Chapter 38: Redor Fortress, Sigrid
“Big brother, you were absolutely amazing…” Lin Ke said, looking at him with admiration. He had witnessed everything from inside the cabin.
The operations were completely incomprehensible to him. The crew members used incredibly skilled techniques to operate the cannons, almost firing blindly without aiming, yet hitting their targets with precision. The result left him in awe.
Lin Zhichen had already exited the state of being one with the ship. Hearing this, he smiled, “It was alright. Once you get a psionic warship and awaken as a psionic, you’ll be able to learn this technique too.”
“Don’t~ Becoming a psionic is still possible, but I won’t dream of having a psionic warship,” Lin Ke waved his hand dismissively.
“Don’t be so quick to define your limits,” Lin Zhichen replied with a mysterious smile, not revealing the full answer.
Why establish a secret base outside the Federation?
Preventing potential enemy attacks was one reason, but the most important was that a newly emerged psionic warship had nowhere to hide.
If this secret were exposed, it would be truly catastrophic, far more serious than NZT-50.
At this moment, the “Qinyuan” exited the asteroid belt and headed towards the hyperspace corridor entrance at the edge of the solar system.
The hyperspace corridor was located in the Kuiper Belt at the solar system’s frontier. The corridor couldn’t be seen with the naked eye and must be detected using a hyperspace engine.
The “Qinyuan” arrived near the corridor at 50% of light speed. The hyperspace engine began to operate, and the entire ship hovered in front of the corridor. The surrounding space-time started to visibly warp, and the distant starry sky turned into a blur of light, resembling a crude painting.
This moment was the most dangerous because the ship had not yet entered superluminal speed but was in a state of relative zero motion, suspended in space until it entered hyperspace.
If there were enemy ships nearby, this would be a sitting duck.
Therefore, in bustling star regions, hyperspace corridors are often guarded by local system garrisons to ensure safety and prevent attacks during this vulnerable phase.
After three hours, the “Qinyuan” finally entered the hyperspace corridor, traveling at superluminal speed towards the neighboring Redor star system, completing this journey of over 5 light-years.
“If you’re bored, it’s best to enter the sleep pod and take a nap. This journey will take about a week,” Lin Zhichen reminded.
The prerequisite for performing the psionic combat technique of spatial jump was accurate spatial coordinates. It was best to survey these coordinates personally to avoid any errors.
A distance of 5 light-years—next time, it would only require an internal solar system jump. This was the convenience of mastering the spatial jump skill.
“Let’s do it together,” Lin Ke nodded.
At this time, the ship could operate fully automatically. The crew members returned one by one to their liquid oxygen tanks to sleep, and Lin Ke and Lin Zhichen also entered sleep.
A week later, they arrived at Redor Fortress.
When the spatial jump was completed, Lin Zhichen and Lin Ke’s eyes lit up. What appeared before them was a vast, seemingly endless steel fortress.
The number of starships floating near the hyperspace corridor was so immense that it stretched beyond the horizon. The mysterious energy waves and the dark-toned hulls all indicated the formidable strength of this fleet.
“Cruisers, battleships, my goodness, they’re so big and magnificent,” Lin Ke said, his eyes filled with fascination as he gazed at the colossal war machines, practically glued to the porthole.
At this moment, however, Lin Zhichen was preoccupied with handling the routine inquiries from Redor Fortress.
“Beep beep~ Welcome to Redor Fortress. Please follow the instructions to open the ship’s central control computer program for fortress inspection!” A formal female voice echoed in the command cabin.
“Captain, Redor Fortress has sent a message requesting temporary control of the ‘Qinyuan’. Do you agree?” the NPC pilot asked.
“I agree,” Lin Zhichen responded.
This was a necessary procedure for entering an important star region. At the same time, he could feel at least a hundred ship cannons of various sizes aimed at the “Qinyuan.”
At that moment, various types of detection waves scanned back and forth, examining the “Qinyuan” from multiple levels.
In the past, there had been severe incidents of defection within intelligent civilizations, where hidden weapons on ships led to the destruction of a border fortress, resulting in a series of serious consequences.
Since then, all nations unanimously strengthened their border defenses to prevent attacks from hostile countries or domestic traitors.
Seemingly sensing the uniqueness of the “Qinyuan,” a powerful psionic force soon emanated from the distant interstellar space, enveloping the entire ship.
Lin Zhichen’s eyes flickered as he suppressed the shock in his heart.
In the presence of this immense psionic power, he felt like a small dinghy next to an aircraft carrier. His own psionic energy was compressed to the extreme, almost retreating back into his body.
Fortunately, this discomfort came and went quickly. In the span of a breath, the powerful psionic force withdrew.
“Captain, we’ve received a holographic communication from Redor Fortress. Shall we connect?” the pilot asked.
“Connect,” Lin Zhichen said, his expression turning serious. He had a vague feeling that the powerful psionic was reaching out to him.
The communication was quickly established, and a stern-looking beauty in a silver-gray military uniform appeared on the screen, catching Lin Zhichen’s eye with her striking appearance.
Blonde hair, blue eyes, and a curvaceous figure, the severe military uniform couldn’t hide her alluring physique; instead, it accentuated her charm. Yet, beneath her delicate exterior, there was a strong confidence that made a lasting impression.
He had seen countless beauties, and few could move him anymore. At least, based on appearance alone, even a perfect beauty would only attract his appreciative gaze, not his serious admiration.
The reason was simple: the former was merely an appreciation of beauty, while the latter possessed the strength to crush him with a single blow. Strength combined with beauty naturally commanded his respect.
“Captain Lin Zhichen of the ‘Qinyuan’ salutes Fortress Commander, Admiral Sigrid!” Lin Zhichen stood and saluted, following the etiquette of psionics, a gesture of respect towards a pioneer.
“Oh? You know me?” Sigrid looked at him with interest.
“Of course, your achievements are well-known throughout the Federation,” Lin Zhichen said respectfully.
“I know you. You awakened just two months ago and have already advanced to elite status. Interesting,” Sigrid said, showing little interest in his flattery but much in him personally.
“I originally thought you would come here in a year or two, but you arrived much sooner than I expected.”
“I am very interested in the situation in the Dark Star Region. I kindly ask for your understanding, Admiral,” Lin Zhichen maintained his respectful demeanor.
“Anyone with aspirations for the stars would be interested in the Dark Star Region,” Sigrid said calmly, her mere gaze exerting an invisible pressure. This wasn’t psionic power but a special aura of confidence and authority. It was highly oppressive.
“Mr. Lin Zhichen, although you have no intention of developing within the Federation system, I hope that if you ever change your mind, you will consider Redor Fortress.”
“To be noticed by you, Admiral, is an honor,” Lin Zhichen saluted once more.