Translator: AnubisTL
Kasha Civilization, Gemini Star, Extreme Night Market
Chen Mang reappeared in this familiar city, the place that had once brought him immense opportunities. It was here that the Stellaris train had been fully upgraded to Tier 200, with all its components reaching that level.
Across the entire Kasha Civilization, and indeed the entire Mechanical Civilization, a train like the Stellaris was unprecedented. He had poured the resources of an entire civilization into crafting this train, a feat no other civilization could replicate. After all, not everyone possessed an infinite supply of murphy stone, allowing him to upgrade endlessly as long as resources were available.
Once upon a time, he had believed the Zerg's unique traits were truly overpowered, almost game-breaking. But as his civilization developed, he began to see those traits as rather ordinary. What use was sheer numbers if they couldn't breach his defenses? The biggest drawback of his approach—channeling all resources into a single train—was his inability to be in multiple places at once.
Once his civilization's territory expanded, he couldn't possibly remain constantly on the move. A coordinated, multi-pronged attack from hostile civilizations would overwhelm him. Unfortunately for them, his entire civilizational territory was perfectly sealed within his train.
"..."
Chen Mang walked down the familiar streets, gazing at the passersby ahead, deep in thought. He had never considered this before, but ever since learning that the Artificial Human Pirate Group planned to intercept the resources seized by the Kasha Civilization, a fierce greed had ignited within him.
If they can steal it, why can't I?
I want it too.
The real challenge was figuring out the transportation route. He couldn't have Xiao Ai constantly monitor the movements of every Kasha Civilization train within the Kasha Civilization Federation's territory, could he?
Actually, he could.
And he did.
The price was that he hadn't spoken to Xiao Ai in ages. All of Xiao Ai's computing power was dedicated to this task, leaving none for even a simple conversation. Still, this wasn't foolproof. Who knew if the Kasha Civilization might use other trains to transport the resources?
Just then—
Xiao Ai suddenly transmitted a message into his mind.
["The First-Tier Civilization, the Kasha Civilization, has successfully advanced to a Second-Tier Civilization."]
Chen Mang paused, then realized this must be an Advancement Ripple from the Kasha Civilization's earlier advancement to a Second-Tier Civilization. At the time, their homeworld would have been much farther away.
After an unknown amount of time had passed, the Advancement Ripple had finally reached this zone.
"The delays in this universe are absurdly long," he murmured, feeling like he was living in the 2G era. By the time he received this message, the Kasha Civilization had likely already advanced to a Third-Tier Civilization. Yet he was only now receiving the Advancement Ripple from their Second-Tier advancement.
This surreal sense left him slightly disoriented.
However, the next moment—
Xiao Ai transmitted another message into his mind.
"Train Conductor, we've detected a special entity that's difficult to explain briefly. Would you be available to return to the train and examine it?"
"Looks like you still have some computing power left."
"Computing power, like time, can always be squeezed out if you try hard enough."
Inside the Stellaris train, Chen Mang sat in his chair, gazing at the peculiar image displayed on the Doppler Radar screen.
It was a... turtle?
No, more accurately, it resembled a Xuanwu—somewhat similar to the Divine Beast Xuanwu from his previous world, yet distinctly different.
A turtle's body with a serpent's tail.
It glided silently through the cosmos.
Its colossal size, though far smaller than Xiao Lu's devouring form, still spanned an area equivalent to two or three Aquablue Stars combined, resembling a gargantuan beast drifting serenely through the pitch-black cosmic void.
Its speed was moderate, approximately one-tenth of the Stellaris's maximum velocity, yet still far faster than ordinary trains.
"Train Conductor," Xiao Ai's voice echoed through the train. "While monitoring all trains within the Kasha Civilization Federation bearing the Kasha Civilization Imprint, I discovered this entity. It may be a Cosmic Behemoth, carrying billions of living beings on its back."
"Its concealment level is extremely high."
"Only a Tier 200 radar can detect it. If our radar weren't of such advanced grade, we wouldn't have discovered it at all."
"Hmm."
Chen Mang narrowed his eyes, gazing at the scene unfolding on the Doppler Radar screen. He was now certain that neither the Zerg Civilization nor the Kasha Civilization possessed Tier 200 radar.
Otherwise, they couldn't have remained indifferent to this sight.
He had initially assumed the Kasha Civilization knew that deep within the Cosmic Void, an Arcanon Light Energy Cannon was steadily growing stronger, poised to bombard their zone—though it wouldn't arrive for another 80,000 years.
Hence their lack of concern.
80,000 years was an eternity in cosmic terms.
That's what he had imagined the Kasha Civilization was thinking.
But it turned out they simply lacked Tier 200 radar and were completely unaware of the threat. For a Third-Tier Civilization, their situation was shockingly dire. Was murphy stone truly so difficult to obtain?
He still vividly remembered the cannon's destructive potential. Its energy range rivaled that of a Level 4987 Seven-Colored Firepower Component. Once fully unleashed, it would instantly reduce the entire Kasha Civilization to ashes.
Everything living here would be buried with it.
"Let's go take a look."
Though he didn't know the situation, Chen Mang decided to investigate. Opportunities had to be seized, not waited for at home. This might be a chance encounter. As the saying goes, "Great skill breeds great courage." Confident in the Stellaris's high-tier components, he doubted the enemy could pose an insurmountable threat.
Three hours later, the Stellaris had entered space and was rapidly approaching the Cosmic Beast Xuanwu, which soared through the void. The creature drifted effortlessly through the Kasha Civilization Federation's territory, unnoticed by anyone but them.
Though the Kasha Civilization Federation's territory spanned tens of thousands of light-years, the actual inhabited planets and star systems occupied only a fraction of that space—less than one hundred-thousandth of the total territory. As long as they avoided radar detection, they could traverse the region undetected.
Just as he was about to close in, a voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
[Mysterious sir, have we inadvertently offended you?]
[We are merely travelers with no hostile intent. If we have caused offense, please state it plainly.]
"..."
Chen Mang raised an eyebrow slightly. Each civilization had its own unique language, and communication between them typically relied on translators. Yet he understood the meaning of this phrase without one.
His rational mind told him the words were obscure and difficult to comprehend.
Yet, for some reason, he understood them perfectly.
Moreover, he clearly grasped the emotions embedded within the words.
This method was truly remarkable.
However...
He wanted to respond, but he didn't know how. He had never encountered such a technique before. If he used an ordinary method, wouldn't that reveal his weakness?
Just as he was about to toss Xiao Lu out, the massive Xuanwu ahead slowly came to a halt. At this close range, he could clearly see the thin layer of mist enveloping the beast, obscuring its details while still allowing its outline to be vaguely visible.
A gap opened in the mist.
A young woman, walking on air, approached the Stellaris train in mere seconds. After bowing respectfully, she spoke softly, "My master requests the honor of your presence for a personal audience."
Her voice was gentle and fluid, carrying a slight echo that drifted through the air outside the train.
The woman appeared to lack any direct means of transmitting sound across the void.
She was human.
A perfectly standard human, with neither a green onion nor cilantro sprouting from her head.
"..."
Chen Mang narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the young woman blocking the Stellaris train's path. He suspected he had encountered a civilization akin to those of Immortal Cultivation. The Xuanwu hovering in space seemed close to the Stellaris, but in reality, a considerable distance still separated them.
Yet this woman had traversed that vast distance in mere seconds, outpacing even the Xuanwu's speed.
She stood in the vacuum of space, without any protective gear.
"Let's go see," Chen Mang finally agreed, slowly pushing the control lever. The train followed the woman through the swirling mists, landing on the Xuanwu's back. Chen Mang led Biaozi and the others out of the train.
Outside the train, the young woman was already waiting, accompanied by a hunched-over old man with snow-white hair.
"Esteemed guests, this way, please?"
"Very well," Chen Mang nodded slightly. But he quickly noticed a flicker of confusion in the old man's eyes. After a brief pause, he asked, "You don't understand what I'm saying?"
The Elder's eyes deepened with confusion.
It wasn't until Biaozi handed over a translator that effective communication became possible.
"I never imagined someone of your strength would be unfamiliar with Cosmic Language. This way, please."
Chen Mang led Biaozi and the others, following the Elder as they surveyed their surroundings. The train had landed on a vast plain, devoid of any industrial signs. Farmland stretched as far as the eye could see. Standing here, it was impossible to believe they were on the back of the Xuanwu; it felt exactly like standing on a real planet.
Looking up, they could even see the sun.
Who knows where that star came from.
Soon, they followed the Elder to a small wooden cabin nestled among the fields. The sound of boiling water came from a stove inside. The Hunchback Elder sat down and poured tea for Chen Mang and his companions. His cloudy eyes held a hint of curiosity as he spoke in a raspy, aged voice.
"Let me introduce myself first."
"We are the Starfire Civilization, a peaceful and neutral nomadic civilization of the Third-Tier."
"I am the guiding spirit of this civilization."
"Normally..."
"Given the civilization level of this region, it should be difficult for anyone to detect our presence. May I ask which civilization you belong to?"
Chen Mang sat in his chair, surveying the surroundings before meeting the Hunchback Elder's gaze. After a moment's pause, he said softly, "We are all from the 2nd Tier Human Civilization. I am the Leader of the human civilization."
"Having sensed an unknown presence passing through this area, we came to investigate."
"Human civilization?"
The Hunchback Elder was momentarily stunned, instinctively straightening his back as he looked at Chen Mang. For a fleeting moment, his years of hunchback seemed to vanish. After realizing Chen Mang wasn't joking, the Elder's mouth opened and closed slightly, unsure of what to say.
After a long silence, he murmured, "Your Excellency, the name of your civilization is prone to misfortune. It's a pity that once a civilization's name is established, it cannot be changed."
"It doesn't matter," Chen Mang replied, shaking his head. He then glanced at the young woman kneeling beside him. "Is your civilization a cultivation civilization?"
This was the third Third-Tier Civilization he had encountered.
The first was the Mechanical Civilization, the second was the Kasha Civilization, and the third was the current Starfire Civilization.
The Starfire Civilization, however, lacked the oppressive aura of the other two Third-Tier Civilizations. For one thing, their territory was significantly smaller, clearly indicating they were a Third-Tier Civilization that had fled from elsewhere. He was eager to learn more about these other civilizations, hoping to gain a deeper understanding of the universe and the diverse civilizations that populated it.
"No," the Hunchback Elder said slowly, shaking his head. "We are a Divine Civilization. Long ago, our ancestors adopted the Cosmic Beast Xuanwu. During a civilization-threatening crisis, Xuanwu carried us to safety, escaping the catastrophe."
"Since then, we have lived on Xuanwu's back, venerating it as a Divine being."
"Having gained vast amounts of Faith Power from us, Xuanwu's advancement accelerated rapidly, developing even more formidable mutations. Through our faith in Xuanwu, we can borrow a portion of its power."
"The Cosmic Beast's power is cataclysmic. Even a fraction of Xuanwu's strength grants us world-shattering capabilities."
"From that day forward—"
"The Starfire Civilization has remained in a state of perpetual wandering. We cherish peace and fear settling down, forever drifting through the cosmos, without a fixed home."
"A Divine Civilization..."
Chen Mang silently repeated the words "Divine Civilization." This was yet another form of civilization he had encountered. Within the Kasha Civilization Federation, with its myriad civilizations, he had never heard of one based on divine beings.
Power gained through faith.
It sounded deceptively simple.
No cultivation was required. The stronger one's faith, the greater the power they could wield.
"Where did you come from?" Chen Mang asked. The elder didn't seem opposed to inter-civilizational exchange, but Chen Mang already suspected they might have originated from the other side of the Cosmic Void.
"That place is very far away, and it was long ago," the elder replied slowly. "Since the Starfire Civilization suffered a near-extinction event, we have been wandering. Our Divine Beast Xuanwu periodically opens random wormholes, which we use to traverse the cosmos."
"We no longer remember our original home."
"We've even forgotten where we came from."
"And we have no idea where we are now."
"We originally thought a Third-Tier Civilization in this region would discover us, but it turned out to be a Second-Tier Civilization. The fact that they could name their civilization so boldly suggests they possess some unique qualities."
"But..."
"Seeing your train evokes a long-dormant feeling within me. Long ago, the Starfire Civilization was also a Train Civilization. However, after that cataclysmic event, we gradually transitioned into a Divine Civilization."
"As far as I know," Chen Mang murmured, "all civilization forms essentially utilize core energy in different ways. Does the Divine Civilization fall outside this framework?"
"Not at all."
"No civilization form exists that doesn't utilize core energy. The Divine Beast Xuanwu routinely absorbs vast quantities of core energy scattered throughout the cosmos, devouring mining stars. Through Faith, it allows us to directly harness the power of core energy."
"What was that Cosmic Language you spoke earlier?"
"It's a universal language used throughout the cosmos. When communicating in this language, regardless of race or civilization, one can instantly and clearly understand the other's meaning and emotions. It forms a fundamental part of cosmic civilization. Translators, however, cannot accurately convey the emotional nuances of the speaker's words."
"There will always be some degree of communication error."
Thirty minutes later, Chen Mang left Xuanwu and returned to his Stellaris train. He watched as the Xuanwu flew into the distance, a brief encounter that marked his first contact with a civilization from another region.
Now, he could personally understand the mindset and reactions of the former Leader of the Mechanical Civilization when they first encountered beings from a Fifth-Tier Civilization.
He had learned so much about the cosmos.
He realized he had been a frog at the bottom of a well.
Yet, he couldn't immediately leap out of that well and truly grasp the vastness of the outside world.
This gap between knowledge and reality brought immense anxiety. Had he remained ignorant, he wouldn't have felt this pressure or anxiety.
He had gleaned much about cosmic civilizations from the Hunchback Elder.
They were indeed a peaceful civilization, genuinely devoted to peace.
From beginning to end, they had only shared half an hour of tea and conversation, nothing more. Even knowing that his civilization was a Train Civilization—meaning the train conductor was at their most vulnerable the moment they left the train—they showed no intention of attacking.
Naturally, they had their own reasons for confidence.
But their unwavering commitment to peace, even without knowing his true capabilities, was remarkably rare in the cosmos.
This region of space was officially known as the "Low-Resource Zone."
The name spoke for itself.
Resources here were scarce, making it nearly impossible for a civilization to reach the 4th Tier. The only path to advancement was for a civilization to monopolize all the resources in this zone, then embark on a long voyage. If they could discover a High-Resource Zone, they might have a chance to advance further.
However, High-Resource Zones were typically already claimed by established civilizations.
The arrival of an unknown civilization seeking to share the spoils would inevitably trigger war.
If luck wasn't on their side, and the long voyage yielded nothing, they would be trapped in the Low-Tier Resource Zone forever, with no hope of advancing to a 4th Tier Civilization. After all, not every civilization could smoothly progress through the tiers.
Moreover, during their farewell, the Hunchback Elder explained the combat methods of external civilizations and reiterated the danger of the name "human civilization." He warned that if the human civilization ever joined a High-Resource Zone, it would inevitably face a bloody conflict.
As a parting gift, the Hunchback Elder gave him some delicacies from the Starfire Civilization, said to be incredibly delicious. In return, he gifted the elder a Tier 200 Refrigerator.
A fair exchange.
Especially after he fully explained the Tier 200 Refrigerator's capabilities, the elder showed a rare expression of shock. Upon confirming that it could instantly transport items across vast distances, even billions of light-years, he saw a flicker of interest in the elder's eyes.
That flicker wasn't the desire to attack him.
Rather, it was...
The urge to return to the Train Civilization resurfaced!
The Starfire Civilization was a true Nomadic Civilization, possessing no fixed domain. Due to past events, they harbored an extreme aversion to settling down, choosing instead to wander the cosmos for generation after generation.
Their interactions with other civilizations were fleeting, devoid of both hatred and friendship. After all, friendship requires time to nurture, and those met only once could hardly be considered friends. In the vastness of the universe, the chances of meeting again were virtually nonexistent.
But—
With the refrigerator, the Starfire Civilization formed its first true friendship: the human civilization.
Real-time communication between the two became possible.
He didn't mind making more friends, especially with a peaceful civilization constantly drifting through the cosmos.
Through the Hunchback Elder, he also learned about various civilizations' attack methods.
The most classic example remained the Tier 5 Civilization's Trans-Temporal Strike!
They would locate a Cosmic Void in the universe, settle near it, and then, whenever another civilization threatened their territory, they would create a temporal rift, travel back millions or even tens of millions of years, and fire an Arcanon Light Energy Cannon deep into the Cosmic Void.
After traveling for tens of millions of years, the Light Energy Cannon's power would continuously increase, ultimately annihilating the enemy.
Of course, this method had significant drawbacks.
For example, it required locating a Cosmic Void that had existed for a sufficiently long time. Otherwise, even if a temporal rift could briefly transport them back tens of millions of years, discovering that the Cosmic Void hadn't yet formed would render the entire plan useless.
A Cosmic Void that had formed too recently would also be ineffective.
There were other factors to consider as well. For instance, the method was inherently prone to errors. A margin of error of a decade or more was common, meaning it couldn't deliver an immediate impact or instantly alter the course of battle.
Furthermore, precise positioning was crucial.
If the enemy wasn't located on the opposite side of the Cosmic Void but instead attacked head-on, they would first need to create a spatiotemporal rift to travel back millions of years, then establish a wormhole to the other side of the Cosmic Void, and finally fire the cannon from that side back toward their own base.
This scenario would consume vast resources.
Moreover, the moment the cannon fired, their own civilization would inevitably be dragged down with the enemy.
Therefore, this attack method wasn't a standard tactic but rather a last-resort strategic measure, primarily used for deterrence rather than retaliation or aggression. In theory, it would be highly effective for conquest—a single shot could completely obliterate a hostile civilization.
In most cases, the purpose of invasion is to plunder resources, seize populations, and conquer technologically advanced planets.
But if a single shot obliterates everything, what's left to invade?
Wouldn't that be utter foolishness?
Or perhaps—
According to the Starfire Civilization, wars between First-Tier and Fourth-Tier Civilizations are the most frequent and intense. Civilizations at this level lack strategic means of annihilation and must rely on direct confrontation.
For higher-tier civilizations, war is virtually nonexistent. Their primary concerns are twofold:
Concealing themselves as thoroughly as possible to avoid detection by superior civilizations. If concealment fails, establishing a credible deterrent.
They must warn neighboring civilizations: "If you dare attack me, I'll drag you all down with me."
Concealment and deterrence are the two fundamental strategies that advanced cosmic civilizations must master throughout their existence.
The Hunchback Elder once recounted witnessing a Cosmic Void spanning ten trillion light-years in diameter—the remnants of a cataclysmic war between two Top-Tier Civilizations. In that conflict, both civilizations were utterly annihilated.
The Hunchback Elder specifically shared this tale to illustrate the ultimate consequences of unchecked aggression.
The reason was simple: both civilizations were human, and neither would acknowledge the other's legitimacy.
At first, Chen Mang was curious. Even if neither side recognized the other's authority, couldn't they coexist temporarily, given their roughly equal strength?
The Hunchback Elder shook his head.
He didn't know the specifics, only that when naming civilizations, they tried to avoid using the same name.
"A Cosmic Void ten trillion light-years in diameter."
Chen Mang sat calmly aboard the Stellaris, gazing at the flashing information on the screen. The number was staggering, so vast he couldn't even imagine what kind of attack could create such a colossal void.
This meant that within this zone, every star, planet, and civilization had been annihilated in the war, reduced to cosmic dust.
A renewed sense of crisis surged through him.
He had to rapidly strengthen both the Stellaris and human civilization.
He could accept going to war with another civilization, being outmatched, and seeing his own civilization destroyed, dying miserably at the hands of his enemies. Though bitter, he could accept it. After all, if you sit down at the gambling table, you must be prepared to lose. But he could not accept being dragged into another civilization's war and dying miserably for no fault of his own.
He needed to strengthen himself as quickly as possible.
Three days had passed.
During those three days, every civilization within the Kasha Civilization Federation was engaged in a massive resource tribute.
Despite their internal discontent, after seventeen First-Tier Civilizations publicly protested and were subsequently eradicated, no civilization dared to delay any further. They gathered every resource they could and submitted it.
These seventeen First-Tier Civilizations, all from the same galaxy, had initially believed in safety in numbers. They hoped that by uniting, they could persuade the Kasha Civilization to take less. The outcome, however, proved their numbers insufficient.
Especially after—the Kasha Civilization issued a new decree: the bottom hundred civilizations in resource submission rankings would face Forced Erasure. Leaders across the federation mobilized every Civilization Means at their disposal to gather resources.
In an instant, countless resources were collected and streamed toward the Kasha Civilization.
This was the true foundation of the Kasha Civilization Federation!
Though many civilizations were deeply pained by the loss, it had to be admitted that with these resources, the Kasha Civilization Federation might truly be able to defeat both Zerg Civilization domains simultaneously.
If that happened, the Kasha Civilization Federation's territory would expand, their resource holdings would increase, and they might even return some of the resources to their allies after securing victory.
Over ten thousand civilizations.
Even if the vast majority were First-Tier Civilizations, the sheer scale of such a mobilized force was terrifying!
"Still no sign of them?" Chen Mang asked, sitting aboard the Stellaris train, flipping through the latest news in various dailies. He couldn't contain his impatience. "With this much resource, it's impossible for them to leave no trace at all, right?"
"The Kasha Civilization doesn't have refrigerators. To transport such vast quantities of resources, they have to rely on trains and wormholes. Is there any other way?"
He was truly envious!
If all these resources were given to him, he could storm the other side of the Cosmic Void next year and demand to know which uncivilized fool had discarded the Arcanon Light Energy Cannon there!
"Filthy beasts."
He glanced at the massive screen on the right side of the locomotive cabin, displaying the Doppler Radar feed. On the screen, every train bearing the Civilization Imprint of the Kasha Civilization glowed as a green dot.
Over the years, the Kasha Civilization had amassed vast resources from countless civilizations.
Yet he couldn't detect any relevant information.
He suddenly realized he was far too lenient compared to the Kasha Civilization. If this Federation were his, he doubted he could bring himself to order the forced erasure of the hundred civilizations with the lowest resource contributions.
"Wait!"
Chen Mang's expression shifted as he stared at the countless trains on the screen. His brow furrowed. The display showed the expeditionary force... withdrawing?
They had already retreated through the wormhole from the front lines, returning to the Kasha Civilization Federation's domain.
And there was no sign of reinforcements being sent.
The front lines were suddenly empty, save for the Zerg forces.
Had the battlefield been abandoned?
"No."
"The Kasha Civilization has no intention of fighting to the death. They're running!"
In the next moment—
On the Doppler radar, a homeworld belonging to the Kasha Civilization suddenly vanished. Simultaneously, a large number of Kasha Civilization trains rapidly returned to nearby homeworlds.
One after another, planets disappeared completely.
Even on the galaxy map, no trace of these planets remained.
In a matter of seconds, the entire radar screen went blank. All Kasha Civilization trains and planets had vanished, leaving no trace within a hundred thousand light-years. Their destination remained unknown.
Chen Mang remained silent for a long time, his expression grim. The tactics of a seasoned Third-Tier Civilization proved far more sophisticated than he had imagined. He not only remained clueless about how the Kasha Civilization transported resources, but also how they had managed to escape so suddenly, taking so many planets with them.
Did the Kasha Civilization possess Tier 200 Space Gates?
The Kasha Civilization had fled, leaving behind a massive mess.
How could the remaining First-Tier Civilizations and a few hundred Second-Tier Civilizations possibly withstand the combined assault of two Zerg Civilizations, especially with their resources nearly completely depleted?
Where could they possibly run?
"I'm going to get some sleep first," Chen Mang said, rising from his seat. He went to the shower room to wash up, then lay down on the bed, clearing his mind and quickly falling asleep. I'll sleep first and see how things develop when I wake up, he thought.
Over the past few days, he had inspected nearly every train heading to other civilizations that bore the Kasha Civilization's imprint. He had hijacked several, but none contained any resources.
Since things had reached this point, sleep was the only option for now.
At worst, I'll just run too.
The next day, a headline appeared in every daily newspaper—except the Kasha Daily:
"The Kasha Civilization Has Fled! Where Do We Go Now?!"
The Kasha Civilization had completely abandoned them, fleeing with all their resources and leaving behind a chaotic mess.
An overwhelming sense of despair instantly gripped the hearts of all civilizations. They had once hoped that after victory, the Kasha Civilization would return their resources. Now, that seemed utterly impossible. But while Kasha could flee, where could they possibly go?
They couldn't just abandon their planets and escape into the cosmos alone—that would be a slow suicide. It would be better to die quickly.
However, there was some good news too.
For example...
The Kasha Civilization didn't have time to meticulously tally which civilization contributed the least resources, nor was any civilization destroyed as a result. The weaker civilizations could finally breathe a sigh of relief, their anxieties put to rest.
Secondly,
The Kasha Civilization had left in such haste that they abandoned all their wormholes.
Every single one.
These wormholes represented the culmination of the Kasha Civilization's tireless efforts over the past few days. Unable to take them along or destroy them in time, they were simply left behind.
Whoosh
Chen Mang, refreshed from a good night's sleep, stretched luxuriously before lighting a cigarette and settling back into his chair at the control panel. A smile played on his lips as he scanned the information displayed on the various newspapers before him.
After waking up, his thoughts were much clearer.
For him, this situation seemed to offer only advantages, with no drawbacks.
Firstly,
Every wormhole belonging to the Kasha Civilization was now fully visible under his Wormhole Radar. Even the concealed strategic wormholes would be his to inherit, given enough time, allowing him to transform this entire zone into his personal stronghold.
Building so many wormholes from scratch would have required vast resources—resources he simply couldn't afford.
Secondly,
All the civilizations within the Kasha Civilization Federation had been abandoned, now plunged into despair and terror. If a civilization could rise to the occasion and avert this crisis, it would be hailed as the savior.
He could naturally take the Kasha Civilization's place.
Even a slightly less tyrannical ruler would be seen as a benevolent monarch by other civilizations.
Especially the human civilization.
No need for a federation.
They could directly join the civilization, returning to their rightful place in human civilization, reclaiming their ancestral roots. Six to seven tenths of the civilizations within the Kasha Civilization Federation were composed of humans.
The influx of a massive population meant he could select more elites to join the Stellaris train's research teams.
It meant he could deploy countless tentacles to explore the cosmos, seek resources, and excavate mining stars.
It meant...
He would ascend to the Kasha Civilization's throne.
He would become the true king.
Unlike the Kasha Civilization, he required only a fraction of their resources.
Moreover—
There was an unspoken rule for advancing to a Fifth-Tier Civilization: proximity to a Cosmic Void. Fortunately, one lay nearby. Once he successfully devoured everything the fleeing Kasha Civilization left behind, consumed the Zerg Civilization, and fully exploited the remnants of the Mechanical Civilization...
Then he...
Would rise to power completely, and with astonishing speed.
The Kasha Civilization was gone.
The stage was now his.
With the star performer gone, he, the stagehand, was forced into the spotlight. The pressure was immense, but if the performance succeeded, he would become the new star.
All this hinged on the human civilization holding off the Zerg Civilization's attack.
Time was running out.
The Zerg Civilization was still probing, unaware that the Kasha Civilization had fled. They likely suspected a trap. Once they realized the truth, the full might of their armies would descend.
He needed vast resources—a colossal sum to transform the Stellaris train into an almost invincible force. With the train radio's Tier 200 Overpowered effect broadcasting nearly live footage, everyone would witness the Stellaris's true power.
[Train Radio Tier 200 Overpowered Effect: Transmission range equals the maximum detection range of target acquisition radar and other detection accessories, up to 100,000 light-years. Broadcasts real-time "battle situation" updates on all train screens within that range.]
The source of these resources was simple.
"Hah..."
Chen Mang slowly extinguished his cigarette, stretched lazily, and turned to Old Pig with a grin. "Let's go back and see where those guys ran off to."
That's right.
The Kasha Civilization had fled, but not completely.
His refrigerator was still on Gemini Star.
Where can you run?!
No matter where they hid, he would find them.
Although he hadn't discovered the Kasha Civilization's resource transport routes, it didn't matter. The resources were undoubtedly already within Kasha Civilization territory. A quick inspection of their interior would reveal everything. The Kasha Civilization's defenses were likely at their weakest right now.
This was the perfect opportunity to strike.
Originally, he had only planned to seize a small portion, but now he might end up taking everything.
If this operation succeeded, everything would be secure.
"Lord Mang," Old Pig hesitated. "Should I go to the Starfire Civilization as an envoy? With their help, we'd have a much better chance of seizing the Kasha Civilization's resources."
"They've been wandering for so long, ever since the near-extinction crisis forced them to abandon their settlements. We can promise them protection in exchange for their help this time, allowing them to finally settle down in peace."
"I'm confident I can persuade them."
"No need."
Chen Mang shook his head and strode toward the refrigerator in the corner of the locomotive cabin, murmuring, "Even the most peace-loving civilization would find it hard to resist such a massive stockpile of resources."
"I don't want to end up fighting four Top-Tier Civilizations at once."
"It's nearly impossible to win a war against so many advanced civilizations simultaneously."
"Let's go check out the situation first."
Gemini Star.
Chen Mang reappeared on this familiar yet alien planet. In Extreme Night Market, the buildings and scenery remained unchanged, but the sun's position had shifted dramatically, appearing much farther away and moving at an alarming speed.
This meant Gemini Star was currently hurtling through the Cosmic Void at breakneck speed.
"They're really running fast."
Chen Mang raised his telescope, gazing at the star-studded sky above and muttering, "Damn bastards."
(End of the Chapter)
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