Chapter 77

Chapter 77

The chaotic star zone, which all insectoids and star beasts avoid at all costs, originally harbored almost no life forms other than worm-like creatures. But exceptions always exist.

No one would have guessed that one day, an insectoid would flee into it while being pursued by star beasts. Even more unimaginable was that this insectoid turned out to be a male.

At the helm of an escape pod, the Silver-Haired Male Insect, unaware of what the chaotic star zone truly meant, drifted deeper into the region.

However, the male insect did not make it too far.

Soon, as the first worm-like organism clung to the outer wall of the escape pod, Philo's body began to react strangely.

Unbearable pain gradually spread throughout his body. The wound on his already bleeding arm reopened, his fingers curled, and the excruciating pain coupled with dizziness from blood loss caused the Silver-Haired Male Insect's consciousness to fade. Then...

The tightly gripped control lever suddenly loosened, his pale fingers slipping away. Having held on until now, the Silver-Haired Male Insect, at the end of his strength, finally blacked out.

The escape pod's AI monitoring system had already begun sounding alarms when the Silver-Haired Male Insect lost excessive blood. Once he completely lost consciousness, the AI automatically took over the pod's navigation.

"Warning! Warning!"

"Pilot's vitals critical. This pod will initiate an emergency landing at the nearest location. Three prompts will be issued. If no override command is received, emergency landing will commence immediately!"

The mechanical electronic voice rapidly repeated the message three times within the allotted timeframe. After the third repetition, the escape pod, which had been gradually decelerating due to the loss of control, suddenly accelerated again.

But unlike its previous aimless flight, this time the pod veered toward the nearest planet.

As for the appearance of that planet... it was gray-blue.

Indeed, the universe is always dazzlingly colorful. Even in the chaotic star zone where the Silver-Haired Male Insect now found himself, there were still planets of various hues surrounding him.

And this gray-blue planet—if the Silver-Haired Male Insect had still been conscious—might have seemed uncomfortably familiar.

Despite the thick layer of gray-black matter encircling the planet, despite its visibly pockmarked surface, despite the escape pod detecting no trace of energy resources on it, the strangely familiar planet felt like falling into a half-remembered dream.

Where... was this?

Purple pupils reflected the gray-blue hue. Through the escape pod's outer wall, the previously unconscious Silver-Haired Male Insect reopened his eyes due to the intense pain wracking his body.

Unable to move, and seemingly lacking the strength to do so for now, Philo lifted his gaze, quietly observing the unfamiliar sky above him.

Unlike the dreamlike, vibrant skies of the capital planet, nor the azure skies of Earth, the sky looming over Philo now seemed choked with unsettling gray-brown matter.

His brow furrowed instinctively, Philo turned his head slightly to glance at the escape pod's front hatch.

He had only looked back at the star beasts chasing him one last time before leaving the warship. After confirming they were indeed in pursuit, he had never glanced back again.

Pushing the control lever forward, sealing all airlocks, and releasing all reserve energy—

The escape pod retained only its non-deactivatable emergency functions and the thrust controls. Thanks to these settings, though the pod's rear had sustained some damage from the star beasts, Philo had still managed to evade them.

Not spotting any traces of the star beasts around the pod, the male insect frowned. The slight movement seemed to drain what little strength he had left, but at this moment, Philo had no time to wonder why the star beasts hadn't caught up—because—

"Ugh..."

Cold sweat soaked his body, his muscles taut from the agony. Already weakened, the male insect clenched his fists again as excruciating, razor-sharp pain coursed through him.

In his struggle, his knuckles whitened as his fist accidentally brushed against a control button on the pod's front wall.

The function activation key lit up, and the escape pod's emergency lockdown state, maintained since landing, was lifted. The display glitched as the pod automatically began analyzing its current environmental conditions.

"Attention! Attention!"

"This pod is currently on an unmarked planet within the chaotic star zone. Automatic positioning signals are undetectable; navigation systems are inoperable. Initial scans show: no explorable resources detected on this planet, no signs of detectable life forms, no signal sources found..."

As if emphasizing how unworthy this planet was for landing, the pod's AI listed a series of scan results, nearly all of which were decidedly grim.

Even the energy reserves required for the escape pod seemed nearly nonexistent on this planet.

Such a planet... had he landed on another barren wasteland?

Before the Silver-Haired Male Insect could fully process the thought, the AI's repeating standard alert tones paused briefly—an unusual occurrence.

"Signs of extraterrestrial group life activity... detected. Scanning in progress. Proceed with in-depth analysis?"

Extraterrestrial life...

Even in his pain-fogged mind, barely conscious, Philo couldn't help but force his sweat-drenched eyelids open upon hearing those words.

Given his current condition, encountering extraterrestrial life here would undoubtedly bring more harm than good. In such a harsh environment, any life forms surviving here would likely be resource-starved.

If they discovered him first, whether they would offer aid or resort to predation was far from certain.

"Yes."

His raspy whisper barely echoed in the enclosed space before fading into silence.

Fortunately, the escape pod's audio collection system was sensitive enough to register his response. The AI responded instantly.

"Command received. Initiating in-depth analysis of extraterrestrial group life data, including behavioral patterns, reproductive methods, population scale, cultural development..."

Following standard insectoid biological analysis protocols, the AI soon delivered its findings.

"Analysis complete. Given this pod's current energy-supported detection range of 100,000 square kilometers, all conclusions are based on biological traces and data left by the extraterrestrial group within this area."

"Results indicate the extraterrestrial species belongs to the primate-insectoid classification. No specialized morphological adaptations observed. Fixed physiological characteristics resemble insectoids, particularly male specimens."

"Species exhibits bipedal locomotion, omnivorous diet, and juvenile developmental stages. Physical differences among individuals are minimal. Reproduction is dual-sex, with mating systems unclear—potentially a mix of monogamy and polygamy. Shared visual preferences have developed within the group."

"Species can be subdivided into multiple subgroups based on cultural and biological traits. One dominant subgroup detected within the scan range. This group has established distinct living habits, cultural identity, and technological advancements... Below is the most emblematic insignia pattern retrieved during scans, believed to represent this group's primary symbol. Database matches Alliance records reveal similarities—specifically, unclassified species markers from the Shenwei-Yala star system."

Shenwei-Yala star system...

If there were any words besides "Earth" that could stir the Silver-Haired Male Insect so deeply, these might be the only ones.

His pain-racked body trembled slightly. His bowed head, like an old bamboo weighed down, lifted marginally. Though lacking the strength to speak, he turned his gaze upward.

His purple pupils, dark as night, now resembled vertical slit pupils. Barely able to keep his eyes open, he nonetheless strained to focus on the holographic display projected by the AI on the pod's front wall.

Unlike Earth's flat imagery, the AI's projections were lifelike 3D renderings and strikingly clear.

Amidst the expansive yellow wastes, thousands of kilometers from Philo's current location, stood familiar yet alien structures—silent, ruined, towering beneath the planet's gray-hued sky.

Without on-site data, the AI could only classify these remnants of an unknown extraterrestrial civilization using standard classification protocols.

"Chaotic Star Zone - Architectural Structure - A1 Category: Linear Stone Structures"

"Chaotic Star Zone - Miniature Artifact Structure - A2 Category: Avian-Shaped Metal Artifacts"

"Chaotic Star Zone - Decorative Structure - A3 Category: Ceramic Shard Arrangements"

"......"

Amidst the crisp mechanical voice, the escape pod's intelligent system quickly displayed a series of corresponding recorded images. If he'd gone purely by the system's labels, Philo might not have understood what these structures were.

But—

"The Great Wall."

"Fighter jets."

"...Porcelain."

Pressing against the barely healed wound on his arm, the sudden surge of pain jolted his fading awareness, confirming that this wasn’t some death vision.

At least, he could still feel pain, sustain injuries, and bleed.

So he wasn’t wrong—his eyes and ears hadn’t deceived him.

These things were truly...

His pale fingertips drifted through the holographic screen as if touching a long-cherished dream. While the screen was virtual, the images displayed were tangibly real.

But if these things truly existed, if this planet was an undeniable reality, then... Tilting his head up, his purple eyes turned toward the view outside the pod. Squinting against the glare, his back went rigid.

Just where... was this?

Never had Philo wanted—and dreaded—an answer so badly.

But in the end, he needed one.

Author's Note:

Short update today due to travel, but a big, hefty chapter tomorrow to make up for it!