A Huge Black Shadow in the Sky

"Beep, beep, beep. System identity verification commencing. Please declare your identity!"

Sure enough, following the Ever-Changing Steel System's instructions had been completely correct. Starscream's Decepticon insignia quickly merged into the groove on the massive iron gate, emitting a blue authentication beam that scanned the visitor.

"My name is Starscream. I am the current commander of Cybertron's Air Force and a Decepticon warrior. I request entry!"

Those were standard lines, suitable for any situation on present-day Cybertron. However, this system from a thousand years ago apparently had no record of Starscream.

"Visitor identity confirmed: Decepticon warrior. However, this database contains no information about you. Please wait. The system will connect to the main computer and update its information... Please wait. 1%, 2%, 3%..."

Well then! It seemed that Starscream's request for entry had activated the access-control system as well. But this system had been out of operation for at least a thousand years. Could it really connect to a signal from Cybertron while on such a remote planet?

Just as Starscream was pondering this, the system seemed to encounter some sort of malfunction—or rather, it simply had failed to contact Cybertron at all.

"43%. Beep beep. Connection error. System connection not authorized. Cybertron has changed its connection password!"

Well then! That seemed perfectly reasonable too. If this Decepticon outpost had been established on this planet a thousand years ago, Cybertron's rulers at the time should still have been the Autobots. But in recent times, the Decepticons had become the masters of Cybertron, so all the original communication frequencies and passwords would naturally have been changed!

"Who exactly designed this system of yours? Didn't you know that Cybertron is no longer the Autobots' domain? Verify me again, now! I, Starscream, have no interest in playing games with you. If you refuse to let me in, I'll use my own methods!"

Starscream would not let an intelligent system from a thousand years ago block his path, so he directly raised his laser gun. If this clueless access-control system continued to stop him from entering, then there would be no need for it anymore. Blowing it apart would do just fine—wasn't that precisely the Decepticons' style?

"Beep beep beep. Since the visitor belongs to the Decepticon faction, this base is willing to grant you access. Please wait. We will immediately open the hatch for you!"

Well then! Whether the other side had become frightened or Starscream's Decepticon identity had done the trick, he would be able to enter in the next moment. The Xiongnu who had followed him also started walking forward on their own, perhaps believing that everything in these ruins ought to belong to them.

Starscream had no time to concern himself with these little fellows. So long as these humans did not cause trouble or sabotage anything, he would not point his gun at them.

But at the instant the massive iron gate was opened, something else in another corner of the planet seemed to have been activated as well.

"Bzzzz!"

"Decepticons? A Decepticon actually came to our territory. It has been a long time since I last destroyed a Decepticon. These fellows really are interesting! Do they send a new batch here to die every few hundred years? Let's see who it is this time!"

It was a gigantic volcanic crater, and some enormous creature seemed to dwell within it. When the Decepticon base on the other side of the planet was opened, the master of that crater suddenly let out an earth-shaking roar. Then, a black shadow dozens of meters long shot rapidly out of the crater, transforming into a massive shadow in the sky as it flew toward Starscream's location at incredible speed.

Could that Decepticon outpost have some sort of guardian? Or had that place always been under the close watch of some powerful force? In any case, Starscream would soon learn the answer...

"Commander Starscream, welcome to the Decepticon outpost on Planet C-53. This is an observation post established by Decepticon warriors in the Milky Way, and it also stores models of some of the most cutting-edge biotechnology!"

Well then! It appeared that the outpost had indeed been built by the Decepticons. Once the iron gate opened, guided by the voice prompt, Starscream finally entered this mysterious Decepticon outpost. An enormous underground space unfolded before his eyes.

"Th-this is where the great god Chiyou rests? We... we finally found it! Great god, your people have returned!"

Who knew whether he had taken the wrong medicine, but after the shaman invited by the Xiongnu saw the immense space before him, he actually led all his men to their knees and continuously kowtowed toward the empty expanse. It was truly incomprehensible logic. There was clearly nothing in this space aside from several strange-looking structures.

"You stay here. I am going inside to inspect the situation. Without my permission, none of you may enter. Otherwise, bear the consequences yourselves!"

At that moment, Starscream had no interest in dealing with these Xiongnu. He needed to restart all the equipment inside this Decepticon outpost as quickly as possible. Most importantly, he needed to find something to replenish his energy.

"As you command, my master. We will all wait here for your return!"

Though they had no ties to Starscream, the big fellow's actions had thoroughly conquered these Xiongnu, causing them to regard Starscream as one of their gods as well.

However, these Xiongnu did not know that the man called Lord Huo had also brought several agile subordinates inside. This time, they had come armed. It seemed these people would not allow the Xiongnu to succeed so easily.

Yet neither Starscream nor the Xiongnu had expected that, just when everything seemed to be proceeding naturally, a tremendous roar suddenly came from the sky outside the excavation site, followed by violent explosions. It seemed the perimeter of the excavation site was under fierce artillery attack!

Boom! Boom!

Crack!

Had those people who vowed to punish their enemies no matter how far away brought their main force here? But those were clearly the sounds of laser weapon explosions. Ordinary human technology had not reached that level yet, had it?

"Host, this system has detected the presence of an advanced Transformer. It seems we have a guest. I suggest suspending the exploration of this Decepticon outpost and going outside to greet this unknown visitor first. What do you think?"