Translator: CinderTL
Stellaris, locomotive cabin.
Chen Mang sat in a chair, engaging in conversation with the pavilion master of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion and others. The atmosphere was remarkably harmonious, with everyone appearing quite satisfied.
The Black Tortoise Civilization, built upon over a century of accumulated foundation, had amassed nearly ten trillion worth of resources, including iron ore, copper ore, and more.
It was an astonishingly vast treasure trove.
Naturally, Chen Mang was delighted.
The pavilion master and the others were also pleased. The Apocalypse Plan had concluded nearly perfectly. All that remained was to see if the chosen "Apocalyptic Figure" could indeed overthrow the Kasha Civilization.
Meanwhile, in the Kasha Civilization Strategic Space Station, floating tens of thousands of kilometers above the planet's surface, the atmosphere was oppressive.
An elderly man in casual attire sat in a chair, slowly reviewing the system logs. Beside him stood Zhang Qidi and his adjutant, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.
After a long silence, the old man finally spoke: "Whistleblower Zhang Qidi, now that your deeds have been publicized, you've become a hero in the eyes of the people. The higher-ups are preparing to award you a Second-Class Merit."
"Really?"
Standing nearby, Zhang Qidi's eyes lit up with delight. He couldn't help but ask a few more questions, his mind already racing. With this Second-Class Merit on his record, he could soon be promoted again!
It was a time of peace.
Achievements were hard to come by.
But once obtained, they became a passport to rapid promotion.
The adjutant beside him, who had been nervous earlier, now felt a surge of excitement. If his superior was promoted, he could step up to replace him!
The old man was an investigator sent by the higher-ups to look into the incident.
He was the commander-in-Chief of the Western Region.
A powerful figure.
The Kasha Civilization Federation was divided into five regions: East, West, South, North, and Central. The Western Region, being closest to the Zerg Civilization, naturally had the strongest military presence and received the most resources.
Among all the regions, the commander-in-Chief of the Western Region held the greatest authority!
The fact that such a highly influential figure had personally come to investigate this incident completely exceeded his expectations. He had originally planned to use bribery, threats, and other means to cover up the secret if an investigation uncovered it, but none of those methods could possibly work on someone like this.
Just as he thought he was certain to be exposed, not only did the old man acknowledge him, but he seemed to have detected not a single trace of suspicion.
As expected, Zhang Qidi thought, my plan is flawless. There couldn't possibly be any mistakes.
"Keep up the good work," the old man said, rising slowly and approaching Zhang Qidi with a smile. "I greatly admire you, including that sword-bearer, Zhang Shaoping. In the face of impending crisis, you both withstood tremendous pressure to make the correct choice. This strategic acumen, courage, and decisiveness are rare in this world."
"I've already personally informed personnel. You two will soon receive transfer orders to my direct command unit. Your rank will be elevated by one level, and your benefits will be upgraded to Tier 3."
A flicker of excitement crossed Zhang Qidi's eyes. He quickly bowed, suppressing the tremor in his voice. "Thank you for your recognition, commander! I will gladly shed my blood and sacrifice my life for you!"
"Wherever your sword points, commander, will be my final resting place!"
The old man said nothing more. He simply smiled, accompanied by his aides, and walked to the docking port of the Kasha Civilization Strategic Space Station. Boarding a shuttlecraft, he returned to his train.
Around the space station, over twenty trains hovered in dense formation, their pitch-black hulls absorbing nearly all light and exuding an imposing presence. These were his elite forces.
Whew.
Zhang Qidi watched the departing figure of the West District commander, then let out a long sigh of relief and slumped back in his chair. He slowly lit a Victory cigar, leaned back with relish, and glanced at his adjutant with a smug smile.
"Well?" he asked. "Have you learned?"
"This is why I've been promoted faster than you. In this day and age, the timid starve while the bold feast."
"I've learned," the adjutant replied.
"Commander, your plan is truly insane."
The adjutant's expression shifted to complete admiration and respect. He nodded fervently, equally excited. Finally, he could be promoted! He'd been stuck in this position for thirty-seven fucking years!
"Come here," Zhang Qidi said, exhaling a thin stream of blue smoke. He smiled contentedly. "I'll teach you something even more important."
The adjutant obediently approached and leaned in to listen.
The next moment—
Tutututu!!!
The sharp crack of gunfire erupted.
Zhang Qidi rose from his chair, stretching his limbs. He glanced at his deputy, lying in a pool of blood, and sighed, "The fewer people who know about this 'secret,' the better. Did you learn that?"
Then he lightly snapped his fingers.
Several robots, equipped with various tools, began cleaning up the evidence.
Meanwhile, Zhang Qidi sat back down, humming an unknown tune with a pleased expression. He scrolled through news articles praising him as a "Whistleblower," his eyes sparkling with amusement.
"Crazy?"
"Crazy is exactly what we need."
"You can't achieve mastery without madness."
Within the universe, aboard the Western commander's train, an elderly man was bent over his desk, documenting the investigation's findings. After a long moment of hesitation, his deputy finally spoke up, "commander, there are still many unanswered questions about this investigation. Are we really going to end it like this?"
"We found no traces of wormhole energy fluctuations."
"The Zerg Civilization is tens of thousands of light-years away from the Kasha Civilization. Could they have traveled here solely by the Mothership's propulsion, without using a wormhole?"
"And Zhang Qidi claimed all Zerg Mothership wreckage was blasted into deep space during the explosion, but..."
He didn't finish his sentence.
The old man interrupted, his voice steady and measured, "Whistleblower Zhang Qidi. What a pleasant-sounding title. Do you know how long it's been since I last received a Second-Class Merit?"
"Long, long, long."
"And yet Zhang Qidi received a Second-Class Merit for this."
"A long time ago."
"I've always opposed the higher-ups' plan. What are the characteristics of the Zerg Civilization?"
"Infinite Wormhole + Rapid Reproduction + Infinite Resurrection + Devour and Evolve."
"Any one of these traits could support a civilization becoming a top-tier civilization. And the Zerg Civilization has all four! The higher-ups want to coexist peacefully with the Zerg Civilization, letting both sides develop until they're both strong enough, and then have a final, decisive battle."
"But—"
"How can we possibly compete with the Zerg Civilization in terms of development?"
"The Zerg Civilization has always been expanding, devouring surrounding civilizations and developing rapidly. Meanwhile, the Kasha Civilization? Those damned parasites, driven by their own selfish desires, are wasting the federation's strategic resources!"
"I dare not even imagine how much strategic reserve resources are being recklessly squandered in just this small corner. What about the rest of the Federation?"
"Is the Kasha Civilization, with its outward display of prosperity in this supposed golden age, already riddled with internal decay?"
"I only know how to wage war."
"How to govern? I don't know. I only understand two things."
"Firstly."
"We can't continue to compete with the Zerg Civilization in terms of development. We should go to war, even if our on-paper strength is slightly weaker. Once battle is joined, there's always hope and opportunity."
"Throughout history, if victory always went to the side with superior on-paper strength, there would have been far fewer wars. Before each conflict, the commanders could simply compare their forces, and the weaker side would concede immediately."
"Secondly."
"Only war can reunite the already fractured Kasha Civilization. I will force those who have seized strategic resources to return them. If they refuse, wartime measures will be employed."
"All individuals may be executed."
"All families may be confiscated."
"Commander"
A flicker of shock crossed the deputy's face as he stammered, his voice trembling, "Commander, this is no trivial matter! Please think carefully before acting!"
He had initially assumed the commander had overlooked certain flaws.
He never expected the commander to see everything clearly.
He was simply choosing not to mention them.
He intended to use this as a pretext to launch a full-scale war between the Kasha Civilization and the Zerg Civilization.
Once war began, it would be unstoppable.
This meant countless lives would be lost, and this region would become a meat grinder, devouring one life after another. He knew a clash between the Zerg Civilization and the Kasha Civilization was inevitable, but he never imagined it would come so soon.
"Perhaps... we should consult the higher-ups again?"
"Consult them?" A flicker of disdain crossed the old man's eyes as he whispered, "What's the point in talking to those greed-corrupted fools? The strategic resources allocated to the Western Region have dwindled year by year, siphoned off through countless hands and skimmed at every level."
"Secretly inform my trusted confidants about what's happening here."
"Eliminate the pawns planted here by other factions."
"In three days—"
"I want to see all the military forces secretly assembled and ready to launch a coordinated assault at my command!"
"If the higher-ups don't rein me in, the Western Military District will be annihilated. With the Kasha Civilization's survival hanging by a thread, how will they be in a position to curry favor? I'll drag everyone into this decisive battle with the Zerg Civilization, a foolish race to maturity that we cannot win!"
"Damn it."
"The Zerg Civilization is full of insects, but not a single parasite."
"The Kasha Civilization is full of people, but also full of parasites."
"All these parasites deserve to die!"
The assistant standing nearby trembled violently, his lips turning blue, unable to utter a single word. He knew he was witnessing the very reason for the end of an era.
War was coming!
The ultimate clash between two top-tier civilizations!
If the Western Military District truly engaged, the Kasha Civilization would have no choice but to follow through. They couldn't possibly stand by and watch the Western Military District be annihilated.
And it was all because of that damned Zhang Qidi, who had concealed his mistakes.
Yes.
They had already uncovered the truth.
Zhang Qidi's report claimed that several hidden strategic wormholes had been destroyed during the conflict. But their on-site investigation revealed that, long before the war began, two hidden strategic wormhole coordinates already bore traces of intense wormhole fluctuations.
This meant that these two concealed strategic wormholes had been activated long before the war started.
How they were activated, he didn't know.
Each concealed strategic wormhole required tremendous resources. Wasting two such critical strategic assets would inevitably implicate Zhang Qidi. To avoid accountability, he meticulously orchestrated this entire Zerg invasion scenario.
This Zhang Qidi is insane!
Even more alarming was the commander's madness. He completely ignored the glaring flaws in the plan, preparing to use this pretext to launch a full-scale assault.
This is preposterous!
He had always known the commander was a staunch war advocate, but wasn't this taking it too far?
Even if they ultimately won the war, annihilating the Zerg Civilization, the commander would undoubtedly face a military court-martial and execution after the conflict. Defying Central's orders, secretly amassing an army, and launching a surprise attack on the Zerg Civilization—what difference was there between this and outright rebellion?
It's even worse than outright rebellion.
Madness.
Madness.
The deputy stood frozen in place, his face pale. He felt utterly out of place in this world, a world that had gone mad. He began to doubt his own sanity, wondering if he shouldn't be the one to embrace madness instead.
...
Three days later, Chen Mang departed from Black Tortoise Star, bringing his time in this cultivation civilization to a close.
The pavilion master of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion and his companions remained on Black Tortoise Star. As they parted ways, the pavilion master gazed at him with eager anticipation, his eyes betraying a faint trace of worry—not the kind of concern for his safety, but rather the anxiety of a gift given with no expectation of return.
Upon leaving, the Stellaris train, now docked at Aquablue Star, carried a significant number of captive demon beasts gifted by the pavilion master.
He was a good man.
In return, Chen Mang presented the pavilion master with 10 billion bottles of Cola.
Each bottle was equal to the most supreme grade of Marrow Cleansing Pills, which he had originally intended to sell as merchandise. However, after the two became friends, he gifted them freely instead, at a cost of 10 billion units of iron ore.
With these Marrow Cleansing Pills, the spiritual roots of nearly every individual in the Black Tortoise Civilization could be dramatically enhanced, directly bolstering the foundation of their entire civilization.
Now, the Stellaris train drifted through the cosmos, swaying gently as it steadily made its way toward Hibiscus Star—a planet that, through good fortune, had been spared in the war.
He decided to sell all the Blazing Sun Garments he had on the train.
Although the pavilion master of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion's generous gifts had left him well-endowed, he believed in both saving and spending wisely. Keeping these garments would be a waste; selling them would put them to good use.
Chen Mang leaned back in his chair, his body relaxed. The past few days had been overwhelming, with his meticulously laid plans collapsing under external pressures.
He failed to sell the Marrow Cleansing Pill.
He failed to establish the tourism conglomerate.
Yet—
The results were perfect. In just a few days, he had amassed nearly ten trillion units of resources.
The process was all wrong, but the outcome was entirely correct.
This left him somewhat helpless. No matter how meticulously humans plan, they can't compete with the whims of fate. He had intended to build his power step by step through his own efforts, yet through sheer luck, he had stumbled upon nearly ten trillion units of resources.
It made him feel like a blessed fool.
He glanced at the resource balance displayed on the train panel.
[5.1 trillion units of iron ore, 919.2 billion units of wood, 3.13 trillion units of copper ore, 919.4 billion units of Red Heart Rock, 1.7 trillion units of titanium crystal ore.]
Iron ore, copper ore, and titanium crystal ore.
These three resources were all measured in the trillions.
Even wood, which had been nearly depleted, had been replenished to nearly a trillion units.
Next came the major upgrade!
Tier 100 was a threshold. After surpassing Tier 100, the cost to upgrade all accessories would dramatically increase.
This included the green-grade accessory, Steel Carriage Armor. Upgrading it from Tier 1 to Tier 100 had cost him just over 1 trillion units of iron ore.
But upgrading from Tier 100 to Tier 102 alone had cost him over 300 billion units of iron ore.
This increase was no small matter.
Upgrade.
As usual, he started with defense!
He had initially thought that Tier 100 armor defense was sufficient, but in practice, it still fell short. While it was more than enough to handle First-Tier Civilizations, it proved inadequate against advanced civilizations and their Star-Destroying Main Cannons.
He needed to ensure the armor's defense was extremely high before he could have more freedom of movement.
Chen Mang glanced at the cost of upgrading the armor to Tier 200 in one go.
He couldn't help but sigh deeply.
Not a bit more, not a bit less.
Exactly 30 trillion units of iron ore.
The Black Tortoise Civilization had accumulated only 5 trillion units of iron ore in nearly a century. To help him upgrade the armor to Tier 200, they would require another 600 years of accumulation.
He had originally thought this was a vast resource.
But it seemed...
Even this wasn't nearly enough to upgrade the armor to Tier 200.
Well, never mind.
After a moment's thought, he withdrew 4 trillion units of iron ore and upgraded the "Steel Train Armor" accessory from Tier 102 to Tier 115 in one go.
This level of defense would allow for many actions.
The Kasha Civilization's main trains had firepower accessories generally around Tier 101. Tier 115 would be sufficient for the time being.
As long as no large-scale war broke out, Tier 115 armor would allow for complete freedom of movement in the Kasha Civilization
The entire process took only a minute.
Four trillion units of iron ore vanished without a trace, yielding not even a single new overpowered effect. The stark contrast was striking: the Black Tortoise Civilization's painstakingly accumulated resources, built up over a century, had been casually squandered in an instant.
One trillion one hundred billion units of resources remained.
He decided to upgrade the Arcanon Light Energy Main Cannon as well.
Though he had no intention of engaging in conflict and thus didn't immediately need advanced weaponry, there was a world of difference between having a capability and not.
This was a Seven-Colored Grade Accessory.
After consuming—
Eighteen billion units of iron ore, he successfully upgraded the accessory to Tier 101!
He couldn't reach Tier 200 for now; reaching that tier would require a total of five trillion units of iron ore.
Though cheaper than the armor, the cost was still beyond his current means.
It was absurd.
Upgrading a green-grade accessory actually consumed far more resources than upgrading a Seven-Colored Grade Accessory.
And with this, he unlocked a brand-new overpowered effect.
Arcanon Light Energy Main Cannon Tier 100 Overpowered Effect: Can cause severe damage to a planet's core.
"So that's how it is."
Chen Mang nodded thoughtfully. It seemed that not all Tier 100 Seven-Colored Grade firepower accessories could easily destroy a star. Only the Arcanon Light Energy Main Cannon, due to its overpowered effect, could achieve this with greater ease.
A single Tier 100 attack required 80 billion units of iron ore.
This was after the consumption had been halved.
I'm broke.
He had less than 90 billion units of iron ore left, essentially back to being impoverished overnight. He kept a small reserve of iron ore for emergencies, in case he ran out during a crisis, and then looked at upgrading a few small accessories before the remaining iron ore was depleted.
He did have plenty of copper ore, but he didn't have any Seven-Colored Grade firepower accessories that used copper ore as ammunition. He'd have to see if he could get one in the future.
"It's still not enough."
Sitting in his chair, Chen Mang sighed. He knew the Black Tortoise Civilization had done its utmost and wasn't holding anything back. The resources they had provided were equivalent to several First-Class Mining Planets, but it still wasn't enough. It was truly insufficient.
The Stellaris must develop into a train capable of dominating the universe!
This was not something that could be achieved through the foundation of a few mining stars or even a few civilizations.
He needed vast, even colossal, resources.
Just to achieve a single step.
"We still need to find a way to exploit the Kasha Civilization."
Chen Mang leaned back in his chair, deep in thought. Whether it was his "Marrow Cleansing Pill" plan or his "Tourism Group" plan, both were destined to be profitable, but the profits would never reach the scale of fifty trillion.
After all, the Jimei Tourism Group had previously only been worth a few billion.
Even if it grew larger, it wouldn't grow much larger.
But—
The Kasha Civilization was incredibly wealthy. A single concealed strategic wormhole required resources on the scale of tens of trillions, perhaps even hundreds of trillions. Spanning tens of thousands of light-years, constructing such a wormhole was naturally incredibly expensive.
If he could find a way to extract some resources from the Kasha Civilization...
Even a tiny leak would be enough to sustain him for a long time.
The only question was:
How exactly should he go about it?
Chen Mang sat in his chair, deep in thought. He had only a vague idea and no concrete plan for how to execute it. Time slipped by quickly as he pondered.
The Stellaris train had successfully landed on Hibiscus Star and passed through the checkpoints to enter the parking area.
Hibiscus Star, located in the 27th Galaxy of the Kasha Civilization Federation, was the homeworld of the Hibiscus Civilization. It was quite renowned throughout the Federation.
This planet had the highest concentration of wormholes leading to the ruins of the Mechanical Civilization. A constant stream of adventurers flocked to Hibiscus Star, entering these wormholes to explore the ruins and excavate artifacts, which the planet produced in abundance.
Artifacts like the Blazing Sun Garment, for example.
This had created a massive market, drawing merchants from countless civilizations to gather and trade these treasures.
Hibiscus Star, Clearwater City.
"The scent of the Mechanical Civilization is very strong here."
Chen Mang was followed by Old Pig, Biaozi, and their group as they walked through the unfamiliar streets of the city. The cityscape looked strangely familiar, resembling the Mechanical Civilization cities he had encountered in the fortuitous encounter map.
It looked very similar.
It was obvious.
This civilization's culture was gradually being assimilated by the Mechanical Civilization.
Everyone seemed to embrace the Mechanical Civilization's culture.
Humans naturally admire strength.
Although the Kasha Civilization suppresses nearly ten thousand civilizations with iron-fisted methods, a significant number of people within those civilizations still idolize the Kasha Civilization. In fact, whenever members of the Kasha Civilization reveal their identities in a city, large numbers of women who usually appear aloof and distant eagerly swarm forward, clumsily expressing their admiration in broken language.
The elderly representative from the Jimei Tourism Group temporarily parted ways with the group. He took the train, carrying some passengers who hadn't returned, to complete the interstellar journey before officially joining the Stellaris.
As for Young Master Li and the others, they had already become members of the Stellaris train crew and had been implanted with Iris Chips.
For a moment, the Stellaris train seemed like a cursed orphanage—virtually every member who joined had lost their parents.
Just then—
Woo—waa—woo—waa!
Woo—waa—woo—waa!
The entire city suddenly flashed with red lights as the piercing alarm sounded again.
In that instant!
The city erupted into chaos, but perhaps due to past experience, everyone instinctively knew the locations of the nearest air-raid shelters. Behind them, Zhang Yiye quickly lowered the refrigerator, preparing to let Lord Mang and the others go first.
"Wait."
Chen Mang glanced at the large screens mounted on the skyscrapers, raised his hand to stop everyone, and spoke softly.
The target acquisition radar showed no large military formations within 0.1 light-years.
Then, an image appeared simultaneously on all screens:
An elderly man.
A silver-haired elder in military uniform, adorned with countless medals of honor. Though advanced in years, his vitality far surpassed that of a youth, his eyes burning with fiery rage as he spoke, each word deliberate:
"Six days ago, the Zerg Civilization secretly dispatched military forces to the 27th Galaxy of the Kasha Civilization Federation and destroyed a staggering 29 planets."
"Trillions of lives were lost."
"The Kasha Civilization has always pursued peaceful coexistence, believing every civilization has the right to survive. But the Zerg Civilization shattered this consensus. I am Li Wei, commander-in-Chief of the Western Region of the Kasha Civilization Federation!"
"Today, we have activated the concealed strategic wormhole with our entire military force and have arrived in the domain of the Zerg Civilization. We will initiate a full-scale war at any moment."
"This war has been a long time coming. Our pursuit of peace led the Zerg Civilization to mistake us for weak, an insult that cannot be tolerated. Only war—only war—can bring true peace!"
"True peace is never achieved through concessions!"
"It must be fought for!"
"Only when everyone is too afraid to speak, too afraid to provoke, will we achieve peace!"
"We now call upon all civilizations to mobilize their trains and able-bodied citizens for war. After evaluating each train's Tier, overall strength, and other factors, those who participate will receive substantial rewards upon the war's conclusion. Outstanding performers may even be granted the opportunity to marry into the Kasha Civilization, with their children eligible to join the Kasha Civilization."
A short, terse declaration.
As the voice faded,
the camera panned to reveal:
Tens of thousands of high-level trains, forming a swarm-like formation, rapidly hurtling into the depths of space. Countless stars served as the perfect backdrop. No joke—war had truly begun!
Everyone suddenly realized this.
The Zerg invasion served as the catalyst, igniting this war.
Once two advanced civilizations clash in a war of this magnitude, there's essentially no room for peace talks or ceasefires. Both sides will exhaust their foundations until one civilization is completely annihilated.
Just like the great war between the Zerg Civilization and the Mechanical Civilization.
"It's indeed not much."
Chen Mang calmly observed the footage scrolling across the screen: the entire Western Military District's forces amounted to only tens of thousands of trains. It seemed the Kasha Civilization's greatest weakness was its severe lack of manpower and trains.
Though the trains were high-grade, their numbers were simply insufficient.
He wondered about the specific Tier of their accessories.
"Let the war begin."
He withdrew his gaze, said nothing more, and continued walking down the street. Though he had hoped to rest and develop in a peaceful era, avoiding the war's rapid onset and its many unforeseen consequences, he realized there were also opportunities in this chaos. One could fish in troubled waters.
Pros and cons, as always.
But...
"Join the Army! Join the Army! I'll avenge my parents! I'll avenge civilization!"
"I want to join the Army! I just want to die in battle!"
The streets buzzed with fervor as red-eyed protesters pumped their fists and shouted. These were train conductors—many of whom had become homeless wanderers after the destruction of numerous civilizations in the 27th Galaxy.
The devastation of their homelands had fueled an intense hatred for the Zerg Civilization.
The call to arms reached its peak the moment the Kasha Civilization launched its full-scale counterattack. No one had expected the Kasha Civilization to react so fiercely, launching a counteroffensive without even acknowledging the provocation.
Chen Mang silently observed the scene, remaining silent as he continued walking forward, leaning on his cane.
In his view, trying to compete with the Zerg Civilization in terms of development had always been a foolish endeavor.
They should have fought, but they fought too late. Had the Kasha Civilization joined the battlefield the day the Zerg Civilization and the Mechanical Civilization went to war, coordinating a pincer attack against the Zerg Civilization, they might have stood a chance of victory. But now, after so much time had passed, who knew how far the Zerg Civilization had advanced?
At the time, the Kasha Civilization might have thought that by letting both sides weaken each other, they could swoop in and reap the benefits. But they didn't anticipate that the Zerg Civilization would grow stronger with each battle, showing no signs of mutual exhaustion.
Behind Chen Mang, Zhou Shenqiu swept aside Young Master Li and the others. When he looked at the emotionally agitated crowd, a flicker of sorrow passed through his eyes.
These people...
They don't even know who their true enemies are.
Their families were slaughtered by their enemies, yet they still work tirelessly for those same enemies.
The truth often leads to unfortunate outcomes.
A fortunate outcome isn't called a surprise; it's called a perfect ending.
Not long after,
Chen Mang finally arrived at the largest market, ready to sell all his Blazing Sun Garments. Even if war broke out, it wouldn't affect his business. Such conflicts wouldn't be resolved quickly; once wars of this scale began, they typically spanned decades, even centuries.
Take, for example, the 295-year war between the Mechanical Civilization and the Zerg Civilization, which ultimately led to the Mechanical Civilization's downfall.
Of course,
before its downfall, the Mechanical Civilization implemented desperate measures. They reformed their calendar, making each day equal to one year. This way, their war lasted a staggering 108,000 years before their eventual destruction.
It sounds much better that way.
I wonder which divine being made this decision.
How did they manage to think of this right before dying? It's no different from deleting your Quark Browser history after a car accident—both are equally futile gestures.
However...
Since the Kasha Civilization was the first to launch the general offensive, the battlefield should be within the Zerg Civilization's territory. The advantage of this is that it prevents damage to their own civilization's territory; all destruction occurs on enemy land.
The flaw is the incredibly long supply lines, which put immense pressure on logistics. Command communication and resource allocation also require massive expenditures.
But since the Kasha Civilization has already gone to war, they must have made thorough preparations. Still, I hope they don't waste too many resources—it's all my resources. Taking so much and still being so weak is just a waste.
If they had left those resources to me, I would have already annihilated the Zerg Civilization from top to bottom.
I hate insects.
Currently, I don't hold much hope for the Kasha Civilization's victory. The odds are roughly 70/30, with the Kasha Civilization holding the 30%. Despite the Kasha Civilization being at Tier 3 and the Zerg Civilization only at Tier 2.
But the Zerg Civilization's achievements were simply too dazzling.
Their record was undeniable.
This was the pure and unadulterated era of the Heavenspan Dynasty.
At that moment—
In the depths of the cosmos—
The military forces led by Li Wei were now a full 30,000 light-years away from the 27th Galaxy. Orders cascaded down, directing the troops to spread out across multiple fronts. Massive forces streamed through pre-established wormholes, converging in a pincer movement to launch a coordinated assault on the Zerg Civilization.
Meanwhile, a swarm of shuttlecraft had been dispatched to probe the Zerg domain, gathering intelligence in real-time.
"Commander," the deputy said, holding a cube-like object reminiscent of a Rubik's Cube in his hands. He turned to the seated commander, his voice trembling with caution. "Central has been trying to reach you repeatedly. Should we answer this time?"
"Yes," the elderly commander replied calmly, waving his hand.
A moment later, an image materialized in the air. Though the transmission stuttered due to the vast distance, the voice came through crystal clear:
"Li Wei!"
"What the fuck do you think you're doing? Who authorized you to launch a full-scale assault without orders?!"
"Are you trying to rebel?"
"I order you to return immediately!"
"Return?"
The old man leaned back in his chair, his expression calm as he replied nonchalantly, "To conserve resources, most of the hidden strategic wormholes we built were unidirectional—easy to enter, but difficult to exit."
"This place is 30,000 light-years from the 29th Galaxy, and we're about to make another Wormhole Jump. Even if my military's trains could travel at the speed of light, it would still take 30,000 years to get back."
"What exactly are you trying to do?!" The red-haired, white-eyed figure in the projection snarled furiously. "The reason we built so many unidirectional hidden strategic wormholes was for the 'Change of Home' plan!"
"That was a plan prepared when the Kasha Civilization was on the verge of collapse!"
"At that time, all military forces would be dispatched through the hidden strategic wormholes to wreak havoc on planets within the Zerg Territory, a mutually destructive plan! But that time hasn't come yet—how dare you dare to lead all the Western Region's military forces to launch a full-scale attack without authorization?"
"Who gave you the authority to do this?"
"You, of course."
The old man couldn't help but chuckle. "I gave you advice back then, suggesting that high-ranking positions like commander should be rotated periodically within the region to prevent local forces from becoming uncontrollable. But what did you say? You claimed that the Kasha Civilization had too few people, and constant rotations would weaken our combat effectiveness."
"Right."
"I've been in this position for nearly a century."
"I know everyone, and everyone knows me. This power... it frightens even me."
"If I wanted to launch a full-scale attack without you knowing, wouldn't that be child's play?"
"Moreover!"
"The Zerg Civilization has already launched a sneak attack on the 27th Galaxy. How can we continue to endure such provocations? Every time we yield, they'll keep striking until we can no longer handle it!"
"Now—"
"You have two choices before you."
"First, do nothing. The entire Western Military District will be annihilated, and the Kasha Civilization's strategic strength will be reduced by one-fifth."
"Second, swiftly secure the resource transport lines. Get logistics and reinforcements in place, transition to First-Level combat readiness, and join me in launching a full-scale attack."
"Even if it means death."
"We'll definitely be the first to die."
"Time is tight, but I believe you're capable of this. Though you're usually shortsighted, useless, greedy, and foolish, when the moment truly comes, I trust you'll perform admirably."
"Good luck."
"History, at this moment, will be rewritten by you and me."
"The blame lies with this generation, but the merit will endure for millennia."
"After the war, you can deal with me as you wish, but history will remember me—remember me as the one who fired the first shot."
"Oh."
The old man suddenly remembered something, sighing. "I almost forgot one thing. Before we departed, I audited all strategic resources and discovered a fifty percent shortfall. Don't you think the Kasha Civilization Federation is riddled with too many parasites?"
"These are resources meant for war, yet people still dared to embezzle them."
"So, before we left..."
"I confiscated the assets of all parasites in the Kasha Civilization Federation's Western Region. You know what happened? Not only did we recover all the missing strategic resources, but we ended up tripling our overall reserves."
"Sometimes, even parasites can be useful. At least they're quite skilled at hoarding resources."
"I naturally killed all the individuals."
"But their families have influential officials in Central. I didn't have time to eliminate them all. They might be furious, so you'll have to explain that I only spared them because I ran out of time. If I make it back alive, I'll make them clean their asses and wait for me."
"They all deserve to die."
With that, he cut off the projection and sat down, continuing to review the various data brought back by the shuttlecraft.
Central couldn't possibly oppose him.
Once he initiated the operation, even if countless officials in Central cursed him, they'd have no choice but to follow through.
We couldn't win anyway.
With a fifth of our strategic forces wiped out, fighting became even more hopeless. Our only option was to summon all our courage and launch a full-scale assault.
"Finished, finished!"
Meanwhile—
Inside one of the Military's trains, a middle-aged man paced restlessly in his officer's quarters, his eyes wide with fear. He kept glancing out the window at the chaotic scene unfolding in space, finding it impossible to calm down.
It was none other than Zhang Qidi himself—the Whistleblower Zhang Qidi.
He rather liked this title; it felt quite accurate.
But damn it...
How did things escalate to this point? Why did a full-scale assault suddenly begin, war on the brink? He never imagined things would spiral out of his control like this!
Whistleblower, my ass! He's about to blow himself straight into the ground!
That's not a whistle—he's playing a fucking suona!
What made matters worse was that he was actually part of the vanguard. The vanguard always suffered the heaviest casualties. He barely dared to hope he'd make it back alive. Was there still time to confess to the commander? To admit that the Zerg Civilization never invaded—that it was all a one-man show he'd orchestrated?
But wouldn't he still die anyway?!
How did he end up in a situation where every path led to death?
When did things start going downhill?
He remembered.
It all began when he dragged that damned person into that damned group chat!
Fuck!
(End of the Chapter)
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