Elegy from Another World

The brief dizziness, accompanied by a strange feeling of space being extremely compressed and then suddenly stretched, lasted for about three minutes.

When the Drais finally broke free from the distorted light and shadow of its final jump and violently stabilized itself, what greeted us was not a magnificent view of the new world, but a series of dull yet deadly explosions from the inside out!

Boom! Bang bang bang—!

A piercing alarm instantly blared throughout the base, and the frantic flashing red emergency lights replaced the previous soft illumination. The ship shook violently, and the groans of twisting and tearing metal were teeth-grinding. Thick smoke and the smell of burning quickly filled the air.

"What's going on?!" I steadied myself and asked sharply, my heart pounding wildly at the sudden turn of events.

[Warning! Multiple explosions have occurred on the ship!] Xiao Pei's thoughts urgently relayed: [Structural damage to the third to fifth living quarters on the left side; air is leaking rapidly and has been automatically isolated! The main power pipeline overloaded during the seventh jump, partially melting down; backup power is now online! The external armor plating of the engine room has been blown off, reducing power output by 30%! ...]

Xiao Pei's report seemed to come from a distant place, because I saw that in the center of the command room, Zoymem and Kavey collapsed without warning at almost the same moment the jump ended. Zoymem's petite body fell directly to the floor, her eyes closed and her breathing weak; Kavey's sword was dull and lifeless, the chains wrapped around it loosened, and his mechanical prosthetic eye lost its focus.

"Zoimem! Kawi!" Edseysis exclaimed and rushed over immediately. Yisen and Noriljohn, who had just recovered from the discomfort of the jump, were stunned by the chaotic scene before them.

"Edsis! You take care of them first, check the situation!" I quickly ordered, suppressing my shock. "Yisen! Norelljohn! Come with me to put out the fire, salvage the critical areas! Hurry!"

Without a moment's hesitation, the three of us dashed out of the command room like arrows. The corridor was already thick with smoke, the damaged pipes crackled and spewed dangerous arcs of electricity. Relying on our familiarity with the Dresden's structure, we rushed toward the key explosion areas that Xiao Pei had reported.

"Your Majesty, the fire is most severe near the energy distribution node close to the engine room!" Xiao Bei guided us.

"Water Magic: Torrent!" I channeled my magic, guiding the water stored in the ship's fire suppression system, transforming it into a surging water dragon that plunged into the raging flames. Noreljung's magical doll's arms transformed, extending massive fireproof panels and coolant nozzles to forcefully suppress the ignition point. Yisen, on the other hand, used his businessman's agility and observation skills, weaving through the thick smoke and manually closing the damaged valves that were still spewing fuel or energy.

[Urgent Report!] Xiao Bei's voice carried an unprecedented gravity. [The pleasure converter array exploded due to energy reversal; the core module's damage rate exceeds 70%, essentially... scrapped. Furthermore, the core of the Seylbreit was also severely damaged in the explosion, and all subsystems have been forcibly shut down.]

My heart sank. The pleasure converter was one of our core energy sources, and the Cylerbret was an indispensable part of Little Paradox. Bad news kept piling up.

"Hurry up and put out the fire! Get the situation under control first!" I shouted through gritted teeth, pouring more magic into the water.

After a tense firefighting effort, the fire was finally brought under control. However, the interior of the Dreil was in complete disarray, with multiple compartments destroyed and passageways blocked by twisted metal and debris.

"Let's start with some basic repairs!" I wiped my face, which was covered in soot. "Make sure the main passages are clear, isolate dangerous areas, and assess the extent of the damage."

With Noreljun's mechanical arm and my magical assistance, we cleared a relatively safe path to the medical bay and command center. Edseysis had already transferred the unconscious Zoimem and Kawi to the medical pod.

"How are they?" I asked anxiously.

Edsys's expression was grave: "The vital signs are stable, but their consciousness has fallen into a deep abyss, as if... half of their soul has been forcibly ripped away. I've tried everything, but I can't wake them up."

"Xiao Bei, investigate the cause of the explosion and the reason for their coma!" I turned to the air.

[A full scan and analysis have been conducted...] Xiao Pei's efficiency is extremely high. [Preliminary conclusion: The main cause of the explosion was the cumulative damage to the aging hull structure and energy system caused by eleven consecutive overload jumps, which finally erupted during the stabilization phase. As for Ms. Zoimem and Mr. Kavey's coma...]

Xiao Bei paused for a moment, seemingly confirming the data.

[The cause points to a 'compatibility issue.' Your Majesty, you possess a unique soul essence from the 'upper level,' which may allow you to adapt to the underlying rules of different worlds. However, Ms. Zoimem, Mr. Kawi, including Mr. Norrelljohn, Edseysis, and myself, our very foundation of existence is deeply imprinted with the laws and algorithms of our original world. Forcibly breaking away from our original world is like throwing a fish that can only survive in a specific environment into the desert. Their 'programs' or 'existential codes' are in serious conflict with the rules of their current 'network' and even the unknown new world. Kawi and Zoimem may be more sensitive to this conflict due to the special nature of their form or energy attributes, leading to a self-protective closure at the level of consciousness.]

"Can it be fixed?" I looked at Edseysis and Xiaobei. "Can you adjust their... 'data' or 'state of existence' to fit here?"

Edessis shook his head bitterly: "Lady Lysia, I can't even fully understand my own constitution, let alone spy on and modify the fundamental laws governing the existence of others."

Xiao Bei also gave a negative answer: "Your Majesty, we cannot see or interfere with our own underlying data. It's like a mortal trying to lift themselves up by their own hair. Fixing this fundamental compatibility issue is beyond our current capabilities."

A sense of helplessness washed over him. They had fought so hard to escape their prison, only to suffer such a devastating blow at the very first step of their new journey. Two of his companions were unconscious, the ship was severely damaged, and they were running out of power…

I took a deep breath and forced myself to calm down. Now is not the time to be discouraged.

"Alright," I said in a deep voice, "it seems we have no choice but to find a 'world' or 'existence' capable of solving this problem as soon as possible. The most urgent task is to find a way to awaken Zoimem and Kawi, and then we must repair the pleasure converter or find an alternative energy source."

I gazed out the porthole at the endless, unfamiliar, dark starry sky, and silently vowed: No matter how difficult the journey ahead, we must keep going. For our unconscious companions, and for the future of all of us.