Translator: AnubisTL
Inside the Stellaris train, Chen Mang sat in his seat, gazing at the images on the screen.
The planet's surface, visible within the train's interior, was littered with meteorite fragments, and numerous impact craters could be seen near the city. However, the thick cloud barrier appeared remarkably resilient, showing no signs of damage.
The size of this city...
He narrowed his eyes slightly, then after a moment, said, "Go measure Neon City's dimensions, then measure this city's dimensions."
"Understood."
Deep down, he suspected this unknown city was actually Neon City. After all, Neon City had always existed in reality, though its location remained a mystery. The only way to enter it was through a Neon City Entry Ticket.
If this truly was Neon City...
That would be fascinating.
It wouldn't just mean he finally possessed this city—though that was significant enough. More importantly, it would mean he could instantly travel from Aquablue Star, tens of thousands of light-years away, to this city, simply by using a Neon City Entry Ticket!
Crossing tens of thousands of light-years in the blink of an eye!
And the resources required to create a Neon City Entry Ticket were minimal!
Until now, in his understanding, there were only two ways to traverse tens of thousands of light-years to reach a distant zone: wormholes and refrigerators.
The former required vast resources. Even for the Zerg Civilization, whose innate talent was infinite tunneling, the resource cost of creating each wormhole, though far less than for other civilizations, remained substantial.
The latter, however, was far more economical. Normally, traversing not just tens of thousands, but even hundreds of thousands of light-years would be effortless.
The catch was that you first had to send someone with the refrigerator to the destination, or deliver the refrigerator ahead of time. You couldn't simply materialize the refrigerator at the target location.
But now, he knew of a third method: the Neon City Entry Ticket.
This method required minimal resources and could be mass-produced. If this truly was Neon City, it meant that the Mechanical Civilization of that era had developed this low-cost, rapid transportation accessory. The strategic implications on the battlefield would be immense. Every civilian accessory invariably had a higher-tier military counterpart. How, then, could a Mechanical Civilization with such capabilities have been so easily annihilated by the Zerg Civilization?
His curiosity grew.
The more he learned about the Mechanical Civilization, the stronger it seemed compared to his initial assumptions. It wasn't as weak as he'd imagined.
Soon, Xiao Ai's voice echoed in the locomotive cabin.
"Train Conductor."
"Measurements complete. The two cities are almost identical in size and shape, with a 70% probability they are the same city. However, we're unsure about those thick cloud barriers. Robots sent inside immediately lose contact. I propose sending in some demon beasts tethered with ropes to investigate."
"Agreed," Chen Mang nodded slightly before continuing. "Send me the serial number of the robot that discovered the abandoned factory earlier. You go explore those thick clouds and find a way inside. I'll investigate the factory."
"Yes, sir!"
He walked alone into the nearby Combat Training Virtual Space and lay down inside. After inputting the robot's serial number, the scene before him instantly transformed into the robot's real-time perspective, as if his consciousness had been transported into the machine itself.
This was a new God-Tier Overpowered Effect he'd unlocked after consuming 1.3 billion units of iron ore to upgrade the yellow-grade Accessory, Combat Training Virtual Space, from Tier 10 to Tier 200.
Combat Training Virtual Space Tier 5 Overpowered Effect: Allows connection and battles with other trains, participation in ranked matches, and obtaining leaderboard rankings. Only compatible with users of the same Tier.
Combat Training Virtual Space Tier 10 Overpowered Effect: Training within the virtual space enhances physical fitness in reality.
Combat Training Virtual Space Tier 20 Overpowered Effect: Realism in the virtual space is significantly enhanced, with all five senses becoming more lifelike.
Combat Training Virtual Space Tier 50 Overpowered Effect: Pain sensation can be blocked.
Combat Training Virtual Space Tier 100 Overpowered Effect: Allows for multiple custom modifications.
Combat Training Virtual Space Tier 200 Overpowered Effect: Within radar range, train crew members can enter the Combat Training Virtual Space, synchronously control a robot, and experience fully immersive realism.
The overpowered effects from Tier 20 to Tier 100 were all quite ordinary.
The Tier 200 God-Tier Overpowered Effect, however, allowed for an even stronger sense of immersion when controlling robots. Even without this effect, similar results could be achieved, but primarily through Xiao Ai's remote control or by preprogramming commands. Achieving such flexibility, complete control from the robot's perspective, and the ability to die without any consequences to oneself was difficult.
It was a God-Tier Overpowered Effect unrelated to combat power, but incredibly useful in many situations.
In a certain sense, he could essentially possess countless avatars, with each robot serving as his own duplicate. The only limitation was his brain's capacity. If he were more capable, he could control tens of thousands of robots simultaneously, essentially transforming into a Zerg Queen. However, this was unrealistic; even a fully developed human brain might not be capable of such a feat, let alone his current state.
As for the Tier 100 overpowered effect, it sounded rather complex. Simply put, it allowed for extensive customization within the virtual space, including elements like "missions," "professions," "tiers," and "bosses."
When the world finally returns to peace...
By mass-producing Virtual Game Pods, he could create a virtual isekai game that would far surpass other virtual games in both realism and playability. It would be a form of entertainment.
Not bad.
Lying in the Combat Training Virtual Space, Chen Mang controlled the robot as it began exploring the abandoned square before him. The familiar factory gate, the familiar security booth at the entrance—it was identical to the factory structure he had encountered in the fortuitous encounter map.
It felt like he was conversing with Tuotuo from centuries ago.
The sensation was unique.
Chen Mang eagerly explored the factory, his memories of that day in the fortuitous encounter map still vivid. After that experience, Zhang Yiren had adapted the map's content into a script, and recently, it had been filmed and released as a paid movie on Aquablue Star. The reception had been favorable.
He had seen the movie himself.
It was indeed decent.
Old Pig had reported on this matter. This was the first paid movie released on the Stellaris, making it quite significant. It marked a shift: many entertainment activities, once monopolized by the Stellaris, were gradually transitioning to self-entertainment by the people below.
Only entertainment that allows people to entertain themselves is truly good entertainment.
The movie's content was a bit melodramatic.
It even included a subplot about the factory director having an affair with a mechanic's wife—a tale of the four great vices of life: gluttony, lust, greed, and sloth, which even citizens of a Third-Tier Civilization couldn't escape.
But just then—
"Huh?"
Chen Mang, controlling the robot, entered the factory director's office and noticed a chip plugged into the computer, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
When he had previously explored the fortuitous encounter map, there was no chip in the factory director's computer. This was the first noticeable difference from the map.
Curious, he found the chip on the desk and clicked on it with the mouse.
The next moment!
The screen suddenly blue-screened, then a line of text appeared:
[This is the diary of Princess Tuotuo of the Mechanical Civilization.
I don't know who will find this diary. Perhaps it will be forgotten, or perhaps it will be unearthed as a relic thousands of years from now. But I hope you will carefully preserve this diary, as it is the last trace I leave in this world.
Thank you.]
The opening contained only these three lines, simple and straightforward.
"..."
Chen Mang emerged from the Combat Training Virtual Space, sat back down in his chair, lit a cigarette, and eagerly watched the robot's perspective on the screen.
At moments like these, true immersion didn't matter much.
It was time for some guapiao.
TL/N: Chinese slang for "watching the drama unfold."
Guapiao time called for a cigarette, to be savored slowly. One of humanity's primal instincts was the desire to snoop.
Humans are natural-born voyeurs; no one truly resists the urge to peek into others' lives. This isn't limited to the stereotypical peeping tom; there are countless ways to indulge this curiosity, including obsessively stalking a "Goddess's" social media feed until you realize she's blocked you.
In a fit of anger, you delete her as a friend, only to discover you can now see ten of her photos.
Strangers can see ten, but you can't see a single one.
Among these voyeuristic impulses, snooping through someone's diary is particularly dopamine-inducing, especially a dying person's journal, where at least 70% of the entries are likely true.
Yes.
Though hard to admit, humans also inherently dislike being spied upon. Even in a dying person's journal, raw emotions will unconsciously censor certain details.
["It's been so long since I last typed on a physical keyboard. This relic, which should have been discarded by the era, is still widely used on a habitable planet within the Mechanical Civilization."
"Rapid civilization development creates such disparities."
"On the dozen or so homeworlds of the Mechanical Civilization, keyboards and mice are displayed as antiques in museums, for tourists to marvel at. Yet on many planets, they're still in common use."
"The era is progressing."
"But it seems the era has abandoned many people, and even the Mechanical Civilization itself."
"Before facing death, I decided to design this snapshot as my final destination. I hope that through the emotional conflicts within this abandoned factory, people can understand the lives of those at the bottom of the Mechanical Civilization."
"The following words are unknown to my AI."
"This is the secret of the Mechanical Civilization, its greatest shame. Before its downfall, the leaders deleted all related information. I recorded it here, hoping future generations will learn of it."
"At that time—"
"The Mechanical Civilization has long since fallen. You may scoff, fail to understand, or even believe such a thing could never happen, but I hope its history will be passed down truthfully."
"I love my civilization."
"But I also hate it. It had so many chances, yet it watched them all slip away. Out of spite, it even willingly witnessed its own demise."
"This year marks the 295th year since the war between the Mechanical Civilization and the Zerg Civilization began. Once evenly matched, the Mechanical Civilization's forces crumbled after the Zerg Civilization's military power surged. The battlefronts retreated relentlessly, completely unable to withstand the onslaught."
"Just as every civilization always has many voices and factions..."
"So it was with my civilization."
"Many years ago..."
"The Mechanical Civilization was dominated by two major factions."
"The design institute and the military."
"These two factions were the most powerful within the Mechanical Civilization, receiving the majority of the government's annual funding. The former was responsible for developing various train accessories, both civilian and military, while the latter handled expeditions and safeguarding the Mechanical Civilization's security."
"At first, the design institute continuously developed a wide variety of accessories each year, significantly enhancing the overall strength of the Mechanical Civilization."
"But as time passed, everything changed."
"The two factions began to clash, their conflicts growing increasingly frequent."
"The first disagreement was trivial, so minor that everyone forgot about it—except me. At the time, the design institute had developed a new accessory. During the presentation, the military's evaluation was scathing: utterly useless, a waste of resources."
"I knew why the military had reacted so harshly. They had recently applied for funding, which was rejected by higher-ups. Instead, the same authorities approved the design institute's funding request. Stung by this rejection, the military's representative spoke out of resentment."
"I've often searched for the true cause of the Mechanical Civilization's downfall, considering many possibilities: the Zerg Civilization's power, their sudden surge in strength, and so on. But only now do I realize that the true reason for the Mechanical Civilization's collapse was simply that it was time for it to fall."
"Division and unity are cyclical, an objective law that no one can prevent."
"And the seeds of this division were sown back then."
"Two factions that once worked together in harmony began to grow apart. The design institute wanted to test the performance of new accessories, but during expeditions to distant planets to mine rare resources or hunt Cosmic Behemoths, they could no longer mobilize military personnel."
"Meanwhile, the military could no longer obtain the latest accessories developed by the design institute."
"So—"
"The design institute allocated massive funds to build its own military force."
"The military allocated massive funds to establish its own research team."
"Leaders made countless attempts at reconciliation, but all ended in failure. This animosity wasn't rooted in the actions of a few individuals, but in the long-held belief on both sides that the other faction's success was because of them, yet still dared to act so arrogantly. Replacing the top leadership of both the design institute and the military made no difference."
"In this way, the rift persisted for over a century."
"The two factions became completely severed."
"At its most absurd peak, the best design team in the entire Mechanical Civilization was located within the 'military.' This was the result of the military spending vast resources to poach talent and cultivating them at any cost. Meanwhile, the strongest train in the entire Mechanical Civilization was located within the 'design institute.' This was the result of the design institute going to any lengths to outdo the military, pouring nearly all of its recent research and development resources into a single train."
"An extremely distorted situation."
"Although the military had the best design team, as a military organization, it couldn't allocate too many resources to research and lacked sufficient research facilities. This best design team in the Mechanical Civilization ended up having almost no research work to do, serving only to outdo the design institute."
"The design institute, on the other hand, rarely had combat missions. This strongest train in the Mechanical Civilization spent most of its time gathering dust, its sole purpose being to remain stationed at the design institute."
"Both sides had the strongest entities in the Mechanical Civilization, but neither could utilize them effectively."
"Afterward, several inconceivable conflicts erupted. By this time, the war had already been ongoing for some time."
"For example, the military's train was besieged by the Zerg. Though they managed to break through, the train was completely depleted of resources and suffered severe damage, constantly at risk of rupturing. They urgently sought assistance from the Mechanical Civilization, but after seven hours, they failed to reach the nearest military resource depot. This resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people on the train."
"Later investigations revealed that a resource depot belonging to the design institute was only about two hours away from the site of the accident."
"But—"
"From beginning to end, not a single person from the design institute spoke up about this. Even after the entire military convoy was wiped out, they secretly held a celebration banquet."
"Afterward, they claimed that these resource depots were exclusively for the design institute's use, funded by their resources, and not to be shared with outsiders."
"This incident deepened the conflict between the two factions."
"They practically viewed each other as mortal enemies."
"The design institute had no real need for trains, yet they still allocated vast resources every year to maintain these depots, just for the one or two train missions that occurred annually."
"It was an extreme waste of resources."
"Even though I work at the design institute, I still believe that even without the Zerg Civilization, the Mechanical Civilization would gradually head toward its demise."
"The war is drawing to a close."
"The Mechanical Civilization's advantages are dwindling. That group finally realized that continuing this way might not end well, and for the first time, the design institute bowed its head and handed over the original blueprints for two accessories developed over years of resource-intensive research: the 'Robot Research Center' and the 'Armed Black Hole Robot'."
"These two accessories allow for the defense against Zerg Swarm attacks at an extremely low resource cost."
"The Zerg Civilization loves to exploit chaotic battles to find a resident planet and dispatch massive numbers of Zerg Monsters for ground combat. This tactic keeps the Mechanical Civilization pinned down, since these are their planets, home to vast numbers of their clansmen, making it impossible to simply destroy them."
"The Mechanical Civilization must deploy ground forces to clear out the Zerg Monsters, and the process, along with the resulting heavy casualties, puts significant strain on their logistics."
"These two accessories will significantly turn the tide of the war."
"To achieve the perfect Tier 10 Overpowered Effect for these two accessories, the design institute has spent years investing vast quantities of Murphy Stones and resources. They finally produced the flawless Accessory Blueprints. We had hoped the military would come knocking, begging for them, but that day never came. In the end, we had no choice but to release them for free."
"But—"
"The design institute may have underestimated the military's stubbornness, as well as the deep-seated hostility between us."
"Even though the blueprints were made freely available..."
"The military refused to use them."
"They preferred to have their ground forces dragged onto the planet, preferred the daily loss of countless lives, preferred the constant depletion of resources, and preferred death over adopting the blueprints developed by the design institute. Instead, they relentlessly pushed their own research team to develop corresponding blueprints."
"Perhaps Fate smiled upon them."
"Three years passed."
"After consuming massive amounts of Murphy Stones and resources, the military's research team finally produced the perfect blueprints for the 'Robot Research Center' and 'Armed Black Hole Robot' accessories."
"That day, the entire military was in high spirits, and they held a grand Celebration Banquet to honor the achievement."
"I sat atop a tall building, watching the troops in the military zone beyond the city celebrate. My heart was filled with despair. As the princess of this civilization, I could only watch helplessly as my people marched toward destruction."
"I wanted to do something."
"But I couldn't do anything at all."
"Even my father was powerless. What could I possibly do?"
"All I could do was wait for death."
"For the same accessory blueprint, the Mechanical Civilization expended double the amount of Murphy Stone, double the resources, double the time, and double the lives lost."
"Sometimes I even felt relieved that there were only two such factions in the Mechanical Civilization. If there had been three, they would have had to expend three times as much."
"Just like that—"
"The most terrifying thing happened."
"It was also the greatest turning point."
"Even now, thinking about it gives me goosebumps. I can hardly believe my own clansmen were capable of such an act."
"After 239 years of war, the Mechanical Civilization was in a state of catastrophic collapse. It was then that the Zerg Civilization's military forces suddenly surged, becoming practically inexhaustible. They crushed the Mechanical Civilization, leaving it unable to recover, its resource supplies critically depleted."
"This is the 295th year of the war, and unless something unexpected happens, it will also be the last."
"Fully 56 years have passed since then."
"It wasn't until the 292nd year of the war that the design institute publicly announced that the Zerg Civilization's military wasn't simply growing exponentially in numbers, but that their monsters possessed the ability of infinite resurrection. After extensive research, the design institute discovered that when the Zerg Civilization deploys monsters, they mix in a batch of Tier 1 monsters called Antenna Worms."
"Extremely fragile."
"Nearly dying from a single touch."
"These monsters grant the ability of infinite resurrection to all Zerg Monsters in a given zone, but they usually hide in extremely safe positions at the rear."
"The design institute developed an accessory specifically targeting Antenna Worms, capable of killing all Antenna Worms in a zone from extreme long range."
"Truly remarkable."
"The design institute still has its foundation."
"But—"
"It has been 53 years since the Mechanical Civilization was being crushed by the Zerg. Yet, in the very first year of the war, when the Zerg Civilization's military forces first surged, the design institute secretly dispatched troops to capture several 'Antenna Worms.' After a year of research, they developed a method to kill all Antenna Worms within a zone spanning several light-years on the battlefield."
"If this method had been deployed on the battlefield back then..."
"I believe the course of the war would have been fundamentally altered."
"The Mechanical Civilization would have undoubtedly endured!"
"But..."
"What terrifies me is that the design institute concealed this information for fifty years, watching silently as the Mechanical Civilization's armies and clansmen were slaughtered in droves, like locusts, without revealing a single word."
"Watching silently as the Mechanical Civilization marched ever closer to extinction."
"Perhaps their previous overture of goodwill had been met with mockery, deepening the design institute's resentment. This time, they were far more ruthless, waiting until the Mechanical Civilization's military death rate had reached seventy percent, when no more conscripts could be found, and all stored resources had been exhausted."
"Only then did the design institute finally release the accessory blueprints."
"Perhaps those at the design institute, sitting safely in their offices, shielded from the brutal realities of war, naively believed that releasing the blueprints would settle the matter once and for all. They likely thought it would finally reveal who was truly indispensable, who could turn the tide."
"But..."
"Even if the military were to mass-produce this accessory now, it would be utterly useless."
"Our civilization is on the brink of extinction."
"But—"
"Even more infuriating is this: even at this critical moment, the military still refuses to acknowledge the original blueprint for this accessory. They'd rather die than use it. I rarely curse, but as I write this journal entry, I want to use the vilest language in my entire vocabulary to curse my civilization."
"I love my civilization."
"But my civilization is truly the worst in the entire universe. I love my civilization more than anyone else, yet I despise it more than anyone else."
"I'm deeply disappointed in the leadership of the Mechanical Civilization."
"From their initial indifference—perhaps even tacit approval, believing competition would make both sides stronger—to the point where it spiraled out of control, becoming uncontrollable, until it was too late to stop."
"Who is ultimately responsible for the Mechanical Civilization reaching this point?"
"The Zerg Civilization?"
"No."
"The Zerg Civilization was merely a trivial trigger."
"If the Mechanical Civilization were united, the Zerg Civilization would merely be a defeated adversary on the path to its prosperity. The Mechanical Civilization possesses the greatest team of designers in the entire universe, and a military that fears death least and willingly sacrifices their lives for the civilization."
"But."
"The problem lies precisely there."
"The former is too great, thus arrogant, unable to tolerate or accept criticism from others."
"The latter fears death too little, and has nearly been wiped out."
"I refuse to accept this."
"But I am powerless."
"As a powerless, ornamental princess of the Mechanical Civilization, I haven't seen my father in seven years. I can only silently watch this tower tilt and gradually collapse, enduring the pain of its collapse."
"The Mechanical Civilization is the most flourishing Train Civilization within hundreds of thousands of light-years, and has intentionally or unintentionally guided many other civilizations towards the Train Civilization model."
"I've left behind a significant amount of research data and experimental instruments from the design institute in this abandoned factory. If you have your own research team, it could be of great help. Even if you don't, selling them would yield a substantial fortune."
"Of course."
"I'm not sure if this planet will survive, nor if anyone will ever read this final diary entry. I miss my AI a little; it's a shame I gave him away. I hope he finds a good master someday."
"I don't want to write anymore. I'm feeling tired."
"This physical keyboard is giving me a slight handache. I even got a manicure recently, something I never used to bother with. Before dying, I thought I'd try experiencing things other girls enjoy."
"It doesn't feel particularly beautiful, though."
"It's quite inconvenient."
"It seems more like a symbol of idleness, a label for those who don't need to work or do anything productive. I hate that kind of ostentation."
"Oh, I almost forgot to mention."
"The reason I hadn't seen my father for seven years was because, during those final years, I couldn't stand it anymore and turned against him."
"But I have to admit, while my father wasn't particularly skilled at management, he was quite adept at handling such 'rehabilitation' matters. Just as I began my actions, I realized that everyone around me, including my mentor, had been secretly eliminated."
"That was quite impressive."
"This ultimately led to the 'Dawn Project' I was executing during the final years failing to allocate more resources due to insufficient funding."
"Come to think of it, I'm a parasite too."
"With resources so scarce on the front lines, I actually diverted them to planets across the universe affected by the Zerg, hoping to save at least one."
"Including myself."
"Every single member of the Mechanical Civilization is a beast."
"A civilization like this was destined to fall."
"Let it be."
"I am tired of such bullshit."
"Princess of the Mechanical Civilization, Tuotuo."
"."
Inside the Stellaris train, Chen Mang sat in his seat, painstakingly transcribing each word of this lengthy diary entry. The passage was long and information-dense, finally revealing how the Mechanical Civilization met its demise.
Numerous factors had converged.
Among them, the internal conflicts within the Mechanical Civilization had reached a point of near irreconcilability.
Generally speaking, when faced with overwhelming external pressures, most civilizations unite against a common enemy, temporarily setting aside their internal disputes. But for the Mechanical Civilization to remain so deeply divided even as it teetered on the brink of extinction was exceedingly rare.
By this point, several extinguished cigarette butts lay in the ashtray on the table.
He suddenly realized that all the more powerful civilizations seemed to share a common trait: deep-seated internal conflicts.
The Mechanical Civilization didn't need to be mentioned. Despite its deep internal conflicts, it hadn't erupted into full-scale war for years, remaining intact as a single civilization. He felt that Tuotuo's father had managed it quite well.
The Kasha Civilization was much the same.
The regulator of the 27th Galaxy had orchestrated a Zerg invasion, slaughtering over twenty First-Tier Civilizations, resulting in the deaths of trillions of lives.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Western Theater had completely ignored Central's orders, stubbornly leading all his forces on a long-range campaign against the Zerg Civilization.
TL/N: A theater command is a large, unified military command responsible for directing joint operations across a specific geographic region.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Central Theater had secretly colluded with pirates, massacring the families of the Western Theater's Commander-in-Chief.
But—
He felt the Kasha Civilization was still far superior to the Mechanical Civilization.
At least after the Western Theater's Commander-in-Chief stubbornly launched his campaign, the entire Kasha Civilization's logistics system truly sprang into action, genuinely preparing to commit all their forces to support the campaign, rather than simply watching the Western Theater's forces be annihilated.
If this were the Mechanical Civilization, the other four theaters would likely be preparing a celebration party by now.
A universal celebration.
This comparison made it clear why the Zerg Civilization could dominate this entire region without a single rival.
"Infinite Wormhole" + "Rapid Reproduction" + "Infinite Resurrection" + "Devour and Evolve."
These four utterly insane, bug-level abilities aside...
Now there's a fifth point:
"Absolute Autocracy."
Within the Zerg Civilization, there is no division. Everyone obeys the Zerg Queen Mother's commands without dissent, sacrificing their lives to carry out her orders. The entire civilization is united, channeling all their strength toward a single purpose, free of any internal parasites.
It's rather ironic, isn't it?
A Zerg Civilization, teeming with countless insects, every kind imaginable, yet devoid of any internal parasites.
These lessons from the seniors' history have taught him one thing:
Those in power must possess absolute authority to press any button. Work can be delegated, but power must be tightly gripped in one's own hands, never entrusted to others. When conflicts arise among subordinates that might jeopardize the train's future development, they must be eliminated immediately, before any fermentation can occur.
However, on this train, whether due to the generally harmonious atmosphere, his own charisma, or Old Pig's effective soothing methods, there have been no significant internal conflicts for a long time.
Perhaps it was simply too soon.
The group had just escaped an environment where they needed food and safety was uncertain, leaving them little time to think about much else.
As time passed and things gradually stabilized, such developments would likely emerge.
But Chen Mang was determined to extinguish any such sparks immediately, preventing them from spreading like wildfire.
After a long while, Chen Mang leaned back in his chair, stubbed out the nearly burnt-out cigarette in the ashtray, and sighed deeply. "This advanced civilization is far too complex internally," he murmured.
His first encounter with the Mechanical Civilization had been in the Sky Piercing Tower Encounter Map on Aquablue Star. There, he had witnessed an entire city of robots sacrificing themselves to protect a single train's escape. The war between the robots and the zerg had deeply moved him.
Humans are naturally suspicious creatures. They are deeply moved by such selfless loyalty, considering it a noble quality worthy of the highest admiration.
But here, he saw the selfishness and other vices within the Mechanical Civilization. This alone revealed the intricate complexity within a civilization's inner workings.
So far, the only other internally peaceful civilization he had encountered was the Black Tortoise Civilization.
Like the Peace-Seeking Civilization, their leading factions were forced to merge under external pressure. However, unlike the Peace-Seeking Civilization, they managed to put aside their differences and achieve a successful fusion. The Peace-Seeking Civilization, on the other hand, chose to wage internal war under the same pressure.
Before they could even begin fighting, their entire civilization had been annihilated.
As for the first peaceful civilization...
That was, of course, his own civilization.
In his civilization, his voice was the only one that mattered. He would never allow such a situation to arise.
Ten minutes later.
Inside Carriage 10 of the Stellaris train, a large number of high-precision experimental instruments were transported out from the Unnamed Space Gate and placed onto the ground conveyor belt to be transported to the Mecha Research Center in Carriage No. 2.
"Lord Mang!"
Qi Kexiu, standing nearby, looked at the instruments on the conveyor belt with extreme excitement and trembled as he said, "These high-precision instruments are far more advanced than the batch we seized last time!"
"As far as I know, even a research team from a Second-Tier Civilization couldn't produce instruments of this caliber!"
"Even... even the Kasha Civilization might not have them."
"There's still so much experimental data. With this, I can quickly develop the first accessory exclusive to the Stellaris!"
"Good."
Chen Mang nodded and silently turned to look at Xiao Ai beside him. "Take the essence and discard the dross. Delete any irrelevant parts of the experimental data."
"Understood." Xiao Ai nodded silently as well. He had just finished reading Tuotuo's entire journal entry and was completely baffled by it, feeling somewhat bewildered.
He never would have imagined that the true cause of the Mechanical Civilization's demise was internal strife so severe that it proved irreconcilable.
These instruments had all been retrieved from the abandoned factory.
They were the pinnacle of experimental equipment from the Mechanical Civilization.
Definitely superior to anything from the Kasha Civilization.
Though he'd never seen the Kasha Civilization himself, in this region, the Mechanical Civilization was the progenitor of all Train Civilizations, having reached near-perfection. The Kasha Civilization, as a later arrival, could never hope to match it in this regard. Otherwise, they wouldn't treasure the artifacts excavated from the Mechanical Civilization ruins so highly.
Even amidst such intense conflict,
the Mechanical Civilization still flourished like a blooming garden, with new, groundbreaking accessories being developed one after another, each more powerful than the last.
It was a golden age.
Until the stage was torn down.
Then it all came to an end. No more performances.
Chen Mang returned to his locomotive cabin and copied the diary entry into Xiao Ai's database. This record needed to be preserved.
He suddenly thought Tuotuo would make an excellent historian.
She was diligent and objective, meticulously documenting the entire true history of the Mechanical Civilization.
Oh.
Not entirely objective, actually. Her accounts carried a significant subjective bias, and she even rebelled against convention. Typically, historians aspire for eternal fame; few would consider subverting tradition, let alone succeed at it.
He had initially believed his own rise to power was marred by certain stains, especially during his early days.
But after reading the histories of other civilizations, he suddenly felt pristine—practically a Sage. What stains could he possibly have? Throughout his entire journey, he had personally killed only two people.
These guys, though...
They slaughtered in the hundreds of millions.
Even if Bai Qi were reborn, he'd realize he couldn't live up to the title of God of Slaughter. A low-ranking official from the Kasha Civilization would wield the souls of trillions—how could he compare? They were on entirely different tiers.
He thought Zhang Qiudao of the Venomous Serpent Sect had taken a wrong path. Instead of switching from demonic cultivation to the Mechanical Path, he should have stayed with demonic arts. If he had, the Ten Thousand Souls Banner would have become the Hundred Million Souls Banner.
Clearly, demonic cultivation offered greater potential.
The Mechanical Path was a dead end.
(End of the Chapter)
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