"Yes. They mentioned that the Void Ark was the universe's janitor, dedicated to erasing traces of civilizations that had 'failed to evolve.'" Ram struggled to recall what had happened.
"But I didn't understand exactly what they meant, so I attacked."
The information unsettled Lin Ye. If the Void Ark truly saw itself as the universe's cleaner, then the logic behind its actions was more complex than mere destruction.
Meanwhile, Sagitta and Astria reached the edge of the Abandoned Void Base Cluster.
This region had once housed the Void Empire's secret research facilities, but it had been abandoned for years. Countless bases floated in the dark expanse of space like enormous tombs.
"Scorpios's signal is coming from Base 47." Sagitta checked the detector readings. "But the energy fluctuations are very unstable."
Their reconnaissance ship approached the target base without a sound. It was a massive spherical structure covered in thick armor plating. Most of it had lost power, with only faint life-support systems still running in its core.
After entering the base, they made their way down dim corridors. Emergency lights flickered occasionally, casting eerie shadows on the walls.
"The atmosphere here makes me uncomfortable." Astria frowned. "The Libra Mark senses an extreme imbalance."
They found Scorpios in the deepest part of the base.
The Guardian of Scorpio sat before an enormous observation window, silently gazing into deep space. His silhouette was almost indistinguishable in the darkness, and the Scorpio Mark emitted only the faintest purple glow.
"Scorpios?" Sagitta called cautiously.
He slowly turned his head, revealing a haggard, hollow face. His once-sharp eyes were now filled with despair.
"Sagitta, Astria." His voice was disturbingly calm. "You shouldn't have come here."
"We came to bring you back," Sagitta said. "The Void Ark is approaching. We need the strength of every Guardian."