He touched the wound on his chest, which still throbbed faintly, and fell into thought.
"If he gathers more Marks, the consequences will be unimaginable."
"We must accelerate the plan."
Scorpio turned to the communications officer on the bridge.
"Contact every legion immediately. Begin a full-scale search for the remaining Marks."
"Spare no cost. Seize them before that brat finds them."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Lin Ye's warship drifted helplessly through the Void. Its engines had long since shut down, while the life-support system emitted intermittent alarms.
He leaned against the pilot's seat, his face pale as paper, silver-white hair hanging messily against his forehead.
The price of using the Genesis Star Sword was far greater than he had anticipated. The life force within him was slowly but steadily draining away.
"Fuel remaining: less than 5%. Oxygen can sustain life for six hours." The AI system mechanically reported the despairing data.
Lin Ye closed his eyes and felt the faint fluctuations of the five Constellation Powers within him.
They were still struggling to preserve his life, but they could not halt the process of aging.
Just as he was about to lose consciousness, a weak signal suddenly crackled through the communications system.
"Bzzzt... this is... Seraphina... can... anyone hear me?"
The familiar voice instantly jolted Lin Ye awake. He forced himself upright.
"Seraphina? This is Lin Ye! Where are you?"
"Lin Ye? That's wonderful... I'm at... coordinates X-447... low on fuel... unable to move..."
The signal was faint and intermittent, but it was enough for Lin Ye to determine the direction.
He gritted his teeth and activated the last emergency thrusters, flying toward the source of the signal.
It was an abandoned star system destroyed by war, with wrecked warships and shattered meteors drifting everywhere.
It had once been a prosperous