After angels underwent a Gene Upgrade, they gained the ability to survive in space, but they were still restricted by many factors, such as the extreme cold, depressurization, oxygen deprivation, and intense radiation of space. Like diving without equipment, how long they could endure depended on the degree of their Gene Upgrade.
The Felinton civilization Hua Zhen was heading to lay more than a dozen light-years away from the Heavenly Palace Main Star. He obviously could not take people and fly directly there over such a distance, so they still needed to travel aboard a flagship.
Following the Old Angel King's orders, the Military Administration Department had prepared a not-too-large flagship for him. Its design was similar to Hua Ye's former personal vessel: a retro Two-Masted Sailing Ship structure, with lofty towers and pavilions carved with the Angel Civilization's distinctive dark decorative patterns. It was luxurious and imposing.
Suspended between the flagship's two tower-like masts was a diamond-shaped crystal. It was a Dark Energy conversion device that could process and convert absorbed Dark Energy through calculations, forming a Dark Energy protective barrier that enveloped the entire vessel.
Not only did the protective barrier possess formidable defensive capabilities, but it could also simulate such parameters as pressure, temperature, oxygen levels, and gravity from the angels' Main Star, ensuring that those aboard the flagship would not be affected by the harsh external environment.
It was precisely because of this that the flagship had a "360-degree panoramic skylight." Unlike in science fiction films, where the view was limited to the observation platform at the front of the cockpit, their vision was broad and unobstructed. Everywhere they looked was a sight to behold.
Within the milky coffee-colored expanse of space lay wonders far beyond people's imagination. Nebulae of every size came in gourd shapes, teardrop shapes, mushroom shapes... bizarre and varied, dazzlingly colorful. Celestial bodies drifted through the cosmos like castles, beautiful and resplendent.
When the flagship passed a massive planet, traversed its outer asteroid belt, and moved from its dark side to its sunlit side, they could experience sunrise and dusk in just a few seconds. Anyone who had not personally gone through it would never understand how novel that experience was.
Especially for Hua Zhen, this was the first time he had ever traveled through space aboard a spacecraft, whether in his previous life or this one. He was currently pressed against the protective barrier, and though he was not shouting in amazement, the excitement on his face had never faded.
Hey, it's already been over an hour. Has His Highness not had enough yet? Gus came onto the deck carrying a small Storage Device. When he saw his prince's appearance, he could not help but complain inwardly.
"Your Highness..." he called softly. Seeing that Hua Zhen still ignored him, a trace of helplessness flashed through his eyes as he continued, "Your Highness, while the Felinton Civilization is only at the Cosmic Class, its technological level is very high. Therefore, this training expedition..."
Though they were not heading to a battlefield or any especially dangerous place, Gus was Hua Zhen's personal guard and did not dare let down his guard in the slightest for his safety. He had intended to tell him the firsthand information he had gathered about the Felinton Civilization.
Who would have thought that Hua Zhen would suddenly turn around, wave him off, and interrupt him? He said dismissively, "It's just some minor Cosmic Class civilization. What's there to care about?"
Gus clicked his tongue at that. "But, Your Highness, Felinton is currently researching Super Gene Technology. What we're facing isn't as simple as merely a Cosmic Class civilization anymore!"
Hua Zhen rolled his eyes, folded his wings, landed beside him, and patted his shoulder. "You're worrying too much. Super Genes aren't that easy to research. Even if they really do develop them, so what? Don't I still have you and A Lie by my side?" Then he turned toward the back of Gus and called out, "Hey, Lie Ge, right?"
At that moment, Andre wore a suit of Roman Armor with a dark base and red patterns. Black knee-high knight boots carved with cross patterns wrapped up over his knees, making his already tight black trousers look even more pronounced. He wore a half-face knight's helmet, its vertical plume resembling a huge red rooster comb. Anyone who did not know him could easily be intimidated by his appearance.
Hearing his prince call him, Andre turned and gave him an indifferent glance before flashing a mouthful of white teeth in response.
Gus twitched his lips and pulled Hua Zhen closer, whispering, "Your Highness, I'm not really worried about anything else. I'm just afraid that if Andre starts acting crazy again, he might..."
"Stop, stop..." Hua Zhen quickly raised a hand to halt him. "Can't you think of something good for once? Like Lie Ge charging into the enemy ranks and slaughtering everyone while we sit back and watch the tiger fight..." He stressed the word "tiger" particularly hard.
"I-I hope so..." Gus said, wiping away a cold sweat.
Hua Zhen nudged him with his hand. "Don't worry, Gus. Your Gene Systems and A Lie's have already completed a Data Connection with mine. If a fight really breaks out, based on the experience from our previous simulated training, dealing with them won't be difficult. Besides, doesn't Felinton have an Acting Prefect garrison stationed there?" After speaking with absolute certainty, he even raised an eyebrow at Gus.
A brief explanation was needed here.
Those who had fused with Super Genes could use the data algorithms built into their Gene Systems to communicate with the free-floating Dark Energy in the outside world, unleashing abilities far beyond ordinary people. Rather than calling them Super Warriors, it would be more accurate to say that they resembled high-performance computer systems.
If Super Genes or Gene Systems were compared to a computer's core software, then Super Warriors were equivalent to the visible, tangible hardware components of a computer.
Everyone knew that computer hardware and software complemented each other. Together, they formed a complete computer system, and neither could be absent. A computer without software was just a pile of scrap metal, completely useless. Likewise, software without hardware was like water without a source, like a castle in the air. Only by working together could a computer function properly.
Super Warriors were the same. Their Gene Systems allowed them to sense, store, calculate, input, and output Dark Energy, while their bodies made the genes compatible and gave them a place to be used.
After understanding this, Hua Zhen simplified the principles of the Data Vault from the memories he possessed. With Xuan Ji's help, he then developed the technique of Data Connection. Its principle was to construct a "local area network" that connected several computers together.
To explain it another way, everyone was familiar with internet cafés. Every internet café had a Mainframe that could control all the computers, and Hua Zhen's concept of Data Connection was to treat himself as that Mainframe, controlling and directing Gus and Andre as the two Sub-Machines. Once the Data Connection synchronization rate reached a certain level, it could allow the team to achieve perfect tactical coordination. It was an extremely powerful technique.
Gus's eyes suddenly lit up. Right, how had he forgotten about Data Connection?
"Now you understand why I'm so confident, right?" Hua Zhen said with a proud smile.
"Third Prince, the flagship has finished contacting the control tower at the Wormhole Bridge Station. Shall we enter the station now?" At that moment, an angel soldier approached from nearby and respectfully asked after reaching his side.
Only Hua Zhen, Gus, and Andre were going to Felinton. The rest of the personnel aboard the flagship belonged to the Military Administration Department and were responsible for operating the vessel and escorting the three of them. They would not participate in this training expedition. This had been deliberately arranged by the Old Angel King, who had said:
"It's only a minor Cosmic Class civilization. If I sent an army along with you, how would that serve the purpose of training you? Gus and Andre are more than enough!"
Gus was fine. He was a little long-winded, but highly capable when it came to getting things done. But why Old Stick thought so highly of Andre, that oversized country bumpkin, was something Hua Zhen could never understand.
Eight years ago, that guy had nearly slapped him to death. When Old Stick received the news, he had merely sent over some lackey from the Construction Department to verbally reprimand Andre a few times before letting the matter go. What the hell was that?
Hua Zhen sighed inwardly, put on an official air, and said to the soldier, "Then don't waste any time. Enter the station and begin transport immediately!"
"Yes, Third Prince!"
Felinton Star was simply too far away. Even using wormhole transport would take quite some time. Within the kaleidoscopic space, dazzling streams of light flashed brilliantly. This was the sight left behind by billions upon billions of stars rushing backward.
When the flagship flew out from the wormhole, a planet appeared before Hua Zhen's eyes. He knew that he had reached the destination of this journey. In less than an hour, he had crossed a distance of more than a dozen light-years—something he would never have dared imagine before. This was the result of technology.
After a brief moment of reflection, Hua Zhen began studying the Felinton Civilization.
From far away, he could see that the entire planet was encircled by two enormous rings. A large ring wrapped around a smaller one in the shape of a cross, brimming with a science-fiction atmosphere. Not only were giant energy cannons installed upon it, but countless beams of light also radiated from its surroundings, forming innumerable small regular hexagons that enveloped the entire planet to provide light-energy defense.
Many strangely shaped spacecraft and warships docked with the rings from every direction, either mooring or recharging. Countless massive Gorden-style mechs formed a passageway, while mech soldiers standing atop Individual Flight Devices were so numerous that they could not be counted. Clearly, they had created such a grand display to welcome Hua Zhen, the "imperial envoy."
?!!
"Your Highness, what's wrong?" Gus asked in confusion as he looked at the cold sweat seeping from Hua Zhen's forehead.
"Huh? Oh... i-it's nothing~" Hua Zhen waved his hand, his gaze shifting once more to the "Gorden" units forming the passageway.
The four-winged thruster design, the outrageously stylish twin shoulder cannons, and the missile Laser Emitters covering the entire body—combined with a height of nearly twenty meters, they were simply terrifying weapons of war, weren't they? And there were so many of them...
Gulp!
Mechs might be every man's romance, but seeing the massive show of force Felinton had put on, Hua Zhen felt like he could no longer indulge in that romance. After swallowing, he looked at Gus again and asked, "Gus... let me ask you something. How many people are in the Acting Prefect garrison stationed here?"
Gus gave him a strange look. "In reply to Your Highness, including the acting director, there are twenty-five people in total!"
"T-twenty-five people?! Heh... hehehe..." Hua Zhen's heart trembled as he forced out an awkward laugh. "You've got to be kidding~"
"It really is twenty-five people. It's impossible to station too many angel soldiers to manage a Subordinate Civilization!" Gus said with certainty.
"Ah, fu—" He wanted to curse loudly, but when he caught sight of the escorting soldiers from the corner of his eye, he swallowed the words in time to maintain his image.
Less than thirty people were supposed to pick a fight with an entire civilization's military. Old Stick, you really were ruthless.
Only now did he finally understand why the Old Angel King had looked at him with such an amused expression before he left.
He roughly grabbed at his hair twice, then said helplessly, "Gus~ I-I think you should tell me all the information you investigated earlier in detail!"
Before you continue