"Hello." Chen Gu respectfully greeted the Sixth Energy Level expert.

Gong Shuxu said, "I hear you want to return to Empire River Star? I've spoken to the military. Tomorrow, they happen to have a transport ship pulling out and can take you along."

"Okay, thank you."

Gong Shuxu offered his help proactively, probably because the great expert felt somewhat embarrassed for having virtually 'confined' me for half a month—it was a gesture of goodwill.

However, after hanging up, Chen Gu suddenly remembered that after his last instatement, it seemed he had also returned on a military spacecraft arranged by Qing Ruyan.

"It seems I have an affinity with the military, huh."

Thinking back to the huge turmoil that accompanied his instatement ceremony in Zhaojieze City, Chen Gu exhaled heavily. "Thankfully, this time, while there were tense moments, it concluded without any major incident, unlike the uproar during my instatement."

…

Early the next day, an officer came to pick up Chen Gu. They boarded a landing craft to enter the Star Sea. The transport ship, ready to withdraw to the rear, was also preparing for departure as various equipment needing repairs was loaded onto it.

Chen Gu was settled in a private cabin. Compared to his return from Zhaojieze City, his accommodations were much better this time. It seems the prestige of a Sixth Energy Level super expert carries more weight than Qing Ruyan's influence.

The officer granted Chen Gu the same privileges as a common soldier on the transport ship. He was free to move around the ship as long as he didn't venture into classified areas.

"You can rest for now; we'll depart in an hour," said the officer, before excusing himself and leaving. Chen Gu roamed around for a bit. Since arriving in this era, this was his first time moving freely on such a large warship. After a while, the novelty wore off, and he obediently returned to his room. Soon after, the spaceship began to accelerate, leaving the star system of Witch Star.

They would travel for some time before engaging the warp drive upon reaching 'deep space.'

This preliminary journey would take about an hour and a half.

Chen Gu's small room was well-located, featuring a twenty-centimeter square window through which he could observe the vast expanse of the Star Sea. He admired the interstellar scenery for a while but soon grew bored. He then began studying some combat techniques to pass the time.

After more than an hour, an electronic voice announcement echoed through the cabin, "Attention, attention, attention, the spaceship will initiate its warp drive in ten minutes…"

Shortly after this announcement, Chen Gu sensed some mysterious energy fluctuations in the surrounding void.

Chen Gu, who had initially paid little attention, suddenly remembered something. His expression changed, and he rushed to the small window.

Why would there be abnormal energy fluctuations now when the warp drive wouldn't be engaged for another ten minutes?

Even if the engine needed preheating, it shouldn't cause such significant fluctuations.

Looking through the window, Chen Gu saw a faint blue glow in the Star Sea rapidly spinning outward, as if it were scattering some kind of energy.

The glowing vortex expanded rapidly, and soon a "portal" opened. Before this portal could fully stabilize, a swarm of dark green 'starlights' emerged from it.

Behind those 'starlights,' each was connected to slender tentacles, followed by an enormous head that protruded.

Multiple insect eyes, facing different directions, grew on its head, each protected by a thick, transparent chitinous layer.

Chen Gu gritted his teeth and murmured, "Giant Bubbleflies! The Alien Insect Race has arrived!"

The enormous insect strained to squeeze through the not-yet-fully-stabilized void portal. Its head was already massive but appeared disproportionately small compared to its body.

The Giant Bubblefly's body was milky white and translucent. Through it, one could see its insectoid torso, packed with various members of the Alien Insect Race.

After the first Giant Bubblefly emerged, it spotted the nearby transport ship. Within the ship, a piercing alarm blared, "All hands to battle stations!"

"All hands to battle stations!"

Furthermore, the transport ship promptly reported the sighting of the Alien Insect Race to all nearby fleets.

The void portal finally stabilized completely, and subsequent Giant Bubbleflies found entry and exit much easier.

The first Giant Bubblefly pointed its luminescent tentacles toward the transport ship. It then opened multiple biological hatches on the rear of its vast body, from which swarms of the Alien Insect Race poured out.

The transport ship immediately changed course, retreating toward a certain planet.

While the ship's defensive capabilities were not strong, it was equipped with one hundred twenty gun turrets. Additionally, its hold contained sixteen space fighters and eight Star Armors.

The transport ship surged to full power, retreating at top speed. All its gun turrets fired backward, attempting to intercept the pursuing Alien Insect Race.

Observing the Alien Insect Race, Chen Gu easily identified them. Those are Space Wolf Bugs. They aren't their most powerful space combatants, but with over three hundred of them, it's more than enough to hunt down a transport ship!

Chen Gu frowned. Is this encounter between the transport ship and the Alien Insect Race swarm a coincidence?

I don't believe it. The Star Sea is vast; only those who have experienced it firsthand can understand. In such an environment, the chances of a random encounter are extraordinarily low.

However... Chen Gu noticed something. After the first Giant Bubblefly released a batch of Space Wolf Bugs, the other dozen or so Giant Bubbleflies that flew out of the void portal remained inactive, simply following behind the Space Wolf Bugs in their pursuit.

If their target was this transport ship, they should have immediately released the stronger Void Tiger Bugs, or even their most powerful space unit, the Void-Treading Dragon Bugs. With just one of those, the transport ship would have no chance of escape.

Unless they plan to trail behind the transport ship and attack the destination it's trying to reach.

Chen Gu immediately stood up. As he approached the door, he saw a squad of fully armed soldiers hurrying past. He grabbed one of them. "I need to see the captain!"

The soldier gave him a puzzled look. "Aren't you military personnel?"

Chen Gu shook his head. "But I have very important military intelligence that I must report to the captain!"

Just as the soldier was about to speak, his captain, already short-tempered, urged from ahead, "What are you doing? Hurry up and follow!"

"Captain, this man says he has important military intelligence for the captain..."

"The captain is overwhelmed right now; he has no time to meet with an unrelated person!" The captain glanced at Chen Gu. He knew every transport ship had such individuals: hitchhikers who had pulled strings to get aboard.

He sighed, looking at Chen Gu with a shade of pity. "Trying to save on a ticket... cutting corners can cost you dearly! There's no need to find the captain; it's no use. There are vast numbers of the Alien Insect Race outside. Unless it's the Insect Queen herself you're looking for, no one else can help."

With that, he waved his hand and quickly led his men away. Chen Gu called out from behind, "I really do have military intelligence..." But they ignored him and were already far gone.

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