The system handed me over to the state.

"Okay, let's leave here first."

An hour later, the four of them checked into a small hotel in the city. After Hei hope activated the energy device used for soundproofing, he began to discuss the next steps with the four of them.

First, in terms of intelligence, they have obtained enough that they can even end their journey there. The four of them have reached a consensus on this point.

Then came the complaints about the association. Its numerous scandals made the four of them not particularly fond of it. They worried that if the Earth United Organization joined, the association might impose some kind of unspoken rules on them.

Moreover... something caught Seele's attention: the phenomenon of civilizations invading each other, coupled with the fact that all the civilizations registered in the association can access each other's information, could this lead to malicious civilizations specifically using this method to find suitable civilizations as prey?

This speculation instantly made everyone present a little uneasy.

Right now, the Earth Alliance can subdue civilizations like Keponia that haven't even reached a low level yet, but what about later? Will there really be other low-level civilizations like them, full of potential and technology?

Furthermore, if they have a powerful intermediate civilization by their side, would the other party tolerate the long-term existence of a potentially threatening civilization right next to their bed?

Human civilization is willing to coexist peacefully with other civilizations, but are other civilizations willing to coexist peacefully with humanity?

The discussion was not optimistic, and they decided to upload all the information to the government for a decision.

Therefore, the four of them did not intend to stay and rest any longer, and immediately contacted Nuwa to return to the ship to report their work.

Three hours later, Hei hope looked at her cat ears and tail in the mirror and said to Xi'er beside her, "Isn't there any way to get rid of this damn tail?"

Seele wisely chose a short skirt instead of pants, with the tail either looping around the hem or hanging down her back.

However, Kuroki was very uncomfortable with it. The cat ears were one thing, but the tail was really uncomfortable!

"Hmm... The ship's medical officer means that the effects of the medicine on the cat ears and tail will wear off in 24 hours, at which point they will fall off automatically. It's only been 8 hours since we last took the medicine, so we should be fine by tomorrow morning."

Hei Xi looked slightly annoyed, but she could only take out a short skirt from her luggage and change into it. After getting dressed, the two of them came to the bridge. When Su Xi saw them, she smiled and said, "It suits you two very well."

Hei hope tilted her head. "What?"

"It's nothing. Our intelligence has been sent up and we've received a response. Also, there's some good news."

"good news?"

Seele looked slightly puzzled, but Su Xi nodded. "Yes, good news. Miss Bronya has returned from the mission and has successfully brought us several new technologies. She will also participate in the upcoming video conference."

"And after the meeting, Miss Bronya will warp in with another ship to join us for a new mission."

Chapter 429: A New Mission

"She's back?"

Hei hope was quite surprised. Su Xi nodded, "Yes, she's back. Miss Bronya is the first contractor to return. None of the contractors from the British and Soviet Union have returned yet."

"After learning about our situation, Miss Bronya immediately offered to help us and hoped that His Majesty could send a second ship to join the second mission."

"Now, we will have our first video conference. After that, we will wait for the arrival of the second spacecraft and then carry out the second mission."

"When will the video conference be held?"

"Now."

As soon as he finished speaking, the communications officer's voice came through, "Captain, we have received a communication request from headquarters and have transferred it to your private channel. The soundproofing device has been activated, and you can conduct confidential communications at any time."

"Okay, thank you for your help."

She randomly activated the soundproof shield dedicated to the captain's position, enveloping the three of them. Then, she opened the communication channel, and Bronya's familiar face appeared before them. Upon seeing Black Seele and Seele, Bronya's expression showed slight surprise, before she smiled and said, "Your new looks are quite nice. I like them."

Black Seele's expression held a hint of anger, while Seele smiled and accepted Bronya's praise. Su Xi smiled and said, "Hello, Miss Bronya, I am Captain Su Xi of Nuwa."

"Hello, Miss Su Xi, let's begin. His Majesty has logged on."

The scene around them flashed again, and Su Su appeared in the meeting, along with another person, Tong Xi.

At this moment, Bronya's background shows that she is still in Research Base 1, indicating that she has just returned and started this meeting. Su Mengyao and Tong Xi's background shows that they are at home, and they are wearing casual clothes, so they are probably working from home.

"Everyone's here, so let's begin."

Su Mengyao coughed lightly and turned her gaze to Su Xi. "Captain Su Xi, we have reviewed the intelligence you uploaded. After an emergency discussion by the joint organization, the details of the next mission will be kept confidential. I will inform you what the next mission is."

"First of all, this mission is outside the solar system, so there are a lot of uncertainties. Therefore, Bronya will be working with you to ensure that you all return safely."

"Furthermore, another battlecruiser will support your mission this time, carrying sufficient supplies to ensure you will not experience food shortages for the next year."

Su Xi was startled. Supplies that wouldn't be lacking for a year—how long would this mission take? What exactly was the mission about?

Su Xi had a bad feeling. She had arranged a time with her husband and daughter for this trip, and now it was going to be delayed again. She was afraid she would be scolded for it.

"What kind of mission takes a whole year?"

Seele couldn't help but ask, "Even if the mission is a bit difficult or troublesome and takes a long time, that's easy to understand, but... a mission that takes a year, how long or difficult must that mission be to take so long!"

"Tong Xi will tell you the details of the mission later."

"I know that a year may be difficult for you, but it is a task that must be completed and is related to the future survival of the Earth United Organization."

Survival... When this topic came up, Su Xi's expression turned serious. A mission involving the survival of the Earth Alliance—how could such a mission be entrusted to them?

This made Su Xi somewhat incredulous. Shouldn't such a mission be entrusted to someone more capable? Moreover, it concerned the survival of China. Could it be resolved by just two battlecruisers?

"Your Majesty, please forgive my bluntness."

"You said."

"Your Majesty, is it really appropriate to entrust such an important task to us? And with only two battlecruisers, are we really capable of completing this crucial mission?"

"You can do it. This mission is an elite operation. Involving too many fleets would be counterproductive. So, are you willing to take on this mission?"

Su Xi replied without hesitation, "Your Majesty, I am willing to accept the mission. Please tell us what the mission entails!"

Su Mengyao looked at Hei hope and the other person behind Su Xi. Bronya, who was standing next to her, said, "Don't worry, I will go back and meet up with you in a while. Even if the mission fails, I can guarantee that everyone will be safely evacuated, including myself."

"Whether this mission succeeds or fails, it will not affect humanity at present. Therefore, we can all rest assured that it will not have any impact on humanity at present."

It seems Bronya already knows part of the mission details. Blackie sighed, "I understand. So what is the mission? I feel I've done enough to save civilization."

"Alright, Tong Xi, it's your turn now."

Su Mengyao handed the rest of the time to Tong Xi. Tong Xi coughed lightly and said, "The next task is actually not very difficult. As for the issue of human survival that Su Su mentioned, I don't see it that way."

"First, I will send you a brand new star map. You will need to use this star map to navigate through energy storms and planetary rifts, and finally reach your destination, the Nerian land."

"At that time, someone will meet you on the continent of Nerian. They will take you to see a collective consciousness called Locksel. You will need to obtain information from this collective consciousness and bring it back. It's that simple a task."

"So... we'll just ignore the Keponian civilization for now?"

"Oh dear! Don't bother with that useless civilization. It's not the first time I've seen a civilization that occupies such a vast star field but doesn't even have a space jump device. Such civilizations are usually developed too quickly and won't go very far. But you are different."

"Although we provided some assistance, your process was much healthier than Keponia's forced growth. At least you were able to develop a warp drive, which is quite remarkable among countless other civilizations that were similarly guided."

"The land of Narion you are going to is a very special place. Only advanced civilizations know about it, and only civilizations guided by advanced civilizations can reach it. When you arrive, follow the instructions of the people there."

"If you encounter a civilization that has reached the same place as you, you can exchange ideas and maybe even make friends."

"Alright, that's all. If you have any questions about this mission, feel free to ask me, and I'll answer them one by one."

Chapter 430: The Nightfall

"This mission... doesn't seem as simple as it sounds. It's described as going through several places and finding a place where someone can guide us to our destination, but we don't know what these places are like."

"The first energy storm, what kind of energy storm? Will this storm tear us to pieces? We don't know. Then there's the planetary rift, which sounds like a terrifying thing."

Is our mission really as simple as we thought?

Blackie not only held a rather pessimistic attitude, but she also felt that with Bronya's guarantee, they would definitely be able to return safely from this mission, although how they would get back was another matter.

And whether it will be successful is also a question.

Seele's focus was a little different. She was more concerned about why this mission was about the survival of the Earth Alliance. At first, it was said that the mission was about the survival of the Earth Alliance, which is humanity, but later it was said that even if it failed, it would not immediately affect humanity.

What kind of strange mission is this?

"Whether it's simple or not, Seele is still very curious about what the mission's objective is and what information we need to obtain...Aren't you curious, Black Seele?"

Hei hope shook her head. "I'm not curious about those things. I'm only curious whether we can make it back alive from this mission... Su Xi, what about you?"

Su Xi listened to their discussion the whole time, and her answer to the question was quite simple.

"I trust His Majesty's decision, and I also trust Miss Bronya and the two of you. Since His Majesty says we can return safely, then we definitely can!"

Hei hope sighed. That's great... She couldn't possibly have that kind of confidence.

It seems we can only get an answer after Bronya arrives. The content of the previous video communication clearly shows that she should know some of the details of the mission. We can just ask her then.

Half an hour after the meeting ended, accompanied by a slight spatial disturbance, a second battlecruiser appeared near the Nuwa.

"Captain! We have received the ship's identification code, codename Nightfall."

"Send the ship's identification code to receive the communication from the other side."

Su Xi immediately gave the order, and a few minutes later, the captain of the Ningye ship got through on the phone. Su Xi smiled as she looked at the girl on the other end of the line, "I didn't expect it to be you. I thought it would be someone I didn't know."

"Well, after all, I volunteered this time. Other ships have other missions to complete, so I naturally applied when I had some free time."

The captain of Ningye was one of the female captains who graduated in the same batch as Su Xi. The two were good friends. Although they hadn't seen each other for a while because they were assigned to different ships, their friendship hadn't diminished at all.

"Alright, enough chit-chat. You brought the star map, send it to us, and then set off as soon as possible."

"Don't rush, don't rush, we have a year to take our time. I'll send Miss Bronya over first."

"You're not worried, but I am! You're not worried at all about not being married, you're still a single dog, but I have a husband and kids and I want to go back and reunite with them!"

Su Xi scolded her best friend, who raised an eyebrow and said, "Don't rush! This mission isn't something you can complete by rushing. We have two checkpoints to overcome. If you're too hasty, you might end up losing your ship and your life."

"Alright, the star map has been transmitted to you. Take a look at it first, and then I'll tell you our specific action plan."

Su Xi nodded and opened the star map sent by Ningye. Upon seeing it, Su Xi was stunned. The destination was extremely far away from their current location. The first warp transfer station would require a whole day of warping to reach.

They would need to continuously traverse like this for half a month to reach their first destination, the energy storm...

Su Xi felt a chill run down her spine just looking at it. It took half a month of continuous warping to reach the first destination. Just how far was that?!

"Hehe, does it give you the creeps? Now you know why I told you not to rush, right?"

Hearing her best friend's mischievous laughter, Su Xi was completely speechless. It seemed she would need to give her husband a proper explanation tonight. The first destination required six months of continuous travel, and if anything went wrong and caused delays, it might really take a year...

"Indeed... it's giving me the creeps, but is the supply you carry on one of your ships really enough?"