IMC Chapter 121

Watching the Mechanoids’s battleships slowly sail past, the two princes displayed expressions of disbelief. They couldn’t understand why the Mechanoids ignored them completely. Even if this was merely a lightweight starship, it shouldn’t be overlooked so easily.

Perhaps their shock and confusion were too apparent, as T33674 explained from nearby, “This starship has activated a psychic field. From the outside, it’s invisible—this is a type of mental magic.”

The second prince still found it hard to believe. During their interstellar travels, they encountered people from the Chaotic World and studied so-called magic. Though its abilities were remarkable, its energy was limited. How could one person’s energy encompass an entire starship? But thinking of Xia Wang City, the second prince began to accept that nothing was truly impossible.

The third prince, on the other hand, was thinking even further ahead. The rapid development of Xia Wang City wasn’t just due to its acquisition of advanced technological data; it was also heavily reliant on magic. They had used magic to accomplish tasks that normally required heavy industrial capabilities—such as shaping ultra-durable alloys, crafting precision instruments, laying global transportation networks, and providing multi-source energy systems. But the most terrifying development wasn’t these achievements.

The truly alarming part was that they had now managed to integrate magic with technology!

From the earlier encounter, it was evident that even the Mechanoids—at the pinnacle of technological advancement—were completely unresponsive to magic. This meant that sneaking into the Mechanoid Star System undetected was genuinely feasible.

Realizing this, the third prince felt both shock and relief. Shocked at the potential of the Fu Xia Star, and relieved that there might still be a chance for him to survive.

As the two Mechanoid battleships drifted further away and disappeared from view, everyone shifted their attention to the Mechanoid Star System itself. With the psychic field cloaking them, the lightweight starship from Xia Wang quietly infiltrated the Mechanoid Star System.

In truth, the data retrieved from the Mechanoids’ ruins did not provide precise coordinates for the Mechanoid Star System. However, the Fu Xia Star had the advantage of magic. After their battle with the two princes, several mages with prophecy and divination abilities predicted that a hundred years from now, the Mechanoids would reach the Qing Wang Star System, bringing catastrophic destruction.

The prophecy revealed that the Mechanoids would discover the Qing Wang Star System due to the signals and weapons exchanged during this very battle. These signals, traveling at the speed of light, would eventually be detected by the Mechanoid Star System a hundred years later, leading the Mechanoids to the Qing Wang Star System.

This prophecy prompted Shu Bao and the others to take the risky initiative of striking first. While they couldn’t intercept the scattered photon signals, they could use spatial jumps to reach the Mechanoid Star System ahead of time, gather critical information, and attempt to devise a solution before the Mechanoids arrived.

Conveniently, the prophecy also disclosed the location of the Mechanoid Star System—exactly one hundred light-years away from Fu Xia Star. Combining this insight with data deciphered by T33674 from the Mechanoids’ ruins, they pinpointed the star system’s direction and finalized their navigation.

“The Mechanoid Star System is a spiral arm galaxy. Here are several suspected main star coordinates and this is the order of our initial exploration…” Shu Bao, now fully adept at maneuvering his butterfly wings, hovered effortlessly through the vast virtual star map.

As Shu Bao elaborated, specific points on the spiral arms lit up on the star map. These were locations identified by T33674 as centers of the Mechanoids’ flourishing culture and frequently mentioned in their documented records.

In addition to the basic route, Shu Bao also demonstrated several known Mechanoid weapons, traps, and energy sources, as well as emergency plans that could be implemented if they encountered any sudden situations.

The second and third princes were both surprised by the content Shu Bao presented. They didn’t understand why this mouse knew so much about the Mechanoids, but this only added to their curiosity amidst their fear, making them eager to see the homeland of the legendary top-tier warriors.

As the spaceship continued to advance deeper, the number of artificial structures around them increased. However, since they were still on the outskirts of the star system, the number of detectors and flying vehicles was not high. Occasionally, small asteroids were surrounded by artificial satellites, indicating the presence of intelligent life.

“These life planets should be the so-called ‘Paradise of Life’ mentioned in the records. They are either natural or later modified, used to house species that are on the brink of extinction due to human activities,” T33674 explained while reviewing the vast amount of data on the Mechanoids’ history, continuously analyzing the information.

Yu Lingqi, one of the few who had read the Mechanoids’ historical records, also spoke up, “Simply put, it’s the Mechanoids’ version of a zoo or sanctuary.”

While they were talking, Tesla had already found a defensive loophole and, passing through the atmosphere, entered the interior of the Paradise of Life.

Unlike the blue planet that Shu Bao had once known, this was a purple planet. As far as the eye could see, there were no large plants—only tiny, ground-hugging creatures. The plants here were all purple, and within this miniaturized kingdom, there were many animals, also small in size.

Through the data sent back by the detector, the spaceship quickly analyzed that the planet’s creatures were all anaerobic. Despite their small size, they had almost infinite lifespans, and most of them were collective-minded beings. However, there was no high-intelligence life here, as their minuscule size prevented them from altering the planet actively.

After completing a tour around the purple planet, the spaceship retracted its detector and soon passed through the purple sky, leaving the miniaturized life planet behind.

Yu Lingqi had not expected that the planets recorded in the books actually existed, and they were indeed as beautiful as described—like a purple gemstone scattered across the universe. This made him begin to wonder, could the history recorded by the Mechanoids all be true?

After leaving the purple planet, they continued their journey inward toward the star system. Thanks to the psychic field, their progress was smooth. The outer stars of the system were few and far between, leaving vast empty spaces for the starship to easily traverse. The obstacles and traps set by the Mechanoids on the outskirts were ineffective.

The people aboard the starship remained highly vigilant, as the real test of their technology was still ahead. Tesla, however, remained calm as always. He had great confidence in the starship he had meticulously modified. Its defense, attack, and flexibility were all top-tier due to the extensive upgrades.

Tesla connected his consciousness to the spaceship’s operating system. His powerful mind allowed him to merge with the starship, enabling it to perform various maneuvers effortlessly, avoiding obstacles, and even slipping past patrolling Mechanoid fleets.

During this process, the two princes were so frightened that they tightly clung to each other, once again winding up into a tangled mess.

After overcoming many obstacles, the spaceship finally arrived at the first target of their planned route, which was also the outermost small asteroid in the star system. Unlike the purple planet from before, this one was a familiar blue, a color that gave carbon-based lifeforms a sense of reassurance.

Of course, the number of flying vehicles and satellites surrounding the planet had dramatically increased. After orbiting the planet several times, Tesla finally found a gap and slipped inside.

Upon entering, the group quickly realized that this planet was a perfect carbon-based life planet. Its surface was covered with vast oceans, and there were several continental landmasses. The dark side of the planet was illuminated with lights, while the daytime side was bustling with activity.

As they operated the spacecraft to slowly descend, they noticed that the planet’s development was incredibly high. Aside from areas unsuitable for habitation, cities and buildings were visible almost everywhere.

However, after scanning the surface and making a full circuit around the planet, they discovered a strange phenomenon: there were no inhabitants. Despite the rich animal and plant resources, numerous entertainment buildings, and large-scale farms, there was no sign of intelligent life.

“Doesn’t the Mechanoids just absorb energy? Why are there so many farms and pastures on this planet?” Yu Lingqi asked as he looked down at the expansive farm below.

“Strange. We don’t see any people, nor any mechanoids, but the cities are still functioning. What’s going on?” Shu Bao, standing on Fu Qing’s palm, leaned against the glass to look down.

This was the first planet they had encountered with civilization, so naturally, they decided to investigate it thoroughly. The group found an open area outside the city to land. Tesla stored the starship in his ring, then erected a psychic field to cover everyone as they made their way into the city.

Entering the city, the group became even more puzzled. The city’s systems were all functioning normally, including unmanned flying vehicles, trains running on the ground, and shops on the streets that were open for business.

The city streets were pristine, as if freshly cleaned, with traffic lights flashing in an orderly manner. Flying vehicles and cars moved according to the rules, but there was not a single person riding them.

This eerie scene made Yu Lingqi feel uneasy. “Could this planet be inhabited by some kind of spiritual intelligence, like the spirit race?”

“Can spirits eat ice cream?” Fu Qing came out from a shop on the roadside, holding two ice creams. He spoke as he handed one to Shu Bao. Shu Bao circled the ice cream and then landed on Fu Qing’s wrist, sniffing it with his paws.

“The system has analyzed it; it’s edible. I just ate one and it tasted pretty good,” Fu Qing said as he took a bite of the other ice cream.

Seeing that Fu Qing had eaten one, Shu Bao relaxed and started enjoying his ice cream as well. Yu Lingqi found this behavior quite dangerous but didn’t dare to comment. Watching them eat with relish, he couldn’t help but be curious about what the Mechanoids’ ice cream might taste like.

Afterward, the group also tried riding the city’s transportation vehicles. They quickly made a full round of the city, but still, no intelligent lifeforms were found. There were no humans and no mechanoids, making the place feel like a large crystal ball carefully preserved.

The familiar surroundings also gave Shu Bao and the others a sense of déjà vu, as if they had returned to the Mechanoids’ ruins. However, unlike the ruins, this city was not entirely made of steel and the ground didn’t have the strange metal used in the Mechanoids’ structures. Compared to the Mechanoids’ ruins, this city resembled a human city more.

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