A mysterious, unknown galaxy might hold the secret that the Goddess of Creation left to Vivian. It could also be a trap that the Goddess of Destruction left to the latecomers. Whatever the case, the galaxy was an irresistible place for Hao Ren to visit. After all, he had been trying to uncover the truth of the Plane of Dreams all this while.
He would definitely be going to the mysterious galaxy. But before that, he needed to take care of a few things.
Hao Ren had given the mysterious galaxy a lame temporary name: X Galaxy. Of the three probes that he sent out, he had lost contact with Probe 1 while Probe 2 and 3 were in good condition and had begun exploring X Galaxy. Hao Ren had ordered the two probes to expand their exploration and build guiding beacons using whatever raw material they could find locally. This task was crucial. What the two drones could accomplish was very limited. Even if each individual drone could multiply and form a cluster, it would take the two probes too long to achieve that. So, the best option was for the two drones to sow the guiding beacons. When the beacons formed a gravitational network, the main drone cluster would be able to find their way here. As for expanding the exploration, it was only a routine. It would take a long time for the two probes to explore the entire galaxy, which consisting of several planetary systems. Hao Ren only hoped that before he arrived at X Galaxy, the two drones had already figured out the situation near the target of the warp jump.
Nolan was running a preflight self-diagnostic, and the probes were planting beacons and snapping photos of X Galaxy. In the meantime, Hao Ren had summoned Lemendusa and Muru, who had just come back from Solenne Nebula, and Heve, who was monitoring the ecosphere on Tannagost. He had also called in the Lord of the Lords, Loken and the Lord of the Mountains, Geddon, two ancient giants of the early days of the Goddess of Creation.
Hao Ren needed to discuss the Crimson Moon and the Star of Creation with these giants.
The giants stood in the central chamber of the CARS. As usual, Hao Ren was on the crystal platform high above the hall, his line of sight was just level with these towering guys. He first asked about the Creation Engine, “Has the assembly project been suspended?”
“Aside from the necessary maintenance, we have shut down the production,” Lemendusa said. “The star forging furnace has collapsed. I have stored all the molded parts and unused materials on planet PHN-26.”
Hao Ren nodded in acknowledgment. But before he spoke, Muru chimed in by asking, “Is there really something wrong with the blueprint of the Creation Engine?”
Hao Ren looked at Muru, whose face like stone. But instinct told Hao Ren that these giants had begun to be suspicious of his earlier reasoning.
Hao Ren was silent for a moment before letting out a sigh. “I was not lying by saying that the blueprint of the Creation Engine was unreliable. It was just that we had not been able to determine whether the hidden danger existed. I have recently found some clues; some of the projects that the Goddess of Creations started before her death could have been compromised. In other words, I am not sure if the blueprint that I have given you is the original design by the Goddess of Creation.”
The giants looked at each other. Loken and Geddon, the previous generation of giants who had been keeping an eye on Lockmarton in Collow, knew little about the Creation Engine. But Lemendusa and Heve were visibly shaken; they understand how vital the Creation Engine was to their mother. Thing as crucial as the Creation Engine had been compromised?
“I will find out what happens as soon as possible.” Hao Ren quickly steered the conversation away when he sensed that the guardian giants began to raise questions. “I am seeing you all today for something else.”
Loken, the Lord of the Lords, nodded. “We are all ears.”
“You have all lived on the Star of Creation before and should know the planet very well. Have you heard about the lair of Lockmarton on the planet? Or maybe the ruins?”
Heve shook her head. “I used to be responsible for patrolling the Sea of Creation, but have never heard of that.”
Geddon, the Lord of the Mountains then said in a muffled voice, “Lockmarton once lived on the Star of Creation. At that time, we were not born yet. But I know the history; Mother had indeed built a lair for Lockmarton. But then Lockmarton went decadent and crazy. After a fight broke out between Mother and the Mad Lord fought went crazy, and the mother and the mad Lord, history had been buried. If I am not mistaken, Mother has even rubbed out the lair on the Star of Creation.”
Hao Ren nodded. Things seemed to add up. The lair of Lockmarton seen in the Crimson Moon was indeed the ruin on the Star of Creation. But what about the crystal at the bottom of the ocean?
“Who knows about these crystals?”
As Hao Ren spoke, the MDT showed a hologram that depicted the crystals on the seabed of the Sea of the Crimson Moon. “These crystals resonate and work like a neuro-network that transmit signals. It is probably on the seabed of the Star of Creation.”
This time, it was Loken who shook his head. “I have never seen this thing before, and I am sure it does not exist on the Star of Creation. Our mother made us from the star wreckage that she collected from deep space, but part of our core came from the core of the Star of Creation. This core enables us to know from our subconscious the original appearance of the Star of Creation. If the seabed had these crystals, I would have recognized it right away.”
Hao Ren turned his attention to the three second-gen, flesh-and-blood giants. After a while, Heve said, “I think… I have seen this thing.”
“You did?” Muru was surprised.
“Do you still remember before the revolt, Mother used to go out alone? I once saw her coming back; she looked tired as if she had just come back from a long trip. She did not go back to the temple but headed directly to the bottom of the Sea of Creation. I knew before I was patrolling nearby at that time and I saw she threw many crystals that looked just like these into the sea. But she never mentioned it after that. As Mother often collected strange mineral stones, I did not suspect anything. She usually brought her collections to the temple and put them under the custody of the guardians, but she threw these crystals into the sea. Now, thinking of it, I start to feel it a little strange.”
Collecting a bunch of rocks that glowed from outer space and treating them like treasure? Was the Goddess of Creation lost relative of Lily?
The husky maiden was instantly wide-awake. “Oh, oh! Mr. Landlord, I think the Goddess of Creation and I may have a common language; we both are artistically inclined.”
Vivian shot Lily a glare. “While the goddess was collecting crystals, you just played with bricks and rocks. How could you still have the nerve to say that is artistic?”
Hao Ren intervened to ask this quarrelsome pair to calm down. He then turned to look at Heve seriously. “You meant the goddess brought these crystals to the Star of Creation back then?”
The female giant nodded.
Hao Ren and Vivian exchanged a look.
“Then, the timeline may not add up. The Crimson Moon is like a snapshot, but there are two eras of relics appear on it at the same time. The gap between the lair of Lockmarton and the crystals on the seabed are as large as millions of years.”
Vivian frowned. “What we know about the Crimson Moon could be wrong; it is not a snapshot of the Star of Creation at a particular time but a photomontage.”
“A photomontage?”
“It consists of various images of the Star of Creation at different eras put together in a new projection.” Vivian gently shook her head. “Maybe because I have only inherited a limited amount of divine blood from the Goddess of Creation and so too my knowledge. The Crimson Moon is not only one-eighth the diameter of the Star of Creation, but it appears that the information is also fragmented.”
Hao Ren thought for a moment; it seemed that that was the only possible explanation.
Heve, who had a ton of questions in mind, could not help but ask, “How did you know the existence of these crystals?”
Hao Ren did not have to withhold the information as it was not classified. “It is a long story. You might not know; Vivian has a killer move called Dawning Crimson Moon.”
Hao Ren’s words had been very concise, but it still took him an hour to explain about the Crimson Moon although he had skipped the part about the split of the Goddess of Creation, which was considered sensitive information. The giants listened attentively and could not help but look at Vivian solemnly.
“I have never known you have such a close connection with Mother,” Lemendusa said with a sigh. “Even if it is just a projection of the Star of Creation, I still want to see it with my own eyes.”
“Yeah, I have not gone home for 10,000 years.” Muru’s voice was low. “The Sea of Creation; I wish to see it again.”
The giants were homesick, but Hao Ren could not fulfill their wishes—at least not now.
“The Crimson Moon and the Star of Creation have a deep connection. And for this reason alone, I cannot let Vivian summon the Crimson Moon in the Plane of Dreams.” Hao Ren shook his head. “It could lead to unintended consequences. We do not know what would happen when Vivian summons the Star of Creation’s projection—especially when little is known about the Mad Lord’s situation.”
Lemendusa forced a smile and said, “We were just saying. We understand the situation.”
A mysterious, unknown galaxy might hold the secret that the Goddess of Creation left to Vivian. It could also be a trap that the Goddess of Destruction left to the latecomers. Whatever the case, the galaxy was an irresistible place for Hao Ren to visit. After all, he had been trying to uncover the truth of the Plane of Dreams all this while.
He would definitely be going to the mysterious galaxy. But before that, he needed to take care of a few things.
Hao Ren had given the mysterious galaxy a lame temporary name: X Galaxy. Of the three probes that he sent out, he had lost contact with Probe 1 while Probe 2 and 3 were in good condition and had begun exploring X Galaxy. Hao Ren had ordered the two probes to expand their exploration and build guiding beacons using whatever raw material they could find locally. This task was crucial. What the two drones could accomplish was very limited. Even if each individual drone could multiply and form a cluster, it would take the two probes too long to achieve that. So, the best option was for the two drones to sow the guiding beacons. When the beacons formed a gravitational network, the main drone cluster would be able to find their way here. As for expanding the exploration, it was only a routine. It would take a long time for the two probes to explore the entire galaxy, which consisting of several planetary systems. Hao Ren only hoped that before he arrived at X Galaxy, the two drones had already figured out the situation near the target of the warp jump.
Nolan was running a preflight self-diagnostic, and the probes were planting beacons and snapping photos of X Galaxy. In the meantime, Hao Ren had summoned Lemendusa and Muru, who had just come back from Solenne Nebula, and Heve, who was monitoring the ecosphere on Tannagost. He had also called in the Lord of the Lords, Loken and the Lord of the Mountains, Geddon, two ancient giants of the early days of the Goddess of Creation.
Hao Ren needed to discuss the Crimson Moon and the Star of Creation with these giants.
The giants stood in the central chamber of the CARS. As usual, Hao Ren was on the crystal platform high above the hall, his line of sight was just level with these towering guys. He first asked about the Creation Engine, “Has the assembly project been suspended?”
“Aside from the necessary maintenance, we have shut down the production,” Lemendusa said. “The star forging furnace has collapsed. I have stored all the molded parts and unused materials on planet PHN-26.”
Hao Ren nodded in acknowledgment. But before he spoke, Muru chimed in by asking, “Is there really something wrong with the blueprint of the Creation Engine?”
Hao Ren looked at Muru, whose face like stone. But instinct told Hao Ren that these giants had begun to be suspicious of his earlier reasoning.
Hao Ren was silent for a moment before letting out a sigh. “I was not lying by saying that the blueprint of the Creation Engine was unreliable. It was just that we had not been able to determine whether the hidden danger existed. I have recently found some clues; some of the projects that the Goddess of Creations started before her death could have been compromised. In other words, I am not sure if the blueprint that I have given you is the original design by the Goddess of Creation.”
The giants looked at each other. Loken and Geddon, the previous generation of giants who had been keeping an eye on Lockmarton in Collow, knew little about the Creation Engine. But Lemendusa and Heve were visibly shaken; they understand how vital the Creation Engine was to their mother. Thing as crucial as the Creation Engine had been compromised?
“I will find out what happens as soon as possible.” Hao Ren quickly steered the conversation away when he sensed that the guardian giants began to raise questions. “I am seeing you all today for something else.”
Loken, the Lord of the Lords, nodded. “We are all ears.”
“You have all lived on the Star of Creation before and should know the planet very well. Have you heard about the lair of Lockmarton on the planet? Or maybe the ruins?”
Heve shook her head. “I used to be responsible for patrolling the Sea of Creation, but have never heard of that.”
Geddon, the Lord of the Mountains then said in a muffled voice, “Lockmarton once lived on the Star of Creation. At that time, we were not born yet. But I know the history; Mother had indeed built a lair for Lockmarton. But then Lockmarton went decadent and crazy. After a fight broke out between Mother and the Mad Lord fought went crazy, and the mother and the mad Lord, history had been buried. If I am not mistaken, Mother has even rubbed out the lair on the Star of Creation.”
Hao Ren nodded. Things seemed to add up. The lair of Lockmarton seen in the Crimson Moon was indeed the ruin on the Star of Creation. But what about the crystal at the bottom of the ocean?
“Who knows about these crystals?”
As Hao Ren spoke, the MDT showed a hologram that depicted the crystals on the seabed of the Sea of the Crimson Moon. “These crystals resonate and work like a neuro-network that transmit signals. It is probably on the seabed of the Star of Creation.”
This time, it was Loken who shook his head. “I have never seen this thing before, and I am sure it does not exist on the Star of Creation. Our mother made us from the star wreckage that she collected from deep space, but part of our core came from the core of the Star of Creation. This core enables us to know from our subconscious the original appearance of the Star of Creation. If the seabed had these crystals, I would have recognized it right away.”
Hao Ren turned his attention to the three second-gen, flesh-and-blood giants. After a while, Heve said, “I think… I have seen this thing.”
“You did?” Muru was surprised.
“Do you still remember before the revolt, Mother used to go out alone? I once saw her coming back; she looked tired as if she had just come back from a long trip. She did not go back to the temple but headed directly to the bottom of the Sea of Creation. I knew before I was patrolling nearby at that time and I saw she threw many crystals that looked just like these into the sea. But she never mentioned it after that. As Mother often collected strange mineral stones, I did not suspect anything. She usually brought her collections to the temple and put them under the custody of the guardians, but she threw these crystals into the sea. Now, thinking of it, I start to feel it a little strange.”
Collecting a bunch of rocks that glowed from outer space and treating them like treasure? Was the Goddess of Creation lost relative of Lily?
The husky maiden was instantly wide-awake. “Oh, oh! Mr. Landlord, I think the Goddess of Creation and I may have a common language; we both are artistically inclined.”
Vivian shot Lily a glare. “While the goddess was collecting crystals, you just played with bricks and rocks. How could you still have the nerve to say that is artistic?”
Hao Ren intervened to ask this quarrelsome pair to calm down. He then turned to look at Heve seriously. “You meant the goddess brought these crystals to the Star of Creation back then?”
The female giant nodded.
Hao Ren and Vivian exchanged a look.
“Then, the timeline may not add up. The Crimson Moon is like a snapshot, but there are two eras of relics appear on it at the same time. The gap between the lair of Lockmarton and the crystals on the seabed are as large as millions of years.”
Vivian frowned. “What we know about the Crimson Moon could be wrong; it is not a snapshot of the Star of Creation at a particular time but a photomontage.”
“A photomontage?”
“It consists of various images of the Star of Creation at different eras put together in a new projection.” Vivian gently shook her head. “Maybe because I have only inherited a limited amount of divine blood from the Goddess of Creation and so too my knowledge. The Crimson Moon is not only one-eighth the diameter of the Star of Creation, but it appears that the information is also fragmented.”
Hao Ren thought for a moment; it seemed that that was the only possible explanation.
Heve, who had a ton of questions in mind, could not help but ask, “How did you know the existence of these crystals?”
Hao Ren did not have to withhold the information as it was not classified. “It is a long story. You might not know; Vivian has a killer move called Dawning Crimson Moon.”
Hao Ren’s words had been very concise, but it still took him an hour to explain about the Crimson Moon although he had skipped the part about the split of the Goddess of Creation, which was considered sensitive information. The giants listened attentively and could not help but look at Vivian solemnly.
“I have never known you have such a close connection with Mother,” Lemendusa said with a sigh. “Even if it is just a projection of the Star of Creation, I still want to see it with my own eyes.”
“Yeah, I have not gone home for 10,000 years.” Muru’s voice was low. “The Sea of Creation; I wish to see it again.”
The giants were homesick, but Hao Ren could not fulfill their wishes—at least not now.
“The Crimson Moon and the Star of Creation have a deep connection. And for this reason alone, I cannot let Vivian summon the Crimson Moon in the Plane of Dreams.” Hao Ren shook his head. “It could lead to unintended consequences. We do not know what would happen when Vivian summons the Star of Creation’s projection—especially when little is known about the Mad Lord’s situation.”
Lemendusa forced a smile and said, “We were just saying. We understand the situation.”
