The journey to the Xenithar was a voyage filled with both anticipation and worry. It wasn't Ashton or Astaroth who were worried but the Xyrans on board the ship with them.
The Xyrans were extrely careful around them as they didn't want to offend Ashton and Astaroth because they knew it could turn into their final monts.
Thankfully, Ashton and Astaroth were primarily busy with each other, and their interactions with the Xyrans were limited to Ibis. Still, no one tried to stay around Ashton or Astaroth for prolonged periods.
"I wonder why they are so scared of us," Astaroth mumbled while the two of them were on the bay, looking at the stars.
"Let's see... probably because you killed one of them as soon as you woke up?" Ashton scoffed, leaning on the railings. "It's been a month since we left Earth, right?"
"28 days, to be precise," Astaroth replied. "but it is expected to take that much ti because Xenithar is around the edge of the galaxy."
"Right... it would have been better if there was a jump engine-"
"We had one that we used to get to earth," Ibis retorted over the radio. "Unfortunately, it was destroyed when the ship crashed."
"Looks like soone wants to bla for sothing they caused," Ashton quickly quipped back. "How about next ti you start with talking rather than firing weapons when you make contact with a planet?"
"...sure," Ibis replied.
As they travelled through the cosmos, the vastness of the universe stretched out before them, a tapestry of stars and galaxies that seed to go on forever.
Ashton's eyes were fixed on the celestial wonders outside the ship's windows, but his mind was racing with thoughts about the mission ahead.
The idea of forming an alliance with the Xyrans was a scenario Ashton hadn't thought of before. But the situation turned dire, and they had to let go of the past.
Now, he was on his way to et them to negotiate an alliance that could potentially save Earth and the entire universe from Kro'Han's destructive plans.
Beside him, Astaroth also observed the starry expanse, his expression contemplative. It had been centuries since he had set foot on the Xenithar, and he knew that things might have changed drastically since then.
The Xyrans were known for their secrecy, and their security asures were mythical. Astaroth expected that the Xyrans had continued to evolve their defences to protect their ho from any potential threats. But curiosity got the better of Ashton, and he turned to Astaroth.
"Have you been to the Xenithar before?" he inquired.
"Did you get stupid or sothing? How could I have not been on the planet I was born on?" Astaroth's eyes remained fixed on the stars as he responded.
"Bitch you said there were two planets there!" Ashton shot back. "How was I supposed to know you have been on both worlds? It is like expecting to live on Mars or sothing!"
"That's because you humans were pathetically weak and ill-equipped to even colonise a neighbouring planet, but that's sothing to be discussed later."
"So you know the way there, right?"
"Nope."
"...what?"
Ashton was surprised. How could soone not know the way to their howorld?
"I know what you're thinking, and let's just say..." Astaroth smiled. "Xyrans are known for their secrecy."
Ibis, who had been quietly observing their conversation, couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. She had her reservations about bringing outsiders to the Xenithar, especially soone like Ashton, who was a Precursor.
But the council's decision had been clear, and she was bound to follow their orders, even when the risks weighed heavily on her mind.
The journey continued, and they approached the edge of the galaxy. To their surprise, a massive black hole appeared before them, its gravitational pull threatening to engulf their ship.
"What the hell is going on here?"
Ashton was imdiately alard and wondered if it was Ibis's way of getting rid of them. Astaroth, however, remained unperturbed. He reassured Ashton.
"Calm down, Ashton," he said. "It's rely an illusion to hide the spatial tunnel behind it. The Xyrans excel in creating such deceptions for secrecy, as only an idiot would think of heading straight into a black hole."
As they passed through the illusory black hole, Ashton couldn't help but marvel at the Xyrans' skill in creating such convincing deceptions. It was a testant to their mastery of advanced technology and dedication to safeguarding their howorld.
Unlike Astaroth's belief, the path had remained unchanged, which made him wonder that the Xyrans had been idling for centuries as they hadn't updated the thod.
He then turned to Ibis and asked about the unchanged spatial tunnel system.
"Certain defences are tiless, Astaroth. They remain effective, and there is no need to replace them for the sake of change," Ibis replied to his concerns with a knowing smile.
She continued, "However, while the tunnels themselves may have remained the sa, the security enhancents around them have been continually updated."
Astaroth was intrigued by Ibis's explanation. His mory told him of a single spatial tunnel leading to the Xenithar. However, as they exited the first tunnel, they were faced with five tunnels before them.
"What is this? Five more tunnels?"
"Yes... and there are twenty-five such clearings, each having five tunnels. You know what I'm hinting at, right?"
"And here I was thinking the Council has been slacking all this ti." Astaroth shook his head as he realised the scale of upgrades the Xyrans had made.
Ibis's smile hinted at the complexity of the Xyran defence. She explained that they were at one of the 25 clearings, each of which had five spatial tunnels.
Only one of these tunnels was the correct path, while the others led to certain doom, guiding stray ships into a star's core or a supermassive black hole or other ways from which they would die before reaching Xenithar.
The sheer complexity of the Xyrans' security asures left Ashton in disbelief. The probability of finding the correct path among the multitude of tunnels was astronomically low.
As Ibis had pointed out, only 1 out of a possible 300 quadrillion ways led to the Xenithar. It was a staggering demonstration of the Xyrans' commitnt to safeguarding their secrets and planet.
Ashton couldn't help but be in awe of the Xyrans' ingenious and maddeningly complex defence system that barely required maintenance.
The odds were stacked so heavily against any potential invader that it seed nearly impossible to breach their defences.
It was no surprise that the Xyrans had managed to maintain their rule over the galaxy for an extended period, and their formidable security asures were proof of their supremacy.
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