"Charija, how do we get to Earth now?"
Yu Zhou turned to look at Charija, who had just stowed away his suitcase. "Out here in space, I'm basically a complete directionless fool."
And indeed, Yu Zhou was a bit of a space idiot.
He'd studied astronomy and cosmic geography, sure—but the universe was far too vast and ever-changing to truly grasp in its entirety.
In Tiga's world, he had even relied on the Dais alien, Dack, to help build a cosmic navigation system.
"If we use automatic navigation now, it probably won't work," Yu Zhou muttered. "We're thirty million years in the past. The orbits of celestial bodies would be totally different."
He had initially planned to let a ship's autopilot guide them to Earth—but thinking about it now, it was too risky. They might end up flying further away instead.
"Don't worry, don't worry. That's what I'm here for."
Charija waved his hand dismissively, signalling Yu Zhou to relax as he began surveying the cosmic landscape around them.
"Let me think… this position…"
He spun a full 360 degrees, his entire body turning as he studied the star patterns. After a while, he stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"Well? Figure out where we are yet?" Yu Zhou asked, watching him ponder.
"If I'm not mistaken, we're in… the Orion constellation."
Charija nodded to himself confidently.
"Orion?" Yu Zhou blinked, then his eyes widened. "Wait—you mean we're in Orion!?"
"Yeah. Why? Is that a problem?"
Charija raised a brow at Yu Zhou's shocked expression.
Yu Zhou's mind was racing.
From what he'd learned before—the ancient giants of light were said to have come from Orion.
So that meant… Orion might be the homeland of the Ultra ancestors?
"The Giants of Light left behind the bodies they used to fight and returned as light to their home world," Yu Lian had once said.
Yu Zhou remembered that line clearly.
"Charija!" he said, eyes shining. "Do you know if there's a planet here that's like the Land of Light!?"
If Orion really was Tiga's homeland, then maybe he could find Tiga right here—without ever needing to go to Earth!
"Don't be ridiculous," Charija shot him a deadpan look. "You think Lands of Light just grow like cabbages? Having even one is enough to give monsters nightmares."
"So… there isn't one?"
Yu Zhou's excitement deflated instantly, like cold water had been dumped over him. "Or maybe… you just don't know?"
"That's also possible," Charija admitted. "We are thirty million years in the past. Even I don't know everything from back then."
"Fair enough…"
Yu Zhou sighed helplessly. If even Charija didn't know, finding the so-called homeland of the Giants of Light would be nearly impossible.
Orion was huge. Searching every system and every planet would take ages—if not centuries.
And there was no guarantee those records he'd read were even accurate.
To be safe—and to save Camilla as soon as possible—Yu Zhou decided it was best to head for Earth first.
After all, thirty million years ago, the original Tiga had to be on Earth.
"Alright then," Yu Zhou said, firm now. "Charija, do you know the route to Earth?"
"If I'm not mistaken…" Charija pointed into the starry void. "That way should take us there."
"Then let's go!"
Yu Zhou's body grew enormous, his hand opening so Charija could sit comfortably on his palm.
Then, in a flash, they shot forward—a streak of black light racing across the cosmos.
In the boundless void, countless asteroids drifted silently.
Some planets were being born. Others were dying.
Gravity pulled stars into systems, while cataclysmic explosions devoured entire worlds.
Through the chaos, the black streak of Yu Zhou and Charija wove between newly forming planets and collapsing ones alike.
At times, they dove straight into black holes—only to burst out from another moments later, continuing their journey.
After passing through countless star systems, surviving meteor storms, and weaving through explosions of cosmic birth and death—
They finally saw it.
A small, fragile, blue planet—glimmering quietly in the dark.
"Finally… Earth!"
Yu Zhou slowed his flight, gazing at the distant blue sphere.
Thirty million years ago, Earth was unrecognizable.
There were no seven continents or four oceans—just a single massive landmass surrounded by endless sea, with a few scattered islands nearby.
"The land and sea layout… it's a lot like Planet Terra," Yu Zhou murmured.
He recalled the ancient humans who had migrated to that new world. That planet, Terra, had shared the same structure—a single great continent, a single great ocean.
Meanwhile, on the edge of that primeval continent—on a moonlit beach—
A young boy and his father were fishing for light-attracted sea creatures.
"Father, look! There's a light falling from the sky!"
The boy pointed upward in awe.
His father raised his head—and froze.
From the direction of the Orion constellation, a streak of light blazed across the heavens, like a star falling to Earth.
But it wasn't pure white—it shimmered faintly with a dark hue, as if shadow itself was trapped inside that light.
"The… light of Orion?"
The man murmured under his breath, eyes wide, lost in thought.
The boy watched the falling star, his imagination running wild—until, to their shock, it plummeted right into the sea before them.
BOOM—!
Waves crashed, and a colossal figure—fifty meters tall—rose from the depths.
The giant floated above the dark water, his form faintly silver and black, barely visible in the night.
A sapphire-like crystal gleamed at his chest, glowing softly.
His milky-white eyes shone like twin lanterns, scanning the surroundings.
"A… a giant!"
The boy's voice trembled, his conch shell slipping from his hand and landing soundlessly in the sand.
"Why'd you drop us in the sea!?"
Charija coughed, shaking off seawater and spitting out… a fish.
"Sorry, flew too fast. Couldn't hit the brakes."
Yu Zhou chuckled, helping him back to hover on his own. Then he looked around, scanning the surroundings carefully.
"At least I was smart enough to pick a spot with no people around. And it's nighttime too—less chance of being seen."
He wasn't planning to draw attention from the ancient humans. Too much contact could lead to serious complications.
He was here to find the original Tiga—and the last thing he needed was to spark chaos by having two Tiga appear at once.