Chapter 1600: Inside the Rift
Outside the passage is a pitch-black void, yet every step taken by Chu Jiaojiao and the others as they navigate the spaceship feels like a monumental stride, an immeasurable distance.
However, for now, they remain unaware.
This passageway entrance hangs like a bridge suspended in darkness, its exit unknown.
At the entrance, following Shen Sheng, Ouyang Zhou, Gu Peiyuan, and Li Mengran, the spaceship that He Nu is on, along with other Star System ships, file in one after another, led by the X0N3848 number controlled by Chu Jiaojiao, with assistance from Shen Sheng, Gu Peiyuan, and others...
The flying devices varied in size, but the passage entrance was limited, forcing the abandonment of those extraordinarily large ones, which were set aside for smaller starships.
Yet, evidently, teams that abandoned their large spaceships were well-prepared; the process was not at all chaotic.
Chu Jiaojiao did not immediately pilot the spaceship away; everyone gathered a short distance from the entrance. Watching the time, Chu Jiaojiao suddenly said: "Attention all allies, our spaceship is scheduled to depart in 30 seconds. For those who have not entered, hurry up. We will continue to guard the entrance for 30 seconds. Remember, it’s 30 seconds, start the countdown—"
As for those unable to breach the space rift within 30 seconds, there’s nothing they can do.
Outside the space rift, the area where He Bi abandoned the Crystal Core is still embroiled in combat. Once a victor emerges in this battle, those Star Beasts will turn around, heading towards the space rift.
Thus, time is scarce for humanity.
seconds...
That’s the limit, according to Chu Jiaojiao, for the Star Beast battle.
Additionally, a greater constraint weighs on humanity, that is, once you stray far from the entrance of the space rift, mutual communication signals among humans will be utterly severed.
At that point, everyone can only fight on their own.
Chu Jiaojiao now senses the spaceship’s signal reception, faintly indicating impending disconnection. She frowns, listening intently to the sounds from behind.
"4th ship’s arrival."
"5th ship reporting."
"6th ship has successfully entered the space rift."
...
One ship, two ships, three ships...
For ease of communication and interaction, Chu Jiaojiao simply assigned numbers to everyone—for instance, X-N3848 is the 1st ship. Chu Jiaojiao focused completely, listening until the second-to-last ship, successfully receiving the voice of the second-to-last ship’s captain, when her heart suddenly caught in abruptness.
The final ship.
At this moment, the communicator relayed the captain’s voice from the final ship, "We have smoothly reached the entrance, currently—"
Suddenly, the voice cut off.
Chu Jiaojiao’s heart sank, and immediately, she heard chaotic Star Beast roars at the entrance, clearly indicating that more than 10 Star Beasts had rushed to the entrance.
Chu Jiaojiao abruptly clenched her palm, and at that moment—
Sheng Qingyan, who had been quietly crouching by the gun turret, finally moved!
Whiz!
Whiz!
Whiz!
Not just Sheng Qingyan, Shen Sheng, Li Mengran, Ouyang Zhou... all the snipers present raised their weapons, firing at the Star Beasts at the entrance.
Meanwhile, another group of people, the spaceships closest to the entrance, worked together, rescuing the final spaceship.
The dense attack scattered many of the incoming Star Beast Group; only a few, particularly resilient ones, continued desperately charging towards the passage entrance—
This wave of attacks gained the final spaceship an opportunity, and it leaped into the passage.
The next moment, led by Sheng Qingyan, Shen Sheng, Li Mengran, and others launched another round of intense bombardment—
This time, nobody held back; everyone unleashed their maximum attack efforts!
Boom~
Boom~
Boom~
The Star Beast Group gathered at the space rift entrance was once again repelled, scattered...
"The path ahead is unknown; everyone take care," Chu Jiaojiao looked at the time and gave the order: "Go!"
Shen Changqing piloted the X-N3848 ship forward into the deep passage without holding back!
The next moment, Chu Jiaojiao tested the communicator, saying: "Hello... hello? Hello? Hello?"
No response.
Despite being prepared, Chu Jiaojiao’s heart still sank to the bottom.
The signal was cut.
This meant there was no way to contact other teams and no knowledge of conditions behind, essentially a complete loss of connection with companions, eliminating any further cooperation possibilities.
Chu Jiaojiao refused to give in, continuing: "2nd ship received? If received, please reply."
The 2nd spaceship was the K-Q75 small warship with Shen Sheng and Ouyang Zhou aboard.
No response.
Chu Jiaojiao, with a stern face, continued: "3rd ship, if received, please reply."
3rd was the ship with Gu Peiyuan and Li Mengran. Regrettably, this ship also had no reaction.
Chu Jiaojiao said: "4th, 5th, 6th... whoever can receive the message, give a sign."
Silence.
An expanse of quiet and stillness, as if X-N3848 was the only life form left in the world; even those Star Beast groups battling at the passage entrance, laying their lives on the line to charge into the space rift, seemed nonexistent, vanished without a trace.
Chu Jiaojiao said: "Everyone pay attention, we have reached the internal passage of the space rift, follow the plan, remain stable without any action."
Chu Jiaojiao used the Star Network, dispatching messages, yet they also sank into the unknown.
The next second, Chu Jiaojiao switched to the internal network, transmitting messages once again, promptly receiving feedback from passengers aboard X-N3848.
Beside her, Shen Changqing said: "We can confirm that the internet has been cut; the reason for the cut is singular: our location is outside the coverage range of the Star Network, hence this situation arises. Meanwhile, a substantial part of the spaceship requiring Star Network technology has completely failed. However, it is comforting that the internal LAN aboard our spaceship hasn’t been blocked."
With a composed gaze, Chu Jiaojiao said: "I understand."
Then.
Chu Jiaojiao asked: "Yue Qiyuan, Liu Fufeng, have you found anything?"
Yue Qiyuan paused his paper-folding motion, immediately shook his head, saying: "No alterations, this layer of passage wall, I cannot perceive."
Liu Fufeng also shook his head, saying: "I cannot perceive anything."
Chu Jiaojiao rubbed her chin, pondered a bit, then said: "Shen Sheng and Gu Peiyuan, they most likely are behind us, yet it’s also possible they’ve left, this cannot be discerned."
The optimal scenario is all humans gathering collectively, then unanimously cooperating to clear any obstacles that may appear or collectively repelling any emergent danger...
However, this is a beautiful theoretical imagination. Once you stray from the entrance and start moving forward, the space rift’s passage may not present anomalies visibly, but indeed it is constantly shifting. Any slight negligence spells doom.