The Ark's huge dock gate slowly opened, revealing the deep universe outside dotted with cold stars.
The low hum of the engine gradually grew stronger, like a sleeping giant awakening. Inside the dock, the last batch of supplies was accurately delivered into the cargo hold by an automatic robotic arm.
Mark stood at the front of the bridge, staring calmly at the boundless darkness through the huge viewing window.
He was still wearing the matte black combat uniform, his figure as steady as a mountain, his golden-red pupils reflecting the starlight, as deep as the universe itself, no longer showing any trace of confusion or fatigue in front of his mother.
The heavy sense of responsibility and iron will, like an invisible force field, enveloped the entire bridge.
Rudy was the last one to skip onto the bridge, carrying his bulging tactical backpack filled with dangerous artifacts.
He habitually wanted to whistle to liven up the atmosphere, but when his eyes fell on Mark's back, which was frozen like a sculpture and exuded invisible pressure, the whistle got stuck in his throat.
He shrank his neck, subconsciously slowed down his steps, and quietly slipped to his tactical console. He began to carefully check his treasures, his eyes filled with awe of power and a hint of nervousness in the face of the unknown.
Mark had changed, so much so that even this lawless explosion maniac felt a little uneasy.
Atomic Eve stood quietly in front of the navigation console.
She was wearing a fitted silver-white space combat suit that outlined her agile figure.
Her eyes drifted to Mark's back from time to time, with deep worry.
At the GDA's medical center, she had seen Mark's body scan data after the Earth's Core War. The density, intensity, and energy response were beyond human imagination.
She could feel the restrained yet terrifying power in Mark, like the core of a star, and she could also feel his deliberately suppressed emotional fluctuations.
He was like a blade that had been sharpened to the extreme, gleaming with cold light. It was sharp enough to cut through the stars, but also so cold that people worried that he would cut himself.
Even... cutting anyone who tried to get close to him.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end it just turned into an inaudible sigh, and she focused her attention on the star map in front of her.
The Ark's main control system started up silently, and a soft blue light illuminated the console.
A cold, flat synthesized voice echoed from the bridge.
"All system self-checks completed."
"Engine status 100%, shield generator 98.7%, weapon systems, standby."
"Navigation coordinates, locked onto the preset coordinates at the edge of the Kuiper Belt."
The robot's consciousness core has been fully connected to the main control system.
"Commander, we can set sail at any time."
It was a robotic voice, but purer and more efficient than ever before.
It abandoned its bulky engineering mecha body and its consciousness was completely integrated into the Ark's intelligent core.
At this moment, it is the ship itself.
Mark didn't look back, but just nodded slightly.
His voice was deep and clear, like the collision of steel, echoing in the silent bridge.
"Set sail! Target: Kuiper Belt Edge Outpost, Execute Silent Submersible Mode."
"receive."
The engine ignites.
Silent mode is activated.
Buzz——!
A slight vibration was heard.
The Ark's huge hull slid out of the dock silently like an arrow and merged into the deep cosmic background.
The earth in the back was shrinking rapidly, turning into a beautiful blue gem. Next to it was the space crack that was bridged with great difficulty by the Sky Shield, but still left a faint trace.
That crack is like an unhealable scar on the earth, and also like a warning bell branded in everyone's heart.
The ship entered a stable navigation state.
Rudy began fiddling with his dangerous toys, trying to make some noise to break the silence, but was stopped by a warning look from Atomic Eve.
The robots transformed into invisible data streams, deciphering the encrypted data streams from Outpost-7 to the core of the galaxy, as well as any clues that Angrum's fleeing fleet might have left behind.
Mark still stood at the bow of the ship, like a steel statue guarding the starry sea.
His super perception was like an invisible giant net, spreading to the limit, scanning every speck of dust and every energy fluctuation on the route ahead.
He was on guard, and also... feeling.
Feel the cosmic rays that are everywhere in the deep space and are far stronger than those in low-Earth orbit.
These high-energy particles were like invisible chisels, continuously carving his body, making his cells more active, his structure more stable, and his strength growing imperceptibly.
At the same time, although the distant sun's light was weak, it was like the purest fuel, continuously pouring into the furnace in his body, accelerating the recovery of previous consumption and bringing a warm and powerful feeling of fullness.
"commander."
The robot's voice broke the long silence, ringing in Mark's personal communication channel, avoiding others.
"Preliminary analysis results: The last data transmitted back by Anglum's fleeing fleet contains a detailed analysis of your combat capabilities."
"They labeled you: Planetary-level native superorganism, Threat Level: Priority target for extermination."
"At the same time, they did attempt to broadcast Earth's coordinates and... information about the existence of a high-value ancient relic to multiple known interstellar mercenary organizations and intelligence trafficking networks. This information was multiply encrypted and forwarded anonymously, making it difficult to trace its source."
Mark's golden-red pupils shrank slightly.
Anglum really started to play dirty.
Want to kill someone with a borrowed knife? Want to invite a wolf into the house?
He said coldly, "Continue to monitor all suspicious communication channels. Any unknown signal approaching the solar system will be given the highest priority warning."
"Understood. Also..."
The robot paused.
"A breakthrough has been made in deciphering the deeply encrypted data of Outpost-7. The signal pointing to the galactic core isn't a single coordinate, but rather a...complex sequence of spatial coordinates and energy identification codes."
"Its encoding method is highly consistent with a certain archive within the Vitrum Empire's core database. This archive records... it is said to contain the coordinates and partial observational data of some indescribable things... encountered and recorded by the Vitrum ancestors during the early days of the Milky Way's expansion."
"Among them, there are entries that closely match C'Thun's energy characteristics."
Something indescribable?
Mark's heart moved.
This may very well point to the Great Old Ones to which C'Thun belongs, or even their source or gathering place!
"Where does the coordinate sequence point to?" Mark asked.
"The sequence points to the edge of the Milky Way's core, a star region obscured by ancient stardust and strong gravitational fields. The exact location is still being calculated."
"But preliminary assessments indicate... it's very close to the border conflict zone within the currently known territory of the Vitrum Empire."
The robot precisely marked a flashing red dot.
The border of Vitrum?
Mark's eyes instantly became as sharp as a knife.
Nolan's last trace also points to the direction of Vitrum's home planet!
Angrum's main fleet is eyeing the outer solar system, and the clues of the Old Ones actually overlap with Vitrum's border conflict zone?
This is no coincidence!
A cold chill and a burning desire to fight rose in Mark's chest at the same time.
The Vitrum Empire... Nolan... The Old Ones... Angrum... These seemingly independent crisis clues are being gradually gathered together by an invisible hand on the huge chessboard of the universe, pointing to the same eye of the storm!