Chapter 637: Bracketed Noise

Female Law Emperor???

Some people showed a hint of surprise, evidently not expecting that the death spirit named Xun Barahuer to actually be a female Law Emperor.

After all, after fighting the Space Death Spirits for so long, one could never discern the gender of those metal skeletons; some more naive warriors even believed that Space Death Spirits—or the Fearful Dead—were essentially hermaphroditic.

However, people like John, Kelakesi, and Helusi naturally would not be naive enough to think the Fearful Dead were hermaphroditic; as for the Space Death Spirits, their gender is indiscernible simply because there is no need to expend resources to give their metal bodies gendered traits.

Thus John, too lazy to concern himself with Xun Barahuer's gender, continued to ask Tarasin: "What is its attitude toward the current Silent King Tumonsra, has it participated in the rebellion, and has its Opatara Dynasty taken part in the Human–Death Spirit War?"

"Her?" Tarasin placed his right hand behind his back, pinched his metal lower jaw with his left, feigning a struggle to recall, and said:

"She, how should I evaluate? She strongly dislikes the conversion of living beings, once had a fierce argument with the former Silent King Szarak, but it didn't rise to the level of rebellion, right? As for whether the Opatara Dynasty participated in the war, hmm… based on the intelligence and data you provided, I haven't directly found any signs of their involvement, but no one can say for sure."

Alas, what can I say? I'm just a minor death spirit overlord; I have no authority to understand the rebellion—no, rather the hidden secrets behind quelling the chaos?

At the end, Tarasin spread his hands, indicating that "it" was equally helpless.

"Then once the entrance to the five-dimensional space is opened, it means we will face a full-scale assault from the other side." After hearing Tarasin's words, John stared at the holographic star map emitting a faint green glow, then immediately raised his left hand, extended his index finger, pointed to coordinates about fifteen light‑years from their current domain, and ordered:

"Dark Crow Guard and Shadow Moon Grey Wolf, immediately employ the fold‑jump engines to proceed to that sector and stand by; once the five‑dimensional entrance opens, the Leoni Da will spearhead the incursion, followed by the main force of the Sparta fleet."

Speaking, John lowered his left hand, surveyed everyone present: "After the Sparta Corps breaches the five‑dimensional space for thirty minutes, Dark Crow Guard and Shadow Moon Grey Wolf will return via the fold‑jump engines and together with us will flank the Opatara Dynasty that guards the Brilliant Star Map.

And also," he added, turning his gaze to An Na Jin, now clad in new armor, and Wokan, who had acquired an extra massive hammer, "you two will accompany the Sparta operation."

"Yes, sir." Wokan and An Na Jin both nodded in agreement.

"Then everyone prepare. There are no friendly units nearby; the nearest colony is twenty thousand light‑years away, so aim to conclude the battle within twelve hours and seize our objective."

"Yes."

When the words fell, Kelakesi and Helusi, together with the camp commanders of Dark Crow Guard and Shadow Moon Grey Wolf, activated short‑range armor teleportation and returned to their respective flagships.

The plague doctor who stayed here, and Artemis, who is in charge of the plague doctor's safety, no longer followed Kelakesi and simply also remained aboard the Leodi Da.

Immediately after, John operated the central console, configuring multiple screens displaying the fleet's actions.

A moment later, the screens showed over a thousand warships turning into "glowing filaments" and vanishing from this domain, leaving only a shield world and three thousand vessels of various classes.

After confirming the other two fleets had completed the fold‑jump, John turned his head slightly, looked at Tarasin, who was admiring his own attire nearby, and said gravely, "Open the passage to the five‑dimensional space."

"Huh? Ah, okay." Tarasin seemed just to regain his composure, then stepped closer to the central console.

But just as "it" was about to raise a hand to adjust, it turned to John and confirmed: "Esteemed OriginalBody, have you really thought this through? Once opened, you will face a Law Emperor and an entire dynastic world. From what I know, your Human Empire has never before encountered any Law Emperor."

Although I can serve as a bridge between you—indeed between the Human Empire and the other side—and, using death‑spirit technology that reverses living beings, paint them a big picture, that Law Emperor's temperament is very volatile; I cannot guarantee the other side will be willing to listen.

"Listen?" John interrupted Tarasin, and this OriginalBody, unusually, showed a disdainful expression, correcting the death‑spirit overlord:

"Rest assured, our Human Empire will never carry out hostile actions against a race that shows goodwill, but against a race already at war, the Human Empire will not even initiate negotiations. Fight! We will only subdue the alien scum until they are annihilated!"

Hearing John say that, Tarasin's metal lower jaw shifted down a few millimeters, giving his metallic face a expression akin to "Whoa~!"

Then "it" asked, "So, esteemed OriginalBody, if any alien race refuses to submit?"

"If they don't submit, it's simple: crush them to extinction, leaving none alive." John replied calmly, as if he had done this countless times before.

Zelaz shook his head repeatedly, as if lamenting the now‑extinct alien race, and then "it" no longer hesitated, and said:

"Then so be it! Let's seize the Brilliant Star Map together! Wahahaha!"

Zelaz laughed heartily while rapidly tapping the holographic screen with his ten metal fingers; his demeanor seemed even more excited than John and the human side.

But it makes sense: a death‑spirit overlord dubbed "Figure‑head King" by the Human Emperor, the endless one Tarasin indeed desires the Brilliant Star Map more than the humans, intending to place it in "its" display case for admiration.

Only a few seconds.

Tarasin removed his hands from the screen, then faced John, extending both arms outward and swinging them, then placing his left arm behind his back and his right arm slightly forward in a modest bow, mimicking a high‑end restaurant waiter, and said respectfully:

"Esteemed OriginalBody, the bridge to the Opatara Dynasty has been completed; let us together propagate the Empire's doctrine to Law Emperor Xun Barahuer!"

As Tarasin spoke, several holographic screens hovering above the central console displayed the outside scenery to everyone.

In front of the Leoni Da, tens of thousands of kilometers away, a colossal fissure materialized out of nowhere, its end impossible to discern with the naked eye.

Then, at the exact center of the fissure, it began to tear upward and downward, eventually ripping open an entrance.

And that entrance had a very peculiar appearance.

If the material universe were flattened like a smooth A4 sheet, that entrance would resemble a hole made by thrusting a pencil through the paper and then withdrawing it—a rather jarring sight.

But John did not focus on the jarring entrance; instead he immediately ordered, "All vessels proceed with standard navigation, thrust into the five‑dimensional space."

"Yes."

With the command issued, the Leoni Da, alongside the Sparta helmsmen, surged forward at high speed, and the holographic screens displayed all vessels still arranged in an eight‑shaped formation, advancing together with their legion's home world.

Leaving the central control room.

Then leaving the core world.

Far from the Leoni Da's atmospheric surface.

From a distance, the Sparta fleet led by the Leoni Da surged forward at breakneck speed, drawing ever nearer to that jarring entrance.

Soon, the entire fleet was completely engulfed by that entrance, vanishing from the material universe.

If the camera perspective followed the fleet into the five‑dimensional space, initially there would be no difference from passing through a star gate—arrival would be instantaneous, without the fold‑jump turning into light, nor the leap‑travel that leads into a surrounding shimmering Rift Space.

However, the five‑dimensional space the fleet entered differed greatly from the five‑dimensional space studied and understood by the Human Empire.

The material universe is three‑dimensional, while four‑dimensional space interlaces "time" onto the three dimensions; simply put, the birth, development, and destruction of a planet become instantly visible, as if everything is predestined.

As for five‑dimensional space, it is the symmetry and unity of space, time, and layers, expressible through multiple mathematical models.

Yet the five‑dimensional space before the fleet resembled, within the endless dark of the cosmos, a calm "lake" or "sea" extending up‑down and left‑right, so that from any viewing angle the distant horizon always appeared as a tranquil lake or ocean.

In the core of this "lake" lay an "isolated island," upon which rose numerous metal pyramids of varying sizes.

Visually one cannot gauge how vast the "isolated island" truly is, but the heights of those metal pyramids far surpass all the death‑spirit tombs the Human Empire has encountered; each alone rises over ten kilometers.

Of course, given that this is five‑dimensional space, the actual size surely differs from visual impression.

Nevertheless, these facts did not deter the fleet's resolve; the appearance of the "isolated island" actually gave the fleet a target, and all vessels accelerated toward it.

However, just before the fleet reached the island, the entire five‑dimensional space suddenly grew even darker, to the point where one could not see a hand in front of one's face.

When visual perception returned to normal, a celestial‑scale metal sphere about ten thousand kilometers in diameter, which had appeared at an unknown time, was blocking the Sparta fleet's path.

Moreover, the celestial metal sphere seemed to be formed by a core radiating dazzling green light outward, with the core attaching numerous metal plates of varying sizes to assemble it.

After all, although the sphere was roughly round, the irregular plates and the faint green light leaking from the gaps and seams between them showed that it was indeed a patchwork.

Not only that sphere, but also tens of thousands of flying pyramids and scorpion‑shaped and disc‑shaped Death Spirit warships together formed a metallic curtain that blocked the Sparta fleet's attempt to approach the isolated island.

At this moment, inside the Leonidas command center.

Beside the central console.

"."

Through the holographic screen, at the very instant they saw the metal sphere appear, everyone fell into a brief silence.

Without needing to ask Tarasin, John knew it was a planetary‑class warship of the Space Death Spirit——

World Engine.

The Human–Death Spirit War had been raging for nearly three months, yet they had not yet encountered the Death Spirit dynasty that possessed the World Engine; however, as the Papal dynasty guarding the Brilliant Star Map, John would only find it odd if there were no other strategic‑level weapons.

Even though the Shield World was placed before the World Engine—truly a small witch before a great witch, as if a moment of carelessness would see the Shield World devoured by the World Engine—the people staying in the command center showed no excessive terror or shock.

Mainly because the Human Empire possessed even larger strategic weapons, massive devices, and an Ark fourteen hundred thousand kilometers in diameter.

If the Space Death Spirit did not lack a soul, the war would have ended at its outset, for the Human Empire, once truly determined to eradicate a particular race, would only need to deploy six to eight massive devices within the galaxy and then trigger a cross‑phase pulse wave.

Other empires even use planet‑destroying starships as ultimate weapons, and the Human Empire can already "clean the galaxy," even "clean the universe."

"John, how should we respond?" At that moment, Artemis, who had remained silent, was the first to ask, "Should we notify Robert and dispatch the Ark?"

"Deploying the Ark is too troublesome." John's face showed no emotional change as he said, "Don't conclude that the Leonidas cannot resist just because the enemy warship is massive; remember our home world is also a Shield World, so defense need not be a concern.

As for offense—

Sizzle. Sizzle.

Before John could finish speaking, the lights in the command center flickered like in a horror film when something eerie is about to emerge.

Soon, the lights returned to normal.

However, the central console that had been displaying the Star Map and screens was replaced by a holographic projection of a metal skeleton.

Moreover, the metal skeleton stood over ten meters tall, wielding a staff symbolizing authority, clad in armor and a metal cloak more exquisite and splendid than those of the Death Spirit overlord; most strikingly, the skeleton

had distinctly feminine features.

"Humans, invaders! I am the supreme leader of the Opatara dynasty, Xun Baraher!"

The Papal Baraher, in an extremely angry tone, gave a brief self‑introduction, glanced at the dazed and somewhat confused Tarasin, then turned again toward the obvious human side leader, John, and demanded:

"Give me a reason not to annihilate yours"

"Silence."

Bang!

But John was too lazy to let Baraher finish, so he clenched his right fist and, with a little force, hammered down, blasting the central console and successfully "physically sealing" Baraher.

At the same time, John first addressed the plague doctor: "Doctor, the reason they could invade here is because of Tarasin's presence; repair Tarasin and then cut off its connection to the outside."

Then he ordered the personnel in the command center: "Notify everyone to enter combat mode, adopt a three‑three formation for guerrilla tactics against them, and also inform the technical department to ready my DivineBody."

(End of chapter)