Hiding beneath the fuselage, I had time to carefully examine the shell material. It appeared to be an alloy harder than steel yet lighter than steel, seemingly the same material as the iron plating on the warships. Could this be the material the aliens used to safely traverse the wormhole and the atmosphere of the twin stars?

Evasion complete past the 'bullet-head' style space fighter’s external monitors, I quietly used my laser sword to slice off a small section of the alloy from the fuselage. Bringing it back for study might aid in the development of new warships. Paying close attention, I then noticed a row of markings on the underside of the craft; these must be some form of script. Compared to the pictographs of Earth’s Great Dragon Kingdom, these markings were difficult to decipher. However, I did find one large pattern resembling the English letter ‘U,’ so for now, I’ll tentatively call them the ‘U-Star People,’ though they might not use that symbol to represent themselves at all.

The layout of this outer space was as follows: the twin stars, then the outer orbits of the twin stars’ two satellites. Beyond the twin stars was a belt of meteoroids circling a star similar to the sun. Outside the meteoroid belt was the wormhole, which had now been forcibly opened. It was likely that the destroyed battleship couldn't have been used again without that initial opening.

The fighter flew out of the meteoroid belt and quickly descended toward the warships on the satellite surface. A massive hatch shimmered on the landing platform of the warship, and the leading fighter flew straight inside. I had no desire to sneak into the warship with them; the situation on the satellite itself was far more interesting to me.

Looking over the twin stars’ two satellites, I estimated their size was no smaller than Earth’s moon. The side facing me was a calm sea of sand, where the U-Star People’s warship was currently stationed. Not far from the warship was a huge, dark opening, extending down into the satellite's interior, with craft occasionally entering or exiting.

I quickly detached from the fuselage where I was hiding and flew toward the opening on the satellite surface. It seemed the failure of the large formation of U-Star fighters had captured all their attention. Coupled with my sufficient speed, no one noticed my movement for a time. The interior of the cave was not brightly lit; only a distant emergency light flickered far ahead. Logically, they shouldn't be so frugal.

A few more craft chased after me from behind. Since I was unfamiliar with the route anyway, it was better to follow one. A tunnel couldn't be endless. I had no idea where to go next, so having them lead the way would be much more convenient.

These craft resembled large automobiles, but they weren't moving very fast. I leisurely followed one as it crept along until we reached two colossal metal doors. The craft stopped, and the hatch opened, revealing several U-Star individuals dressed in spacesuits. They wore helmets, so I couldn't tell if they looked like the ones I had seen at Fish Town that day. These figures fiddled with a control box in front of the metal doors for quite a while, making me almost want to step forward and help. Finally, the door let out a creaking sound as it slid open to both sides. My mind filled with questions: had they been fiddling with these controls for days and still hadn't managed to open the door? These two U-Star bases were poorly constructed, actually employing such a backward method to control the gate. It seemed incredibly inconvenient for warships and spacecraft to enter and exit.

After the doors opened, the U-Star people boarded their craft and moved on. I snuck in just before the metal doors closed. The first thing that came into view was a spacious, sealed flight passage. As the craft continued to fly downward, the passage completed its depressurization process. I cautiously lowered my energy shield. Both the oxygen content and humidity in the air seemed perfectly suitable for a human like myself. It appeared the U-Star People likely inhabited a planet similar to Earth or the twin stars.

The end of the flight passage opened into a massive docking bay, empty save for the ships that had just arrived. The U-Star people removed their spacesuits and emerged from the hatches. Only then did I get a clear look: indeed, every one of them was as ugly as a Pekingese, with indistinct features. More horrifyingly, they had tendrils growing from their waists. Fortunately, they were covered in some sort of armor; if they had exposed their rear ends, and perhaps even their reproductive organs, I might have been utterly disgusted by them. This showed that aliens weren't all as beautiful as Ma Xiaowei, Ximen Yan, or Little Fish. It was truly my fortune to have encountered those three.

This group boarded an elevator platform that rapidly carried them downward into the depths. I dared not ride the same descent and had to wait for the platform to return before stepping onto it myself. I thought I needed to activate a switch, but it turned out to be automatic; after a few seconds of standing still, the descent procedure engaged on its own.

Because of this delay, by the time I stepped off the elevator, they were long gone. However, surveying the terrain before me, it seemed I had arrived in a large machine room several stories high, filled with consoles bearing machinery and control valves. Were these people intending to activate the base system beneath the satellite?

Wandering aimlessly, I couldn't tell how far I had moved from that main machine room. In any case, I noticed that many of the base’s functions remained inactive; some doors had even been forcibly pried open. This looked less like an advanced civilization and more like a band of bandits. I hadn't encountered any patrolling soldiers or staff along the way, suggesting that the group I saw earlier might have been the first wave to enter the base interior.

At the end of a main thoroughfare, two metal doors stood wide open to either side, indicating their path had led here. They must have pried these open too. From what I observed, only emergency lights were on throughout the base, and most doors' power systems hadn't been restored, rendering any knowledge of the opening codes or authorizations useless.

Figuring those U-Star People were inside, I naturally had to take a look. Peeking cautiously from behind the door, my view instantly cleared. This chamber was vast, unlike the low ceilings of the outer corridors. A group of U-Star People were gathered around a large round table, speaking a language I couldn't understand. Fortunately, a three-dimensional projection floated in the air above the center of the table; if I couldn't understand the words, I could at least watch the images.

It seemed this group of U-Star People was communicating with comrades in other locations. Sometimes the projection showed U-Star People in spacesuits searching through damaged chambers; at other times, they were furiously inputting random characters onto control panels. Then, the image shifted to U-Star People in spacesuits meticulously dismantling machinery in what appeared to be a control room.

The U-Star People around the table gestured emphatically. One, who looked like the central leader, was continually losing his temper. After watching for a long time, I finally understood: they were very likely trying to figure out how to activate this underground base, but for some reason, the tools or perhaps the access codes were lost. The waves of people shown in the projection were probably searching for the means to activate it.

The image suddenly flickered violently, and the channel broadcasting the search scene vanished. The U-Star leader shouted and roared, and soon the screen switched to a location familiar to me: the destroyed warship near the wormhole. An explosion erupted again inside the previously lifeless, derelict vessel, sending plumes of smoke and hull fragments drifting out into space. Could the people in spacesuits I saw earlier have been inside that wrecked warship? If so, the key to activating the underground bases beneath the twin satellites was hidden on that warship, and we had inadvertently ruined their grand plan.

Clenching the laser sword in my hand, I calculated that I had a high chance of rushing in and killing them right then. But killing them might be useless. It would be better to completely destroy that warship myself. That way, the secret to activating the underground base wouldn't fall into their hands. Without the base for support, they would have to reconsider many things before fighting us, greatly increasing our odds of victory.

No sooner said than done, I left without another moment's hesitation and rushed back out of the underground base the way I came. I channeled my energy mass and flew rapidly through space. First, I zipped to the ravine to inform Little Fish and Ximen Yan, lest they worry and start scolding me.

The two women were very concerned when they heard I was going alone to the wrecked warship. "Zhao, since you’ve tested the power of the laser sword, maybe we should stop now. These aliens are hard to deal with; we need to be careful," Ximen Yan urged.

I replied, "This isn't the time to be careful. If the U-Star People discover the access code to the underground base, won't we be in even greater trouble? I must go and completely destroy that warship. Don't worry; this laser sword is powerful enough. A few slashes should be enough to cleave that warship into pieces to solve the problem."

The two women relented helplessly. "Alright, but you have to go and come back quickly. A few scout ships came searching just now and nearly discovered our hiding spot."

I nodded. "I will. This place is very concealed; they won't find us in a short while. Wait for me with peace of mind."

Compared to the U-Star People's smallest mosquito-like fighters, my size was less than one-thousandth of theirs. A small asteroid or debris from the warship's explosion would be enough to hide within. I successfully boarded the warship and closely inspected its hull material—it was indeed the same as those fighters that had attacked me.

Because of the secondary explosion inside the wreckage earlier, the spacecraft that had been parked on the surface had already withdrawn. I slipped inside through a large breach, finding damaged chambers everywhere. That small energy pellet from before had clearly caused a chain reaction; this warship, comparable in size to an Earth-class submarine carrier, had become honeycombed.

If I set the laser sword to maximum, I might finish off this scrap warship in a few minutes. But what were the U-Star People looking for? If they obtained that object or the code, could they activate the underground bases beneath both twin satellites? Perhaps I should take a look. It would be best if I could just pick up something ready-made.

After searching through dozens of chambers inside, I grew impatient. I released a powerful stream of consciousness that rapidly swept through the damaged compartments one by one. Finally, one chamber triggered a flash of inspiration in my mind—it was the location from the footage I had spied on at the Moon Base. Once the target was confirmed, my figure instantly flew toward this chamber at the warship's very core.

There were others in the room: the U-Star People in spacesuits. Since the warship was completely breached, they couldn't survive without suits like I could. I didn't know how their work was progressing, so waiting by the doorway was the best course. If I went inside, who knew what object would be important.

That group could certainly hold their composure. I waited until my backside nearly sprouted calluses, and only when the warship began to shudder, seemingly announcing another explosion was imminent, did they finally float out in a panic. Lacking gravity and without energy shields to stabilize themselves, they had to rely on propulsion systems to navigate the void, much like astronauts from Earth relying on thrusters. Compared to the few sets of spacesuits brought from Earth, their equipment seemed significantly inferior.

The chamber door was wide; two U-Star People floated out together. I sprang from a corner and smashed one helmet with a punch. The spacesuit instantly lost pressure, and the U-Star person inside exploded like a human bomb. The several behind them, seeing the situation turn sour, wisely retreated. However, just as they turned, I caught sight of the one in the center holding a small box—perhaps that was the object I needed.

Chapter 584: The Secret of the Moon Base (Part Two)

I drew the laser sword from my waist, activating the ghostly blue flame with a zzzt. I lunged toward those U-Star People. With a sweep and a strike, several heads, helmets and all, tumbled into the air. Due to the pressure difference, blood sprayed out in a dark column—it seemed these U-Star People were not only black-hearted but also black-blooded.

I reached out and snatched the box drifting toward the exterior of the chamber. At that moment, the warship emitted a terrifying tearing sound, and a massive pressure wave rushed toward my body. Shielding the box with my hand gripping the Netherworld Light, I blasted a path upward. The metal armor, which would have taken a laser cannon over ten minutes to pierce, was rapidly breached layer by layer. As I burst through the outermost shell of the warship, the vessel beneath my feet fractured.

More than half of the warship had been protruding out of the wormhole. Although there shouldn't be gravity in outer space, this location was not far from the star orbited by the twin stars. Combined with the influence of the twin stars and their two satellites, and the fact that the warship's interior was already ruined by explosions, it finally shattered and disintegrated. The segment still inside the wormhole naturally slid out. As the debris surrounding the wormhole drifted farther away, the wormhole began to close. I surmised that reopening it would require a massive amount of energy to activate it, after which it would generate a powerful suction, pulling objects within a certain range into the wormhole and transporting them to another cosmic location.

The scene here caused even greater panic among the U-Star People on the two Moons of the twin stars. This was probably their most crushing defeat ever. Not only could they not activate the base, but their flagship appeared to have been destroyed. Now, the object they desperately sought was in my hands. Without the base to rely on, I wondered if the two remaining warships would still dare to attack the twin stars.

The U-Star People had stationed numerous space reconnaissance craft in this area. However, the region was riddled with asteroids, and the aftermath of the two battles had created too much debris, preventing the scouts from covering every area. Thus, I smoothly returned to Ximen Yan and Little Fish’s hiding spot; they were safe and undiscovered.

Taking over the controls from Little Fish, the ship shot up, evading U-Star reconnaissance, and descended toward the twin stars. Little Fish picked up the box I had brought back. "What is this? You were gone so long just for this?"

Ximen Yan exclaimed, "Hey, Little Fish, put that down quickly! It hasn't been sterilized yet. Cosmic viruses are notoriously potent."

I laughed. "It's already been sterilized in the decompression chamber, but don't open it carelessly. We’ll use X-ray first when we get back to examine it. I estimate this item might be related to activating the underground bases beneath the twin satellites' moons. But even if it isn't related, it doesn't matter, because that warship is destroyed. If they can't get the activation method, they might exhaust their energy and leave, which would buy us more time to prepare. By the way, Ximen Yan, I have a piece of the material they use to build their fighters and warships. Take a look."

Ximen Yan took the alloy I handed her and examined it. "I don't recognize it. It needs analysis first. The density is very light, and the hardness seems acceptable."

Little Fish touched her forehead. "It’s so hot. Didn't you notice?"

I activated the cooling system. "Find somewhere to hold on tight. The ship will become uncontrollable when we enter the atmosphere."

Ximen Yan jumped directly into my arms. Although I was in the pilot's seat, she was small enough that she fit easily. Little Fish clung tightly to me from the side; her chest was remarkably firm, causing my heart to race momentarily.

Returning to Twin City, the three of us dared not admit we had been in space. Fortunately, those wives of mine didn't ask any questions. We hadn't seen each other in a while, and everyone was overjoyed and intimate; who had the time to worry about anything else? Not even my newly forged laser sword drew any inquiries. I had wanted to show it off, but I decided against it now.

The night passed without incident. None of the early warning systems detected anything unusual. I assumed the aliens were cautious and dared not act as recklessly as when they attacked Fish Town. After all, they had suffered several major defeats. The attack on Fish Town was nearly a total annihilation, followed by the ambush during their wormhole transit, and then two disastrous space battles. I believed the Netherworld Light I wielded yesterday must have terrified them. Coupled with the failure to open the two underground bases, they probably wouldn't initiate war easily in the short term.

In the morning, after greeting my wives, I took Ximen Yan and Little Fish back to the underground city. The equipment there was more complete and necessary for testing the U-Star alloy and the box. Since this was a secret operation carried out away from the main household, both Ximen Yan and Little Fish felt an unusual excitement. Recalling how Little Fish had held onto me while crossing the atmosphere yesterday, they couldn't help but beam happily.

Ximen Yan playfully tapped me. "Hey, you're looking so happy before we've even started testing. Is there treasure in there?"

Little Fish chimed in, "Yan Yan, I know that smile. Whenever he smiles like that, some girl is bound to have bad luck. You should watch out."

Ximen Yan laughed charmingly. "What am I afraid of? Everyone knows our relationship. It's you, though; I think Zhao Qian is smiling at you. You better be careful."

Little Fish suddenly pulled out a military knife from her embrace. "He wouldn't dare! Look, this is a self-defense knife Ma Xiaorui gave me. She claimed it could slice through iron like mud. I wonder if it can cut through bone."

Damn it, why was Ma Xiaorui siding with outsiders now? I’d have to settle accounts with her later. I coughed, composed my expression, and said to the two women, "Stop fooling around. All you do is tease me. Yan Yan, take this material for analysis, and I'll take the box for X-ray. If there's no danger inside, we can open and inspect it."

Ximen Yan handed the recovered alloy over to a technician. She then turned to me, "Since I don't really understand it anyway, let them handle the analysis. We'll just wait for the results. Here, give me the box; let's see what’s inside."

The X-ray scan showed the box contained a pair of spheres and a magnetic disk. There seemed to be no dangerous items. So, we first put the box into the vacuum sterilization chamber and opened it with the robotic arm. Only after confirming it was completely safe did we take it out. The two spheres were transparent and beautiful—not quite like crystals, but close. Little Fish and Ximen Yan each took one to play with, while I carefully examined the magnetic disk several times. It didn't seem compatible with the readers used by Earthlings, Dwarves, or Fish People. This must be a U-Star artifact. To read the data on it, I would likely need to spend as much effort as Xi Men Tian to build a dedicated reading machine. What if it emitted a virus that reported back to the aliens? Better not risk it; I don't care what information it holds.

"These two spheres are so pretty," the two women commented while looking at them.

I said, "Take them to be checked for radiation or any other danger first, and then you two can keep them for safekeeping for now. If they prove useful one day, you'll have to return them to me."

Ximen Yan asked, "Are you saying these might be the tools used to activate the underground base?"

I replied, "Those U-Star People risked danger to search for them; they must be useful. But exactly how to use these three items can only be known once we reach the base. If there's a chance, I'd like to visit the base."

Little Fish protested, "Ah, go again? You won't let us move around on our own, and being stuck in the ship is both worrisome and boring. We're not going."

I clarified, "I never intended for you to take another risk. I've gradually figured out the strength of those aliens; they can't hurt me. The obstruction at the wormhole is gone. I don't know if they'll call for reinforcements, so we can't let our guard down. We need to go up frequently to monitor what they are doing."

"Princess, the analysis results are in," the staff member who took the alloy file handed Ximen Yan a stack of documents. Ximen Yan passed the materials to me, and the three of us sat at the table to read carefully.

The composition of that alloy was complex, but most substances were familiar to us—essentially steel mixed with additives to reduce mass and increase hardness. However, there was one special substance, present in a non-trivial quantity, that was not native to the twin stars. Based on routine experiments with this substance, it exhibited excellent shielding properties; it was impervious to all currently known cosmic rays, making it perfect for manufacturing warships.

Ximen Yan sighed. "We can't analyze the specific components of this substance, or we might be able to synthesize it artificially."

I said, "The U-Star People's approach has given me an idea. We don't know what material they use for radiation shielding, but we already possess the best anti-radiation items. Why should we follow their flawed path?" Ximen Yan pointed to the transparent laser sword hilt at my waist. "Are you referring to that?"

I stated, "Indeed, this radiation-proof material manufacturing technology is quite mature for you. I can offer an alloy process that is lighter and has superior hardness. If we incorporate your radiation-proof material into it, tell me, would we still need to fear wormholes?"

"Exactly!" Ximen Yan exclaimed with delight. "That might solve the interference from the electrical current layer when exiting the atmosphere, and you wouldn't have to worry about your superpowers being drained during wormhole transit, unless those aliens have gone through what you did."

I replied, "It shouldn't happen. They've mined the Gemini stars several times over thousands of years; this situation should already be resolved. Based on the material analysis just now, the alloy we create will only be more advanced than theirs, never inferior. I'll compile the technical data now. Ximen Yan, you'll be in charge of this project. Let's start by building some samples for testing. I look forward to your good news."

Ximen Yan said happily, "No problem at all. I've been eager to do something for you for ages."

Xiao Yu'er said to me, "Can I help Yan-yan? First, I have nothing to do and am bored stiff, and second, I'd like to learn about your advanced Earth technology."

I nodded in agreement. "I'll head back to Shuangcheng first. As soon as the data is organized, I'll send it over to you. You two stay here to supervise production. The U-Star people probably won't just give up like this, so our preparation time won't be very long. I hope we can succeed on the first try; that will give us more ample time to build the warships."