"Where is this? Hell?"
Looking at the gray sky and the colorless world that was devoid of any color except for a deathly gray, Zhong Dajun and Sun Fei felt a sense of suffocation.
This is a strange world, everything is gray and hazy, the earth and sky are the same color, they look like one big sheet from a distance, everywhere is the color of cement, there is no life on the earth, not even a blade of grass.
Most importantly, there wasn't even a breeze here; the whole world seemed still, like a stagnant pool.
Looking up at the sky, the stars are dazzling, vast and mysterious.
This must be a distant planet.
Sun Fei released his mental energy and quickly obtained enough information.
"A planet incredibly far from our Sun System, a thousand times larger than Earth, with a similar environment, seemingly once home to life..." Sun Fei withdrew his spiritual energy and sighed, "I sensed some insect information. This is their paradise, but it doesn't seem to be their main base."
Zhong Dajun nodded. "That's right, this seems to be just one of their small strongholds. I sensed the totem mark. That insect life mothership that clashed with me in a battle of spiritual power is on this planet. Damn it, this time I'm going to get my revenge and kill it."
"Let's not alert them yet, let's observe first," Sun Fei stopped him.
After briefly clarifying their direction, the two flew forward.
The place where it first appeared should have been a vast Shamo.
At their flying speed, it took them an hour to see the scenery beyond the sand.
It appears to be a city that has been abandoned for countless years.
The collapsed building-like structures are half-buried in the cement-colored Shamo, their broken outlines stretching endlessly. The pyramid-like pavilions are magnificent, but they are all dilapidated, having endured the ravages of countless years, and are filled with a sense of desolation and decay.
"What a vast city skyline..."
Sun Fei stood in the sky and sighed.
Although the buildings below are dilapidated, one can still vaguely see their former glory. This is definitely an incredibly magnificent architectural complex. At least on Earth, it is impossible for such a huge and prosperous city to exist. Only the bustling capitals of some level seven or eight empires on the Azeroth Continent can compare to it.
Unfortunately, this city is now history.
The two discovered the presence of countless insects in the city, all of which had fallen into a deep sleep, as if hibernating. Only a small number of low-level insects patrolled the area around the city, following predetermined routes.
"If I'm not mistaken, this should be a planet inhabited by life, once possessing an incredibly glorious history and civilization. However, during the invasion of the insects, this civilization collapsed overnight... They may have put up a fierce Resist, which angered the insects, preventing them from leaving any seeds on this planet to flourish again, but instead leading to their complete extinction. This planet inhabited by life thus became a slumbering transit point for the insects."
Sun Fei sighed.
"Hunting the entire universe and countless planes? What a terrifying race, born to destroy and devour." Zhong Dajun's expression also changed drastically. "No wonder they're called [ the Defiler ], they're practically a swarm of locusts, a source of pollution, contaminating everything they touch."
"Let's go take a look." A ripple spread around Sun Fei, and he slowly descended towards the city below.
Zhong Dajun followed closely behind.
With their current strength, the two can isolate themselves from all auras and images; even if they stand right in front of the insects, the insects will not be able to detect their presence.
The city below was magnificent and imposing. The two of them, entering it, felt like two grains of Shazi entering Shamo, appearing incredibly small. As they wandered among the dilapidated buildings, the closer they got to experiencing the city's grandeur, the more they felt sorry for the destruction of this civilization.
The inscriptions and patterns on the building are so exquisite that they demonstrate an extremely high level of artistry.
Moreover, it is clear that this is a highly mature civilization system, neither belonging to the technological civilization of Earth nor the Dou Qi and magic civilization of the Azeroth Continent. It should be based on a runic technology. Judging from the inscriptions on some buildings and some broken tools, the level of this technology is hundreds of times more advanced than that of Earth.
"They possessed technology capable of ushering in a space age, powerful runic weapons, and had even embarked on the path of Star Class colonization, yet they were ultimately wiped out by the insectoids..."
Sun Fei and Zhong Dajun were both shocked and amazed by the terrifying nature of the insects.
Soon, they came to some dried skeletal remains, likely left behind by the planet's native inhabitants.
In terms of skeletal structure, they are similar to humans, but much taller. The average person is around three meters tall, and a child is about 1.9 meters tall.
The city was likely attacked suddenly by insects. Most civilians didn't have time to fight back and became prey for the insects. Very few bodies were intact; they were all torn apart, with horrifying holes in their bones. Most skulls had large holes in them...
"Could it be that the insects have already absorbed the technological achievements of this Rune Civilization?"
Sun Fei thought of a scene from the science fiction movie Starship Troopers.
The insects acquire knowledge and power from other civilizations by absorbing brain matter. They possess unparalleled evolutionary capabilities and can achieve functions that other races can only accomplish through technology and external forces.
"I understand now. Perhaps those Insect Race motherships that appeared in Earth's Sun System were advanced Insect Race evolved from interstellar warships based on this runic technology."
Zhong Dajun suddenly realized.
No wonder it looked familiar. After looking at the inscriptions and patterns about interstellar warships on some dilapidated buildings, he discovered the origin of the Insect Race life mothership.
Insects are a truly terrifying species.
"Judging from the degree of weathering of these bones, the civilization on this planet should have perished no more than a thousand years ago. Their runic technology was so advanced; I wonder if they left behind any clues, or anything that could be used by Earth and the Azeroth Continent."
"Haha, let's look around! Now that you mention it, I suddenly feel like Dr. Indiana Jones exploring ancient ruins. It's really exciting! Let's begin!"
The two hoped to find some traces left behind by the Rune Civilization here.
Second update