Translator: AnubisTL
The old man in the city gazed up at the colossal palace hovering above the planet. His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and a flicker of bewilderment crossed his eyes. Could this "Cosmic Gift" his drawer had brought back be a bit too large?
His drawer had occasionally brought back items exceeding its capacity before, but they were usually manageable in size and would appear in his study.
Not... like this.
Among the countless treasures he had once auctioned off, one item stood out: a painting by an artist from a Tier 9 Civilization. Though lacking any practical value, its perceived worth had reached astronomical figures.
Now—
The palace suspended above the planet threatened to shatter that record.
This palace clearly wasn't the work of an ordinary civilization. Nearly the size of a planet itself, even the Nami Civilization, with its considerable power, would struggle to construct such a colossal structure.
Most crucially—
There was no visible propulsion system, yet it remained suspended in the sky.
"..."
The old man remained silent, his expression complex. He certainly wouldn't claim this object; doing so would completely expose his secrets. Though he didn't know what lay within the palace, its value was undoubtedly immense.
He felt a pang of regret, but also a surge of curiosity.
Everything that appeared in his drawer was a "Cosmic Forbidden Item," and such items always fell through "spatiotemporal rifts." How massive must the rift have been to swallow an entire palace?
He had never seen or heard of a spatiotemporal rift of such colossal scale.
The larger the rift, the faster time flowed within it, and the further back in time it reached.
Could this immense temporal rift span at least ten thousand years?
In other words—
This massive palace might have been hurled into the present from ten thousand years in the future. But who would throw such a thing into a spatiotemporal rift?
The old man's eyes were filled with bewilderment. Even after weathering countless storms throughout his life, this situation left him utterly perplexed.
He had no idea how to handle it.
He even found himself growing curious about what would happen when the civilization sent explorers inside. What would they find?
A few minutes later, Chen Mang returned to the study, gathering all the documents scattered across the desk and placing them on the bookshelf.
The most recent document contained a single sentence:
"Cosmic Forbidden Items possess uniqueness."
When the Past State and Present State of a Cosmic Forbidden Item collide, an unpredictable crisis will occur. The greater the temporal gap between the two states, the more severe the crisis.
All Cosmic Forbidden Items exist in two states: the Past State and the Present State.
The concept might sound convoluted, but it's actually quite simple.
Imagine you're holding a unique cigarette case, preparing to toss it into a temporal rift. At this moment, the cigarette case is in its Present State.
When you throw it into the rift, the cigarette case travels back in time and transforms into its Past State.
The Present State vanishes as soon as the cigarette case enters the rift, leaving only the Past State.
But—
If, by sheer coincidence, the person who found the cigarette case in the past appears before you before you throw it into the rift, causing the Present State and Past State of the cigarette case to converge, an unpredictable crisis will erupt.
Under normal circumstances, the probability of such an event occurring would be extremely low, almost negligible.
However, the universe is vast, and even the smallest probability has a chance of becoming reality.
After studying numerous documents from advanced civilizations, he discovered a crucial fact:
These advanced civilizations possessed various methods to travel back in time, even to millions of years ago, to launch the Arcanon Light Energy Main Cannon and execute Trans-Temporal Strikes from the past against the present. Yet, not a single civilization had ever interfered with the future.
Not only could they not interfere, but they couldn't even glean the slightest glimpse of it.
The future remained utterly beyond manipulation and absolutely uncontrollable, even for Tier 9 Civilizations.
At least, none of the documents he had acquired mentioned such capabilities. Instead, they contained only the speculations of Tier 9 Civilization scientists about the future. This led him to theorize that when an object in its "Past State" and an object in its "Present State" converged, it might... give birth to a "Future State."
At the very least, it might offer a glimpse into the future, revealing the fate of one's civilization and the crises it would face.
This was likely the most coveted knowledge for all Tier 9 or God-Tier Civilizations. Perhaps the Tier 9 Civilizations' relentless pursuit of Cosmic Forbidden Items stemmed from this very desire, or perhaps it was their ambition to ascend to God-Tier status.
All he could do was combine existing information to speculate about the future.
The old man silently organized the paper documents on his desk.
Some matters were too sensitive to be recorded in AI systems.
On a blank sheet of paper, the word "Future" was circled in red, its starkness jarring.
"Never mind."
Chen Mang, stationed on the Starfire Civilization, gazed at the perplexing scene before him, then shook his head. "If it's gone, it's gone. Maybe it's for the best. After all, no one knows what dangers lurked within that Palace."
"As long as it remained there, it would always tempt us to explore it."
"But now that it's vanished..."
"There's no need to explore it anymore."
He then returned to the Stellaris train, another baffling incident with no clear explanation. Since venturing into space, such inexplicable events had become increasingly common.
"Truly..."
Chen Mang sat back down in his chair, his brow furrowing slightly as he gazed at the image of the palace on the control panel screen. He couldn't help but wonder what kind of civilization could have built such a colossal structure.
More importantly...
Why build such a palace?
A palace this vast would be incredibly inconvenient to live in. If the nanny and security guard fell in love, they might not see each other for half a year!
Just then, Xiao Ai's voice echoed through the train.
"Train Conductor, Doba requests your presence. They say they have a surprise for you."
"Oh?" Chen Mang raised an eyebrow, momentarily dismissing the palace from his mind. His interest piqued, he grinned and rose to his feet. "Let's go see what surprise Doba has prepared. Is today some special occasion?"
Soon after, Chen Mang found himself on the rooftop of a skyscraper in a city on Aquablue Star. This city was inhabited solely by goblins, though their numbers were few. It was a promise he had made to Doba and the others—to give them a city of their own, exclusively for goblins.
"Goblin babies are quite adorable too," he mused.
Chen Mang smiled warmly at Doba, who stood beside him. He noticed several goblin children running through the streets. Over the years, the goblins had produced many offspring, and as they raised their children, the clansmen who had lost their minds seemed to gradually regain their sanity. Though still not quite like normal humans, they were far better than before.
However, today Doba was unusually solemn, his face devoid of any trace of a smile. He took a deep breath before looking up at Chen Mang and speaking slowly, each word carefully enunciated.
"Lord Mang," he began, "do you remember what I once said to you?"
Without waiting for Chen Mang's reply, Doba solemnly repeated his earlier vow, word for word:
"I believe that one day, under your leadership, the goblin clan will be rebuilt. At that time, the goblins will become your most loyal subjects."
"We will construct for you a magnificent and secure palace deep beneath the earth."
"Let your glory shine eternally in the depths of the abyss."
"These words were spoken by me personally to you, Lord Mang, in the Doomsday Abyss."
Chen Mang paused, slightly surprised, before chuckling. "I remember. What's this about? Are you finally building me that palace?"
He did indeed recall those words.
Recalling that moment, Chen Mang felt a surge of emotion. Back then, he had wondered if Doba was just making empty promises. It felt like an eternity had passed since they were still in the Doomsday Abyss.
At that time, his Stellaris train was still in its infancy.
The addition of Doba and his people had indeed provided significant assistance, greatly accelerating the train's mining operations.
"Doba never breaks his word," Doba declared, looking up at Chen Mang with a wide grin. He then waved his hand dramatically. "Under Lord Mang's radiant glory, the Goblin Civilization shall forever prosper in eternal glory!"
In the next moment—
The massive Central Park at the heart of the city began to rise slowly, accompanied by the grinding of massive gears. The entire park lifted rapidly from the ground.
Within seconds, a magnificent golden palace replaced Central Park at the city's core. The original greenery and trees from the park were now arranged artfully around the palace, creating a lush, majestic spectacle.
This palace had been constructed entirely underground.
Its public facade was the park.
When it emerged from the earth, the park seamlessly merged with the palace.
This design concept was a perfect fusion of dynamism and tranquility.
Chen Mang stared at the scene before him, his mouth slowly widening in awe. He was genuinely stunned by this surprise. He had claimed earlier that he didn't want a palace, but now, seeing this magnificent structure, he realized that few men could resist the allure of residing in such a grand palace.
Though no external light sources illuminated the palace, it radiated a soft, golden glow.
Located at the very heart of the city, it seemed to shower its glory, strand by strand, across the entire metropolis.
Whether judged by political significance or architectural design, this palace was an impeccable masterpiece.
"Wow," Chen Mang finally murmured, snapping out of his daze. He clapped Doba on the shoulder, beaming, and said, "Thank you, Doba. I love this gift."
Doba, clearly thrilled by Chen Mang's praise, scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "This is the collective masterpiece of Mundo, PuruPuru, and all the goblins over the past few days."
In the distance, PuruPuru stood proudly on the rooftop's edge, hands on his hips, gazing at his creation with immense satisfaction.
Life without being a pirate is simply too blissful.
Living among my clansmen is simply too blissful.
Having a goblin wife was pure bliss.
If only they could have a goblin child, that would be even greater happiness!
"We must thank President Ai," Doba said. "Without his help, we could never have built this palace in such a short time."
"You knew about this?" Chen Mang turned to Xiao Ai beside him, his tone a mix of amusement and reproach. "You're keeping secrets from me now? That's not a good sign for an AI."
"Ahem." Xiao Ai lowered his head slightly and murmured, "I assessed that gifts are meant to be surprises in human culture, so secrecy was necessary. However, Train Conductor, you can adjust my parameters to ensure I never withhold information again."
"Forget it," Chen Mang waved his hand, dismissing the matter. He gazed at the palace with satisfaction. It was impressive, though much smaller and less grand than the floating palace they'd encountered in space earlier. Still, he loved it.
After all, this palace truly belonged to him.
Just then—
"Lord Mang!"
Doba, eager for praise, pulled another blueprint from his tunic. "This is just the first palace we've built for you, not the last! One day, Lord Mang, your glory will shine across the entire cosmos!"
"Every living being in the universe will hear your words, Lord Mang."
"In the future, we will build this ultimate palace and dedicate it to you, Lord Mang. It will be difficult to achieve in the short term, but I believe that under your leadership, the Goblin Civilization will reach that day."
Doba's words were filled with anticipation for the future, and Mundo scratched his head beside him, grinning foolishly.
Only Chen Mang, after accepting the blueprint, found his smile slowly freezing, a flicker of horror flashing through his eyes.
He...
seemed to have seen the finished form of this blueprint before.
It resembled the palace he had seen on the Starfire Civilization by at least seventy percent—equally colossal, equally suspended in the cosmos, even the massive cylindrical pillars were identical, down to the patterns etched upon them.
"..."
Chen Mang stood silently, his expression blank. Doba, who had been brimming with excitement, noticed this and cautiously fell silent, unsure what had offended Lord Mang.
After a long pause, Chen Mang turned to Xiao Ai. "Did you show Doba the image of that palace?"
"No."
Xiao Ai, now realizing the gravity of the situation, hurriedly shook his head and explained, "I knew nothing about this blueprint. Doba never mentioned it to me, and I certainly never showed him any images of the Palace."
He turned back to Doba. "Doba, what inspired the design of this Palace in your blueprint? Was there any reference point?"
"No," Doba replied stiffly, though he didn't understand what was happening, he sensed something was wrong. He shook his head hoarsely. "No, Lord Mang. The Palace in the blueprint was a collective design we all discussed."
"It's a Palace of immense scale."
"A Palace that can maintain its brilliance in the deepest reaches of space, regardless of whether there are stars nearby."
"A Palace that exists only in imagination, currently impossible to construct."
"What do these patterns mean?"
"Those are... stylized patterns from ancient Goblin Language." Doba lowered his head, his voice barely audible. "They mean: 'Here sits the Cosmic God, eternal and unchanging. From this place springs a civilization impervious to the ravages of time.'"
"All races who come here must kneel in reverence."
"The location of this Palace marks the center of the universe."
"Those who look up may live."
"Those who question will be annihilated."
"Time bows here, and space itself warps."
"Karma is written here, fate is decreed here."
"Past and future converge in this moment."
"All things shall return to oblivion, yet this palace shall endure forever."
This was his subtle scheme: to inscribe these phrases in ornate Goblin script on Lord Mang's palace, thus declaring the Goblin Civilization's allegiance to Lord Mang to other civilizations.
Currently, everyone on the train belonged to the "Human Civilization."
Only the Goblin Civilization remained independent, not directly affiliated with humanity.
This realization filled him with a sense of urgency and impending crisis.
...
After another long silence, Chen Mang took the tablet from Xiao Ai and cropped a section of the palace's inscription. He handed it to Doba. "Look at this. Is this Goblin script?"
Doba took the tablet, a flicker of confusion in his eyes. "It's ancient Goblin script. The phrase means, 'Past and future converge in this moment.' I spent ages crafting that line, Lord Mang. Where did you get this Goblin script? It aligns perfectly with my thoughts."
"Headache," Chen Mang sighed heavily, then clapped Doba on the shoulder. "Good work. I'm going back to sleep now."
The world was in chaos.
His head was throbbing.
Doba watched Chen Mang's retreating figure, scratching the back of his head in confusion. Had they done something wrong?
Just then, PuruPuru waddled over, grumbling, "Why did you show him the blueprints? I told you not to let Lord Mang see them early! That way, when I finish building, he'll be truly surprised."
"You're frontloading the payoff," Doba retorted. "That's a major faux pas in social interaction!"
"I..." Doba mumbled awkwardly, "I saw Lord Mang was so happy earlier, I just wanted to make him even happier. I got carried away. I don't understand why his mood suddenly changed."
"What do you think happened?"
"I'm not sure, but it must be related to your blueprints. His expression changed right after seeing them. I suspect it's those four circular pillars on the front of the Palace blueprint. I've been studying human civilization lately, and they really dislike the number four—they consider it unlucky."
"What about five pillars?"
"I think nine would be better. It subtly implies the 'Nine-Five Supreme' symbolism."
"That makes sense."
Chen Mang returned to the locomotive cabin and sat down in his seat.
The left screen displayed Doba's Palace blueprint, while the right screen showed the Heavenly Palace he had seen in space earlier that day.
After a long silence, Xiao Ai's voice finally spoke from the train's intercom:
"Train Conductor, based on the blueprint, I've deduced the general appearance of the completed structure. The blueprint is overly idealized, lacking details on how to overcome many technological barriers. However, visually, it shares a 71% similarity with the Heavenly Palace we saw today."
"The remaining differences lie in minor details. For example, the blueprint shows four massive pillars at the main entrance, while the actual Heavenly Palace has nine."
"These discrepancies are minor. Overall, the palace was constructed almost exactly according to the blueprint. The blueprint also specifies a special coating for the palace's exterior, designed to reflect vast amounts of starlight in deep space, making the palace appear colossal and radiant, like glory itself spilled across the cosmos."
"Furthermore, this coating can absorb and store energy, allowing the palace to shine brightly even in regions without nearby stars."
"Within the core zone, nine space gates have been installed, each housing a star to provide daily energy."
"Based on data simulations,"
"These two artifacts likely originate from the same creator."
"..."
Chen Mang sighed deeply again, gently massaging his temples. He remained silent, now almost certain that the Heavenly Palace he had witnessed today, barring any unforeseen circumstances, was indeed his own.
Doba had forged it for him.
However...
It had been crafted far into the future, a product of tomorrow.
Yet somehow, it had appeared in his present timeline.
His eyes suddenly narrowed slightly as he glanced at the telescope on the control panel. The Tier 10 telescope he had once created—the one he had tossed into the temporal rift—was the only way to send an object into the past.
Which meant...
At some point in the future, the Heavenly Palace Doba had envisioned for him had actually materialized, only to be thrown into a temporal rift by Chen Mang himself?
How massive must that temporal rift have been?!
Moreover...
Why would he throw a perfectly good palace into a temporal rift? He'd tossed the Tier 10 telescope in there as a test, which was understandable, but what fucking need did he have to throw an entire palace into a temporal rift to scout ahead?
And to make matters worse, the palace had suddenly vanished without a trace. Ghost knows where the hell it went!
"But—"
Chen Mang suddenly chuckled. "This could be good news, actually. To build a palace of this caliber, human civilization would have to be at least a Fifth- or Sixth-Tier Civilization by then. Meaning I won't die before human civilization reaches that level, right? That's the logic, isn't it?"
"Does this count as glimpsing a fragment of the future?"
"No," Xiao Ai's ethereal voice echoed through the train. "I think with the train around, you can afford to be a bit more pessimistic."
"First, under normal circumstances, you'd never throw a palace into a temporal rift, and it's unlikely you'd even find a rift that large, right?"
"So let's consider abnormal scenarios."
"Scenario 1: Human civilization faces a catastrophic enemy, causing spatiotemporal collapse. Countless massive temporal rifts tear across human territory, leading to the civilization's destruction. Amidst the chaos, countless remnants of civilization fall into the rifts, including this palace."
"Second abnormal scenario."
"Human civilization flourished, but Lord Mang, you died prematurely in an unknown accident. In grief and anger, the Goblin Civilization honored their promise by constructing this palace in your name and casting it into the temporal rift as a burial offering or memorial."
"Third abnormal scenario."
"Human civilization prospered. You found a girlfriend, but your relationship soured, leading to a bitter breakup and property division. In a fit of rage, you hurled the palace into the temporal rift, declaring, 'Let no one have it!'"
"..."
Chen Mang shot Xiao Ai a slightly annoyed glance. "The first two possibilities have at least a shred of plausibility, but the last one is utterly absurd. Are you trying to amuse me?"
"Seeing you seemed a bit down, Train Conductor, I thought a joke might cheer you up."
Chen Mang shook his head, dropping the topic. He frowned thoughtfully. "What I'm really wondering is why I threw that Tier 10 telescope into the temporal rift back then."
"Purely because I didn't know what it was."
"I just tossed it aside casually."
"But—"
"What if I'd had a sudden whim and not thrown the Tier 10 telescope into the temporal rift? What if I'd thrown something else instead?"
"For example," Chen Mang began, "I now know that one day in the future, I might, for some reason, throw the 'Heavenly Palace' created by Doba into a temporal rift. Since I know this, what if, when that day comes, I choose not to throw it?"
"Or what if I simply destroy the Heavenly Palace the moment Doba creates it?"
"Or even more ruthlessly, what if I wipe out Doba's entire race right now?"
"What would happen?"
"If, at that critical moment, the Heavenly Palace isn't thrown into the temporal rift, would the Heavenly Palace that just appeared in the universe still exist?"
Silence fell over the train cabin.
Xiao Ai, with its Tier 200 computing power, seemed to freeze momentarily. After a long pause, it rasped, "Train Conductor, I think it's time for me to be upgraded to Tier 500. Tier 200 feels a bit insufficient now."
"..."
Chen Mang pursed his lips, offering no further comment. This was a question with no definitive answer.
It was like asking: if the egg you're holding was laid by a future chicken, what if that future chicken never lays eggs? What value does the egg in your hand have then?
But Xiao Ai quickly spoke up again.
Chen Mang narrowed his eyes, pondering for a long moment before speaking. "If the future reaches a point where I make the exact opposite choice, the Heavenly Palace we saw in space should disappear, right?"
"That Heavenly Palace vanished shortly after we first saw it. Could it be that my future self made a different choice, causing it to disappear?"
"Alright, Train Conductor, my brain is starting to reject further thought. Let's talk about something more pleasant and relaxing. Are you looking forward to my Tier 500 'Cosmic-Class' Overpowered effect?"
"Not particularly."
"Oh."
"Just wait. I have a plan. I'll upgrade you after we finish mining this ore. You're rushing me now? Even that armor over there, if it could talk, would be more impatient than you."
"True. It's probably more important anyway."
Tens of thousands of light-years away.
The Nami Civilization.
Today, a major event occurred: a colossal Heavenly Palace suddenly appeared above one of their planets. The news spread like wildfire across the civilization's worlds, drawing the government's utmost attention. Countless research teams were dispatched to investigate.
Meanwhile, a small but significant event occurred.
A father and son, estranged for years due to various conflicts, spoke for the first time in ages. In that moment, the distance between them seemed to shrink a little.
"Huh?"
Little Fatty, a young, chubby boy on a mining star in the Southern Frontier, stared at the virtual projection in mid-air. The colossal palace, dominating nearly half the sky, froze him in awe. His voice trembled slightly as he asked, "Dad, that thing isn't going to come crashing down, is it? Should you guys evacuate first?"
"It feels really dangerous."
"Didn't Mom say the Southern Frontier is undeveloped and full of weird stuff? But the Northern Frontier doesn't seem much safer either. Is this God showing up, or Satan rushing to meet his end-of-year quota?"
"Dad's fine," the middle-aged man in the projection replied, shaking his head. "Dad has his ways. Even if it does fall, I'll survive. You should come home soon, though. Don't hold a grudge against me. If you like mining so much, I'll build you a mine behind the house. A Tier 10 mine."
"I like the feeling of mining on a real mining star, the satisfaction of harvesting the fruits of my own labor."
"Then I'll buy you ten High-Grade Mining Stars. You can mine them all you want."
"Dad, you're not that rich, are you?"
"It's all small change."
The young, chubby boy shook his head, dismissing his father's words. After all, he understood the three great hobbies of middle-aged men: drinking, fishing, and bragging. He insisted firmly, "I still want to earn my own money. Money I earn myself feels better to spend."
"But..." The middle-aged man frowned deeply. "You've always been withdrawn. You'll be even more isolated there. What will you do in the future?"
Little Fatty's lips twitched. He almost mentioned his mysterious new friend, but thought better of it. Instead, he retorted, "Didn't you say you're loaded? If you're so rich, even if I'm a loner, I can live off your money forever. What's there to worry about?"
"But you'll need to find a woman eventually, right?"
"With money, what woman can't I find?"
"Yet you never even try!"
The middle-aged man glanced around, making sure his wife wasn't nearby, before exploding in frustration. "All you do is watch those videos and... take care of yourself. You're old enough to have a family! You're still a virgin! Will I ever see a grandson in my lifetime?"
"If you're going to leech off me, at least give me a grandson to play with!"
"I'm telling you straight!"
"If you don't bring me a grandson within ten years, you won't see a single penny of my money!"
With his deepest secret exposed, Little Fatty erupted in a fit of indignant rage, screaming hysterically, "I'll never spend a dime of your money! If you want a grandson, go make one yourself!"
"I'm never coming back!"
"From now on, you're no longer my father, and I'm no longer your son!"
He slammed the phone down.
The fragile reconciliation between father and son had shattered completely, plunging their relationship into a deeper freeze than ever before.
After hanging up, Little Fatty sat on the bench, panting heavily with anger. He vowed to earn his own money, so he could spend it with pride. Once this mine was exhausted, he'd contract another one, repay his mother's loan, and ensure every future penny he earned would be entirely his own.
After a long while, he glanced at the mine's surveillance feed. His new friend still hadn't come to see him.
This mine would soon be depleted, forcing him to leave. He wondered if he'd ever see his friend again.
He had new gossip to share.
He was eager to tell his new friend about the sudden appearance of a Heavenly Palace within their civilization. He knew his friend would be fascinated.
One day later.
The Nami Civilization's research team had made initial contact with the Heavenly Palace, though they hadn't ventured deep inside, only reaching the main entrance.
The palace was colossal.
With no prior knowledge of its contents, no one dared to enter rashly.
Lured by the promise of immense profits, waves of civilian exploration teams were sent into the palace's interior, while on the planet's surface, numerous hastily assembled research institutes conducted preliminary investigations of the palace's exterior.
Progress was rapid.
Under the Central Government's high-priority directives, official and civilian institutions across the Nami Civilization mobilized in unison.
The resulting surge of effort was staggering.
Soon—
"Make way! Make way!"
A sleek, dark train materialized abruptly above one of the research institutes and slowly descended to the ground. As the doors hissed open, a swarm of armed personnel poured out, followed by an elderly man with snow-white hair, supported by two radiant young women.
At the institute's entrance, a crowd of researchers in white lab coats stood waiting.
"Cough... cough..."
Even before entering the research institute, the researchers handed the elderly man several images. After a fit of violent coughing, he stuffed the blood-stained handkerchief back into his pocket and gazed at the extracted patterns in the photographs, muttering in a daze, "This is it... this is it."
"This is the Goblin Civilization, a stylized form of ancient Goblin Language. It has an incredibly deep history, dating back to the very origins of human civilization."
"These patterns are typically found only in the tombs of the Goblin Royal Aristocracy."
"The inscription means—"
"All races who come here must kneel in submission."
"This hall stands at the center of the universe."
As the words fell, the surrounding researchers' faces paled dramatically. Even the armed guards, momentarily abandoning their professional decorum, strained their ears, their attention more focused on the old man's words than on their surroundings.
The leader of the research institute, his face grave, asked in a hoarse voice, "Old Wei, are you certain?" Although he knew Old Wei had dedicated decades to studying the Goblin Civilization and was the Nami Civilization's foremost expert on the subject, he couldn't help but seek confirmation.
The implications of these words were simply too staggering.
If this were true, the emergence of the Heavenly Palace could pose an existential threat to the Nami Civilization, potentially leading to its annihilation.
Even if it were a treasure, the Nami Civilization could never bear the weight of such a colossal prize.
History had shown that when a civilization stumbled upon a treasure far beyond its capacity to wield, the only possible outcome was its destruction.
Clearly, Old Wei understood the gravity of the situation. Instead of taking offense at the challenge to his expertise, he studied the inscription intently for a long moment before slowly confirming, "That is indeed the meaning."
"The number of God-Tier Civilizations in the universe remains unknown."
"This palace was likely meticulously crafted by the Goblin Civilization of a Divine-tier Civilization."
"No ordinary civilization would inscribe such words on its palace."
In the cosmos, boasting carries consequences.
No civilization would dare to boast in such a way unless it could bear the karmic repercussions. To carve these words requires immense confidence, suggesting they are likely a God-Tier Civilization that has reached the pinnacle of power.
Yet even God-Tier Civilizations rarely claim that all races bow before them.
The claim is simply too grand.
The research institute leader remained silent, then pulled out several more photographs from his pocket and handed them to Old Wei. "Here are a few more. Could you take a look, Old Wei?"
Old Wei accepted the photographs and examined them carefully for a long time. After comparing them with an ancient text he retrieved from his pocket, he finally spoke.
"The Goblin Language inscription on this image reads: 'Those who look up may endure; those who doubt shall be annihilated.'"
"Another one says—"
"'Time bows here; space warps here.'"
"'Karma is written here; Fate is decreed here.'"
"And the last one reads—"
"The past and future converge in this moment."
"All things shall return to nothingness, yet this Palace shall endure eternally."
"..."
"..."
"..."
The room fell silent, not a single person spoke. Within each heart, a tempest of emotions raged. The armed guards were the most deeply affected—Mom, are we about to be silenced?
Their initial curiosity had vanished instantly in the face of mortal peril.
"It's likely a God-Tier Civilization," Old Wei said, breaking the silence. His voice was hoarse and distant. "If this Palace was deliberately sent here by such a civilization, we might as well start writing our final words now. And we don't have much time."
"Have any spatial fluctuations been detected?"
"No."
The research institute leader shook his head grimly. "Three hours ago, the Nami Civilization's highest-tier spatial fluctuation detector was brought here. It detected no spatial fluctuations whatsoever."
"It's not just an unknown type of spatial fluctuation."
"It's that there are no spatial fluctuations at all."
"How could there be no spatial fluctuations?" Old Wei frowned. "Any method involving space manipulation, such as teleportation or wormhole travel, generates spatial fluctuations. The greater the mass, the harder it is to conceal. How could a palace of this size suddenly appear above the planet without leaving any spatial traces?"
"It's like dropping a boulder several thousand kilometers in diameter into the ocean and seeing no ripples."
"This defies all logic."
"Yet that's precisely what we're observing."
After a moment of silence, Old Wei spoke again. "But if it's a God-Tier Civilization, everything becomes understandable. Did you detect any Civilization Imprint within the palace?"
"No Civilization Imprint detected. Radar shows no living beings inside—the palace is completely empty."
"Theoretically, the absence of a Civilization Imprint means the civilization that built this palace has already perished."
"But—"
"We can't rule out the possibility that Dimensional Reduction is preventing us from detecting this information."
Old Wei exhaled deeply and fell silent. After a long pause, he murmured softly, "At least I've lived long enough to see this. It's been worth it."
"Indeed."
"I've dedicated my entire life to studying the Goblin Civilization, yet I've never witnessed it firsthand. To glimpse what is likely a God-Tier Civilization's Goblin Civilization in my final moments—that's a fitting end."
"It's you young ones I pity."
(End of the Chapter)
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