Translator: AnubisTL
Gemini Star, Extreme Night Market.
Standing in a narrow alley, Chen Mang raised his telescope to gaze at the star-studded sky above. The city streets were nearly deserted, though no official curfew had been declared. The situation was clearly abnormal, and no one would venture out under such circumstances.
Only a few scattered figures hurried along the streets.
Stars streaked across the sky at an unnatural speed.
He had no idea where Gemini Star was located in the cosmos, lacking both coordinates and reference points.
Nor did he know how far they were from the ruins of the Kasha Civilization Federation.
The refrigerator didn't display distances.
The only certainty was this:
They were now at least 100,000 light-years away from the Kasha Civilization Federation Ruins!
He had brought the Stellaris train with him. The galaxy map revealed they were in completely uncharted territory, a vast region almost devoid of civilizations.
There were few planets or stars.
The area seemed barren.
Its resource abundance paled in comparison to the Kasha Civilization Federation's former territory, and the number of mining stars was far fewer.
He had never seen this region before.
They really know how to run.
Chen Mang sighed softly. He didn't know how the Kasha Civilization had managed to move all their planets in such a short time, but he was certain it wasn't a feat achievable by a Third-Tier Civilization.
This must be a unique technique of the Kasha Civilization.
Otherwise, the Mechanical Civilization would have fled long ago instead of foolishly fighting to the death.
Moreover, they hadn't used the standard escape method of transporting planets through space gates. Instead, they had first used some kind of space jump to move the planets, then continuously accelerated them through some unknown means, continuing their flight.
The Gemini Star gradually slowed down.
Clearly, the Kasha Civilization intended to temporarily settle in this resource-poor region. The area was indeed barren; without the resources they had seized, the Kasha Civilization would soon perish on its own.
Don't forget:
The Kasha Civilization's population was quite small, and most of its people relied on medical bays for survival. These devices consumed vast amounts of resources. Without sufficient supplies, they would all die without any external intervention.
Normally, it's incredibly difficult for a civilization to simply flee after war breaks out.
This isn't a simple matter of just running away.
Many factors must be considered.
For example, the scarcity of resources during the escape, or whether to bring their home planet. Abandoning the planet and fleeing alone would mean certain doom, while bringing the planet would mean traversing starless zones, where only a fraction of the population could survive. Moreover, a planet-laden train would be slower than enemy trains, making escape impossible.
These are just some of the many challenges.
Only civilizations like the Kasha Civilization, capable of space jumps with their entire planet, could execute such a swift escape. Of course, the cost was immense: they had to abandon all the territories they had conquered over centuries to the Zerg.
But none of that mattered most.
"They're not even trying to hide it," Chen Mang murmured, standing in an alleyway, watching the Doppler Screen. Train after train sped across the ground, heading toward the strategic resource depots in various cities, transporting the newly seized resources for storage.
This time, there was no need for concealment.
On Gemini Star, the seventeen cities' strategic resource warehouses, once completely empty, were now brimming with supplies.
Chen Mang didn't know the exact amount of resources the Kasha Civilization had seized, but it was undoubtedly an astronomical figure.
"Time to feast," he chuckled, gazing at the scene before him.
Hungry.
So hungry.
Despite acquiring vast quantities of resources recently, he still felt ravenous, as if it were never enough. This time, he could finally eat his fill.
It was clear the Kasha Civilization was relaxed, completely lacking any sense of vigilance.
Throughout the brief war between the Zerg Civilization and the Kasha Civilization, Chen Mang had Xiao Ai monitor the conflict in real-time. The Kasha Civilization's strongest train had a Defense Rating of Tier 160 and a maximum attack energy range of Level 180.
Of course, the war never escalated into a full-blown meat grinder.
Both sides maintained a semblance of rationality, gradually increasing their forces.
Based on the Kasha Civilization's current demonstrated strength, they were no match for him. They might have some hidden trump cards, but as long as he moved quickly enough to seize these resources first and upgrade his armor to Tier 250 or even Tier 300, no matter how powerful the Kasha Civilization's trump cards were, his would be greater.
By then, he could seize all their remaining resources.
Everything was proceeding perfectly.
Just then—
"Done."
In the alley, Xiao Ai stood outside the refrigerator, a cable connected directly from his body through the refrigerator to the train control panel's chains. The characters "古" (ancient) and "怪" (strange) flickered across his cheeks. "I tested the city's AI. If I wanted to, I could successfully hack it at any time."
"At that point, all AI-controlled infrastructure in the city would be under my command."
"The vulnerability from last time remains completely unpatched."
"The AI's return confirmation command still operates on an hourly cycle. They haven't even bothered to reduce it to half an hour or ten minutes."
"How wonderful."
Chen Mang sighed softly, glanced down at his wristwatch, and turned toward the refrigerator. "Combat teams, prepare. The plan will officially commence in seventeen minutes. Operational instructions remain unchanged: each team is responsible for their assigned zone. Complete your objectives and withdraw."
"Hmm."
"Hold on, temporarily suspend the plan. Await new orders."
This plan was too crude, making their civilization appear overly eager to plunder. He needed a better solution.
The Starfire Civilization, nestled on the back of the Xuanwu, welcomed familiar guests to the wooden hut amidst the farmlands: Chen Mang, his face beaming as he carried gifts, and his trusted aides.
"..."
The Hunchback Elder glanced around blankly before croaking, "Your Excellency, I believe it hasn't been long since our last meeting, has it?"
"I have a matter I wish to consult you on," Chen Mang replied with a smile, setting down the gifts. "Last time I visited, I noticed the variety of crops here was lacking. I've brought you a selection of seeds. See if there's anything you need."
"I've recently encountered a bit of trouble."
"I want to know how to erase a Civilization Imprint from a planet."
The Hunchback Elder lowered his gaze to the gifts on the table. After a long silence, he murmured, "Your Excellency, the Starfire Civilization is truly a peace-loving civilization. We wish to avoid involvement in any wars. However, that doesn't mean we lack the means to defend ourselves."
"If you force us to participate in your war, or use some means to compel us, we will become your enemy."
"You're not trying to get us to join your war, are you?"
"No."
Chen Mang chuckled. "I don't want another civilization coming to carve up the spoils either. I can barely feed myself as it is. I like you peace-loving types. I love peace too."
"But from what you're saying, it sounds like you're already at war?"
"Peace always comes after war."
"Our peace didn't come after war."
"Didn't you achieve peace only after being defeated and forced into exile? There's no difference between us. The only difference is that you lost, while I'm likely to win."
"..."
The Hunchback Elder fell silent, saying nothing more.
Behind him, Old Pig's lips twitched slightly. Is Lord Mang being a bit too blunt? he worried. I'm afraid this Hunchback Elder might snap at any moment.
It was like this: imagine you'd been brutally beaten in the past, leaving you terrified of fighting. You avoid conflict at all costs, calling it "loving peace."
Then someone comes along, exposes your entire history, and tells you, "You don't love peace. You're just afraid of getting beaten again, you coward!"
The odds of him snapping right now are at least 50%!
A few seconds later, the Hunchback Elder shook his head, his voice tinged with nostalgia as he murmured, "A newborn calf fears no tiger. Everyone must experience failure at least once. I hope that failure will utterly crush you."
"There are many ways to erase a Civilization Imprint."
"If you wish to erase your own Civilization Imprint, simply confirm the deletion. However, you likely intend to erase the imprints left by other civilizations on planets. There are three methods."
"First,"
"After a civilization's destruction, its Civilization Imprint can be easily erased."
"Second,"
"Destroy the planet itself, and the Civilization Imprint will naturally vanish."
"Third,"
"Slaughter all living beings belonging to that civilization on the planet until none remain. This will erase the Civilization Imprint."
"This is our second meeting."
"Everyone has their own thoughts. I shouldn't interfere with your thinking, especially now that you're radiating such a triumphant aura. You won't heed anyone's advice in this state. But I must warn you: once war begins, it cannot be stopped."
"Even if you achieve victory in this war against this civilization," the Hunchback Elder warned, "war is like a bone-corroding poison. It will cling to you forever. There are countless civilizations in the cosmos. Can you guarantee you'll win every time?"
"You will inevitably lose."
"You might win ninety-nine times, but just one defeat will reduce everything you possess to ashes."
"Perhaps," Chen Mang replied with a smile, rising to leave. "Thank you for the explanation. I'll prepare a grand gift for you when we meet again."
With that, he turned and departed without lingering.
Rather than plundering the strategic resources from those warehouses, he preferred to simply load the Gemini Star onto the train. The city of Extreme Night Market was remarkably well-built; it should have belonged to him long ago.
The Hunchback Elder watched Chen Mang's retreating figure, his face a complex mix of emotions, and remained silent for a long time.
The Starfire Civilization had been thoroughly broken by fear centuries ago. The root cause lay in the abundance of civilization leaders in the cosmos who resembled Chen Mang.
However, Chen Mang had never truly experienced the battlefields of civilizations.
He remained unaware.
The brutality of war between civilizations is unimaginable.
One defeat means utter annihilation. If they're lucky, they might end up as a Nomadic Civilization, wandering the cosmos like the others. If not, they vanish completely, never to be heard from again.
The Stellaris train sat quietly on the wasteland of Gemini Star.
Inside the locomotive cabin, several refrigerators stood silently.
Chen Mang planned to transport these refrigerators to other planets after the war ended. Otherwise, finding the Kasha Civilization again would become nearly impossible. He hadn't fully absorbed them yet and couldn't afford to let them slip away.
Rumble... Rumble...
The rhythmic hum of the production line echoed faintly from Carriage No. 2 behind him. Armed Black Hole Robots were being rapidly manufactured, forming the main force for the upcoming battle.
Once the war began, these armed robots would swarm the cities like locusts, indiscriminately purging all living beings.
Manufacturing an Armed Black Hole Robot with a Tier 40 attack strength and zero defense cost 3.12 million units of copper ore.
Robots with this level of attack power were more than capable of overwhelming the firepower of the Law Enforcement Bureaus in various cities and ordinary living beings. Moreover, the AI controlling these seventeen cities would be under Chen Mang's control at any moment, and heavily defended areas would face the full firepower of the Stellaris train.
From the very beginning, this war was virtually guaranteed to be won.
Even in terms of information warfare, they held complete dominance.
The Kasha Civilization remained completely unaware of their existence.
Chen Mang had spent a staggering 10 trillion units of copper ore to manufacture 3 million Tier 40 "Armed Black Hole Robots." These would form the core of his military—a vast robot army. He also allocated an additional 3 trillion units of copper ore for ammunition.
At this moment, robots were being mass-produced at breakneck speed on the production lines, ready to join the battle at any moment.
"..."
Chen Mang sat in the Stellaris train, leaning back in his seat. He lit a cigarette and gazed up at the starry sky streaking past overhead, his expression impassive. In truth, his inner calm belied a deep-seated pressure weighing on his heart.
He knew the merciless nature of the cosmos.
He knew that defeat in a Civilization War meant the complete annihilation of a race.
Just like the Kasha Civilization, which casually slaughtered First-Tier Civilizations within its own Federation, treating other civilizations' people as less than human. Having entered this Game, one had to abide by its rules, or risk suffering the consequences.
But—
These were the lives of hundreds of millions of sentient beings.
His command would unleash a bloody purge upon all life on this planet.
For him, it was a command that weighed heavily on his conscience.
Yet he couldn't show it.
Sitting in this position, he had to bear this burden. A civilization's progress and advancement were inevitably built upon the corpses of countless sentient beings. Glory belonged to all, but the pressure of these decisions rested solely on his shoulders.
Time passed unnoticed.
The ashtray on the control panel overflowed with cigarette butts.
The rumbling of the carriages behind the locomotive had long since ceased.
"Train Conductor," Xiao Ai's voice echoed through the train. "Biaozi and the others have successfully delivered the refrigerator to the operational target."
"Prepare to commence operations immediately."
Chen Mang gradually regained his senses. After a long silence, he rose and gazed at the control panel screen, murmuring, "This operation is codenamed 'Human Revival.' Everyone, take your positions. The war will officially commence in ten minutes."
The Extreme Night Market lay in eerie stillness.
Few pedestrians roamed the streets, most residents huddled in their homes, their eyes flickering with unease. The official announcement claimed the Kasha Civilization was seeking a new habitable zone.
Why would they suddenly flee?
Have they been defeated?
Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the Extreme Night Market, three refrigerators stood in an open field. One by one, Armed Black Hole Robots emerged from the refrigerators, gradually forming a mechanical army across the wasteland. No one spoke; the ranks stood perfectly aligned. Each robot's eye sockets glowed with crimson light, their weapons poised to unleash bullets fueled by rage.
The only sound was the rustling of mechanical joints grinding against each other.
The scene was both silent and cacophonous.
Leading this force was—
The elder from the Jimei Tourism Group, Young Master Li, and their Cosmic Behemoth stood poised for battle.
Their eyes were bloodshot, facial features contorted with rage, and the fury in their pupils seemed to erupt into tangible flames. At last, the moment for revenge had arrived. The Kasha Civilization had destroyed their civilization, forever robbing them of family, friends, and clansmen.
Now!
The time for retribution had come!
This war would begin here, and they firmly believed that the human civilization would ultimately triumph!
The AIs controlling all seventeen cities had once again fallen under Xiao Ai's control. All warning radar signals were intercepted by Xiao Ai, leaving no one aware that a terrifying Robot Army had gradually assembled outside the city walls.
They awaited only a single command.
To cleanse this city of all living beings.
Such was the nature of Civilization Wars: to wager one's entire foundation for either hope or annihilation.
This scene was not unique to this city.
The same scenario unfolded simultaneously in the other sixteen cities.
In the next moment—
A command issued from the Stellaris reached the ears of every team leader outside the seventeen cities.
Immediately afterward!
The piercing sound of gunfire shattered the night's silence!
An Armed Black Hole Robot fired the first shot.
"My past experiences have taught me," Chen Mang murmured softly, standing alone by the floor-to-ceiling window of the locomotive cabin, gazing at the horizon with a cup of strong tea in hand, his expression calm. "If war is inevitable, then strive to be the one who fires the first shot."
"Tell everyone," he continued.
"Every living being, spare none."
"Exterminate this planet in the shortest possible time."
"Human civilization will be reborn in the crucible of war, all for humanity."
"All for humanity," Xiao Ai's solemn voice echoed through the train.
This marked the first war since the reconstruction of human civilization. Its significance lay not merely in the resources at stake, nor in the planet itself, but in humanity's formal entry into the cosmic arena.
Whether they would become hunters or prey remained unknown.
But for now, he intended to win.
He didn't need to win every time; he could lose countless times. But just one victory would secure enough resources for the Stellaris to achieve an explosive surge in power, growing at an astonishing rate.
To win, one must first have the capital to lose, and the courage to risk it all.
Tutututu!
The ear-splitting gunfire tore through the darkness, shattering the city's eerie silence in an instant!
The sheer volume and density of the gunfire plunged the entire city into absolute panic.
Looking out from the city walls, one could see an endless, densely packed Robot Army advancing rapidly, like locusts with unwavering discipline. Not a single robot faltered, each moving with perfect synchronicity.
Guided by the Tier 200 Doppler Radar, no living creature in the city could hide.
Step by step, the robots systematically purged all life within their range.
The city's ground-based weapons fell silent, and as the Law Enforcement Bureau squads and armed civilians scrambled to organize a counterattack,
Boom!
The city's ground-based weapons turned their muzzles toward the approaching figures.
Just then—
Boom!
A deafening explosion shook the air as a missile soared from above the Extreme Night Market and crashed into the heart of the Robot Army. The blast annihilated thousands of Armed Black Hole Robots in a single strike.
A mechanical train hovered above the city, its firepower accessories unleashing a relentless barrage upon the Robot Army.
But before it could launch a second missile, a beam of light, moving too fast for the naked eye to track, streaked across the sky and struck the train. In an instant, the train erupted in a fiery explosion, scattering debris across the city.
The piercing wail of emergency sirens finally echoed through the Extreme Night Market.
More and more armed trains from various companies and families surged out of the city, joining the resistance. However, every train was under Xiao Ai's surveillance. The Tier 200 Doppler Radar provided intelligence with overwhelming superiority, akin to a dimensional reduction.
Before the trains could even activate their engines, beams of light struck them with pinpoint accuracy, turning each one into a fiery spectacle.
Countless explosions lit up the sky.
The most terrifying aspect of the Robot Army was its absolute discipline. Even with a 99% casualty rate, no soldier would retreat a single step. In the era of cold weapons, such a military, armed with even the simplest blades, could intimidate any army into flight.
Since its reconstruction, "human civilization" had never initiated a war nor actively participated in any extraordinary conflict.
Until now.
Chen Mang had always chosen to develop on the periphery, waiting until he grew stronger before joining the battlefield.
But the Kasha Civilization's escape disrupted his plans, forcing him to enter the fray prematurely. He needed to reclaim the resources they had taken to bolster his defenses against the Zerg Civilization.
This was the first war he had ever participated in.
And the first war he had ever initiated.
"They still received the message..."
Inside the Stellaris train, Chen Mang stood in the locomotive cabin, gazing at the Doppler Radar screen. On the screen, the Kasha Civilization's dozen Homeworlds were speeding in formation toward the depths of space, maintaining perfect synchronization. At that moment, hundreds of mechanical trains launched from nearby planets, hurtling directly toward the Gemini Star.
Clearly—
Even though he had blocked all information sources and completely controlled the AI of the seventeen cities, the news still leaked out.
Good.
Let's see if this time we can truly gauge the Kasha Civilization's foundation.
In the next moment!
Chen Mang gently pressed a button on the control panel. The plasma-blue veins on the Arcanon Light Energy Main Cannon above the carriage slowly brightened, entering charging mode.
Countless tons of molten iron ore, now blindingly radiant energy, surged through the main cannon's conduits like liquid thunder coursing through the veins of a Divine Thunder God.
A dozen seconds later, with a violent shudder of the train, a searing white beam shot through the dark clouds and into the cosmos!
The space around the cannon's muzzle warped violently due to the extreme overload.
In the blink of an eye, the beam expanded rapidly. By the time it pierced the cosmos, a scorching white ray over a kilometer wide tore through the void, hurtling straight toward the train army approaching from the Gemini Star. Its core temperature rivaled that of a star's interior.
Wherever the beam passed, it left countless glass-like fissures in its wake.
The attack's intensity wasn't particularly high, only Tier 200—a standard level of offensive power.
He thought it was acceptable, considering the Kasha Civilization's highest attack intensity during the war had reached Level 180.
But that was in space. In the vastness of the cosmos, an attack of that magnitude wouldn't be particularly conspicuous. On a planet, however, the aftermath of such a strike would be utterly catastrophic. Even the Tier 101 Arcanon Main Cannon possessed the power to destroy entire planets.
Tier 200.
That was the embodiment of divine retribution!
In mere seconds, the train army had no time to evade. The searing white beam, carrying terrifying force, engulfed hundreds of trains completely!
Hundreds of train energy shields activated instantly, pushing themselves to their maximum capacity at any cost, consuming vast quantities of iron ore in the process!
Yet.
This was the Tier 200 Arcanon Light Energy Main Cannon.
The energy shields vaporized instantly, like thin ice meeting a red-hot iron—not melting, but vaporizing. There was no visible impact; it was as if the beam had passed right through them.
The entire train army vanished completely into the cosmos.
Not a single fragment remained.
Not even a trace of cosmic waste. If the universe had an environmental protection organization, they would undoubtedly give Chen Mang a thumbs-up, praising his eco-friendliness.
In the silent void of space...
The scene unfolded like a silent film, both shocking and incomprehensible.
When humans witness something too overwhelming, they often shut down, refusing to accept the reality. To this beam of light, the hundreds of trains were merely insignificant obstacles, not true targets.
After instantly melting through them, the beam's speed and power remained undiminished.
It continued to hurtle deeper into the cosmos!
Until it struck a target capable of fully absorbing its energy, the beam would relentlessly destroy everything in its path, its power gradually increasing until it finally erupted into a deathly bloom.
Inside the train, Chen Mang watched the rapidly flashing data on the control panel screen. Firing such a powerful main cannon placed immense strain on the train. The thermal load from the blast threatened to damage critical components and even trigger self-destruction if not quickly dissipated.
The seemingly ordinary "Central Air Conditioner" accessory, upgraded to Tier 200, possessed a God-Tier Overpowered Effect: a rapid cooling system. This allowed the train to quickly dissipate the immense heat generated by firing the Arcanon Light Energy Main Cannon, preventing catastrophic damage.
This was Stellaris's most devastating strike to date.
The Tier 200 Arcanon Light Energy Main Cannon.
One shot alone—
Consumed a trillion units of iron ore!
Extremely costly.
If the Stellaris remained on Aquablue Star, even with a century of further development, the iron ore mined wouldn't suffice for a single Tier 200 Arcanon Light Energy Main Cannon blast. He was certain the Kasha Civilization possessed similar Tier 200 Arcanon Light Energy Main Cannons.
After all, one of the requirements for advancing to a Tier 3 Civilization was having a peak attack energy range exceeding 20,000 units—equivalent to Tier 200.
Now that war had begun,
He wanted to see the Kasha Civilization's true foundation. Firing that shot at the hundreds of trains was a complete waste; he was merely communicating with the Kasha Civilization, demonstrating his power.
"Commander Li, where's your grand army? Are you mobilizing? And the other four military districts—are they all cowering?"
After patiently waiting five minutes,
Chen Mang, seeing no Kasha Civilization trains launching from the planet on the Doppler Screen, narrowed his eyes slightly and murmured, "Your time is running out."
Every living being on Gemini Star was being rapidly purged.
The moment the purge was complete would mark the removal of the Civilization Imprint. At that point, he could simply absorb the planet into the Stellaris.
"Why aren't you retaliating?!"
"Tell me, why the hell aren't you fighting back?!"
Commander Li roared in his study, his face twisted with fury. Cut off from firsthand intelligence, he could only rely on his subordinates for information. The moment he realized defeat was imminent, he chose to retreat to the Kasha Civilization and embark on their desperate flight.
Fate had turned against him.
His decision had been sound.
But he hadn't anticipated that the civilization at war with the Zerg was also a Zerg civilization. His rash intervention had united these two Zerg factions against him, sealing his doom.
Upon his return, he had been elated to meet with the Kasha Civilization Leader. Despite his strategic blunder, he was impressed by the Leader's decisive actions after the war began—such as granting him unlimited logistical support and ruthlessly purging all internal parasites.
Moreover, the Leader had always spoken of him with great esteem, implying that he alone truly considered the civilization's future.
Though defeated, Commander Li believed he had become the Leader's most trusted confidant.
But the moment they met, he was placed under house arrest, stripped of all authority, and even his own train was seized. Only his assistant could relay news from the outside world.
Just then—
The study door swung open.
The Kasha Civilization Leader, draped in a slightly worn coat, entered the study accompanied by his subordinates and sat across from Commander Li. He coughed a few times, as if suffering from a wind-cold, before gazing out the window and musing, "Do you remember this place?"
"Long ago, the Kasha Civilization expended tremendous effort to break out of here and reach that resource-rich zone."
"Yet—"
"How long has it been? The Kasha Civilization, under my command, has already been forced to retreat back here."
"And all of this is due to your misguided decision."
"Otherwise, when the Zerg Civilization and our forces were both exhausted, we might have had the chance to deliver the final blow."
"But..." Commander Li glared at the Kasha Civilization Leader, barely suppressing his rage. "Didn't you confide in me yesterday that you've been torn between these two choices all along?"
"I simply made the choice for you!"
"Indeed."
The Kasha Civilization Leader pulled out a handkerchief, covered his mouth, and coughed lightly a few more times before speaking wearily, "It was precisely because I couldn't bear the pressure of failure that I hesitated. Since you made the decision for me, you must bear the consequences."
"In three days, you will be brought before a military tribunal, sentenced to death, and executed immediately."
"If you had won, you would have been treated with the utmost respect."
"But you lost."
"Then it's time to die."
With that, the Leader of the Kasha Civilization turned and left the study with his subordinates. A Commander who refused to obey orders had no place in their ranks, regardless of whether he genuinely cared about the Kasha Civilization's future.
In comparison, the Leader preferred the parasites. They were more reliable than a granary and followed orders without question.
After exiting the study, he stood at the doorway and whispered to his secretary, "Still no sign of their train?"
"None," the secretary replied, shaking his head. "Our Doppler Radar can only detect massive numbers of Armed Black Hole Robots slaughtering our clansmen on Gemini Star. There's no trace of any train."
"Sigh."
The Leader of the Kasha Civilization sighed softly, then murmured after a long pause, "This means their train's cloaking technology is superior to our radar."
"Hold all actions for now."
"Detach Gemini Star."
"Let's see what their next move will be."
"Tell the lower ranks to prioritize upgrading the radar. Every little bit helps."
The Kasha Civilization had barely escaped the Zerg crisis when a new threat erupted on Gemini Star: an invasion by an unknown civilization. Until the invaders explicitly demonstrated hostile intent, the Kasha Civilization was reluctant to retaliate. What they needed now was a period of recuperation, not another war.
The invaders' actions didn't seem particularly malicious.
They had merely fired a single Tier 200 Arcanon Light Energy Main Cannon—more of a warning to stay away than an actual attack.
The Kasha Civilization certainly had the resources to fire a similar shot.
But—
Building a Tier 200 Arcanon Light Energy Main Cannon required an astronomical amount of murphy stone. Every Tier 200 accessory in the Kasha Civilization was meticulously planned and prioritized.
While the Kasha Civilization possessed Tier 200 Arcanon Light Energy Main Cannons, they were reserved as strategic weapons of last resort, not to be deployed lightly.
Even the Doppler Radar had never been upgraded to Tier 200.
This wasn't because the radar was low-priority.
Rather, they had discovered that upgrading the Doppler Radar consumed far more murphy stone than upgrading the Arcanon Light Energy Main Cannon. Though both were Seven-Colored Accessories, the Doppler Radar required a disproportionately larger amount of murphy stone.
Although they possessed abundant resources and had built a vast army of high-level trains, they struggled to break through their technological ceiling. The resources required to surpass this limit far exceeded those needed to create an entire army—they were simply on different scales.
Gemini Star.
Chen Mang sat in the Stellaris train, watching the Doppler screen. The Kasha Civilization's dozen homeworlds continued to hurtle deeper into space, while Gemini Star was abandoned, left behind by the fleet.
The Kasha Civilization had abandoned Gemini Star.
They had no intention of engaging him in direct combat.
They were cowards.
The Zerg Civilization had terrified them so thoroughly that they lacked the courage to even test the waters when faced with provocation from an unknown civilization. They were willing to endure further insults as long as the enemy didn't explicitly attack again.
"Good."
Chen Mang suddenly chuckled in the locomotive cabin. He seemed to be grasping the operating principles of cosmic civilizations. He now strongly suspected that if his strength were just a bit greater, he could have chased the Kasha Civilization down and annihilated them.
Several years later.
The Kasha Civilization, like the Starfire Civilization, would likely become a peace-loving nomadic civilization.
Chen Mang had originally intended to use this attack to probe the Kasha Civilization's true strength, but they surrendered immediately, leaving him somewhat bewildered.
In his mind, the Kasha Civilization had always been a formidable power, effortlessly destroying several First-Tier Civilizations and proving to be an unshakeable opponent—a truly terrifying force.
He had fully prepared for a storm-like counterattack from the Kasha Civilization.
This was his first war.
He had mobilized vast resources, his adrenaline surging, but just as he was about to unleash his full might, the enemy he had always considered his greatest threat simply fled.
They fled without looking back, retreating as smoothly and instinctively as if they had encountered the Zerg again.
"Sigh."
Chen Mang sighed softly once more, but a smile gradually spread across his face. Though the scale of his first war was modest, even somewhat petty, it was still a victory.
The fruits of victory weren't particularly grand.
But after all, this was the first war since the reconstruction of human civilization.
A promising start, nonetheless.
Three hours later.
Guided by Doppler Radar, every living creature on Gemini Star had been thoroughly purged.
The planet's Civilization Imprint had been erased, leaving it an Unclaimed Planet.
The Stellaris train drifted slowly through space, its gaze fixed on Gemini Star, which was being gradually devoured by a black hole. A faint smile curved the conductor's lips as he murmured, "Not bad."
Moments later, the planet materialized within Carriage 10, through a Tier 200 Space Gate Chen Mang had specially constructed for this purpose.
Looking out the window, they could still clearly see the incandescent white beam hurtling through space, having missed its target. It continued to streak into the cosmic depths, its trajectory uncertain—perhaps it would vanish in a day, or perhaps not for three years.
Fortunately, there were no Cosmic Voids nearby.
Otherwise, this would have become another cosmic bomb.
In the vastness of space...
Civilization Wars raged everywhere, and cosmic bombs like these were far too common. No one knew when one might detonate nearby.
If the universe were a dark room, the countless civilizations would be like people blindly firing guns in the darkness. No one knew who they were hitting, and those struck had no idea who had shot them. In such a situation, only by becoming sufficiently powerful could one survive.
Otherwise, someone would inevitably fall victim to a cosmic bomb that materialized from nowhere.
On Gemini Star:
"Ha!"
Chen Mang pulled the Civilization Seal from his chest, breathed lightly on it, then squatted down and pressed it firmly onto the Gemini Star's surface.
With this, the planet's Civilization Imprint had been transformed into that of the human civilization, making it the fifth planet claimed by humankind.
The seal naturally lacked red clay and didn't require breath to activate, but a touch of ritual was necessary. After all, this marked the first battle in the human civilization's grand offensive against the cosmos—a milestone of monumental significance.
(End of the Chapter)
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