This is a starport located at the Imperial Zone Border, also the largest starport among the border ones.

The Imperial Admiral and the Royal Fleet are undergoing maintenance. Massive starships are anchored at the end of the long bridge of the starport by force field beams. Countless specks of light move back and forth between the starships and the port, representing engineering ships and autonomous machines tasked with adding various modifications and external devices to the spaceships, followed by final testing of these additions. Such a large-scale maintenance and temporary modification is rare, not commonly seen even during wartime, but it’s necessary because we’re facing a place more unpredictable than the battlefield.

The Royal Fleet will set sail to the Void White Area, one that far exceeds our exploration records, a territory unexplored before. A wave of destruction is surging there, with its essence unknown, power unknown, mechanism unknown, and even its advancing speed and specific range unknown. We might dive straight into the explosive destruction of millions of universes or collide head-on with an Abyss Gate. Therefore, all preparations must be done in advance. The protection of Void Creatures is not omnipotent – true omnipotence lies in never letting down your vigilance.

Sandora and I were on the upper platform of the starport watching the bustling scene in outer space, while Taville’s mass projection was beside us reporting the work: "...All modifications have been completed, and final testing is underway. The modifications focus on enhancing the ship’s jumping speed in the Void and increasing the radar sensing strength of various electronic battle ships. We are uncertain whether the wave of destruction poses a threat to the Imperial Fleet, or even what form it takes, so the approach of ’brightening the eyes’ is more practicable. At least theoretically."

"Hmm." I nodded absentmindedly, recalling the intelligence we received a few days ago:

A wave of destruction is raging far away from the Imperial Zone, the specifics of which remain unclear. It may not have an actual form but rather be a "factual existence" resulting from a series of events. This wave has caused massive deaths in worlds at certain distances from the Void Three Divine Realms (which can now be aptly called the Xyrin Divine Realm), with no discernible pattern in their demise. The Abyss Xyrin suspects this is another omen of the approaching catastrophe, likely the final warning – ultimately, it has escalated to a degree directly leading to Doomsday. Beyond this, there won’t be any other "alerts," only the catastrophe.

The power of Void Creatures has sheltered many worlds (covering more than the Void Area we previously knew), but such protection has limits. And unfortunately... the Hometown World is too far away from us, lying outside the sheltered range.

Now we have good news and bad news. The good news is that after a period of exclusionary inspection, the approximate coordinates of the Hometown World have been determined, currently with only three suspected coordinates, all in the same "direction," ensuring that just one long voyage will undoubtedly find it. The bad news is that these three coordinates are located in unprecedentedly remote places, beyond the protection of Void Creatures, very likely already engulfed by that wave of destruction.

Hopefully, it will survive this time, or else... it won’t just be an issue that the Xyrin Apostle finds emotionally unacceptable; the Hometown World is our biggest hope for bridge-building. It has transcended being simply a Xyrin Apostle issue, now encompassing the entire Void.

After an emergency meeting, we decided not to send exploratory teams anymore but to directly pull a legion with engineering teams over there, considering that all other coordinates have been cleared up. Now the position of the Hometown World is confirmed beyond doubt, requiring no additional probing. Sandora and I, among others, will personally lead the Royal Fleet to the Hometown World. Along with the fleet is a sufficient engineering team, Divine Race experts, mass-produced mainframes, and we’ve also brought along the recently restored Startup Terminal, currently hovering behind us. The inactive Startup Terminal resembles an orange glow, much smaller than it was when fully charged like a white nova.

The ancient core of the Startup Terminal rests inside, operating in a low-power hibernation mode, the system’s working status exceptionally sound. This counts as the only piece of good news among the bad ones – the parts manufactured on both sides show good compatibility, and the Startup Terminal produced on the opposite side is also of good quality.

"Prepare to build the bridge immediately upon reaching the destination. Arrangements are all set over there, and their Startup Terminal is ready to go online anytime, waiting for ours to be in place," Sandora turned her head to glance at the dimly glowing Startup Terminal, a steady determination in her profound ocean-blue eyes, "This plan requires urgency – as soon as the Hometown World is confirmed, actions must commence forthwith."

"Don’t worry, it’s definitely still there," I remembered our naughty kid from home who traveled through space and time, "Didn’t the naughty kid even say that she often went to play in the Hometown World when she was young?"

"She also mentioned yesterday that the Void Catastrophe might break many established facts, even altering the success rate of the Void Creatures’ actions in changing facts, so she can’t confirm the future will unfold a hundred percent according to her memory either," Sandora frowned, "We must be prepared not to find the Hometown World, as well as ready for potential failure in bridge-building."

I opened my mouth, then half-smiled and shook my head bitterly: "Tsk tsk, talking like this puts a lot of pressure on me, as if the lifeline of the entire Void hangs on my shoulders... Everyone says ’destiny’ isn’t a good term, but I genuinely wish something would just determine my fate right now, at least I wouldn’t have to exhaustively carve out the future myself."

Alongside, Bingdisi was preoccupied with studying how to use the data terminal, glanced at me, and sighed: "Sigh... your entire clan is indeed this way. When I was reporting work in the Divine Realm the day before last, Father God also said exactly the same thing as you. I said you, as the Void Bosses, can’t you take a little more initiative? At least don’t show everyone your slackness; we’re all counting on you!"

I pursed my lips and wisely shifted the topic: "Now one thing can be confirmed: the fact that this passive Halo was on when I powered up and resurrected for seventy thousand years means: all those worlds that suffered ’omens’ of destruction in the White Zone were lost decades ago, before I was even born on Earth. Thinking about it in that light, I’m rather impressive..."

"Of course, since when have the men I fancy not been impressive," Bingdisi instantly flicked her head back with great pride, "Resurrecting from the dead is no joke, even just a memorial photo might ward off evil for hundreds of miles..."

Sister Bing’s words invariably stun the room; I looked at this female hooligan with a practically murderous glare... but she just pretended not to see. After sizing her up for a good while and confirming she had absolutely no malicious intent – quite the opposite, she wore an expression of pure and genuine pride, her gaze filled with affection. I’m certain she made these statements with the "my husband is amazing" mindset, yet the way this female hooligan speaks is still loaded with innuendo, clang!

Is she truly not planning to learn how a normal girl should live at some point in her life?

Moreover, Bingdisi didn’t seem inclined to stop there. Noticing my gaze, she became even more spirited: "Hey, Chen, this resurrection after death through reading is really cool – how did I never notice before how perfectly suited you are for the role of a husband for me—I’ll never have to worry about being widowed in my life..."

At last, everyone couldn’t bear it any longer: "Shut up!"

Bingdisi withdrew, quieted. My Big Sister then recalled another matter: "Ah Jun, will there be any problem with you leaving the Imperial Zone like this? Could that peculiar destruction wave surge in when you leave the Imperial Zone?"

It’s understandable for sister to be worried about this, based on the intelligence brought back by several exploration teams: the universally dead area is equidistantly far from Shadow Space, Star Domain, and Huron Divine Realm. If you visualize these three Void Creature-guarded areas as spheres (of course, in the Void, there’s no concept of shape, this is just an example), then on this side of the Void, three equally-sized spherical safety zones exist (with partial overlap between the Imperial Zone and the Star Domain safety zone). The centers of these spheres are myself, Xingchen, and Sister Hila, while outside the spheres lie patches of wasteland. Such an evident phenomenon inevitably ties the safety zones to the Void Creatures themselves, seeing us three as akin to lightning rods... the metaphor may be crude, but it’s undoubtedly fitting.

And now that I’m planning to depart with the Royal Fleet, it’s akin to the lightning rod running away, leading to the concern about whether the destruction wave might sweep into the Imperial Zone—indeed, this matter was analyzed and studied for quite some time before departure. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

However, the conclusion was that it’s fine: we have substitutes.

Xiao Xue is now kept at home, not allowed to go out. Although she can only be partially considered a Void Creature, the Information Disturbance Power is an incredibly mystical thing; its effect is infinite as long as there’s a connection, so we believe Xiao Xue at home could also serve the function of a lightning rod.

Of course, it’s hard to say how effective this substitute will be, but what truly reassures me is another point: Hila has been chasing Xingchen across the entire Void for decades without any trouble, and the Huron Divine Realm hasn’t had any issues either?

Moreover, I’ve taken several trips to the Far Border and even the White Zone over these years, and haven’t noticed any waves of destruction coming through, which sufficiently proves the temporary absence of the "lightning rod" poses no danger. Xingchen and Hila rush back to the Divine Realm just in case, but actually, we suspect that the protective effect of the Void Creatures should resemble a "territory" rather than a mobile halo, so my leaving the Imperial District this time won’t be an issue. Plus, the Empire’s technology is here, so even if a doomsday occurs at the border, it’s not a big problem—at most, we’ll just organize a few more moving groups. From a long time ago, the Empire has never feared doomsday.

Comparatively speaking, the Hometown World seems more important—if it hasn’t been destroyed by the wave of annihilation, then I must hurry there to protect it. I’m very self-aware and know that I can’t contribute much on the technical side. The main purpose of the Imperial Army’s large troop deployment this time is to build a bridge, and I’m not going there as a technical advisor; my job is to ensure the safety of the Hometown World during the bridge-building period. This task seems quite simple, just standing there—it’s the kind of thing without technical complexity that I excel at.

Therefore, there’s an old saying that’s quite true: Void Creatures live like halo emitters all day long... although it’s a joke, it’s the truth!

"Sis, don’t worry," I nodded to my sister, "Don’t forget, we thoroughly validated everything before departure—no problems."

Sister hummed in response, then turned to watch the work scene in outer space, lost in thought while I looked around: the family was basically all here, with Anwina and Xiao Xue keeping watch at the Capital World this time, along with the mischievous babysitters who would only cause chaos if present. Little Crow was currently perched on a small platform not far away, chatting with Lin Xue. Although she counts as one of the child heads (in terms of age), she’s joining this trip as her ability is very useful, and in any case... this silly bird is much more reliable than the other naughty kids.

This is quite interesting; Little Crow is technically the youngest child in the family, having been hatched from her egg just about two years ago—a two-year-old child ended up being the most reliable among the group of naughty kids! Although she has cognitive issues, isn’t very smart, often causes mischief, and can’t break the habit of eating while perched on chairs, shredding beds to make nests, nesting eggs, and crowing, she mastered her abilities at the fastest speed possible, learned how to use her Void Shuttle to get things done, understood how to survive on the battlefield (if you can’t win, run away), and even now can independently complete some Military Department tasks. She can go to the White Zone alone to gather intelligence and handle her own Church affairs (this being the most amazing!), so much so that before I realized, this Little Crow had already grown up!

It’s truly unexpected that this silly bird turned out to be the family’s greatest prodigy; no wonder she’s a wild bird—it seems she still retains the racial talent of rapid growth upon hatching...

"Just a few minutes until boarding," the voice of the Abyss Xyrin came from behind, "Looks like you’re all ready?"

Turning my head, I saw the girl pushing a box with a pale expression: although her life form doesn’t need facial expressions to display emotions, she imitates reality organisms for enhanced communication effect. Seeing the Abyss Xyrin like this, I couldn’t resist raising an eyebrow: "What’s up with you?"

"I don’t like uncertainty and things that can’t be calculated," the Abyss Xyrin shrugged, "This operation is like that. We have to hope that the Hometown World will survive the wave of destruction, and this relies entirely on ’luck’; it feels terrible."

"Haha, everyone’s the same, but not as severe as you," I laughed loudly, "Actually, I have a great deal of confidence in the Hometown World. When the Abyss Gate opened years ago, it endured, weathering storms for so many years; how could it fall during this last tremble? Moreover, the exploration team said the wave of destruction doesn’t obliterate all universes in afflicted areas, just makes doomsdays more frequent compared to other places. At present, many worlds still survive, so let’s think positively."

The Abyss Xyrin sighed and lowered her head slightly: "Alright, since it’s Father’s suggestion, I’ll try to comply. However, it’s still incompatible with my logical mode; you Lifelike beings are really strange."

Scratching my face, I replied: "What does this have to do with Lifelike beings? I’m just more optimistic."

Then Sandora interrupted our conversation: "Save the chatter for the ship; get ready to board."

At this moment, the final spacecraft’s preparation and inspection were complete, and all fleet members began to board their respective ships through the transmission device in order. This fleet has a significant responsibility, carrying the future of the entire Void—at least that of our "side" of the Void, and every move they make will be under intense scrutiny.

In every Imperial Outpost throughout the Macro World, every Clan’s territory, each Imperial District, even the Divine Realm and Mortal Worlds under Divine Race rule, countless people are watching the departure of this fleet. Its status is being broadcasted to every Interstellar Merchant’s holographic projection, every Arcane Master’s Crystal Ball, and on every display device in front of civilians, mercenaries, believers, and reviewers—all showcasing this Royal Fleet’s situation. Even though I can’t see how many people are watching this event, I can imagine how our fleet has become such a focal point—undoubtedly, it’s set to become one of the most significant events in Void history, and the spectacle with the highest attention from all cross-world civilizations.

This is not a covert mission, so countless people can witness the moment the Royal Fleet embarks—though actually, most don’t know what we’re doing. The public narrative is merely that the Xyrin Apostle is searching for the homeland. But even by just watching the grand spectacle, the citizens of the Macro World are excited beyond measure; such a large-scale fleet departure broadcast by the Empire is indeed rare.

In the command hall of the Imperial Admiral, watching the rising stream of data, my heart was filled with emotion: "Theoretically, unless Father God and King Huron announced their marriage or Xingchen and Sovare announced a romance, it’s unlikely to create ratings close to today’s..."

Bingdisi, sitting nearby, feeling excited upon hearing my words, kicked over: "We’re about to depart, and you’re wasting the last bit of time talking nonsense? And how is it that you can critique one of your few kinfolk with such impunity?"

I chuckled: "Do you dare go back and check how many storybooks each of your Divine Race ladies own, starring Father God and Sovare?"

Bingdisi froze, feeling awkward: "...Such is the decline of society, the decline of society."

When even a female hooligan finds something intolerable, you know society’s standards have truly fallen.

Then, as usual, Lin Xue walked over, excited as always, to join the fun, making more heavy jokes, Qianqian on the side, eager to stir up chaos, Sandora shaking her head with a wry smile, Sister eventually quelling everyone, Little Crow, confused and hollering throughout...

In this atmosphere of daily routine, the fleet roared into action.

Setting off, to that place where it all began.

(The fan radio drama of Xyrin Empire has been released, produced by the highly principled Youguang dubbing society. You can search for related information on Tieba or Bilibili.)(To be continued. If you like this work, feel free to cast recommendation votes and monthly tickets on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com for reading.)