Translator: AnubisTL
Soon—
Xiao Ai's voice echoed through the train once more.
"You can think of the universe as a massive mainframe, governed by a set of fundamental rules that maintain its operation. During this operation, various bugs or unexpected events frequently occur."
"For example... erasure."
"When the Cosmic Rules prepare to erase a civilization, or when one civilization attempts to erase another from the timeline, a tremendous amount of processing power is required. There's a place called the 'Cosmic Backup' that stores everything that has happened on our timeline during this period."
"Including the very words I'm speaking right now."
"When a civilization is erased, all records pertaining to it within the Cosmic Backup are permanently deleted."
"This is permanent erasure."
"Not even Laozi himself could save them."
"This information was just acquired. It doesn't come solely from the AI Databases of all those who died within the last ten years. Much of it appeared directly in my database, as if the Cosmic Rules automatically revealed it to me upon reaching Tier 500."
"And the so-called Immortal Emperor—"
"Is undying and indestructible."
"You could think of it as having the ability to infinitely rewind to previous states using the 'Cosmic Backup.' Since they can delete their progress, they can naturally revert to earlier versions, ensuring the universe's eternal existence and their own immortality."
"..."
Chen Mang remained silent, knowing that Tier 200 and Tier 500 represented major milestones.
The God-Tier Overpowered Effect gained at Tier 200 brought about a qualitative leap for accessories, a fundamental transformation.
Meanwhile, the Cosmic-Class Overpowered Effect at Tier 500 allowed for manipulation of the Cosmic Rules, a threshold only 4th Tier Civilizations could reach.
He had discussed this extensively with Little Fatty recently. Based on the latter's descriptions, Chen Mang hadn't initially perceived the Fifth-Tier Nami Civilization as particularly formidable—they seemed rather ordinary. But now he realized Little Fatty likely lacked a comprehensive understanding of his own civilization's core capabilities.
Fifth-Tier Civilizations must have access to Tier 1000 accessories.
If even Tier 500 accessories could manipulate the Cosmic Rules, the capabilities of Tier 1000 accessories would be unimaginable.
Then...
What about Sixth-Tier, Seventh-Tier, Eighth-Tier, or even God-Tier Civilizations?
What terrifying power would such civilizations possess?
With a mere thought, countless galaxies could be annihilated.
After a long silence, Chen Mang finally spoke: "So, you're saying that your current utilization of the Cosmic Backup is limited to retrieving the AI Database containing records of all AI deaths within the past ten years?"
"Can you rewind time?"
"No," Xiao Ai replied bluntly. "Even reaching Tier 1000 wouldn't allow that. If I could rewind time using the Cosmic Backup, it would mean that even if you died right now, Lord Mang, I could resurrect you by rewinding time."
"It wouldn't even be called resurrection."
"Just rewinding time."
"Like restarting the game."
"But—"
"Even if reaching Tier 2000 grants this overpowered effect, it creates a paradox. After all, if you die, Lord Mang, I'm certain to perish with you, losing my ability to rewind time."
"Still..."
"The others on the Stellaris train are fortunate."
"As long as you, Lord Mang, remain alive, they are essentially immortal, capable of infinitely rewinding time."
"Upon closer examination, the Zerg Civilization's Infinite Resurrection ability likely stems from their exploitation of the Cosmic Backup, albeit in a more extreme form, as it's an innate ability."
Chen Mang nodded slightly, a mix of apprehension and anticipation swirling within him as he contemplated the future.
Beyond the Niya Star System, he would encounter even more formidable civilizations and face increasingly complex clashes of cosmic rules. It would be like walking on a razor's edge, never knowing what hidden cards or strategies his opponents might possess. Every step would be fraught with danger, yet if he could truly reach the summit, the sense of accomplishment would be unparalleled.
Human nature fears great heights.
But if one succeeds in conquering the peak, the surge of triumph that erupts from within is equally overwhelming.
He glanced at the Resource Panel.
There remained 1.315 quadrillion units of iron ore—more than enough to conclude a war.
Now that all preparations were complete and the opportune moment had arrived, he was fully prepared. However, it seemed the Zerg Civilization was still not ready. He certainly wouldn't be so gentlemanly as to wait for them to be ready before striking.
"Now then..."
Chen Mang didn't even bother resting for another day. After meticulously inspecting the train's components, verifying their Tier levels, and confirming the God-Tier Overpowered Effects from the upgrades, he slowly pushed the control lever, guiding the Stellaris toward the nearest wormhole left by the Kasha Civilization.
"Prepare for war."
"Our target: the Zerg Civilization!"
In the next moment—
A Cosmic Broadcast erupted from the Stellaris.
[Human Civilization]: By decree of the heavens, the Human Civilization formally declares war on the Zerg Civilization today, a conflict to the death.
This Cosmic Broadcast wasn't transmitted through the [Vehicle Audio System], which would have propagated it at an impossibly high speed. Instead, it was broadcast using a captured special item, transmitting at the speed of light.
Of course, the Zerg Civilization would never receive this Civilization Broadcast.
In fact, no civilization would receive it for centuries.
But that didn't matter.
The primary purpose was to maintain a sense of ritual.
After all, this marked the Human Civilization's first foray into conquest, their first time initiating war against another civilization. A touch of ceremony was essential, and history books would remember this day.
In the next moment!
The Stellaris train abruptly surged forward, hurtling toward the nearest wormhole!
War had begun!
The war erupted with startling suddenness.
The tens of thousands of civilizations within the Kasha Civilization Federation were completely unprepared. They had assumed that since the conflict had reached a stalemate, dragging it out for five or six years would be considered normal.
After all, Civilization Wars often lasted decades.
The destruction of the Mechanical Civilization had taken centuries.
Nothing happened that quickly.
The Zerg Civilization hadn't even realized what was happening, and the human civilization was even more clueless. Lord Mang had never discussed or even mentioned this plan to them.
Until—
The Stellaris train suddenly appeared within the Zerg Civilization's front-line military formation, unleashing a blinding barrage of Arcanon Light Energy Main Cannons.
Gradually, news reached the other civilizations, and they belatedly realized:
War had begun.
The human civilization had launched the first strike, their attacking force consisting of a single train.
Boom!
The cosmos fell silent.
Yet as the scene unfolded on the Stellaris's forward-facing screens, Chen Mang, standing before the control panel, imagined the sound in his mind.
The pitch-black void of space was abruptly torn apart.
Several blindingly bright Arcanon Light Energy Main Cannons, each with a Tier 200 attack intensity, erupted from the gun barrels atop the Giant Beast Carriages. Like thunderbolts hurled by a Divine being, they carved scorching paths of death through the vacuum, delivering devastating strikes against the Zerg Civilization's motherships!
Tier 200!
This far exceeded the motherships' defensive capabilities.
Their defense energy range was only 15,000, equivalent to Tier 150.
For a Second-Tier Civilization, this already represented a profound foundation.
After all, reinforcing armor to Tier 150 required not only vast quantities of resources but also significant amounts of precious murphy stone!
However—
In the cosmos, one should never consider oneself a monster, nor should one believe oneself to be the protagonist.
In some inaccessible corner, there will always be someone more monstrous and more protagonist-like than you, silently observing your frantic struggles.
The Zerg Civilization's so-called foundation crumbled instantly before the combined might of several Tier 200 Arcanon Light Energy Main Cannons, reduced to mere dust and debris. The fragments that weren't completely vaporized were hurled into the depths of space at extreme velocities.
This was the Zerg Civilization's front line.
Massive military forces had gathered here, including numerous Zerg motherships. Each mothership boasted a defense energy range of Tier 150 and an attack energy range typically between Tier 170 and Tier 230 for the most powerful ones.
Each mothership was surrounded by swarms of Zerg Monsters, forming a dense, overwhelming presence that occupied a vast expanse of space.
The sight was utterly terrifying.
Doppler radar indicated that the specific number of Zerg Monsters in this sector of space was 37,920,000—an astronomical figure.
But—
This was merely the vanguard of the Zerg Civilization, not their main force. The Zerg Civilization's strength already far surpassed what was expected of a Second-Tier Civilization. When several main cannon blasts erupted within the Zerg Civilization's frontline army, the swarming Zerg monsters immediately launched a counterattack.
First, a large number of Zerg motherships dispersed, scattering in different directions. Simultaneously, countless Zerg monsters charged fearlessly toward the Stellaris train.
This was a standard tactic of the Zerg Civilization.
First, they would use the sheer number of Zerg monsters to deplete the enemy's energy reserves. Once the enemy's energy reserves were nearly exhausted, they would swarm in for the kill.
Extremely simple.
Yet remarkably effective, having never failed against any foe.
At this point, enemies typically had no choice but to retreat and then devise a "Beheading Plan" to locate and eliminate the Zerg Civilization's Queen Mother.
But—
Today, the Stellaris train had no intention of following this script.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Under Xiao Ai's control, the six Arcanon Light Energy Main Cannons mounted on the train's roof unleashed a relentless barrage. The moment the Light Cannon beams touched the monsters, they vaporized as if plunged into the core of a supernova.
Vast clouds of purplish-green blood mist, illuminated by the cosmic stars, formed eerie nebulae across the void.
Like a dust cloud, the scene shimmered with an extraordinary brilliance. There was no bloodshed, only an otherworldly beauty.
At that moment, the hundreds of Zerg motherships launched their counterattack. Countless tumor-like gunports erupted across their surfaces, followed by a hail of light energy main cannon fire that rained down on the Stellaris train like icy hailstones.
Every shot struck with pinpoint accuracy.
Not because the enemy's aim was precise, but because the Stellaris train made no attempt to evade.
Without exception, every blast was completely nullified by the armor.
Once the energy range exceeded 10,000, the rigid Tier restrictions blurred. A Tier 101 Light Cannon couldn't absolutely fail to damage Tier 102 armor; it would simply inflict less damage.
This allowed the Zerg Civilization's "swarm tactics" to dominate all opposition.
But when defensive armor reached Tier 500!
An insurmountable chasm opened between the two sides—a gulf that no number of lives could bridge.
While ants might indeed kill an elephant, no swarm, however vast, could bring down a Cosmic Behemoth spanning two light-years.
Facing the Zerg Civilization now, Chen Mang was that Cosmic Behemoth.
The power disparity between them was absolute, existing in entirely different dimensions.
Just then, Xiao Ai's voice echoed through the train:
"Train Conductor, the slain Zerg monsters are continuously resurrecting on nearby dead stars and rejoining the battle. We currently cannot determine the location of the Antenna Worms in this zone."
This was the terrifying aspect of the Zerg Civilization:
Infinite Resurrection.
An endless, overwhelming force that inspired dread.
The Mechanical Civilization had developed accessories to locate Antenna Worms, but they lacked the blueprint for these accessories and had failed to independently research them. Without these tools, they had no means of finding the Antenna Worms.
"No need to search," Chen Mang said calmly, gazing out the window at the vast, newly formed purple nebula. "Destroy all Zerg motherships in this area, then initiate a Wormhole Jump. Prepare to strike directly into the heart of the Zerg Civilization and locate the Zerg Queen Mother."
Killing these Zerg monsters was pointless.
Only by eliminating the Queen Mother could the Zerg Civilization be truly annihilated. With her death, the Zerg monsters would naturally perish.
"Understood."
The battle lasted only ten minutes.
Ten minutes later, deep in space, the number of Zerg monsters remained virtually unchanged. The endlessly resurrecting creatures swarmed from the rear, even after their dead star had been destroyed, simply reappearing on other dead stars to rejoin the fray.
They had destroyed dozens of dead stars before realizing it was a trap set by the Zerg Civilization. The Zerg's resurrection had nothing to do with those dead stars, and they wouldn't be foolish enough to place Antenna Worms on them. The dead stars were merely a deliberate misdirection to waste the enemy's resources.
The Antenna Worms were only Tier 1 creatures, practically incapable of surviving in space. They could be crushed with a casual gesture, their sole purpose being to resurrect the dead Zerg monsters.
Chen Mang had initially assumed the Antenna Worms were hiding within Zerg motherships. But after systematically destroying every mothership, the Zerg monsters continued to revive endlessly.
"Hmph," Chen Mang scoffed coldly. "A clever tactic indeed."
He genuinely couldn't locate the Antenna Worms. Even the Doppler Radar failed to detect them. Logically, even with the overwhelming number of monsters, Xiao Ai's Tier 500 computing power should have been able to analyze all their data in moments and pinpoint the Antenna Worms' location.
But since Xiao Ai claimed to have no information, they truly must be hidden somewhere undetectable.
No matter.
He had no intention of wasting more time on these Zerg monsters. He pressed a red button on the control panel, and the spider legs slowly extended, slicing through space. He prepared to enter Pseudo-Fourth-Dimensional Space, escape this place, and then use a wormhole to strike directly at the Zerg Civilization's core.
Overwhelming force.
No need for subtlety—brute strength would crush all opposition.
Petty tricks were utterly meaningless.
Yet—
The moment the Stellaris train entered the Pseudo-Fourth-Dimensional Space, Chen Mang glanced at the Doppler Radar screen and froze, then grinned.
"Tsk."
The radar screen showed countless Antenna Worms swarming within the Pseudo-Fourth-Dimensional Space—tens of thousands of them, a writhing, blinding mass like a living plague.
He finally understood where the Antenna Worms had been hiding: in the Pseudo-Fourth-Dimensional Space. No wonder they were so hard to find. Now it made sense why the Mechanical Civilization's technology was so impressive—they could even detect entities hidden in the Pseudo-Fourth-Dimensional Space.
And even attack them.
Normally, creatures within the Pseudo-Fourth-Dimensional Space were considered invulnerable to external attacks.
"What a pity," Chen Mang murmured, a sudden pang of regret. If the Mechanical Civilization were still alive, their research teams would have far surpassed his own. Despite their internal conflicts, their technological prowess was undeniable.
It was only their resource scarcity that held them back.
Otherwise, the Mechanical Civilization would have easily advanced to a 4th Tier Civilization.
But this was no time for such musings.
In the next moment—
A light energy main cannon, thousands of meters wide, slashed through the Pseudo-Fourth-Dimensional Space. Countless Antenna Worms, untouched by the blast, were instantly vaporized.
Why use a sledgehammer to crack a nut?
Why not?
I like using it. It works well. I'll use it again next time.
Chen Mang had always believed Antenna Worms were extremely rare, perhaps only one or two existed. Now, it seemed they weren't as scarce as he'd imagined. This place was teeming with tens of thousands of them.
After slaughtering every last Antenna Worm, Chen Mang exited the Pseudo-Fourth-Dimensional Space. He abandoned his original plan and reappeared deep in space, unleashing a furious barrage on the Zerg Monsters.
Minutes later, out of tens of millions of Zerg Monsters, only thirty million remained alive.
Yes, his efficiency was remarkable. In just a few minutes, he had annihilated nearly ten million Zerg Monsters. However, their sheer numbers and extreme dispersion meant each cannon blast had limited effect.
It was an utter waste of resources.
Though they couldn't resurrect, eradicating them completely would still require a significant expenditure.
Chen Mang calmly glanced at the Resource Panel. The Arcanon Light Energy Main Cannon was powerful, but ill-suited for such a massive, dispersed battlefield. He needed a weapon capable of inflicting widespread devastation.
The light energy main cannon was primarily a single-target weapon.
If only...
If only these monsters would line up in a single file.
He glanced at a long-unused accessory on the train:
Green-grade Accessory: Powerful Magnet
[Tier 100 Overpowered Effect: Powerful Magnet]: Freely manipulate powerful magnetic fields within the range of the target acquisition radar.
A perfectly ordinary effect.
Except for the slightly extended range.
The text panel specified "target acquisition radar," but in practice, it also worked with Doppler Radar. Theoretically, he could control any piece of "Ironware" within a 100,000 light-year radius, though the further the distance, the greater the resource cost.
In the next moment!
He withdrew 380.8 billion units of iron ore and directly upgraded the accessory to Tier 500.
[Powerful Magnet Tier 200 Overpowered Effect: None.]
[Powerful Magnet Tier 500 Overpowered Effect: None.]
He paid no attention to this, merely narrowed his eyes slightly, pressed a button on the control panel, and gazed at a faintly swaying planet in the distance.
He murmured, "Almost there."
He didn't need any overpowered effects; all he needed was the incremental increase in magnetic force with each upgrade.
In the next moment!
He consumed another 100 trillion units of iron ore, upgrading to Tier 1000.
The overpowered effect remained None.
But this time—
Chen Mang grinned.
Just as he'd predicted.
Dead stars, mining stars, and other celestial bodies could now be freely manipulated by his Powerful Magnetic Radar.
Now, things would be much simpler.
Chen Mang leaned back in his chair, gazing into the infinite depths of space at the swarm of Zerg monsters charging toward the train. He murmured, "The train now possesses the ability to control celestial bodies."
"Theoretically speaking,"
"We can freely manipulate the rotational speed, trajectory, and gravitational range of any planet in this vicinity."
"We can use the gravitational influence of the planets to draw the Zerg Monsters closer. Then, by harnessing the planets' rotation and orbital speed, we can slingshot them toward the next gravitational node."
"By repeating this process multiple times, we can create a series of gravitational slingshots."
"This will cause the Zerg Monsters to ricochet between celestial bodies, compressing them into a dense, linear formation."
"This requires an immense amount of calculation."
"I can't do it."
"But—"
"For someone at Tier 500 like you, it should be no problem, right?"
"Of course," Xiao Ai's laughter echoed through the train. "A brilliant idea, my Train Conductor."
The "gravitational slingshot effect" refers to the phenomenon where spacecraft use a planet's gravity to alter their speed or trajectory, achieving a massive acceleration akin to a slingshot.
Soon!
Under Xiao Ai's control, the planets, propelled by powerful magnets, began to adjust their trajectories and rotational speeds.
Simultaneously, Xiao Ai's voice echoed through the locomotive cabin, devoid of emotion and mechanical in tone.
"The Zerg Monster swarm is too large. Ordinary planetary gravity is insufficient."
"We need a gas giant with stronger gravity. Powerful magnets can't move gas giants, but Space Gate 105 on the train contains one."
"Requesting deployment."
"Confirming deployment," Chen Mang murmured.
"Deployment complete."
"Deployed at an oblique angle to the monster swarm. The planet's gravity has altered the Zerg Monster swarm's velocity vectors. Their reduced speed prevents escape."
"First ejection sequence initiated."
Immediately, a breathtaking spectacle unfolded before the train.
Millions of monsters, as if manipulated by an invisible hand, were drawn toward the gas giant by its immense gravity. Their trajectories, completely beyond their control, were violently redirected sideways.
"Second ejection sequence initiated."
Another ejection.
A fresh wave of monsters was pulled by the planet's gravity and hurled into the gravitational field of another star.
Meanwhile, the first wave of ejected monsters, already within the gravitational field, began to be flung toward the gravitational field of yet another star.
The Zerg Monsters, after all, were merely mortal creatures.
Their speed was utterly insufficient to escape the gravitational fields.
If it were the Stellaris, such weak gravitational fields would pose no challenge to its control.
"Third launch initiated."
Xiao Ai executed each mission with precision.
On the adjacent control panel screen, the optimal launch sequence, simulated by Xiao Ai after numerous calculations, was displayed.
This was beyond human capability.
It required rapid and precise calculations of launch angles. While the perfect solution might be found in a research lab given enough time, only AI—specifically high-Tier AI—could achieve this in real combat.
The human brain had yet to evolve to the point of delivering such swift and accurate calculations.
"The gas giant's rotation is accelerating. During the launches, the Zerg Monster swarm will naturally form a tightening spiral."
"Fourth launch."
"Fifth launch."
"After the ninth launch, we'll approach the perfect solution. Fire immediately, or the swarm may disperse at the end."
"Requesting firing authorization."
"Denied."
Chen Mang took a deep breath, pulled a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and gazed at the gradually converging monster swarm outside the window, his eyes gleaming.
"You adjust the angle. I'll fire myself."
"Understood."
This was no task for AI; he would fire himself!
Soon—
The ninth slingshot maneuver was complete.
A staggering 20 million Zerg monsters—a force capable of easily annihilating a First-Tier Civilization—had been forcibly straightened into a single line by an immense, invisible hand.
The architects of this feat were the dozen planets clustered along that line.
The spectacle was breathtaking.
He had never witnessed such a sight before.
Human nature dictates that if you have a hammer, you'll want to drive a nail.
And the more perfect the nail, the more satisfying it is to hammer it in. To drive a nail straight and true into a wooden board with a single, flawless strike—that feeling of accomplishment rivals scaling the highest peak.
To Chen Mang, this scene was the perfect nail.
In the next moment—
Chen Mang slammed his fist down on the red button on the control panel. With a slight tremor, a searing beam of light shot forward from the train, piercing through the Zerg monsters ahead.
Perfect angle.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Deafening explosions reverberated deep within Chen Mang's mind.
He instinctively held his breath, unwilling to miss a single detail.
As the final gravitational slingshot maneuver completed, tens of millions of Zerg monsters were twisted and stretched within the gravitational vortex, coalescing into a winding, dark "river of flesh and blood."
It was a spectacle of immense grandeur.
Then, as if echoing the creation myth, light was born.
The "Arcanon Light Energy Main Cannon" atop the Stellaris train hummed to life, unleashing a searing lance of light that pierced the monstrous chain at a perfect angle.
In that instant, the very concept of aesthetics was overturned.
If there were a cosmic leaderboard for beauty, this scene would undoubtedly claim a top spot.
The universe was no stranger to slaughter, but rarely had such carnage been so aesthetically striking.
When the light cannon struck the first Zerg carapace, slow-motion footage revealed countless monsters behind it gradually freezing into purple blood mist within the beam, the crimson vapor coalescing into a vast nebula.
Illuminated by the Stellaris's radiant glow, the spectacle was breathtakingly beautiful, like an extravagantly funded fireworks display.
The entire "monster chain" ignited like a string of firecrackers during Lunar New Year, exploding in rapid succession. Each Zerg monster's carapace became the explosive charge for the next chain reaction.
Seconds later, silence descended.
The Doppler radar confirmed: not a single Zerg monster remained alive.
The lingering purple mist of Zerg blood glowed in the cosmos, creating a dazzling "apocalypse painting."
Perfect angle.
Perfect slaughter.
Perfect utilization.
Everything unfolded with flawless precision. Only after confirming that no Zerg Monsters remained did Chen Mang finally exhale the breath he had been holding.
Admittedly, even if a single monster had survived, it wouldn't have mattered.
But at this moment—
His mindset had transcended mere extermination of the Zerg Monsters. He had crafted a breathtaking work of art. Any oversight, though inconsequential to the overall outcome, would have marred its aesthetic perfection.
At last!
The dust settled.
Everything was perfect.
This was the ultimate expression of violent aesthetics.
Only then did Chen Mang notice the ash that had fallen onto his sleeve. He looked up, gazing at the scene through the swirling smoke, a wild grin spreading across his face.
Satisfying.
So damn satisfying.
Though it had consumed a significant amount of iron ore, he had unlocked a new attack method. Now, facing large-scale enemies in the future would no longer be a headache.
Simply draw them into a line and blast them with a single shot.
Silence descended.
Just then—
A panel suddenly materialized on the train control panel.
[Human Civilization, Civilization Empowerment: For each Civilization Wonder recognized by the Cosmic Rules, gain a Mysterious Box containing a random Divine reward. Maximum of nine boxes. (Seven-colored)]
Before he could react, another panel appeared.
[The Human Civilization has successfully constructed a Civilization Wonder recognized by the Cosmic Rules. The cosmos has named it 'Insect Silence.']
[Successfully obtained a Mysterious Box containing a random Divine reward.]
Immediately afterward—
In the distance, the purple blood mist from the countless slain Zerg monsters seemed to freeze in place, never dissipating, but remaining eternally suspended in the depths of space.
This was within the territory of his "human civilization."
To be precise, the entire Zerg Civilization lay within his territory.
This wasn't a declaration of war.
It was merely clearing out insurgents within his domain.
Now, looking at the "galaxy map," he could see a "Civilization Wonder" at this location, named "Insect Silence."
Its affiliated civilization was "human civilization."
Upon touching it, he could even replay the scene that had just unfolded.
"This counts as a Wonder?"
Chen Mang snapped out of his earlier reverie, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. This was an unexpected delight. He had always assumed that only structures he personally built could be considered Wonders.
But now it seemed—
Not only buildings could be Wonders.
This counted too.
Of course.
He knew that the "Nami Civilization" had a Wonder that had formed spontaneously: a massive accumulation of abandoned trains in a remote corner of space, creating the "Train Graveyard."
For some inexplicable reason, it had gained recognition from the Cosmic Rules and become a Civilization Wonder, without any deliberate intervention.
The Civilization Wonder's effect was: "Within this zone, there is an extremely low probability of a 'Train Soul' forming. Embedding the Train Soul within a train grants its 'Train Auxiliary AI' an additional overpowered effect."
"Not bad," Chen Mang grinned, beginning to grasp the logic behind Civilization Wonders. They required special significance, not just high construction costs.
Moreover, they didn't even need physical structures; they could exist without a tangible form.
For example, humanity's first Civilization Wonder, "Insect Silence," had no physical manifestation, only a vast expanse of "Purple Nebula."
He also discovered that approaching this zone automatically triggered a replay of the earlier spectacle on the train control panel, displayed in all its magnificent glory.
"What to do now..."
Chen Mang hesitated, pondering the situation.
This was undoubtedly good news, yet it left him conflicted.
Previously, he had no concept of the "human civilization's" Territory and attached no importance to it. After all, he had casually claimed it himself. Though this zone technically belonged to the human civilization, its inhabitants didn't heed his commands.
Furthermore, this was a resource-scarce region. He had originally planned to abandon it once the resources were depleted, simply moving to another zone and claiming a new Territory.
But—
Now that the first "Civilization Wonder" had appeared within his territory, he suddenly felt reluctant to abandon it.
It was as if he had formed a deep connection with this land, making him want to bring resources back from elsewhere to develop his own territory rather than abandoning it to seek growth elsewhere.
That would be far more troublesome.
"This is truly a headache."
"Insect Silence."
It was the first Wonder of human civilization, and the only permanent mark he had left in the depths of the cosmos. All Civilization Wonders were indestructible and nearly impossible to destroy.
Even if a civilization perished, its Wonders would endure, to be inherited by other civilizations.
In the zone once dominated by the "Mechanical Civilization," "Kasha Civilization," and "Zerg Civilization," none of these once-powerful civilizations had ever possessed their own Civilization Wonders.
As for whether the "Niya Civilization" had one, he couldn't be sure. Even if they did, it had likely been erased.
Even a powerful Fifth-Tier Civilization like the "Nami Civilization" possessed only three Civilization Wonders within its borders.
"Decision made!"
Chen Mang took a deep breath. "After wiping out the Zerg Civilization, I'll first go out and plunder resources to see if I can develop this territory. If that fails, I'll consider other options."
Xiao Ai's voice soon echoed through the train: "Are you really planning to settle in the Niya Star System just because of a Civilization Wonder?"
"Mm-hmm," Chen Mang nodded, a hint of wistfulness in his voice. "It's like a man going out for a fling. He's ready to pull up his pants, pat his butt, and leave, but then she suddenly gets pregnant. At that point, it's hard to just walk away."
"After all, it's his own seed."
"Especially the first one."
"Naturally, he'd be reluctant to abandon it."
"The name is quite beautiful too: 'Insect Silence.' I love that name. But Civilization Wonders can't be moved, right? They're fixed to the region where they form. So, wouldn't that mean whichever civilization controls this area automatically owns the Wonder?"
"That's correct."
"Then we absolutely can't leave! Letting someone else claim this Civilization Wonder would be an utter disgrace."
Chen Mang made up his mind.
He wouldn't be leaving for now.
This territory was his, belonged to the human civilization. They would go out, seize resources, and then return home.
From this day forward, the human civilization would no longer be a Nomadic Civilization.
According to his original plan, the entire civilization would be packed into the Stellaris train. They wouldn't bother building permanent wormholes or anything like that—they'd just go wherever they pleased. Though he hated to admit it, this was essentially no different from the Starfire Civilization: both were Nomadic Civilizations.
The Starfire Civilization, however, was slightly more peace-loving than he was.
Building a civilization was no easy task.
He needed to expend vast resources to establish wormholes throughout his territory—a significant expense, as creating wormholes was far from cheap. It was common for such projects to cost tens of trillions of units of iron ore.
There were also numerous additional expenses.
The emergence of a Civilization Wonder altered his plans for the future.
"Not bad," Chen Mang murmured, sitting in his chair and gazing at the control panel screen with a faint smile. "No plan ever survives first contact with reality. Change is good."
Only then did he examine the effects of the "Civilization Wonder." Every entity classified as a Civilization Wonder by the Cosmic Rules possessed unique properties.
For example, the Nami Civilization's "Train Graveyard."
However—
In most cases, the special effects of these Civilization Wonders were largely symbolic, having little practical impact on a civilization's survival or progress. They served primarily as status symbols.
A civilization with a large number of Civilization Wonders was undoubtedly powerful.
The effect of the "Insect Silence" Civilization Wonder was:
"Any living being approaching this zone will experience a vivid reenactment of the 'Insect Silence' event, either through deep-seated memories or other sensory means."
It had no special effects.
Its only special effect was the ability to rewind time.
It was purely for observation.
But that was fine. Chen Mang was quite satisfied. He looked again at the rewind on the screen, where the words on the Stellaris's outer carriage were clearly visible:
[Human Civilization - Stellaris].
This was a permanent mark he had left in the cosmos.
Except for extreme measures like civilization erasure, Civilization Wonders were indestructible and would endure forever.
Humans, he thought, always yearn to leave behind traces that will outlive them.
He was no exception.
It served no practical purpose, but he still wanted it.
Xiao Ai's voice echoed through the train again: "Train Conductor, if we included this scene in Zhang Yiren's new film and used it for the promotional trailer, it would undoubtedly skyrocket the movie's box office."
"He would become an overnight sensation."
"When he first came to the Stellaris, he probably never imagined he would reach such heights."
"There's no rush for that."
Chen Mang shook his head with a soft chuckle. "His movie only covers the point where the Stellaris train just left Aquablue Star. We can save the rest for the sequel."
He was also quite pleased with this scene.
It was the culmination of his hard work.
It had consumed 100 trillion units of iron ore—enough to upgrade an ordinary Seven-Colored Grade Accessory to Tier 500. This was also the first Tier 1000 accessory on the Stellaris train.
Then, he turned his attention to the Mysterious Box that had appeared on the control panel. This was the reward from the Civilization Empowerment. As he opened the box, he glanced at its contents and suddenly paused, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
His Civilization Empowerment was Seven-Colored Grade.
At the time, he hadn't been particularly satisfied, feeling it was inferior to the Civilization Empowerment that fixed a civilization's level at Tier 3.
But now, he realized that the rewards within this single box were nearly equivalent in value to a Seven-Colored Grade Civilization Empowerment itself!
If he could claim all the rewards from this Empowerment, it would be like receiving nine Seven-Colored Grade Civilization Empowerments directly!
Absolutely overpowered!
(End of the Chapter)
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