"That thing actually used black holes to create gravitational waves."
"It's alive!"
"It must be alive!"
Binom was stunned by this sight.
His originally confident black hole weapon was neutralized in such a way. He found it somewhat hard to accept.
"Server, are there any other methods?"
[This life energy has completed light-speed acceleration; it lost a portion of its energy.]
[From observations, it showed no signs of growth after we ceased attacking, implying this life energy cannot absorb dark energy. We should convert our energy shields to dark energy shields to block it.]
[After the energy sphere is fully formed, we can continue to use gravitational waves to deplete its total energy, until the opponent disappears.]
It was good that there was a method. Binom quickly ordered the fleet to execute the command.
The distance between the two sides was already too close. At this point, the approaching speed reached 370,000 kilometers per second.
They couldn't decelerate. If they slowed down, it would mean they couldn't accelerate later. They didn't have enough energy; they would be left stranded in space until the enemy fleet found them and used them for target practice.
This was another disadvantage of interstellar battlefields: you can only keep moving forward.
Less than a day after preparing to convert the energy shields, the fleet collided with Mingna's body.
Only a portion of the warships entered. Mingna's body was enormous at this time, having expanded to 10 astronomical units in diameter, but against a fleet tens of thousands of astronomical units long, it was still inconspicuous.
She could at most envelop a dozen or so warships. Those dozen warships were definitely her carefully selected targets, such as Binom's flagship.
After being enveloped, Binom even tried to see if they could break free, but he quickly found it impossible.
Because Mingna was an energy being, although she couldn't perform a 180° turn without immense gravitational force, she could change direction by reflecting off the ships themselves.
As an energy being, she possessed almost no mass, and therefore no inertial forces. Electromagnetic attraction alone could draw her along with the ships.
But she had to pull back and forth, otherwise she could easily outpace the Helion Fleet.
The moment she enveloped the warships, the warships' servers also began to release black hole phases, intending to deplete her.
Mingna, upon being attacked by the black hole phase, immediately knew what they intended.
"You want to deplete me using this method?"
"It seems you've forgotten."
Forgotten what?
Inside the warship, Binom merely looked at the gigantic energy being, filled with awe, yet also harboring a hint of longing. He yearned to become such a terrifying existence.
As a Xenian, he was too insignificant. Even within Human Civilization, gene pools specifically for Xenians were remarkably scarce. His body was extremely weak, almost indistinguishable from an insect's.
He yearned to become strong, whether intellectually or physically.
Just as he was thinking this, a sound suddenly came from above again.
BANG!
The entire ceiling was pressed down. The plant was growing more and more massive. It had previously stopped growing and hadn't caused much impact, so he had ceased to care.
At this moment, Binom remembered.
"So, it was connected."
The first step, the second step, the third step. The enemy's plan was unfolding, one phase after another, without interruption.
They faced internal and external chaos; they would be overcome sooner or later.
"Have other warships also launch black hole phases. Destroy the opponent as quickly as possible."
At this moment, Binom was still relatively calm. The opponent was merely a ball of energy. As long as they could hold out, everything would be manageable.
[Warship enveloped by high-energy entity. Unable to transmit information.]
[Tachyon communication activated. Information transmission complete.]
Thankfully, there was Tachyon communication. But what happened next prevented Binom from feeling relieved, for he saw light.
The calm Binom was instantly flustered. "What is that?"
[High-energy life form is undergoing self-annihilation, using itself as a weapon to attack our energy shield.]
[Alert! Energy shield failing!]
"How is that possible? The warship's total energy is absolutely more than its."
Mingna looked massive, but in terms of actual energy, she possessed slightly less than a single warship.
[We are using dark energy.]
This sentence stunned Binom. The warship had a lot of energy, but its dark energy reserves were very low. With the dark energy rapidly depleting, they could only await their death sentence.
Now he looked at the enormous, gleaming energy body, and from that pigment-mixed light, he seemed to see a smiling face. It was a mocking smile.
At this moment, Binom completely lost his composure. This was so similar to before.
"Where did they get so many tricks!"
"Rusty Star Nation, is our intelligence network also worthless? There's not a single piece of intelligence about something like this! Damn it! Damn it!"
"Are there any other ways to buy time? Server!"
At this point, Binom was reduced to repeatedly asking the server for solutions. He felt as if a pause button had been pressed on his brain; all thoughts ceased, only questions remained.
[Based on the current situation, we have only a 0.2475% chance of survival.]
[Directly utilize a large black hole to bombard the opponent, crushing most of its body, and we escape using the opportunity.]
The probability was very small. Because this energy life form was also contracting. This meant the black hole might directly strike them.
With the life energy destroying the black hole weapon, they would also find it difficult to escape.
Binom only felt a buzzing in his head. "Am I going to die?"
He had never imagined himself so close to death. "This is wrong, this must be wrong."
"There must be other ways, right, server?"
[I am very sorry, Officer Binom.]
[I believe in the plan that can be executed: if we do not act, it is death; if we act, there is a slim hope of survival .]
The server was powerless to turn the tide.
Perhaps the server itself never possessed the strength to reverse the situation. Its capabilities were limited to collecting and integrating information.
The server functioned as a supplement, providing assistance in wavering situations. In the event of victory, governance could be handed over to the machine.
"...It's impossible that there's only one plan."
"I need more. Send me every discarded strategy as well."
Binom could not find peace. He obsessed over the data, searching for a more suitable path among the failed options.
The server fed him the files.
Binom filtered through them repeatedly, but it was a total waste of time.
Mingna was compressing the perimeter.
She could already sense that the dark energy within each warship was failing.
"Although you made some clever judgments, you still cannot escape your fate."
"Even this last gambit you are considering is the same."
Mingna did not possess the advanced technology required to read the warship servers directly.
But as a Divine, she had already calculated every possibility.
The enemy had only one move left.
However, they seemed to have forgotten something vital.
It wasn't just the trapped warships being invaded.
In the distance, the outer hulls of the fleet shattered one by one.
Countless root systems burst from within the steel.
Siphoning the internal energy of the ships, they grew into towering, kilometer-high trees.
"Let it end here!"
...
Binom's pleas for help were utterly useless, though he remained ignorant of that fact.
He was still drowning in the fear of his impending annihilation.
Only now did he recall the details he had overlooked.
"From the very beginning, it was the King of Rusty who contacted us, claiming the Supernova Technology Corporation intended to strike the Ynun Star Nation."
"That implied the Supernova Technology Corporation was confident they could dismantle Ynun."
"Yet, during our counterattack, the entire Rusty Star Nation was overrun by the Flaorse Corporation virus. That made us feel the war was in our favor."
"But was that the truth?"
Judging by the current state of the war, the Rusty Star Nation held too many hidden cards.
If those moves had been traceable, Binom might have maintained some certainty.
But twice in a row, he had slammed into obstacles he had no prior knowledge of.
A ship that completely evaded the four fundamental forces.
A colossal energy life form.
Who could have predicted such things?
By now, Binom finally understood.
He realized he should have opened his mind sooner. He had received far too little intelligence regarding the Rusty Star Nation. This entire offensive had been reactive, leaving them zero time to prepare.
He felt as if a pair of massive hands had closed around him.
Had this all been meticulously engineered?
"Prioritize the destruction of the enemy."
"Server, proceed with your plan."
Binom was filled with a bitter reluctance.
But he knew he had no choice.
If this was the end, he would try his luck.
[Contacting remaining warship units... Connection failed. Reading message... Entire fleet invaded by flora. Energy devices destroyed. Unable to execute plan.]
The server's reply arrived two hours later, making Binom feel pathetic once again.
He was a joke.
Could he not even manage a final struggle?
"I still have my species, and every child within it."
Binom did not want to die.
He was the highest-ranking Xenian.
If he perished, the Xenian would lose their protector and fall back into a state of subjugation.
He was lost.
"Server, if I surrender, will you kill me?"
At this moment, that desperate thought finally surfaced in Binom's mind.
[Of course. Any traitor to the Star Nation cannot be forgiven, not even you, Officer Binom.]
[However, as a ship, I will certainly perish first. You still have a chance.]
The server provided Binom with a new protocol.
This was not an act of benevolence.
The server was cold. To the machine, it was merely stating a possibility—not to help Binom, but to warn him.
Even though Binom knew this, he still whispered to the server, "Thank you."
This was truly his only chance.
His only way to survive.
He had to make a choice.
Life or death.
If the Ynun Star Nation could endure after this, he would have chosen the former without hesitation.
Ynun would surely have promoted a new Xenian because of his service. It wasn't just his ability; the reason Ynun had favored him was because the internal corruption of the Star Nation was too severe.
They needed a capable assistant to serve as a barrier.
Anyone could be compromised, except for the new species, the Xenian.
However, Binom saw the truth clearly.
After this crushing defeat, the Ynun Star Nation would have no power to recover. The Flaorse Corporation might have a slim hope, but it was merely a flicker in the dark.
He was out of time.
Cracks spider-webbed across the dark energy shield.
A moment later, it SHATTERED!
Massive energy flooded the entire warship.
The outer shell held firm for a moment, relying on its defenses, but it was futile. Even against terrifying energy, a warship usually has no fear. But they were facing conscious energy life.
The opponent would not exert even pressure across the hull. Instead, it would strike the weak points.
Furthermore, the ship was already being invaded from within.
The entire vessel had become vulnerable.
Soon, Binom felt the resounding CRASH as the outer hull gave way.
This sound was like being trapped in the hold of a ship while the entire vessel was battered by waves—the screech of massive metal components twisting out of alignment.
Heavy, prolonged, like a death knell.
The warship's server desperately tried to resist.
The soldiers inside the warship donned their mecha and stood guard. They didn't know what they were doing. Did they truly believe they could hold out?
They were nervous.
But they felt no fear.
The moment they stepped onto the battlefield, they had already prepared for death.
This was not some noble virtue; it was simply because in war, they had accepted their end.
Having seen so much slaughter before, they were actually numb.
The moment the energy surged in.
Some charged, some fired weapons, some transformed into gene pools.
But before that energy, everything turned to dust.
They could not stop it.
Mingna's energy body could withstand over a thousand times the laser fire of ships and warships.
These soldiers couldn't even withstand the conventional weapons of a single ship, let alone such immense power.
They were crushed.
The server also unleashed energy in an attempt to resist.
But it was useless.
The energy rapidly invaded the server and the energy storage devices. Within a minute, the server was paralyzed.
And at this moment, Binom also received the information.
At this instant, he immediately said, "I surrender!"
"I am useful."
He didn't know if that energy life form could understand his words, but this was his final resistance.
His room was shredded by roots, and energy surged in from outside, enveloping him.
A voice entered his mind.
"No, you are useless."
"You overestimate yourself. In reality, you are just a humble little fellow."
"You could destroy my warship only because I wanted you to destroy my warship, not because you were capable of it."
It was Mingna's voice.
Others weren't worthy of her teasing.
But Binom, this legend of a star nation, was worthy of hearing Mingna's voice.
"Who are you?"
Binom never expected that the other party not only understood him, but could also communicate with him.
"Perhaps you will know, or perhaps you never will."
"That is not for me to decide. We will see you again."
After speaking, Mingna annihilated him.
...
"What was that, after all?"
"Was it Mingna's trump card?"
Having escaped the Fourth Fleet, Giotto had intended to follow his heart and complete his plan, but he ultimately couldn't help himself.
Truth proved that his distrust of his own plan was correct.
His plan was horrifyingly crude.
He had originally thought Mingna had fled.
He saw the St. Anthony charge straight into the battlefield.
Then came the destruction of the St. Anthony, followed by that colossal energy entity.
After that, he saw the energy entity envelop the enemy warships, and then watched the entire process of the enemy warships falling.
Because the distance was too vast, he wasn't clear about the specific details of what happened.
But he knew that Mingna's previous words didn't seem to be baseless.
She truly seemed to possess that kind of ability.
After all this was done, he saw that energy mass heading towards the fleet, moving at near light speed.
And the entire fleet also began to turn, heading towards that energy entity.
"What's happening?"
"I didn't issue any turn command!"
The warship's server replied.
[This turn was arranged by Strategos Mingna before the war. It is merely executing orders at this time, Your Majesty. Do you wish to modify the order?]
Giotto truly wanted to leave at this moment; he was somewhat fed up with Mingna's shifts.
Her arrogant attitude was simply a complete change from before.
"Proceed as planned. No changes needed."
In the end, Giotto did not indulge his own whims.
Besides, that thing was moving at light speed; it would catch up sooner or later.
They themselves had already been close to the Helion Fleet, then turned. The time until the war's conclusion was actually not long.
The two sides completed their rendezvous in just 7 days.
When that energy mass reached the fleet, it had shrunk to an extreme degree.
Giotto observed it.
He found that the energy entity, outside the ship, had transformed into a naked human form.
In that form, it was clearly Mingna!
"It's her!"
"That energy entity that destroyed the warships, it's her?"
"This person, how can she be so strong?"
"Is that energy entity a gene pool?"
"Such terrifying gene pools, how did she obtain them?"
Giotto felt a weak, suffocating sensation.
This was a realm he had never encountered.
Gene pools capable of contending with warships—those must be the top-tier supreme gene pools.
He had heard that supreme gene pools were valued on the black market at the equivalent of 10 warships.
But they were priceless; genuine transactions for supreme gene pools were rare, and always came with other conditions.
Supreme gene pools could not be mass-produced. They not only required the gene pool itself but also for the injected individual to withstand the negative effects it brought. Supreme gene pools had an uninhibitable invasive effect on consciousness.
It could destroy a life's will, leading to complete loss of control.
It was said that even with careful selection, only 1 in 100 individuals could truly integrate a supreme gene pool.
Of course, cloning technology allowed the success rate to become very high.
But no one would use clones.
Clones could sometimes be even more uncontrollable than ordinary people. Upon learning they were clones, they would feel that they were different from normal people, that they were trash to be discarded at will. This instability meant supreme gene pools were generally not used on clones.
The true reason supreme gene pools could not be mass-produced was still due to their inherently low production rate.
Many supreme gene pools were not created in large quantities. Instead, they were happy accidents occurring after countless failed attempts. Theoretically, the emergence of such a pool was an accident of nature rather than a deliberate design.
These genetic assets typically originated in the high-security laboratories of super star nations and the Federation. They were 100% government property and never leaked to the public.
At this moment, Giotto's mind reached a grim conclusion.
"She truly comes from the Federation!"
This was Giotto's most certain, and most fearful, realization. He had always been monitored and manipulated. Everything he did was not his own will, but the result of being entangled and commanded by an alien Civilization and Human Civilization.
This was the cruel truth. Giotto was momentarily lost in thought because of it.
However, this didn't make the reality impossible to accept; he had considered this possibility before. What truly caused Giotto to feel conflicted was a single question: which side should he lean towards?
As a human, he should certainly lean towards Human Civilization. But could Human Civilization truly defeat that alien Civilization? From the technology he had acquired, success seemed nearly impossible. Perhaps, if he leaned towards the alien Civilization, he could still preserve a spark for humanity.
Amidst this daze, he saw the soldiers in the command cabin suddenly become vacant, just like him. This pause lasted only two or three seconds before everything returned to normal.
Then, he heard the surrounding discussions shift.
The phrase "energy entity" no longer existed. In fact, the people around him no longer believed this war was a victory; they became pessimistic, just as they were before ever seeing the entity. They seemed to have experienced a time reversal.
Then, Mingna entered from outside.
Giotto looked toward her, immediately approached, and inquired, "What happened out there?"
Mingna was now wearing a mecha, which made her look imposing. She answered ambiguously, "It seems there is indeed something inside you that renders the server's memory erasure useless."
"I suspected it before!"
"How surprising!"
"No, you're not surprised. When you saw me again, you already suspected there was a reason for my approach. Everything I said was within your speculation. Now I'm giving you a concrete answer. Guess: is this answer true or false?"
Mingna had a mischievous look on her face. She didn't look like the terrifying entity that had just destroyed over a dozen warships.
"Of course, it's true. You have no need to lie to me. Or perhaps, you don't want to tease me anymore."
Giotto felt a sense of relief. Mingna was surprisingly capable of drawing these words from him.
She spoke again, "Then let us follow the arrangements of fate."
"Everyone is trapped in the long river of fate, unable to control themselves. For most, your life is extraordinary; you should be proud of that."
Mingna looked at Giotto with a hint of boredom. What interested her about the man was only the experience, not the man himself. In truth, Mingna was more interested in Luna. While Giotto was refining his own theories, she was doing the same. It was a regret that she couldn't see the Luna stationed in the rear.
"That sounds like you're telling me to leave. I think we still have a lot to talk about."
Having clarified the situation, Giotto relaxed considerably. At least he could joke a bit with Mingna.
"What do you want to ask?" she said.
Giotto waved his hand. "Don't misunderstand. I only want to discuss the war with you."
"I feel like you already have a plan, but the enemy has only lost a dozen warships. Should we pursue the attack next?"
He could only discuss military matters; his personal secrets were off-limits.
"Congratulations. You've grasped the first skill: learning!"
Mingna clapped her hands at his confusion. "Due to the vast distances in interstellar warfare, we can never obtain all the enemy's information. Therefore, it's even more important to supplement with conjecture."
"If I were planning now, you should conjecture that the enemy's other warships are no longer a threat. Perhaps they disbanded immediately after Binom's death, or perhaps they have already lost their combat capability."
She sounded like a teacher. In fact, Mingna quite enjoyed lecturing. This was a common trait among the powerful: enjoying the surprised look on a student's face and gaining satisfaction from instruction. After all, life was too boring; it needed some excitement.
"Wait, you said Binom is dead?" Giotto caught the key piece of information.
"Otherwise?" Mingna countered.
Giotto realized he had asked a stupid question. Mingna had gone to such lengths; naturally, it wasn't just to destroy a few enemy ships. But thinking about it, the legendary Binom of this sector was dead. Giotto felt an inexplicable sadness.
"You surely have the capability to destroy the remaining ships, right? That would make things more stable. Why did you still bring the fleet with you to see me off?"
The sadness lasted only a moment as Giotto continued to seek answers. Although he had lived for many years, his perspective wasn't clear. His calculation ability was likely inferior to that of a thousand-year-old child.
This question also made Mingna feel a bit helpless, as she had already revealed part of the answer.
"Before you arrived, I had already infiltrated the enemy fleet, disintegrating them from within to secure victory. You must have heard before you arrived, the fleets of the other two nations..."
Having said this, Giotto suddenly understood.
"You intended to lure the fleets of the other hai nations and wipe them out in one go?"
This plan was insane. One star nation against the combined fleets of three others, with the intention of taking them all down. What kind of mind could conceive such a plan?
"We could have secured the M36 star cluster long ago. The so-called resistance inside was just a pretense."
"After we arrive at the M36 star cluster, our spies can naturally leak intelligence to the two other star nation fleets, creating the illusion that the Ynun Star Nation has launched a full-scale invasion. Then, we will feign continuous retreats, allowing them to breach our lines. The other two nations will certainly not sit idly by; they are wolves waiting to share the spoils."
This time, Mingna explained it plainly. Giotto instantly understood the arrangement. The colossal plan unfolded in his mind.
This time, he was genuinely shocked.
What exactly was the person standing beside him?
"So, should we retreat now?"
He felt that Mingna was supposed to be the main driver of this war.
But Mingna casually said, "My mission is complete. It is time to rest; don't disturb me."
Giotto understood the hidden meaning in her words. He had already thought about being marginalized once they reached the M36 star cluster.
"How do others compare to you?" He wanted to know.
Mingna paused to consider whether to tell Giotto. In the end, she gave an ambiguous answer: "Who knows!"
...
The distance was not far. The scattered Helion Fleet was still moving towards the M36 star cluster. But this time, they were not the ones controlling the movement.
It was those plants.
The plants were actually fragments of Mingna's split genes, where a segment was extracted from the vast number of genes to form a new species. They also possessed certain Spirit King attributes. After being placed inside the ships by Gachi, they fed on the energy leaking from the conduits and grew.
The plants possessed simple consciousness, acting according to Mingna's will. They weren't just acting; they were also using the ships' IDs to transmit information to the Ynun Star Nation, signaling that they were about to enter the M36 star cluster.
This was a signal: a signal for the beginning of the war, and also a signal for its end.
...
29 years later.
The Helion Fleet entered the M36 star cluster's perimeter. The patrol ships of the second fleet surrounding the M36 cluster noticed the massive fleet and altered their course. Following this, large-scale battles erupted in all the star systems within the cluster.
In the core sector, Xhosaifu, Penei was at his wits' end.
In recent years, although the enemy's attacks had slowed slightly, they were still advancing step by step. Last year, two more star systems were conquered; they were left holding only 7 star systems. He truly couldn't hold on.
"My Lord, when will the fleet you dispatched arrive! Your servant is about to perish!"
Penei prayed to his ancestors daily, but not a single piece of news arrived, making him feel as if he had been abandoned. At that moment, a piece of information suddenly appeared in his communications log.
He opened it to check. A human voice was transmitted: "Report, Star Warden Sir, we have received news: Ambros, Zhameng, Kaiyuan Tan Ding—all have fallen. Our reinforcements have arrived!"
The voice was filled with excitement. Penei jumped up in agitation.
"They really came. His Majesty did not abandon me. Counterattack! Counterattack!"
Receiving news of conquest from all star systems, Penei almost wept. He had never felt so reliant on his nation; he had never realized how truly magnificent his nation was.
"This is our victory! Transmit this news! Let all remaining soldiers know—the enemy is defeated!"
The message was broadcast. All soldiers of the Ynun Star Nation wept with joy, extremely excited; even their fighting spirit had been replenished.
And in some dark corners, someone was also smiling.
"Everything proceeded according to plan. I didn't expect the Fourth Fleet to actually complete its mission; it didn't disappoint expectations. Strategos truly has divine foresight."
"These enemies are just common riffraff. The war will end within 100 years. By then, we will reclaim everything we lost and become the new rulers of this sector. And we will witness and participate in all of this."
The number of spies dispatched here was not large. They too had been anticipating this day. The duration of the entire war had been long enough. It was time for it to end.
...
The vast, boundless deep space.
Here, surrounding everything was only a small nebula, very faint, visible only at very close range. Within this nebula, there was only one red dwarf star named Camlamby. And the nebula was also called the Camlamby Nebula.
Originally, this was a deserted area. Nearly 200 years ago, a fleet arrived here and set up a base. They came from the Saintees Star Nation, a star nation that grew under the constant pressure of the Ynun Star Nation.
This star nation did not have one massive corporation internally; every company was relatively balanced. The 8 market values exceeding a hundred trillion were the most powerful forces besides the official government. These 8, along with the Saintees Star Nation, all possessed virology departments to counter Flaorse.
But this time, their interests aligned with the Flaorse Corporation and the Rusty Star Nation. The Saintees Star Nation fleet was called the Royal Sword. The highest Archon Commander of this fleet was a Duke of the Saintees Star Nation, the 82nd Prince.
The princes of the Saintees Star Nation were all named numerically. The full name of the 82nd Prince was 82·Lando·B·Saintees. 'B' represented the second generation.
The current King of the Saintees Star Nation was also B. The original King A had died during the establishment of the nation, and King B inherited the throne according to the will.
The first King was designated as 1.
82 was the King's 37th younger brother.
Prince 82 was currently resting on a massive bed. His body was like a puddle of sludge, so obese that he didn't seem like a person from this era. His snoring was like thunder. Beside the bed stood a Multi-eyed servant, perfectly still.
Suddenly, the 82nd Prince opened his eyes wide. He opened his mouth and said, "The time has come!"
His voice was incredibly loud, causing the entire room to hum. "Issue the command: fleet, initiate movement."
He stood up from the bed, only then revealing his ordinary body was actually mechanical.
In reality, he hadn't been in deep sleep; he had dissolved himself into the Server, connecting with it to accelerate his thoughts.
At the same time, doing so allowed him to receive Information immediately.
Prince 82's appearance possessed a strong deceptive quality.
He could be considered the Archon Commander of this fleet, but absolutely not just because of his status.
The competition within the royal family was quite fierce. He was the most ruthless; during previous struggles, he had killed 180 brothers and sisters.
The Saintees royalty did not nurture idlers.
"I have long longed for War!"
"The Ynun Star Nation is weakened, the Kingdom of Sky is weak and incompetent. After this battle, we will become the overlords of this sector."
"The Holy Fire of Saintees will burn in my hands."
The fleet moved.
On every single warship, a white flame flickered.
This was the Holy Fire of Saintees.
It was also their emblem.
...
On the other side.
A golden light glittered in the deep cosmos.
Outside a massive, disc-shaped warship were two pairs of enormous golden wings, each exceeding 20,000 kilometers long. It was extremely ostentatious, yet divinely sacred, as if an angel descended from heaven riding a warship.
And inside the warship, Angels were indeed flying.
They were the Lightwings.
Only their originally white wings had turned into two pairs of golden wings.
In the center of the warship's disc, within a sphere 100 meters in diameter, Bifaya, the Archon Commander of the Glorious Fleet of the Kingdom of Sky, received intelligence from a scout ship.
"The Ynun Star Nation is finally attacking."
"I thought they had lost their courage."
"Five star systems in the M36 cluster have been conquered. It seems they have dispatched a large number of troops. It almost makes me want to turn around and attack the Ynun Star Nation directly."
To prevent the Ynun Star Nation from using them as cannon fodder, Bifaya was indeed thoroughly prepared.
Attacking the Ynun Star Nation was not impossible.
At that time, the Saintees Star Nation would probably agree.
But currently, the Ynun Star Nation was at a disadvantage. If they diverted their attack toward the Ynun Star Nation, the Rusty Star Nation would find an opportunity.
Facing this ever-strengthening neighbor, they felt unprecedented pressure.
The Rusty Star Nation was clearly a more troublesome existence than the Ynun Star Nation, and its aggressive nature was just as strong, if not more so.
This was also the reason the Ynun Star Nation allowed them to deploy forces.
"Since the Ynun Star Nation is moving, let's also increase our speed. Other areas can wait; we must also claim a share of the M36 star cluster."
The Glorious Fleet also mobilized.
...
Meanwhile, in the Ynun Star Nation.
At the rear base.
The CEOs of Ynun and the Flaorse Corporation sat together.
"Hurry! News has arrived from the front lines—the War has begun! When will you act?"
Maunli.
An extremely ordinary name.
But he was the authority second only to the Ynun monarch in the Ynun Star Nation.
He single-handedly established the Flaorse Corporation, whose Viruses were terrifyingly potent, and which had held this sector in check for many years.
It could even be said that if it weren't for the restraining power of the Flaorse Corporation, the Ynun Star Nation would have had no chance to develop.
Maunli's appearance was also quite youthful, but he didn't look particularly handsome.
In fact, handsomeness in the Human Civilization was the result of gene modification. After a male child was born, he would be injected with a Serum that influenced his subsequent development, naturally making him very handsome.
However, Maunli was born into a poor family and couldn't even afford 20 Energy Credits worth of Serum, leading to Maunli having a very ordinary appearance after growing up.
After establishing Flaorse, he could change his appearance, but he chose to remain as he was.
He believed this was who he was.
To change later would be equivalent to changing his skin: a demonstration of a lack of self-confidence, a denial of his true self.
"Let's wait a bit."
"Our spies inside the Rusty Star Nation haven't sent back the news yet, but I can promise you, within 20 years at the latest."
He himself couldn't wait any longer either.
The Virus deployment had been ready for too long.
If the Rusty Star Nation couldn't benefit from it over a long period, it would be problematic, but if the opponent did have countermeasures, it would affect the War's trajectory.
That answer was unknown.
The distance between the two star nations was too great.
Spies within the Rusty Star Nation must possess a Tachyon communication device to contact them.
But for a star nation like theirs, Tachyon communication devices were monitored equipment, not easily accessible.
Moreover, every time information was sent, it would be detected.
Flaorse spies had already used a Tachyon device once, but only once.
Using it again would lead to detection.
So, Maunli had to wait calmly for the news now.
"20 years? That's fine. The other two nations will still need time to reach the M36 cluster."
"Yes, are you sure your plan will succeed?"
Ynun sat cross-legged on a cushion, his eyes closed, looking as if he was meditating.
A smile touched Maunli's lips.
"Of course."
"That plan has been in preparation for a long time."
"And it is deeply concealed."
"As long as the two nations are drawn into the battlefield, their rear will naturally fall into chaos. This is our only chance right now."
"When all star nations are in turmoil, only then can we escape our current predicament."
"To be honest, I never expected to use it here. I can only say it's fortunate that heaven always looks after those who are prepared."
As a Virus expert, Flaorse could not forgo spreading Viruses within other star nations.
The surrounding star nations had been severely affected for years.
The main reason the Saintees Star Nation was the number one enemy of the Ynun Star Nation was mainly because the two star nations were too close.
The Rusty Star Nation was still tens of light-years away from the Ynun Star Nation, whereas the closest distance between the Saintees Star Nation and the Ynun Star Nation was only 3.7 light-years— practically next door.
The Kingdom of Sky was actually closer to the Ynun Star Nation than the Rusty Star Nation was.
Therefore, this war truly erupted because of the Rusty King's rebellion and the covetousness of the Supernova Technology Corporation. Logically, the Ynun Star Nation would not have moved against the Rusty Star Nation first.
"Hahaha, let us wish for our victory."
Ynun and Maunli both smiled. They knew their victory was certain.
Even if they made no progress in the M36 star cluster, the rear bases of the Saintees Star Nation and the Kingdom of Sky were still ripe meat for them to claim. They could divert their forces to devour that meat, fattening themselves up.
...
Every star nation had its own calculations. In their hearts, they all hoped to be the ones who achieved victory and took the largest slice of the pie.
But they were truly unaware. The M36 star cluster was a bloodbath beyond their imagination.
20 years passed almost in the blink of an eye.
The fleets of the Saintees Star Nation and the Kingdom of Sky were now less than 1 light-year away from the M36 cluster. At their speed, it would only take a little over three years to enter the M36 cluster.
And inside the M36 cluster, the four major fleets of the Rusty Star Nation had already laid down an inescapable net.
Christine.
A Star City in an inconspicuous star system. The permanent population here was a pitiful 2.1 billion.
The majority of them were a mix of real and fake clones. They essentially had no human rights; they were just a group of slaves. Clones were sometimes used to expand a star nation's population, but their primary use was as slaves.
Many people disliked machinery, so they simply used more slaves to accomplish the tasks machinery would perform. In terms of cost, clones even had an advantage.
Toma K had come to this primary city in the star system from within the star nation, and he had settled here, unable to leave. It wasn't that someone was restricting him, but he couldn't obtain his proper identity and corresponding authority, making it very uncomfortable for him to leave even if he could.
"Truly…"
"Are good fantasies so easily shattered?"
"Leaving the core territory of the Rusty Star Nation, it's no different from before. Don't you think so, Tissifa?"
Tissifa was a clone he had purchased. When he first saw her, both her limbs had been peeled off; she was prepared to be discarded as scrap. Toma K bought her, then had the hospital restore her health, and kept her by his side ever since. This was only because Giotto had left, leaving him feeling very lonely here.
"I don't know how to answer!" Tissifa replied very directly. She didn't know Toma K's past.
Toma K shook his head, "It's fine if you don't know; I don't know either."
"It's not that I'm pessimistic, but this damnable world always guides me toward pessimism."
"Tissifa, tell me, what is the greatest meaning of life for people on this world?"
"Giotto actually didn't give me a clear answer; he just gave me a goal. That damned old man."
Giotto pulled him out of his awkwardness and gave him a new expectation. Then he realized that this point was completely unreliable.
"I… I… I think it should be survival."
Isn't the meaning of life simply to survive? That made sense.
"There are still a few things that need to be changed." Toma K fell silent after speaking. Several hours passed just like that.
Suddenly, a doorbell rang. Tissifa went to open the door. It was a soldier in uniform. He said to Tissifa, "I need to see Director Toma K."
Toma K immediately called out from inside the room, "Let him in."
The soldier entered and saw Toma K lying on the sofa, his body emitting heat. The heat was likely the effect of consuming some kind of drug. He had heard of it; it was said to have some hallucinogenic effects, capable of causing people to become confused.
"What is it?" Toma K couldn't fathom the purpose of a common soldier seeking him out. He didn't want to think about it.
"The entire army has entered combat readiness state. I assume you have received the information. I invite Director Toma K to board our ship on behalf of our Shipmaster."
No one had informed Toma K. Hearing this, a surge of anger rose in Toma K's heart.
Such important news—even a single soldier knew about it, yet he did not. This was the ultimate disrespect. He looked at the soldier before him and said, "Shipmaster? Your Shipmaster doesn't know this either, otherwise he would have come himself."
"Your courage is great, but also small."
"You risk offending me by inviting me onto your ship. This way, your ship won't be deployed to the very front to die."
Toma K saw through him almost instantly. Calling him and Giotto foolish was relative. It didn't mean they were worse than these low-ranking individuals.
The soldier immediately felt sweat breaking out. He stammered, "This, this was my doing, I only…"
Toma K waved his hand. "No need for explanations. I should also thank you for bringing me this information; otherwise, I wouldn't have known."
"You overestimate my status; my position isn't that high. However… I will board your ship."
Toma K wanted to see how those people would wage this war. Those arrogant fellows. Did they really have the capability to resist a star nation's fleet?
Although he was usually somewhat frivolous, his status dictated the amount of information he received. He knew about the Saintees Star Nation's Royal Sword and the Kingdom of Sky's Glorious Fleet.
Either one was a legendary existence, the main striking force of a star nation. And now, they were expected to resist the enemy's attack under these circumstances—how could they resist?
The deployment of the two fleets meant the Fourth Fleet's plan had failed. Theoretically, the situation was extremely difficult. He thought he might witness the decline of the Rusty Star Nation.
"There are no gods in this world; miracles do not happen."
No one had more authority to say this than Toma K.