Colonial Union. The remnants of the former greatness of the extinct alien races, mastered by people, are the Forerunner. Thousands of planets. Hundreds of thousands of mysteries. And the lion's share of them are fatal. Enough for several generations of adventurers, and there will still be a supply. But it seems that Denis Smalkov, the head of the association of stray Gunsmiths from the Lightning raider, has found his way to solving the greatest mystery of the foreseeable Universe. Nor will he be deterred by the invasion of the Old Earth fleet or Blackout.