Marvel: The other side of the double-passing door is Devouring the Stars

Chapter 380 Everything must be done according to orders!
“No, Master,” Rowan quickly explained, “a friend of mine invited me to venture into the Misty Forbidden Zone, where it’s said there might be ancient ruins that can help with psychic cultivation.”

“The Forbidden Zone of Mist?” Arya’s expression turned serious. “That’s an extremely dangerous place. Are you sure you want to go?”

“I know there are dangers, but I think this could be a rare opportunity,” Rowan said frankly. “Besides, my friend is very capable, so my safety should be guaranteed.”

Arya was silent for a moment, seemingly considering the reasonableness of the request.

"Who are your friends? How strong are they?" Arya asked.

“Luo Feng, also from Earth,” Luo Wen replied, “has recently completed a successful interstellar expedition, and his strength has reached at least the stellar level.”

“Stellar level is not bad,” Arya nodded, “but the danger of the Mist Forbidden Zone doesn’t just come from the difference in strength; the environment itself is full of unknown threats.”

“I understand, Master,” Rowan said sincerely, “but I believe true growth requires honing in real combat; book knowledge can only be transformed into real power through practice.”

Arya gave Rowan a deep look. "You're right. And the Forbidden Mist Domain might indeed contain things that can help with psychic cultivation."

"What do you mean?" Rowan's eyes gleamed with hope.

“I agree to let you go,” Arya finally said, “but I have a few conditions.”

“Please go ahead,” Rowan listened attentively.

“First, the timeframe cannot exceed one month,” Arya said. “After Princess Silvermoon arrives, you will have important tasks to perform.”

“No problem, our planned timeframe is about three weeks,” Rowan replied.

“Secondly, you must take this,” Arya said, taking a delicate silver amulet from a drawer. “This is a psychic protection amulet, capable of protecting your mind from harm in critical moments.”

“Thank you, Master,” Rowan said gratefully as he accepted the amulet.

“Finally,” Arya’s expression grew even more serious, “if you encounter any danger within the Forbidden Mist that is beyond your capabilities, retreat immediately. Do not force your way through. No treasure is more important than life.”

“I understand, Master,” Rowan nodded solemnly.

“Go ahead, be careful,” Arya waved, “and remember to bring back some interesting stories for me.”

"Definitely!" Rowan replied excitedly, then hurriedly left the research institute.

Back at their lodgings, Luo Feng was studying the expedition route map. Seeing Luo Wen's excited expression, he immediately knew the answer.

"Well? Did Master Arya agree?" Luo Feng asked.

"She agreed!" Rowan said excitedly. "And she even gave me a psychic protection talisman, saying it can protect my mind in critical moments."

"Great!" Luo Feng jumped up excitedly. "When do we set off?"

“The sooner the better,” Rowan said, “but I need to do some preparatory work first.”

"No problem, I also need to do a final check on the equipment," Luo Feng said. "How about we set off tomorrow morning?"

“It’s a deal!” Rowan extended his hand.

"It's a deal!" Luo Feng gripped Luo Wen's hand tightly.

Three days later, at dawn, in the private port of the Virtual Universe Company headquarters, a medium-sized exploration spaceship was undergoing final preparations for takeoff. This spaceship, named "Star," was Luo Feng's private vehicle. Although not luxurious, it was fully equipped and perfectly capable of handling the needs of long-distance interstellar travel.

"All systems checked, fuel sufficient, navigation equipment functioning properly," Luo Feng said, expertly operating the various gauges from the driver's seat. "Brother Luo Wen, we're ready to go at any time."

Rowan stood beside the passenger seat, taking one last look at the magnificent view of the Virtual Universe Corporation headquarters through the panoramic window. The preparations over the past three days had been thorough: supplies, protective gear, detection instruments, and even emergency medical equipment were all readily available. The psychic protective amulet given to him by Master Arya was kept close at hand, becoming his most important talisman for this adventure.

“Let’s go,” Rowan said, sitting in the passenger seat and fastening his seatbelt. “Target: Forbidden Zone of Mist.”

"Received!" Luo Feng excitedly started the spaceship engine.

With the roar of its engines, the Starship slowly ascended and left the headquarters port. Through the observation window, the two watched as the enormous spatial city gradually shrank until it completely disappeared into the sea of ​​stars.

"How are you feeling?" Luo Feng asked as he piloted the spaceship into faster-than-light travel mode. "Are you nervous about going on an adventure with me for the first time?"

"It would be a lie to say I'm not nervous," Rowan answered honestly, "but I'm mostly looking forward to it. After all, a place like the Forbidden Mist Domain isn't something you can explore every day."

"Haha, this is the Luo Wen I know," Luo Feng laughed heartily. "Don't worry, although the Misty Forbidden Zone is indeed dangerous, we are well prepared, and I have quite a bit of exploration experience."

For the next two days, the Starship sailed smoothly through the vast expanse of space. The two crew members took turns on watch, ensuring the ship remained on the correct course. In their spare time, they would exchange cultivation tips or discuss upcoming expedition plans.

“Based on the information I’ve gathered, the mist in the Forbidden Mist Domain isn’t ordinary water vapor,” Luo Feng said the following evening, “but a substance containing special energy that interferes with most detection equipment.”

"So, once we enter the fog, many advanced devices will malfunction?" Rowan asked.

“That’s right, that’s one of the reasons why it’s so dangerous there,” Luo Feng nodded in confirmation. “However, I’ve prepared some special navigation equipment, which is said to be able to maintain a basic sense of direction in the fog.”

“Hopefully it works,” Rowan said. “Getting lost in completely unknown surroundings can be deadly.”

On the morning of the third day, the Starship finally approached its destination. Through the observation window, the two saw a breathtaking sight: in the starry sky ahead, a massive, silvery-gray mist writhed slowly like a living thing, covering the area of ​​several star systems. The edges of the mist were irregularly shaped, sometimes expanding outwards and sometimes contracting inwards, giving it a mysterious and eerie feel.

"This is the Forbidden Zone of Mist," Luo Feng said, pointing to the mist ahead. "It looks even more magnificent than I imagined."

"It's certainly spectacular, but it also looks quite dangerous," Rowan observed the mist carefully. "Look, there are some strange lights flickering at the edges of the mist."

"That must be caused by energy fluctuations," Luo Feng explained. "Legend has it that the mist contains powerful, unknown energy that can produce various strange effects on objects that approach it."

Just as the two were intently observing the misty forbidden zone, the spaceship's alarm system suddenly sounded. "High energy detected!" the spaceship's artificial intelligence system warned. "A large spaceship is approaching!"

Luo Feng immediately switched to radar display mode, and three huge dots of light appeared on the screen, flying towards them at high speed.

“Three large warships,” Luo Feng frowned, “judging by their size, they’re at least heavy cruisers. What are they doing here?”

"Perhaps they're also here to explore the Forbidden Zone of Mist?" Rowan guessed.

"Possibly, but..." Before Luo Feng could finish speaking, the communication system rang.

"Attention small spaceships ahead! We are the 'Black Shark' mercenary group. We order you to stop immediately for inspection!" A gruff male voice came through the communication channel, his tone filled with an undeniable threat.

"A mercenary group?" Luo Wen and Luo Feng exchanged a glance, both seeing wariness in each other's eyes.

“We are legitimate explorers, why should we accept your inspection?” Luo Feng responded, trying to keep his tone calm.

"Kid, it seems you're not very familiar with the rules of this star system," the voice became even more threatening. "Near the Misty Forbidden Zone, our Black Shark Mercenary Group is the rule! Now you have two choices: either obediently stop your ship, or get blasted to pieces by our ship's cannons!"

Hearing this blatant threat, Luo Feng's face darkened. "These guys are nothing but robbers!"

"Don't act rashly," Luo Wen said, pressing down on Luo Feng's shoulder. "Let's assess the situation first."

At this moment, three enormous warships came into view. Each was more than ten times the size of the Starship, its hull painted in black and red camouflage, giving it an aggressive look. Most importantly, the main guns of all three warships were already aimed at the Starship, ready to fire at any moment.

“Damn, these guys are serious,” Luo Feng said, looking at the weapon lock-on signal on the radar. “They really dare to fire.”

"It seems we have no choice," Rowan calmly analyzed. "With our current strength, it would be unwise to confront three heavy warships head-on."

"Then what should we do? Are we really going to give in to these bandits?" Luo Feng asked unwillingly.

“Pretend to cooperate first, and see what they really want,” Rowan suggested, “then look for an opportunity to slip away.”

Although reluctant, Luo Feng knew this wasn't the time to act impulsively. He activated his communication device and replied, "We agree to stop the ship, but we hope you can explain the reasons for the inspection."

"Haha, that's more like it!" The other party was clearly satisfied. "As for the reason... you'll find out once you're on our flagship. Now, immediately shut down the engines and await our transfer vessel."

A few minutes later, a small shuttle boat flew out from the largest warship and headed towards the Starship. Luo Wen and Luo Feng could only watch helplessly as the ship approached, both pondering their next move.

“Remember, no matter what happens, don’t act rashly,” Rowan whispered to Luo Feng. “Our goal is to leave here alive and then complete the expedition.”

“I understand,” Luo Feng nodded, but his fists were already clenched. “However, if they go too far, I won’t keep quiet forever.”

After the shuttle docked with the Starship, several fully armed mercenaries boarded their ship. The leader was a burly, bearded middle-aged man with a high-energy laser gun at his waist, clearly a seasoned veteran.

"So it's you two brats?" The bearded man sized up Luo Wen and Luo Feng. "You look pretty young. Which organization are you from?"

“We are independent explorers,” Rowan replied calmly, “We are here to explore the Forbidden Mist.”

"Independent explorers?" The bearded man laughed loudly. "Kids, do you know how dangerous the Misty Forbidden Zone is? The two of you going in is just suicide."

“This is our choice,” Luo Feng couldn’t help but retort, “It has nothing to do with you.”

"Oh? You still have a temper?" The bearded man narrowed his eyes, a dangerous aura emanating from him. "But you're wrong. This matter is very relevant to us now."

"What do you mean?" Rowan asked.

“Our leader has taken a liking to you,” the bearded man grinned, “and has decided to invite you to join our expedition.”

"What if we refuse?" Luo Feng asked directly.

"Refuse?" The bearded man's smile grew even more dangerous. "Kid, in this star system, no one dares to refuse the Black Shark Mercenary Group's invitation. You only have two choices: either join us, or become cosmic junk."

As he spoke, he deliberately patted the laser gun at his waist, the threat being self-evident.

"It seems we have no other choice," Rowan took a deep breath. "We agree to join your expedition, but we'd like to know the specifics of the plan."

“That’s more like it,” the bearded man nodded in satisfaction. “The commander will explain the specific plans to you personally. Now come with us; your spaceship will be towed back to the main ship.”

"Our equipment," Luo Feng wanted to secure.

“Don’t worry, your things won’t be lost,” the bearded man interrupted him. “However, from now on, you are temporary members of the Black Shark Mercenary Group, and you must obey orders.”

Luo Wen and Luo Feng exchanged a glance, both seeing helplessness in each other's eyes. The current situation was extremely unfavorable for them; they could only cooperate with the other side for now and then look for an opportunity.

“Let’s go,” Luo Wen said to Luo Feng, “Let’s go see this regimental commander.”

The two followed the bearded man out of the Starship and onto the shuttle. Through the shuttle's window, they saw the Starship being locked onto by a tractor beam and being towed towards the main ship's cargo hold.

“Your spaceship will be kept safe,” the bearded man seemed to sense their apprehension. “As long as you cooperate well, you’ll be able to retrieve it after the expedition.”

"What if the cooperation doesn't go well?" Luo Feng asked coldly.

“Then you’ll never need it again,” the bearded man threatened without any attempt to conceal it.

The shuttle ship quickly arrived at the main ship's docking port. The heavy warship, named "Black Shark," had a complex interior, filled with metallic corridors and cabins. Fully armed mercenaries patrolled everywhere, creating a tense and menacing atmosphere.

“The commander is waiting for you in the command room,” the bearded man led them through the corridors. “Remember, be respectful when you see the commander; he doesn’t like rude people.”

(End of this chapter)