Translator: AnubisTL
A year had passed.
During that time, the Stellaris train had remained diligently within the Niya Star System, developing its resources.
Even after all the mining stars in a galaxy were exhausted, new ones would gradually mature. Moreover, while a galaxy's mining stars could be destroyed, they could never be completely mined out.
Even in a barren place like the Niya Star System, the mining stars Chen Mang had exploited were merely those where the Kasha Civilization had established nearby wormholes—the ones with the highest resource concentrations. Stars with lower resource concentrations, where building wormholes wouldn't be profitable, were left to be exploited by smaller civilizations in the vicinity.
There were simply too many of them.
Chen Mang sat in the locomotive cabin, gazing at the control panel. Although his resource reserves had increased significantly after the recent battles, they were still like water without roots—mostly outflows with minimal inflows.
This couldn't be sustained indefinitely.
The output from the Cyber Mine was too slow, merely supplemental income rather than a primary source.
He still needed to venture into other galaxies.
And today—
The time had come for him to set course for other galaxies. Once the human civilization's Cosmic Landmine experiments were complete, he could launch a war to seize even greater resources.
He glanced at the second Civilization Wonder he had constructed, displayed on the control panel screen:
[Divine Silence.]
An exceptionally unique Civilization Wonder.
Its effect was:
[Weapon Wonder: After consuming energy to activate, it can unleash a full-power strike from a deity. The attack range is equivalent to the radar's detection range.]
[The deity's attack possesses the attributes of 'absolute accuracy' and 'absolute armor penetration,' making it impossible to defend against.]
Unlike [Insect Silence], [Divine Silence] was an offensive Civilization Wonder—his first encounter with such a construct.
To his knowledge, none of the three Civilization Wonders within the Nami Civilization were offensive in nature.
Most importantly—
[Divine Silence] was located deep within the Cosmic Void, a staggering 130,000 light-years from the Niya Star System. This distance alone exceeded the range of his [Doppler Radar]. Yet, after testing, he discovered that regardless of his location, he could instantly summon the power of [Divine Silence] to unleash a full-power strike from a deity.
However, the exact magnitude of its destructive force remained unknown. He hadn't tested it yet, partly because the activation cost was exorbitant—a staggering 1 quadrillion units of iron ore, nearly half of his current reserves. He decided to reserve it as a last resort, to be used only in dire situations where all other methods failed.
Upon acquiring this Civilization Wonder, he also obtained his second [Miracle Box].
Chen Mang toyed with a cigarette in his hand, not lighting it but carefully examining its texture. Yes, the reward from the second Miracle Box was this very cigarette.
It wasn't some Seven-Colored Civilization Empowerment.
Instead, it was a... special item.
The Miracle Box had given him a whole pack of cigarettes, brandless and pure white, containing 19 sticks—one short. He had initially suspected someone had secretly smoked one, but after thinking it over, he realized that was unlikely. It probably came with only 19 to begin with.
Still, it felt a bit odd.
The special item's effect was this: upon lighting one of these cigarettes, accompanied by wisps of white smoke, the human civilization would enter a state of complete concealment, undetectable by any means.
Not even God-Tier Civilizations could detect it.
Each cigarette lasted 24 hours.
A truly powerful special item.
Absolute rule-based power.
The only problem was...
It was useless for now. Though he was no longer a mere ant in the cosmos, he was still far from attracting the attention of other civilizations.
It was a valuable treasure to keep hidden away.
Next—
He turned his attention to the Doppler Radar's accessory information on the control panel screen. Today, he planned to upgrade this accessory to Tier 500, up from its original Tier 200, which had a detection range of 100,000 light-years.
Yes.
War was inevitable. Without it, human civilization would starve.
His original plan had been to exploit the Starfire Civilization's random jumps through the cosmos. They had visited resource-poor regions lacking powerful civilizations, making them ideal targets for plunder.
But...
After running calculations with Xiao Ai, they concluded that mining in those regions would require building wormholes to each mining star, resulting in only a marginal profit.
His massive profits in the Niya Star System were due to the Kasha Civilization's wormholes, which cost him nothing.
Other star systems would be different.
Upgrading the Doppler Radar would attract more Cosmic Landmines, but he believed he was sufficiently prepared. Xiao Lu could handle the mines, while he would deal with any other civilizations.
In the next moment—
After consuming 100 trillion units of iron ore, the Seven-Colored Grade Accessory "Doppler Radar" was upgraded to Tier 500, expanding its detection range to a staggering 1 million light-years!
Ten times its original range!
And it gained a brand-new Overpowered effect.
[Doppler Radar Tier 500 Overpowered Effect: Greatly increased detection range. Capable of detecting all special entities within range and pinpointing the precise cosmic coordinates of any point within the radar's coverage.]
Chen Mang glanced at the overpowered effect, its description somewhat vague. He wasn't entirely sure what "special entities" meant—what exactly qualified as "special"?
But his attention was immediately drawn to the images displayed on the Doppler Radar screen.
In most games, a crucial strategy is "map clearing"—gaining greater visibility of the game world.
And now—
The entire 1 million light-year radius was displayed on his screen, revealing for the first time the many neighbors surrounding the Niya Star System, previously unknown to him.
A total of four galaxies were revealed:
To the left of the Zerg Civilization, the Good Cat Star System, with a diameter of 170,000 light-years, was dominated by a 4th Tier Civilization. Diagonally below the Mechanical Civilization Ruins lay the Extreme Evil Galaxy, with a diameter of 60,000 light-years, also controlled by a 4th Tier Civilization.
Beneath the Niya Star System along the Z-axis lay two galaxies: the Qiuya Galaxy and the Zhiping Galaxy.
Both galaxies belonged to a single civilization, a Fifth-Tier Civilization known as the Mediocre Civilization.
This was the first four-character civilization name he had encountered.
Quite a mouthful, Chen Mang thought. (TL/N: In Chinese)
Within a million light-years, these were the only four galaxies. The remaining space consisted mostly of intergalactic voids. While not as desolate as a Cosmic Void, these regions were sparsely populated with stars and planets.
White Zones often served as havens for low-tier civilizations, such as Blue Star before his transmigration.
Notably, his Doppler Radar detected over forty Cosmic Landmines, all in the form of Cosmic Behemoths. Yet none of these behemoths sensed his probe or launched an attack.
His Radar Level far exceeded the detection threshold of these Cosmic Landmines.
He no longer needed to worry about being detected by these lower-tier mines. His concern now lay with the possibility of encountering more advanced Cosmic Landmines.
Among these four galaxies, the richest in resources were the two located directly below the Niya Star System along the Z-axis. However, facing a Fifth-Tier Civilization, he knew he couldn't win. He had to set his sights on the other two galaxies. Of the remaining two, the most resource-rich was—
Not the Good Cat Star System, with its vast diameter of 170,000 light-years.
Instead, it was the Extreme Evil Galaxy, a compact yet formidable galaxy spanning only 60,000 light-years.
Small but mighty.
The target was set!
The Extreme Evil Galaxy would be the human civilization's first battleground for expansion. Next, he needed to scout the civilization's strength and remain vigilant for any signs of aggression from the Fifth-Tier Civilization below.
With the Tier 500 Overpowered effect, he easily obtained the cosmic coordinates of the Fourth-Tier Civilization occupying the Extreme Evil Galaxy.
This civilization was called the "Extreme Evil Civilization," which sounded like something akin to ancient triad gangs.
Pulling out his telescope, he entered the Extreme Evil Civilization's cosmic coordinates, preparing to observe the civilization's internal affairs.
The image gradually zoomed in.
From a perspective akin to dimensional observation, Chen Mang took in the entirety of the Extreme Evil Galaxy. He locked onto a galaxy housing the Extreme Evil Civilization and steadily zoomed in.
Soon—
As the image gradually sharpened, Chen Mang paused, slightly taken aback.
This Extreme Evil Civilization is... peculiar.
On this planet, the beings walking the streets—let's call them people for now—were all three-headed and six-armed. Each individual possessed three crimson-skinned heads, and many had bizarre patterns etched across their exposed flesh.
After half an hour of observation, Chen Mang gathered considerable information.
This civilization, too, was a "Train Civilization," but one that had undergone significant refinement. The race appeared to be akin to demons, worshiping Satan, and their individual strength, derived from Faith Power, was already formidable.
Later, during their transition from a Deity Civilization to a Train Civilization, they transferred this Faith Power to their trains. This allowed them to forge a variety of unique accessories with bizarre functions, usable only by their civilization's trains.
Normally,
Most civilizations ignore the insignificant civilizations within their territories. Firstly, there are simply too many to manage. Secondly, these civilizations are like mosquitoes—even if wiped out, they offer no substantial gain, making it pointless to bother with them.
However, Chen Mang had observed that many train conductors in the Extreme Evil Galaxy visited these insignificant civilizations, showcasing miracles to gain Faith Power. They then used this Faith Power to enhance their special train accessories.
"Intriguing," Chen Mang murmured, glancing at the "Wormhole Opener" displayed on the control panel screen. Currently at Tier 200, it could only open wormholes spanning up to 100,000 light-years—insufficient for his needs. He needed to upgrade it, hoping the upgraded overpowered effect would also reduce energy consumption.
After consuming 100 trillion units of iron ore, the accessory was directly upgraded to Tier 500, now capable of opening wormholes spanning up to 1 million light-years.
It also gained a brand-new overpowered effect.
[Tier 500 Wormhole Opener Overpowered Effect: The wormholes created generate zero spatial fluctuations, making them extremely difficult to detect.]
"Not bad," Chen Mang murmured, nodding silently. Though it didn't reduce his energy consumption, it was still acceptable. This would make his movements even more covert.
The [Extreme Evil Galaxy] lay 780,000 light-years away, diagonally below the [Mechanical Civilization Ruins].
To create a permanent, two-way wormhole to the [Extreme Evil Galaxy] would require a staggering 17 quadrillion units of iron ore.
This single project alone would drain the entire foundation of human civilization.
Fortunately, he didn't need a two-way wormhole, nor did it need to be permanent.
In the next moment—
He consumed 100 trillion units of iron ore to create a one-way, single-use wormhole. As the wormhole slowly materialized before him, a new journey began.
It's worth noting that:
Creating a wormhole spanning 100,000 light-years would cost 300 trillion units of iron ore.
Yet creating a wormhole spanning 780,000 light-years required only 100 trillion units of iron ore.
This had nothing to do with the accessory's Tier.
The longer the distance spanned by the wormhole, the lower the cost.
Indeed.
It would be entirely possible to create seven wormholes spanning 100,000 light-years each, plus one wormhole spanning 80,000 light-years. By using multiple transit points, one could reach the Extreme Evil Galaxy without even upgrading the Wormhole Opener to Tier 500. However, this approach would be extremely costly, requiring over 200 trillion units of iron ore.
But—
Most Fourth-Tier Civilizations actually opt for the latter approach, relying on multiple wormhole transits to reach distant locations.
While this method consumes more resources, it's often unavoidable.
After all, murphy stone is scarce. Even if they had enough, it would be prioritized for upgrading other accessories; the Wormhole Opener's priority is simply too low.
Immediately afterward, Chen Mang slowly pushed the control lever, entering the wormhole. After about half an hour of travel, he successfully arrived at the Extreme Evil Galaxy, a staggering 780,000 light-years away. The moment he emerged, without hesitation, he tossed several refrigerators into space.
Then, he used the refrigerators to return to the Niya Star System.
He didn't bother destroying the disposable wormhole he had created.
Let it dissipate naturally.
The spatial fluctuations from his wormhole were minimal, making it difficult to detect. Destroying it would only amplify those fluctuations.
The lesson from the divine race apostle remained fresh in his mind.
In enemy territory, it's best to avoid creating significant spatial or energy disturbances. Otherwise, detection becomes far too easy. Such operations are best conducted covertly—no need to draw attention.
Having returned to the Niya Star System, Chen Mang gazed at the Doppler Radar display. After patiently waiting for a moment, no one approached the refrigerator, confirming that the Fourth-Tier Civilization hadn't detected the wormhole he had created.
The next step was straightforward:
He simply needed to conduct a close-range scan of the civilization's overall strength before taking action.
If he could win, he would fight. If not, he would find another target and return another day.
Though he had only stayed in the Extreme Evil Galaxy for a fleeting moment, his target acquisition radar had collected information on all train accessories within a 0.1 light-year radius. He noticed that nearly every train shared a common accessory:
A Seven-Colored Grade Accessory called "Hell's Gate."
Its effect was:
When a train is equipped with "Hell's Gate," consuming one unit of Faith Power allows the resurrection of deceased train crew members from Hell. However, only crew members can be revived; the train conductor cannot be resurrected.
"This is... powerful?"
Chen Mang's expression turned slightly odd. Why did it seem like resurrection was such a common occurrence in the universe?
He understood why the Zerg Civilization could resurrect—they were a God-Tier Civilization, after all.
The divine race's immortality was also expected, given their status as the Cosmic Bastards.
But...
How could even a Fourth-Tier Civilization possess resurrection capabilities?
Why couldn't he?
When would he finally gain the means to resurrect?
Of course.
The resurrection of the Zerg Civilization was different from that of the Extreme Evil Civilization. The Zerg's Infinite Resurrection served as a form of combat power, allowing their monsters to be endlessly replenished. In contrast, the Extreme Evil Civilization's primary combat strength did not stem from its train crew.
It was essentially a Biaozi who could resurrect infinitely.
This might sound terrifying, but in reality, it was largely useless.
TL/N: Poor Biaozi 😢.
It could only provide some auxiliary support, having no real impact on their actual combat capabilities.
Moreover, according to the Cosmic Consensus, the Extreme Evil Civilization was considered a pseudo-Fourth-Tier Civilization. True Fourth-Tier Civilizations needed to be near a Cosmic Void to fully utilize their most powerful methods, which the Extreme Evil Civilization lacked.
In contrast, the Fourth-Tier Civilization that had claimed a galaxy spanning 170,000 light-years in diameter did have a Cosmic Void behind it.
This civilization was called the Good Cat Civilization.
It was clear that the Good Cat Civilization's Doppler Radar was likely not at Tier 500, or perhaps other factors were at play. Otherwise, they wouldn't have ignored the resource-rich zone right next to them and would have taken action long ago.
Similarly, the Extreme Evil Civilization probably lacked Tier 500 radar.
If they had it, their top priority would be finding a Cosmic Void and relocating their civilization. They should have already come to the Niya Star System.
"Wait, that's wrong."
Chen Mang glanced at the control panel screen, slightly taken aback. Only after zooming in on the "Extreme Evil Galaxy" did he realize that the mining stars in the region had been almost completely depleted. Moreover, a massive military force was rapidly assembling, as if preparing for a pre-war mobilization.
A slight twitch tugged at the corner of his mouth.
Suddenly, it dawned on him.
The Extreme Evil Civilization clearly possessed Tier 500 radar. With no external enemies detected, their massing of troops could only mean one thing: they were preparing to search for a Cosmic Void.
Which meant they were heading straight for the Niya Star System.
After all, the Niya Star System appeared to be the weaker target.
Their delay in attacking was simply due to their desire to exhaust all the mining stars in their own galaxy before relocating.
In that case, his "wormhole" had been a wasted effort. He wouldn't need to initiate the attack himself; the enemy was clearly planning to come to him.
The Cosmic Void covered an immense area.
Both Chen Mang and the Good Cat Civilization were situated along the same Cosmic Void, though on opposite edges.
"Hmm..."
Chen Mang pondered thoughtfully. Fortunately, he had upgraded his radar to Tier 500. Otherwise, he wouldn't have known the enemy was at his doorstep. While the Cosmic Void's perimeter stretched endlessly, civilizations couldn't survive in the empty space beyond galaxies.
They could only exist within galaxies.
Therefore, for the Extreme Evil Civilization, their only targets were the Good Cat Civilization and the human civilization.
Or rather, a single target.
(End of the Chapter)
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