Universal Power System

Chapter 350: Checking Out The Assigned Planets (Part 2)



Location: Infernis is located near the very center of the Milky Way galaxy, within the sector known as the "Abyssal Veil," a region known for its treacherous cosmic phenomena and rare celestial bodies. Infernis orbits a red giant star, and its unique position and size creates a striking visual contrast against the backdrop of the dark, star-studded expanse. Appearance from Space: From space, Infernis presents itself as a planet straight out of a toddler's imagination. One hemisphere glows with an intense, fiery red and orange hue, indicating the scorching heat of the sunlit side. This side of the planet is a roiling inferno, with molten lakes and rivers of lava crisscrossing the landscape. The opposite hemisphere; however, is a dark and icy blue land, covered in perpetual shadow. This side of the planet is a frozen wasteland, with immense glaciers and ice fields reflecting the faint light of distant stars.

Millions of years ago, originally, Infernis was a Super-Earth with a mass 2.5 times greater than Earth's, orbiting around a yellow star slightly bigger than the sun; however, this star was far much older than the sun as it had already exhausted all of the Hydrogen and Helium in its core and had begun fusing heavier elements together in order to sustain itself.

The fusing of heavier elements caused the star to expand in size greatly, becoming 200 times larger than its original size. Infernis was a planet that orbited its star at a distance of 230 million kilometers, but after its star began to expand in size, that orbit size was reduced to only 75 million kilometers, causing it to become tidally locked to its new massive star.

Atmospheric Conditions: Infernis has an extremely tenuous atmosphere, composed mainly of superheated gases on the sunlit side and a thin layer of frozen, inert gases on the dark side. The atmosphere is turbulent, with violent storms and extreme temperature gradients between the two hemispheres. Powerful winds constantly sweep across the terminator line, where the day and night sides meet, creating a narrow, habitable zone with more temperate conditions but still fraught with dangers.

Terrain:

Sunlit Side:

The sunlit side of Infernis is a hellscape of molten rock and active volcanoes. The ground is covered in vast, jagged lava fields and geysers that erupt sporadically, spewing forth superheated gas and molten rock. Temperatures here soar to life-threatening levels, making survival almost impossible without advanced heat-resistant suits and equipment. The air shimmers with heat, and the sky is a constant, blinding red.

Dark Side:

The dark side is a stark contrast, a world of ice and darkness. The terrain consists of towering glaciers, deep crevasses, and frozen plains. Temperatures plunge to extremes that can freeze nearly anything instantly. The ice is often coated with a layer of frozen gases, creating a slippery and treacherous surface. The sky is a deep, star-speckled black, with faint auroras occasionally dancing across the horizon, generated by the planet's magnetic field.

Terminator Line:

The terminator line, where day meets night, is a narrow band of chaotic weather and mixed terrain. Here, molten lava flows meet freezing ice, creating explosive interactions and unpredictable weather patterns. This zone has more temperate conditions but is still extremely hazardous due to the constant shifting between hot and cold extremes. The terrain is a mixture of jagged rocks, steaming geysers, and rapidly melting ice, making it difficult to traverse.

Available Beast Levels: Infernis is home to very strong beasts who have adapted to survive in its extreme conditions ranging from high to advanced-tier beasts.

Sunlit Side Beasts:

The sunlit side hosts colossal, heat-resistant beasts with exoskeletons that can withstand the intense temperatures. These creatures often have the ability to burrow into the molten rock to escape the worst of the heat. They are highly aggressive and territorial, using the harsh environment to their advantage.

Dark Side Beasts:

On the dark side, the fauna includes massive, fur-covered predators with thick layers of blubber to insulate against the cold. These beasts are stealthy and efficient hunters, adapted to the low-light conditions, and capable of navigating the ice with ease. They often have bioluminescent features to attract prey or communicate in the dark.

Terminator Line Beasts:

The Terminator line is inhabited by highly adaptable creatures capable of surviving both heat and cold. These beasts are often smaller and more agile, using the chaotic environment to avoid larger predators from either side of the planet. They exhibit a range of unique adaptations, such as rapid healing abilities and the capability to temporarily withstand sudden changes in extreme temperatures.

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After reading through the detailed description of Infernis, Mako and Erin looked even more concerned about their chances of completing the special exam, which they previously thought wouldn't be too bad considering they were all ex-special class. They were quickly humbled. "This is going to be a nightmare," Mako stated, repeatedly rereading the details of Infernis. "We have no information about where we will start or how far we will have to move for each mission. We can't set up a base anywhere other than the Terminator line, which won't be ideal considering the planet's bizarre weather activity and very high-level beasts," Mako continued.

"We don't even know what kind of equipment we will be able to purchase from the military display or how well we will be able to even fight in it," Erin added.

"Yeah," Mako agreed. "And those high level beasts... On the sunlit side, we've got heat- resistant monsters that can survive in molten rock. On the dark side, there are massive predators that can survive the extreme cold and can hunt in the pitch black. Even the beasts in the Terminator line are highly adaptable and deadly. We're going to be constantly fighting for

our lives."

The mood of the group had definitely become gloomy after realizing how difficult the exam was going to be, with even Mako, who was always the cheerful and optimistic one, feeling down and unsure.

Surprisingly, in that crucial moment, someone else stepped up to prevent the group's morale from sinking any lower.

"Alright, listen up," Leon said, stepping forward. "We knew this wasn't going to be that easy, but we've faced tough challenges before. This is just another obstacle we need to overcome."

"I'm sure the military won't just randomly drop us in a heated zone to begin the exam because that would be completely unfair. We will definitely be placed somewhere where we can assess our surroundings first before the action starts."

"Secondly, I am also very damn sure that they will provide us with adequate gear needed to survive on these planets if they are going to send us there."

"We'll adapt and make the best use of the situation like we always do. Stop thinking about the past. We have come so far since then and now it is time to prove it to ourselves and everyone else too that we deserve the special class."

Leon's words had a noticeable effect. The group began to straighten up, their expressions shifting from worry to determination.

"He's right," Erin said, her voice stronger. "We can do this. We've come too far to let

something like this stop us."

Mako nodded, his usual optimism slowly returning. "Yeah, Leon's right. We have to do this. Bill sacrificed himself so that we wouldn't fail our mission and get the opportunity to get great rewards from the military. These rewards will help us get even stronger and this time be strong enough to stop the enemy before it has made its move,"

The whole group nodded with determination to Mako's words as they all had a lot on the line and failure was no longer an option for them. Instead of looking gloomy and sulking around, they would prepare to the best of their abilities to make sure they triumphed.

"Our first order of business should be securing our third members," Nathan spoke coldly and

calculative.

"Teacher Angela was right; this exam will heavily rely on teamwork, and right now nothing is certain," Nathan added. "We both have two members on our teams, and the third person

could completely make or break us."

"You're right, Mako," Erin said. "But who do we even approach to join our team? We're not exactly the most popular in the class, and we don't have any friends outside our group."

"I don't know, but we can't leave it to chance and risk getting assigned a random person who might sabotage us or not pull their own weight," Nathan responded. "We need someone with good abilities, who knows how to fight and survive well, and who has good compatibility with

us."

"Don't worry about us, we already have our third member," Mako stated with a tiny grin.

Erin was surprised to hear that Mako had already chosen their third member without consulting her. Her curiosity was piqued and she was eager to hear who this person was that Mako had so much confidence in.

Everyone turned towards Mako with skeptical looks, their eyes silently asking the same question, "Who is it?"

"It's Alexi Novikov, he will be our third member," Mako replied while retaining his small

grin.