Soul of Searing Steel
chapter-897

After determining that the fleet had no issues from within the Dreadnaught, Joshua delegated command to other ranked crew and the 'Combined Fleet Command System' jointly created by Barnil and William.

The Level-Five Artificial Intelligence was not imbued with a manmade soul. It was simple an integration of sheer runic programming and grand processors, recorded with all fleet operation data from the Glorious Era and the Satreans to perform the problem-solving in real-time.

Since it had no soul or emotion, the Combined System could logically analyze all basic problems in crew command without being ordered to. In fact, it did not perform its regulation, harmonizing the fleet's movement especially with the slightly lacking proficiency of the Core Fleet would present a great problem.

At present, the Combined Fleet was already heading for the edge of the galaxy, the vessels exhaust fumes gathering into a silver-blue stream resembling the Great Mana Tide. The energy within would scorch a world's surface and everything upon it into ash—to shake off the galaxy's traction and gain sufficient acceleration to leave it, the people of Mycroft had emptied good chunks of world with mystical minerals to gain sufficient power.

***

At the central bridge, Joshua took his seat, staring at the vague nebulas head and the dark oblivion behind it.

"This is where the Starherders had came in, and where the Metal Dragon left… Hahaha. It's essentially this galaxy's natural entry point."

Sparse Steel Particles and stellar substance were swept away by the warships' stabilizers as they streaked rapidly towards the rear of the nebula—although they appear to be moving slowly. Joshua could also feel that the Steel Particles density here was only next to the Void Vortex and the Vortex of Creation, with many fragments of ruined worlds wafting around her.

However, were these fragments from the Lost Galaxy itself, or the final remains of another galaxy?

Joshua did not know—all he knew was that after they moved beyond that nebula, the entire Combined Fleet would have left the Lost Galaxy and advanced towards the 'Absolute Void' where nothing existed.

In other words, they were reaching the 'vacuum loop'.

The Unified Archives held many records penned by Glorious Era researchers regarding the Absolute Void between this galaxy and others. By studying those records and the present state of the galaxy, the many academy mages of Starfall suggested the concept of vacuum loop.

The Initial Flame burnt primal Chaos so that life fills the Void, while substance and worlds would be molded. Worlds varied in sizes—the smaller ones would have one ocean and continent and be less than five-times bigger compared a Standard World (The total surface area of the Mycroft world). The bigger ones were excessively colossal like Stellaris, their very scale decreasing the density of matter within and hence forced to split into planetary shapes.

Like how planets form in Stellaris and assemble into planetary systems, there was a similar connection between worlds: worlds created by the Initial Flame would follow 'its First Motion', when they rapidly move along in the Void, they would slowly stick together with other worlds and eventually built the frame of a galaxy. 

Naturally, with the moment of creation and speed of motion varying, not all worlds could gather into vast galaxies. However, the millions of galaxies that encircle the Initial Flame had such profound mass that they would draw all scattered worlds to themselves—the primal Chaos along with it. Hence, everything around them would be swept clean as massive loops assume form, with vacuum and oblivion dividing them.

Within, there was no Initial Flame, light, Chaos nor energy—and certainly not substance.

There would be no supplies or the faintest of fragments. Even vacuum particles were virtually dormant. This was the Absolute Void were no energy could be drawn, the vacuum loops that separated each galaxy.

Joshua still remembered what the Great Khan told him: before arriving upon the Lost Galaxy, they had prepared for centuries and infinite effort to pack each Void Behemoth and the worlds they carried with resources and food, and yet twelve of those Behemoths could not survive the journey in the vacuum loops that lasted more than 150 years. Their corpses were hence used as sustenance for the other Behemoths, and that was how the Starherders reached the destination.

The Metal Dragon God also mentioned before its departure that it could not use the dormant Steel Particles either. Compared to the monsters that may or may not exist in the fallen remains of galaxies, Joshua considered that the absolute oblivion was the greatest foe of the armada.

"That's why the life-support vessels are critical."

With that though, Joshua surveyed the bridge where every crewmember worked with much tension, studying the screens before them for data errors. Having gone through special training, they could assume complete responsibility, and the warrior just needed to give orders as commander.

Meanwhile, the vanguard of the Combined Fleet had left the nebula—with Joshua's Dreadnaught following right after.

Silver light diminished at once. Now, apart from the hint of color behind them, all was darkness and oblivion before them.

Joshua could feel the varying nervousness of in the bridge crew as the initial passion of the expedition dissipates.

They were now facing the cruel truth leaving their home and world, and the physical realm that life sorely needs.

It was absolutely natural—even normal for them to be nervous. For his part, Joshua released a hint of his presence so that the crew, who were beginning to blank out would focus once again. Paying no heed to their panicked apologies, he simply looked up and cast Steel Vision to look towards the boundless darkness, and the distant, blurred dots of light.

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The warrior's voice echoed in the bridge as he laughed quietly. "The journey has just begun."

***

When Joshua and the Legends left the galaxy with the combined fleet…

The silent, dark Void nearby Fort Pioneer.

Ling was wearing a uniquely designed armor that was more a pressure suit, quietly floating in the Void and watching the silver blue dots shining by the edge of the galaxy.

"Master's gone."

Inside the helmet, dense ranks of runes were assembling, forming a series of observation spells along with her pupil movements. It allowed Ying, who had yet to reach Supreme in ability to directly ignore dimensional turbulences and watch as the exhaust flames of the Combined Fleet vanished beyond the nebula.

Unlike before the silver-haired girl did not sigh over Joshua's departure. Instead, she calmly raised her hand to activate a communication spell and contact someone on the other side of space.

"Ling, Master's off. Our operation commences."

"Roger."

The youth's solemn voice was a little distorted over the extended distance. "Zero Three has headed for the target point… our mana projections are still up in the Liege's Residence and taking care of Black and Light. No one would notice that those are fake if they didn't observe carefully."

"All Legendary champions and the Seven Gods are in Fort Pioneer, watching the Combined Fleet depart—not even Israel's egg was left in Mycroft. No one could see through Zero Three's projection since she did obtain the God of the Sky's legacy."

Ying nodded in response. She looked at her hand that was covered in special armor before sighing softly, "Never thought that even weapons like us would wear armor our Master forged for us and operate alone… what dark humor."

"Alright, stop complaining—the workload Master left us with is heavy."

There was thunderous rumbling on the other side of the call. Ling's present position appeared so abnormal that the dimensional roar of massive surges of energy could be heard clearly from across the communications spell. Still, the youth's placid voice could be heard, "Sister, the node you're responsible includes many dead, dark quadrants—the Commanding Will of the Multiverse Sacrificial Grounds would work with us and warp us around, but you have to focus and avoid dead worlds that still have rich resources, which other humans would explore.

"I know."

Nodding lightly, Ying sighed softly before replying calmly, "I'm counting on you, Ling. From Simboa until the edge of the great rift…. Your task is much more difficult than mine."

"No more than Miss Zero Three's… she insisted on going…"

Noisy static sounded and drowned what Ling said next, with only his last words audible.

"…That's just it, Master's true form is in full slumber to completely suppress Chaos and divinity. That way, he would probably have fully recovered before the fleet arrives at their destination—and our task would also be completed then."

"Uh-huh."

Ying grinned and gave a short reply. "After all, we're just helping our Master with a trivial task as he sleeps. That's all—good luck, little brother."

"You too, sister."

They disconnected.

Still in her armor, the silver-haired girl looked at the Void around her.

It was dark, silent and without any hint of life. Although the Vortex of Creation swirls again, it would be millennia before the dark domain at the edge of the galaxy regains color.

"Master now needs this place to be even more silent and empty."

Ying whispered, shaking her head and laughing softly. "We can't hold him back."

With that, sky-blue specks shone on the chest of Ying's armor, forming a gem-like energy core. As the energy moved, the girl's form turned into a stream of illusory light, shooting towards the silent worlds nearby

Along the way were distinct pollen particles, wafting in the Void like luminous specks.

Ordinary individuals would never notice, since all Extraordinary individuals would stir the energies around them and create various anomalies. However, if it had been Pope Igor, Bradon, or a certain seclusive dragonborn elf called Hillya would be astonished when they saw the color and attribute of those radiances.

For it was a color that once belonged to Joshua.

The light of the Azurite.