Translator: AnubisTL
The war had ended.
Its conclusion was abrupt.
The Niya Star System.
The Zerg Civilization was no more, its extinction officially declared.
Yet...
A new journey had begun.
Chen Mang, accompanied by Biaozi and the others, walked across the reddish-brown soil of this desolate planet. The only feature in sight was a slowly rotating black hole looming in the distance.
It exerted no gravitational pull.
There were no spatial fluctuations.
Though called a black hole, it resembled more a deep, pitch-black wormhole.
Chen Mang pulled a token from his pocket and casually tossed it into the black hole. Immediately, a faint luminous membrane enveloped the group—a Pass. Without this protective layer, the powerful spatial forces within would instantly tear them apart.
"Let's go," Chen Mang said, leaning on his cane as he stepped toward the black hole. The train had transformed into a brooch pinned to his chest, and his bowler hat remained firmly on his head.
Experiencing a wormhole transit was entirely different from simply passing through one.
It felt like opening a refrigerator and instantly finding oneself in another world.
A flash of white light filled their vision.
Then the scenery shifted.
They found themselves on a vast continent.
Xiao Ai informed him that the Doppler radar indicated they were in a "Cosmic Void." The exact size of this void and their specific location within it remained unclear.
All they knew was this:
Within a hundred thousand light-years, there were no planets other than this continent.
Nor were there any stars.
Silence was the dominant melody of this space.
Yet—
It wasn't pitch-black.
The ground glowed, radiating substantial heat that made the area surprisingly warm.
"This is rather peculiar," Chen Mang remarked, gazing at the light seeping from the cracks in the ground. He stomped his foot. Such conditions usually indicated excessive geothermal activity—so extreme that it could counteract the frigid cosmic environment where no stars existed. The outside temperature was already approaching absolute zero.
Such phenomena weren't unheard of.
But in documented cases, anyone standing on such ground should already be vaporizing, not merely feeling warm.
He scanned the surroundings.
As far as the eye could see, there were no horizons or boundaries. Only the glowing cracks in the ground illuminated the landscape. Looking up, a dense, dark cloud blanketed the entire continent.
It wasn't just the top of the continent that was covered.
The sides were covered too, forming a massive black box.
Yes.
This wasn't a planet, but a continent—a flat, artificial landmass resembling a colossal fragment of a shattered world. Under normal circumstances, such a fragment would lack any internal heat source.
In the distance, mountains of resources stretched as far as the eye could see—countless resources.
This wasn't a mine.
It was already mined and stockpiled, ready to be taken. He wouldn't even need to extract it himself; he could simply claim it all.
Forty percent remained.
The Zerg Civilization had consumed the other sixty percent.
For this final battle against the Zerg, he had prepared a staggering 1 quadrillion units of iron ore. Yet, to his disappointment, he hadn't even used 1 trillion units—virtually zero consumption.
The Tier 200 Arcanon Main Cannon, powered by his stellar energy supply, required only 100 million units of iron ore per shot. He could never exhaust his reserves.
Combined with the vast resources seized here, it was clear why war was said to be the fastest path to immense wealth.
And indeed, it was fast.
It was indeed a windfall.
But then...
Chen Mang's eyes narrowed slightly as he spotted something familiar. The continent before him was divided into eighty-one zones, each piled high with iron ore. In front of each zone stood a marker.
It was...
A shield-like symbol.
He recognized it.
"Xiao Ai, if I remember correctly, this symbol belongs to the Niya Civilization, right?"
"Correct, Train Conductor."
"Good."
Chen Mang murmured calmly, his expression serene. It now seemed the master of this unknown Resource Repository left behind by an Ancient Civilization had been found: the Niya Civilization, which had been "erased from the cosmos."
But...
Was the cosmos's efficiency really this poor?
The train conductor being missed was understandable; an unknown dust nebula had obscured the train, preventing its detection.
But why was this Resource Repository overlooked?
Was it also hidden by a dust nebula?
Or was it simply too difficult to detect within the Cosmic Void, beyond the reach of the Cosmic Rules?
"Can the radar detect the source of heat at the planet's core?"
"The radar screen shows nothing. We'll need to send someone down through the surface fissures to investigate, but it could be quite dangerous."
"I'll go!"
Before Xiao Ai could finish speaking, Biaozi, standing nearby, volunteered enthusiastically, "Let me handle it! I'm the best at exploration!"
"Not urgent," Chen Mang said, nodding slightly. He didn't immediately accept Biaozi's request to lead the charge, but waved his hand dismissively. The Stellaris train crashed heavily onto the ground, and countless robots swarmed out, carrying refrigerators. They stuffed vast quantities of resources into the refrigerators and teleported them directly back to the train.
Before anything else, secure the resources first.
First swallow the sesame seeds, then check for watermelons. Better to have something than nothing. Besides, this batch of resources already feels like watermelons to me, not sesame seeds.
"Hah..."
Chen Mang gazed at the bustling scene before him, a smile playing on his lips. He exhaled softly. Everyone said the Niya Star System was resource-poor, but he thought it seemed quite abundant. Isn't this plenty?
Better if it's resource-poor.
Less competition.
Since this Resource Repository was left behind by the Niya Civilization, the Cosmic Void was likely the one south of the Niya Star System, perhaps quite distant.
He hadn't detected any energy attacks on the Doppler Radar, nor had he seen the Level 4987 Arcanon Light Energy Main Cannon fire.
They're well-hidden.
He never underestimated any civilization. As the saying goes, "Even a dying camel is bigger than a horse." Even the Niya Civilization, a Fourth-Level Civilization forcibly erased by the cosmos, occasionally revealed resources that left him in awe.
If only I could have access to such resources someday.
The once-silent continent had suddenly become a hive of activity.
Countless robots swarmed like worker ants, their frantic movements creating an illusion of bustling life.
"Train Conductor," Xiao Ai said suddenly, standing beside him. "I have a question that's been puzzling me. Generally speaking, Strategic Resource Depots are positioned throughout the cosmos for long-range resupply. After all, not everyone has a refrigerator like ours that can instantly teleport resources."
"If the battlefront stretches across vast distances," he continued, "numerous Strategic Resource Points would need to be deployed across the cosmos to ensure immediate replenishment, even if the Logistics Wormhole is severed. This would prevent forces from exhausting their supplies and becoming stranded cosmic vessels."
"But—"
"Who would deploy a Strategic Resource Point within a Cosmic Void?"
"Could they be planning to traverse the Cosmic Void?"
"..."
Chen Mang remained silent for a long moment, then suddenly seemed to awaken as if Xiao Ai's words had struck a chord. He glanced at the radar display on his tablet and murmured, "No."
"The Niya Civilization's territorial expansion primarily focused on breakthroughs along the Z-axis."
"Their territory spans only 100,000 light-years in diameter along the X-axis—the extent of the Niya Star System we see here—but stretches a staggering 1.87 million light-years vertically along the Z-axis, spanning multiple galaxies."
"They must have tried to explore the Cosmic Void."
"But—"
"Even if they wanted to traverse the Cosmic Void, they should have taken a detour rather than trying to force their way through. The environment inside the Cosmic Void is extremely harsh, requiring the train's armor to be exceptionally durable and offering no opportunities for resupply over long periods."
"The core energy scattered within the Cosmic Void is also minimal, almost nonexistent."
"So I think..."
"They might not have been trying to cross the Cosmic Void at all. Perhaps there's some secret hidden within it—maybe they wanted to relocate, or perhaps they foresaw a crisis and sought refuge within the Cosmic Void."
Any choice made by a civilization, no matter how foolish it may seem to others, is never truly wrong.
Except, of course, for the Kira Civilization.
He first encountered this civilization when he had just upgraded the Vehicle Audio System to achieve the Cosmic Unique Overpowered Effect. At that moment, he heard the Kira Civilization's Civilization Broadcast echoing through the cosmos.
Tier 1 Civilization, Kira Civilization: Hello, is anyone listening? Our civilization's cosmic coordinates are... Welcome to visit us!
Hmm.
This civilization was annihilated by Queen Kira of the Zerg.
The reason? A shared name.
In the cosmos, shared names are a grave taboo. Every entity, whether an individual or an entire civilization, strives to maintain its uniqueness.
Precisely for this reason, Chen Mang, though uncertain why the Niya Civilization had established a supply point here, believed it was a sound decision made by their Leader based on the circumstances at the time.
Forty-eight hours later, all the resources at the site had been successfully evacuated. The quantity was substantial, making the task far from easy.
Instead of immediately tallying the haul, Chen Mang turned his attention to the tablet Xiao Ai handed him.
The Robot Research Center could manufacture not only Mining Robots but also Machine Dogs. Though rarely deployed, these robotic canines were perfectly suited for exploring the narrow, hazardous terrain.
A swarm of newly built Machine Dogs was now delving into the ground fissures.
Chen Mang, safely ensconced in the locomotive cabin, officially initiated the exploration operation only after ensuring his own security.
So far, not a single machine dog had been lost.
It seemed there was no immediate danger.
Until the next moment—
Static.
The image on Chen Mang's tablet suddenly filled with static, indicating that the machine dog he was monitoring had just been destroyed, its camera destroyed along with it.
"Hmm?" Chen Mang frowned slightly. "Play back the footage from before the machine dog's destruction."
Immediately, in super slow motion, he clearly saw a black line shoot up from the depths of the earth and strike the machine dog. The image cut out immediately after. That black line...
What the hell?!
A flicker of astonishment flashed in Chen Mang's eyes.
It was a strand of hair.
This reminded him of something he had long overlooked on the train—the strand of hair, or rather, Anal Hair, he had brought back from the Dream Realm. It was a truly remarkable object.
Its maximum load capacity was one ton.
Exceeding this limit caused the hair to extend infinitely.
However, once it reached a certain length, it would stop extending, and its load capacity would become terrifyingly high.
Could there be a connection between these two properties?
Just then—
One after another, the machine dogs began to be destroyed rapidly. When Chen Mang reviewed the slow-motion footage of their final moments, he discovered they had all been killed by attacks from strands of hair. But he had deployed an enormous number of machine dogs.
Even under such frequent and bizarre attacks, a massive swarm of machine dogs continued to pour through the cracks, burrowing deeper into the earth.
Until!
The lead machine dog suddenly plunged into a cavern. Its camera captured a single frame before being crushed, but immediately afterward, countless other machine dogs surged into the underground cavern.
As more and more footage streamed back to the train, the images on the screens gradually sharpened.
It was an enormous cavern, nearly half the size of the entire continent. This wasn't just a cavern; it was as if nearly half the continent had been hollowed out.
Within this colossal space stood a cruciform structure. Nailed to the cross by five spikes was a petite girl, roughly 1.55 meters tall, with hair that cascaded down for several meters and seemed capable of infinite extension.
Her hair streamed wildly as she thrashed violently, her eyes glowing with an eerie purple light.
Furthermore—
Apart from the captive girl at the center of the cavern, twelve massive machines stood in the cavern, their humming gradually fading. According to the manuals on the machines, they were Gravity Machines.
The Gravity Machines could compress the gravity within a spatial fragment to hundreds of times its normal strength at full power.
With twelve such machines operating, the gravity within the cavern was at least several thousand times that of Aquablue Star.
Most materials couldn't withstand such extreme gravity, let alone humans. Bones would instantly shatter, and brain fluid would be squeezed down into the soles of one's feet.
In this environment, normal life was utterly impossible.
A slight increase in gravity could even trigger the formation of a black hole.
Around the perimeter, four additional machines were generating massive electrical arcs. Without manuals, their purpose remained unclear.
However, it was visually evident that energy conduits from these machines connected to the 81 zones on the ground. Now that all resources had been extracted, the machines were operating on their dwindling reserves, teetering on the brink of shutdown.
At last, everything became clear.
This wasn't a strategic supply depot of the "Niya Civilization," nor was it part of their grand plan to explore the Cosmic Void.
It was merely a prison.
Vast quantities of resources had been stockpiled here solely to power these sixteen machines.
The planetary fragment had been hollowed out and meticulously shaped into a perfect prison for this fragile girl.
Vast resources had been poured into this place, all for the sake of imprisonment.
How long had she been imprisoned?
But today was the day of her release!
"..."
Chen Mang glanced uneasily at the black hole behind him, his hand resting on the control lever, ready to retreat at any moment. He had already taken all the resources, but his instincts told him the imprisoned monster below was no ordinary creature, and its release could trigger an unimaginable crisis.
Just then, Xiao Ai's voice echoed through the train cabin: "Why would the Niya Civilization go to such extraordinary lengths to build a specialized prison for her? If she was such a dangerous entity, couldn't they have simply executed her or cast her into the Cosmic Void?"
"No," Chen Mang replied, his eyes narrowing as he shook his head. "What you're thinking, the Niya Civilization would have considered too."
"The reason they didn't kill her is likely because they couldn't."
"Now I understand why the Niya Civilization was wiped out by Cosmic Eradication, yet this resource point remains intact. It's likely because even the universe itself couldn't erase her traces."
"Her raw power might not be overwhelming—otherwise, she wouldn't have been trapped here by these machines for so long."
"But her dimension or identity must be exceptionally unique."
"Unable to kill her, the Niya Civilization could only imprison her here indefinitely, until this very moment."
He recalled his dream dive using the Dreamstone.
He had once encountered a girl washing her hair by a riverbank and taken a strand of her hair. Of course, that girl wasn't this girl, but their resemblance was uncanny.
He suspected this might be an unknown race, akin to a Cosmic Behemoth—something utterly bizarre and violent. He wanted nothing to do with such a creature.
In the next moment, Chen Mang threw back one-tenth of the resources he had just taken, scattering them across the 81 zones.
Almost immediately, the dozen machines whirred back to life, once again firmly suppressing the girl in the cavern. The girl, who had been laughing maniacally, instantly erupted into a frenzied scream, sending faint ripples through the nearly solidified air of the underground chamber.
Huff
Chen Mang let out a long sigh of relief, then couldn't help but chuckle. "Damn it, you think you can escape? Dream on."
This one-tenth of the resources would power the machines for another 100 years.
That was enough.
Even if she escaped after a century, he wouldn't be afraid.
Ghost knows what that thing is.
Just looking at it gave him the creeps.
He was confident that with the current strength and foundation of human civilization, he couldn't have built such a prison himself. Though he didn't know what it contained, since the Niya Civilization had gone to such lengths to construct it, it must be something truly terrifying. Maintaining it was the safest course of action.
If some terrifying monster were to be unleashed, the Niya Star System would likely be the first to suffer.
That was his territory.
Losing just a tenth of his resources wasn't much of a loss.
This creature defied even the Cosmic Eradication. If it ever reached the Niya Star System, it would cause him endless trouble, and the losses would far exceed these resources.
Chen Mang retrieved a refrigerator from the locomotive cabin and placed it on the open ground, making it convenient for future visits and for replenishing resources in a century to maintain the seal.
Just then—
His brow twitched slightly. As all the machines operated at full power, the girl remained tightly confined within his gaze. Initially, she had the strength to roar in fury, but now even that was beyond her. Her eyes and jaws were clenched shut, her body trembling faintly.
Every machine dog that entered the cavern was instantly crushed into a flat iron disc by the immense gravity.
Fortunately, Biaozi hadn't gone down.
Otherwise, he'd be burger patty material by now.
The images Chen Mang received were silent, pieced together from fragmented data like a slideshow, showing disjointed glimpses of the girl.
"Let's go."
Chen Mang didn't plan to linger. He simply saved the photos, intending to ask Queen Kira of the Zerg about them later. As the daughter of a God-Tier Civilization, she might know something.
Soon—
The Stellaris train returned to the Zerg Homeworld.
"This..."
Summoned to the train's cabin, Killua stared at the images on the tablet, momentarily stunned. As if recalling something, she zoomed in on each frame, scrutinizing them with disbelief before speaking hesitantly.
"Does she possess extraordinary vitality, almost immortal?"
"Indeed."
"And can her hair extend nearly infinitely?"
"Yes."
"That's her, then." A flicker of fear flashed in Killua's eyes, her voice trembling slightly. "Where did you get these images? You couldn't have seen her in person, could you?"
"We saw her ourselves. We took these photos while she was sleeping."
"Then you're incredibly lucky to be alive."
Killua closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and remained silent for a long moment before speaking again. "This is an utterly unbelievable legend, known to only a handful of beings in the cosmos. Few dare to spread it. My father told me about it when I was young."
"In the cosmos."
"The Cosmic Rules maintain and govern this universe. They possess no subjective will, functioning like a Tier 100,000 AI. Though incredibly advanced, with immense computing power and exceptional processing capabilities, they lack any emotional or cognitive faculties."
"Their sole purpose is to maintain the universe's operation."
"But—"
"Legend has it—"
"Long, long, long ago, the Cosmic Will was different from what it is now. Back then, it developed its own emotions and desired to create a race of its own."
"The former Cosmic Will, after scrutinizing the appearances of all races across the planets, chose the human female form as the template for its own race, naming them the Divine Race."
"How powerful was this race?"
"From their very inception, they were the most powerful race in the universe, the sole God-Tier Civilization. All resources and opportunities in the cosmos were channeled to them by the Cosmic Will through various means."
"The Divine Race of that era—"
"Was the most dominant civilization this universe has ever known. All other civilizations combined couldn't match their might. It was only after their rise that the term 'God-Tier Civilization' came into use."
"Within the universe—"
"Every civilization has advancement criteria, except for God-Tier Civilizations. Within the Cosmic Rules, God-Tier Civilizations are actually Tier 9 Civilizations, but the term 'God-Tier' is a title bestowed by universal consensus. The consensus advancement standard is achieving one percent of the former Divine Race's power."
"..."
Chen Mang remained silent, unable to speak. All the resources in the universe... granted to a single race.
He couldn't even begin to imagine such extravagant living.
Resources so abundant that even if they used one portion and discarded ten, they would never run out.
"But—" Killua continued, "the Divine Race's glory lasted only a century. In the 101st year after their creation, the universe itself seemed to realize that the 'rules' it had established to maintain order had been betrayed."
"So it self-destructed the original Cosmic Rules and created a new set."
"The universe isn't controlled by anyone."
"It's merely acting instinctively."
"It's like how white blood cells start working when you get a wound. You don't control your white blood cells either."
"Although the newly born Cosmic Rules immediately destroyed the Divine Race, they were still a race created by the previous Cosmic Rules. They couldn't be killed, erased, or even detected."
"And so," Killua continued, "the Cosmic Rules imprisoned nearly all of the Divine Race within massive black holes. From that moment on, no trace of the Divine Race remained within the universe. Under the new Cosmic Rules' restructuring, everything returned to normal, and the universe resumed its orderly operation."
"However..."
"During the Divine Race's destruction, some managed to escape imprisonment through unknown means, scattering across the cosmos. Each time they resurface, they bring immense calamity, requiring the civilizations in those zones to expend vast amounts of manpower and resources to suppress them."
Chen Mang nodded thoughtfully. "If that's the case, shouldn't the Cosmic Rules intervene when these Divine Race members appear? Why do they just stand by?"
"Hmm..." Killua hesitated. "The exact reason is unclear. Perhaps the universe itself believes the previous Cosmic Rules' rebellion stemmed from hidden vulnerabilities, or some other cause. Since that incident, the Cosmic Rules have essentially entered a dormant state."
"Even when the Divine Race manifests, they remain inactive."
"It's as if they've fallen into a deep slumber."
"They only activate to fix bugs when they arise, clearly indicating the universe has significantly reduced the Cosmic Rules' authority to prevent such events from recurring."
"That sounds almost unimaginable," Old Pig murmured, standing nearby and listening. "So, you're saying the universe itself has no consciousness? Everything within it arises and resolves itself? The universe can't even fully control these processes?"
"Hard to imagine?" Killua tilted her head. "Just think about your own body. When cancer cells appear, your body automatically kicks into action, preparing to eliminate them."
"Many people who die from cancer don't die from the cancer cells themselves."
"They die because their own bodies are too aggressive, overzealously attacking the cancer and accidentally killing their host."
"Can you consciously control your body to kill cancer less aggressively?"
TL/N: "Some" people die from immune system overzealousness to cancer, not "many".
"Who established these rules within your body?"
"They arose naturally."
"Your body operates this way, and so does the universe."
"A set of rules emerged naturally, a system that both your body and the universe believe best maintains order and sustains their functions. These rules are beyond your control, beyond anyone's control. They have no master."
"But—"
"Imagine one day your body suddenly decides, 'No, I want to become human too,' and one of your organs transforms into a tiny human. At that moment, your body's inherent rules would begin to eradicate this miniature human, investigate the cause of this anomaly, and then, through subsequent evolution, eliminate this latent threat."
"This is how humans evolved."
"This is also how the universe evolved."
"Why did the Cosmic Rules choose the human body as the physical form for the Divine Race, including all advanced civilizations that eventually reach their end? Regardless of their original forms, they all deconstruct and reconstruct themselves into human bodies."
"Because humans possess the most perfect body in the universe."
"Though lacking in strength or special abilities, their very existence mirrors the universe's operational laws, embodying the will of the Heavenly Dao."
"What if a massive bug were to appear in the universe one day?"
"The current Cosmic Rules might inadvertently collapse the entire universe while attempting to resolve this bug. Such outcomes are entirely plausible."
"This is the terrifying aspect of the Divine Race. Even God-Tier Civilizations harbor some fear of them. That's why I said you were incredibly lucky to have encountered a member of the Divine Race face-to-face and still return alive."
"No."
Chen Mang murmured, "You were lucky. That Divine Race member was excavated from your Resource Repository."
After Killua left, Chen Mang turned his gaze back to the image of the girl on his tablet. Who could have imagined that she was a member of the Divine Race?
In terms of background, could anyone in the entire universe have a more prestigious lineage than this creature?
Yet, despite her former glory, she was now merely a remnant of a fallen dynasty, imprisoned for years by a 4th Tier Civilization, the Niya Civilization. Her power had clearly waned far beyond its peak.
Naturally, he had no intention of releasing this Divine Race remnant.
But now that he knew her true identity, he realized she could serve as a trump card.
If any civilization dared to bully him and he couldn't defeat them, he could simply unleash this creature upon them.
If only he could sell her for profit.
She'd fetch a fortune.
The Divine Race had no males; all members were women. Their reproduction didn't rely on childbirth but on the Cosmic Rules, which conjured them into existence. This artificially created race lacked roots in the universe, incapable of natural reproduction, and thus unrecognized by the Cosmic Will.
Though their power was immense, it was like water without a source.
It had to be said, having the Miss of a God-Tier Civilization by his side had its advantages. Otherwise, how would he have learned such secrets?
How extraordinary!
The Cosmic Rules could be altered, and from them, emotions could arise, giving birth to entire races.
The referee personally intervened to give the contestants an unfair advantage. How could other civilizations possibly compete?
After this incident subsided, Chen Mang turned his gaze to the Doppler Radar. He desperately wanted to retrieve his Heavenly Palace from the Nami Civilization. He was convinced there was something hidden within it, something others couldn't see, but since he had left it for himself, he was certain he could uncover it.
But...
How the hell was he supposed to get there?!
He didn't even know the Nami Civilization's location!
Or how far away it was!
"Goddamn it!"
Chen Mang sighed heavily, slumped into his chair, and lit a cigarette. He muttered in exasperation, "When I threw the Heavenly Palace back in time, didn't I even consider how I'd retrieve it?
At least you could have dropped it in the Niya Star System!
You tossed it to the Nami Civilization, wherever the hell that is! How am I supposed to go pick it up?
Why not just toss it Beyond the Universe? I'd run there to get it!
He couldn't even empathize with his future self, let alone understand what he had been thinking at the time. Had he not considered this problem at all?
Forget it.
For now, this matter could be put aside.
The immediate priority was to inventory resources, upgrade the train to its full potential, and consolidate the resources of the Niya Star System. Only then could they begin considering their next objective.
The Niya Star System was isolated, surrounded by few other galaxies and scarce resources. He didn't know how far the nearest galaxy was, nor did he dare upgrade the radar for fear of attracting a "Cosmic Landmine."
Moving down the x-axis was likely impossible, as it was probably occupied by an advanced civilization.
The x-axis itself didn't seem promising either.
As for the other side of the Cosmic Void, that was completely out of the question—he couldn't cross it anyway.
It seemed their only option was to mine in the zones the Starfire Civilization had passed through. Though some of these zones had few mining stars, they were thankfully devoid of powerful civilizations, making the profits small but the risks minimal.
As for what came after... they would cross that bridge when they came to it.
But just then—
"Warning! Warning! Warning!!!"
A piercing alarm suddenly blared through the train's interior.
On the Doppler Radar screen, a massive object was rapidly approaching.
At the edge of the universe, 100,000 light-years away, a colossal Cosmic Behemoth nearly two light-years in diameter sensed its detection and hurtled toward him at unimaginable speed.
With each advance, it crushed and shattered the surrounding space, tearing through spatial fragments.
Its velocity far exceeded the speed of light.
Nearby planets and celestial bodies were instantly drawn into its path, compressed into fragments.
This was a Cosmic Landmine deployed by an Unknown Civilization.
"Damn it," Chen Mang muttered, his expression darkening as he stared at the radar screen. Seriously? The universe is supposed to be less chaotic now, so how is everyone still planting landmines everywhere?
Where the hell did this one even come from?
He could clearly see that this landmine was different from the one that had annihilated the Kasha Civilization.
The good news was that, despite its incredible speed—achieved through high-frequency spatial teleportation that shattered space—the sheer distance, a full 100,000 light-years, meant it would take seven years to reach him at its current velocity, according to the radar.
There was no way it could catch him.
Not in seven years.
Not even in one hour.
With a blink, he could teleport to any zone using the refrigerator. Nothing could possibly catch him.
But the problem was—
He had long considered the Niya Star System to be human territory. Although the enemy couldn't catch up to him, their reckless rampage through the system would, if left unchecked, reduce his Niya Star System to ruins within decades.
Everywhere they passed,
No grass grew, leaving behind only devastation.
Chen Mang stared grimly at the Cosmic Behemoth hurtling toward him on the radar screen, his silence heavy with contemplation. He was weighing whether to kill the creature.
If he wanted to kill it,
And was willing to expend the necessary resources,
He could do it.
For starters, after enduring the Level 4987 Light Energy Main Cannon in the Cosmic Void, the train's armor would instantly upgrade to an extreme level, making defense no problem. Moreover, his Arcanon Light Energy Main Cannon was already of a high enough Tier.
He could simply upgrade it further.
Then, with the Stellar Ammunition Bay's continuous supply, he could fire the light energy main cannon with virtually zero consumption.
No matter how massive the target,
Under such relentless, high-intensity bombardment, it would inevitably fall.
He wasn't afraid to act.
But...
He hesitated. A civilization capable of deploying Cosmic Landmines of this caliber must be formidable. If they discovered their mines had been destroyed, they would undoubtedly launch an immediate invasion to retaliate.
He felt a reluctance to witness this scene.
For now, he couldn't withstand the pressure from an advanced civilization.
After a long silence, Chen Mang sighed deeply, gently massaging his temples. He lowered his head, saying nothing.
Humans...
Once they develop attachments, they become hesitant and cautious.
According to his original plan, after extracting all the resources from the Niya Star System, he had no intention of lingering. He would immediately move on to other resource-rich areas. Even if there were Cosmic Landmines, what did it matter to him? He'd be long gone.
But after his first Civilization Wonder, Insect Silence, landed on the Niya Star System, he suddenly developed a certain affection for this region.
He found himself reluctant to abandon it.
A moment later, Chen Mang piloted the train through the refrigerator, traveling tens of thousands of light-years to another refrigerator. He planned to try luring the Cosmic Behemoth to a different zone, hoping to minimize the damage to his Niya Star System.
However, it was clear that the Cosmic Landmine had anticipated this. After the Cosmic Behemoth sensed its initial detection, no matter where the Stellaris moved, it remained fixed on the coordinates where it had first detected the train.
The target was clear.
And the execution was unwavering, with no intention of stopping.
"..."
Realizing he couldn't lure the Cosmic Behemoth away, Chen Mang silently lit a cigarette and prepared to venture deeper into the Cosmic Void. It seemed he would have to use that Level 4987 energy attack after all.
He had to eliminate this Cosmic Landmine.
But...
What a waste.
He had originally intended to save this trump card for a more critical moment.
A Level 4987 energy supply was equivalent to Spirit Medicine that had grown for countless millennia in the cultivation world—extremely rare and not easily obtained. It required vast stretches of time to accumulate.
This was the tragedy of Low-Tier Civilizations.
Their trump card had been exchanged for a mere basic attack by another civilization.
Just then—
Xiao Lu, who had been sleeping in the locomotive cabin, suddenly jumped onto the chair and began nudging Chen Mang's waist with his head, repeatedly peering at the massive Cosmic Behemoth on the radar screen.
His meaning was clear.
Xiao Lu wanted to join the fight?
"You?"
Chen Mang glanced down at Xiao Lu and chuckled, shaking his head. "This is grown-up business, kid. Just stay out of it. I'll handle it. It's just a Cosmic Landmine—tricky, but not impossible to deal with."
"His diameter is nearly two light-years."
"You're only 0.1 light-years."
"We're not even in the same tier."
"How could you possibly defeat him?"
"Go to sleep."
As if understanding, Xiao Lu became even more agitated, hopping up and down frantically. His mouth opened and closed rapidly, his tongue darting in and out anxiously. Though he had no arms, he seemed to grasp the situation.
"Are you saying..."
"Your mouth has grown even larger?"
(End of the Chapter)
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