Sethlun took a long time to compose himself.
Although it was a bit embarrassing, he had to admit that he felt much better now.
Even though the hope Bai Luan brought was so ethereal, imbued with a strong sense of unreality, it was still better than no hope at all.
"So, what are you planning to do?"
Bai Luan raised his arm, and the previously invisible mech suit on his arm became visible. Then, the nano-mech surged, and a force field drill appeared on the mech, beginning to spin rapidly.
"My drill can pierce the heavens~"
That mech suit was far more advanced than their technology. If it was him, maybe he really could... Thinking of this, Sethlun shook his head with a bitter smile.
Did he have a choice?
Besides believing, he had no other option long ago.
They had made so many sacrifices, tried their best, and still couldn't see a glimmer of hope... Now, they could only pin their hopes on a miracle.
"Savior, if you intend to explore underground, we might still be able to offer you some assistance. At the very least..."
Sethlun looked at Bai Luan, a self-deprecating smile on his face:
"We know countless dead ends."
"I understand."
Bai Luan nodded upon hearing this and said:
"I will remember those sacrifices and bear in mind that I found a way to survive by treading on their sacrifices."
Bai Luan's answer surprised Sethlun, and then a touch of emotion welled up in his eyes as he sincerely said:
"Thank you..."
Bai Luan didn't say much, just smiled.
Sethlun led Bai Luan out of the mural room, preparing to take him to the research lab dedicated to studying geological strata.
"After the unification, all the tribes shared information, allowing us to confirm that this entire planet is a desert, and apart from the springs, there are no other water sources."
Bai Luan fell silent for a moment upon hearing this, then asked:
"Do you know what a 'sea' is?"
Sethlun stopped in his tracks, turned to look at Bai Luan, and asked with a hint of curiosity:
"What is that?"
"Nothing."
Bai Luan watched Sethlun's reaction, a flicker of understanding in his eyes.
"When all this is over, I'll take you to see the sea."
"Then I shall... look forward to it."
Sethlun continued walking, leading Bai Luan through the corridor, and went on:
"You already know our history. In the beginning, our technology flourished, and we once yearned for the stars, launching satellites into the sky... Unfortunately, when that satellite, symbolizing our hope and yearning for the stars, reached the end of its lifespan and disintegrated in the sky, falling towards the surface, we were in the midst of a war with the Mad King..."
Bai Luan sighed:
"What a pity..."
As he spoke, Bai Luan and Sethlun entered the research lab, where they saw blueprints for drilling machines, a geological stratification map of the entire planet, and a large pile of rock samples.
"We tried many methods—drilling, sonar waves—but in the end, we could only choose the drilling vehicle solution."
Among the pile of rock samples, one quickly caught Bai Luan's attention.
On one hand, it was because the rock sample was huge; on the other hand, it was because the exterior of this rock sample didn't look like rock.
It looked more like a part of a Swarm nest that had been buried underground for many years and turned into a fossil.
This was clearly a fossilized form of something, and in the universe, when insects are mentioned, one cannot avoid the Swarm Disaster.
Could it be that the Swarm Disaster once occurred here?
That would explain why the planet's surface resources are scarce, with only deserts remaining.
But if it was the Swarm Disaster, then this planet should have been devoured even more thoroughly... Why did this planet get stuck, neither fully consumed nor completely untouched?
Bai Luan stared at The Swarm nest fossil, lost in thought... Sethlun noticed Bai Luan's gaze and began to explain:
"This is an ancient civilization ruin discovered in the strata when we first started excavating the surface... Isn't it astonishing? That a civilization could exist on this planet, and besides a pile of fossils, we haven't found anything else related to the ancient civilization yet."
Sethlun looked at The Swarm nest fossil:
"This discovery gave us great encouragement at the time. Perhaps this ancient civilization once faced the same predicament as us and found a way out, leaving this planet?"
Bai Luan listened with a complex mood, unsure what expression to show.
The traces left by the Swarm Disaster, which caused the current civilization's plight, actually brought encouragement to the civilization's survival... It was truly hard to know what to say for a moment.
Bai Luan couldn't figure out the mysteries of this planet on his own.
It was a pity there was no signal on his phone; otherwise, he could connect to the Star Network to check information about the Swarm Disaster... Oh, right, Herta had upgraded his phone before, and it seemed he could contact her no matter where he was.
Herta should be with Ruan Mei right now, and Ruan Mei was an expert in this field.
He would ask the great Ms. Herta for help~
Bai Luan: Ms. Herta, I need your help.
Herta: It's rare for you to come to me proactively.
Herta: Tell me about it.
Bai Luan: [Image]
Bai Luan: Is this left by The Swarm?
Herta: You're not asking me at all; you're going straight for Ruan Mei, aren't you?
Herta: Have you gotten bold? You dare to treat this genius as a messenger?
Bai Luan: Please.
Herta, who was beside Ruan Mei, let out a soft chuckle at her phone, then handed the phone to Ruan Mei and said:
"My assistant needs your help; take a look at this thing."
"He managed to convince you?"
"Of course, it's not free. As for the reward, this genius will collect it from him when I get back."
Ruan Mei glanced at Herta, who was already contemplating how to extract payment from Bai Luan, and ultimately chose not to comment.
She looked at the phone, and with just one glance, she was captivated by its content.
Herta: This is a Swarm nest fossil left by The Swarm. Where did you find it?
Bai Luan: On a distant planet. If you're interested, Ms. Ruan Mei, I can bring some to you.
Did she immediately realize the person had changed?
Herta: What reward do you need?
Bai Luan: I have some questions that I need you to clarify.
Herta: What questions?
Bai Luan: As you can see, there are traces of actual Swarm activity on this planet. The main landform on the planet's surface is only desert, and other resources are pitifully scarce.
Bai Luan: However, there are still springs on the planet's surface pumping out groundwater, and no Swarm fossils have been found.
Bai Luan: I believe the Swarm Disaster wouldn't easily let go of any planet. Why wasn't this planet completely devoured?
Bai Luan: I can't figure it out.
Herta: I understand.
Herta: Some civilizations on planets, when resisting the Swarm Disaster, choose to transfer all resources underground, using the planet's crust as a shield and the surface as a battlefield.
Herta: The planet you mentioned might be in this situation.
Herta: As for why the Swarm Disaster spared this planet... Herta: I think it might be because something was chasing The Swarm, and they were forced to move.
Could this planet be one that the Aeons passed by when they were besieging the Propagation Aeon, and the Propagation Aeon fled past it?
If so... that would truly be unlucky.
Bai Luan: Thank you, Ms. Ruan Mei.
Bai Luan: If there are any new discoveries here, I will let you know.
Bai Luan: Please convey my thanks to Ms. Herta.
Bai Luan put down his phone. Combining Ruan Mei's conjecture and the planet's situation, Bai Luan largely understood.
A planet that attempted to resist the Swarm Disaster, where an ancient civilization indeed existed and was technologically advanced. In the process of resisting the Swarm Disaster, they transferred all resources underground.
It's likely that the ancient civilization ultimately did not succeed and silently perished underground.
The Swarm Disaster, compelled by an unknown threat, abandoned this planet. Before leaving, it cleared everything on the surface, leaving only barren rock layers.
Thus, this planet became a dead world. The rock layers were eroded by time, forming the current desert-dominated landscape.
The rock layers were continuously eroded... until the resources stored underground were exposed, including water resources. Relying solely on these limited resources... Bai Luan looked at Sethlun.
Life, then, sprouted here.