Xin Yu gazed out the shuttle window at the colossal structure that materialized before them. This massive edifice, comparable in size to an ordinary planet, was merely the gate of the Xianzhou Luofu.
This was an interstellar civilization. This was the Xianzhou Alliance, truly capable of propelling an entire civilization through the cosmos using the power of technology. Witnessing this scene, Xin Yu, an Earthling unaccustomed to such marvels, couldn't help but sigh in admiration at this miracle of civilization.
He wondered, if humanity could fully harness the power of Honkai, would they too, one day, be able to escape the shackles of gravity and venture into the boundless starry expanse?
I believe they will.
Humanity's future should not be confined to its mother planet. We who have gazed at the starry sky since ancient times, how could we be content to be forever bound by gravity? How could we allow our souls to be shackled by that force!
As long as Honkai is thoroughly vanquished, as long as the malevolence and strife within people's hearts are resolved, the day human civilization achieves a high degree of unity will be the day humanity takes a decisive step towards the stars.
Although the signs of victory over Honkai were beginning to emerge, how could one resolve the evil in people's hearts, the inevitable sin that resides within them?
Xin Yu had only a vague idea, but for now, he temporarily set that nebulous thought aside. He needed to focus on the task at hand; there was no need to ponder so far into the future.
"The team heading to the Xianzhou this time will consist of Welt, Xing, March 7th, and Xin Yu. I need to stay behind with Pom-Pom. Dan Heng is unable to enter the Xianzhou Luofu due to personal reasons, so this operation is up to you."
Himeko announced the selected team members.
The great gates of the Xianzhou slowly opened, as if signaling that the Astral Express could enter. However, it was strange; why had there been no response to their hails for a while? Had some accident occurred? Or had the personnel on duty simply slacked off and only just returned?
But they had come all this way; they couldn't possibly turn back just because of this. The four-person team used the Astral Express's short-range transition device to enter the port on the Xianzhou Luofu designated for receiving foreign visitors.
After the four-member team landed, they found their surroundings utterly deserted. There were no personnel to investigate their arrival, no welcoming committee, not even patrolling guards or workers. All they saw were densely packed rows of various containers, forming what looked like a labyrinth.
"Strange, why isn't there anyone around? Isn't the Xianzhou Luofu supposed to be quite lively? Why does it feel so empty now, like something out of a ghost movie?"
March 7th shivered slightly, shrinking back a little in fear.
"Perhaps the disaster within the Luofu has already escalated severely. This place might have already become a ghoooost laaand~ teeming with the undead."
As Xing finished her sentence, she leaned close to March 7th's ear, her voice taking on an eerie tone. March 7th felt goosebumps rise all over her skin and immediately shoved the troublemaker aside.
"Let's go check ahead. In any case, standing still will only lead to the worst outcome."
Welt adjusted the glasses on his face, his hand gripping a cane, and walked ahead of the group.
Xin Yu surveyed the surroundings. Although the containers were mostly arranged neatly, certain areas showed signs of some unforeseen incident; several containers were clearly misaligned, as if the machinery had been stopped abruptly.
The disaster had struck suddenly, and the problem remained unresolved. The workers hadn't been able to return to their posts, leaving these containers haphazardly placed here.
Xin Yu approached a potted plant by the roadside, seemingly a decorative item containing an unknown species, and inspected it. He found no significant accumulation of dust on the pot or the plant itself. It seemed the disaster hadn't occurred long enough for dust to settle to that extent.
The team of four continued to explore. Before long, their path forward was blocked by containers. Evidently, due to the outbreak of unknown causes, the workers operating the machinery to move containers had evacuated quickly, possibly even intentionally blockading the port, which was why these containers now obstructed the passage.
Xing volunteered, stepping forward and declaring that she was familiar with this kind of work. Wasn't it just a puzzle?
Xin Yu watched as she quickly approached the control panel. With a flurry of rapid operations, the panel successfully activated. Xing's practiced movements as she cleared away all the obstructing containers made one suspect: had this girl worked in this line of business before?
"Have you really lost your memory? How do you know how to operate so many strange instruments? Back at the space station and in Belobog, you seemed to know how to use equipment that even outsiders couldn't operate."
March 7th looked at Xing. Could it be that before losing her memory, she was a traveler who wandered the universe, taking on odd jobs everywhere?
"Isn't it just a puzzle? Very simple."
Xing puffed out her chest proudly and then walked ahead of the group.
So far, their journey had been remarkably calm. No monsters, no people; everything seemed deathly still.
Just as the group, with Xing's help, passed through another sealed gate, an extremely loud commotion suddenly erupted from ahead.
The group hurried over and saw a contingent of soldiers and a fox-eared girl surrounded. The monsters encircling them were all clad in armor, from within which numerous plants sprouted, giving them a bizarre, humanoid appearance.
"Save them."
Welt had barely spoken when a figure shot past him – it was Xin Yu, who had been silent until now, merely observing.
As Xin Yu dashed forward, Sakurabuki materialized in his hand. His gaze was calm as he delivered a swift slash. A humanoid monster with pale golden twin blades extending from the backs of its hands, blocking his path, was instantly bisected at the waist. It collapsed to the ground, twitched a few times, and lost all power to move.
Xin Yu dispatched the monsters with extreme speed, his longsword cutting through their bodies as easily as a hot knife through butter.
Naturally, the monsters reacted and noticed Xin Yu's presence. However, each time they tried to act, they would instinctively halt their movements, as if to reconsider what they were about to do.
As for the monsters whose bodies had been sliced apart and lay on the ground, they continuously tried to reconnect their upper and lower halves. But the severed sections, as if completely separated, refused to fuse back together no matter how they tried. In the end, each bisected monster could only flail on the ground like a dying fish, utterly incapable of any meaningful action.
The battle erupted quickly and ended just as swiftly. Xin Yu took only twenty seconds to eliminate all twenty-four monsters that had surrounded the group.
Sheathing his blade, Xin Yu looked at the monsters still writhing on the ground, futilely attempting to reassemble themselves.
"Thank you, benefactor, for your assistance! This humble one is named Tingyun, an Attendant of the Luofu's Sky-Faring Commission Merchant Guild. If not for your timely aid, benefactor, myself and these Cloud Knight officers might have met with misfortune."
The girl with fox ears and a fox tail, Tingyun, stepped forward and expressed her gratitude to the group.
Xin Yu shifted his gaze from the defeated monsters to the fox-girl who had spoken, his eyes lingering on her ears. He couldn't help but be reminded of Yae Sakura, whose future he had yet to change.
These are real fox ears. Sakura, your ears are truly too long. At first glance, they really make people think they're donkey ears.