Chapter 72: Lin Ran

Several light-years away, an advanced biological expedition fleet was conducting warp flight toward their preset destination.

Suddenly, red pop-up windows began appearing on the command consoles of the entire fleet, and all ships had their warp engines forcibly shut down by the system at that moment.

"Warning! Within 2.1 light-years nearby, a massive energy source is tearing space, causing obvious spatial fluctuations in the area, making level‑10 warp impossible."

On the Expedition flagship, the ship's emotionless AI voice sounded, and many crew members in the analysis room began puzzlingly analyzing the surrounding situation.

Two minutes later, a report was delivered to the command room, and a cold‑looking figure stood facing the ship's glass, gazing at the starry sky.

"Leader, the analysis results from the analysis room are out; please take a look."

"Hmm."

Lin Ran gave a soft hum, took the report from the junior secretary's hand, listened to their meticulous analysis, and gradually furrowed her brow.

"The data shows that the location of the spatial anomaly contains two closely spaced planetary‑level gravity sources."

"According to the analysis, there are three possibilities: first, when a disaster star infected with the Blood Disaster devours a planet, the planet's lifeforms use powerful weapons to retaliate; this possibility has a 52.31% probability."

"Second, it could be the retaliation of a deep‑space giant whale when it devours a civilization‑bearing planet; this possibility has a 21.9% probability."

"Third, it could be the death of the insect king capable of bursting subspace during a giant insect nest's attack on a planet, which has an 11.7% probability."

"The remaining possibility accounts for 14.09%."

"It's up to you to decide, Leader."

"Hmm."

Lin Ran skillfully flipped through the report on her palm, but her eyes lost all interest.

"The analysis is not bad, but the self‑awareness is too strong."

"No need to look; this is caused by the Beast Disaster, and the newcomers brought by this batch of analysts still need training."

The junior secretary looked at the proficiently analyzing Lin Ran, eyes full of admiration.

She looked at the cold Lin Ran and spoke cautiously.

"Um... Leader, should we go..."

"Of course we should go."

Lin Ran spoke decisively, her tone devoid of any hesitation.

"Our enemies are not limited to the Blood Disaster; moreover, the star‑devouring giant whale selectively seeks out civilization planets to devour—do you think we can just sit by and do nothing?"

Lin Ran appeared to be criticizing the junior secretary, but in fact she speaks to everyone in this manner.

"Okay... okay..."

The junior secretary shrank her neck, feeling both admiration and fear toward Lin Ran.

"Have the rest of the fleets prepare for contact with civilizations entering space."

"Also, have the diplomats and disaster relief team get ready; we're departing."

"Got it!"

As the fleet's second engine ignited, accompanied by the activation of the low‑power warp drive, the entire fleet swiftly changed course and headed toward the far side of space...

Lin Ran gazed toward the far side of space, her heart inexplicably welling up with an indescribable feeling...

"Strange... why does my chest feel stuffy?"

She muttered to herself, then helplessly shook her head and shoved a piece of rock candy into her mouth.

"It's not like this... it's not like this... the teacher wouldn't be because..."

Tears streamed down incessantly, and Weiniya only then realized that countless monsters still surrounded her!

After being severely wounded by her own hand, the teacher exerted everything to protect her, finally exhausting her qi and blood and turning into her current state...

This is the situation Weiniya can think of that best matches the current circumstances.

"Sorry, teacher... sorry..."

Weiniya dared not look at the dried corpse's face, as guilt and remorse kept surging within her.

She trembled, wanting to place the hand of the levitated dried corpse back onto her own head, to feel the teacher's caress one last time, but the dried corpse had already become utterly rigid...

Thus, she could only carefully lie down again, gently resting her head on the dried corpse's hand, and her two small hands lightly clasped the withered palm.

It seemed that as long as she did this, the teacher had never left her...

"Is all this a dream..."

"If only it were a dream..."

Even thinking this way, tears still involuntarily trickled from the corners of her eyes; Weiniya clenched her teeth tightly, refusing to let herself cry out.

She really is a heaven‑blighted lone star... she killed her parents, and her sister was rendered a vegetative state by her influence...

Now her sister had finally awakened with difficulty, yet she harmed the teacher again.

She personally extinguished the warm bonfire that had comforted her...

She opened her eyes, Weiniya lay beside the dried corpse, gazing at the sky where the upper jaw was gradually being covered, and the sorrow in her eyes gradually gave way to emptiness.

"It doesn't matter anymore... nothing matters anymore..."

"Anyway... I'm going to die too..."

"Maybe... the teacher is still waiting for me on the Yellow Spring Road..."

"Just like this... always..."

Weiniya peacefully closed her eyes...

"Teacher... I'm coming..."

After a long while, the imagined explosion sound arrived, and Weiniya knew that this world had entered the countdown to destruction...

Suddenly, a burst of strong light came from somewhere, and Weiniya felt that even with her eyes tightly shut it was still blinding.

A tremendous roar rang out, accompanied by a deafening beast howl, and Weiniya dubiously opened her eyes.

The sight before her was even more shocking than seeing the deep‑space giant whale!

Only a red-and-cyan beam of light struck the beast's body, and a huge roar and explosion sounded.

That light actually forcibly blasted the Deep Space Giant Beast's incomparably huge body, sending it flying backward!

The earth continuously trembled from the huge gravity; unlike the beast's slow speed when flying toward the planet, at this moment it was visibly moving away from the planet.

Instead, the sky was filled with densely packed strange warships, and one of them was so huge it exceeded her imagination!

What... what is this?

Weiniya muttered to herself, only to see the densely packed warships continually landing on the ground, fully armed individuals stepping onto the planet, continually clearing all the black creatures around.

Watching this scene, Weiniya felt no sense of having survived a disaster; instead, the heart she had let down rose again with despair.

Why... why won't even death fulfill me...!

Clearly it is a future full of despair; clearly she had already prepared herself to die as best as she could, but why.....

If the teacher could have held on until these people arrived, perhaps he wouldn't have died...

Looking at the desiccated corpse sitting cross-legged before her, Weiniya could no longer hold back, she flung herself onto the corpse's legs and wailed loudly.

Teacher... teacher...

Weiniya kept calling Zhang Jie, but unfortunately, the dead cannot speak again.

Hope after despair is not hope, but a deeper despair...