Xyrin Empire
Chapter 331 - Chapter 331 Chapter 331 Above the Moon

Chapter 331: Chapter 331: Above the Moon Chapter 331: Chapter 331: Above the Moon At this point, the Olympus Organization was essentially obliterated.

This fleeting mega-organization had seventy percent of its branches around the world destroyed under our rapid strikes, the remaining bases had been scheduled for further action by the Xyrin Commanders, and as for their headquarters beneath the Great Goshidi Island Reef, it had disintegrated into fundamental particles with its Ancient Nest below, annihilated by Bubbles. Four out of the so-called “Olympian Main Gods” were killed, one was turned into a normal person and placed under tight surveillance by the Superpower Team, and only the Moon God Artemis remained unaccounted for. This outcome was an absolute victory, as news from Lin Xue indicated that not just the Superpower Team, but the entire Dark World felt a sense of relief.

But for us, the trouble was just beginning.

The Olympus Organization, after all this time, turned out to be just a smokescreen. Even uprooting all their bases only served the real mastermind’s purpose of buying time, and that Artemis was the person truly giving us a headache.

After returning home, I immediately announced the successful completion of the original mission objectives to Qianqian and Big Sister, then subsequently revealed a frustratingly absurd hidden mission.

Which, naturally, elicited a chorus of gasps from a bunch of girls.

Ah… on the moon…

What kind of divine twist is this!!!

Even if the analysis pointed to Namek, Centaurus, or even the M7 Nebula without any issue, or if you told me Artemis had failed her tribulation, been struck by lightning, and banished to Otherworld to wreak havoc, that would’ve been fine. But why, oh why do you have to tell me that this damned plate depicts a star map from 770,000 years ago above the moon?!

Do you know how much resentment I hold against the moon now?!

Do you know how tear-jerking it is that our household Angel gets lost and ends up in some lunar crater, pitifully sending distress signals back every week?

To top it off, another memory that brings me to tears: do you know the vast amount of trouble caused when Anwina, that fool, was also taken by Alaya to the moon, and especially the far side of it? These two super fools have been nothing but a major headache!

That day, it was precisely because Anwina was absent that I gullibly believed Lilina’s blatantly false claim of “I’m a great cook,” almost costing me my life to a bloody meatball disaster!

Okay, I admit, I’ve sidetracked a bit too far…

Anyway, I now genuinely suffer from a severe allergic reaction to the moon, and given Alaya’s increasing frequency of getting lost there, in despair over our household Angel’s brain, I’ve now grouped the moon and Lin Xue together under the label “Massive Source of Trouble, Please Avoid”…

Despite my speechlessness, this data was nevertheless analyzed by Bubbles. To put it dramatically, if Bubbles’ simulated results really didn’t match reality, then it’s the world that’s wrong…

It seems this star disk most likely has something to do with the moon, and the deduction made by Visca after adjusting the reference coordinates confirmed this guess–the so-called Divine Realm of Olympus likely refers to the moon.

I really wonder how they discovered the Xyrin Relics on the moon; if it was sheer luck, then Olympus’ luck is absurdly good. Could it be that Artemis is a transmigrator?

The mere thought gave me shivers. No, transmigrators are far too dangerous, supposedly capable of taking down a Dragon King with a brick just by their absurd luck. Such mystical beings are not something an ordinary Imperial Leader like me can contend with. I better think quickly about getting some tough guys from Azeroth, or letting Lilina handle it might work too. Transmigrator against transmigrator shouldn’t be an issue, especially since Lilina is the kind who transmigrated and rebirthed, making her two-turn versus full-level an easy match…

“You ultimate Loli Fan, what indecent and chaotic thoughts are you conjuring up with those shimmering, lecherous eyes, you jerk!”

Noticing my abruptly shifting gaze, Lilina finally couldn’t restrain the poison-tongued spirit within her and jumped out to give me the regular Ginseng Rooster scolding.

Qianqian casually dragged Lilina aside, then came over, brimming with excitement, “Ah Jun, are we going to the moon?”

I helplessly placed a hand on my forehead, “There’s neither Chang’e nor rabbits up there…”

“But…”

“Nor are there any princesses popping out of bamboo.”

“…”

“And it has absolutely nothing to do with Sailor Moon.”

With a “click,” Qianqian finally made up her mind and bit hard on my arm, leaving marks with her two sharp little tiger teeth that made room for a watch strap.

Lilina, lingering like a persistent spirit, came over and said, “Exactly!”

The news that the enemy might have fled to the moon threw Qianqian and her sister into an unprecedented state of excitement. Although their identities were exaggerated, these two Xyrin Queens, who still maintained a commoner mindset, were thrilled by the small plan of “adventuring to the moon.” I just couldn’t understand it, how could people, who had even been to Otherworlds, be so fascinated by a stone sphere just a short distance from home?

Okay, I admit, I was quite excited too. More precisely, it was curiosity, since I grew up hearing the famous words, “This is one small step…” I guess I’m just a science-loving youth, right?

Moreover, I’ve come to completely admire the abilities of those ancient Xyrin predecessors from 700,000 years ago. On the moon… what exactly were they doing when they first came to Earth? Researching superpower users and setting up a bunch of bases.

At this moment, Sandora, who had just finished who knows how many meals of the day in the kitchen, came over burping and threw herself ungracefully onto the couch, still licking her lips contentedly.

“So full…” Sandora mumbled obliviously, “Little pudding cake really is the best delicacy on Earth…”

I was shocked, “You didn’t eat all twelve pounds of that cake, did you?”

Sandora, satisfied, patted her still-flat belly and nodded vigorously, “Mhm!”

What an amazing appetite! Is her main thinking organ really her stomach?

“Are the moon scanning results out yet?”

I shook my head, amused and incredulous, and then lightly tapped on the head of Her Majesty the Queen, the super-eater, before turning my attention to Pandora, who was sitting on the couch, daydreaming.

Hearing my question, Pandora immediately turned her unfocused, misty gray eyes towards me, and answered meticulously, “The lunar scan is complete, no man-made structures found. The second scanning results will be uploaded in three minutes.”

Big Sister then spoke, “Ah Jun, although Xyrin structures are usually solid, I too doubt whether the Xyrin Base built on the moon 700,000 years ago can still be preserved until now–after all, that place doesn’t have an atmosphere for protection, right?”

Indeed, I had thought of that too. Let alone the unprotected moon, even Earth, which is protected by an atmosphere and satellites, has most ancient Xyrin relics severely damaged or even reduced to mere walls that testify to their past existence. A Xyrin Base bombarded by meteors in outer space for 700,000 years, how much could possibly remain is seriously questionable. If the “Divine Realm” in the minds of Olympus is supposed to be the Xyrin lunar base, then that fellow Artemis…

“Definitely met a tragedy.”

Lilina nodded with considerable confidence, showing great faith in her own judgement.

The joy of becoming a deity would have been transferred to the high-radioactivity and absolute vacuum surface of the moon–if that were the case, Poseidon’s tragic demise accidentally caused by Pandora might put his status as a tragic emperor at risk, turning Artemis into the most tragic villain of the century, no, since the dawn of simian creatures.

“Deep scan complete, data from the third space detector,” Pandora suddenly spoke up in a calm voice, then dropped a bombshell, “A huge cavity and high energy reaction have been discovered inside the moon.”

A bombshell, a bombshell even heavier than the original 300!

Qianqian and Big Sister, who were chatting quietly, noticed that the surroundings had fallen into sudden silence and curiously looked up, just in time to see me standing stiff as a statue.

“It wasn’t me,” Qianqian immediately disclaimed any responsibility.

“Big Sister, and Qianqian,” I blinked and said to my puzzled sister and Qianqian, “Let me tell you something, the moon above our heads, it’s got filling inside…”

The Moon, which, like the Earth, had been hanging above us for millions of years, was laden with numerous human fantasies and myths. Inside, there shockingly existed a base built by aliens…

Naturally, my initial reaction was disbelief, as it was too far-fetched, but I found myself unable to explain why I didn’t believe such a fact, probably a result of mental inertia and stubbornness, finding it hard to accept the sudden overturning of what had become almost an established truth. However, as more scanning results were uploaded to Pandora, we had to accept the astonishing fact that there was a “huge space inside the moon.”

“In conclusion,” Sandora summarized after Pandora shared all the data with us, “there might be a Xyrin outpost base inside the moon, the Earth’s only natural satellite. If it’s a base built inside a celestial body, given the durability of the Xyrin military construction, it shouldn’t be completely destroyed even after 700,000 years. Moreover, considering the close contact between the Xyrin Apostles and Ancient Earth People 700,000 years ago, the base inside the moon is highly likely to have been modified to suit human habitation. Artemis might still be alive, and if she pressed some curious button out of curiosity… we wouldn’t need to watch 2012 anymore.”

“So, we’re going to explore the moon?”

Qianqian’s eyes sparkled as she spoke, her face full of excitement. To her, any novel experience was enough to spark her utmost enthusiasm.

“From what it looks now, we definitely need to go have a look at the moon, inside it,” Sandora nodded and made a large circle with her hand, “There might be an ancient Xyrin base there. Although the technology of current human civilization isn’t capable of exploring there yet. However, the developmental potential of humans is undeniable, they will eventually master such technology. For now, let’s just consider it as clearing some danger for the future humans. I wouldn’t want such a vibrant race to be destroyed by accidentally digging through an empire’s junk pile.”

It seems that living with us for so long had changed Sandora. If it had been a year ago, likely even the overnight extinction of seven billion Earthlings wouldn’t have mattered to her.

I was also naturally excited about such a novel experience and said enthusiastically, “Then we should prepare well. Let’s see, we need to build a lunar spacecraft first, then spacesuits and more…”

Sandora blinked in confusion, “What do you need those for?”

“Eh?”

“We’re just going to the moon,” Sandora scratched her head, seeming to find my words very hard to understand, “If you’re too lazy to go by yourselves, you could just drive your car there, and if you hurry, you could even be back in time for the next meal. As for spacesuits and the like, hasn’t your gene enhancement reached a level where you can resist cosmic radiation and vacuum? A little no-oxygen environment shouldn’t be a problem, besides, Sivis seems to be organizing manpower to research gene enhancers that allow carbon-based beings to directly utilize their cell make-up to convert radiation energy. If you feel uncomfortable, just wear goggles, though I think those are unnecessary. If there’s a base under the lunar surface, we probably won’t have much exposure to outer space anyway… um, and the moon isn’t exactly suitable for picnicking either…”

We: “…”

Empiricism kills! How could I forget that, for Xyrin Apostles, such short-distance space travel is as casual and relaxed as stepping out to buy soy sauce?

As for our genetic enhancement reaching a level where it could survive briefly in space, that was a bit surprising to me. Although I’d always known that those Imperial scientists were monstrous researchers, had the enhancements really reached that extent?

Although, personally, I felt like aside from being a bit stronger, I hadn’t noticed much of a difference…

Anyway, just half an hour later, I, Qianqian, Big Sister, Sandora, and the Pandora Sisters formed a little expedition team and arrived on the surface of the moon.

There was no expected novel process, no countdown, no bunch of messy instruments to mess things up, no so-called ground station to startle you, and no crowd of so-called ground staff to give you all sorts of bad ideas. We boarded a seven hundred billion, and then… arrived…

The process was simpler than a trip to the department store–no traffic lights along the way!

This also led to the demise of my long-anticipated “small step” before I even disembarked.

“We’re here already?” Qianqian sighed as she stepped out of the vehicle right after me, her tone ambiguous between disappointment and deflation, perhaps a bit of both.

But even though the “moon landing” process was quite disappointing to Qianqian, it didn’t diminish the excitement of a girl’s first visit to the moon. After adapting slightly to the moon’s low-gravity environment, Qianqian pulled Big Sister along to wander around, examining every rock with unprecedented curiosity. For her, an alien planet carrying many legends and a very different environment compared to Earth was even more intriguing than an otherworld, she might have started rolling on the ground if it weren’t for the dirty moon dust everywhere.

Qianqian and Big Sister were surrounded by a faint blue Energy Shield, a super-strong barrier formed after the materialization of spiritual power. Although Sandora said that the gene enhancers we’d taken could withstand the radiation and vacuum of space, Qianqian and Big Sister still believed that space radiation could affect the smoothness of their skin…

“It feels really strange not to breathe.”

Big Sister, while enthusiastically joining Qianqian in their “moon exploration” venture, spoke with an odd tone–as there was no air on the moon, our communication could only be done through spiritual connection.

However, I think more unnerving than not breathing is this cushiony low-gravity environment. It always seemed like you could just lightly jump and fly off into space, never to return.

“This is just the first step, now we need to look for an entrance to the interior of the moon,” Sandora said, seemingly unfazed by such an environment. I reckon even if you threw her into the core of a constant star, she’d remain calm, “Also, don’t look directly at the sun. There’s no atmosphere here for protection, and even with genetic enhancement, your eyes would still get dry, tired, and sore.”

“The moon shell is very thin,” said Pandora as she stomped her foot, kicking up a slow-motion cloud of moon dust. “There’s an interference layer thirty kilometers down, the thickness of which is unknown, preparing to release the probe.”

The seven billion vehicle we were following switched to cruise mode and landed on the surface, its trunk slowly opened to reveal a beehive-like launching device inside.

A blue Light Flow circulated around the emission tube of the “hive” and then, one by one, swift black shadows silently flew out, disappearing from our view at a speed impossible to catch with the naked eye.

…this car really is powerful, even the trunk can be used to launch satellites…

Known as “Worker Bee,” these disposable satellite probes were extremely fast and equipped with small space-jump devices. Less than two minutes later, the entire moon was under our temporary satellite network.

Pandora effortlessly took on the role of the main server of the temporary satellite network. A vast amount of data flooded into the little one’s highly efficient but infrequently used brain as the satellite group established connections among themselves. Despite us being in a vacuum where sound couldn’t travel, I still vividly heard a series of “beeps” emanating from inside Pandora.

As she entered high-speed data processing mode, Pandora’s sleek black hair and her misty grey eyes instantly turned a mystic ice blue. Against the stark backdrop of space, she looked as ethereal as a water sprite… Now if only someone could move that patched-up clunker out of the way!

“No gateway-like entrances found on the moon surface, proceeding to deeper scans… No apparent weak points on the moon shell, interference layer still present, uh…” Pandora said and then, uncharacteristically, let out a surprised yelp, disregarding her usual mechanical cold tone, “Brother, I’ve noticed a strange phenomenon.”

My face turned red: “Don’t worry, whatever you say I’ll find it strange…”

“The thickness of the moon shell is confirmed to be thirty kilometers, the interference layer… covers the entire moon…”

I blinked, finally realizing,” You’re saying… the whole moon, it’s hollow?” (End of excerpt; for more details, please visit www.NovelFire.net, with more chapters available. Support the author, support genuine reading!)