After an unknown length of time, Lin Feng opened his eyes.
The ceiling of a medical pod greeted him.
Lin Feng sat up and moved his arms.
The tearing pain in his chest had vanished, and his Sea of Consciousness had stabilized again.
The medical pod's door opened.
Yan Zhan stood just outside.
"Awake?"
Lin Feng nodded and took the cup of tea.
Yan Zhan sat beside the bed and fell silent for a few seconds.
"You were unconscious for three days. When Chu Tiange found you on that abandoned planet with the First Fleet, your vital signs had already dropped below the danger threshold."
Lin Feng took a sip of tea without speaking.
Yan Zhan watched him, his gaze complicated.
"You went to the Abyss Star Prison?"
Lin Feng set down his cup.
"I did."
"And then?"
"Got beaten to a pulp and ran."
Yan Zhan drew a deep breath.
"Augustus escaped back to the Empire Core Star Domain. The First Fleet has taken control of what remained of the Second Fleet. Sixteen warships, thirty-seven thousand soldiers—all surrendered."
Lin Feng looked up.
"What's the empire's leadership saying?"
Yan Zhan gave him a meaningful smile.
"Go see for yourself."
Three hours later.
Central Plaza, the main city of Prodigy Star, Silverfrost Empire.
An awards platform a hundred meters tall had been erected in the plaza. Below it, hundreds of thousands of spectators from the various star sectors packed the square.
The StarNet livestream went live at the same time.
On the dais sat more than a dozen prominent figures, including the empire's Education Minister, the Military Department's deputy commander-in-chief, and a representative of the Interstellar Council.
Standing below the platform, Yan Zhan looked at the dignitaries gathered there-people he normally struggled to meet even once-and could not help marveling.
"This