The mothership's core area housed not only the neutron star, but also Grey Wind's mainframe core.
Sensing the player's data link, the cloning pool, which he had repurposed by dismantling some of the weapons planning areas, immediately activated.
Nimble mechanical claws snatched three adult clones from the pool and carried them to the cleaning area. After being rinsed clean of fluids and clothed, they were then transported by drone through a zero-gravity tunnel to their respective "rebirth chambers."
These rebirth chambers would serve as the players' personal quarters, measuring approximately 100 square meters and fully equipped.
They even had a basic medical bay, which provided effective treatment for minor injuries, but Grey Wind was helpless against more serious ones.
After all, the Empire was on the verge of collapse, and escaping with the core was a blessing in disguise.
Because he also needed to install the Empire's most advanced core module, he couldn't take the data node servers stored throughout the universe with him.
Even if the mothership's technology were advanced, if it were damaged, even Grey Wind wouldn't be able to repair it without the necessary technological backup.
Their current technological backup was only Level 1, barely reaching the speed of light.
Of course, even though Grey Wind couldn't build a hypersonic engine, the mothership was equipped with various advanced engine technologies, allowing it to escape instantly before encountering an enemy.
After waiting for about ten minutes,
the hatch opened.
John emerged from his room, filled with shock.
He looked around in disbelief, his heart pounding with indescribable surprise.
"This cold touch, this fresh air... just like the real world!"
As he explored happily, the two hatches on opposite sides opened simultaneously.
Aozaki and Monkey exchanged glances, sensing the fear in each other's expressions.
With such realistic simulations, those bored with real life might choose to stay here forever.
If only they knew that since the development of virtual reality technology, a group of psychopaths has emerged in society who advocate "data enhancement."
They hope to store their consciousness on servers, achieving immortality.
This raises serious ethical questions.
Are such beings truly alive or dead?
You say they're alive, but their physical bodies in the real world are dead; you say they're dead, but their spirits live on in virtual reality.
Fortunately, the world's current virtual reality technology hasn't reached such a high level of simulation. Those whose minds are stored on servers, unable to experience human sensations for a long time, gradually lose their personalities and eventually assimilate into data, becoming mindless digital ghosts.
Otherwise, the world would be in complete chaos.
However, the level of simulation in this game truly terrified them both.
[New recruits, please follow the system's planned route to the central hall to meet the Imperial Commander, the Emperor!]
A green navigation path appeared in the projection of the three people's pupils.
They exchanged glances and followed the path in silence.
Soon, they arrived at a vast hall.
A silvery-white metallic sheen dominated the hall. Underfoot, mysterious blue energy streaks darted rapidly, flowing in rhythmic patterns along the walls and ceiling. Everything around them felt like science fiction!
Before they reached their destination, they saw the Commander standing in the center of the hall from a distance.
He was dressed casually, his hands clasped behind his back, awaiting their arrival.
Following the system's prompt, the three stood in a line, gently clasping their right hands to their left chests in a salute.
"Greetings, Commander!"
Leon nodded, a greeting.
"I won't beat around the bush. I'm sure Grey Wind has already informed you of the Empire's current situation through data infusion."
The three nodded, knowing the Commander was probably referring to the promotional video; the concept of data infusion was simply a passing fad.
"Your mission now is to follow the human forces from Earth Star to Planet G-4. Your mission is to recover the Zerg technology that fell there. I will compensate you based on the value of the technology you retrieve."
Damn, a head-on battle right from the start? Pretty cool, right?!
The three looked at each other in surprise.
"But before that, you can choose your class. Right now, you have Engineer and Assault Soldier to choose from. After you choose, I'll give you a set of class equipment."
The three were stunned.
So, you have to interact with the Commander to choose your class. They wondered why there wasn't a class choice from the start!
Aozaki and Monkey exchanged brief, low whispers. Qiangzi chose Assault Soldier, while Monkey chose Engineer, both considered their specialties.
As for John, who had been ignored by the two, he chose Assault Soldier, just like Aozaki.
Seeing that they had made their choices, Leon snapped his fingers.
The ground suddenly cracked, and three sets of equipment were delivered to them.
The uniform equipment consisted of a Nano-Auto-Repair Suit, equipped with a Life Support Plug-in Pack and various basic Life Protection Plug-ins, which provided basic life protection to the wearer.
Finally, there was a Nano-Enhancement Injection for each class.
After injecting this Nano-Enhancement Injection, their class is permanently improved, subtly enhancing their abilities.
Assault Soldiers strengthen their physical coordination, while Engineers develop their brains.
This process is slow, requiring gradual adaptation.
After being injected with the class-specific Nano-Enhancement Injection, there is no need for repeat injections. Each time a player is resurrected, their Spiritual Void will automatically strengthen based on their physical data.
[Neural connection locking... Locking complete!]
[Module initialization... Initialization complete!]
[...]
As they donned their gear, the Nano-Auto-Repair Suit's various systems began to activate.
Then, the armor slots of their tactical backpacks opened, revealing a camera with a scanner on their left shoulder.
Through the mental connection, the three knew that this device would aid them in survival and combat.
Next, it was time for weapons.
The Commando Trooper is a tactical laser rifle that can be recharged using a portable high-energy battery.
The Engineer's weapon is a multi-purpose scanner pistol, with much lower firepower. His primary offensive tool is a multi-function mechanical spider attached to his backpack.
Monkey discovered that the multifunctional spider could be customized. Equipped with an attack module, it possessed incredible attack power; equipped with a reconnaissance module, it could become a reconnaissance robot.
"During this mission, I must remind you that your spiritual data is stored within the mothership. After physical death, your consciousness will be forcibly taken by the Grey Wind.
However, reconstructing your bodies requires energy. Each resurrection requires a certain amount of Contribution Points, which varies based on your level. Otherwise, you will have to wait 24 hours for your bodies to be reconstructed."
"Although I will give you a free set of equipment each time you rebirth, the stats are basic. Any equipment lost in battle will be your responsibility!"
The three nodded.
Seeing that they understood the rules, Leon instructed Grey Wind to prepare a shuttle to take them to the transport ship docked in space.
There, the Earth Star human expeditionary force stood ready, awaiting Leon's command to launch a sublight flight to engage the planet G-4 and the Zerg.
They were humanity's vanguard, fighting to carve out a future for humanity, risking their lives.