The annihilation of the First Exploration Fleet was like a sudden nightmare, with only the Moon-class Cruiser flagship, Infinite Engine, limping back to the Terra System, scarred and grief-stricken. Lin Yu stood in the main control room of the Infinite Engine, surrounded by holographic screens displaying various data and images, the atmosphere heavy and oppressive. From the data collected by the cruiser, he almost immediately concluded that the Space Undead were behind it all.
The ghastly green beams, the phantom-like phase shifts, and the sharp maneuvers that seemed to defy the laws of physics—all bore the hallmarks of the famous Inertialess Engine, the most distinctive feature of the Space Undead. Lin Yu frowned slightly, a hint of doubt and contemplation in his eyes. Most of these Space Undead should have been in slumber. Although the Ghoul Star Region had a large number of dormant Space Undead dynasties, how could it be such a coincidence that they encountered the Federal Exploration Fleet?
Lin Yu mused to himself that there must be a reason. The Space Undead had always been reclusive, like hermits. They would never easily mobilize unless there was an extremely important objective. And in the Salaxis V System, the only thing that could make them go to such lengths was probably their archenemy—the Old Ones.
Thinking of this, Lin Yu felt his deduction was even more reasonable. It was precisely because of the destruction of the Old Ones' ruins on Salaxis V that a Tomb-class Crypt Ship led an exploration fleet to appear here, as this place was originally a site they had once interfered with.
At this moment, Lin Yu was conflicted. Should he personally go to investigate and, while he was at it, analyze the Space Undead's technology? After all, conflicts with the Space Undead were almost inevitable during the expansion into the Ghoul Star Region.
However, his current situation was a bit tricky. As a second-generation super gene possessor, his combat power on the purely technological and physical side was relatively limited. To inflict significant damage on the Space Undead's warships, he would have to rely on stellar energy attacks similar to the Celestial Blade Judgment. But he was reluctant to use such an attack unless absolutely necessary.
He also didn't want to rashly use the Wormhole Decapitation tactic. After all, the Space Undead's technology was unfathomable. If he were to encounter some unexpected black technology inside a warship and suffer an embarrassing defeat, it would become a cosmic-level joke.
Lin Yu's current abilities to destroy and create mostly stemmed from psionics, but the Space Undead had accumulated tens of millions of years of experience in combating psionics. From the Old Ones and the Eldar to the Orks, they had fought countless battles, so they were naturally familiar with how to counter psionics. Thus, rashly using psionics would undoubtedly be walking into a trap.
Therefore, Lin Yu hesitated about whether to send the Infinite Engine, which had been refurbished with Old Ones' technology, to the front line. Was it truly worth it?
He paced back and forth in the main control room, his arms crossed, sometimes looking up at the star map on the holographic screen, sometimes lost in thought. His steps were steady and slow, each one seemingly weighing on his heart, assessing the pros and cons.
Finally, Lin Yu stopped, a relieved smile on his face. Wasn't the original intention of building the Infinite Engine to strengthen his influence in the macro-universe on the pure technological and physical side?
Why should he be so timid now? Although celestial warships were invaluable treasures for any race, for him, they were merely products created with a wave of his hand.
Having understood this, Lin Yu no longer hesitated. He decided to go personally and planned to brief the Federal Government's military and political leaders on a few matters before departing.
In the spacious conference room, the lighting was soft and bright, and the walls were adorned with various high-tech display screens and holographic 3D projections, constantly flashing with the Federation's data and dynamics.
Lin Yu sat at the head of the table, his expression calm and resolute. Karl Unas, the newly appointed Chapter Master of the Divine River Space Marine and the Space Marines' representative in the military, was the first to break the silence.
He suddenly stood up, his hands clenched into fists, his eyes filled with guilt and self-reproach, and said emotionally, "Great Lord of the Divine River, please let us investigate. Such a minor matter truly doesn't require your personal involvement. During this scientific expedition to the Old Ones' ruins on Salaxis V, we Space Marines failed to protect the exploration fleet, resulting in heavy losses. This is our dereliction of duty. I am willing to lead my brothers there again, even if it costs us our lives, to wash away this shame and avenge our fallen comrades."
As he spoke, his eyes reddened slightly, and his body trembled faintly from emotion.
Lin Yu shook his head slightly, about to speak, when Lin Na, the Minister of Internal Affairs whom he had personally appointed, also quickly stood up.
Her eyes were filled with worry and concern, and she earnestly pleaded, "Lord of the Divine River, you are the backbone of the Federation, our guide. Your safety concerns the future of the entire Federation. How can we let you take risks? For this matter, we in the Federation will go all out, gathering all forces to resolve it properly. Please believe in us and give us a chance to prove ourselves."
Her voice trembled slightly, and her hands unconsciously clasped together, as if silently praying for Lin Yu to change his mind.
Ge Lei, another Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, immediately stood up and echoed, "Yes, Lord of the Divine River. We understand your concern and responsibility for the Federation, but your safety is paramount. We subordinates should share your burdens and charge ahead. For this investigation, we will meticulously plan and deploy the most elite forces to ensure everything is foolproof. You only need to oversee from the rear and guide our direction."
He bowed slightly, his attitude respectful and firm.
Lin Yu looked at their sincere faces, a warmth rising in his heart, but his resolve remained unshaken. He slowly stood up, his gaze firm as he swept across the crowd, and said with a solemn expression:
"I understand and deeply appreciate everyone's intentions. But the Space Undead are by no means ordinary foes; they are an ancient and powerful alien race with extremely advanced technology and flexible warships, once one of the overlords of the galaxy. Our current Federal warships are too weak compared to them. Without a numerical advantage, they are simply no match for the flexible maneuvers of their Inertialess Engines. Only the Infinite Engine, this celestial warship, has the confidence to easily and completely suppress them.
My personal involvement is not only for investigation but also to ensure the future safety of the Federation in this star sector. This concerns not only the resolution of this incident but also the long-term development and survival of the Federation."
Lin Yu's voice was steady and powerful, echoing like a grand bell in the conference room.
Upon hearing Lin Yu's explanation, although everyone still had concerns, they understood that he was absolutely right and could only nod helplessly. Karl Unas gritted his teeth and said, "Since the Lord of the Divine River has made up his mind, we will fully support him. If there is anything you need from us Space Marines, just say the word."
Lin Na and Ge Lei also expressed that they would handle all logistical support in the rear to ensure Lin Yu's mission went smoothly.
After bidding farewell to everyone, Lin Yu returned to the Infinite Engine and began to operate it, slowly moving away from the Alpha Star's orbit. On the planet's surface, people looked up and saw the familiar "new moon" gradually receding. However, since the Federal Government had issued a temporary announcement beforehand, the public was not alarmed. They knew that the Lord of the Divine River, who brought them a good life, was embarking on another great journey.
Relying on detailed spatial coordinates, the Infinite Engine, using only its onboard chronometer celestial computer, easily calculated the entire massive celestial warship's jump, directly wormholing to the Salaxis V System.
As soon as it appeared on the outskirts of the star system, Lin Yu quickly issued orders for the Infinite Engine to hide itself to the maximum extent.
In the main control room, various control panels flickered, and the Guards, acting as personnel, executed the commands tensely and orderly. Not only were obvious electromagnetic, optical, and gravitational spacetime signals shielded, but an additional layer of dark data information encryption was applied via the chronometer.
The Infinite Engine's construction materials themselves incorporated a large amount of dark alloy mixed with dark titanium elements and quasi-dark silver substances. These special materials not only shielded various mainstream world-level signal detections, but the hull was also exceptionally tough; even unprotected, it would not damage its main structure when subjected to a medium-sized solar flare bombardment.
At the same time, various shields on the Infinite Engine were also activated. These included the newly added multi-planetary void shields and psionic shields, as well as multiple anti-psionic fields within the warship, and the original dark energy shields and spacetime shields.
Lin Yu stood in the center of the main control room, his eyes fixed on the screen, closely monitoring the progress of each operation.
His gaze was as sharp as an eagle's, not missing a single detail.
The reason he was so cautious was that he wanted to first covertly and unilaterally read the dark data from the Space Undead's warships. His plan was to covertly infiltrate the Space Undead's database, aiming to copy all data within their warships in one go, while simultaneously completely locking down and controlling the warships.
Therefore, the first crucial step was not to be discovered by the Space Undead. Of course, Lin Yu also knew that even if he were discovered, there was no need to fear.
At worst, it would be a full-blown battle, and with his current strength, the ultimate victor would undoubtedly be his side.
After all, he held many advantages, and this operation was a calculated move against an unsuspecting enemy.
He just didn't want to make the scene too grand for now, lest he accidentally let the enemy escape, which would also be a kind of failure for him.
The Infinite Engine, like a giant beast lurking in the darkness, silently hid on the edge of the Salaxis V System, awaiting the optimal moment, ready to unveil the mysterious veil of the Space Undead. An interstellar clandestine confrontation had already begun...