Abyssal Platelets

A mountain in sight can run a horse to death—an oasis might look close, but it was actually immensely far away. Only after sailing through the Abyss for most of a day did the spaceship truly draw near the oasis. Covering an area roughly the size of seven or eight soccer fields, it was breathtakingly beautiful, radiating an aura of serene tranquility and idyllic peace from afar. The swaying grass, the azure lake nestled at its center, and the solitary tree standing by the water's edge all gave off a lazy allure, stirring an urge to just lie down upon it and drift off to sleep. As the spaceship drew closer, Yu Xian, Little Nora, and Little Huangquan all stood up, staring at the oasis, longing to throw themselves into it. "I'm so sleepy," Little Nora murmured to itself, opening its mouth wide in a massive yawn as it gazed at the oasis. Little Huangquan's eyes grew heavy and drowsy. Her tiny hands balled into fists, looking ready to drop asleep at any second. "Mama... Big Brother... I'm so sleepy..." she mumbled. "Xiaodu, get away... from the oasis! Move... now!" Yu Xian's mental strength was comparatively stronger. Though he was also drifting toward sleep, he had maintained a degree of vigilance, allowing him to force the words out through the haze. The drowsiness had struck with startling suddenness, silently creeping into their bodies. By the time they realized what was happening, it was already almost too late. Fortunately, the ship's artificial intelligence was "dumb"—a simple weak AI without human sentiment. The moment it received Yu Xian's command, it immediately steered the spaceship away from the oasis. And as the ship veered off, a human face suddenly sprouted from the once-peaceful oasis. The sharp blades of grass shot up at terrifying speed, sprawling outward like giant kelp in an attempt to ensnare the fleeing craft. Aboard the ship, Yu Xian, Little Nora, and Little Huangquan had already collapsed to the floor, fast asleep. Xiaodu pushed the engines harder and harder, maneuvering the spatial thrusters on either side to weave left and right, dodging the lashing grass. Only after putting tens of thousands of kilometers between them did the ship finally shake off the pursuit. Xiaodu adjusted the vessel's heading, plotting a course around the oasis's sector before continuing toward Crescent Bay. A peaceful night's rest. Yu Xian had a dream. In it, he was running happily across a boundless grassland, when suddenly the surrounding grass shot skyward. Sharp blades pierced into his body. At that moment, he was no vampire—the blades of grass were. They rapidly drained him dry, whereupon the turf parted into a cavernous maw, swallowing his withered corpse in one gulp. "No!" Yu Xian's eyes snapped open, and he bolted upright from the floor. He first saw Little Huangquan sleeping soundly against the base of a chair, and then Little Nora wedged between a chair and a table, head on the floor and rear sticking up in the air. Only then did his senses gradually return. Was that a precognitive dream, or a nightmare sparked by hindsight? Yu Xian rubbed his face, and once his thoughts cleared, he quickly looked over at Zhenwo Changjing, who was sitting not far away. "That was an Abyssal platelet," Zhenwo Changjing said languidly, anticipating his question. "After mutating, it fused with certain plant life. Any living creature that wanders into it will be devoured clean." Yu Xian first lifted Little Huangquan onto a chair, then picked up Little Nora and settled it comfortably before sinking into a chair himself, letting out a long, heavy breath. 'Platelets? Could the Abyss truly be a living creature?' Yu Xian thought to himself. However, he did not voice the question to Zhenwo Changjing. He had asked similar things before, but she had merely smiled without answering, having had no intention of satisfying his curiosity. After a moment's thought, he asked, "Auntie, are there many of these Abyssal platelets?" "Plenty," Zhenwo Changjing nodded. "And they drift randomly through the Abyss. That's why, even with an AI assisting navigation, it's best to always have someone keeping watch in the cockpit." Yu Xian checked Feiliqi and the others' memories. Regrettably, there was nothing about Abyssal platelets in them, though when they were learning to pilot ships, there had indeed been a standing rule: at least one pilot must remain stationed in the cockpit at all times. The perils of the Abyss felt nonexistent when unencountered, yet the moment one struck, it was almost always fatal. This time, Yu Xian felt true lingering dread. It was fortunate the ship had an artificial intelligence that faithfully carried out his command; otherwise, he, Little Nora, and Little Huangquan would have been finished. He gathered his wits and focused entirely on the display screens, closely observing the surrounding Abyss. The spaceship's barriers couldn't offer one hundred percent defense against every form of attack. Draw too close to an Abyssal platelet, and its power could seep right inside. He was responsible for Little Nora and Little Huangquan's lives—he couldn't afford to be careless ever again. Fortunately, the rest of the voyage proceeded without serious mishap. When the ship located its first stable spatial zone, Yu Xian spotted starship wreckage drifting not far away, with several corpses floating amidst the debris. Under the influence of the Abyss, these corpses had already begun to mutate into undead monstrosities. Dense clusters of eyes sprouted from some of their heads; others had swollen bellies bulging with throbbing blood vessels. There was even a female corpse entirely covered in thick black hair that squirmed and wriggled on its own. Fortunately, the ship was far enough away that the corpses didn't latch onto them. Still, this made Yu Xian realize that the dangers in the Abyss weren't limited to the Abyss itself—other starships sailing through it were just as dangerous. The shattered wreckage bore clear signs of an assault by another vessel. From certain telltale clues, it was evident that the attacking ship had possessed overwhelming firepower. "Forging the Dragon Shield can wait—maybe I could try crafting a Star Divine Artifact starship!" Looking at the gruesome fates of the dead displayed on the screen, a bold idea popped into Yu Xian's head. Although the materials needed to create a Star Divine Artifact were exceedingly difficult to gather—so far, he had only managed to acquire Dragon Blood Iron and the scales of the Ancient Cosmos Dragon—the Abyss was vast. He refused to believe he couldn't assemble the necessary components to forge a Star Divine Artifact starship. "Auntie, has anyone ever tried forging a Star Divine Artifact into a spaceship or warship?" Yu Xian asked after some thought, deciding to consult Zhenwo Changjing. Zhenwo Changjing replied, "Of course. You're not the first to think of that. However, very few have ever succeeded. The larger a Star Divine Artifact is, the more materials it requires, and it must absorb a proportional amount of mental strength. Do you think your mental strength is sufficient to forge an enormous spaceship?" "Definitely not," Yu Xian said, immediately deflated. Zhenwo Changjing smiled. "Moreover, a Star Divine Artifact can only store 100 points of energy. That means an excessively massive artifact will inevitably have many areas with insufficient or weak energy coverage, making them easy targets for enemy attacks." "What about a Li Divine Artifact?" Yu Xian asked, catching on. After Star Divine Artifacts came the even more powerful Li Divine Artifacts. A Li Divine Artifact could store energy in the 10,000 range, which should be plenty to sustain a massive starship. "That is far too distant for you," Zhenwo Changjing said with a smile. Yu Xian was instantly crestfallen. His true combat strength was only around 100+; even with Little Nora and Little Huangquan's coordination, he could only push it to 200+. Li Rank was indeed much too far away. Still, having witnessed the myriad dangers of the Abyss, he was now brimming with motivation to get stronger. Once they arrived at Crescent Bay, he would immediately set about crafting his first Star Divine Artifact. A journey of a thousand li begins with a single step. Yu Xian grew more and more excited for the upcoming journey to Crescent Bay.