Prologue
He turned around and was immediately stunned.
The equipment compartment has accumulated more than half a cabin of water. Beneath the murky water, the various pieces of equipment on the dedicated rack are no longer discernible in their original shapes, leaving only the appearance of a dragon's tooth and a sword. However, the sword sheath and the sword have merged into one, with the sword tip protruding unevenly like serrated teeth.
With a loud bang in his mind, he suddenly could hear nothing. In the 10,754th year of the Empire! He clearly remembered that when he received the mission and embarked on his journey, the Empire had just celebrated its 600th anniversary.
This name is like a switch, instantly activating long-sealed memories, as a voice begins to echo continuously in his consciousness
After finally clearing the dirt from the equipment hatch cover and opening the lid, he was once again taken aback
The darkness suddenly trembled violently, as if it were truly approaching its end. As a dim red light pierced through the world, the moment of termination arrived
He slowly sat up, his movements slow and gentle. After a long period of deep sleep during the voyage, his body required a process of recovery
A series of reports left him stunned, and it took him a long time to forcibly suppress his anger before he exclaimed, "What else is usable? Speak!"
I... I remember now... I am a Colonel of the Imperial Guard, the youngest Colonel in the history of the Empire...
One hundred years have passed, and this task has always remained unfulfilled by anyone. However, I, I can accomplish it. Because I am the Fourth Prince of the Empire, I must defend my country and protect my subjects, for I am... the Yellow Springs
After a considerable amount of time, he finally came to his senses and looked towards another square stone beside the cabin. He rushed over and used all his strength to remove the dirt from the surface. Sure enough, beneath it lay a piece of metal, though the originally hard alloy had corroded to an unrecognizable state.
In his line of sight appeared rows of dark red characters. When he saw them, their meaning naturally emerged in his mind
I am going to the edge of the world, the land of exile, to... eliminate the rebels there...
The darkness has persisted for too long, as if it has lasted for ten thousand years, and it will continue until the end of the world
Long-range weapon: Battle rifle light night, status: damaged, cause of damage: interruption of maintenance system energy supply
He swung his fist forward, striking the hatch with great force, shattering the display screen that flickered with red characters. With a creaking sound, the hatch slowly opened, resembling an old, rusted iron door
He suddenly rushed to the edge of the cabin and said in a deep voice: "What time is it now?"
Task Executor Code : ... ...
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and made a tremendous effort to suppress the impulse to smash the cockpit with his fist. However, this was exceedingly difficult; it took him several minutes before he finally opened his eyes again and stepped out of the cockpit.
He did not show any surprise; throughout his past combat career, his ship had crashed more than once. What kind of initial environment had he not encountered? In comparison, this underground cave is quite ideal, concealed and safe, one cannot ask for more
After the endless darkness, there seem to be many fragmented images, but whenever they occasionally appear, they are torn apart and then consumed by the darkness
Even after experiencing countless life-and-death battles, he still finds it difficult to comprehend everything he sees before him
If the hatch is closed, the whole structure resembles a large stone that has been sleeping in a cave for an unknown number of years
Thus, he slowly opened his eyes
At the age of 14, he fought in his first battle; at 15, he independently undertook missions; at 19, he assumed the position of commander of the Dragon Cavalry Battalion. He has no idea how many long voyages he has undertaken, but he is thoroughly familiar with the process of recovery.
Armor: Energy Battle Armor Glorious, Status: Damaged, Cause of Damage: Interruption in the maintenance system's energy supply
The female voice stated in an unchanging tone: "The main energy battery is in good condition, with a remaining energy of 0.001%. Under the current system operating status, it can be sustained for 5 minutes"
While engaging his body according to the standard procedure, he recited a long string of passcodes and then stated: "Equipment self-check."
Note: The task information is classified and must not be disclosed to any agency or individual of the Empire. Upon completion, return directly to the Special Secret Office of the Military Department in the Imperial Capital
In this world, darkness seems to be an eternal theme
The female voice fell silent for a moment, as if calculating or clearing a malfunction. After a brief pause, it said: "On the 7th of July, 10754 in the Imperial Calendar, at 19:06:45."
Reset task information
A soft mechanical female voice sounded
Task Unit: First Dragon Cavalry Battalion of the Imperial Guard
What on earth is going on here
Darkness
As the imperial prince and the fourth captain of the Dragon Rider Battalion, all his provisions are the finest, with some equipment being truly unique, unmatched by any other in the entire empire
A malfunction has occurred, troubleshooting in progress
Surrounded by darkness, there was only a faint glimmer of light in the distance. With the help of this weak illumination, he realized that he was in a cave, the stone walls showing no signs of human intervention, suggesting that it was a natural cavern
He became even angrier; the Imperial Guard is the most elite force in the entire empire, and the Dragon Cavalry is the elite among the elites. Since its establishment, this unit has been specifically created to clean up after other troops. Whenever there is a task that cannot be handled, it is always first thrown to the Dragon Cavalry
The Yellow Springs
According to legend, when the world reaches its end, there will be an irresistible natural disaster that will annihilate the world, cleansing it entirely and initiating the next cycle.
However, for a mission to seize the Dark Gate from the rebels, the equipped command module is surprisingly of such poor quality that even the hatch is a rusty defective product. How audacious is the logistics department to embezzle to such an extent?
Melee Weapon: Sabre Dragon Tooth, Status: Damaged, Cause of Damage: Interruption in Maintenance System Energy Supply
His eyes narrowed slightly, filled with a chilling murderous intent. Perhaps after eliminating the rebels, it would be time to deal with those useless individuals in the logistics department.
Task Objectives: Search for the Dark Portal; Search for the People of the Ruins; Eliminate the Rebels
This name echoed like thunder, instantly granting him boundless power, accompanied by an immense fury.
It has indeed been ten thousand years
... ...
Behind me, there is neither the smoothly contoured, aesthetically pleasing sleeping pod I had envisioned, nor the well-protected equipment compartment capable of withstanding various extreme environments. What lies before me is merely a box covered in dirt and moss, which, upon closer inspection, is barely recognizable as a metallic object.
Task Area: Second Nebula of the Yobatan Star System