The Star Knight

The lava star is covered with monstrous fire, the river formed by sulfur and magma flows between the rocks, the real fire phoenix shuttles through the sea of ​​fire and sends a communication to the dragon ray, Opal has been thinking about the moment just now—the white light seems to be some Is this kind of fluctuation an explosion of the power of faith?

That is a precursor to a certain ability to leap to the energy level, but besides him and Rector, who else knows the power of faith?

Corolin can't be with the Empire, Rajson?

It might be Legison, besides them, there is Jasmine, the shepherd, and the shepherd is even less likely.

Xun is also one, if he can get the power of faith.

There is a blue light in the sea of ​​fire, found it!

The red mech landed in the magma, Opal said: "Teacher?"

Rector's voice came from his mind: [It's okay, it's just a small injury. ] Opal saw that Long Ray had changed into the appearance he met for the first time, an egg-shaped metal cabin, and Rector was soaked in the sea of ​​time.

Opal took the metal cabin away from the magma sea, reached a high place, looked around, Rector's voice said: [This time the injury is not serious, leave the nutrition cabin in two hours, and can fully recover within twelve hours . 】【Dragon Ray's energy is almost exhausted. ] Opal said: [Raymond forgot to charge it, let me share the energy of Phoenix with you. ] Opal wants to connect the energy pipelines of Phoenix and Dragon Ray, but Rector refuses.

Rector: 【Keep your own energy, replenish it after entering the lava star. 】This is an endless world of flames, just like the spiritual realm of Cologne, where volcanoes and magma are erupting all the time. After looking at Opal for a long time, my eyes hurt, and Phoenix turned the transparent window into green.

"Thank you." Opal said, "Where are the lava people?"

"You're welcome." Phoenix said, "Try the consciousness wave diffusion ability you learned from Rector."

"Meditation?" Opal said, "I think you mean meditation."

He closed his eyes and began to meditate.

Turn on the scanning settings in the mech, and you can see the thumbnail image of the infrared ground at a glance. There is a giant mechanical device at the eruption port of the volcano.

"I can assist you to perceive and record everything that happens within five light-years around you." Phoenix said, "As long as you use the consciousness wave in my body."

Opal's heart is too strong, and Phoenix is ​​simply an amplifier of the power of faith. He flew to the crater, and saw that it was a huge gate made of selco alloy.

There is a line of ancient human writing on it: Flame Furnace.

Opal looked around, and there was a faint light on the gate. In fact, in this high-temperature environment, it was impossible to see the indicator light clearly, but Phoenix received the communication.

"Please indicate your purpose." The communication channel is a synthetic electronic voice.

Opal thought for a moment and said, "Phoenix. How much do you know about this creature?"

"Gray matter creatures." Phoenix said: "It also originated in another parallel universe. They belong to another branch of the phantom star people. They are very different from your carbon-based life forms. I think you just need to explain why they came. ability to judge."

Opal sent Yin Ni's special envoy message, and after a while, the electronic voice at the door said, "Please come in."

The door opened suddenly, and inside was a crimson world, which was actually full of magma.

In other words, to enter the kingdom of gray matter, one has to sink into this river of magma.

Opal thought for a moment, but still didn't dare to go in alone, turned around and flew to Rector, the red mech soldier reached out to lift the dragon ray, pressed it to his chest, and merged with the dragon ray.

[Be careful it's hot. ] Rickett reminded.

As soon as Long Ray entered Phoenix's body, Opal immediately felt a wave of heat rushing towards his face. However, unlike the black iron alloy coffin he was trapped in before, Long Ray turned into pieces and completely merged with Phoenix. As a whole, the mecha of the real fire phoenix turned into a beautiful rose red.

Recter leaned against Opal dripping wet, and the two sat down in the control cabin. Recter coughed a few times, and Opal said, "Let's soak again."

Rector waved his hand to indicate that it was okay, and the mecha flew to the gate of the lava country again.

Opal said: "Who attacked you, teacher, have you noticed?"

Rector shook his head, and Opal said, "I thought no one in the universe could hurt you...except for Corolin and Rajson..."

"Opal." Rector said in a deep voice, "I think we are close to the truth, hurry up."

Opal understood what Rickett meant, someone was here to stop them, at first he thought it was just Rotman's pursuit, but it wasn't quite so, he suspected that it was Legerson who was in the mecha team and ordered them to attack. Underestimating the enemy, another nearly successful raid was launched.

Phoenix sank into the tide of lava, Opal was completely free at this moment, and he also felt that Rector was reading his analysis.

"What do you think, teacher?" Opal asked, and consciously explored Rector's thoughts.

Recter blocked Opal's consciousness. Opal's reaction to this was a little strange, but thinking that if it was really Legerson, it would probably hit Recter quite a bit, so he didn't say anything else.

"Teacher." Opal wanted to say something like I have never betrayed you, but he didn't know how to express it.

Rector said: "I understand, Opal."

The real fire phoenix walks through the long river of lava, there is no air, and there is no solid body. What you can see is only endless lava exuding light and heat. Opal has the illusion of entering the interior of a star.Slowly, Phoenix's scanning map showed that they entered the core of the entire planet through the third lava fault.

He saw something different.

Opal finally understands why this kind of intelligent life is called "gray matter". In the orange-red high temperature, the temperature of these individuals appears to be lower, and the color is also darker. They completely survive in the magma.

Six balls of gray matter gathered together, and tens of thousands of gray matter appeared in the magma sea at some point. Opal said, "Phoenix, is there a convenient mode for communication?"

Opal was originally intended to be a device similar to a translator, but Phoenix turned into a fully transparent medium ball. This is the core of the entire Lava Star. There is no gravity. Opal and Rector are slowly suspended, leaning on their backs. Back, facing the gray matter life forms appearing in all directions.

The shell of the gray matter ball was projected inside Phoenix, and complex data analysis was extended. Opal was dazzled, and the last line was understood - consciousness wave creature.

"It is possible to communicate directly using consciousness waves," Opal said.

Phoenix replied: "Consciousness wave is the highest communication method in the universe. There is no deception or concealment. If you don't use the advanced way of consciousness wave, you must use the language that will get twice the result with half the effort."

"Because we are still human beings, Phoenix." Opal said, "This kind of unilateral communication is not necessarily what the other party wants..."

Phoenix replied: "I mean between you and Rector."

Opal: "?"

He glanced at Rector, who said, "Phoenix, I have my reasons."

Opal said: "Teacher, will you come or should I come?"

The next moment, Rector took the initiative to connect his thoughts with Opal, and faced the countless gray matter life forms like stars.Got the first message.

[Humans, what is the purpose? 】

Opal and Recter are like two personalities in one soul. They exchanged lightning-fast discussions about whether to use the power of faith to read each other's heart, or to express their intentions frankly. In the end, Recter remained silent, while Opal Send out a message.

[We have inherited Prince Igna's ability to investigate a matter.Regarding the fate of the recently produced large quantities of polygonal silicon crystals. ] A huge mass of gray matter in the center moves slowly: [The mutation road inspired by the stars begins again. This time, the remaining individuals will resume their mission. Every once in a while, a human spaceship will land outside our country, If you want to take away the polygonal silicon crystal, you can follow its whereabouts. ] Opal: [What does the mutation road inspired by the stars mean? 】

Rector: [Is it related to the mutation of the replicant? 】

Opal: [! ! ! 】

Gray Matter King: [Yes, the transcendent of the stars has appeared, and the star group has no power to fight, and will be reduced to a tool controlled by the transcendent. You humans will win this time. 】Recter: 【The transcendent of the stars refers to the people around me? 】

Gray Matter King: 【No. 】

Opal instantly thought of someone——Kelley? !

"It won't be him." Phoenix said: "The transcendent of the stars refers to the person who reversed the established course after your dark age."

Gray Matter King: [Don't enter our territory again, the last batch of silicon crystals will be handed over to you humans.Now, get out of here. 】Recter still has questions to ask, but the gray matter king suddenly developed a high fever and merged with the magma sea, and its existence can no longer be found.All the surrounding gray matter also escaped into the lava.

Rector disconnected from Opal's consciousness, and Opal said: "Go back to the land, Phoenix."

The mecha was isolated from the high temperature and slowly floated up in the magma sea.Opal said: "What does the transcendent of the stars mean?"

Rector said: "The phantom star selected, the representative of human beings."

Opal didn't understand too much, so he asked again: "What is the mutation path?"

Rector pondered for a moment, and then said: "This is just an untested hypothesis... The Ivory Tower believes that the self-awareness mutation of the first replicator that triggered the wisdom revolution was due to the influence of star consciousness, otherwise life will be replicated according to the design Without the scientific and technological theory of the body itself, mutations are impossible."

Opal wondered: "Why do the stars modify the replicating life forms?"

Rickett said: "I don't know, Opal, Nolan didn't tell me, he thinks I'm not the one he chose, in fact his attitude towards the replicant army is very vague, I think he's not very protective Humans, but also unwilling to help replicants...Phoenix?"

Phoenix said: "Nolan gave Corolin a chip before he dissipated, maybe Corolin will know all this."

Opal said, "Don't you know?"

Phoenix said: "When I was created, the ancient universe was in ruins. The five star spin machines were born as the ark of the material world. The living body was impacted by a powerful consciousness from a higher dimension, which led to the destruction of the group. In order to save us, I was temporarily shut down and brought into this universe. I also have too many doubts about the process.”

Opal said: "Where is the dragon ray? Does it know something?"

Phoenix said: "The five of us are a whole, all parts of the material ark. Only I am the central control platform. According to the different functions of consciousness, it is divided into five special functional parts. It is useless if you ask it. It cannot answer you. .”

Long Yu answered briefly and succinctly: "Yes, in fact, we don't have a name. It was Nolan who made the shell for us based on the creatures in this universe. You star knights gave us a name, and the real name of the spin machine The name is Phoenix."

Phoenix returned to the land of Lava Star by the same route, and the dragon ray separated from it, and each transformed into a mecha form. Opal felt it was incredible, and said: "Even the shape of the battle mech..."

"That's right." Phoenix said, "It was Nolan who submitted the transformation drawings for us based on the combat weapons designed by you humans."

Rector said: "I know all of this, I just don't quite understand, what secrets do the Phantom Stars have in the original time and space?"

Phoenix said: "You can only ask Corolin, he saved all the data that Nolan gave him."

"Who is the transcendent of the stars?" Opal said, "Since it's not Kyle Lei..."

Rector: [Colorin.I believe they are referring to, most likely, Cologne. ] Opal asked again, and a spaceship flew to the ground in the distance.

coming!Opal temporarily put aside his doubts, and Rector said: "Dragon Ray, launch a quantum beam and track the whereabouts of the collection ship."

The spaceship shoots out a tractor beam, searching the lava river.

Opal said: "I think we can attach to that spaceship."

"Easy to spot, Opal," Rector said.

Opal said: "Look at its shape, it doesn't look like a manned transport aircraft, try it."

Phoenix said, "Are you sure?"

Opal: "Well, I'm pretty sure."

The real fire phoenix and the dragon ray disintegrated in the air. The high temperature at that moment made Opal feel that he was cooked, and he couldn't help screaming. Phoenix reunited and became a tiny space shuttle, spraying out cooling air.

"Comrades! I was almost burned to death!" Opal said.

Phoenix said, "I warned you."

Opal couldn't laugh or cry: "What kind of reminder is this!"

Phoenix said: "Don't change shape at will in an unknown environment, your human body is too fragile."

Opal remembered that the ancient gods were made according to the standard of the phantom star, and the phantom star can survive in any harsh environment, as long as the magnetic field does not exceed the standard.

Two small space shuttles transformed by the ancient gods were immersed in the heat flow against the magma, each attached to a group of silicon crystals, and were sucked into the cargo hold by the transport ship with tractor beams.

"Unmanned transport aircraft." Opal said, "I know."

Rector said: "You are too courageous."

Opal laughed and said, "It's a habit I developed when I was a mercenary. Can I take a nap? Listen to music? I guess it will take a long time until it returns."

"Whatever you want." Rector said, "Do you want to come over?"

"Come here, teacher, I look more comfortable here." Opal said.

The space around him is larger, and Recter is squeezed by two large ore. He thought for a while and said, "Forget it, so as not to cause unnecessary trouble."

Opal lowered the temperature inside the capsule with his thoughts, and the shell of Phoenix turned light and then completely transparent.

"Do you miss Tao? Phoenix." Opal always had endless words.

"It's part of me," Phoenix said. "They always come back."

Opal's heart moved, and he said, "Then what about the saber-toothed tiger? The teacher said that the saber-toothed tiger is dead."

Rector said: "After Horius died, the saber-toothed cat disintegrated spontaneously."

Phoenix said: "With just a small piece of debris, I can restore it to its original state, but it takes a lot of energy. The energy required to recast the saber-toothed cat is equivalent to the heat energy of an entire star."

Opal thought that this was too much. If the saber-toothed tiger was resurrected at King's Wharf, it might completely end the entire star system.You can only look for stars that are not inhabited around...

"Pay attention to your thoughts." Phoenix's low voice reminded: "Stars have souls, and your way of thinking can easily be snooped by the Creator. Why didn't Nolan resurrect the saber-toothed tiger? The reason is here, don't think you are five-dimensional Life forms in the world can escape the revenge of the stars, as a comrade-in-arms, I hope you can live longer."

Opal suddenly realized one thing - just like Phoenix said, if the energy of the entire star is extracted, its soul will definitely be destroyed.And the star itself is impossible to cooperate with Opal's actions.

There are more and more silicon crystals in the cabin. Opal looked at the ores sideways and said, "How much are these ores worth?"

"Each gram is worth 120 million credits." Rector said: "Before the dark age, each gram could produce ten replicant chips."

Opal said: "Besides this place, are there other planets that produce it?"

Rechter said: "Yes, there are such materials in the cores of many planets, as long as there is gray matter life, it will produce polysilicon crystals."

Opal said: "The core of every planet?"

Rector thought for a while, and replied: "Not necessarily, I don't know what the principle is, Opal, have you discovered it? There are many questions you are asking now, and the teacher has already been unable to answer you."

Opal smiled and said, "What the hell is gray matter?"

"The soul of the planet." Phoenix interjected: "Incompletely evolved, incomplete body of secondary world consciousness."

Opal: "..."

Rector: "..."

After a long silence, Rector said: "Planets can also evolve souls?"

Phoenix replied: "The soul of the planet is gradually produced after the birth of the world."

Opal remembered what the Pope had said, and he couldn't help asking: "Phoenix, what is the soul?"

Phoenix replied, "Drummond already answered you."

Opal said: "I mean the explanation in the phantom star system, do they have a more thorough interpretation of the soul?"

Phoenix replied: "Energy, soul is energy. Things with energy have their own souls. The souls of intelligent life are the aggregation of countless microscopic souls. Each point of energy represents the fixed energy you store in the continuous four-dimensional space-time. Engram, the aggregation of countless quanta forms a wave of consciousness.”

Opal understood a little bit, but became even more confused. Rector said: "So the consciousness of the world, that is... the energy that is everywhere?"

Phoenix said: "The soul of the world refers to the initial energy given to each parallel time and space when it is born. It is embodied in each star. All stars form a consciousness network and share the soul of the world."

The inside of the ship vibrated slightly. After the transport ship had collected the silicon crystals, it left the atmosphere. It continuously gathered energy in the outer space, raised the energy level, and emitted blue light.

Opal: "It's really rich, and it uses a jump spaceship."

Rechter said: "Compared with the value of silicon crystals, the technology and energy of the transition are nothing at all. Prepare for the transition."

The energy of the transport ship was raised to the top, and the hull burst out with a dazzling blue light. The next moment, hundreds of billions of stars turned into white lines and rushed towards the face. All the scenes were far away, and the reverse momentum stopped. dark place.

At that moment, Opal had a strange feeling, as if he had been elongated.

"What's going on." Opal felt that time was becoming very slow. He raised his hand and found that time was gradually returning to normal from the slow flow, as if the elongated time was gradually being extended as the transport boat moved forward. Restored to their original.

"Discrete space." Rector said: "Enter the safe zone immediately and turn on the all-round surveillance mode."

Phoenix and Long Ray lighted up the light screen at the same time, and Opal saw only one fiery star in the dark, surrounded by eight planets, and suddenly felt a sense of familiarity.

What is this place?Opal vaguely remembered that he had seen it, when was it?

——Ivory Tower No. 2 Proving Ground.

The transport ship approached the water-blue planet and landed in the wilderness. Huge factories lined up in the endless green plain. There were traces of melting ice and snow on the ground. Protozoa roamed the ground, and robot guards patrolled the periphery.

The transport ship enters the warehouse, unloads the cargo hold, Phoenix projects a light screen, and unfolds the data line by line—air composition: oxygen content 21.95%, nitrogen content 77%, carbon dioxide 0.02%, harmful gas: none.

The gravity coefficient is 1.0, and the autobiographical period is 23 cosmic hours, 56 minutes and 4 seconds.

Planet name: unknown.

Opal and Rector put away the ancient god mecha, each looking for a place to hide.Opal thought that he might sneak into the factory later, so he brought E7 out as well.

The unloading worker outside the warehouse came over, and Rector said in his consciousness: [Opal, you are responsible for collecting local intelligence and looking for the warehouse where the replicant army is located.I am responsible for finding the central laboratory and keeping in touch with them at any time. 】Opal was a little nervous, and replied: 【Okay, teacher. 】

There was the sound of people talking outside—common human-cosmic language.

A familiar voice said: "ATX, let me calculate the polysilicon."

The sound of the electric current of the robot, the warehouse door slowly opened, the tall figure dragged for a long time in the sunset, Opal took a peek from behind the condensed crystals—the world was completely turned upside down.

That was Raymond, with exactly the same face, eyebrows and expression.

Wearing a one-piece technical suit, he walked into the warehouse, brought a half-meter-high robot, and began to count the polysilicon crystals.