Xel'Naga Portal

This is a vast ocean that was formed at birth, backed by glaciers thousands of feet high. The towering ice walls, stretching for tens of thousands of miles, appear magnificent against the cobalt blue sky, like the abode of the gods at the end of the world.

The extreme cold and freezing conditions prevented the Confederacy exploration department from further developing the abundant high-energy gas reserves, and the plan was temporarily shelved because Haj had other more readily available and cheaper resources.

At the entrance to a glacial crevasse stretching for miles, a newly completed research station and camp are brightly lit. Several golden-blue Protoss buildings stand alongside these white structures constructed of environmentally friendly materials, the ice surface gleaming a bright sky-blue under the light of the Protoss Kydarin Crystal.

Two enormous, deep purple Revolutionary Army Nova Squadron science ships were moored on it, while numerous transport ships and turbine-powered reconnaissance drones circled the two science ships, moving back and forth between the sky and the ground.

These buildings are not mass-produced houses welded from prefabricated panels, but sturdy observation stations built with thick walls and furnaces, with pipes filled with refined high-energy gas fuel connected to their exteriors, resembling tree stumps with intertwined roots.

Augustus was standing at the entrance of a barracks, with Tychus, Faraday, and the Dark Templar Zeratul beside him. At this moment, Augustus and the others were all wearing warm polar work clothes, while Zeratul was still wearing his thin, dark purple robe.

Ever since Zeratul, the Dark Prelate, claimed that the extreme cold of the Arctic was part of the Dark Templar' ascetic practices, Augustus no longer worried that he would be frostbitten or frozen stiff.

A quarter of a mile directly in front of Augustus and his group was the Xel'Naga Gateway that Zeratul had mentioned.

It was a colossal archway over a thousand feet high, with a base of a step pyramid with hundreds of steps. The stones used to build the pyramid seemed to be some kind of living organic matter, their surfaces shimmering with a fluorescent green light symbolizing life. Shell-like spiral patterns and obscure Xel'Naga hieroglyphs covered the surface of the main structure, making it look like part of an altar.

A perfect blend of nature and technology, a building that seems to have a soul, a living structure.

This Xel'Naga Gateway was originally buried a mile below the glacier. Zeratul's Dark Templar used Void energy beams released from their Xel'Naga ship, the Void Seeker, to evaporate all the ice covering it, allowing it to see the light of day again. The sharp ice spikes surrounding it are the remnants of water vapor recondensing.

Around the Xel'Naga Gateway, towering structures are being built, forming an interstellar port and transportation platform. Plans to develop high-energy gas extraction in the geological layers beneath the Haj Arctic Glacier have been implemented, and this area will become a gas extraction and refining base built around the gas veins.

Given the extremely high strategic value of the Xel'Naga Gateway, Augustus attached great importance to it.

This is the first Xel'Naga Gateway controlled by the Revolutionary Army. Through it, the Revolutionary Army can not only transport personnel and supplies to other star systems, but also attack planets or resource gathering stations at unexpected times and locations by the Confederacy.

"This is the creation of the Xel'Naga. The Protoss have been trying to imitate it, but they can never reach even a fraction of its true potential." Zeratul and Augustus walked together toward the distant Xel'Naga Gateway.

"Its steps and the erected obelisks bear a long poem by a Xel'Naga prophet, recounting their coming from the void and sowing the seeds of life throughout the universe. The beauty and poetry of its language are unlike anything I have ever seen."

"Forgive my bluntness, elder, but I don't see it." Augustus wasn't really concerned with the artistic value of the extraterrestrial ruins; he cared more about their practical value to him. This was what set Augustus apart from the other members of the Mengsk Family; he had very little interest in appreciating art.

"Of course, that's why I'm telling you all this." This came from Zeratul's dry humor.

At that moment, a small Protoss shuttle, shimmering with a golden-blue light under the frigid polar sun, landed around Augustus. The shuttle landed as lightly as leaves on a sponge, without creating Hurricane of ice shards like human spaceships.

Tassadar, a high-ranking Templar clad in a long, gold-blue robe, emerged from the iris of the Protoss shuttle, without any Templars accompanying him.

"Hello, Augustus Mengsk. Although we failed to kill the Overmind's new agent, we at least saved this planet and its inhabitants." Tassadar greeted Augustus first, then turned somewhat stiffly to the Dark Templar Zeratul beside him.

"I have long admired your heroic deeds, Dark Prelate Zeratul." Tassadar spoke with reverence, yet involuntarily took two steps back. The respected Executor then lowered his head, as if blushing.

"The doctrines I received still influence me, but they will not hinder my communication with the Dark Templar. In the name of Adun, I swear to view the feud between the Templar Knights and the Dark Templar without prejudice."

"The Dark Templar have always held our Templar Knights brothers in high esteem, and we have always believed that it was the Arbitrators of the Conclave who expelled Nerazim, while the Templar Knights of Adun sheltered us," Zeratul said.

"I don't usually discuss the arbitrators' decisions, but they have indeed made many mistakes lately." Tassadar also had some reservations about the Conclave, which at least shows that he now has a lot in common with the Dark Templar represented by Zeratul.

Nevertheless, Tassadar still preferred to keep a certain distance from Zeratul. Many Templar Knights had an almost instinctive aversion to the Dark Templar, to the point that some Templar Knights would get goosebumps when they got close to their fellow Dark Templar.

"Let's go see if that Xel'Naga Gateway can take us there," Augustus said, extending his hand and gesturing for Tassadar and Zeratul to follow him up to the base of the trapezoidal pyramid beneath the Xel'Naga Gateway.

At intervals along the steps beneath the Xel'Naga Gateway stood a Revolutionary Army soldier, armed with an Electromagnetic Rifle and clad in gold and red CMC-300 Power Armor, with flags fluttering in the wind.

Walking on the steps gives you a unique feeling of stepping on soft grass. The spiral patterns and inscriptions engraved on the steps and the giant obelisks on both sides radiate a vibrant green light. The light flickers constantly, like a heartbeat, as if it has a life of its own.

The steps lead directly to the main body of the magnificent Gateway —a colossal gate that should have been built for Giant and could accommodate an entire Fleets.

At the top of the steps is a control console-like structure constructed of green, organic stone blocks, its surface shimmering with green void energy.

"How magnificent!" Tassadar had seen the Xel'Naga Gateway before, but he still exclaimed in amazement, "These days, we rarely use the Xel'Naga Gateway on Aiur."

"Just like the Xel'Naga Temple, they are not common, but the places the Xel'Naga have reached are beyond our imagination, so there may still be a considerable number of Xel'Naga Gateway in the universe, just that they are extremely far apart and difficult to detect."

"Yes, after being expelled from Aiur by the Protoss Empire's Conclave a thousand years ago, our ancestors wandered the universe for a long time before they learned of our current home, the Twilight-shrouded land of Shakuras," Zeratul agreed. "The reason we stopped in that gloomy world was simply because we discovered the Xel'Naga Temple and the Gateway there."

"And so, we stayed there forever."

Zeratul walked towards the control panel of the Gateway, which was inlaid with a huge green crystal, and stroked its smooth, seaweed-like surface. Even after countless years of erosion, the various facilities of this Gateway had not been affected by time much—although it could still be damaged or even rendered unusable by external forces, this one in Haj remained intact.

"The Xel'Naga, the 'Wanderers from Afar,' the 'Sages,' the 'Teacher Ihan,' they must have been here. These ruins are proof." Zeratul was captivated by every intricate detail of the Xel'Naga Gateway panel, utterly mesmerized by it.

"Why are these Protoss talking about things I can't understand at all? They can just tell me if this door works." Tychus listened intently for a while, but still couldn't understand. He simply couldn't comprehend what the Protoss gods Xel'Naga, were.

"Of course I can, I'll start it now." Zeratul didn't mind Tychus's impatience; he understood the unique nature of this human's personality.

"The Xel'Naga Gateway can connect to any other Gateway that is still functioning, unless the other side rejects it via the console." As he spoke, he fumbled for the crystal button on the console, channeling a surge of void energy into the crystal at the console's core and activating it.

"I'm transmitting commands to connect it to the Gateway in Shakuras. Although I've been away from my homeland for a long time, the Dark Templar guarding it are surely still doing their duty. They know it's me, so they won't refuse to connect to Haj's Gateway."

A bright blue light began to illuminate the Gateway, radiating dazzling brilliance that made Augustus almost unable to open his eyes. The light gradually dimmed only after a mysterious vortex formed.

"Elder, can this Gateway connect to the Xel'Naga Gateway in Aiur?" Augustus asked Zeratul. Tassadar had just mentioned that Aiur already had a Xel'Naga Gateway.

"We can give it a try," Tassadar said, walking over as well. "If this works, I can use this Gateway to return to Aiur at any time."

This magnificent Xel'Naga Gateway is several miles in diameter, large enough to allow a Carrier to pass through.

"Give it a try." Augustus also admitted that the idea was tempting.

"I was able to find Aiur's portal on this Xel'Naga control panel, but I remember that Gateway was closed to the outside world," Zeratul said.

"I know very little about this," Tassadar said, revealing a hint of regret.

Tassadar was merely a Templar Knights whose duty was to hone his combat skills and comprehend the mysteries of the Khala. Work related to the creations of the Xel'Naga was the responsibility of the Shelak Tribe tribe, the Arbitrators, and the Templar Knights rarely got involved.

"So, in other words, Aiur is now only open for exiting, but not for entering?" Augustus speculated.

As soon as he finished speaking, Zeratul sighed and said, "The Xel'Naga Gateway to Aiur has been locked. Not only that, I believe that since the golden age of the Protoss Empire, the conservative Conclave of the Empire has never used the Gateway again."

The Aiur Protoss of the Protoss Empire are reserved and conservative. After the end of the Golden Age, they completely lost the spirit of expanding their territory and pioneering innovation, because they firmly believed that their civilization and technology had reached perfection.

The idea of stability above all else subtly influences every aspect of the Protoss Empire's culture and technological development, and they no longer attempt to explore other unknown worlds through the Xel'Naga Gateway.

For scholars within the Protoss Empire, the Xel'Naga Gateway should be considered a precious artifact and legacy that deserves to be properly preserved so that future generations can still visit it.

"I will locate the one in Shakuras." Zeratul looked at Tassadar after seeing Augustus nod.

Tassadar had anticipated possibly encountering Zeratul's compatriots. He hesitated for a moment, but ultimately agreed, "Hopefully, they won't harbor hatred for the Templar Knights because of past grievances."

"No, our matriarch Raszagal taught us what forgiveness is. It was not you who coldly banished us from Aiur, but the arrogant Conclave," Zeratul said, and the vortex of the Gateway before them suddenly rippled.

An arm covered in dark black gauntlets emerged from the vortex iris of the Gateway, followed by a Dark Templar clad in dark armor and a black robe.

"Oh—I think we've just stirred up Dark Templar," Tychus whispered to Augustus.

"That's a good thing, Tychus," Augustus. "The more Dark Templar willing to help us, the more the Cerebrate will have to think twice before invading our world."

The Dark Templar's eerie green eyes narrowed slightly, a gesture akin to scrutiny, but he immediately emitted a joyful mental fluctuation. "Zeratul!"

"Lyrak! Brother!" Zeratul recognized him with delight.

"Gods above, is it truly you?" Lyrak was a shadow master tasked by the matriarch of Nerazim to guard the Xel'Naga portal to Sagulus.

Will I ever see you again, Zeratul?