As Brother Chen's laughter echoed through the battered ship, a wave of relief swept over the weary crew, but it was quickly replaced by the reality of their situation.
Captain Rhea, her exhaustion palpable, exhaled heavily.
Her eyes first sought out Sister Ye, the mysterious woman who had lent her aid at a critical moment, offering her a silent nod of thanks before turning her attention to the planet looming ahead—the huge, Blue planet surrounded by numerous moons each one as larger as earth awaiting their arrival.
The Redeemer crashed into the planet's surface with a bone-rattling impact, its hull groaning under the strain.
The crew, though battered, managed to survive the violent landing, as the ship skidded to a halt, thanks to their high physique and evolutionary levels.
Dust settled around them, and the silence that followed was almost suffocating. Captain Rhea stood and surveyed the wreckage of her ship, battered but somehow still intact, just like them.
They had survived. The Nightmare God's assault, the chaos of the battle, even the catastrophic crash—they had endured it all.
Now, on this unknown world, they had a chance to regroup and plan their next move.
With the ship now safely landed on the planet's surface, the remaining crew members wasted no time in springing into action.
They swiftly deployed their exploration equipment, including drones, other intact exploration devices, and various magical methods like spells or individual professional talents to assess the conditions of their new surroundings.
The drones whirred to life, their sensors scanning the barren landscape they landed, as they charted the terrain and gathered vital data.
Meanwhile, the exploration devices provided real-time feedback on atmospheric conditions, gravitational forces, and any potential hazards that might pose a threat to their survival.
While the physical exploration unfolded, Captain Rhea, Brother Chen, and Sister Ye expanded their consciousnesses across the planet.
Rhea, as a demigod, could extend her consciousness across tens of thousands of kilometers, meticulously probing the terrain for any hidden threats or potential resources.
But it was Brother Chen and Sister Ye, both True Gods, who reached even further.
Their minds effortlessly swept across hundreds of thousands of kilometers, peeling back the planet's layers, and delving into it with precision.
After initial exploration, Brother Chen approached Sister Ye, and a sense of solemnity hung in the air. "Sister," he began, his tone serious, "this planet lacks the necessary resources to sustain our remaining crew and alchemy creatures for an extended period of time. It's unlikely that we can rely on it as a long-term solution. Given the uncertainty of how long it might take for the alliance to locate us, we need to consider our next steps carefully."
"You're aware," Brother Chen continued, his tone grave, "that without the replenishment of reiki or other extraordinary factors, it will be challenging for high-level crew members to recover their strength or maintain their current realms. Their abilities may degrade over time."
Sister Ye nodded, her expression reflecting the gravity of the situation. "Indeed," she replied, "we cannot afford to remain here indefinitely without risking the deterioration of our strength and capabilities or attacks from other gods."
As Brother Chen and Sister Ye discussed the pressing matter at hand, Captain Rhea approached them, accompanied by a group of crew members.
As they drew near, the crew members respectfully knelt down on one knee, their faces reflecting a mixture of respect and awe towards the two official War Lords.
As a Destiny race, all Protoss, a higher evolutionary form of human beings born within the enveloping embrace of the Eternal Divine Tree, possess a Divine Domain seed within their minds from the moment of their birth.
These seeds slowly mature over time, with the potential to eventually open up a Divine Domain, which is a prototype of God's Kingdom but more powerful than traditional God Kingdoms once they reach True God Level.
As the Divine Domain seeds reach maturity, typically in adulthood, individuals have the opportunity to fuse with the Origin Power, utilizing its strength to attract and unlock their Divine Domain.
However, despite the universal presence of these seeds, success in opening a Divine Domain is rare.
The process of opening a Divine Domain is not solely reliant on talent, but also on luck and technical skill. It demands a strong personal spiritual power, soul strength, specific character traits, and background.
Due to these stringent requirements, the vast majority of individuals fail to open their Divine Domain as adults, despite the opportunities presented to them.
There are no more than three outcomes when opening up the Divine Domain:
First, successfully opening up the God's Domain and ascending to the rank of Apprentice War God.
This outcome represents the pinnacle of achievement, with the individual attaining the highest status and potential within their race.
Second, the opening of the Divine Domain fails, but the residual energy of the Divine Domain Seed is utilized to complete the digitization of the body, leading to promotion as a Hero, and the potential to become a True God, with effort.
While falling short of achieving the status of War God, this outcome still represents significant advancement and is considered a secondary achievement.
Third, failure to open up the Divine Domain results in the loss of the vast majority of the Divine Domain seed's energy. The remaining energy is only sufficient to barely complete the digitization of the body, without achieving hero status.
Individuals who experience this outcome can only become professionals, akin to a strengthened version of the army, with enough potential to reach Demi-gods and above if lucky, they are representing a secondary level of advancement within their society.
Captain Rhea, her demeanor commanding yet filled with humility, joined her crew in kneeling on one knew before Brother Chen and Sister Ye.
With a heartfelt expression, she conveyed her gratitude and reverence, trusting in their wisdom and strength to guide them through the challenges that lay ahead.
Observing the respectful gesture of the crew, Brother Chen and Sister Ye acknowledged the crew's gesture with a nod of their heads.
Sister Ye raised her hand, and a gentle breeze began to swirl around them, gradually lifting the crew members, including Captain Rhea, to stand.
With a serene expression, Sister Ye turned her gaze to the remaining crew.
Among them were three Heroes, including Captain Rhea, followed by 17 professionals with strengths ranging from Tier-8 to Tier-9.
The rest of the crew comprised over 200 remaining mid-level and high-level alchemy creatures, that can be utilized as guards or soldiers in battle.
Sister Ye gestured, dispersing the remaining crew, leaving only Captain Rhea standing before her.
The two War Lords faced each other, their gazes locking in a silent exchange of understanding.
"Your Excellency," Captain Rhea began, her voice steady despite the weight of the moment, "what is our next course of action?"
With a serene demeanor, Sister Ye began to speak, her voice carrying an air of wisdom and authority. "Captain Rhea," she began, "according to Brother Chen, there is no immediate threat of the Nightmare God following us. However, from my own exploration, it is evident that this Solar System is devoid of reiki or other extraordinary factors, indicating it's still in the infancy stage."
"We are very far from the Eternal God Tree, so both Brother Chen and I have lost connection with our main bodies and the Divine Domains. Without the battleship's warp drives and sufficient fuel, leaving this planet is not feasible."
Sister Ye's words hung in the air, "Based on our estimates," she continued, "it could take several years of the God Realm for the Astro Crop Alliance to send someone to pick us. Translated to the time scale of this desolate planet, it could equate to more than five to six hundred years."
"We are the first to discover this giant planet," Sister Ye continued, her mind running with various new thoughts. "The size of this planet is comparable to large planes near the God Realm, with hundreds of billions of living creatures, including various intelligent species such as humans, barbarians, orcs, and fishmen, this planet possesses the immense potential to generate power of faith, sustaining hundreds of Indigenous Gods and Demi-Gods."
Turning her attention to the brother Chen and Caption Rhea, Sister Ye outlined her ambitious vision. "Therefore, I propose we initiate the Plane Development Plan to unlock the full potential of this planet. Through careful cultivation and development, we can harness the inherent faith power of its inhabitants."