CHAPTER 79: CHAPTER 78: FAREWELL, XIANWU

The silent global reaction, a wave of shock and then frantic activity, was palpable even from orbit. Kaelen watched through the main viewport as tiny, almost imperceptible flickers of light began to spread across Xianwu’s surface – the holographic prompts appearing before billions of children and teenagers. She imagined the chaos on the ground: parents scrambling, children torn between the familiar and the impossible promise, entire villages erupting in debate.

Elias, however, remained utterly detached. He returned to his central console, the holographic displays of the floating schools now minimized to a corner, a simple, self-sustaining system he no longer needed to actively manage. His satisfaction wasn’t emotional; it was the quiet triumph of a problem efficiently solved, a system optimized.

"The AI is fully autonomous," he stated, his voice a low hum. "Its core directives are immutable. It will manage the intake, cultivation, and progression with absolute efficiency." He wasn’t giving it a second thought. His grand act of philanthropy, as Kaelen perceived it, was simply the logical conclusion to an identified inefficiency.

Lumie, sensing the shift in Elias’s focus, zipped away from Kaelen’s shoulder and danced playfully around Elias’s head for a moment before settling on his console, its light a soft, contented amethyst. Elias didn’t acknowledge it, but Kaelen noticed the faintest hint of warmth in the glow around his fingers as they moved over the controls.

"The immediate objective remains unchanged," Elias articulated, almost to himself, though Kaelen knew he was reiterating for her benefit. "The Grand Cerebral Expansion Method

is the ultimate goal. Its inherent risks, however, necessitate absolute perfection in preparatory conditions. This means securing sufficient Luminite for comprehension enhancement, and the efficient synthesis of Stellar Devourer Furnaces for resource processing. These are our immediate, short-term priorities."

Kaelen mentally traced the path. Luminite for boosting his understanding of Laws, particularly the elusive Law of Reality. Stellar Devourer Furnaces to generate the vast wealth and resources needed for whatever colossal energy or material requirements the Grand Cerebral Expansion Method entailed. It was a clear, logical progression, unburdened by the complexities of Xianwu’s newfound, forced evolution.

"Aegis," Elias commanded, his voice gaining a new edge of anticipation, "initiate final departure sequence for the Xianwu system. Calculate optimal egress vector to the nearest Universal Hub. Prioritize minimal gravitational interaction and maximum traversal efficiency."

The ship’s AI responded instantly, the hum of the Entropy Reversal Singularity Engine

deepening, transforming into a resonant thrum that spoke of unimaginable power being brought to bear. The main viewport, previously a static image of Xianwu, began to subtly shift. Stars, previously fixed points of light, began to elongate into faint streaks. The background nebulae, once distant and serene, started to swirl, hinting at the phenomenal speeds Aegis was about to achieve.

Kaelen stood and walked over to stand beside Elias at the viewport, Lumie now a steady, warm presence on her shoulder. Xianwu, their home, their starting point, was already receding, its familiar blue and green swirl shrinking into a more distant, abstract marble. She felt a pang of something akin to nostalgia, a bittersweet farewell to a life that had, in retrospect, been so small, so contained. But it was quickly overshadowed by the thrill of the boundless unknown stretching before them.

"It’s happening," she whispered, her breath fogging momentarily on the cool glass of the viewport.

Elias offered no direct reply, his gaze already sweeping across the nascent star-streaks. His mind was already miles, parsecs, light-years ahead, processing trajectories, calculating variables for deep space. Yet, Kaelen felt a subtle current of shared purpose, a quiet sense of their unique bond strengthening with every passing moment.

The ship began to accelerate, not with a jarring lurch, but with an impossibly smooth, continuous surge. Xianwu’s disk flattened, elongated, and then, with a soft shimmer of displaced light, compressed into a single, brilliant point of blue-green light, then vanished entirely from the immediate view. They had entered something beyond conventional lightspeed, a phase of traversal where distance became almost meaningless.

The view outside became a blur of hyperspatial energies. Stars ceased to be individual points and became shimmering, iridescent tunnels of light. Nebulae stretched into vast, flowing rivers of color, their forms pulled into impossible, abstract shapes by the sheer velocity. The interior of the bridge, however, remained perfectly still, a calm sanctuary in the heart of cosmic tempest. The only sensation was the profound, unwavering hum of the Entropy Reversal Singularity Engine, a comforting assurance of their boundless journey.

Elias closed his eyes for a brief moment, then reopened them, a subtle adjustment in his internal processing complete. "Traversal efficiency is at 99.998%," he stated, referring to some internal calculation. "Anomalies are within acceptable parameters for negligible interaction. Our path to the Universal Hub is optimized."

He turned from the main console, indicating the comfortable seating area. "The initial leg of this journey will be largely uneventful, given the current speed and the absence of immediate, significant cosmic phenomena within our projected trajectory." He paused, a rare, almost imperceptible shift in his posture. "We have extensive time for... personal development. Or, as you might prefer, ’downtime’."

Kaelen felt a smile bloom on her face. Elias’s way of offering leisure was always framed in terms of "optimization" or "personal development," but the intent was clear. He understood the need for rest, for connection, even in his relentless pursuit of knowledge. "Downtime sounds good," she agreed, moving back to her armchair, Lumie floating happily beside her.

She settled in, gazing at the kaleidoscopic blur of hyperspace outside. Elias took his seat opposite her, his form perfectly relaxed, yet his mind, Kaelen knew, was still whirring, processing the infinite data of the cosmos. But for now, the immediate goals were set. The ultimate, grand cerebral expansion, the hunt for Luminite, the Stellar Devourer Furnaces – all were distant, meticulously planned waypoints on a journey powered by an infinite engine. The journey itself had begun, not with a roar, but with a whisper of power and the serene, unstoppable will of Elias Vance.

This was their new reality. A ship that transcended fuel, a cosmos that was a vast, open expanse, and an infinite future waiting to be optimized.