Chapter 433: Extremely Dangerous

At this moment, less than one light-month ahead of Xiao Yu lay a very peculiar star system.

It was a binary system, but completely unlike other binary systems. The stars that made up this binary system were not red dwarfs, not yellow dwarfs, not giants, but a neutron star and a white dwarf.

A white dwarf and a neutron star formed this binary system. The white dwarf had roughly 0.5 solar masses, while the neutron star had about 2.1 solar masses. These two stellar remnants orbited together around an invisible point in the void, their common barycenter. The white dwarf was on the outside, the neutron star on the inside. What shocked Xiao Yu the most was that this binary system’s white dwarf actually had two planets orbiting it.

According to existing theories, such a binary system could not possibly sustain planets, especially planets orbiting so close to the parent star. This was obvious, before becoming a white dwarf and a neutron star, the stars must have gone through a red giant stage, expanding in size and lowering in density. In other words, the two planets should have been swallowed whole by the expanding red giants, leaving not even remnants.

Even if by some stroke of luck they had survived such a catastrophe, they should not still be orbiting the white dwarf. For the distance between the white dwarf and the neutron star was only one billion kilometers. By current theoretical predictions, over vast timescales, those planets should have been captured by the neutron star.

The scene was bizarre. But that was not the key point. The key point was that Xiao Yu suddenly realized, after repeatedly encountering the Droplets and repeatedly changing course, he had somehow ended up here, before this binary system. And this binary system was no ordinary place.

In the data Xiao Yu once obtained from the Guardian Civilization, it was clearly recorded that this place was a Level 5 danger zone, its danger grade labeled: Extremely Dangerous.

As for how danger zones were formed, the Milky Way had no definitive conclusion. It could be due to some still-unknown cosmic phenomenon, or perhaps some powerful and unknown lifeform occupying the region, or it might simply be relics left behind by a Level 7 or even higher civilization. Xiao Yu knew that the Sweeper Civilization’s technology for constructing the Neutron War Star had come precisely from such an extremely dangerous zone.

Danger zones, while signifying death and destruction, also signified unexpected harvests and hope.

The chances of success for dividing the fleet were far too low, and the losses far too severe. To hide within a danger zone, although the chances of survival were still slim, Xiao Yu nevertheless made his decision.

“Hide inside this danger zone… maybe I can escape the Guardian Civilization’s pursuit. The road ahead is still nine deaths for one life, but this choice offers no less chance of survival than dividing the fleet. At least it won’t be so stifling…” Xiao Yu silently resolved.

Now, he was less than one light-month from the danger zone. Calculating by his speed and the Guardian Civilization’s pursuit speed, Xiao Yu had every chance of entering the zone before the Guardians caught up.

“Then that’s it. The road ahead is still nine deaths for one life. Waiting ahead may very well be total annihilation. But as long as I don’t die, no loss I suffer here could possibly be worse than what dividing the fleet would cost me.” Xiao Yu once again changed his course, commanding his massive fleet to rush rapidly toward the danger zone.

“Since I’ve made this decision, there’s no need to keep hiding it. Alright, so be it.” After a brief moment of thought, Xiao Yu sent a message to Luka Two, Luka Three, and the other outstanding scientists.

“Enter Virtual Conference Room One. I’ve made a new discovery that I need to discuss with you all…”

Many of the scientists attending the meeting still did not know what exactly was happening. Thus, Xiao Yu had no choice but to first explain the current situation to them. Upon learning the truth, the scientists’ faces turned clouded and uncertain.

“This is the current situation.” Xiao Yu said. “Originally, I intended to use the method of dividing the fleet to escape, but after making a new discovery, I abandoned that plan.”

“Under the current circumstances, though the hope for survival through dividing the fleet is slim, it is still the only method with any chance of escape. Master, what new discovery have you made?” Luka Three asked.

“My discovery is very simple. Look here.” As Xiao Yu spoke, he issued a command to activate the three-dimensional projection device, projecting the image of the strange binary system ahead.

“This is a binary system about twenty-seven light-days away from us.” Xiao Yu said. “What’s interesting is that I found this binary system recorded in the data as a Level 5 danger zone, with a danger grade of Extremely Dangerous.”

The scientists once again looked at each other in silence.

“Master, your plan is… to hide inside this extremely dangerous zone, hoping to avoid pursuit by the Guardian Civilization?” Luka Four asked.

“Yes.” Xiao Yu nodded. “As for what exactly lies inside this danger zone, what we will encounter once we arrive, everything is unknown. We know nothing about this place. But the unknown also means hope. The chance of success in dividing the fleet is simply too small. Rather than divide the fleet, I’d rather take my chances here.”

“I want to hear everyone’s opinions.” Xiao Yu said quietly.

The conference room fell into silence.

“Master, I thought of a possibility.” Luka Two said. “If this danger zone had not happened to be right in front of us, I wouldn’t make this speculation. Let me ask you, Master, since we left the Molian Civilization’s capital star system, haven’t all our encounters along the way seemed… too coincidental?”

“I have felt that.” Xiao Yu nodded slightly. “But even if it’s coincidence, what of it? Or even if all of this has been arranged in secret by some being, what of it? Do we have any choice?”

“Perhaps the repeated appearances of Droplets were only meant to force us to change course. Perhaps the Guardian Civilization fleet chasing us from behind was only meant to put pressure on us. Their ultimate goal may simply be to drive us into this relic, but what then? Do we have the power to resist? No, we don’t. We can only move forward according to their arrangement.”

Xiao Yu recalled something from his days on Earth. Once, he and some friends had gone into the woods to catch wild rabbits. Rabbits could run very fast, too fast to catch by chasing alone, and they had no hunting dogs to help. But rabbits were timid, so Xiao Yu and his friends devised a method.

They set traps in one place ahead of time, then surrounded the forest with a group of people. They shouted loudly and closed the circle in. Because of their fear, the rabbits would only run away from the noise. No matter which way they fled, they would encounter people blocking them, except in the direction of the trap, where no one stood guard.

The result was simple. As the circle tightened, all the rabbits were driven straight into the traps and caught. Xiao Yu remembered it clearly, in that hunt alone, he caught more than thirty rabbits, and he and his friends ate them for days, until they were sick of them.

Now Xiao Yu felt like he was that rabbit. No matter which way he ran, there would be obstacles. Only in this one direction was there no obstruction.

If this speculation was true, then without a doubt, the Droplets were playing the role of the drivers. Perhaps their sole purpose was to herd him into this danger zone.

But… so what? Not to mention that Xiao Yu had no way to confirm this speculation, even if he did confirm it as truth, what could he do? A rabbit had no power to defy human will. Likewise, Xiao Yu had no power to defy the will of the Guardian Civilization.

So if he did not want to divide the fleet, then he could only choose to enter this danger zone.

“We don’t know what the truth is, nor can we predict their intentions. So let’s proceed, enter the Level 5 danger zone first. Then, step by step. We can only take it step by step.” Xiao Yu said weakly. “During this time, I require everyone to be on duty twenty-four hours a day. Danger could appear at any moment, and I may call upon you at any moment to discuss how to face it.”

“That’s all. Meeting adjourned. Ah, and this matter must remain confidential for now. Do not spread it.”

The scientists left the virtual conference room with grim faces. As Xiao Yu looked ahead at the strange binary system growing closer and closer, his heart was filled with uncertainty.

“What is waiting for me ahead? What kind of danger must I face? Everything is unknown. But since it is unknown, there is still hope. For that sliver of hope, I will give everything I have to fight.”

Three days passed in a flash. When the Guardian Civilization’s fleet was less than three hours’ flight away, Xiao Yu’s fleet successfully arrived. Dropping out of curvature flight, they switched to conventional propulsion and entered the star system. The destination Xiao Yu set was the two planets orbiting the white dwarf.