After seeing that the Free Networks offered nothing usable in their current location, Adrian shifted his attention to the next option on the interface, Premium Networks. Whether it was merely another type of network or an entirely different system, everyone aboard wanted to see what lay beyond it.
Adrian himself felt the same intrigue as he selected the option.
The projection flickered.
› Identifying User's UNI-Authority…
› Basic UNI-Authority Detected
› Listing Premium Networks For Basic UNI-Authority…
New text materialized across the holographic display.
— PREMIUM NETWORKS (Basic UNI-Authority) —
› Heaven-Weaving Pavilion Network [Information] — Invitation Required
› Nine-Vault Commerce Network [Trade] — Authority Locked
› Runic Concord Network [Runes] — Subscription Locked
› Black Meridian Network [Mercenary] — Subscription Locked
› Upgrade UNI-Authority to view more…
Silence spread across the command deck.
Lysandra was the first to speak, her voice carrying disbelief rather than excitement, "These networks… their range extends even here?"
Her hands tightened at her sides, "How vast is their coverage?"
Of everyone present, this revelation struck her the hardest.
She understood better than anyone what it meant to maintain a large-scale network. For thousands of years, Lexaria had poured unimaginable resources into sustaining the Galactic Net, carefully balancing essence crystals, mana flow, and formations to ensure uninterrupted coverage across the Milky Way. Even then, it had required constant upkeep and refinement.
And now, standing just beyond their own galaxy, she was seeing not one, but multiple networks already detected by the UNI-OS.
Did these networks span multiple galaxies? Or perhaps even larger regions of the universe? Or something even larger?
If that was the case, then the resources required to maintain such a network range would be beyond comprehension. The organizations behind them would not merely be powerful, they would be monstrous existences operating on a scale far beyond anything the Milky Way had ever known.
The thought alone sent a chill through Lysandra.
Compared to the universe at large, everything Lexaria had accomplished suddenly felt insignificant, almost childish.
Adrian could understand her shock. At the same time, his attention was drawn to something else, the unfamiliar term, UNI-Authority.
What exactly was UNI-Authority? What did upgrading it mean? What did these networks even offer?
Every premium network was locked behind either authority restrictions, subscriptions, or invitations. And there was no guide or explanation to clarify what these network offered or what UNI-Authority actually was or how one increased it. It was as though the universe assumed that anyone using this system already understood its rules.
Selena leaned closer to the projection, her eyes gleaming with curiosity, "Select Runic Concord. What is it? I want to see."
Her fascination with the Language of Mana had never diminished, and the idea of a universal runic network only fueled that passion further.
Hearing her, Mira, Septimus, and Archscribe Morvain stepped forward as well, their gaze fixed on the glowing text. They said nothing, but Adrian could see the same hunger in their expression.
Adrian nodded and selected it. The projection shifted.
› No Subscription Found
› 2,000 UNI-Coins Per Month — Subscribe?
› Yes / No
Adrian frowned slightly.
He had no idea what a UNI-Coin was, nor how a "month" was defined in the universe. Back in the Milky Way, Galactic Standard Time followed a fixed structure, but there was no guarantee that the universe adhered to the same calendar.
Still, curiosity won out, and he selected Yes.
› Subscribing to Runic Concord Network…
› Failed — User's UNI-Bank Balance Insufficient
› Visit Your Nearest UNI-Bank Branch To Recharge Balance
Draven's patience snapped almost instantly, "What the hell is this UNI-OS?"
He threw his hands up, "Can't they even include an instruction guide to explain anything?"
He was not alone in that frustration.
Max groaned beside him, "We don't even know what a UNI-Coin is."
"Or where to find a branch," Septimus muttered.
Everyone shared the same frustration, Adrian included. The UNI-OS felt vast and powerful, yet utterly indifferent to beginners. It clearly expected users to already understand its mechanics, currencies, authority systems, and structures.
If Adrian had known how complex this would be, he would have questioned the Guardian Spirit for details.
But that opportunity had passed.
Sentinel shook his head slowly, his expression calm but troubled, "The Guardian Spirit gave you this token knowing we'd have no context."
"Maybe that was intentional," Aurelia said, "It could have instructed us. Instead, it gave us the device and let us leave."
"A test," Kaelith murmured.
"Or a filter," Lysandra said, "To see who adapts and who doesn't."
Adrian said nothing, but he suspected they were right.
The universe did not coddle its inhabitants. It expected competence, resourcefulness, and the ability to learn without guidance.
That much was already clear.
With a quiet sigh, Adrian returned to the main interface and selected UNI-Bank.
The display was simple.
› Balance: 0 UNI-Coin
› Options: Send / Receive
It resembled a digital wallet, nothing more, though clearly one tied into something far larger.
Adrian's fingers hovered over the projection before dismissing it. There was nothing to be done here without first understanding how UNI-Coins were acquired or earned.
Next, Adrian opened Auxiliary Systems, which revealed several options:
› Universal Translation System
› Void Navigation System
› Stage Detection System
Once again, there were no explanations. Still, these options were at least intuitive.
Adrian ignored the translation system for now and selected the Void Navigation System.
› Detected 1 Starship — Connect? Yes / No
Adrian selected Yes.
Instantly, control of the ship's navigation shifted. The vessel's internal AI yielded authority to UNI-OS without resistance.
› Analyzing Optimal Route to Selected Destination: Andromeda Galaxy…
› Estimated Reach Time Updating…
The ship's trajectory adjusted subtly. Everyone felt it, the flow of space around them shifting as the vessel recalculated its path.
Adrian glanced at the updated estimate: Six months.
The original calculation had been nine.
This meant UNI-OS possessed navigational data far superior to anything they had developed within the Milky Way. How it calculated these routes through the intergalactic void was unclear, but the result was undeniable.
Septimus stepped closer, adjusting his glasses as he studied the projection.
"It didn't just optimize our path. It accounted for spatial density fluctuations we hadn't even detected yet."
"Predictive mapping," Morvain whispered, "Across distances we can't measure."
Adrian said nothing; he would need to analyze this system deeply in the future, dissect its logic, and understand its mechanisms.
Next, Adrian examined the Stage Detection System.
The interface was straightforward, displaying a radius slider and a scan activation button. He adjusted the range to its maximum setting and activated it.
› Scanning…
› No Divine Cultivators Detected Within Range…
› Detected Multiple Mortal Cultivators…
Adrian could instantly understand its benefits. From the Rule Stage onward, power became increasingly complex, and just one's cultivation stage meant nothing. Two beings at Peak Rule Stage could possess vastly different combat capacities depending on their Divine Concept's tier and their mastery over authority.
With this, he could know everything about an enemy before engaging. Knowing an opponent's actual combat capacity before engaging them could mean the difference between survival and annihilation. This system alone could save countless lives.
If they encountered hostile cultivators during their journey, this tool could provide critical intelligence.
Finally, Adrian opened Custom Functions.
It displayed options to install additional modules, functioning much like custom software that any computer had. This, at least, felt familiar to everyone.
Lysandra grinned slightly, "Now that's more like it. We can probably develop our own system into this eventually."
Overall, the UNI-OS felt incomplete right now. Its true value would only reveal itself once they could actually connect to the wider networks of the universe, access the premium systems, and understand the currency that governed them all.
Selena leaned back with a disappointed sigh. She had been hoping for something similar to the first time they accessed the Galactic Net, when knowledge, forums, and shared discoveries had opened before them like a new world.
She still remembered her excitement back then, posting questions, sharing insights, refining her understanding through exchange.
"I thought we'd at least see some public forums," she said quietly.
"We should be able to see it once we reach the nearby galaxy," Mira said.
This increased their anticipation, and six months suddenly felt far too long.
Aerin pressed her face against the viewport, staring out into the endless void beyond, "Are we there yet?"
Aurelia sighed, "We just left, sweetheart."
"But—"
"Six months," Sentinel said gently, resting a hand on his daughter's head, "Patience."
Aerin pouted but said nothing more.
They could not wait to arrive.