Chapter 400

Space... space... space pirates?

What thing was it again?

For a moment, the Gemstone Old Man thought he had misheard, however what came from the opposite side was fundamentally not sound, but a modulated information wave of some kind of technical output.

It was just that when he captured this information wave, his brain, as if a proficient translator, rapidly decoded it and converted it into a perception similar to hearing.

But when it comes down to it, that wasn't true sound either...

In this way, the possibility of "mishearing" didn't seem very large.

The Gemstone Old Man's thoughts spun rapidly; to tell the truth, he had also expected many possible encounters, however he really hadn't thought that what would appear before him would be something like space pirates.

However——

While being fixed by a short-range tractor beam, in the process of being dragged toward the starship.

The Gemstone Old Man looked back at the place he had previously used for a brief rest, which was that small fragment of celestial body debris.

Floating alone in the vast universe, like a lonely asteroid, silently narrating endless loneliness and desolation.

However...

This kind of loneliness and solitude is merely an illusion.

Because in more distant places, within the interstellar space that vision can reach, are filled with more and larger debris and fragments, the corpse of a giant celestial body ruthlessly torn apart.

Under the irradiation of the red giant, the entire solar system is almost entirely this kind of scenery.

Those debris and fragments, like witnesses of history, silently record the events that once occurred in this star system.

The Gemstone Old Man turned his head back, his rugged face full of a serious expression, he slightly closed his eyes... pirates, pirates then, still better than having nothing at all.

Thinking from a slightly more optimistic angle...

At least I've finally run into locals, haven't I.

………………

Under very cooperative circumstances.

The Second Magic User was very smoothly guided onto the starship.

Probably also because of this cooperation, and the pirates on the starship's recklessness or rather lack of attention, so he wasn't even restricted much.

Standing amidst silver-white metal bulkheads glowing with light, full of sci-fi imagination, everything around shone with the cold brilliance of future technology.

Straight ahead in the corridor, a thick safety gate slowly opened.

"Hm?"

At the same time, the Gemstone Old Man turned his head, his gaze sweeping past his side.

Only to see a faint blue radiance quietly appear in the air, forming a virtual interaction interface.

On it was precisely mapped every detail of his body, constructing a lifelike holographic projection.

And around the holographic model, strange and inscrutable text characters and rapidly jumping data bytes revolved, updating at high frequency every second.

——This is some kind of cutting-edge technology scanning me?

——Mm, and the text and symbols on it, though unfamiliar, yet faintly reveal the pulse and traces of Earth culture.

The Mage showed no change in expression; for this sudden "physical examination," he hesitated slightly.

But considering the other party collecting information is reasonable.

He himself also wanted to take this opportunity to gather more clues, so he decided to temporarily not adopt a confrontational attitude.

During this scanning process, the Gemstone Old Man's mind was also almost completely attracted by the content on that virtual interface.

He tried to search for clues from those flashing light points and flowing lines; although in a short time he couldn't interpret the specific meaning of these texts and symbols, that sense of familiarity still made him feel slightly at ease in his heart.

Although I can't understand it, it's very familiar.

As if they have intricate connections with Earth culture.

Basically it's just this kind of feeling.

——"Hey, old geezer!"

——"What are you spacing out standing there for? Your information has already been recorded and authorized..."

——"Can't you see the door's open? Hurry up! Be quick! Come to the captain's quarters on the upper deck to see me."

At this time, a hearty voice came from the virtual projection, carrying obvious urging intent.

"……"

"……"

So this scan was also part of recording authorization for me?

The old man's rugged face had no expression, just the corner of his eye twitched imperceptibly once, mainly because the other party's way of greeting was too blunt.

From becoming a disciple of King Solomon, starting to learn Magecraft...

To proving the Second Magic, beginning to witness the scenery of parallel worlds...

And managing Magicians strictly like an army, as well as that battle with the Crimson Moon that decided the peak of his life...

Although the Gemstone Old Man lacks that awareness, in most moments he is actually held in high respect.

To be directly called "old geezer" like this, a title that sounds very impolite, really is...

——A rather novel experience.

Shaking his head helplessly, this old but vigorous old man, height 1.9 meters, also strode forward with big steps.

Where the captain's quarters on the upper deck is, I don't know for now.

But presumably it won't be hard to find, and that interaction interface didn't disappear, but steadily projected on the screen at a position slightly ahead beside him.

Like it's guiding the direction.

On the floor also appeared blue glowing arrows one by one; they, amid the flowing light, clearly and unmistakably marked the path forward.

Wait! That's not right——

Footsteps halted abruptly in this moment; Baoshi Weng's mind trembled violently, as if struck by a bolt of lightning, and he belatedly recalled something.

He jerked his head up, a flicker of shock and suspicion flashing in his gaze, instantly no longer caring to pay attention to those arrows.

This was not because he was slow to react, but because everything that had just happened was too natural, so smooth it was as if there was nothing amiss.

And the old man, because of his prior pondering and observation of the text and symbols, subconsciously believed the devil lay in the details, so he wanted to look more at some features of this spaceship's interior.

However, it was precisely this obsession with details that caused him to briefly ignore the greatest clue—

Language.

Unlike earlier in the space environment outside, now that he had boarded the ship, the other party truly spoke directly with Baoshi Weng.

The language used was naturally the part most worthy of attention.

But because he could understand every sentence of the other party's without any obstacle, achieving the most natural and smooth communication, the Mage whose attention was scattered could not realize the significance for a time.

— Unified Language?

— The world-common language before the Divine Transformation Confused Language?

A lightning-like thought flashed through the Mage's mind; he suddenly realized a language concept he himself could hardly reach.

It was not merely a language common to all humans, but a meaning explanation common to all things. It could not only let people converse with people, but also let people converse with the World, used to determine meaning.

As long as one learns this language, it is equivalent to learning all languages, and using this language one can converse with all things…

At this moment, Baoshi Weng could only think of this.

Just stopping his steps, thinking for two seconds, he then seemed somewhat unable to be certain.

——————

Not long after.

The elder, harboring a belly full of suspicion and worry, arrived at the starship's topmost level, the Captain's Cabin located in the Deck One area.

The safety gate opened; he hurriedly stepped inside, his gaze like a torch, swiftly scrutinizing everything around him.

Inside the cabin, it was spacious and bright, layout orderly, seemingly composed of two main functional areas.

On the farther side, toward the bow direction, appeared to be the living quarters, furnished with a bed, desk, and general furniture.

While in the front section, the futuristic sci-fi atmosphere was much thicker; unknown if it was a structure combining the Combat Information Center, Communication Conference Room, and Armory into one body.

Crisscrossing light paths intertwined in mid-air like a neural network; holographic projections flickered with a dim blue glow, adding a few degrees of mystery and depth to this space. Various data and images dynamically changed, displaying the real-time status of the starship and star map.

And in front of the giant projection, two men were talking and laughing loudly; their laughter reverberated in the empty cabin, exceptionally clear.

These were the only two people the Mage had seen since boarding the ship.

It seemed this starship only had these two people using it.

"You're here? Quite slow, ah…" One young man looked toward Baoshi Weng's direction, a heroic smile brimming on his face, laughing loudly, "Were you scared just now?"

"Servant—?" Baoshi Weng did not respond directly, but frowned slightly, his gaze like lightning swiftly sweeping toward the other person.

These two are actually both Servants?

This, this is too absurd, right? And I have not the slightest impression, completely don't recognize them!

Could it be they are Servants belonging to the Future Era, so they pilot a universe spaceship flying wildly through the star sea?

"……"

"……"

"What Servant? What are you saying?"

That young man blinked, asking with some doubt, then exchanged a glance with his companion.

The latter also shrugged, indicating he also didn't understand.

"You two aren't Servants?" Baoshi Weng scrutinized their expressions, directly asking: "I see your bodies are both ether constructed…"

He had too many questions, deciding to directly conduct an interrogation.

At this moment, he also more or less displayed the Magic Marshal's toughness and turning the tables on the host.

"Eh? Is there a problem with this…"

The two on the opposite side looked at each other in blank dismay, seemingly unable to react for a moment, subconsciously replying.

This, isn't this common sense?

"It's always been like this, right? Isn't it relying on 'Etherization' technology that we entered the Interstellar Era? This has already been forty thousand years…"

"……"

"……"

Baoshi Weng's brows knitted into a deep ravine; those tightly locked lines seemed to narrate the stormy waves in his heart, because he extracted some key information from it.

— Relying on the popularization of 'Etherization' technology?

— Thereby entering the Interstellar Era?

This is truly… truly…

He found it somewhat impossible to evaluate, yet suddenly discovered this method seemed impossible to pick faults with.

When humanity sheds the limitations of the carbon-based body, no longer fleshly mortal bodies, but completely constructed of the Fifth Element 'Ether', transcending the material level body…

How many troublesome steps and requirements would this save for civilization to break out of the Mother Star and march toward the star sea?

"Wait, you don't know this?"

At this time, the two on the opposite side also seemed to have reacted, turning around to frown tightly and size up the old man before them.

"You seem to be a Vampire, right? True Ancestor Branch or Winged People Branch?" That heroically smiling young man stared at the Mage with some vigilance, simultaneously glancing at the scan results displayed on the screen projection beside him.

"Hmm, no—" He soliloquized, brows tightly locked, seemingly doubting the scan results.

"Even old things that don't need Etherization couldn't possibly not know this, right…" He muttered in a low voice, his tone revealing a kind of disbelief.

Suddenly, this young man seemed to think of something, a look of sudden realization on his face, immediately whipping his head around to look at Baoshi Weng with burning eyes, as if seeing some shocking secret.

The Mage sighed softly in his heart, silently mobilizing his magic power; as expected, it still comes to a fight, does it?

"I wanted to ask just now, how did you end up at that place on your own, why didn't you have a ship, were you betrayed by a companion you were adventuring with or something……"

That young man spoke excitedly, with an expression and posture of "there is only one truth," shouting loudly while simultaneously pointing a finger at the Mage.

"From the looks of it now, you actually just arrived in this World, right! You appeared there directly!"

His tone was full of certainty.

"……"

"……"

Baoshi Weng did not speak, merely tensing every muscle and all his Mors Strength, poised and ready to strike, waiting only for a Thunder Strike.

In his heart, shocking waves of astonishment also surged; this World was actually terrifying to such a degree, that even these obviously Unrelated bystanders……

Could all see through his background?

However——

"Haha, not speaking, Indeed you let me guess it, right! You're an Ascender…… right?"

That young man grew even more excited, uttering a term that left the Mage baffled.

He laughed heartily: "To actually run into such a rare case……"

"Then……"

"Ascender, listen well……"

Under the Mage's gaze mixed with vigilance and doubt, that young man spread his arms wide and declared loudly:

"Welcome to——Canghui Galaxy!"

(Chapter End)