"It looks like it's very happy!"
Nero lowered his head, looking at the slowly moving Xianzhou giant ship, listening to the vibrations coming from within it.
He seemed to be able to hear the joyful emotions coming from it, to hear those ancient booming sounds.
But the Xianzhou Luofu was just there, drifting slowly in the deep space, as if everything Nero felt was only an illusion.
Yet Nero could clearly sense the stirring within it. When he received Luofu's response and found a way to connect with it, when the circulating Stellaron touched Luofu like an extension of his own limbs, he obtained some kind of subtle emotion from that ancient vessel.
[Ding! Yes, it is very happy!]
The voice of the System sounded, echoing Nero's muttering.
"Really? So my feeling wasn't wrong!" Nero blinked, seeming pleasantly surprised by the System's words.
[Ding! Confirmed. The ancient giant ship of the Xianzhou Alliance is filled with anticipation for this hunting operation and is waiting for your command.]
Hearing the System's words, Nero froze for a moment. Then a strange mix of emotion and excitement blended together, making him feel a bit subtle.
As expected of a giant ship of the Xianzhou Alliance that believes in the Hunt.
Even a ship understands the way of hunting.
Nero didn't think the System was just humoring him, because he could indeed feel a kind of restrained eagerness within his connection to Luofu.
So Nero nodded, feeling the link with Luofu. In his mind, he imagined this powerful warship, forming an idea of how he should control it in battle and launch a hunt against the fleeing Phantylia and the Mirror Holders.
As this thought formed in Nero's mind, strange and bizarre scenes appeared. Nero felt as if he had become a part of Luofu, yet also as if Luofu had turned into a toy model he could hold in his hand.
Those illusory Stellarons that spread out because he wanted to touch Luofu twisted and climbed like tentacles, and they inherited Nero's vision.
Following those new "arms" or "eyes," Nero found an observation platform on Luofu. On it, he discovered the latest long-range lens set from the Interastral Peace Corporation.
He had seen this thing before when he visited the company and arranged programs, and the blond man called Director Aventurine, who had given him a windbreaker, had also taught him how to use it.
In his previous life, when going through the story, Nero didn't have much of a feeling toward Aventurine, even found him a bit annoying. When he put himself in the Trailblazer's shoes, he felt this man lacked a sense of distance.
But now, after interacting with him, he felt this guy was unexpectedly nice.
Maybe because of deep loneliness, or maybe because of his personality, when it came to relationships that went further, beneath that seemingly familiar and easygoing facade, he approached them carefully, even not minding giving of himself or accepting willful requests, as if maintaining those relationships like fragile crafts that might be hard for him to obtain.
And when interacting with different people, his core might not change, but the way he expressed it was completely different. For example, Nero had once seen this guy arguing with Topaz...
Because of Aventurine, Nero was familiar with how to operate the lens set. At this moment, through those new "eyes," he was already searching for targets in the vast sea of stars.
Perhaps by instinct, at first glance, Nero saw a nearly shattered mirrored reflection. Some figures were hurriedly retreating from it, while some dark shadows drilled into docked spaceships and sped away toward the distant star regions at full speed.
Turning slightly, with a bit of luck, Nero saw a mass of flame floating in the starry sky. That emerald-green flame fled wildly, moving even faster than the Mirror Holders' spaceships running at full output, far ahead of the fleeing group.
"Do you see it?" Nero asked.
A dull sound came from within Luofu, it responded, target locked.
"Then full speed ahead!" Nero pointed forward. "The target is Phantylia and all Mirror Holders along the way. As for those who've run far… full firepower!"
As his voice fell, a massive sound of steel mechanisms moving came from within the Xianzhou Luofu, like a roar, or like the firm response of a soldier receiving orders.
Then, Luofu's surging power began to output at full capacity. This massive entity stirred the sea of stars, accelerating amid waves of roaring sounds, pushing forward, leaving behind an extremely magnificent purple galaxy in the boundless dark space.
Even though the starry sky ahead seemed empty, it had already locked onto its target and determined its direction.
The ancient giant ship from the Xianzhou Alliance echoed, sounding the horn of the Hunt. Countless stars began to drift backward.
The god that never stops hunting seemed to sense something, casting its gaze this way, and after a brief moment of surprise, granted power to this warship that had suddenly begun moving and exercising the authority of the Hunt.
Thus the starry sky trembled, and the Xianzhou Luofu accelerated, shooting out like a beam of light, crossing countless stars.
When those unimportant targets appeared on both sides, the sides of the giant ship opened, revealing cannon ports. The brilliance of the Hunt shone within them, unleashing volley after volley.
The fleeing Mirror Holders only felt vibrations coming from behind. Heat sources were approaching, light was devouring their ships.
When they looked back, they only had time to curse "lunatics of the Hunt," before they and their ships, like meteors shattered by light arrows, became brilliant but fleeting stars in the pitch-black deep space.
Cannon fire roared.
Targets hit.
Listening to the sound of cannons firing in unison, watching one Mirror Holder ship after another being destroyed, Nero felt both excited and exhilarated.
It was as if a fire had ignited in his heart, and it felt incredibly satisfying.
'This is just too cool!'
Although Luofu was moving on its own, he felt as if he was the one piloting it and rampaging through the universe!
Nero thought, maybe no one could refuse an experience like this. Even if Aventurine had endless money, he wouldn't be able to buy such an experience...
"Ah!" Nero's eyes suddenly lit up. "Mr. Yang would definitely love this feeling!"
Just as Nero was suddenly filled with the urge to share and show off to Mr. Yang, the system's voice suddenly rang out.
[Ding! Warning. The host should return to your body as soon as possible, otherwise you may be threatened by someone.]
"Huh?" Nero, who was in high spirits, froze for a moment.
[Ding! Additionally, please note, Aha is behind you.]
"Huh?" Nero froze again, immediately turning his head, and then saw a vague, shifting black shadow floating behind him.
Aside from the iconic mask on its face, he couldn't find anything about this "thing" that resembled Aha at first glance.
But it didn't matter. After all, Aeons are absurd beings, and who knows what changes occur during ascension.
That Erudition Lord who turned into a humanoid still looked like a very scholarly old gentleman.
'Since the System said this pitch-black thing was Aha, then it should be Aha.'