Sanctuary Paradise

Chapter 832 First Signs of Truth [5.2k words]

One day later, in the gravity orbit of Reef 1, the Blackthorn Third Legion warship.

[Identity verified. Pioneer Black Sword, serial number 83112. Welcome to our ship.]

Om-! !

The heavy creaking of hatches echoed from inside the warship, which maintained standard atmospheric pressure. Above a scanning tunnel used to check for contaminants, Xin Lailai emerged from a passageway filled with the smell of disinfectant. After quickly determining her direction, she traversed the warship for over ten minutes following the route she remembered, before striding into a room guarded by several Blackthorn Legion soldiers.

"Is it done?"

"Ah."

As soon as they entered, Yamu, who happened to be standing by the door, turned his head and casually asked a question, to which Xin Lailai nodded slightly and gave a simple reply.

"Anything discovered?"

"The data has all been collected. As for the specific situation, we'll have to wait for the analysis results before making a judgment. By the way, where are the others?"

"Randy went to find some wine, while the Deathbringer and the White Demon went back to their rooms to rest."

After a brief exchange, Xin Lailai nodded slightly, glanced around the command room, and focused her gaze on the enormous screen at the very front—a screen that blended perfectly with the surrounding armor plates, almost giving the impression of being just a piece of exterior glass. She stepped forward, and the black-armored man at the front glanced at her before asking:
"Has Lord Black Sword finished his business?"

"Yes, I've kept Lord Blackthorn 3001 waiting."

Xin Lailai nodded slightly in response. Heiji 3001, standing beside her, didn't say anything more. She simply shifted her gaze back to the main screen, closed her eyes, and channeled her mental energy to quickly upload the information to the entire legion's communication channel. Then she opened her eyes again, looking at the enormous planet on the screen that appeared to be wrapped in a thin black film, and spoke through her mental energy and soul power:

"Blackthorn Third Division, all personnel, listen to my command! Activate all Abyssal Suppression Devices immediately and prepare to bridge the Elemental Barrier!"

A chilling mental fluctuation spread rapidly from the mental diffusion device installed in the command room, seamlessly coordinating with the communication channel to transmit Blackthorn 3001's instructions to the minds of every Blackthorn Legion member on the planet Reef 1 below, with absolute certainty. The next second—

Om-! !

Several incredibly bright beams of light shot into the sky from the surface of the giant planet, like unstoppable holy lances, easily piercing through the abyssal energy barrier that enveloped the atmosphere of Reef No. 1, and in a spectacular display, enveloping the entire Reef No. 1 in a pure white elemental barrier.

[Element layer coverage complete, locking onto resonance signal source...]

[Lock secured. Current resonance signal source: Reef 16. Current distance: 0.67 light-years (standard environment). Maximum warp level: 15. Estimated bridging time: 645 seconds.]

[Ready to proceed with bridging!]

Boom——! !

The cold, mechanical voice fell, and the next second, a tremendous vibration, so loud that it could be 'heard' even from the outer reaches of the planet Reef 1, resounded from the spirit realm of Reef 1.

Immediately afterwards, a striking white ripple spread out from the surface of Reef No. 1, and at the same time, the elemental barrier that originally covered the entire planet began to rise rapidly from the center of the ripple.

Finally, a pure white beam of light, powerful enough to burn one's vision, burst forth from the surface of Planet Sinking Reef 1. Like a beacon, it pierced into the depths of the ocean covered by abyssal energy in a predetermined direction, and vanished in an instant into the starry sky swallowed by abyssal energy.

[Bridging in progress, current bridging progress: 0.01%...0.02%...0.03%...]

As the beam of light erupted, a pure white progress bar representing the progress of the elemental bridging began to appear on the screen. Xin Lailai and the other two in the command room quietly watched the progress bar, which was rising at a moderate pace, and patiently waited for about ten minutes—

[Bridging complete!]

[The elemental barrier is now connected; the abyss purification device is being located; the elemental barrier expansion phase is about to begin...]

[Positioning complete, expansion begins!]

Om-! !

Almost the instant the progress bar on the screen reached 100%, several messages popped up one after another as if they had been waiting impatiently.

The moment the last message was sent, a powerful surge of elemental energy, so intense it could be described as violent, suddenly emanated from afar and slammed into the surface of Reef No. 1. Like a super-enhanced version of the 'Elemental Light' main cannon, it evaporated all the abyssal energy and abyssal creature remains accumulated within Reef No. 1 in just a few breaths.

Moreover, as the elemental light fell, the elemental barrier in the abyss ocean, which was originally only a hundred meters thick and could be described as 'tiny as a hair' compared to the entire starry sky, seemed to be stimulated by something and began to frantically devour the surrounding abyssal energy, expanding itself rapidly at a speed visible to the naked eye.

One hundred meters... one thousand meters... ten thousand meters... one hundred thousand meters...

In the starry sky, the narrow elemental barrier expanded rapidly, growing from a width of a hundred meters to a size of hundreds of thousands of meters in just a dozen seconds.

From the perspective of the warship, it resembles a rapidly rising wall, using itself as a blade to tear a gap in the vast abyss ocean, bringing unprecedented light to the originally dark and lightless abyss.

As the elemental barrier expanded, the surrounding abyssal energy ocean seemed to be stimulated by something and began to surge wildly. However, this time, it was like a headless fly, blindly rushing against the elemental barrier that had become exceptionally solid under the combined effect of the abyssal suppression device and the abyssal purification device, but it could not pose any real threat to it.

"From this distance, even if the Abyss Energy wanted to, it would probably be powerless against the Abyss Purification Device on the other side, right? Tsk tsk, although the risk is indeed a bit high, this kind of operation plan is indeed a sharp knife that can stab into the heart of the Abyss."

Inside the command center, Yamu gazed at the scene before him and clicked his tongue softly, his golden pupils filled with emotion. Xin Lailai, standing beside him, also nodded slightly, a hint of brilliance flickering in her dark pupils.

Just as Yamu said, compared with mindless spherical expansion, the Legion's sharp-edged expansion method has another advantage: it can greatly extend the strategic depth in the abyss. Even if the abyssal energy located at the far end is stimulated by the expansion of the elemental barrier, it will be unable to react to the abyssal purification device at the other end due to the distance. It can only watch helplessly as the elemental barrier continuously devours it and gradually transforms itself into pure elemental energy.

[Expansion complete. The current elemental layer has reached the predetermined specifications, and the transmission of elemental light is being halted...]

Beneath the abyss, the narrow elemental barrier rapidly expanded, reaching a width of approximately thirty million meters—about the same as the gravitational orbit of Reef No. 1—before abruptly falling silent with a cold announcement. Xin Lailai and the others, gazing at the now-vast, pure white passage that enveloped their area, did not rush to act. Instead, they patiently stood still, as if waiting for something. Finally—

[Announcement (Void Tree): Attention all notary offices in the current area! Outpost 2, Reef 1 (Planet to be Notarized), has been successfully recaptured. In accordance with Article 02-01-07 of the Expedition Regulations, Reef 2 (Planet to be Notarized) and its corresponding elemental barrier area will soon be notarized, transforming it into an "Astral Notarized Area"!]

In an instant, a cold and authoritative announcement resounded in the minds of everyone present. On the main screen, several enormous, brown tree roots, large enough to blot out the sky, suddenly descended from above Reef No. 1 and disappeared the moment they entered the interior of Reef No. 1. Their speed was so fast that it gave people the illusion that what had just happened was just an illusion.

[Announcement (Tree of the Void): Notarization complete. The current Tier 3 World Layer planet, Reef 1, has been changed to an "Astral Notarization Area"]

[Announcement (Tree of the Void): Attention all notary offices in the current region! Due to the successful opening of the first elemental rift route in this region's expedition, according to the expedition regulations, the current region will officially enter the second phase of the expedition operation in 72 hours. All Paradise factions are requested to confirm the recruitment list for the second batch of expedition members within 48 hours!]

"It seems the first step has been successfully completed?"

"Okay, I'll go analyze the samples we collected this time. Tell the Deathbringer and White Demon to keep a low profile and not fight on the ship." "Sigh, Captain Black, you really know how to order people around. Can't you give me something easier?"

"Then I'll keep an eye on them, and you analyze the samples?"

"Uh, never mind. I doubt only Captain Hei on the whole ship can understand those instruments and data."

……

……

So, half a day later.

World Fortress, Command Center.

[Notification: Teleportation complete. You have arrived at your destination area.]

"Ah, finally back! It's so much more comfortable here. Staying on the warship was just too oppressive!"

"If Lord Randy feels tired, I can give you a massage to relax."

"Uh, no thanks. If I ask you, Sister, to do something like this for me, I feel like I'll be living with a guilty conscience for the next few days."

A lighthearted voice, brimming with a sense of relief, rang out from the command room. In the rest area, Randy emerged from the portal and slumped onto the sofa, coughing lightly as he declined the nun's offer.

Although he personally enjoyed the service of a beautiful woman's lap pillow and massage, the nun's aura was just too gentle. If he actually lay down on her lap, he felt that all the lewd thoughts in his mind would be completely purified by her aura, and he would enter a 'wise man' mode' for quite some time.

"Hehe, congratulations to everyone on your great success in your first expedition! Not only did you capture a stronghold in just one day, but you also captured a behemoth-level abyssal creature. Even among many expedition cases, this is an extremely remarkable achievement!"

A light, almost irritating congratulatory murmur rang out. As Xin Lailai and her companions entered, the major, seated at the head of the table, clapped lightly, smiled, and descended the steps to congratulate them.

"Hey! Stop talking. I'd like to ask you, Major, what kind of luck did you have? The first target you randomly picked was the lair of an abyssal behemoth. Your luck is just too crazy!"

"I do have something to say about this."

In the command room, Randy waved his hand and complained, while Xin Lailai suddenly spoke up and stepped forward, drawing everyone's attention. The major, in particular, smiled expectantly with a strange light in his eyes:
"Oh? Did Black Sword Sir discover something?"

"Pretty much. Although it's just preliminary inference and some limited analysis results, I think it should be enough to serve as a reference for action at this stage."

As Xin Lailai spoke, she approached the control panel as if they were old friends. Under Randy's astonished gaze—a look that seemed to say, "You wouldn't understand how this thing works unless you're a guy"—she projected the content of her imprinted interface onto the 3D star chart. Then, turning to look at the multitude of fluctuating curves and dazzling data, she clicked on a summary chart, zoomed in, and addressed the group before her:

"On the way back, I analyzed the samples collected from the slug whale and the environment of Planet Reef 1, and confirmed a few things."

"First of all, judging from the planetary environment samples of Reef No. 1, Reef No. 1 has not undergone any large-scale environmental changes in the last few hundred years. In other words, its position in the abyss has always been near the outer layer of the shallow zone, and it has not undergone any long-distance migration."

"Therefore, regarding the origin of that slug whale, it is highly likely that it swam from the depths of the shallow area all the way to the outer perimeter, and finally took the initiative to lie dormant on the planet Reef No. 1, rather than living on Reef No. 1 beforehand, but was brought here due to the migration of the planet."

"The measurement of the abyssal energy remaining on its body can also corroborate this point. According to the test results of Tantalum-42, the time of change in the intensity of the abyssal energy on its body is at least ten years apart from the time when the environmental traces of the Reef No. 1 planet appeared."

"As for the reason why it wandered from the depths of the shallow zone all the way to the outer perimeter and even settled here, according to the analysis results, I did not find any direct signs of injury on it, whether physical or spiritual... At least from the areas I can detect, the inference that it was forced to lie dormant on Planet Reef No. 1 due to injury can be directly ruled out."

"Uh, so you mean that thing appearing there was just an accident?"

"Unfortunately, I don't think so. Although I couldn't detect any signs of injury on it, I did discover another extremely important piece of information: its soul fluctuations... still retain an extremely strong 'fear,' and the timing of this 'fear' coincides perfectly with the time when the abyssal energy residue on its body experienced large-scale fluctuations!"

"Fear...wait, Old Black, you don't mean to say..."

"Well, although it's hard to believe, based on my analysis of the samples, this slug whale... was most likely scared away to the outer area. Even the reason it lurked on Planet Reef 1 is simply because the fear in its soul was too strong, so strong that it preferred to live on a small planet and not dare to take a single step out for hundreds of years."

"..."

Under the 3D projection, as Xin Lailai's calm yet strangely oppressive voice fell silent, the entire command room fell into complete silence. A long while later, the major beside him gently pushed up his round-framed glasses, squinted at the content above him, and spoke:

"In other words, Black Sword Sir, do you believe that at the end of our route, there might be some kind of enormous crisis that would make even a giant abyss beast flee without hesitation, or even fear it for hundreds of years?"

"Yes, that is indeed my judgment. Although we cannot be sure what that crisis was, based on the samples collected from the slug whale, combined with the abyssal energy fluctuation data of the Cassinome route area uploaded by the abyssal observation station over the past thousand years, if nothing unexpected happens... this is the location where that slug whale encountered the crisis that terrified it for hundreds of years."

Xin Lailai spoke, manipulating the three-dimensional star map in front of her to flip and zoom in for a while, then looked at the coordinates displayed on it with an unusually cold and calm gaze, and marked a certain position with a magic crystal.

"This location... hmm, seems quite far from our target flight path."

"That's true, but that's where it was four hundred years ago. And judging from the slug whale's hiding behavior, at least in its judgment, that danger was quite mobile."

"Based on the fluctuations of fear in its soul and the changes in the abyss remnants on its body, I personally suggest that this entire area be considered a warning zone!"

As Xin Lailai spoke, she circled a large area on the three-dimensional star map. This time, not only the major, but also the gazes of Randy and the others beside him changed slightly.

too close.

Although they still haven't reached their designated attack area for this expedition, the area that Xin Lailai just circled is practically within arm's reach of the several areas they need to conquer at the end of the expedition.

"That's all I wanted to say. If Your Excellency has any doubts, you can take these samples to the personnel at the Abyss Observation Station inside the fortress for testing to verify the truthfulness of what I just said."

"Hmm... I understand Black Sword Sir's thoughts. Indeed, a crisis that can make even the absolute predators of the abyss flee without a fight is certainly something to be wary of."

"Well then, I'm sorry, but it seems our chat has to end here for today. I need to reconfirm the route for this expedition."

After the major finished speaking, he adjusted his round-framed glasses, a deep, dark glint in his eyes. He turned and walked towards the spatial portal behind him in front of everyone. Only after half his body had stepped inside did he seem to suddenly remember something, turning his head slightly and smiling as he said:

"As for you all... please enjoy this precious three-day holiday to the fullest before your compatriots arrive. After all, you'll all be getting quite busy starting from the second phase!"

……

(End of this chapter)