All Realms and Worlds: The Lost Home

Deep within the core settlement of the Keloa race's home planet, a group of people slowly moved forward through a cold metal passage.

The indicator lights on both sides of the passage emitted a pale green glow, illuminating the dense energy patterns on the walls. The air was filled with the hum of mechanical operation and a faint odor of energy. With each step, a clear echo could be heard, creating a sense of oppression and eeriness.

The elite squad members formed a vigilant formation, closely following their captain. The sensors in their power armor were constantly activated, locking onto every movement in their surroundings. Their fingers gripped their weapons tightly, not daring to relax for a moment.

The assistant to the leader of the Keloa race walked at the front, his back ramrod straight, his legs still a little weak. He was extra cautious with every step, and even his breathing was deliberately soft, for fear of triggering the humans' vigilance.

The leader of the Keloya race followed to one side, his compound eyes filled with anxiety and forbearance. His gaze would occasionally sweep over the communication terminal on his wrist as he silently prayed that reinforcements would arrive as soon as possible—this was their only chance of survival.

The captain walked in the middle of the group, his helmet's holographic scanner constantly running, rapidly analyzing the structure of the passage and the surrounding energy fluctuations, checking for potential traps and ambushes, his expression cold and vigilant.

A moment later, a huge alloy gate appeared in front of them, engraved with complex Keloan runes and radiating a strong energy fluctuation. Clearly, this was the core hub entrance of the Keloan race.

The assistant stopped, turned around, bowed to the captain, and said in a humble tone, "Sir, our core hub is inside. The information terminals are located there, and all the core data is stored inside."

The captain didn't speak, but simply raised his hand to signal his team members to come forward. Two team members immediately stepped forward, took out their hacking equipment, connected it to the gate's control interface, and rapidly operated their fingers to crack the Keloa's encryption program, clearly distrusting anything the Keloa race said.

The Keloyan race was even more furious to see that they had directly destroyed the access control system instead of letting it open.

A buzzing sound of electricity filled the air, and the runes on the gate gradually dimmed. The alloy gate slowly opened to both sides, revealing a spacious interior—the core hub was filled with giant terminals, with countless lines intertwined like a spider web. The central main terminal emitted a dazzling green light, and its energy fluctuations were even more intense than those outside.

The captain stepped into the core hub first, his eyes quickly scanning the surroundings. After confirming there were no ambushes, he turned to the team members behind him and ordered in a deep voice: "Set up a perimeter, monitor the surrounding area from all angles, and be ready to send signals at any time."

"Furthermore, everyone, activate your personal terminals and connect to the life support system. If anyone's vital signs fluctuate in any way, whether due to injury or attack, immediately send an attack signal to notify the mothership to open fire!"

His tone was resolute, without the slightest hesitation—this was the heartland of Keloya, where an ambush could occur at any moment. They had to be fully prepared, and in the event of an accident, immediately activate the contingency plan to completely annihilate the Keloya race.

"Yes! Received!" All team members responded simultaneously, their voices loud and firm.

As soon as the words were spoken, the team members immediately dispersed, occupying various corners of the core hub, setting up their weapons, and activating all-round vigilance. At the same time, they all opened their personal terminals and connected to the life support system. The terminal screens displayed each person's vital signs data, such as heart rate and blood pressure, in real time.

Two team members responsible for copying the data quickly walked to the central main terminal, took out the data copying equipment, connected it to the main terminal, and began to crack the data encryption of the Shelloa and copy all the core data.

The leader of the Keloya and his assistants stood at the entrance of the hub, watching the Human Alliance soldiers deploy in an orderly manner, watching them crack terminals and copy data. Their eyes were full of resentment and anxiety, but they dared not make the slightest move.

The assistant quietly approached the leader of the Keloya, lowered his voice, and whispered in a tone only the two of them could hear: "These humans are all lunatics, so vigilant. We have no chance to make a move. We can only pray that reinforcements arrive as soon as possible."

The leader of the Keloa nodded slowly, his compound eyes filled with solemnity and prayer: "Yes, we can only wait. If the fleets of the Star River Federation and other demi-human races don't come soon, our Keloa race will truly perish."

It knew that the core hub was the lifeblood of the Keloa race. Once all the data was copied and the secret of the defense barrier was in the hands of humans, even if reinforcements arrived, it would be difficult to reverse the situation. Their only hope was that the reinforcements could arrive before the data copying was completed and break the current stalemate.

The two stood there, tense, their eyes fixed on the soldiers copying data. Anxiety surged within them like a tide, and every second of waiting felt like torture.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the office hall of the leader of the Keloya was equally oppressive.

Dozens of high-ranking members of the Keloa race sat around the holographic screen, each with an extremely anxious expression, their brows furrowed, their compound eyes filled with fear and unease, their hands clenched into fists, awaiting news from the core hub.

On the holographic screen in the office lobby, the core hub was displayed in real time. Watching the People's Alliance soldiers on high alert and copying core data step by step, everyone's hearts were in their throats.

"What should we do? The Human Alliance has already started copying the data. If they get the secret of the defense barrier, we're completely finished!" A high-ranking official couldn't help but speak, his voice trembling noticeably, filled with despair.

Another high-ranking official shook his head, his expression grave: "What else can we do? We have no way out. We can only wait for reinforcements. Our only hope now is that the fleets of the Star River Federation and the Origin Ridge race can arrive as soon as possible."

"But when will the reinforcements arrive?" someone couldn't help but ask. "If we wait until they get there, the Human Alliance will have copied all the data, and the defenses will be breached. Even with reinforcements, it will be difficult for us to withstand the Human Alliance's fleet!"

These words struck a chord with everyone, and the office hall fell into a deathly silence. Despair was evident on everyone's face—they all knew that even if they handed over all the data and managed to save their lives temporarily, they would surely die once they lost the protection of the defensive barrier and the core technology.

The Human Alliance has never shown any mercy to alien species. Moreover, their hands are stained with human blood. The Human Alliance will never give them a way out. The so-called negotiation is nothing but a trap set by the Human Alliance, with the aim of obtaining their core secrets and then completely destroying them.

Even knowing all this, they had no choice—they lacked the strength to resist the Human Alliance fleet, the resources to fight back, and could only submit, wait for that faint hope, and pray that reinforcements would arrive in time to save the entire Keloa race.

Time ticked by, and the data copying progressed little by little. The atmosphere of anxiety in the office hall grew increasingly intense. Everyone held their breath, staring intently at the holographic screen, their hearts pounding wildly.

Just then, the communicator in the office lobby suddenly beeped with an urgent notification sound, and an unfamiliar signal forcibly connected, breaking the deathly silence.

Everyone's eyes instantly focused on the communicator, their expressions filled with anticipation and trepidation—could it be that reinforcements have arrived?

The next second, a gruff voice came through the communicator, echoing throughout the entire office hall: "This is the Yuanji sub-species, calling the Keloya sub-species. Respond if you hear me! Respond if you hear me!"

These words, like heavenly music, instantly dispelled the despair and oppression in the office hall. All the high-ranking members of the Keloya race stood up abruptly, their faces showing expressions of wild joy, trembling with excitement.

"They're from the Chordata subrace! They're our reinforcements!"

"Reinforcements have arrived! We're saved!"

The office hall was instantly filled with jubilation. Some people couldn't help but cheer. The previous anxiety and despair were instantly replaced by jubilation, and everyone's eyes were filled with renewed vitality and hope.

The Keloan person in charge of communications was so excited that their voice was stuttering. They immediately responded into the communicator, "Keloan received! Keloan received! We're here!"

"Great! You're still alive!" The voice of the Yuanji subhuman was still rough, but it carried a hint of relief. "Our fleet has reached the edge of the Shelllo star system and will soon jump to the designated coordinates. We'll be able to reach your home planet very soon!"

After a pause, the voice of the Source Ridge subhuman came through again, bringing even more exciting news: "In addition, we have received communications from the Star River Federation. Their fleet has already set sail and will arrive soon. You must hold on, defend the core hub, and prevent humanity from obtaining all the data!"

"Yes! We will definitely hold on!" The Keloa race member in charge of communications responded quickly, his voice full of excitement.

After the communication ended, the cheers in the office hall grew louder. Everyone wept with joy, hugged each other, and celebrated this hard-won hope—the reinforcements had arrived, and they finally had a chance to fight back and save the lives of their entire species.

"Immediately send a message to the leader, informing him that reinforcements are on their way!" a high-ranking official ordered urgently. "Tell him to find a way to stall for time, hold the core hub, and prevent the Human Alliance from easily obtaining the data. Once our reinforcements arrive, we'll join forces and completely crush the Human Alliance!"

"Yes! Send it immediately!"

The atmosphere in the office hall instantly shifted from despair to excitement. Everyone sprang into action, contacting the leader of the core hub, deploying defenses, and awaiting reinforcements. The prelude to a counterattack seemed to be about to begin.

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the Human Alliance's base, Ye Fan was wandering aimlessly. Under the influence of potent healing drugs, his injuries were healing faster and faster, and he was already able to move freely and even perform simple fighting moves.

He was still pondering the message from the sentinels, the secrets of the myriad worlds, and the way home. Unconsciously, his steps had already left the cordon of the Human Alliance's base and arrived in a desolate ruin.

This ruin is a remnant of a previous battlefield, littered with mech wreckage and rubble. The air still carries a faint smell of gunpowder and the stench of alien fluids. The surroundings are completely silent, without even the sound of a breeze, making it seem particularly eerie.

Ye Fan stopped, frowned, and glanced at the surrounding ruins. This place was not far from the Human Alliance's base, and in theory there should have been patrolling soldiers, but at this moment, it was unusually quiet, and there was not even a patrolling soldier in sight.

Just then, the ground beneath his feet suddenly trembled slightly, as if something was wriggling underground. A faint energy fluctuation emanated from beneath the ground, attracting his attention.

Ye Fan's heart stirred, and he subconsciously bent down, clearing away the pebbles under his feet to observe carefully—there was a hidden cave entrance on the ground, covered by pebbles and weeds. If it weren't for the ground shaking just now, and if he hadn't sensed the energy fluctuations, he would never have been able to find this cave.

The entrance to the cave was small, only wide enough for one person to bend over and pass through. It was pitch black inside, and the scene deep inside could not be seen. One could only vaguely sense a strange energy fluctuation slowly coming from the depths of the cave. It was neither the energy fluctuation of the Human Alliance nor the energy fluctuation of the Keloya race.

"This is near the Human Alliance's stronghold, how could there be such a hidden cave?" Ye Fan was filled with doubt. "What's inside the cave? And what is this energy fluctuation?"

He dared not be careless—this place was not far from the Human Alliance's base. If the cave contained the remnants of the Keloa race or some dangerous trap, it could threaten the safety of the Human Alliance's base if it were to erupt.

Ye Fan immediately took out his personal terminal, quickly edited a message, and sent it to the command center at the Human Alliance's base, detailing his location and the discovery of the hidden cave, requesting support.

"Message sent successfully." Ye Fan breathed a sigh of relief as his personal terminal chimed in. He then gripped the alloy dagger on his leg, turned on the terminal's lighting function, and the dim light illuminated the road ahead.

He didn't rush into the cave. Instead, he observed the entrance for a moment, confirming that there was nothing unusual or an ambush nearby, before bending down and carefully crawling into the cave, inching closer to its depths. (Don't ask why he didn't wait for reinforcements; I wouldn't allow it.)

The cave was narrow and damp, with moss-covered walls and soft soil underfoot. Every step was taken with extreme caution, for fear of making too much noise and disturbing what was inside, or of falling into a trap.

The lighting was limited, illuminating only a few meters in front of them. The depths of the cave were pitch black, like a monster with its jaws wide open, waiting for its prey to come to it. The eerie energy fluctuations in the air grew stronger and stronger, making one feel a chill down their spine.

Ye Fan's heart pounded wildly, and his vigilance was at its peak. He gripped the alloy dagger tightly in his left hand and held his personal terminal in his right. His eyes were fixed on the darkness ahead as he slowly moved forward, each step taken with extreme caution.

Along the way, he found no trace of the Keloyan race, nor any traps. Only the moss on the walls, the soil under his feet, and the increasingly intense, eerie energy fluctuations guided him deeper into the area.

After walking for about ten minutes, the cave gradually became more spacious. In the darkness ahead, a faint light could be seen, and the strange energy fluctuations became more and more intense, almost enveloping the entire space.

Ye Fan's heart tightened, and he slowed his pace.

After taking a few more steps, the scene ahead gradually became clearer. Ye Fan stopped, his pupils contracted sharply, and an expression of disbelief appeared on his face—at the deepest part of the cave, there actually stood a small star gate!

The stargate was dark silver in color, with intricate patterns engraved on its surface. A faint blue light flowed within the patterns, emanating a rich spatial energy fluctuation. It was this fluctuation that attracted Ye Fan's attention.

The stargate is not large, less than two meters high and only about one meter wide, allowing only one person to pass through by bending over. Let alone mechs, even soldiers wearing heavy power armor would find it very difficult to pass through.

At the center of the stargate was a distorted darkness, as if connecting to another space. The flickering lights and shadows inside could be vaguely seen, but the specific scene could not be seen clearly, exuding a mysterious and eerie aura.

Ye Fan slowly stepped forward, reaching out his hand to touch the Star Gate. But the moment he got close, he was blocked by an invisible force. A bone-chilling cold spread from his fingertips to his entire body, making him shiver involuntarily.

"This is actually a stargate..." Ye Fan muttered to himself, his eyes filled with shock and confusion. "How could there be a small stargate here? Where does it connect to? Is it another planet, or the myriad worlds the Sentinels mentioned?"

Countless questions swirled in his mind as he gazed at the small stargate before him, filled with curiosity and wariness—who built this stargate? Why is it here? What secrets lie hidden behind it?

He did not rashly attempt to enter the stargate. Instead, he took a few steps back, gripped the alloy dagger tightly again, and cautiously observed the surrounding movements while waiting for reinforcements from the base—such an important discovery had to be reported immediately.