"Quiet Sea Star" was the name Elder Mochen had given this region of space. It lay in the quietest corner of an ancient star system, far from any interstellar routes, wrapped in a naturally occurring, thin dark matter nebula. The nebula not only blocked most outside scans but also contained a strange, gentle radiation that soothed unstable energy and encouraged living beings to heal themselves. When the Stargazers discovered this place years ago, they designated it an emergency refuge and built a small, concealed research outpost.
Like a battered giant whale, the Dawnbringer slowly glided into the outpost's only small dock. Scorch marks and corroded pits from the battle at the Ring of Oaths covered its hull, but at last, it had a chance to breathe.
"Quick! The medical room!" Sakura's voice carried an urgency that brooked no argument. She and Karin carefully carried Lin Ye's stretcher between them and rushed down the gangway. Lin Ye remained unconscious, his face almost translucent beneath Quiet Sea Star's soft white light. The Origin Starmark on his forehead emitted a faint, erratic glow, flickering like a candle in the wind. The pale gray traces of erosion left on his body by the law of "erasure" clung stubbornly to him. Sakura's continuous treatment could barely suppress them, let alone eliminate them.
Though the outpost was small, the Stargazers had clearly poured considerable care into it. The medical room was fully equipped, even boasting a small energy stasis chamber that could temporarily stabilize the vital signs of someone near death.
"Put him inside!" Elder Mochen directed, swiftly working the console. "The stasis chamber can slow the deterioration of his bodily functions and block outside energy interference. It'll buy us time!"
Lin Ye was carefully placed inside the stasis chamber, which glowed pale blue, and its