Chapter 44: Secret, Separation, Wormhole, Crisis


    During the final hour, Plum expressed his wish to spend it alone with Dondon. Everyone entered Fearless, allowing the two Storms a final session of privacy to share tales more than a hundred thousand years old.


    Time flew by, and before we knew it, it was time for Plum''s farewell. We were filled with sorrow and reluctance. Everyone gathered in the small shop to bid the pioneer from the Storm race farewell.


    Titan and Amethyst prostrated themselves on the ground and performed the Brightling prayer ceremony. Dondon watched on with grief all over his face. The scene brought sorrow to all our hearts. Plum, on the other hand, lookedpletely rxed. He had finallypleted a mission over a hundred thousand years old. What he had left was boundless hope.


    "Child, take this. It can''t be repaired anymore, but it was made from an extremely precious material. It can be very useful," said Plum as he took his spacesuit off and draped it over Dondon''s body.


    Without the suit, he had to slowly climb into the stasis pod. There, he would resume his endless slumber.


    "Stasis pod activating in five minutes," Dodo reported.


    Immediately, I recalled something important. "Damn it, how can I forget that?"


    "Honored Plum, regarding the Blueling you met over a hundred thousand years ago, where did you meet? Do you remember that person''s identity?" I hurriedly asked.


    Plum was already halfway into the pod. When he heard the question, he turned around.


    Everyone held their breath in anticipation. The answer to that question was very important.


    "On Brightstart Ind. I saw him, but he didn''t see me," Plum said.


    "You saw him, but not the other way around. What does that mean?" I asked.


    "He came with Prophet Nommo. When I saw him, he was conversing with Nommo. I was hiding and didn''t show myself. Only after he left did I talk about that Blueling with Nommo," Plum replied.


    "What did he look like? What was his name? How did a Bluelinge all the way here from Blue?" Zhang Xingxing asked urgently.


    "He was d in a ck robe. His face waspletely hidden. He called himself Starscar," said Plum.


    "Starscar. This name never appeared in history," Dodo reported.


    At this time, the system indicator lit up. It was the final 60 seconds. Plum entered the pod, and the door slowly closed.


    "Honored Plum, how did he arrive here? Where is his ship?" Zhang Xingxing shouted anxiously.


    "He did note from Blue. He came from the time tunnel," said Plum before the doorpletely closed.


    Then, the stasis system activated. Plum shut his eyes, and in a few seconds, he returned to his slumber with a serene expression.


    "Time tunnel. Is there really a time tunnel? Is the man in ck really him?" Zhang Xingxing muttered to herself.


    "Not necessarily. I know who you''re thinking about. But if it''s really him, he shouldn''t be alone," I said.


    "Who are you talking about? You act like you know the man in ck," Zhang Bao''er said.


    I gave him a re but did not answer. I understood that Zhang Xingxing suspected that the man in ck was her father, Zhang Han. But if the man in ck was really Zhang Han, why would he want to destroy Nommo''s race? How had he reached the with the giant paw monsters? That was a big riddle with numerous contradictions we couldn''t exin.


    "There is no need to think too much. We can only find the answer when we arrive at the Orion Constetion. Let''s set off," said Old Du calmly. He seemed to have seen through what I was thinking about.


    "Act ording to our n. We''ll leave immediately,"manded Zhang Xingxing after recovering her calm.


    After bidding Plum a final farewell, we entered Fearless. The ship ascended as the ground beneath us slowly closed up. Underground, Plum, the ancestor of the Storms, resumed his slumber.


    Bluesh, Toruk, and Little Snow were waiting for us outside. I brought them into our giant hangar. The magnificent Fearless was able to rapidly pass through the massive pir of water connecting the second and thirdyers of the world, arriving at thend-based world of the secondyer.


    We brought Titan and Amethyst back to their tribe. There, sounds of discussion broke out. Under Titan''s arrangement, the Brightlings were able to resupply us quickly. During that time, Dodo also managed to recharge all our suits. After afortable night, it was time to depart.


    At this time, the high priest came to us. "Brave foreign aliens. I hope Titan and Amethyst can go with you, seeking a chance to return us to our homnd."


    "About that, we''re all considered criminals now. We might bring trouble to them," said Zhang Xingxing tactfully.


    "For freedom, Brightlings are fearless. We only hope to get a chance to return to our homnd. This is what Titan should do as the future priest," said the priest firmly.


    Zhang Xingxing looked at us. I saw an approving look on the face of the others. I also gave Zhang Xingxing a firm nod. With everyone''s agreement, Titan and Amethyst joined our crew. Then, it was time to bid farewell to Bluesh and the others. I walked over and gently stroked Bluesh. The big fellow lifted its head high, seemingly unwilling to show its emotion.


    I knew inside that Bluesh was reluctant to part with me, but the environment and pressure of space travel might not suit arge life form like Bluesh. We could only leave them on Sirius B and have the Brightlings look after them. However, I also believed that with Bluesh''s strength, that wasn''t even needed. I saw Zhang Bao''er hugging Toruk tightly. Zhang Xingxing and Little Snow also looked like they were at a funeral.


    "Bluesh, we''re leaving. Believe me, I''lle back for you," I said softly as I stroked Bluesh''s head.


    The fish continued lifting its head high, not giving me even a look. However, I could feel its sadness. All farewells woulde to an end. Eventually, we entered Fearless. Inside, Dondon and Dodo activated the wormhole production system in ordance with the trajectory Plum had set for us in advance.


    A massive tear appeared in the sky. The spaceship slowly rose toward the wormhole. At this time, I heard a loud sorrowful shriek. From the window, I saw Bluesh, Toruk, and Little Snow spiraling beneath our ship while whining, bidding their final farewell topanions that had braved countless dangers with them.


    Before the wormhole, everyone approached the window. Looking down at the beautiful yet dangerous world, scenes of the many close encounters with death flitted past my mind. I thought of the sacrifices of the Brightlings and thought of Prophet Nommo, the slumbering Honored Plum, the eternally loyal guardians Bluesh and the flying fish, and many other creatures we had encountered. This world would be forever etched in my mind.


    "I, Li Canyue, will definitely return," I vowed to Bluesh.


    "Wormhole activating in one minute. Everyone, return to your seats," Dodo reported.


    Everyone returned to their seats. As the countdown ended, Fearless turned into a white streak and leaped into the wormhole. With a bright sh, the ship traversed a distance of 15 lightyears, reaching the Orion Constetion.


    The space outside the ship was dark and serene. Far ahead of us, a massive red ball of me hung by its lonesome self. Betelgeuse, a red star that was visible on Blue even when looking with naked eyes was revealed to us with such rity for the very first time.


    Once, Bluelings regarded Betelgeuse as the brightest and biggest fixed star. As it was a red supergiant, Bluelings spected that in probably several million years, the star would turn into a supernova. Due to the constant threat of copse and the instability of the star, the league had not carried out any mining operation in the Orion Constetion.


    "The Bright is located 13 billion kilometers away from the Betelgeuse, 750 million kilometers from the ship," a brand new voice rang out.


    "Dondon, you can finally speak?" Zhang Xingxing grew excited.


    Dondon nodded to everyone. He then looked at me and said meekly, "My throat is slowly recovering. However, my appetite has also increased. I feel like eating something."


    "Are you a pig? It''s not even mealtime yet," said Zhang Bao''er with augh.


    I was happy to learn that Dondon was actually a humorous little fellow. Apanion like him was essential for any journey. Old Du tossed a pack of space crackers to him. The little fellow bit in without hesitation.


    "Team Leader Xingxing, I discovered a 100 million kilometers from us. Signs of life can be found on the," Dodo reported.


    Everyone immediately went to the control panel and looked at the navigational disy. In between us and Sirius B, a ck could be seen on the star chart. The conspicuous part about this was the fact that it was filled with flickering dots of light.


    "Those dots are probably something simr to themps of Blue. With so many of them, this is probably a with an active high-tier civilization," Old Du said.


    "Approach for observation," Zhang Xingxingmanded.


    "Roger. I''ll approach its low orbit," replied Dodo.


    Suddenly, a loud sound rang out. Above Fearless, a massive ck battleship appeared. nking the battleship were three smaller fighters. The ck battleship was transmitting something to us loudly. The weapons on its bow were all activated, as though it was going to attack at any moment.


    "This is the Darknguage. Our trantion system is capable of tranting it," said Amethyst.


    ''Darkling? Did we encounter a powerful enemy the moment we arrived?'' I thought to myself.


    Dondon activated the trantion system and said, "Unknown vessel, stop your ship immediately and ept the imperial guards'' inspection. Any resistance will be dealt with extreme prejudice."


    "How did they react so fast? We just arrived,"ined Zhang Bao''er.


    "This is a new star system. From Nommo''s star chart, the Darklingse from a high-tech. Do not act rashly. Prepare your defenses and act ording to what we encounter,"manded Zhang Xingxing.


    "What is our n?" Zhang Bao''er asked.


    "Stop and ept their inspection. Let us meet our new friends from the Orion Constetion," I replied for Zhang Xingxing.


    "Yes, I have the same thought," Zhang Xingxing added.


    ''Orion Constetion. After spending so much effort toe here, how can I, Li Canyue, retreat so easily?'' I thought to myself.