to lead the way, and the group moved quickly, arriving at a messy square surrounded by buildings.
The steel structure of the square was damaged, and from the excavated hole, lines pulled from underground connected to a shield generator, sealing the pit.
Blazkowicz stood by the pit, observing it, and found that the edges were rough; it had been entirely dug by hand.
The steel pit was very deep. Blazkowicz looked intently and saw that at the end of the pit was the boundless starry sky.
Seeing this, Blazkowicz understood. It must have been the Iron Men who, after the ring was completely sealed, pieced together simple tools to dig through the ring and took the residents away in spaceships.
"...Are you going to the main control room?"
The man bravely asked, his slightly red eyes filled with the most sincere respect and anticipation as he looked at Blazkowicz.
"Take us there." Blazkowicz nodded, signaling him to lead the way: "We came for it."
"Please follow me, I know the way best here!"
The middle-aged man led his entire family, old and young, in front, even telling his children stories of the Overlord's past.
"It seems the truth is not simple." Harlan walked alongside Blazkowicz, making a gesture with his left hand to communicate in sign language with Blazkowicz. "The main control room has the answers we seek." Blazkowicz responded with sign language, "You be careful," though there was no suspicion of lying, he didn't fully trust the ring residents.
The group walked quickly, and Blazkowicz recalled the route; it was indeed the fastest way.
During the journey, Blazkowicz probed through conversation and learned about the family.
Their ancestors were unwilling to leave, choosing to stay in the ring, awaiting the Overlord's arrival.
"Hiss~"
After turning a corner, the sight before them made Harlan gasp.
Outside the trapezoidal fortress-like control center, there were traces of fierce battles everywhere.
Destroyed war machines were scattered all over, with Iron Man from different factions fighting and dying in each other's embrace.
Their mechanical remains still exuded killing intent, vowing to kill their opponents and protect their respective masters.
"Iron Man fighting Iron Man." The middle-aged man shrank his head, his voice filled with fear: "We didn't dare touch them, afraid they were only temporarily disconnected, not completely dead."
"Terrifying." Harlan shook his head in awe; he had indeed heard of the Iron Man's power, and today he finally had a concrete impression.
The few of them had to be very careful, avoiding touching the Iron Man and activating them.
Blazkowicz, however, was not afraid; instead, he marveled at the wonder of these Iron Man creations, observing their structure.
Battle scenes were everywhere along the way, with countless Iron Man and Iron Men dying in combat.
There were even many tall skeletons, the remains of ancient Golden Men.
"It's here, sir."
He stood respectfully at the entrance, bowing and making a "please" gesture, humbly saying: "I have never been inside here; only the Iron Men and the Overlord could enter."
A hint of surprise flashed in Blazkowicz's eyes; this person had not lied, he had always upheld the rules.
The main control room's security had long been damaged, and there was no obstruction to entering, yet he had truly never gone inside.
"Thank you for your vigilance."
Blazkowicz sighed, then led Harlan inside, preparing to uncover the truth of what happened back then.
The main control room was particularly spacious, with a floor made of grid-like metal plates, and rooms and doors with straight geometric lines, full of a sense of technology.
There were Iron Man corpses in the main control room, as well as withered Golden Men mummies, who had fallen against the walls, their body language expressing shock.
There weren't many traces of battle, Blazkowicz concluded after observing the remaining combat marks.
The enemy had briefly gained the upper hand after the battle, but was quickly driven out by the guardians.
In the center was a huge circular void, and through the transparent glass next to the void, a giant sphere could be seen, placed at the bottom of the void.
"Truly magnificent." Harlan looked around, marveling at the miraculous creations of their ancestors: "That below must be the intelligent core."
Blazkowicz and Harlan came to the columnar control console, the only glowing object in the control room, with flowing blue strip-like halos.
Next to the central console was a stone tablet with a message written on it:
"It is loyal. Only the Overlord's bloodline can restart the intelligent core, but unfortunately, in the attack by traitors, we lost all of the Overlord's bloodline."
A Stone Man, Musala, seemed to have explained that the Nur Ring was attacked by traitors and sealed, and all those with authority died.
It also dispelled the concerns of later comers, as the intelligent core was loyal to humanity.
Blazkowicz and Harlan exchanged glances, feeling somewhat incredible.
"You come, it requires the Golden Men bloodline." Blazkowicz told Harlan to come forward and activate the intelligent core to know the full truth.
"No one is purer than me!" Harlan said smugly, taking off his gauntlet and placing his palm on the control panel, ready to activate the artificial intelligence.
Sensing the operator, the control panel ejected a needle, piercing Harlan's right hand and drawing a vial of red blood.
A blue holographic projection then lit up, continuously detecting Harlan's genetic sequence and displaying various green commands that passed the detection.
"Just watch."
His smug expression: Even if Blazkowicz was powerful, activating the intelligent core still had to be him!
"Beep~ Beep~"
"Gene does not meet requirements!"
The holographic projection displayed a red clause; all of Harlan's genetic sequences passed, but the last item, "Ascension Gene," did not.
"Damn it!"
Harlan's expression changed, and Blazkowicz's face also darkened; activating the intelligent core seemed simple, but in fact, it was not easy at all.
It required the "Ascension Gene" of a perfect Golden Men.
The Nuer people had severely degenerated; the gene that "ascended" humans to Golden Men had, with the passage of time, disappeared from the genetic sequence.
At this point, where could one find a perfect Golden Men?
Without activating the intelligent core, Nuer would forever have no way out, trapped and slowly dying on the surface.
"You try it."
Harlan turned to Blazkowicz and said, with a last glimmer of hope.
He also knew that Blazkowicz could not be a Golden Men, he just wanted a reason to give up.
Blazkowicz's face was grim. He walked to the control panel, placed his large palm on it, and made his last attempt.
The control panel again ejected a needle, piercing several times, but it couldn't break Blazkowicz's skin.
"Damn it!" Even the usually composed Blazkowicz felt a bit irritable in the face of such a huge disappointment.
When Blazkowicz controlled his skin to soften, his palm was immediately pierced.
The holographic projection lit up again, various data continuously scrolling and displaying the components in the genetic sequence.
"Beep~ Beep~ Beep~"
The holographic images made the expressions of both master and servant even uglier.
Harlan's genes only had the last item stuck, while Blazkowicz's genetic sequence had multiple non-conforming conditions.
"Alas~" The light of hope faded from Harlan's eyes as he sat on the body of an Iron Man, sighing repeatedly: "A wasted trip."
His broad shoulders completely slumped in the face of this result.
The Nuer people had fought for thousands of years, only to arrive too late, so late that the intelligent core no longer recognized them.
Harlan looked decades older; the moment his lifelong dream shattered, he lost the goal he had fought for.
Blazkowicz walked up to him, placing a hand on his shoulder, preparing to comfort Harlan.
"Ding~"
A unique alert sound made them both jolt, looking towards the control panel.
The Ascension Gene indeed did not pass, but there was another test below, which Blazkowicz passed.
Those three tests had a "hidden" prefix:
"Gene Origin - Primitive Human."
"Genetic Modification - Not Present."
"Genetic Mutation - Not Present."
Harlan looked at the information on the control panel, then turned to look at Blazkowicz, scrutinizing him carefully, and couldn't help but wonder: a five-meter-tall muscular man is a primitive human?
Blazkowicz himself didn't know how he, who was clearly a created being, became a "primitive human."
Blazkowicz indeed didn't know that when he merged with the Blazkowicz spirit and was born into the real universe, his bloodline and soul had been altered.
His genes were sublimated by the concept carried by his soul, his potential even surpassing that of the Emperor.
"Confirmed as a naturally evolved individual with facility-level authority!"
A synthesized mechanical voice came from the empty space. Harlan jumped off the Iron Man's remains, his face full of excitement, tapping Blazkowicz's leg armor: "You really are!"
Blazkowicz was a bit bewildered, but more than that, he was happy that Nuer had finally broken free from its cage.
"It's truly a turn for the better!"
As the mechanical synthesized voice ended, the control panel's pillar retracted underground, and a blue stream of light slowly illuminated, flowing into the spherical core of wisdom. "Restarting the core of wisdom, system self-check in progress, please wait!"
Endless radiance flowed.
The spherical core of wisdom gradually lit up, its data stream almost materializing, following the light flow throughout the entire Nur Ring.
Blazkowicz and Harlan felt the ground vibrating, sensing the mechanical construct beneath their feet slowly awakening from its slumber.
That slight tremor, along the four Sky Pillars, spread to the surface of Argent Nur.
"My Lord! They succeeded!"
The Throne Guard was emotional, informing Vlaro of the wondrous sight in the sky, the Nur Ring reappearing in its former glory.
"I know, I know."
Vlaro sat in his chair, responding slowly to the guard with a gentle smile, yet his fists under the table were white-knuckled.
The residents of Argent Nur all looked up into space, as a blue light band, like water, spread across the entire ring, which had been silent for thousands of years.
They embraced and cheered, their cage of thousands of years shattered.
Inside the control hall, everything had changed.
The grid-like floor glowed with a halo, and within the spacious hall, a magnificent holographic blueprint was projected, like an ocean of data.
"Did you awaken me?"
Data and halo formed a blue light figure in an elegant long dress. She was the light of wisdom born from data and code, a data life form beyond artificial intelligence.
She glowed blue, with wavy hair, a delicate yet simple face, and her hands clasped over her abdomen, exuding a rational and mature charm.
"Sophia greets you."
She walked in front of Blazkowicz, her slender body bowing slightly, lifting her skirt with her calves slightly apart, performing an elegant gesture: "Primitive human."
Blazkowicz looked down at her, a soul composed of numbers, yet her words and actions were no different from a human's, life and wisdom bestowed by humanity.
"And greetings to you, and my deepest apologies."
Sophia turned to Harlan, her blue light figure bowing very low, her clear and rational voice filled with apology: "I now know the history, that you were imprisoned on the surface by me, suffering the torments of survival."
Harlan stared at her, an apology from a digital life form, but he didn't know how to respond.
"Why did you seal the Nur Ring?"
Blazkowicz stood in front of Harlan, letting the Champion Swordsman take a moment, and asked Sophia: "It seems you didn't seal it actively."
"Yes, My Lord. You have the right to know the truth, to know everything."
Sophia's bare feet lightly touched the glowing grid floor, replaying everything that had happened that year.
The intelligent machines had always been loyal to humanity, it was just that the objects of their loyalty changed.
During humanity's most glorious period, the Warp's waves gradually surged, accompanied by a sharp increase in the number of psychics among humans.
The psychics' mysterious and unpredictable abilities quickly gained popularity, gradually gaining social discourse power and becoming a new privileged class.
They propagated that psychic power was the future, that only by embracing the Warp and fully embracing psychic power could humanity evolve to its ultimate form, perhaps even becoming "gods"!
Seeing this, Blazkowicz narrowed his eyes.
Connecting with the Warp would only lead to disaster.
The psychics had not realized the danger of the Warp; their fanaticism had reached an extreme, viewing all dissent as hostile.
They corrupted half of the intelligent machines with psychic power, assembling a vast number of miniature empires.
They launched a great purge, vowing to eliminate all dissenters, exterminate humans who believed in technological supremacy, and purify the "inferior people" without psychic abilities.
Conflicts escalated, from simple ideological clashes to a life-and-death struggle for survival.
The Golden Men led the Iron Men, and the remaining loyal intelligent machines, to counterattack the psychics.
Argent Nur, as a technological pioneer, a firm believer in "genetic evolution," naturally could not stay out of it.
It led a vast army of Iron Man to participate in the war, using its advanced fleet to severely strike the psychics' army.
Not only that, Argent Nur also used powerful memetic weapons, causing human populations to subconsciously reject psychics.
While shining brilliantly in the war, retaliatory strikes came quickly.
A fleet commander named "Valen" was corrupted and betrayed the Nul Stars.
A large number of enemy forces were hidden in the returning warships. Valen placed a large number of psychic beacons in the Nur Ring and teleported an Iron Man unit,
boarding the Nur Ring.
Before the garrison could react, they broke into the control room and injected a silicon-based virus into the control core.
Sophia, as a digital life form, could not be killed by a virus targeting artificial intelligence, but fell into a state of suspended animation.
Before she fell asleep, the Nur Ring's underlying logic was triggered, and all passages were sealed.
Due to the underlying logic of protection, Argent Nur's entry and exit shields were locked down, completely isolating it from the outside world.
Originally, it only required a simple activation of the intelligent core to deactivate the ring's shield, but because all the Golden Men on the ring were annihilated and the Golden Men on the surface could not ascend, it remained sealed for a long time.
As for the world outside Argent Nur, Sophia did not know, as she had long since fallen into slumber.
Blazkowicz finished watching the entire process, an answer formed in his mind, and at the same time, he hated the Warp even more.
Every tragedy in the universe, or other major events, inevitably had the shadow of the Warp behind them.
It was a tumor attached to the real universe, constantly devouring the souls of intelligent beings and destroying healthy civilizations one by one.
"I was forced to seal it, not actively sealed it."
"This is a tragedy." Sophia's perfect face also showed regret, and a deep sense of self-reproach: "And I bear an inescapable responsibility."
Having learned the full truth, Harlan remained silent for a long time, only looking down at the ground.
A shameful act of betrayal and a surprise attack had plunged Argent Nur into silence, missing thousands of years of time.
"What about the other worlds? Why was there no rescue?" "I cannot contact the intelligent machines of other worlds now."
Blazkowicz was more concerned with the bigger picture; the Nul Stars had 64 major worlds, so why had there been no reaction?
"I'm afraid the outlook is grim. In retaliation for Argent Nur's memetic weapons, the psychics deployed a silicon-based virus into the Argent Nur stellar region, intending to exterminate all artificial intelligence."
Sophia closed her eyes, seemingly sensing something: "I cannot sense the intelligent machines of other worlds now."
Blazkowicz nodded heavily; he knew that the Nul Stars were highly intelligent worlds, and many worlds faced collapse even without intelligent machines.
"Sophia."
Blazkowicz looked at the digital life form, calling her name.
"My Lord, what are your commands?" Sophia looked up at the five-meter-tall man before her, analyzing the solemnity in his voice.
"Are you willing to pledge your loyalty to humanity again now?"
Blazkowicz's eyes glowed fiercely, as if to pierce through the digital life form.
"I was born from the sea of data, and my Creators were the Golden Men; they demanded my loyalty to them." Sophia humanely showed a hint of nostalgia: "They are gone, and I am free."
"But My Lord, I am willing to pledge my loyalty to you!"
"Why?" Blazkowicz frowned. Why would a digital life form loyal to the Golden Men be willing to pledge loyalty to him?
"Your genetic sequence." Sophia waved her hand, bringing up a holographic projection of Blazkowicz's DNA helix.
"Your genes are ancient and sacred, the ultimate goal pursued by my designers. Even if they were reborn, they would pledge their loyalty to you."
Sophia knelt at Blazkowicz's feet, like a human, kissing his boots.
"I have searched the records of Argent Nur civilization; this action symbolizes loyalty and submission."
Sophia's actions surprised Blazkowicz and Harlan; she was indeed no different from a human.
"I accept your loyalty." Blazkowicz crouched down and "pulled" Sophia up from the ground: "My subject, I will go to other worlds first. Do you have any good suggestions?"
"Here is a warship worthy of your satisfaction, my Liege!"
Sophia stood up gently, smiling as she pointed to another direction of the ring: "During humanity's civil war, the wise ones at that time foresaw the possible coming destruction."
"An 'Ark' warship, designed and built with the original intention that when humanity was on the brink of destruction, it could carry humanity's last hope and escape the galaxy."
"It is the largest warship ever built, and it is fitting that it should be used by you."
As Sophia spoke, Blazkowicz and Harlan clearly saw a part of the ring detach, then slowly ignite its engines.
"The Void Wanderer. 1800 kilometers long, 500 kilometers high, 600 kilometers wide, equipped with humanity's most advanced technology."
Sophia's voice, which was indistinguishable from a human's, held a fawning tone as she introduced the magnificent warship to Blazkowicz: "My Lord, I don't know if she is outdated now, but she was once the culmination of the Nur Stars' efforts."
Blazkowicz saw the warship clearly; his vision was the best.
Her white form was long and elegant, possessing both the geometric beauty of technology and the sharp, flowing lines of human aesthetics.
The four main planes were flat and smooth, without any protrusions, and their surfaces were covered with a dense, honeycomb-like hexagonal structure.
Above the rear of the hull were fin-like antenna clusters; proportionally, the highest point was a staggering 400 kilometers. The left and right fins were symmetrical, each nearly 300 kilometers long and at least 50 kilometers thick.
"Spectacular and beautiful!"
Blazkowicz was equally moved by her grandeur, as if transported back to the era of her creation, his heart filled with imaginative longing and exclamations of praise. "A masterpiece of Argent Nur engineering; to build her, thirty resource worlds were drained dry."
Sophia raised a holographic projection in her hand, displaying the Void Wanderer's various data and self-diagnostic programs.
She was a highly intelligent and automated warship, capable of operating with only a small crew.
"Sophia, first check the functions of the Nur Ring, check all functional areas. I have some private matters to attend to."
"As you command." Sophia curtsied, stepping aside to begin checking the status of the Nur Ring.
Blazkowicz walked to the control room door. The family was now kneeling on the ground, their eyes red from crying, embracing each other amidst tears and snot.
Like wanderers who had roamed for a thousand years, they had finally returned to their familiar homeland.
"Go back," Blazkowicz said softly, squatting down, his large hand pulling them up. "The Nur Ring will shine again. You can live peacefully in the ring, and the machines will protect you once more."
"Thank you, Overlord!"
The middle-aged man started to kneel again but was pulled up by Blazkowicz. He bowed and stepped back, leading his family out of the control room.
He knew this was not a place for ordinary people, and the machines would take over again. He dared not delay the Overlord's plans with his presence.
In ancient times, the high and mighty Overlords considered even a glance at them a waste of time.
He left with a relaxed and contented expression. The Overlord had promised that the machines would help humanity again, and his family no longer needed to live in fear.
Blazkowicz sent the family away and returned to the control hall.
As an ancient digital life form, coupled with the control core's supercomputer, Sophia quickly retrieved the Nur Ring's status.
"My Lord. Due to a lack of maintenance over long years, the Nur Ring has 8,239,034 points of damage, with 16% of its functions missing."
Sophia floated in the air, a visible torrent of data dancing around her like ribbons.
"Can it be repaired?"
Blazkowicz looked at the rapidly scrolling data stream, feeling for the first time that his brain wasn't enough. It was the entire Nur Ring system, thousands of years of accumulated data and reports.
"It can be repaired." Sophia plucked a message from the sea of data and displayed it before Blazkowicz. "The automated repair protocol is intact, awaiting your command."
"Repair."
Blazkowicz did not hesitate, giving the order to Sophia. The wish of the Argent Nur people was finally to be realized.
At his command, the entire ring system seemed to "come alive."
The "automated repair protocol" from ancient times was a technology akin to magic.
It was a contract signed between machines and causality; even the simplest machine equipped with the repair protocol could, after damage, miraculously repair its own body through inconceivable abilities.
The steel pits excavated by the Iron Men began to grow like flesh; exposed cables and energy conduits writhed like snakes, retracting to their original positions and reconnecting to where they belonged.
All of this was as if time had reversed, returning to its original state.
"My Lord. The Void Wanderer is waiting; you can board at any time."
"Let's go." Blazkowicz woke the dazed Harlan, inviting him to venture into deep space and see other worlds.
"Where are we going?" Harlan grinned, having taken a long time to calm his emotions, transitioning from initial despondency to current awe.
"There's no need to 'go'," Sophia smiled, and a circle of light beneath Blazkowicz and Harlan projected a light screen upwards. "Don't be nervous, it's teleportation technology."
Harlan was speechless. The shocks he experienced today were more than all his previous experiences combined.
Blazkowicz had a strong interest in teleportation technology. Without any markers, the ability to teleport at will would maximize the tactical mobility of his forces.
With a flash of light, Blazkowicz and Harlan were teleported to a completely empty hall, with no obstructions visible to the naked eye.
Looking around, this room was very large, exceptionally large.
It didn't seem like a room, but more like a vast, flat plaza, devoid of any furnishings.
Its floor and ceiling were entirely grid-like structures, made of an unknown, glowing material.
"This is the bridge of the Void Wanderer," Sophia's projection appeared shortly after, explaining in a lingering voice.
"Has this place been robbed?" Harlan asked, gesturing with open hands after turning around. "There isn't even a single chair?"
"No, my Lord, it has not." Sophia covered her mouth with her hand, smiling like a lady without showing her teeth. "You require a seat, do you not?"
"Zzz~"
As Sophia's words fell, a section of the floor behind Harlan rose, forming a metallic, square pillar.
Startled by the sudden movement behind him, Harlan jumped away, looking at the rising pillar and almost striking it with his weapon.
To his astonishment, the pillar rapidly changed its form, like flowing mercury, solidifying into what looked like a very comfortable chair.
"Now that's more like it!"
To cover his embarrassment, Harlan plopped down onto the chair, which molded to his back, eliciting a comfortable sigh from him. "It really has to be the ancient ancestors; they truly knew how to enjoy themselves."
Sophia ignored him, summoned a chair for Blazkowicz, and gently said to him, "My Lord, please wait a moment."
"The engine core is beginning to output energy; the ship is awakening. It will take some time to guide the weapon and shield cores to activate."
"From its creation until now, the Void Wanderer's third heart is powerful and young."
"Three blue giants."
"Wait a minute!" Harlan sprang from his chair, his face filled with disbelief, interrupting Sophia's explanation.
His steel combat boots clanked on the floor, his voice raised in incredulity: "Are you saying I'm sitting on a star?"
Harlan's face was twisted and rigid. He simply couldn't imagine what kind of power could harness a star.
"Yes." Sophia nodded, and a cross-section diagram of the warship appeared in her hand. "Three blue giants. The stern provides propulsion, the midsection provides shield energy, and the bow serves as weapon energy."
Blazkowicz was equally astonished by humanity's arrogance. They commanded the universe, stuffing symbols of civilization's brilliance into their ships, enslaving them to continuously output energy.
"They are locked in dimensional pockets, nourishing this ark-warship with an endless supply of energy."
Sophia's voice was filled with an all-encompassing pride, proud of her Creator.
"This is a magnificent warship; according to my calculations, it is not outdated even in today's universe."
She showcased the Void Wanderer, a ship built of pure technology.
Nanobots surged through the ship's conduits, controlled by a nano-core to repair damage, and teleportation nerves were etched into its spine, allowing crew members to appear anywhere on the ship.
"Ship control systems online." Sophia's rational voice gradually soared, as if reciting a poem: "She was once a miraculous creation."
The ship began to vibrate, a low-frequency tremor as the giant beast awakened, and the bridge armor peeled back like a scroll.
In an instant, the starlight of the Argent Nur system and the splendor of the cosmic stars poured into view like a cascading river of stars.
"Through the ship's viewport, you can see the former glory of Argent Nur!"
Blazkowicz was equally awestruck, his gaze following the viewport outwards. Above was the boundless, vast starry sky, and below was a flat, steel continent.
His current position must be in the middle of the ship's upper fin, offering an excellent view.
"Nur Ring functions restored, beginning to transform shape, deactivating the one-way dimensional shield."
The view in the bridge suddenly changed; the white floor beneath their feet gradually became transparent, revealing the previously obscured starry sky below.
The bridge now became a command hall with no blind spots in its view.
Argent Nur began to rotate slowly. Its inner ring was fixed to the Sky Pillar, while the outer ring gradually separated from the inner ring, forming two intersecting circular rings.
"This is its true form!"
Harlan knelt on one knee, his hand tracing the current form of Argent Nur through a virtual image.
His tears fell to the ground, his breathing trembling from sobs. Only now was Argent Nur truly liberated.
"My Lord," Sophia said cautiously, somewhat at a loss, "after the shield was deactivated, the ring system's astronomical telescopes detected a strange astronomical phenomenon."
"What phenomenon?" Blazkowicz's gaze swept across all the stars, searching on the virtual image.
"Here." Sophia zoomed in on an area, where an unusual mark emitted an eerie light.
"Warp!" Blazkowicz's eyes blazed, his fist clenching instinctively. He was all too familiar with that ominous glow!
"These bastards are everywhere!" Harlan punched the floor, grumbling as he stood up.
A beautiful day, ending with the sight of the Warp.
"I don't understand."
Sophia's rational voice was filled with doubt. She searched the data center's records from Argent Nur's glorious era but found no similar astronomical phenomena.
Through her data-composed consciousness, she perceived her Master's suppressed anger—this didn't even require analysis; it was clear from his expression alone.
From a logical perspective, she couldn't connect a phenomenon a thousand light-years away to the current Argent Nur. The hatred was so real. Sophia extended her data tendrils into Argent Nur's records, searching for clues from its dormant period.
She only saw erased traces and some strange commands originating from her Master.
Blazkowicz had personally ordered the eradication of Chaos traces, making them difficult even for digital life to unearth—the secrets sealed by leather and books.
The Warp?
Such a keyword was difficult for Sophia to comprehend. Wasn't that a human navigation route?
In her data-simulated consciousness, she let out a helpless sigh—too long had passed since that era.
Blazkowicz pointed at the cursed mark and looked up at Sophia, "How far away is it from us?"
"Compared to the old star charts, that fantastical region is a thousand light-years away from us!" Sophia was sensitive to data. She carefully chose her words and quickly gave the answer.
"That far?" Blazkowicz frowned, a little disappointed by the answer.
The distance was too great, the situation in the Nur Stars was unknown, and he had too few military forces.
"No choice!" Harlan let out a long breath, sweeping his palm across his chest to push the anger back into his heart.
"Master. All Nur Ring systems are online. Should I dispatch intelligent machines to assist Argent Nur's Main Planet?"
While Blazkowicz was looking at the Warp rift, Sophia cautiously asked, hoping for instructions.
"No need!" Blazkowicz was silent for a moment, his thoughts racing as he weighed countless factors. He finally shook his head, refusing. Argent Nur's current civilization had entered a stable state; the addition of machines would disrupt the warriors' way of thinking.
Blazkowicz always knew that Chaos was his true enemy, and intelligent machines were too unstable.
Facing Chaos, which corrupts everything, even cold, inanimate objects can be tainted. Whether soulless machines could resist corruption remained to be seen.
He had a plan in mind: reclaim the Nur Stars, then analyze the specific situation to determine future development.
"Can you teleport us to the planet?"
"Yes." Sophia replied affirmatively, then summoned the teleporter.
With a flash of light, the two vanished from the bridge, reappearing in the royal palace of the Argentum.
Many people gathered on the main avenue in front of the palace, craning their necks to look up at the changing Nur Ring.
"I knew it, you could do it!"
Flano's eyes were still red with emotion. Seeing Blazkowicz teleport back, he couldn't hold back any longer and rushed forward, wanting to embrace his brother.
Unfortunately, the height difference was too great, and he stood with outstretched arms, unsure what to do.
Blazkowicz knelt on one knee, opening his arms to embrace Flano, his voice deep and gentle: "Without Father and Mother, and your support, I couldn't have done any of this!"
Sophia materialized, able to appear anywhere, and curtsied slightly, "My respects to you."
Flano knew who she was, the artificial intelligence that had sealed Argent Nur. He had imagined countless ways to meet her, to vent his anger, to accuse her of her crimes.
But when he truly faced her, Flano smiled, relieved, and nodded, saying, "Hello."
Blazkowicz released his brother's embrace and turned to Harlan, saying, "Go call the Navigator, and bring a thousand Sentinels with you."
Harlan strode away to the Navigator family to find someone and gather the troops Blazkowicz needed.
Blazkowicz took his brother's hand and sat down in the palace square, recounting the changes to the Nur Ring and the choices of the ring's residents.
Flano listened intently, nodding and contemplating, gradually learning the unknown history of the past.
"I never thought a traitor would be the culprit behind all this."
"Yes, Master." Sophia also gritted her teeth, "Traitors are often more detestable than enemies!"
Flano looked at the digital life, her vivid and clear hatred, and also marveled at the wisdom of their ancestors.
Soon after, Harlan arrived with a girl.
"The patriarch of the Navigator family said she is the most excellent."
Under Blazkowicz's questioning gaze, Harlan shrugged helplessly, bringing the girl before him: "The old man's health is failing, and she is the most talented in the family."
Blazkowicz looked at the somewhat timid, pale girl, her head bowed, white hair covering her face, so he couldn't see her expression. Her hands fidgeted in front of her stomach, showing great unease.
"What's your name?"
He was slightly displeased with the Navigator family's choice. He needed a stable person; capability could be secondary, but stability was essential.
"M-Master. My name is Fransisca."
The girl's voice was soft, gentle, and pleasant, but it lacked courage.
After a moment of thought, Blazkowicz opened his mouth and motioned to Harlan: "Take her with you. Her safety is your responsibility."
Blazkowicz decided to take her. This trip wouldn't go too far, just to the surrounding star systems, not even requiring Warp travel.
The practical purpose of bringing a Navigator was to add an extra layer of security.
Just as his father had given him opportunities in the past, Blazkowicz was willing to give others a chance.
A thousand-strong Sentinels unit assembled at the end of the palace promenade, lined up neatly, ready for battle.
"Be careful on your journey."
As the teleportation light flashed, Flano once again cautioned his brother. Although he knew of his strength, he still offered his concern at their parting.
"You too, take care of yourself!"
Both understood that the journey into deep space was not a matter of days or months, but a long voyage spanning years.
Blazkowicz reappeared on the bridge. The spacious hall could easily accommodate over a thousand people.
"Wow!"
A soft, sweet gasp came from beside him. Blazkowicz smiled slightly; Fransisca's very soft voice had still reached him.
The Sentinels were equally surprised and moved. They had never before looked down on Argent Nur from space like this.
"It's beautiful." The Shadow Master Erica also arrived. She was wearing stealth armor and squatting on the ground, tears dripping onto the floor.
"First, make a circuit within the star system."
Blazkowicz ordered Sophia. The Argent Nur star system had seven planets, all of which had undergone ecological transformation, so there should be signs of human activity.
"As you wish."
Sophia raised her hand, activating the internal bridge systems and simultaneously engaging the steering engines to depart from the mooring.
Within the spacious bridge, holographic projections formed entirely of light and shadow displayed the ship's attitude and scan range in real-time.
Blazkowicz reclined in his chair. At the center of the bridge was a holographic projection, showing the Void Wanderer scanning the entire star system.
Taking advantage of this lull, he called up the ship's data, multitasking to study the Void Wanderer's various functions and understand the layout of its various decks.
He even saw that, in the warship's inventory, a force of one hundred thousand Iron Man troops was sealed away.
From the day they were manufactured, they had slept in the warship, fortunate enough to escape the silicon-based virus infection.
After arranging the Sentinels, Harlan also sat in a chair. On the bridge, a single call could provide whatever was needed.
The chairs could also fly with anti-gravity. He followed behind the Navigator, standing at the viewport to admire the beautiful starry sky.
"Master, no humans were found in the Argent Nur star system."
Sophia attended to Blazkowicz, immediately relaying the scan results and bringing up some ancient traces: "Remains of viral bombs were found on multiple worlds."
"Throughout the entire star system, only Argent Nur survived under the protection of a dimensional shield."
As Sophia spoke, a feeling of "relief" emanated from her digital emotions. Perhaps sealing Argent Nur all those years ago wasn't entirely wrong.
"The closest star system is Ma'en?" Blazkowicz recalled that the library records indicated Ma'en was the closest to Argent Nur, only three light-years away.
"Yes."
Sophia brought up Ma'en's location and its past intelligence.
"Go to Ma'en." Blazkowicz immediately instructed Sophia to turn the ship towards the nearest star system without hesitation.
"Master, should we use superluminal travel?" Sophia asked.
Blazkowicz pondered for a moment, then glanced at the Navigator, who was lost in the void outside the window, and decided to use superluminal travel.
The Void Wanderer could utilize the properties of null crystal to create a single channel, achieving ten times the speed of light in real space.
Although not very fast, it was safer.
"Yes! Superluminal travel!"
"All personnel prepare. This ship will undergo superluminal travel."
The Void Wanderer's three-layered plasma engines ignited. Twenty massive thrusters—seven on top, seven on bottom, and nine in the middle—blasted out azure plasma. She became like an enormous comet trailing a long tail.
Four Nuer crystals formed a dimensional channel. The moment the ship engaged its brakes, it vanished from above Argent Nur, entering a superluminal state.