Five days passed.
Adrian's starship finally arrived near the outer edge of the Andromeda Galaxy, and as they closed the remaining distance, its true scale became impossible to ignore. Star clusters overlapped densely, nebulae burned in layered waves of color, and countless star systems moved in orderly, deliberate flows, as if guided by an unseen structure.
Aerin pressed her face against the viewport, "It's so bright."
The galaxy stretched before them like a living tapestry, threads of light woven through darkness in patterns that suggested deliberate design rather than natural chaos.
The moment the ship crossed an invisible boundary, space itself subtly shifted. The compression formations embedded within the vessel adjusted automatically, recalibrating in response. The starship's movement smoothed out, no longer cutting through the void harshly, but gliding forward as though it had entered a different medium entirely.
A notification appeared on Adrian's UNI-OS.
› Entering Regulated Galactic Space: Andromeda
› Advisory: Unauthorized Conflict May Trigger Sect Enforcement
As they moved deeper, the familiar emptiness of the void they had grown accustomed to slowly vanished.
Space lanes began to appear.
These were not confined within star systems as they had been in the Milky Way. Instead, vast corridors stretched openly across the void itself, invisible to the naked eye but clearly marked by faint spatial distortions and navigational beacons. Each lane branched toward different regions of the galaxy, forming an intricate network of interstellar pathways.
Back in the Milky Way Galaxy, space lanes had existed only within individual star systems. Outside those systems, the void had been largely empty, unstructured, and free.
Here, even the void had roads. This was because the sheer density of space traffic made such routes necessary.
Lysandra stared at the view beyond the viewport and muttered quietly, "So this is what a real galactic civilization looks like."
Adrian said nothing, but he agreed completely.
The Milky Way had been protected, isolated, kept deliberately primitive by the barrier. Andromeda existed without such shelter, forced to structure itself around constant movement, endless commerce, and the presence of powers that demanded order.
Guiding the ship carefully, Adrian steered it into one of the major lanes. As they traveled further, starships began to appear. At first, there were only dozens, then hundreds.
Some were massive, fortress-like vessels with sect insignias carved deeply into their hulls. Others were sleek, personal crafts piloted by lone cultivators traveling independently. Merchant convoys moved in organized formations, escorted by contracted guards whose presence alone discouraged interference.
They recognized these patterns instantly. They had seen them countless times while browsing the forums, but witnessing them firsthand carried a different weight.
Reading about interstellar highways and watching starships drift past in ordered streams were entirely different experiences.
Their immediate goal was the UNI-Hub. So Adrian entered the destination into the navigation console, which was now connected with UNI-OS.
› Location Set: UNI-Hub
› Estimated Reach Time: 20 hours (Subject to spatial traffic conditions)
› Note: Arrival time may vary based on lane congestion
Even travel estimates accounted for congestion.
As the ship advanced, entire star systems drifted past in slow arcs. The space lanes branched endlessly, some leading toward dense inner regions rich with activity, while others curved away toward distant spirals and peripheral territories.
Zerathul stood near the viewport, arms crossed. "How many empires do you think exist in this galaxy?"
"From what I checked on forums, there should be hundreds," Lysandra answered, "But none of them matter compared to the sects."
A day later, the UNI-Hub finally came into view.
It was a colossal ring-shaped construct suspended between several stabilized stars, its surface layered with luminous runes and complex geometric formations that shifted constantly. Thousands of docking points lined its outer ring, ships arriving and departing in a steady, disciplined flow that never descended into chaos.
Aerin's eyes widened, "That's... big."
"Big doesn't begin to describe it," Orin muttered.
The hub dwarfed anything they had built in the Milky Way. The Origin Construct, impressive as it was, would fit inside one of the hub's ring sections dozens of times over.
Another UNI-OS notification appeared.
› Approaching UNI-Hub: Andromeda Node
› Docking Clearance Pending…
They waited briefly before another message followed.
› Clearance Granted
› Assigned Dock: Ring-Section 47
› Please Adhere to Hub Conduct Protocols
Adrian guided the ship toward the assigned section.
As they drew closer, finer details emerged. Adrian activated his Source Eyes, tracing the formations etched across the hub's surface. He recognized their structure immediately. These were not unfamiliar formations, but stabilization arrays woven together on an absurd scale, maintaining spatial integrity, regulating traffic flow, and suppressing uncontrolled distortions throughout the hub.
Each formation linked seamlessly with the next, creating an unbroken network that covered the entire construct.
Lysandra murmured softly, "The language of mana used in these formations is perfect, without a single broken phrase or grammatical mistake."
This sight should have shaken her deeply, but back in the Milky Way Galaxy, Adrian's formations and even the tattoos used the perfect language of mana in them. She had spent years learning from those inscriptions, so compared to what she had witnessed under his guidance, this level of precision, while impressive, no longer felt new.
"Still beautiful work," Selena admitted, studying the shifting runes. "Whoever maintains this hub knows their craft."
As the ship slowed and aligned with the docking ring, Adrian felt an unexpected calm settle over him.
They had finally arrived.
The docking clamps locked into place with a low hum that reverberated through the vessel.
Beyond the viewport, the UNI-Hub loomed vast and alive. They saw countless alien species moving across the metallic surfaces, streams of beings flowing in every direction without pause. Even this single docking section housed millions.
The sheer density of movement staggered him momentarily.
"I've never seen so many different forms," Aerin said, her small hands pressed against the transparent material.
Yet amid the overwhelming variety, Adrian noticed a striking commonality.
Most beings shared the same fundamental form. They were humanoid.
Some possessed four arms instead of two, their additional limbs sprouting naturally from reinforced shoulder joints. Others bore three eyes arranged in vertical alignment down the centre of their faces. Skin tones ranged from familiar browns and pale whites to deep blues, vibrant purples, and metallic greys.
One being near the viewport's edge had translucent skin through which faint luminous patterns pulsed rhythmically. Another walked on legs that bent backwards at the knee, yet still carried the same bipedal gait.
Adrian's mind drifted to a conversation from years past, when Lysandra had mentioned that every species referred to this form differently, just as humans called it humanoid.
Lysandra had researched this phenomenon for years without finding a definitive explanation, though she had developed a theory of her own.
She believed this form represented the natural shape of sentience itself.
Her reasoning had been simple.
Even demons, once monstrous in shape, eventually evolved into this same form upon reaching S-rank, when their sentience fully matured. The Demon Emperor himself had appeared humanoid. Monsters that gained intelligence through cultivation inevitably shifted toward this structure, shedding claws and excess limbs as their minds sharpened.
At the time, Adrian had not thought much of it.
Now, standing before a viewport that revealed millions of beings from other galaxies, sharing this same structure, even with variations of extra limbs, additional eyes, and unfamiliar proportions, the theory began to make sense.
"Perhaps there's a universal logic to it," Lysandra murmured, echoing his thoughts. She stood nearby, her expression distant as she observed the platforms. "Sentience requires certain physical capabilities. Balance, Manipulation, Verticality."
"Or maybe whoever designed the universe preferred this shape," Draven suggested dryly.
Sentinel chuckled. "Careful. That sounds dangerously close to theology."
"Theology or not, it's worth considering," Aurelia said quietly, rocking Aerin gently as the child strained to see everything at once.
Thomas gestured toward a particularly unusual being that floated past the viewport, its body composed of interlocking crystalline segments held together by visible energy threads. "That one doesn't fit the pattern."
"No," Adrian replied, "look closely."
The crystalline being's segments formed a vaguely humanoid silhouette. Two primary extensions served as arms. A central mass functioned as the torso. The arrangement was abstract, almost artistic, yet the intent remained recognisable.
Kael exhaled slowly. "Even when they deviate, they still echo it."
Perhaps, as they explored the universe further, they would uncover the truth behind it.
For now, they stepped forward, ready to enter the heart of Andromeda.
"Prepare to disembark," Adrian announced, his voice cutting through the murmured observations. "We'll explore the hub together, at least until we all get our own UNI-OS for communication."
Lysandra nodded, "Agreed. We can't afford to get separated in a place this size."
Max stretched lazily, "Finally. Sitting still for months makes my bones ache."
Adrian dismissed the viewport's magnification, letting the platforms return to their natural scale. The docking ring extended outward, connecting their ship to the hub's vast body. Beyond the ship waited a entrierly new world, governed by forces that dwarfed anything they had known.
He felt no fear, only curiosity.
"Let's go," Adrian said simply.
The crew moved toward as the heavy doors slid open with a pneumatic hiss, revealing the threshold between their isolated journey and the universe beyond.
Adrian stepped through first.