Chapter 118: Died or Alive
The spaceship was bigger than the ones they had acquired earlier — far bigger and stronger too.
Elara nodded in agreement as they both stood at the edge of the cliff ledge, looking down at the massive structure. The vessel’s dark hull stretched across a significant portion of the hidden chamber, its angular design imposing even while partially buried. Compared to the five smaller ships they had stored in their rings, this one felt like a true war machine — reinforced plating, massive thruster housings visible on the exposed sections, and an overall presence that radiated durability and power.
“Let’s go down,” Lian said quietly. “So we can see what’s inside.”
They both jumped from the ledge, using the protruding rocks as stepping stones. Their movements were precise and controlled — Lian leading with light, agile leaps, Elara following with graceful, powerful bounds aided by her alloy limbs. They landed softly on the ground below, the impact barely making a sound on the rocky floor.
From the ground level, the scale of the spaceship became even more overwhelming. It towered above them, the exposed hull rising high into the cavern ceiling like a sleeping titan. The metal was dark and seamless in most places, with faint glowing runes visible along certain panels. Some sections showed clear damage — scorched plating, hanging wires, and deep gashes that suggested a fierce battle had taken place here long ago. The ship was clearly ancient, yet it still emanated a sense of unyielding strength.
They walked toward the entrance, Lian in front and Elara a step behind him. The ground was uneven, littered with fallen rocks and debris from the earlier destruction. Lian’s eyes scanned every shadow, his perception extended as much as he could manage. Elara kept her hand near her blade, ready for anything.
Some parts of the ship were heavily damaged. Wires hung loosely from torn panels, sparks occasionally flickering in the dim light. Sections of the outer hull were crumpled or melted, as if struck by powerful energy weapons. Lian wondered silently if the ship could even fly in its current state. The damage looked old but extensive.
The entrance was a large, sealed hatch typical of advanced spaceships — the kind seen in old movies and records, with heavy reinforced doors and access panels. However, part of it was damaged. A jagged hole had been torn through one side, large enough for a person to pass through. Twisted metal framed the opening, with exposed wiring and broken components visible inside.
What could have damaged it like this? they both thought at the same time.
Lian stopped in front of the hole and activated his Nexus Scan Gauntlet. A blue holographic interface appeared, sweeping across the damaged entrance. After a moment, it displayed:
Damage Source: Grade A+ Weapon
Specific Weapon Type: Classified
(Grade System List
Grade E
Grade D
Grade C
Grade B
Grade A
Modifiers
+ (e.g., C+) – Slightly better than base grade
- (e.g., B-) – Slightly weaker than base grade)
Classified – Information locked / extremely high value (used for top-tier or restricted items)
Lian frowned. Even the advanced gauntlet couldn’t identify the exact weapon. That alone told him the attacker had used something powerful and restricted.
He put the gauntlet away, and they both looked at the hole. Lian bent down slightly to peer inside. The interior was pitch black — no light, no movement, just an endless darkness that swallowed the glow from their light sources. He took out the glowing crystal orb they had been using for illumination and held it up. The soft white light pushed back the shadows slightly as he crawled through the opening.
Elara followed closely behind him.
The inside of the ship looked better than the outside. The corridors were still mostly intact, with smooth metallic walls and faint emergency lighting strips that flickered weakly in places. There were clear signs of a fight having occurred long ago — scorch marks on the walls, broken panels, and scattered debris — but the overall structure had held remarkably well. They moved through a long passage, their footsteps echoing softly. Doors to various rooms and compartments stood open or partially damaged, revealing glimpses of abandoned quarters, storage bays, and technical stations.
They passed many sections of the ship, exploring cautiously. The air inside was stale but breathable. Finally, they reached what appeared to be the control room.
The doors were open. They walked in slowly, weapons ready, trying to figure out how to power the ship on or at least understand its systems.
Lian suddenly dropped the glowing crystal orb and grabbed Elara’s hand, pulling her back sharply toward the door of the control room. She let out a surprised shout.
“What happened?” she asked, voice tense.
Lian covered her mouth with his hand and pointed toward the center of the room.
She looked in the direction he indicated.
At the center was the captain’s seat — a large, imposing command chair. On it sat a figure. They couldn’t see the face or details clearly in the dim light, but the silhouette was unmistakable. A person — or what remained of one — was sitting there motionless.
Elara’s eyes widened. She understood immediately.
Lian drew out his black blade. Elara drew her thunder blade.
They were ready to fight — or defend themselves from whatever this was.
Lian was surprised he couldn’t sense the figure with his perception. It was as if the person simply wasn’t there... or was something far beyond his current ability to detect.
They both stood there for a tense minute, blades raised, but nothing happened. The figure remained completely still. Was it unaware of their presence? Unbothered? Or already dead?
Lian looked at Elara and nodded. He was going to check, and she should be on her guard if anything were to happen.
Power Scale / Cultivation Realms (Quick Reminder)
Foundation Realm (Layers 1–9): Body forging, no external Qi.
Circuit Awakening Realm (Early–Peak): First Qi loop, internal bursts.
Core Condensation Realm (Early–Peak): External Qi release, short flight.
Stellar Circuit Realm (1–9 Stars): True flight, Qi armor, energy projection.
Nebula Dominion Realm and higher: Domain control, galaxy-level power, etc
Power Scale Reminder
Lian Yu: Stellar Circuit Star 1.
Elara Voss: Core Condensation Middle
Keep it as reminders
