Chapter 112: The Arrival

The first thing Zhong Yun did upon boarding the escape pod was to inventory the supplies. The space inside was ample, but the provisions were sparse, consisting entirely of high-energy compressed food. He quickly estimated that the supplies would sustain one person for about a year.

Later, he and Zhang Xiao calculated that even with the strictest rationing, the food would only last them four or five months. Curiously, the escape pod's computer indicated a standard passenger capacity of fifty.

If fifty people had actually boarded, the space would have been sufficient, but the food would have run out in a matter of days. After much discussion, Zhong Yun and Zhang Xiao concluded that advanced civilizations must be capable of producing more efficient compressed rations, where the same volume could sustain fifty people for several months. Dawo, however, was not there yet.

The Tongguang was constructed according to the standards of an advanced civilization, yet it utilized technology from Dawo, a newly emerged intermediate civilization, which naturally led to these coordination issues.

While checking the supplies, Zhong Yun and Zhang Xiao also discovered a dozen electromagnetic pulse rifles hidden within the cabin walls, likely standard equipment for a fifty-person crew. Since their immediate needs were energy and food rather than weapons, they promptly pushed the discovery to the back of their minds—only to remember it suddenly when they were caught in the battle between the indigenous people and the monsters.

Zhong Yun grabbed two rifles and several spare energy cells, sealed the hidden compartment, and left the powerless escape pod to head toward the front lines. With two pulse rifles in hand, his confidence surged; with these, his survival in this godforsaken place was significantly more assured.

By the time he reached the perimeter wall, the battle had reached its most brutal stage. The pink monsters had breached the defenses again, and nearly a third of the indigenous warriors had already fallen.

The situation was dire. Too many monsters had leaped over the wall for the indigenous defenders to handle, and the interior of the enclosure was nearly choked with the carcasses of the pink beasts.

Yu Daoqing rose to her feet, seemingly preparing to intervene herself.

Without warning, a pink monster that had just scaled the wall and was about to leap down suddenly lost its balance. It plummeted ten meters to the ground, dead on impact. Then, one after another, the monsters began to fall from the wall as if struck by lightning, tumbling to the ground like dumplings.

Seeing their enemies dying inexplicably, the morale of the indigenous warriors soared, and they began shouting excitedly in their native tongue.

The monsters, however, were left in a state of shock and confusion, bewildered by the sudden deaths of their kin. As the tide turned, the indigenous warriors quickly gained the upper hand.

Yu Daoqing turned in astonishment to see Zhong Yun, a dozen meters away, wielding a pulse rifle and systematically picking off the monsters on the wall.

So, he hadn't fled in panic after all. While Yu Daoqing felt a wave of relief, she was also amazed and delighted; with pulse rifles in hand, these monsters were no match for them. Judging by Zhong Yun's performance, he must have practiced marksmanship before.

The only remaining concern was how many spare energy cells Zhong Yun possessed.

As it turned out, her worry was unnecessary. By the time the monsters finally broke and retreated, Zhong Yun still had energy cells to spare.

The battle had taken a heavy toll on the indigenous people. Though Zhong Yun did not count them, the number of fallen warriors on the ground was comparable to those still standing. Had Zhong Yun not arrived with the pulse rifles, the casualties would undoubtedly have been much higher.

As the battle subsided, Zhong Yun was treated like a hero and escorted back to the village. They encountered another squad returning from a different direction, though only three-quarters of their original number remained, all of them wounded.

That night, the village held a memorial for the fallen, led by the elder who had delivered the pre-battle rallying cry. Zhong Yun, however, had no interest in the ceremony; after spending a brief moment in Zhang Xiao's room, he retreated to his own.

Zhong Yun began to plan for his future. It seemed unlikely he would return to Dawo anytime soon—a frustrating realization, yet one he had to accept. He would have to wait for Xiao Ling to find him. He had a premonition that no matter how many light-years apart they were, Xiao Ling would always find a way to track him down.

Until then, his goal was simply to survive. Thus far, he had done quite well. Despite several brushes with death, he had emerged unscathed and was now, at least for the moment, settled.

That night, Zhong Yun spent his time pondering how to better survive on this strange planet until he eventually drifted off to sleep.

Outside, the memorial ceremony had concluded. In the center of the village, the umbrella trees had been cleared to create an open space. Silver starlight bathed the ground, and the village felt peaceful and serene.

Suddenly, a ghostly figure drifted into the clearing and stood still, gazing up at the starry sky.

After a long while, she let out a soft sigh. Five years—she had been stranded on this planet for exactly five years. Every night, she came here to look at the sky, hoping that a miracle would occur and a spacecraft from a cosmic civilization would descend upon them.

Days ago, she had almost believed her wish had come true, only to find it was a false alarm—just two other unfortunate souls like herself.

Thinking of the two fellow travelers from the cosmic community now sharing this planet with her, a warmth spread through Yu Daoqing's heart. To be stranded on the same natural planet in the vastness of the universe was, she reflected, a profound stroke of fate.

Suddenly, her expression froze. She stared blankly at a "shooting star" streaking across the sky, trailing a long tail as it descended toward her.

Yu Daoqing’s amber eyes remained fixed, unblinking, as the "shooting star" drew closer and closer. Her strength seemed to drain away.

It was no meteor; it was a spacecraft. The very ship she had dreamed of, the one that could take her home.

Was this real?

The happiness arrived so suddenly she could hardly believe it. Her mind went blank, and she stood frozen, eyes locked on the massive vessel as it descended toward her.

The ship drew nearer until it hovered directly above her. Only then did she realize its true scale—it was nearly as large as the entire village.

A beam of light ignited, turning the open clearing as bright as day.

The anomaly drew the attention of the villagers; those who witnessed it fell to their knees, believing a god had descended. Soon, nearly the entire village was awake.

In his room, Zhong Yun, who had been deep in sleep, suddenly shivered as if seized by a premonition. He bolted from his bed, rushed out the door, and caught sight of the pillar of light in the clearing, with Yu Daoqing standing underneath, transfixed.

"Xiao Ling, you're finally here."

Zhong Yun was instantly overcome with ecstasy.