If this secret got out, it would be truly disastrous—far worse than NZT-50.
At that moment, the battered Qinyuan had flown out of the Asteroid Belt and was heading for the Hyperspace Lane entrance at the edge of the Solar System.
The Hyperspace Lane lay in the Kuiper Belt on the frontier of the Solar System. Its presence was impossible to detect with the naked eye; it had to be located using a Hyperspace Engine.
The Qinyuan reached the vicinity of the lane at 50% of the speed of light. The Hyperspace Engine began to operate, and the entire ship hovered before the lane. The surrounding space-time visibly warped, and the distant starfields blurred into streaks of light, like a crude painting.
This was the most dangerous moment. The ship had not yet entered FTL; it was effectively motionless, suspended in space until it entered hyperspace.
If there were enemy ships nearby, it would be a sitting duck.
That was why, in prosperous star regions, local system garrisons were often stationed near Hyperspace Lanes to maintain security and prevent attacks when ships were at their most vulnerable.
Three hours later, the Qinyuan finally entered the Hyperspace Lane and flew toward the neighboring Raidor System at FTL, beginning the long journey of more than five light-years.
"If you're bored, you'd better get into a Hibernation Pod and sleep. This trip will take about a week," Lin Zhichen reminded him.
The prerequisite for using the Psionic Combat Skill Space Warp was having accurate spatial coordinates. It was best to survey these locations in person to avoid any mistakes.
As for the distance measured in light-years, next time they came here, they would only need to warp from within the Solar System. That was the convenience of mastering the Space Warp skill.
"Let's go together," Link said with a nod.
The ship could operate fully automatically at this point. The crew returned to their liquid-oxygen tanks one after another and fell asleep. Link and Lin Zhichen went to sleep as well.
A week later, they arrived at Raidor Fortress.
When the Space Jump was complete, Lin Zhichen and Link's eyes lit up. Before them stretched an iron wall of warships, seemingly without end.
There were so many starships floating near the Hyperspace Lane that they disappeared into the distance. Mysterious waves of energy and their dark-hued hulls spoke to the fleet's immense power.
"Cruisers, Battleships—my god, they're so huge and magnificent!" Link gazed at the colossal beasts of war, transfixed, and pressed himself against the porthole.
Lin Zhichen, however, had no time to spare. He was busy dealing with Raidor Fortress's routine inquiries.
"Beep-beep! Welcome to Raidor Fortress. Please follow the prompts to open your ship's main control computer program and submit to the fortress's inspection!" a formulaic female voice echoed through the command cabin.
"Captain, Raidor Fortress has sent a message requesting temporary access to the Qinyuan's pilot permissions. Do you agree?" the NPC pilot asked.
"Agreed," Lin Zhichen replied.
This was a required procedure when entering an important star region. At the same time, he could feel at least a hundred cannons trained on the Qinyuan.
Meanwhile, waves of energy probes with differing properties swept back and forth, scanning the Qinyuan from every angle.
In the past, a serious act of treason had occurred within a civilized nation. Hidden weapons aboard a vessel had destroyed a border fortress, triggering a chain of dire consequences.
Ever since, every nation had strengthened its border defenses in unspoken agreement, to protect against hostile nations and traitors from within.
Perhaps sensing that the Qinyuan was unusual, a powerful surge of Psionic Power soon reached out from the distant stars and enveloped the entire ship.
Lin Zhichen's gaze shifted, and he suppressed his shock.
Before that tremendous Psionic Power, he was like a tiny skiff beside an aircraft carrier. The Psionics around him were compressed to their limit, almost retreating back into his body.
Fortunately, the discomfort came and went quickly. In barely the span of a breath, the powerful Psionics withdrew.
"Captain, Raidor Fortress is requesting Holographic Communication. Should I connect?" the pilot asked.
"Connect," Lin Zhichen said, his expression turning serious. He had a vague feeling that the powerful Psionicist was contacting him.
The call connected almost immediately. A beautiful woman in a silver-gray uniform appeared on the communications screen, her stern appearance catching Lin Zhichen's eye.
Blonde and blue-eyed, with a voluptuous figure, she wore a stern military uniform that did little to conceal her curves, only making her seem more charming. Yet beneath her delicate appearance lay a fierce confidence that made her unforgettable.
He had seen countless beautiful women, and few could move him. At least, a perfect face alone would earn only a lustful glance from him, not his earnest admiration.
The reason was simple: the former was mere covetousness for something beautiful, while the latter possessed the strength to knock him flat with a single blow. Strength combined with beauty naturally made him think twice before acting out of line.
"Captain of the Qinyuan, Lin Zhichen, pays his respects to the fortress commander, General Sigrid!" Lin Zhichen straightened and saluted. It was, of course, the salute used by Psionicists—a gesture of respect for a fellow pioneer.
"Oh? You know who I am?" Sigrid watched him with interest.
"Of course. Your achievements are known throughout the Federation," Lin Zhichen replied respectfully.
"I know you. You awakened only two months ago, and now you've already advanced to elite rank. How interesting." Sigrid was uninterested in his flattery, but very interested in him. "I expected you to arrive here in a year or two. I didn't think you'd come so much sooner than I expected."
"I'm very interested in the situation in the Dark Star Domain. I'd be grateful if you could accommodate me, General," Lin Zhichen said, maintaining his respectful attitude.
"Anyone aspiring to the stars would be interested in the Dark Star Domain." Sigrid simply watched him, yet an invisible pressure bore down on him. It wasn't Psionics, but the confidence and authority that lent her a distinctive, oppressive air. "Mr. Lin Zhichen, even though you have no intention of pursuing a career within the Federation system, I hope you'll consider Raidor Fortress if you ever change your mind."
"It's an honor to have the Lieutenant General take an interest in me," Lin Zhichen said, saluting again.
The call ended, and the invisible pressure dissipated. The network signals that had been searching for information aboard the Qinyuan, along with all the energy-wave scanners, vanished. Soon everything returned to normal.
It was clear that the Qinyuan had passed inspection.
In truth, there was nothing that could be hidden from such a powerful Hero. He was simply relieved that he hadn't rashly taken out that secret treasure.
"Big brother, was that woman just now the fortress's—" Link caught his breath and started to ask, but Lin Zhichen stopped him with a stern look.
In the presence of someone so powerful, even merely discussing matters related to her might attract her attention. This wasn't superstition; it was a very real kind of power.
The Qinyuan didn't stop. It quickly followed the route provided by the military and flew toward the other side of the star system.
To avoid suspicion, he didn't use the Qinyuan's radar to scan the region. Needless to say, every step in this heavily guarded system hid secrets. Knowing too much was no good.
"Your Excellency General, why did you let him go so easily?" Behind Sigrid, a female adjutant in a general's uniform asked, puzzled. "He's a highly promising Psionicist, and he even has a Psionic Warship with a Space Warp skill. Even if he can't become a Legendary Hero, reaching Hero Tier alone would make him a rare and formidable general. He's exactly what we need."
Sigrid fell silent for a moment, then said hesitantly, "I don't know, but my Psionics tell me not to restrain him."
The generals behind her exchanged baffled looks.
Could Psionic foresight really do that? Was my command of Psionics too shallow?
"You find it strange, don't you? But this is the guidance of my Psionics. It has never deceived me." Sigrid spoke slowly. "Keep an eye on him. I want to know what he's up to, but don't interfere with him."
"Yes, General!" The female adjutant saluted.
Standing by the porthole, Link stared at the enormous starship in the darkness, shocked almost speechless. "A Mammoth-class Titan..."
A Titan Super Flagship—the pinnacle of conventional fleets, and a jewel in the crown of Interstellar Civilization!
The Mammoth-class Titan was one of the Human Federation's greatest technological achievements. It was thirteen kilometers long and 5.2 kilometers wide at its broadest point. Its bow tapered into a cone, its stern formed a smaller cross, and a slender bridge connected the two.
Aside from the countless gun ports covering its hull, the Mammoth-class Titan's most powerful main weapon was the Purgatory Ray. It could focus and fire an immense amount of energy, destroying a large warship such as a Battleship in a single strike.
Beside the Titan's enormous hull, the Qinyuan was so tiny it was barely noticeable, like a dwarf standing before a giant. The sheer difference in size alone could rob an enemy of the will to fight.
Even in the Interstellar Era, immense size still offered a significant advantage. It meant a more powerful onboard reactor and a larger energy-focusing array, which in turn enabled a powerful main gun.
The Titan flagship drifted farther and farther away, soon vanishing from sight. Lin Zhichen and Link stood by the window, watching for a long time, with no desire to speak.
"Rumor has it on StarNet that building a Titan costs 1–2% of the Federation's annual military budget, and the project usually takes more than ten years," Link murmured. "Big brother, do you think we'll ever have a chance to command our own Titan in this lifetime?"
"Of course!" Lin Zhichen answered without hesitation.
The Dakan System was 3.2 light-years from Raidor Fortress and about six light-years from Earth.
After four days of hyperspace travel, the Qinyuan arrived in the Dakan System, a wilderness that civilization had yet to drive the darkness from.
Right after emerging, a ship was at its most vulnerable. For the next ten minutes or so, the Qinyuan would be in a state of partial emergence from hyperspace, becoming a motionless target.
Fortunately, this wasn't a completely uninhabited Dark Star Domain, but an outpost of Raidor Fortress. At the end of the Hyperspace Lane was a large defensive fleet.
After remaining suspended for some time, the Qinyuan finally freed itself from the effects of the Hyperspace Lane and began exploring the star region.
Only then did Lin Zhichen finally let his guard down. He activated the gravity-sensor radar at full power, sending his Psionics outward alongside its waves and across the vast starfield.
Now they were truly in dangerous territory. Without the Federation Fleet to protect them, enemies could be lurking anywhere.
As soon as the radar came online, Lin Zhichen detected a roving NPC Rebel Army fleet.
To be clear, they were rebels, not pirates!
The spawning of two kinds of wild fleets in space was a constant headache for countless intelligent civilizations. One was the Pirate NPC Fleet, equipped with outdated weapons and more like a militia or even converted merchant ships. It was known for its numbers, speed, and poor combat strength.
The rebels were different. The name said it all: they were Regular Army forces in revolt. Of course, they were actually NPC fleets spawned in space.
But unlike pirates, Rebel Army fleets operated military-grade warships, from basic models to advanced second- and even third-generation fleets. Their ships ranged from Frigates to Battleships, and in the depths of the star sea, some rebel bases in uncleared regions could even develop flagships or Titan Super Flagships!
Don't underestimate these fleets. NPCs could awaken Psionics too!
Especially at wild bases with large populations, elite or even Hero-tier NPC monsters might emerge!
These awakened NPCs were no less intelligent than Natural Persons, and possessed a bewildering variety of skills. Even powerful Heroes could stumble if they weren't careful. Those arrogant enough to think that a powerful ship would let them cut through the enemy ranks again and again had mostly ended up as frozen corpses in the stars.
The fleet before the Qinyuan was a small Rebel Army force of over a hundred ships.
It consisted of a Cruiser at its head, more than eighty Frigates, and a dozen or so Destroyers. The small fleet was turning to face them, with the Qinyuan as its target.
A Cruiser was one class above a Destroyer. A standard Federation Cruiser was more than six hundred meters long and could carry an array of weapons, including carrier-based aircraft.
This rebel warship clearly had no hangar, and no carrier-based aircraft had been launched.
Because its hull was longer, a Cruiser had one more ship section than a Destroyer. If all the sections were fitted with large turrets, it could carry two large main guns and would also gain two medium turrets.
"It's configured for heavy artillery," Lin Zhichen concluded. The Rebel Army fleet's radar was superior to the Qinyuan's, and by the time he spotted the enemy, it had already completed its turn.
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