Translator: AnubisTL
Stellaris Train, Inside the Train Car
Chen Mang gazed at the mysterious box on the table. It appeared ordinary, entirely black, its material unknown but unremarkable. If not for the fact that it had been obtained through Civilization Empowerment, it wouldn't have attracted much attention even if left by the roadside.
Inside the box lay a single, plain token.
When Chen Mang held the token, a corresponding panel popped up on the train control panel screen.
[Civilization Empowerment: "Grants access to the 'High-Dimensional Planet' technology tree." (Seven-Colored)]
He remembered this Civilization Empowerment.
During the human civilization's previous Advancement to Tier 3, when drawing Civilization Empowerment effects from the prize pool, he had seen this one but hadn't paid much attention to it, as he hadn't understood its purpose.
There was no textual description.
It wasn't straightforward.
However, he recognized the seven-colored suffix. Anything with that designation couldn't be weak.
If each Wonder constructed granted a seven-colored Civilization Empowerment—or an equivalent reward—wouldn't that mean he'd effectively possess nine seven-colored Civilization Empowerment effects?
That would represent a massive boost to the civilization's development!
Of course, the prerequisite was constructing nine Wonders.
But with one already completed, how far could the remaining eight be?
Immediately afterward, a detailed explanation of the Civilization Empowerment's effects appeared on the screen.
["This Civilization Empowerment grants the civilization's territory and its affiliated planets a High-Dimensional Superposition State, preventing them from being forcibly collapsed into two dimensions. It also grants priority during High-Dimensional Advancement."]
Chen Mang narrowed his eyes, studying the description of the Civilization Empowerment. He understood its defensive nature: it allowed his civilization to ignore attempts to forcibly collapse it into two dimensions.
But the implications went far beyond that.
The description practically revealed that the universe harbored a threat—a civilization capable of forcibly collapsing others into two dimensions.
Isn't that the Two-Dimensional Foil?
He glanced out the window at the newly formed Civilization Wonder, "Insect Silence," his expression complex. Just moments ago, he had been feeling exhilarated and proud, having developed a new offensive strategy. His train's current power already dwarfed Second-Tier and even Third-Tier Civilizations.
He had believed his civilization's strength was considerable in the cosmos.
But reality quickly doused his confidence with a cold splash of water.
Another instance of "Forced Erasure," another of "Forced Dimensional Reduction."
The methods he had once prided himself on were utterly insignificant compared to these Civilization Means, offering no defense whatsoever. He needed to be even more cautious; the universe was far too dangerous. Even a slight misstep could attract the covetous eyes of other civilizations.
He urgently needed to acquire his own "Forced Erasure" capabilities.
Whether he used them or not was irrelevant.
He had to possess them.
He also needed to master these advanced techniques quickly. Without them, he felt utterly vulnerable, like standing naked in a crowded street.
However...
The good news was that he had drawn the "High-Dimensional Planet" Seven-Colored Civilization Empowerment, granting him immunity to "Forced Dimensional Reduction."
In the past, drawing such a powerful item would have filled him with joy.
But after encountering so many wonders, his excitement had gradually diminished. It wasn't that the items were less impressive; rather, the universe was simply too vast. Anything he could acquire, others could obtain as well. He needed a foundation so deep it was beyond his own comprehension, only then could he carve out a peaceful corner of the cosmos for his civilization to thrive.
So, what next?
"..."
Chen Mang looked up at the red dots on the Doppler Radar, indicating the Zerg Civilization's emergency military mobilization. First, I'll wipe out the Zerg Civilization, he thought, preparing to travel to a nearby wormhole left by the Kasha Civilization. He planned to jump to the spacetime node closest to the Zerg Civilization's core.
It was a Hidden Wormhole.
Thank you, Kasha Civilization, for building so many wormholes, he thought. Now I don't have to create my own when jumping through spacetime. I can just pick up where you left off. That's quite convenient.
It saved him a lot of resources.
But...
He didn't leave immediately.
The powerful magnet was operating at full capacity, rapidly sucking vast quantities of spider silk into the train. This was actually a natural talent of the Zerg Civilization: Zerg Monsters dropped materials upon death, and some of these materials could be used to upgrade train accessories.
Spider silk, for example.
Humans lacked this innate ability.
What a race blessed by the heavens, he mused.
Later, I can upgrade my Spider Leg Tier even further and see what the Tier 1000 overpowered effect is. But reaching Tier 1000 for the Spider Leg would require 100 trillion units of spider silk.
Even if he wiped out the entire Zerg Civilization, could he really obtain that much spider silk? He harbored doubts about this.
Soon, Chen Mang's doubts vanished.
The Zerg Civilization's frontline garrison consisted of tens of millions of monsters—an utterly staggering number. These were tens of millions of creatures capable of surviving in the vacuum of space, each with individual strength exceeding Tier 100!
Humans might be numerous, but few could survive in space without protective measures, let alone possess individual strength surpassing Tier 100.
In a cultivation civilization, this would be equivalent to tens of millions of Immortals.
This explained why cultivation civilizations had declined. The path to becoming an Immortal required exceptional talent, vast resources, immense time, and extraordinary luck. Yet, in the Zerg Civilization, they were produced as casually as offspring, churning out vast numbers with ease.
And the Zerg Civilization was merely a Second-Tier Civilization.
That it had merely declined rather than been annihilated was a stroke of fortune.
After surpassing Tier 100,
There were no longer strict tier restrictions, meaning every one of the tens of millions of monsters could damage the train. Though the damage from each was minimal, their sheer numbers meant they could slowly grind it down.
Of course, the "train" referred to here was the trains of the Mechanical Civilization and the Kasha Civilization.
His train...
Even if those civilizations ground away for a hundred years, they wouldn't inflict even 1% damage. And even if they did, the armor would automatically repair itself in the blink of an eye.
Against the Zerg Civilization, he was absolutely invincible.
The Zerg Civilization's ability to rapidly mass-produce Tier 100 monsters was the reason they could rampage unchecked through the Niya Star System. If the Zerg Civilization hadn't turned on another Zerg Civilization preparing to enter the Niya Star System after annihilating the Mechanical Civilization, the Kasha Civilization would likely have been wiped out long ago.
They wouldn't have lasted until he left Aquablue Star.
In that sense, he owed the Kasha Civilization a debt of gratitude for providing him with a foothold.
Otherwise, after leaving Aquablue Star, the entire Niya Star System would have been overrun by the Zerg Civilization, leaving him without a single resource point and trapped near Aquablue Star.
He had already jumped through the wormhole into the Zerg Civilization's domain, now only a few million kilometers from their core. The Kasha Civilization must have expended considerable resources and effort to construct this Hidden Wormhole right on the Zerg Civilization's doorstep.
To secretly dig a hole at the enemy's doorstep, they first needed to divert the Zerg Civilization's attention. Otherwise, the spatial fluctuations would be too conspicuous.
While wormholes could be concealed after creation, the spatial distortion generated during their formation was extremely noticeable, making it nearly impossible to avoid detection.
The distance was so close that he could clearly see hundreds of planets clustered together, orbiting thirteen stars.
The Doppler Radar screen displayed the situation with stark clarity:
In this region—
If only Zerg monsters Tier 100 and above were counted, there were tens of billions.
If all Zerg monsters were included, there were hundreds of quadrillions.
Yes.
Hundreds of quadrillions.
This was an astronomical figure. Most Zerg monsters were of relatively low Tier, and the radar showed many of them gnawing on iron ore, clearly undergoing rapid evolution.
Most importantly, these monsters could continuously resurrect.
With such overwhelming force, sweeping through the Niya Star System would pose virtually no challenge.
"Wait!"
Chen Mang's brow suddenly furrowed as he stared at the radar screen. "Where did they get so much iron ore?"
The hundreds of quadrillions of Zerg monsters were each clutching massive quantities of iron ore, devouring it at an astonishing rate. The monsters were visibly leveling up at a speed that defied belief. Yet...
He knew how barren the Niya Star System was.
The northern resources had been completely exhausted by the Mechanical Civilization.
The eastern resources had been depleted by the Kasha Civilization, and he had personally ensured that even the remaining scraps were thoroughly exploited.
The southern region was a Cosmic Void, devoid of any resources.
The upper and lower regions were desolate stretches of space between galaxies, containing few planets, let alone mining stars.
The western Zerg Civilization... Logically, after so many years, they shouldn't still possess such abundant resources, right?
Most importantly,
On the Doppler Radar screen, the numerous Tier 100+ monsters gave him a distinct impression of being... remarkably new.
Yes, remarkably new.
The monsters he had encountered at the Zerg frontlines were often scarred and maimed, missing limbs and bearing battle wounds. But here, vast numbers of Tier 100 monsters appeared completely unscathed, showing no signs of combat.
They looked as if they had just evolved.
Then, he witnessed an even more astonishing sight.
"Is that... a black hole?"
On the surface of one planet, a slowly rotating black hole was visible. Countless Zerg swarmed in and out of it endlessly, each trip yielding massive quantities of resources.
And all of them were high-grade resources.
A black hole couldn't exist on a planet's surface.
This wasn't a true black hole.
It was merely a black hole-like phenomenon.
"Damn it!"
Chen Mang couldn't help but curse under his breath, feeling a surge of resentment. The universe sure plays favorites with the Zerg Civilization, doesn't it?
It was clear the Zerg Civilization had stumbled upon something akin to an ancient ruin. Their recent lull in attacks was simply to buy time to digest this newfound resource!
The Zerg Civilization's overall strength was skyrocketing at a visibly alarming rate!
At least—
Chen Mang was certain the Zerg Civilization hadn't possessed this level of power before.
Otherwise, why would hundreds of billions of Tier 100+ Zerg Monsters have bothered with prolonged skirmishes against the Mechanical Civilization and the Kasha Civilization? They could have steamrolled them in minutes!
What a damn waste of resources!
The Zerg Civilization's method of resource consumption involved upgrading their entire race. This meant at least 99% of their resources were squandered. After all, what use was a Tier 1 Zerg Monster, even if evolved to Tier 100, on the battlefield?
It would be far more efficient to concentrate all resources into cultivating a single, elite Zerg Monster.
But clearly,
In the cosmos, no civilization, regardless of its form, could rapidly cultivate a single monster of terrifying power. Within the "Train Civilization" framework, the murphy stone served as a bottleneck.
For the Zerg Civilization, the limiting factor was their consumption rate.
With such vast resources, how long would it take a single Zerg to devour even 1% of them before dying of old age?
Only he was exempt from this limitation.
With his Tier 0 Authority, he could create a new Divine-tier Civilization in the Tomorrow Universe, provided he had sufficient resources.
"Human Civilization."
"What a waste! Utter waste!"
By now, the Zerg Civilization had detected him. Swarms of Zerg Monsters began launching from the planet, propelled by their motherships, hurtling toward him. In the depths of space, the sight was overwhelming—a dark, seething mass that filled the void.
The Zerg Monsters themselves weren't particularly fast.
Their ability to streak through space stemmed entirely from their reliance on the Zerg motherships, sharing the motherships' velocity.
Destroy the motherships, and these Zerg Monsters would instantly become cosmic ants, crawling at a snail's pace.
The Niya Star System was his territory.
Any resource within his territory rightfully belonged to him!
This Unknown Black Hole should be his as well!
Massive swarms of Zerg Monsters took flight, converging on him from all directions.
This was his final battle against the Zerg Civilization—the decisive clash. Both sides should have clashed a month earlier, but both had chosen to silently develop their forces first.
However,
It was clear that Chen Mang had developed faster and grown stronger.
The Zerg might have believed they would become invincible after consuming their current resources, but they hadn't anticipated Chen Mang's even greater opportunities. In the cosmos, one should never assume they've encountered the greatest fortune; there will always be someone whose luck surpasses yours.
And there will always be someone more invincible than you.
When both sides prefer to wait,
The best course of action is to strike first. You can never be certain that what you're waiting for will surpass what your opponent is waiting for, but you can be sure that their desire to wait indicates a lack of confidence in their current position.
The Zerg's assault was relentless.
There was no probing.
No war horns sounded.
In the silent void of space, an almost infinite number of Tier 100 Zerg Monsters surged from the planet, swarming toward the Stellaris train. Though only a single train, the Zerg Queen Mother controlled all the monsters and was aware of everything they encountered.
Clearly, the Queen Mother had already witnessed the earlier events.
She knew this battle would be the final showdown.
No quarter would be given.
The opening move was a devastating strike.
Victory or death.
This was virtually the entire foundation of the Zerg Civilization. In recent days, the Zerg had concentrated all their monsters in this region, initiating mass, high-speed evolution.
"Hah..."
Chen Mang exhaled softly, gazing at the scene before him. He slowly closed his eyes.
He knew this day marked the end of the Zerg Civilization.
From this moment forward, not a single insect would remain within his territory.
In the next moment—
The Stellaris train's "spider legs" slowly extended, tearing through space and vanishing from its original location. It reappeared within the Pseudo-Fourth Dimension, where tens of millions of Antenna Worms swarmed like maggots on moldy ribs, densely covering the interior.
This was one of the Zerg Civilization's greatest trump cards:
Infinite Resurrection!
However.
When a searing Light Cannon swept through, utterly annihilating every Antenna Worm within millions of kilometers, reducing them to ash, the Zerg Civilization's greatest trump card vanished.
The Antenna Worms were too weak, only Tier 1, unable to withstand even the slightest energy fluctuation.
Faintly, he heard the hissing cries of spiders.
These spiders had torn through space with their own spider legs, entering the Pseudo-Fourth Dimension to hide the Antenna Worms here.
But they hadn't anticipated that their enemies would possess the same exclusive ability.
Instead of immediately retreating from the Pseudo-Fourth Dimension, he remained within the space, systematically targeting each Zerg mothership.
The Tier 200 Arcanon Light Energy Main Cannon was utterly unstoppable by the Zerg motherships.
A single shot was all it took.
They were reduced to ashes.
In other Third-Tier Civilizations, the Tier 200 Arcanon Light Energy Main Cannon was considered a trump card. But in Chen Mang's hands, it was as casual as a basic attack. He casually unleashed dozens of them, each strike precise and dazzling.
Launched from the Pseudo-Fourth-Dimensional Space, the attacks left the enemy with no means of retaliation.
The Zerg Civilization reacted swiftly.
Soon, swarms of Zerg Monsters and motherships materialized within the Pseudo-Fourth-Dimensional Space, launching a coordinated assault against him.
In the blink of an eye, countless Zerg Monsters surrounded the train, their mandibles gnawing frantically at its armor.
But Chen Mang completely ignored them. No matter how numerous the monsters were, only a handful could simultaneously reach his armor, and even then, they couldn't penetrate it. Even with the windows completely blocked by the swarm, he simply continued piloting the Stellaris train, precisely targeting and annihilating the Zerg motherships one by one.
This was an asymmetrical war.
A complete and utter annihilation.
In human civilization, combat tournaments often impose weight restrictions on fighters. When the weight difference exceeds 100 kilograms, it's almost always a complete mismatch, rendering even the best techniques useless.
Similarly, in the Civilization War, when the disparity between two civilizations reaches a certain point, it becomes an absolute stomp.
Just as a civilization with "Cosmic Eradication" capabilities can utterly crush any opponent, Chen Mang's forces could effortlessly overwhelm the Zerg Civilization.
Under such overwhelming power, no amount of unity, ferocity, or intelligence could withstand the onslaught. They were all paper-thin walls, crumbling at the slightest touch.
"..."
At that moment, the Arcanon Light Energy Main Cannon fired with precision, its trajectory calculated by Xiao Ai. Chen Mang lit a cigarette and walked to the locomotive's panoramic window, gazing at the swarm of insects pressing against the glass, his brow furrowing slightly.
Insects...
Once they grow to massive sizes, they become utterly terrifying, inspiring primal fear.
Every organ on their bodies seems utterly devoid of aesthetic appeal.
And then there's the copious amounts of purple and green slime...
The only feeling it evoked was disgust.
He flicked his cigarette ash into the ashtray held by Xiao Fang beside him, muttering absentmindedly, "We'll need to wash the train later. After this fight, it'll stink to high heaven."
"Perfect! Absolutely perfect!"
In Guard Car No. 7 of the Stellaris train, Zhang Yiren crouched by the window, camera in hand, his face flushed with excitement as he aimed the lens at the scene unfolding outside. The spectacle was both awe-inspiring and terrifyingly real.
He recorded the entire event.
No special effects would be needed; the raw footage was perfect as is.
It's worth noting that the pace of technological advancement had accelerated dramatically.
Before the apocalypse on Aquablue Star, creating large-scale explosion effects required vast sums of money. As a result, filmmakers often opted for real explosions, not only for their greater realism but also because they were significantly cheaper than CGI.
Now, however, creating special effects was as simple as asking Xiao Ai. Effects that once took years to produce could now be rendered in a single second.
And the results were even better.
Ten versions could be generated at once, with more available if needed.
No matter how advanced the special effects, they couldn't compare to the thrill of witnessing the real thing.
Since Carriage 10 had no windows, he grabbed his camera and rushed to Guard Car No. 7.
"..."
Biaozi stood motionless, clutching his Mech Suit Case, ready to lead his squad into battle the moment the order came. He stared blankly out the window, silent for an eternity.
The moment war erupted, he would lead his team, Mech Suit Cases in hand, ready to charge into the fray at the first command.
But the order never came.
And it never would.
In a war of this scale, they had no place. The realization crushed him. He would rather die a glorious death on the battlefield than sit here helplessly, watching the conflict unfold because of his own insignificance.
Whether they won or lost, it made no difference to him.
"It's alright," Old Pig said softly, patting Biaozi's shoulder. "Individual strength means nothing in the face of a civilization. Relax, look at it this way: even Zhang Damei has applied for retirement. Civilizations evolve, and not everyone can keep up. We need to accept that reality."
Biaozi glanced at Zhang Damei's former bunk in the carriage.
After the train's development stabilized, Zhang Damei had requested a transfer back to Aquablue Star to become the Director of the Law Enforcement Bureau in Taiping City, responsible for maintaining order.
Anyone who had emerged from the Stellaris train—even former miners—could secure a government position or high-ranking job outside.
No need for formalities.
During job assignments, simply revealing their early resident ID served as absolute proof of their veteran status, guaranteeing they would never go hungry. Those uninterested in officialdom received generous compensation to start their own businesses.
From today's perspective, the contributions of these miners might seem insignificant.
But in those early days, their contributions to the Stellaris train were indelible.
If he so desired, he could easily become a high-ranking official on Aquablue Star or any other planet.
His seniority was unmatched, his merits undeniable, and his resident ID was 003.
He could abandon the Stellaris train, where his talents were wasted, and become a powerful regional governor with absolute authority. But that wasn't what he wanted.
He only wished to be Lord Mang's chief enforcer, a sharp blade in his hand, cutting down all enemies to earn Lord Mang's approval.
Just like the time he was severely wounded in action. The framed photo of his injuries and fragments of his mech suit had hung on the wall of Resident Car No. 8. It's no longer there now, having been transferred to the Stellaris Train Museum on Aquablue Star.
In a prominent location.
And already featured in human civilization's history textbooks.
This was exactly what he had wanted.
Whenever he saw children clutching history books, marveling at his fearlessness, he would feel a surge of excitement, secretly pleased.
But…
Such opportunities might never come again.
Biaozi turned to look at the Zhang Yi and Zhang Er brothers, sitting by the window. Even as they gazed at the repulsive Zerg monsters outside, they continued to devour their meat sandwiches with gusto. A wry smile crept across his face.
Perhaps he was overthinking things.
When people dwell too much on their thoughts, they lose their joy in life.
Zhang Yi and Zhang Er could have pursued official positions if they wished, but they showed no interest whatsoever. They felt no shame for lacking such ambitions, remaining unchanged. Every day, they trained and ate meat sandwiches, just as they always had.
Conditions on the train had improved significantly.
Many better foods were now available.
Yet these two remained stubbornly devoted to their meat sandwiches.
It was as if they were addicted.
When he asked why, their answer was always the same: "This stuff gives you energy."
His gaze then drifted to the refrigerator in the corner of the train, once Wildcat and Meijia's honeymoon suite. He could still vaguely recall the scene when they became the train's first officially married couple, witnessed by all.
But now, Wildcat had also applied for retirement.
He and Meijia had bought a large house on Aquablue Star.
The refrigerator hadn't been removed.
It remained as a memento.
Wildcat would occasionally bring Meijia to visit. When they came, they would stay inside the refrigerator, reliving old memories. He could never forget the many experiences he had shared with Lord Mang.
But
Things had changed.
"Phew..."
Biaozi let out a long breath and suddenly chuckled. "Old Pig, after this mission is over, I'm retiring. I'll need you to arrange a good post for me."
"Tch."
Old Pig waved dismissively. "As if I needed to be told. With your resident ID, seniority, and record, you can pick any job you want."
"You're lucky to be able to stay on the train."
"I just got lucky," Old Pig said with a sigh.
"Old Pig."
"Hmm?"
"I actually saw you before the apocalypse."
"Really?"
"Really."
"When was that?"
"A long time ago. When a crowd went to your office to demand answers, you were the one who resolved the situation."
"I don't remember you being the leader of that group."
"I wasn't the leader. I was watching from a distance. That's when I knew you were a good person."
"Tch, don't flatter me. I get carried away easily when people praise me."
Meanwhile...
In Carriage 5, Ji Chuchu gazed blankly out the window, Yan Yao sat beside her. Their status on the train was utterly unique, so unique that...
While anyone else could retire, they were certain they never would.
Of course, neither of them had any desire to retire.
It was just that...
The train had evolved so rapidly. The events they had experienced felt both like yesterday and an eternity ago.
"It feels like it's been such a long, long time," Ji Chuchu murmured.
"Long?" Yan Yao scoffed, pursing her lips. "Lord Mang hasn't even touched me a handful of times. I'm so tight I could open a beer bottle with my thighs."
"...You've become so vulgar lately."
"Am I the vulgar one?" Yan Yao retorted, sounding aggrieved. "It's been ages! Even the most virtuous woman would turn into a lustful creature after all this time!"
Ji Chuchu fell silent for a moment before whispering, "I want a child."
"Whose?"
"Who else could it be?"
"Honestly, I think you'd have a better chance with someone else. Lord Mang doesn't seem like the type who wants kids."
Yan Yao picked up a mirror from the table and gazed at her reflection.
"Still young, not yet aged. Not bad."
Ji Chuchu didn't reply, merely turning her gaze back to the window. The carriage fell silent once more.
This war, which should have shaken the entire Niya Star System, remained largely unknown.
The only spectators were the members of the Stellaris train.
Within the Kasha Civilization Federation, many of its nearly ten thousand civilizations hadn't even received news of the war before it was already nearing its end.
In this utterly one-sided battle, the Zerg motherships were swiftly targeted and systematically destroyed.
With the motherships gone, the tens of billions of Tier 100 monsters slowed to a crawl, lumbering through space like infants learning to walk.
Chen Mang first completely cleared out the Zerg monsters within the Pseudo-Fourth-Dimensional Space.
Then, he repeated his earlier tactic.
Several gas giants, captured specifically for this purpose, were hurled into space.
Using gravity fields calculated with pinpoint accuracy by Xiao Ai, the tens of billions of Tier 100 monsters—a force capable of annihilating nearly any Third-Tier Civilization—were now being molded like clay by an invisible, colossal hand.
Gradually, they were straightened into a single, unbroken line.
This undertaking dwarfed the scale of "Insect Silence."
After all, the sheer numbers involved were on entirely different orders of magnitude.
It required the deployment of numerous planets, with the more gravitationally potent gas giants serving as intermediate stations, to achieve this feat.
"..."
The Stellaris train hung suspended in the pitch-black void of space. Chen Mang sat before the control panel, calmly observing the scene unfolding before him. Tens of billions of monsters—a terrifying force—were being effortlessly twisted into a single, straight line.
All he had to do was—
Press the red button on the control panel.
As the button was pressed,
A searing white light slashed across the cosmos. He heard it then, in the silent void of space, the wails of tens of billions of perished souls.
This was an utterly one-sided battle.
The main force of the Zerg Civilization, lined up in space like lambs to the slaughter, was pierced from end to end by the Arcanon Light Energy Main Cannon. Vast clouds of purple blood mist erupted into the void, forming eerie nebulae.
With a single shot,
The Zerg Civilization could almost be declared extinct.
But—
This was merely the Zerg Civilization's main force, composed of Tier 100+ Zerg Monsters. On the Zerg Civilization Planet, countless more Zerg Monsters remained—a staggering number exceeding 1 quadrillion!
An utterly terrifying figure.
Even if they couldn't resurrect, their numbers were virtually endless.
This was the Zerg Civilization's second terrifying tactic:
"Infinite Reproduction."
Immediately afterward,
Masses of Tier 100- Zerg Monsters began swarming into the void, launching an assault on Chen Mang's train.
However,
The Zerg motherships had already been destroyed. By the time these Zerg Monsters reached the Stellaris train, it would be far too late.
Chen Mang piloted the Stellaris train, its Gravity Field enveloping hundreds of planets at the heart of the Zerg Civilization's domain.
What followed resembled a cosmic meat grinder.
Countless Zerg Monsters surged into space, drawn into the Gravity Field, forming an uncontrollable line across the void. A searing white light slashed through the cosmos, followed by another wave of Zerg Monsters pouring into space.
The cycle repeated endlessly.
Chen Mang lost count of how many times the process repeated.
He only knew that the Tier of the launching Zerg Monsters grew progressively lower.
By the end, many low-Tier creatures clung to the backs or bodies of slightly higher-Tier Zerg Monsters to escape into space. These flightless creatures, unable to survive in the vacuum, perished swiftly upon entering the cosmos, before Chen Mang even needed to act.
Even with the Meat Grinder at his disposal, the battle raged for three days and three nights.
Three days and three nights passed.
When silence finally descended, when the Stellaris train's light energy main cannon ceased its roar, tens of millions of kilometers of space were blanketed in Purple Nebula. The Nebula drifted slowly, the lingering purple blood mist from the slain Zerg Monsters, transforming this battlefield into a breathtaking spectacle in the cosmos.
The Doppler Radar screen showed no remaining life signs.
To be precise,
Only two living beings remained.
Two Queen Mothers of the Zerg Civilization.
Thus—
The Zerg Civilization was annihilated!
Chen Mang had prepared for this war for an eternity, yet the conflict itself was remarkably brief. Throughout the entire campaign, his side sustained virtually zero casualties. The sole injury occurred in Carriage 7 when a guard, leaning out a window to observe the battle, accidentally fell and twisted his ankle.
Aside from resources and time, he suffered no losses whatsoever.
In truth, even the resource expenditure was minimal.
Before the war began, he had stockpiled enough resources to fire over ten million rounds from his Tier 200 Arcanon Light Energy Main Cannon.
He believed this would be more than sufficient.
However, after developing the Gravity Field that very day, efficiency skyrocketed. He didn't even need to fire ten thousand rounds, and the resource consumption was negligible.
This was a war of utter annihilation from start to finish.
The Zerg Civilization displayed remarkable tenacity, fighting to the last soldier, with only the Queen Mothers surviving—even the cubs perished on the battlefield.
"..."
Chen Mang gazed calmly at the two remaining red dots on the Doppler Radar screen, murmuring, "Are they refusing to flee, or is this a trap?"
He had never forgotten the Zerg Civilization's most terrifying weapon:
The Infinite Wormhole.
Yet, since the war began...
Apart from the initial swarm of wormholes the Zerg Civilization had created to surround and attack the Stellaris from all directions, no further wormholes had been detected.
He hadn't slept for three days.
He had been waiting for the Zerg Civilization to attempt an escape through wormholes, ready to destroy them the moment they appeared.
But there had been no sign of the Zerg Civilization trying to flee.
"Let's go. We'll land and take a look."
Even if it was a trap, he had to investigate this planet.
The Unknown Black Hole was located here, endlessly spewing vast quantities of resources. He wanted to understand what this black hole was and coveted the resources it contained.
The Stellaris slowly pierced through the dense Purple Nebula and landed near the two remaining lifeforms on the Zerg Civilization Planet.
Hiss
With a sound like escaping steam, the carriage doors slowly opened.
Chen Mang, wearing a bowler hat and leaning on his cane, stepped out of the train alone onto the alien soil, his gaze sweeping across the surroundings.
The ground was reddish-brown, riddled with countless honeycomb-like holes. Originally teeming with Zerg cubs, the Zerg Civilization had, in their final desperate act, sent even these younglings to the battlefield as if sacrificing them.
He had instructed Biaozi and the others to remain on the train, fearing unknown risks.
This might be a sacrificial ritual of the Zerg Civilization, where the Queen Mother's power would be greatly enhanced upon the death of all her clansmen.
He could share the train's armor defense.
He wanted to see it with his own eyes.
The air reeked of gunpowder, a stench that seemed to emanate from the earth itself, far from pleasant.
After scanning his surroundings, Chen Mang quickly spotted the final two red dots on the Doppler Radar. Two massive, fleshy orbs lay slumped in a colossal crater nearby.
His brow furrowed slightly.
These were the two Queen Mothers.
They resembled enormous, pale, and bloated mealworms, their bulk extending far beneath the ground. What was visible above the surface stood at least six or seven meters tall. At the front of each creature was a massive, vaguely human-like face, its features blurred and entirely white.
Flanking each side were four spider leg-like appendages.
Their appearance was far from beautiful.
These were the Queen Mothers of the Zerg Civilization, each representing a separate Zerg Civilization.
"Tsk," Chen Mang clicked his tongue, glancing at the slowly rotating Unknown Black Hole in the distance. Without another word, he prepared to return to the train and eliminate the two Zerg Queens.
He had merely wanted to observe the Queen Mothers up close, to see their true form more clearly than the Doppler Radar screen could convey. This would serve as a definitive end to this chapter of his story.
Once he had seen them, it would truly be over.
He wanted to see what the Queen Mother who had nearly taken his life looked like.
It was somewhat unsettling.
It didn't align with human aesthetics.
The Zerg Civilization had already existed in name only. Once these two Queen Mothers died, the Zerg Civilization would officially perish.
He didn't turn around.
Instead, he slowly backed away, preparing to return to his train.
Although he shared the train's armor, he still preferred not to expose his back to his enemies.
But just then—
His eyes narrowed slightly. One of the Queen Mothers suddenly reached into a cavity in her abdomen, retrieved a small object, and waved it in the air with a tentacle before tossing it in front of him.
"..."
Chen Mang silently stared at the small object that had been thrown before him.
It was a...
Translator.
The Zerg Queen Mother wanted to communicate with him.
This was unexpected. The Zerg Queen Mother's intelligence seemed higher than he had imagined—at least capable of communication.
(End of the Chapter)
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