Translator: AnubisTL
Huff
On Gemini Star, Chen Mang gazed at the gradually dimming inscription "Human Civilization" on the ground. He stood up, exhaled deeply, and a faint smile curved his lips as he looked up at the bright sky.
This marked the first successful outward expansion of human civilization.
A habitable planet.
And abundant resources.
This was a small step for him, yet a giant leap in the progress of his entire life.
The rest would be handled by his subordinates.
Vast numbers of robots were deployed across Gemini Star, inventorying resources and cataloging the remaining infrastructure in each city.
During the war, the robot army had borne the brunt of the fighting, minimizing damage to the city cores. Basic repairs would suffice.
As for clearing corpses, debris, and collapsed buildings, these tasks were entirely unnecessary for the robots.
Seated in the locomotive cabin, Chen Mang pressed a green button on the control panel. A progress bar quickly appeared on the screen. Once the bar completed its cycle, all the waste would be cleared, and the planet's living environment would be significantly improved.
The Tier 200 overpowered effect of the medical bay could repair shattered planets.
It was incredibly useful, especially for clearing battlefields after wars.
Chen Mang returned to the ruins of the Kasha Civilization Federation Star System and studied the movements of the Zerg army on the galaxy map. By now, the two Zerg civilizations had completely merged, leaving no trace of their former divisions.
Though they had recently been locked in bloody conflict, they now stood united, ready to fight as one.
Within the entire Zerg Civilization, only the Zerg Queen Mother possessed true intelligence—or perhaps only a small fraction of Zerg did. The vast Zerg army below consisted of bloodthirsty, instinct-driven monsters, blindly obeying the Queen Mother's commands. In this state, their integration was seamless.
The Zerg were currently constructing small-scale wormholes, slowly advancing.
They had deployed massive forces to guard the detected Kasha Civilization wormhole exits, showing little immediate aggression.
It seemed they were considering a truce.
But this was merely an illusion.
The original Zerg Civilization had maintained peace with the Kasha Civilization simply because they were still at war with another Zerg civilization on their battlefront. With that conflict now concluded, they naturally turned their attention to the Kasha Civilization Federation.
As for peace?
The Zerg Civilization was never meant to be peaceful.
The universe had endowed them with traits that inherently drove them to conquer and plunder.
"..."
Chen Mang leaned back in his chair, scrolling through the main forum of the Kasha Civilization Federation. He wanted to gauge public sentiment regarding the Kasha Civilization's escape. His goal was to incorporate the majority of the Human Clan civilizations within this group into his own human civilization.
This would serve as the foundation for his expansion into the depths of the cosmos.
But—
He didn't want to inherit a bunch of entitled freeloaders.
A sudden population surge of this magnitude would inevitably lead to administrative oversights and complications. Although Old Pig was skilled in management and had gained considerable experience managing Aquablue Star in recent days, assimilating nearly ten thousand civilizations simultaneously still posed a significant challenge for the Stellaris.
He needed to wait.
He needed to wait until the vast majority of people realized that the Kasha Civilization had truly escaped, taking with them all the resources they had surrendered. Until they understood that against the Zerg Civilization, their only options were to wait for death or to surrender.
Then, he would make his grand entrance as their savior.
This would greatly solidify his position as ruler.
"It's really over this time. Confirmed reports: the Kasha Civilization has completely fled. We've all been abandoned! What do we do now? We're doomed, utterly doomed!"
"What's the panic? Wars between civilizations at this level always drag on for centuries. The Mechanical Civilization lasted hundreds of years before being wiped out. I won't live that long, and I certainly don't have the money to survive that long. By the time the Zerg Civilization swarms over us, we'll all be dead anyway. After we're gone, who cares if the flood comes?"
"You fucking idiot! The Mechanical Civilization lasted centuries because someone was fighting back! The Kasha Civilization has fled—who's going to resist now? Besides, back then, the Mechanical Civilization only faced one Zerg Civilization. This time, we're up against two!"
"Could we send someone to negotiate? Do the Zerg Civilization really have to exterminate us? Is there a chance that if we adopt a policy of non-resistance—refusing to attack or harm a single Zerg Monster—we could become citizens of the Zerg Civilization Federation?"
"Right, you reminded me. The Kasha Civilization has already fled. This war is over, and the Zerg Civilization has won. Killing us now serves no purpose. Living beings are surely more valuable than corpses, right?"
"If only it were that simple. I've heard the Zerg Civilization's Supreme Leader is female, and their civilization is structured as a matriarchy. If we join the Zerg Civilization Federation, our women might even gain some status."
"My proposal is to adopt a policy of complete non-resistance. We shouldn't kill a single Zerg Monster. When the Zerg Civilization first arrives, they'll undoubtedly massacre us, but we must still refrain from retaliating. Gradually, they'll recognize our sincerity, and the survivors will be allowed to live."
"To demonstrate our sincerity, I suggest we even destroy all our mechanical trains and defensive measures. They can't stop the Zerg anyway, so we might as well destroy them ourselves."
Chen Mang sat expressionlessly in his chair, his knuckles tapping rhythmically on the table. He slowly closed his eyes, realizing his long-held assumptions had been flawed. He had always believed himself to be the rightful heir to human civilization.
Therefore, he had assumed that any civilization primarily composed of humans deserved to join human civilization, regardless of its cultural or societal decay. He had focused solely on race, favoring the Human Clan to which he belonged.
But now, he saw the inadequacy of his thinking.
Beyond race, the overall societal ethos of a civilization mattered. A civilization rotten to its core, even if human, was unworthy of joining human civilization.
Human civilization was a creation of his own hands.
It belonged to him.
Not to humanity.
He had expected to witness the 200+ Second-Tier Civilizations forming a wartime command center, pooling their resources to fight the Zerg Civilization to the death. Even facing annihilation, he had imagined them taking a final, devastating bite out of the Zerg Civilization before their demise.
Instead, he saw the policy of non-resistance gaining widespread support and acceptance.
He could not accept this.
Throughout his journey, he had engaged in subterfuge, resorted to brutality, evaded battles, and confronted enemies head-on. Yet never before had he chosen to disarm completely in a moment of crisis, staking his survival on the enemy's mercy.
In his view, after years under the Kasha Civilization's rule, these civilizations had knelt for too long and lost the will to rise. What he needed was a human civilization that stood tall, not one composed of spineless cowards.
Chen Mang remained silent for a long time before finally looking up at the train's screen, which displayed the Zerg Civilization's massive fleet emerging from a Kasha Civilization wormhole exit. He had originally planned to wait until despair had fully gripped the passengers before intervening.
But events had taken an unexpected turn.
Overwhelmed by despair, everyone's thinking had become dangerously extreme.
He decided to act immediately.
He would become the first spark of light in the darkness, giving everyone a glimmer of hope.
Without hesitation, he pushed the control lever and steered the train toward the nearest Kasha Civilization wormhole.
At that moment—
The Kasha Civilization's wormholes were unguarded and freely accessible. Of course, every time a foreign civilization's train entered, the Kasha Civilization wormhole management center would receive an alert.
The Civilization Imprint within a wormhole is nearly impossible to erase unless the civilization itself is destroyed.
Six hours later.
The Stellaris train slowly entered the wormhole ahead. After traversing its interior for a few seconds, it emerged like a newborn infant from the birth canal. The moment it exited, Zerg Monsters that had been lying in wait swarmed forward, attacking the train.
And then, just over ten seconds later, a Zerg Civilization wormhole materialized at point-blank range. A massive swarm of Zerg Monsters poured out, followed by dozens of colossal Zerg motherships.
In an instant!
The Stellaris train was plunged into mortal danger, tossed about like a wooden boat in a raging storm.
Simultaneously.
Chen Mang broadcast this scene via the train's radio across a radius of 100,000 light-years, displaying it on every train screen. The footage was rapidly relayed, appearing on televisions, wristwatches, and the exterior screens of towering city structures in homes and public spaces alike.
Wherever there was a screen, the silent footage played in real-time.
Against the backdrop of a pitch-black curtain, adorned with tens of thousands of stars, a train with nearly twenty carriages floated in the cosmos. Surrounding it were countless Zerg monsters, fearlessly crashing against the train's armor, while nearly a hundred massive Zerg motherships in the distance aimed their cannons at the train, poised to strike at any moment.
Etched boldly on the train's armor were the words:
[Human Civilization - Stellaris]
This was the Stellaris, the first public appearance of human civilization in full view!
The scene quickly ignited a massive uproar within the Kasha Civilization Federation.
Initially, Chen Mang had only broadcast the footage on the trains themselves. But the train conductors soon realized its significance and began relaying the live feed to the wider public. For nearly everyone, this was their first real-time glimpse of the Zerg Civilization's vast army.
For many, it was also their first time witnessing the grotesque forms of the Zerg monsters firsthand.
In the silent vacuum of space, the sheer scale of the millions of Zerg monsters drifting through the cosmos was overwhelming beyond words. The nearly hundred colossal Zerg motherships looming behind them, like crocodiles lurking in the shadows, stood poised to deliver a fatal blow at any moment.
Their opponent was just one train.
A lone, unsupported train, appearing utterly desolate.
Countless pedestrians in cities across the galaxy froze in place, either gazing up at rooftop screens or down at their wristwatches, unconsciously holding their breath as they watched the scene unfold. No one was thinking about work anymore.
Vehicles on the streets came to a standstill, not a single horn honking in impatience. Nearly everyone had abandoned their tasks to focus on the live broadcast.
This was a matter of life and death.
They didn't know if the human civilization could withstand the onslaught, but at least someone was willing to stand up.
The human civilization—the very one that had recently advanced to a 2nd Tier Civilization—had made headlines in the Kasha Civilization's daily news. Everyone was curious about which civilization, under the Kasha Civilization's jurisdiction, had managed to break through the limitations and ascend to a Second-Tier Civilization.
Especially since no one had ever heard of this civilization before.
The civilization's name spread quickly.
Many eagerly awaited the spectacle, anticipating how the Kasha Civilization would crush this upstart.
Instead, they received news of the Kasha Civilization's retreat.
The broadcast had already been running for a full minute.
The Stellaris train had vanished from the screen, completely enveloped by countless Zerg monsters swarming from all directions, resembling a massive, pulsating insectoid sphere.
Everyone watching the screen instinctively held their breath, waiting patiently. They didn't know what they were waiting for—perhaps a miracle.
Just then—
Countless searing white beams erupted simultaneously, tearing through the cosmos like comets.
Nearly a hundred Zerg motherships, positioned to suppress the area, unleashed their Tier 50 main cannons in unison. The bombardment, as intense as a meteor shower, crashed into the fleshy sphere. In an instant, countless Zerg monsters melted under the scorching light.
Then, they saw the Stellaris train at the core of the insectoid sphere.
Countless beams of terrifyingly oppressive energy slammed into the Stellaris train, distorting space itself. Though no sound reached their ears, the deafening explosions seemed to reverberate deep within their minds.
After a few seconds, the spatial distortions gradually subsided.
Everyone stared at the screen in disbelief. The Stellaris train remained completely unscathed, not even its external accessories damaged. How could such a devastating assault have left the train utterly unharmed?
In the next moment—
The Arcanon Light Energy Main Cannon atop the Stellaris train began to glow with an eerie blue light. Within seconds, it fully charged, unleashing a scorching beam of light carrying an even more terrifying pressure. Like Pangu splitting the heavens and earth, the beam instantly materialized in the cosmos.
It struck with the earth-shattering force of the primordial thunder that birthed creation.
Where it passed, nothing survived.
With a single shot, dozens of Zerg motherships, unable to withstand even a single blast, instantly erupted into fireballs. Countless fragments scattered outward at tremendous speed. Only then did the remaining Zerg motherships react, desperately fleeing toward the wormhole they had arrived through.
But!
The Stellaris's light energy main cannon was faster. Four consecutive scorching beams utterly annihilated all the remaining Zerg motherships!
A battle that had begun as a perfectly balanced engagement ended with the Stellaris's overwhelming, crushing victory.
A Zerg civilization armada comprising nearly a hundred motherships and millions of Zerg monsters—a force that would have required the Kasha Civilization to deploy its main fleet—was reduced to ashes by the Stellaris's five shots.
The image gradually faded to black, until it disappeared entirely.
Before the screen faded to black, the final image showed the Stellaris train suspended in the pitch-black void of space, surrounded by Zerg monsters fleeing outward and scattered debris of corpses and mothership fragments.
These were the fortunate few who had yet to be vaporized.
In the pitch-black void of space, the Stellaris train emitted a faint, almost insignificant glow—a mere speck against the cosmic backdrop. Yet it stood firm, its light unyielding against the cosmic winds.
"..."
Chen Mang sat in the Stellaris train, gazing at the real-time data flashing across the train's screen. Throughout human history, war had always been the quickest path to wealth, essentially no different from robbery.
It was a method of seizing others' resources and stuffing them into one's own pockets.
The only difference was that the perpetrator had evolved from an individual to an entire civilization.
But—
The wealth gained from war only began to materialize after the conflict ended. Before that, war devoured vast quantities of resources. If a civilization's reserves were insufficient, it could easily be crippled by the resource drain.
The few main cannon shots he had fired earlier had consumed a total of 2 trillion units of iron ore.
Though they had annihilated an entire Zerg Civilization Military, there had been no immediate gains.
Until the Zerg Civilization Planet was conquered, this war would only be a drain on resources, not a source of profit.
Although the resources from Gemini Star hadn't been fully tallied yet, he didn't expect them to be enough to sustain him through the entire war. With these limited resources, he couldn't possibly contend with the Zerg Civilization.
His plan was simple:
Use these resources to strengthen himself, then seize all remaining resources from the Kasha Civilization.
By inheriting all the resources left behind by the Kasha Civilization, he would have enough to fight the war to its conclusion.
Afterward, he returned to the Kasha Civilization Federation's 27th Galaxy and checked the forum discussions on his tablet. He believed the live broadcast must have caused a significant stir, and if it could ignite the people's fighting spirit, all the better.
He didn't want any weaklings in his human civilization. If, after he had stepped forward and demonstrated his strength, anyone still advocated for a policy of non-resistance, he would simply abandon them and let them discover for themselves whether their pacifist approach had any merit.
The next moment—
His eyes narrowed as he saw several scathing denunciations on the forum.
["Why is this newly emerged human civilization so eager to show off? You're flexing your power now, but when the Zerg Civilization retaliates, won't they slaughter even more Kasha Civilization Federation citizens in revenge? You think those few shots you fired at the Zerg Civilization hit them, but they hit us!"]
["For a civilization that just advanced to the Second Tier, having such a foundation is already impressive. But if they can't grasp the situation, they'll never be able to withstand the Zerg. I propose we all issue a joint declaration severing ties with the human civilization. That way, when the Zerg Civilization arrives, they won't direct their wrath at us."]
["I agree."]
["I've already sent envoys to the wormhole to negotiate with the Zerg Civilization."]
["Have you all gone mad? After the Mechanical Civilization was defeated, their entire race was purged—not a single survivor remained! Don't you know that?"]
["That's because the Mechanical Civilization kept resisting. It's only natural for the Zerg Civilization to vent their hatred by exterminating them. If we don't resist, why would the Zerg Civilization bother with revenge?"]
Only six hours had passed between his first visit to the Forum and the start of the war. In that brief time, the policy of non-resistance had gained widespread support, even becoming the perceived sole solution to the impending Zerg apocalypse.
Several Civilization Leaders had already publicly declared their unwavering commitment to the non-resistance policy.
Even his attempt to stand up and make a bold statement—his first time truly stepping into the spotlight—to awaken the fighting spirit in everyone's hearts had been met with rejection.
Just then—
He even saw on the Forum that several Civilization Leaders were broadcasting messages into the depths of space. Though the content varied, nearly all declared their severance from human civilization.
They pledged unwavering allegiance to the Zerg Civilization's rule and vowed to become its most loyal subjects.
[Cosmic Broadcast]
A special item usable only by Civilization Leaders. Once activated, it could transmit a message, video, or other content into space at the speed of light.
Its primary purpose wasn't dissemination.
The Kasha Civilization Federation's Territory spanned tens of thousands of light-years.
To broadcast a message across the entire Kasha Civilization Federation, let alone reach the Zerg Civilization, would take tens of thousands of years. Its true purpose was to preserve evidence.
The Cosmic Broadcast could transmit a message across a zone spanning 100,000 light-years. The message would never dissipate before reaching its destination, serving as irrefutable evidence—an absolutely unforgeable proof that could be captured and verified at any time, permanently preserved in the cosmos.
These civilizations weren't trying to deliver the message directly to the Zerg Civilization.
Their primary goal was to make a statement.
And to have this evidence ready to present when the Zerg Civilization eventually attacked, proving they had long supported the Zerg Civilization's rule.
"Not bad," Chen Mang murmured, watching the scene from his seat in the locomotive cabin. He chuckled, lit a cigarette, leaned back, and said nothing more. He had originally hoped to stir up some primal instincts in these people, but he hadn't expected them to actually help him.
He just didn't want their future integration into human civilization to corrupt its social values.
Now it seemed...
Some people were born with soft bones, incapable of hardening.
These individuals weren't suited for human civilization. They'd be better off as crispy fried chicken—easy to chew and swallow.
Just then, Xiao Ai's voice echoed through the train:
"Train Conductor, the resource inventory for Gemini Star is complete."
"We've secured 170 trillion units of iron ore, 80 trillion units of copper ore, 10 trillion units of wood, 370,000 murphy stones, 37 special items, 3,709 accessory blueprints, and a small quantity of rare resources."
"In addition, we've discovered a research laboratory belonging to the Kasha Civilization."
"Inside, we found a wealth of experimental equipment for crafting accessory blueprints, including black technology developed by the Kasha Civilization capable of repairing gravity and a 'Planetary Wormhole'."
"The Kasha Civilization used the 'Planetary Wormhole' to escape by stuffing their planet into a wormhole. They also used this method to create the Kasha Civilization Federation Wormhole, gathering numerous civilizations together to form the Civilization Galaxy."
Chen Mang nodded slightly, pleased with the news. This stockpile of resources would last him a long time. He wasn't particularly angry, though the Civilization Leader's foolishness and timidity did make him want to laugh.
But it was also understandable.
After all, throughout the histories of the Kasha Civilization and the Mechanical Civilization, there was no direct correlation between a civilization's strength and the stupidity of its top leaders.
"Can we use that 'Planetary Wormhole'?"
"Yes, we can use it now."
"Good."
Chen Mang nodded slightly and instructed, "Pay attention to the civilizations that have sent Cosmic Broadcasts severing ties with human civilization. Later, position them all closest to the Zerg army."
"Since they're so eager to implement a policy of non-resistance..."
"...let them have their way."
"Perhaps the Zerg Civilization will show unexpected mercy and spare them."
If this war had been against another civilization, a policy of non-resistance might have succeeded. Even if the enemy intended to leave no survivors, they would have treated these collaborators favorably to undermine internal unity.
But the enemy was the Zerg.
Trying to reason with the Zerg?
What they perceived as non-resistance, the Zerg saw as something entirely different. "Non-resistance? What's that? I thought it was a speed bump."
Forget it. Go argue with God.
Chen Mang glanced again at the Forum screen. The forum was now in complete chaos. His intervention had clearly had an effect, quickly gaining him a group of supporters. Several civilizations had already declared their intention to mobilize their forces and join him in resisting the Zerg Civilization's invasion.
Most people still possessed some clear judgment.
Surrendering to the Zerg would be less comfortable than suicide.
Frankly speaking.
So far, 178 First-Tier Civilizations and 1 Second-Tier Civilization had sent Cosmic Broadcasts, explicitly severing ties with him. He could actually understand the Second-Tier Civilization's decision.
That Second-Tier Civilization was the Mantis Civilization.
Though their clansmen resembled humans, they were not of the Human Clan. Their limbs bore skeletal mantis-like features, such as mantis blades. When the Kasha Civilization still existed, these people were most enraged when others called them Zerg-like.
They had always staunchly proclaimed themselves to be of the Human Clan.
Absolutely of the Human Clan.
Even their Civilization Leader had repeatedly declared in public that he was of the Human Clan, with human blood flowing through his veins. Yet now, he abruptly changed his tune, firmly announcing that they were, in fact, Zerg.
Zerg since ancient times.
The Mantis Civilization's Leader even included extensive evidence in his Cosmic Broadcast to support his claim of being Zerg.
He could understand why this civilization chose not to resist or sever ties. It wasn't entirely foolish; there was some basis to their decision.
Among the remaining 178 First-Tier Civilizations:
37 were Alien Civilizations.
The remaining hundred-plus civilizations were purely Human Clan civilizations. These civilizations had chosen to believe in the benevolence of alien races, a decision Chen Mang found incomprehensible.
Advancing from a First-Tier Civilization to a Second-Tier Civilization wasn't particularly difficult.
If the Kasha Civilization hadn't been suppressing them, the number of Second-Tier Civilizations would have far exceeded the current count.
Still, there remained a significant hurdle.
The Second-Tier Civilizations were clearly far more astute. Apart from the Mantis Civilization, none of them had sent out any Cosmic Broadcasts, demonstrating their deep understanding of the brutal realities of interstellar warfare.
Nearly all civilization wars inevitably ended in genocide.
If genocide didn't occur, it wasn't due to the benevolence of one side, but rather because the war hadn't yet concluded.
While conflicts between kindred civilizations might allow for other outcomes, wars between alien civilizations never ceased until one side was utterly annihilated.
"However..."
Chen Mang gazed calmly at the galaxy map and murmured, "These Second-Tier Civilizations aren't exactly peaceful either."
"Broadcast this message: All mining stars left by the Kasha Civilization now belong to the Human Civilization. I claim these resources. Leave my mining stars immediately, and your past actions will be forgiven. Violators will be executed."
How to put it?
Sometimes, people can even empathize with their enemies.
He used to think the Kasha Civilization's casual slaughter of civilizations within their Federation was utterly absurd. Disregarding human life was the least of it; the real problem was that it completely undermined their own interests.
But now, sitting in this position, he suddenly understood the Kasha Civilization a little better.
These civilizations were all chaotic messes, filled with gods, demons, and all sorts of supernatural chaos.
Without an iron-fisted approach to suppress them, the entire system would quickly collapse.
Was there a single normal person among them?
Was there a single normal civilization?
The Kasha Civilization Federation's territory contained numerous mining stars, most of which had been extensively exploited over the years. However, many remained undiscovered or only partially mined.
There were roughly sixty such mining stars.
The moment news of the Kasha Civilization's retreat spread, massive waves of trains converged on these stars to begin mining operations.
A single swing of a pickaxe on these mining stars yielded profits equivalent to months of their previous earnings—the potential gains were staggering.
Such staggering profits naturally attracted desperate, reckless individuals willing to risk everything.
Chen Mang pushed the control lever, and the train shot deep into space, heading for nearby wormhole coordinates. He planned to jump to another region within the Kasha Civilization Federation's territory, where he would first gather all the mining stars into his train.
These mining stars represented a significant portion of the Federation's resources.
Removing the Civilization Imprints from the mining stars proved much simpler than expected. When the Kasha Civilization retreated, they hadn't had time to retrieve these scattered mining stars from across the Federation.
Over the years, the Kasha Civilization had mined vast quantities of resources from these stars, fueling their rapid development.
However, compared to the Mechanical Civilization's advancements, the Kasha Civilization still lagged behind.
Although the Mechanical Civilization suffered from intense internal conflicts, it remained the most powerful civilization in the region for a long time, unmatched by any other. Even the Zerg Civilization couldn't compete until they suddenly gained the "Infinite Resurrection" ability. Without this, the Zerg would have been no match for the Mechanical Civilization.
In terms of developmental progress, the Mechanical Civilization far surpassed the Kasha Civilization.
Soon—
The Stellaris train arrived at the first mining star, its resource content now reduced to 78%. This relatively comfortable mining star orbited its host star in a stable orbit.
The star's surface was already swarming with trains, all engaged in frenzied mining operations.
"..."
Chen Mang slowly maneuvered the Stellaris train to land on the mining star. Surveying the surrounding trains, now driven to madness, he shook his head slightly. "Those who swim well drown, and those who ride well fall from their horses."
"The final fate of daredevils is always death."
In the next moment!
A message appeared on the screens of every train on the mining star:
[This mining star belongs to the Human Civilization. All trains must immediately depart. No resources need to be surrendered; all resources mined during this period are yours to keep. After three minutes, any remaining trains will be considered to have declared war on the Human Civilization.]
The instant the message was received, some trains immediately recalled their Mining Robots and departed the planet with terrifying decisiveness.
However, most continued mining.
Some mined for another minute, others for two.
Nearly all left at the last possible moment.
Whenever Chen Mang set a ten-minute limit, these people would mine for nine minutes before leaving.
Trust was the name of the game.
With just three minutes remaining, about one-fifth of the trains continued mining as if nothing had happened, showing no signs of leaving. Chen Mang's train even received a private message:
[This mining star originally belonged to the Kasha Civilization, not your human civilization. Who do you think you're scaring here?]
[The ownership of this mining star is shared by all who find it.]
[Let's all mine together. Whatever we get is ours to keep, based on our own abilities.]
"..."
Chen Mang sighed softly. "These people..."
"In the cosmos, the right to resources always belongs to the strong."
Formal claims were just words.
Before the Stellaris train had gained sufficient power, Chen Mang never stood at the table to divide the cake. Instead, he hid in the corner, scavenging scraps to slowly develop his strength. As a rat, one must accept the fate of living in the sewer.
Just then, the countdown ended.
Nearly a hundred high-Tier shuttlecraft launched from the Stellaris train, heading toward the remaining trains that hadn't left. Simultaneously, Chen Mang disabled the private messaging function for strangers.
He gazed at the distant train, just preparing to take off and escape, only to see it struck down by a shuttlecraft, erupting into a fiery explosion in mid-air. Calmly lighting a cigarette, he watched the scene with detached amusement, murmuring, "Wasn't it supposed to be 'finders keepers'?"
"How did they suddenly die?"
Now that Stellaris possessed the strength to inherit the legacy of the Kasha Civilization, these resources naturally belonged to him.
That included the sixty to seventy mining stars.
There were also numerous other mining stars, whose harsh extraction environments had deterred the Kasha Civilization from exploiting them. Chen Mang intended to claim all these stars for his train and gradually mine them.
"Hmm..."
Chen Mang sat in his chair, his brow furrowed as he stared at the control panel screen. He was currently pondering a very serious matter.
A Tier 200 Space Gate could only accommodate a planet with a diameter exceeding 100,000 kilometers. The diameter wasn't the real limitation, as mining stars or habitable planets rarely exceeded that size. Any celestial bodies larger than that were typically miscellaneous, irregular objects.
Constructing a Tier 200 Space Gate wasn't particularly expensive, requiring 1.3 billion units of iron ore.
Given Stellaris's current resource reserves, it could even be considered a bargain.
But—
The problem was this:
The space gates needed to be installed directly inside the train carriages, and his train was already at its maximum expanded capacity. Even if he embedded space gates into the ceilings of every carriage, he could only fit a maximum of 100 space gates per carriage.
This was the absolute limit.
It would be enough to transport all the mining stars.
However, many civilizations possessed a strong martial spirit that he valued highly. He had already marked them for assimilation into his human civilization, and there were thousands of such civilizations. His original plan was to cram them all into the space gates.
But now it seemed impossible to take them all.
Unless he built more carriages, but that would instantly skyrocket the cost of upgrading the train's armor.
After agonizing over the problem for a long time, Chen Mang finally sighed softly. "Xiao Ai, how do other civilizations solve this problem?"
"..."
Xiao Ai's slightly exasperated voice came through the train token. "Train Conductor, other civilizations don't face this problem. According to my database, no civilization has ever attempted to store so many planets inside a train.
"And I suspect that even across the entire cosmos, very few beings could accomplish such a feat."
"Train Conductor, you could simply dismantle the civilization, preserve some of the habitable planets, and not take everything with you."
"No."
Chen Mang shook his head, rejecting the suggestion. "Once they join the human civilization, they'll inevitably be dismantled and unified under central management. But these habitable planets are rare treasures, even in the vastness of the cosmos."
"They're exceedingly rare."
"Each one takes millions, even billions, of years to form."
"The reason we have so many here is purely due to the accumulation of vast stretches of time. They're all precious and can't be discarded so easily."
"That would be an immense waste."
"Waste invites divine retribution."
"Even if we don't need them now, we should store them. There will always be opportunities to use them later. They can serve as backup planets, and who knows, we might even be able to sell them someday. Let me think..."
Yes.
In his upcoming plan:
After the final battle with the Zerg Civilization, he would remain here for a period to develop, consuming all the local resources. Afterward, he would venture into other zones, taking with him his entire foundation and accumulated planets.
After all, the primary means by which civilizations acquire resources is through mining stars.
Mining stars are considered renewable resources in the universe, though their regeneration time is quite long.
When all the resources in a zone have been exhausted, expansion becomes inevitable and predetermined. This also means that wars between civilizations in the universe will never cease.
After a long pause, Chen Mang gazed thoughtfully at the Tier 200 Space Gate's Cosmic-Grade Overpowered Effect displayed on the screen.
Should I upgrade it to Tier 500 and see what the Cosmic-Class Overpowered Effect at that level is?
Maybe it will grant me a miracle.
The Space Gate is a yellow-grade accessory. Upgrading it to Tier 500 would require 700 billion units of iron ore—an astronomical figure for his former self, but for his current self...
Well, it's manageable. Acceptable.
In the next moment, a brand-new Overpowered Effect appeared before him.
[Space Gate Level 500 Overpowered Effect: Can accommodate a star and use it as the train's energy source, significantly increasing the train's speed. Requires pairing with a Tier 500 Seven-colored grade Acceleration Nozzle accessory.]
Chen Mang's eyes flickered with a momentary daze.
Incredibly powerful.
From that single line, he could tell that the Stellaris train's speed would skyrocket. A truly impressive overpowered effect—the faster the train, the better.
But the problem was...
He had assumed the Space Gate Level 500 Overpowered Effect would allow him to accommodate multiple planets, or even entire galaxies.
What was he supposed to do with all these planets now?
This thing couldn't be stacked, nor could it be stored in the refrigerator; it had to be embedded within the carriage.
Wait—
His expression turned slightly odd. He seemed to have realized something: the Space Gate could only be embedded in carriages, regardless of the carriage's Tier. He could simply build multiple trains, fill each with Space Gates, and then place these trains inside the Space Gates.
A nested system, one layer within another, achieving perfect accommodation.
This shouldn't count as exploiting a bug, right? It's just a mechanism, isn't it?
Would that even work?
Something about it felt... off.
Storage was such a pain in the ass, especially when you had to store so many planets!
If all else failed, he could try dragging them behind the train, like the Nine Dragons Coffin Pull.
But that wouldn't be very aesthetically pleasing.
Having thousands of planets strung together like beads behind the train would look... well, you know.
(End of the Chapter)
📖Read [MAT] ahead on Pa.treon@AnubisTL. 💠COMPLETED💠
🎁All [3] Novels can be accessed for just $6/mo.
🔥Translated [1.1k+] Chapters and [2.46M+] Words.