Chapter 342: Xiao Lu Can Only Eat Hard Food, Not Soft Food |
As his voice fell.
It seemed he guessed correctly this time. Xiao Lu nodded consecutively several times, its pupils flashing with a brilliant light.
"You?"
Chen Mang looked down at Xiao Lu with slight hesitation. Last time, when the train's armor was upgraded to level 500, Xiao Lu's level also reached 300. It could not be leveled up any further. The upper limit for a Star Devouring Beast was basically level 300, making further upgrades extremely difficult.
It was no longer something the Behemoth Carriage could satisfy.
A level 300 Xiao Lu...
Could it defeat that Star Behemoth?
At least based on the strength Xiao Lu displayed last time, the chances of winning did not feel very high. But he had not paid much attention to Xiao Lu after it reached level 300. Perhaps its strength had undergone another massive leap after hitting level 300?
However...
That meant its own defensive energy range was only within the level 300 bracket.
Even if it improved, how much higher could it really go?
With level 300 defense, it would be annihilated just by getting close. It would be pure suicide.
Even with his train's level 500 armor, he barely dared to approach. The space shattered wherever that Star Behemoth went, yet the beast itself remained completely unharmed. From this point alone, one could deduce just how terrifyingly high the Star Behemoth's defense was.
A true cosmic overlord.
Yet, looking at the confidence and eagerness in Xiao Lu's eyes, he remained silent for a long while before finally nodding.
"Alright, I will let you give it a try."
He acted immediately.
Chen Mang immediately took control of the Stellar Train, steering it away from the planet. Through the Refrigerator, he returned to the 27th Galaxy within the Kasa Civilization Federation, and then traveled through a Wormhole toward the Mechanical Civilization Ruins.
The direction of the Star Behemoth's invasion was exactly that area of the Mechanical Civilization Ruins.
So far, it had not caused any casualties.
He prepared to send Xiao Lu over to test the waters.
The journey was quite long.
Even with the aid of Wormhole travel, the entire process would take seven days. It required continuous jumps between various Wormholes, and the distances between these Wormholes were far from short.
Very quickly...
Seven days passed.
At this moment, Chen Mang sat in his chair, gazing at the image of the colossal Star Behemoth on the Doppelganger Radar. He was currently located at the Mechanical Civilization Ruins, precisely twelve light-years away from the Star Behemoth.
He could not get any closer.
There were no closer Wormholes left.
Or rather.
Due to the massive gravitational chaos caused by the Star Behemoth, the surrounding space was extremely unstable. It was completely impossible to create new Wormholes, and any existing Wormholes in its path had been utterly destroyed.
"Then I will drop you off here, and I will be leaving first?"
Chen Mang looked down at Xiao Lu by his feet. Over these past few days, he had tried to communicate with Xiao Lu many times. Although they did not share a language and Xiao Lu could not speak, he still managed to grasp the general idea. It meant that after evolving, Xiao Lu had acquired a special attack method specifically effective against Star Behemoths.
That was the gist of it, anyway.
Xiao Lu nodded, then looked over at the Star-Treading Sabertooth Tiger nearby, repeatedly gesturing for the tiger to watch the radar.
"Do not worry, I will make sure it stays right here to watch the radar."
During these seven days.
Xiao Lu had only made one pre-battle preparation: it picked up its little lackey, the Star-Treading Sabertooth Tiger, by the scruff of its neck and hauled it into the train's main control room. It made the tiger sit completely still and stare at the radar, forcing it to admire its heroic posture during the upcoming grand battle.
"Do you need any energy supplements?"
"We have plenty of iron ore on the train."
Xiao Lu shook its head again, its eyes brimming with absolute confidence.
"Alright."
Chen Mang said no more. After tossing Xiao Lu out the window, he himself used the Refrigerator to jump to a relatively safe location over a thousand light-years away.
He definitely would not be able to withstand the shockwaves from this level of combat.
However, he had tossed a few Refrigerators into Xiao Lu's mouth just in case. If it could not win, Xiao Lu could use the Refrigerator to escape back to the train at a moment's notice.
Now, all that was left was to wait.
Wait...
For that Star Behemoth to advance another twelve light-years and encounter Xiao Lu.
Given its speed, covering this distance would not take long at all. It would arrive very soon.
He narrowed his eyes, feeling both a bit of apprehension and anticipation in his heart.
Over the past few days, he had gone to seek out Qi Ya again.
He asked her if she knew anything about the Star Behemoth known as the Star Devouring Beast. However, Qi Ya, who was usually a walking encyclopedia, shook her head. She explained that the number of Star Behemoths in the universe was as numerous as the hairs on an ox, making it impossible to have heard of every single one.
However.
Qi Ya did tell him something new.
And that was...
A Civilization Wonder could actually be packed up and taken away.
After conquering other civilizations, those high-level civilizations would completely relocate the defeated side's Civilization Wonders into their own territories.
It was just that the required conditions were rather complex.
"..."
Sitting in his chair, Chen Mang recalled Qi Ya's words from a few days ago, pondering the idea of moving a Civilization Wonder directly into his train.
While he was lost in thought.
The image on the radar began to flicker, the visual quality growing volatile and unstable. That was due to the space being pulverized, which impaired the radar's ability to capture the scene.
The radar.
Was one of the most vital components in the universe.
So far.
He had only seen two things in the universe that exceeded the speed of light.
The first.
The neural signal transmission speed of a massive Star Behemoth.
The second.
The image capture speed of a high-level radar, which could instantly capture real-time visuals from a hundred thousand light-years away.
Both of these speeds were far faster than the speed of light. Rather than simply calling it speed, it was more akin to a rule-based ability.
If he did not have the radar, the images he received from a hundred thousand light-years away would be incredibly delayed, rendering real-time observation impossible. By the time he detected an enemy a hundred thousand light-years away, that enemy might already be knocking on his front door.
He stared intently at the screen, a knot of tension forming in his chest.
It had begun.
The distance was closing. Closer, and closer still.
With only a short distance left between the creature and Xiao Lu, even before it fully approached, chaotic spatial fluctuations surged forward like a tidal wave. Countless fragments of shattered space materialized, shooting out in all directions like a torrential storm of needles.
On the screen.
That impossibly massive Star Behemoth was cloaked in a ring of planetary debris that looked like crushed chocolate bark. It acted as both thick defensive armor and a highly troublesome offensive weapon.
So, what next?
How would Xiao Lu respond?
Under his expectant gaze.
Xiao Lu unleashed its Devouring Form. Its body rapidly expanded, inflating to a size of 0.1 light-years almost instantly. The violent shockwaves generated by this transformation crushed the surrounding space in a flash, instantly pulverizing countless dead stars. The commotion was far from small.
However...
Chen Mang furrowed his brows slightly. He had assumed that Xiao Lu's size would also increase after reaching level 300. Why was it still only 0.1 light-years across? How was it supposed to fight like this...?
The opponent was nearly two light-years large!
They were completely out of the same weight class.
If you took a bite out of it, you would only manage to nip off its hemorrhoids, performing a painful minor surgery at best.
These two Star Behemoths.
They had now become two powerful gravitational bodies within the Dead End Star System. Like two gigantic black holes, their respective gravitational fields began to clash and push against each other. The ensuing battle looked no different from a scene where two adjacent black holes were trying to devour one another.
There was absolutely no scene of brutal, physical hand-to-hand combat.
The distance grew even closer.
The two Star Behemoths could now see each other with their naked eyes.
The severe chaos triggered by their clashing gravitational fields threw the entire Mechanical Civilization Ruins into absolute disarray. Countless dead stars perished as a result, and the shockwaves released ruthlessly devastated the ruins, tearing through everything as if trying to violently flatten the landscape.
The live feed on the radar began to stutter, lagging frame by frame like a slideshow.
The next moment—
A dramatic and sudden change occurred on the screen.
He saw.
On the screen, Xiao Lu seemed to blink its eyes. Immediately after, a blazing sphere of energy resembling a radiant star shot out from its maw, sucking all the erupting shockwaves directly into the orb.
Then.
It inhaled the entire globe of light right back into its stomach.
The whole process dealt zero damage to the opposing Star Behemoth. It merely absorbed all the collateral fallout from their clash into its belly, as if it were intentionally trying to protect the Mechanical Civilization Ruins.
"What is Xiao Lu doing?!"
Chen Mang frowned, feeling a surge of anxiety. In a crucial moment of combat like this, if one side was still trying to protect the surrounding planets from destruction, they would be at an absolute disadvantage, fighting with their hands tied.
Now that the battle had begun.
All those concerns should be thrown out the window. Winning the fight was the only priority right now.
However...
The next moment.
Chen Mang witnessed a scene that left him utterly bewildered.
He saw...
Xiao Lu's mouth suddenly unhinged and stretched wide... like a black hole. No, wait, that was a literal fucking black hole, was it not?!
It opened obscenely wide.
And it continued to expand outward at a horrifyingly rapid pace.
Three hours later.
By this time, Chen Mang had retreated to a safe distance thirty thousand light-years away. The battle had not concluded, or rather, it seemed like it had never even officially started.
During these three hours.
Only one thing had happened.
Xiao Lu's mouth just kept expanding, growing over the course of three hours to encompass an area hundreds of light-years across. The overwhelming gravitational pull rendered the enemy Star Behemoth entirely incapable of escape. Its speed visibly plummeted, preventing it from utilizing ruptured space to accelerate itself anymore.
Without the ability to accelerate through shattered space, the speed of this Star Behemoth in the physical universe was agonizingly slow.
If it wanted to cross the Dead End Star System.
It would take hundreds of millions of years at a minimum.
"..."
Chen Mang silently watched everything unfold. The spectacle before him had far surpassed his scope of understanding. He had never imagined that Xiao Lu's mouth could expand to such an extent. If you had this kind of ability, you should have said so earlier! If I had known, I would have just sent you out during the final war with the Zerg Civilization. With one bite, the entire Zerg Civilization would have been wiped out!
Just like munching on a small snack.
Crunchy and effortless.
How great would that have been?
Right at this moment!
Xiao Lu's maw gradually snapped shut and began to rapidly shrink back down.
After three full hours had passed.
The Mechanical Civilization Ruins fell into complete tranquility. It was incredibly silent, leaving behind a Dark Abyss hundreds of light-years in diameter. The interior was completely vacant—not a single dead star or shining sun remained.
Moreover.
Logically speaking, a battle of this magnitude should have triggered massive spatial turbulence. Yet, there wasn't the slightest ripple or shockwave left behind. It was as if someone had simply scooped out a piece of cake with a spoon—disturbingly peaceful.
Immediately afterward—
Xiao Lu suddenly appeared inside the main control room through the Refrigerator. The moment it returned, it only had enough time to glance at Chen Mang and the Star-Treading Sabertooth Tiger before it instantly flopped over and fell fast asleep!
It had fallen into a deep slumber.
Ten minutes later.
After finishing a general scan of Xiao Lu's body, Xiao Ai began her report: "Xiao Lu has not suffered any damage. However, according to the scans, there are terrifying spatial fluctuations inside Xiao Lu's stomach, along with a nearly inexhaustible amount of spatial fragments."
"The shockwaves that Xiao Lu sucked into its belly earlier are currently rampaging recklessly inside its stomach."
"Can we find a way to expel them?"
Chen Mang furrowed his brows. "What about putting it in the Medical Pod to try?"
"Uh..."
Xiao Ai shook her head and continued, "While it is true that these shockwaves are tearing at Xiao Lu's insides, the vast majority of their destructive force is actually acting upon the Star Behemoth it just swallowed."
"I believe I have figured it out."
"This is a method of digestion."
"Normally speaking, if one were to swallow a Star Behemoth with a two-light-year diameter whole, digestion would be practically out of the question."
"Therefore—"
"Xiao Lu spat out that orb of light, which was actually its stomach sack. Inside, there is a tremendously vast pocket dimension. It inhaled all the spatial fragments and shockwaves into its stomach to store them."
"To act as a substitute for gastric acid."
"If the stomach were empty, these volatile forces—which are far more potent than any stomach acid—would cause massive damage to the stomach lining itself. But right now, it contains that colossal Star Behemoth. This 'super-strength gastric acid' is rapidly breaking down the beast."
"And it continuously extracts nutrients to nourish Xiao Lu in return."
"When Xiao Lu eventually awakens from this, its strength will have grown even further."
"In other words."
"Xiao Lu has no normal means of digesting food because there is absolutely no natural gastric fluid inside its stomach. Anything placed inside, even an ordinary roujiamo, cannot be digested."
"It will just sit there indefinitely."
"If it wants to digest food, it must absorb these extreme spatial fragments and shockwaves, and those elements only appear in large-scale cosmic battles of this magnitude."
"I understand now."
Chen Mang nodded. He finally realized why Xiao Lu had shown zero interest in participating when they fought the Zerg Civilization. For an evolved Xiao Lu, facing those Zerg monsters...
Swallowing them would mean being utterly unable to digest them.
It could certainly inhale its own self-generated spatial fragments and shockwaves, but using such immense forces just to digest mere Zerg monsters would be extreme overkill. In the end, the surplus energy would just end up ravaging its own stomach.
Put bluntly.
Xiao Lu could only eat hard food; it couldn't stomach soft food.
The harder, the better.
"..."
Afterward, Chen Mang looked with a complex expression toward the blank void in the Mechanical Civilization Ruins, which now resembled a Dark Abyss. After a long while, he spoke softly, "I think the Mechanical Civilization's records regarding the 'Star Devouring Beast' might be wrong."
"The Mechanical Civilization's database states that the 'Star Devouring Beast' is a Star Behemoth with S-Rank Potential that feeds on Ore Stars."
"But—"
"Looking at it now, the 'Star' in Star Devouring Beast probably does not refer to Ore Stars, but rather the 'Star' in Star Behemoth."
"This little guy is an absolute expert at eating Star Behemoths."
That Star Behemoth from just now.
If he had to deal with it himself, he would have had to mobilize all his hidden trump cards just to step onto the battlefield.
Yet when Xiao Lu went up, it ended the battle directly with a single bite.
The more spatial fragments and shockwaves a 'Star Behemoth' produced, the smoother the digestion process would be. If the target were any weaker, Xiao Lu genuinely wouldn't dare to swallow it. Because if it swallowed something it couldn't digest, it would be forced into an eternal slumber, never to wake up again.
Just then—
"Found it."
Xiao Ai's voice suddenly rang out through the train. "Captain, I found a piece of relevant information in the database of that Niya Civilization train."
"It contains partial records regarding the 'Star Devouring Beast.'"
"One point, in particular, reads almost like an old rumor."
"It states that the 'Star Devouring Beast' is a Star Behemoth with incredibly high potential. By simply devouring, it can continuously surpass its own limits. However, the flaw is that digestion takes a very long time. Falling asleep for thousands of years just to digest a meal is considered entirely normal for them."
"For them to truly mature, it often requires hundreds of thousands of years, if not longer."
"A major reason for this..."
"...is that the Star Behemoths they swallow are extremely difficult to digest. They have to continuously roll around the universe, actively generating spatial fragments and shockwaves to inhale into their 'stomach sack' in order to break down their food."
"But..."
"Star Behemoths modified into a 'Universe Ge Lei' are often enormous in size. Wherever they pass, the spatial fragments and shockwaves they leave behind are monumental and contain vast amounts of energy. This very energy can assist a Star Devouring Beast in rapidly digesting its food."
"Meaning that..."
"The 'Universe Ge Lei' that every civilization fears so deeply is, in Xiao Lu's eyes, nothing but a massive, natural super-supplement."
"Large portions, packed with a strong kick, and perfectly easy to digest."
"If Xiao Lu could eat one Universe Ge Lei every single day, then... growing in a few years to a stage that would take other members of its species hundreds of thousands of years to reach would not be impossible."
"I see."
Chen Mang narrowed his eyes slightly and nodded. "So, if Xiao Lu swallowed a Star Behemoth that was only a few million kilometers in diameter, not only would it contain significantly less energy than a 'Universe Ge Lei'..."
"...but because the generated spatial fragments and shockwaves would be smaller, it would also be incredibly difficult to digest..."
"Exactly."
After a long silence.
Chen Mang suddenly chuckled. "That's fantastic."
In that case, he no longer needed to fear Universe Ge Lei. Not only was there no need to fear them, but he could even treat them as lucrative opportunities. They were all excellent supplements for Xiao Lu!
No wonder Xiao Lu had been in such an anxious rush when requesting to fight.
That wasn't a thirst for glory or merit.
It was undeniably pure, unadulterated hunger for food!
The only thing was...
The downside to only playing in the high-stakes brackets was far too restrictive. All of its digestive fluids had to be supplied externally, with absolutely zero internal production. It couldn't even digest a simple steamed bun. Then again, he had never noticed Xiao Lu possessing any sort of excretory organs either. Its internal anatomy probably didn't even have natural digestive or excretory functions to begin with.
It was kind of like having an external stomach module.
In that case.
He wouldn't have to be overly cautious about upgrading the Doppelganger Radar in the future.
Of course, that didn't mean he could completely disregard Universe Ge Lei entirely.
There were many different types of Universe Ge Lei.
The goal was always the same, but the manifestation varied. The most common type was the 'Star Behemoth' variant, but he had no idea what form a Universe Ge Lei deployed by a higher-level civilization would take. That was a very crucial point to figure out.
"Have Qi Ya come over here."
"Yes, Captain."
"Universe Ge Lei?"
Qi Ya pondered for a moment before speaking. "Universe Ge Lei come in many forms. Generally speaking, the more powerful a Universe Ge Lei is, the higher its trigger threshold will be. After all, their manufacturing costs are astronomical. A civilization isn't going to expend an exorbitant price to annihilate a measly Level 3 civilization just because they detected one."
"In the universe."
"The strength of a civilization can be roughly categorized into three tiers."
"Level 1, 2, and 3 civilizations are considered feeble civilizations still in their infancy. At this stage, no matter how chaotic and noisy your internal wars within your own borders get, no one out there will spare you a second glance."
"Of course."
"Level 3 civilization is a critical threshold."
"Once your civilization reaches Level 3, it means you have officially gained a foothold in the universe. In other words, you have finally earned the qualification to be exterminated."
"The standard criterion is typically having a detection range that reaches a hundred thousand light-years."
"Many Level 4 and Level 5 civilizations will deploy numerous 'Star Behemoth' type Universe Ge Lei to crush any newly emerging Level 3 civilizations within or near their borders."
"Level 4, 5, and 6 civilizations are collectively referred to as advanced civilizations."
"Civilizations in this bracket are already formidable."
"Further up the ladder."
"Level 7, 8, and 9 civilizations are apex civilizations. The ultimate echelon consists of the strongest among the Level 9 civilizations, which are known as god-tier civilizations."
"As for what forms the Universe Ge Lei of advanced and apex civilizations take, I don't actually know. I've never paid attention to that."
"But I can tell you about the forms used by god-tier civilizations."
"Let's use the 'Human Civilization' as an example."
"The god-tier 'Human Civilization' has deployed various types of Universe Ge Lei. One such type is called the 'Emotion Detector,' which involves dispersing countless nano-scale robots across the universe."
"The moment they sense the happiness index of individuals in a specific region spiking significantly, while negative emotions drastically drop, they will immediately activate a 'purge mechanism'."
"It is widely recognized that once a civilization advances to Level 7, the lifespan, entertainment, and social structures of its citizens will enter a pseudo-utopian era, leading to a massive surge in their happiness index."
"Hold on."
Chen Mang furrowed his brows and asked, "Are you saying that the god-tier civilizations deploy 'Universe Ge Lei' to destroy Level 7 civilizations?"
"If their goal is to prevent a lower-tier civilization from undergoing a sudden Civilization Great Explosion, shouldn't they be destroying Level 9 civilizations instead?"
"Well, theoretically, yes."
Qi Ya nodded. "But in reality, there aren't that many Level 9 civilizations. It is very easy to monitor all of them, so crude methods like Universe Ge Lei aren't necessary. Furthermore, even for a god-tier civilization, wiping out a Level 9 civilization takes a considerable amount of effort."
"Sometimes, it's actually quite difficult to completely stop a Level 9 civilization from successfully breaking through to a god-tier civilization."
"They can only try their absolute hardest to block it. If they fail and the opponent successfully ascends, they will then initiate peace talks."
"But—"
"The number of 'god-tier civilizations' in the universe is steadily increasing. This means resources are becoming scarcer by the day, with more and more people carving up the same cake. Yet, erasing an existing god-tier civilization is tremendously difficult, and god-tier civilizations rarely collapse on their own."
"Under these circumstances, the primary targets for god-tier civilizations' targeted purges naturally become the Level 7 civilizations."
"The cost is the absolute lowest."
"With a casual, effortless strike, they can obliterate a Level 7 civilization. By culling the seeds that could potentially grow into Level 9 civilizations, they solidify their own dominant rule as god-tier civilizations, preventing any more from eventually making the leap to god-tier."
"The landmines deployed by most civilizations operate on the same principle. They do not strictly target their immediate subordinates—the cost of doing so is just too high. Instead, they usually target civilizations two or even three tiers below them, aiming to secure maximum benefit at the absolute minimal cost."
"As for Level 8 civilizations."
"The Level 9 civilizations keep a close eye on them. They will never permit a Level 8 civilization to successfully advance to Level 9."
"Then what do the Level 7 civilizations do?"
"Level 7 civilizations prevent Level 4 and 5 civilizations from advancing."
"And the Level 4 and 5 civilizations?"
"They prevent Level 3 civilizations from advancing."
"What about Level 3 civilizations?"
"Level 3 civilizations just exist to get pure unadulterated beatings."
"And Levels 1 and 2?"
"They haven't even earned the right to get a targeted beating yet. They usually end up going extinct by getting caught in some random AoE crossfire."
"Sounds like Level 6 is completely left out of this."
"They are exactly the same as Level 4 and 5. They beat up on Level 3 civilizations while desperately trying to avoid getting beaten up by Level 7 and 8 civilizations."
"So Level 4, 5, and 6 civilizations all take turns beating up Level 3 civilizations?"
"Exactly. The lowest cost for the best results."
"..."
Chen Mang didn't say anything else, sinking into silent contemplation. His 'Human Civilization' was precisely a Level 3 civilization. Just a few days ago, he had been quite thrilled. After all, he had reached a height in mere years that took the Mechanical Civilization and Kasa Civilization eons to achieve.
But as a result...
He had merely reached a point where he was finally qualified to be treated as a punching bag.
And a purely one-sided punching bag at that.
He had zero qualifications to beat up anyone else.
Still, it was better than before. In the past, he didn't even have the luxury of being a designated target.
"Hearing you put it that way makes Level 3 civilizations sound quite pathetic."
"They are pathetic. That's why Level 3 civilizations hold the highest extinction rate in the universe. Their extinction numbers far exceed those of Level 2 civilizations, even though the latter are vastly more numerous."
"So if I break through to a Level 4 civilization, I can start beating others up?"
"At Level 4, you likely won't have the foundation or resources to deploy Universe Ge Lei just yet. So, actively beating others is a bit of a stretch. However, you will have gained the ability to resist some of the 'Universe Ge Lei' placed by advanced civilizations. At that stage, basically, no one will actively go out of their way to beat you up anymore."
"Those Level 5 and 6 civilizations won't come after you. It's usually more trouble than it's worth for them."
"The defining milestone is this—"
"Once you destroy a particular civilization's Universe Ge Lei, that civilization will essentially never return to that sector of space again."
"Huh?"
Chen Mang raised an eyebrow, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. "They won't come seeking revenge?"
He had just destroyed a Universe Ge Lei set by some unknown civilization. He had been fully prepared to pack up his Civilization Wonder and flee, but to his surprise, the enemy wouldn't even show up?
"In ninety-nine percent of cases, they won't. Though there's always the inevitable chance of running into a stubborn meathead."
Qi Ya explained, "The primary purpose of a 'Universe Ge Lei' is to secure a civilization's long-term, stable future development by spending the absolute bare minimum of resources. When a civilization demonstrates the capability to destroy your Universe Ge Lei, it proves that their strength is no longer weak."
"At that point, if you were to dispatch a massive armada to exterminate that civilization, it would drain an exorbitant amount of your resources instead, which defeats the original purpose entirely."
"The cost-to-benefit ratio plummets."
"So they just wash their hands of it and let it go."
"They let the civilization develop and grow wild on its own."
"Besides, in the vast universe, you don't even need to dirty your own hands against rival civilizations most of the time. You can just take a nap for a few centuries, and when you wake up, you'll find that the civilization has already been wiped out by some unknown threat.
"And if they do manage to truly flourish, you can just declare war then. Winning at that stage means you'll actually have a meaty prize to feast on."
"A 'Universe Ge Lei' is essentially just a hurdle."
"As long as you haven't triggered its threshold, it will ignore you. Once you hit its threshold, it will try to kill you. If it fails to kill you, then you're temporarily off the hook—nobody will bother you again until you trigger the threshold of a Universe Ge Lei set by an even higher-tier civilization."
"Survive the hurdle, and it's smooth sailing."
"Fail, and you die."
"There is no such thing as holding grudges."
"There is no hatred in the cosmos."
"It's just like those 'Level 9 civilizations' that face frantic blockades from 'god-tier civilizations' during their ascension. Regardless of how many trillions of lives are lost in the process, once they successfully break through and ascend to godhood..."
"...everyone will implicitly agree to an instantaneous ceasefire and peace talks."
"Then, the newcomer will swiftly integrate into the upper echelon of god-tier civilizations and immediately start suppressing the ascension of other Level 9 civilizations. They take their slice of the cake while simultaneously stopping anyone else from taking a bite."
"That is just how it works."
"Your perspective dictates your actions."
"Hatred will never be the foundational motive for launching a war."
"Resources are everything."
"This is also why I hold no hatred toward you, even though you annihilated my Zerg Civilization. To lose is to die; that is entirely normal. It is the unyielding law of the universe that no one can avoid. For someone to win, someone else must die."
"You can't just gleefully celebrate when you're winning, only to pitch a fit of reluctance when it's your turn to die."
Qi Ya left the train's control room.
Chen Mang sat entirely alone in the empty control room, digesting the influx of information Qi Ya had just provided. So, essentially... he was about to enter a very long developmental grace period. For the foreseeable future, no one would be coming to bother him.
That was excellent news.
It was just...
"Sigh."
Chen Mang rubbed his temples, feeling a sudden, heavy wave of fatigue wash over him. He was just so overwhelmingly tired. Should he... should he just leave it at that? Just put down roots here in the Dead End Star System and develop slowly and peacefully?
Looking at the path upward.
He was going to have to endure a hell of a lot of beatings.
Practically everyone and their mother would be lining up to punch him in the face.
It wasn't that he was afraid of being beaten. It was just that the idea of dealing with this endless cycle of bullshit every few days sounded incredibly annoying. How exhausting would that be?
Just then—
Xiao Ai's voice echoed through the train once more.
"Captain, I believe you need to take some time off to rest and rediscover your drive."
"There are currently no impending crises within the Dead End Star System."
"You could put everything out of your mind and go take a vacation on Water Blue Star for a few years. Rest for a while, and then come back refreshed. You truly have been far too busy these past few years, Captain. There have been simply too many matters requiring your personal attention."
"The vast majority of successful people..."
"...are not perpetually grinding. They usually strive intensely for a few core years, producing tremendous results, and then spend the remainder of their lives in a hazy, laid-back state, essentially coasting on their achievements."
"It is often during this relaxed state that people can reconnect with their true selves, figure out what they are living for, and pinpoint their genuine goals."
"Working too hard often leads to being blinded by the illusory sense of ambition that constant grinding produces."
"..."
Chen Mang leaned back in his chair, his eyelids drooping slightly. He remained silent for a long moment before finally opening his eyes and speaking softly. "You make a fair point. I will rest for a bit. We won't leave the Dead End Star System just yet."
"I will take some time off right here in the Dead End Star System."
"And we will explore other star systems later."
He had actually been harboring this thought for a while, but endless strings of unexpected emergencies had kept him constantly on the move. Now, things had finally settled down enough to mark the end of a chapter. He could afford to take a break.
Unless...
Unless the civilization behind the Star Behemoth he had just killed turned out to be the exact kind of meathead Qi Ya mentioned. Otherwise, no one should be coming around to cause trouble. He could use this downtime to formally incorporate all the civilizations within the Kasa Civilization Federation that wanted to defect and join his banner.
Pack them all right into the train.
Turn them all into his people.
Indulgence is often the prelude to clarity.
One should not fear reaching a lull; it is the starting point of a rebound. Actively seeking out a lull often leads to breaking through to new peaks.
The day one finds themselves penniless is the very moment they burn their boats and fight with their backs to the wall.
The more desperate a person's situation, the more boundless their potential becomes.
The line between total obscurity and world-shaking renown is razor-thin.
In truth.
Chen Mang had always been a man of immense proactive execution. The moment he realized he was feeling burnt out and reluctant to step into what promised to be a highly turbulent future, he decisively left the Stellar Train.
He headed straight down to Water Blue Star to kick off his personal vacation.
The accompanying entourage this time was vastly different from his usual lineup. Normally, whenever he went out, Lao Zhu, Biao Zi, and an entire sprawling retinue would escort him, forming a massive, overwhelming crowd. This time, his company was much more subdued.
His companions consisted only of Yan Yao, Ji Chuchu, and...
...those few ethereal fairy beauties that had been gifted to him from Xuanwu Star.
Forming a rather intimate little tour group.
"Mhm."
Chen Mang stood with a thoroughly satisfied expression on the streets of a bustling city on Water Blue Star. Eating a scoop of ice cream, he looked at the busy pedestrians passing by and chuckled. "I feel so much lighter already."
He was wearing a synthetic skin mask.
Otherwise, he would have stuck out far too much, completely defeating the purpose of trying to relax in the first place.
There were no pressing matters for him to handle back on the Stellar Train.
The train only demanded a mountain of his attention during periods of active expansion. Now that its development had temporarily plateaued, there was essentially nothing left for him to do. Under Xiao Ai's micromanagement, both the train and the internal planets were developing smoothly and rapidly all on their own.
Even though the train's advancement was important.
A man still needed to rest occasionally, right? After all, he wasn't forged out of solid iron.
The only thing was...
He had kept as low a profile as humanly possible, yet every single passing pedestrian couldn't help but cast glances his way. It got to the point where he couldn't resist pulling out a mirror to check his own face. Had his disguise slipped off?
"Tell me, why does everyone stare at me when they walk past?"
"I have no idea."
Ji Chuchu, clinging to Chen Mang's left arm, blinked innocently and shook her head, similarly licking her own ice cream cone.
Meanwhile, Yan Yao was hugging his right arm, gently fanning the group to provide a cool breeze. She also shook her head with a smile. "I am not quite sure either, Lord Mang."
Behind them, the cluster of stunning fairies chattered away cheerfully like a flock of larks. Every now and then, one of the fairies would spear a piece of fruit with a small fork and lovingly feed it to their Lord Mang.
"Hmm."
Chen Mang pondered the mystery with a solemn expression for a moment before nodding in profound realization. "It must be because my natural aura is just too outstanding. It's simply irresistible."
Then, flanked by his gaggle of gorgeous fairies, he strolled further down the street, unable to suppress a wry chuckle.
Naturally, he knew exactly what was really going on.
But...
This was pretty good, too. The looks of pure envy, jealousy, and utter bewilderment from the passersby were honestly quite amusing to observe.
If, at this very moment...
...some arrogant rich second-generation heir happened to jump out just begging to get face-slapped, that would make this little outing even more entertaining.
Unfortunately...
It was a real pity.
He wandered around for a full three hours, but not a single arrogant rich kid popped up to mock him. The script was all wrong today; he clearly hadn't picked up the right trope manual.
He would have to switch scripts next time he came out.
He hadn't planned any specific tourist activities or sightseeing destinations. He just strolled aimlessly, wandering wherever his feet took him, buying whatever caught his eye along the way.
The entire point was to empty his mind.
He didn't want any underlying motives or objectives—just pure, mindless fun.
As the night deepened.
It was time to play something else. Chen Mang led his lovely entourage to The Palace that Doba had constructed specifically for him. This was the first time he was actually staying in it since its completion. It had been fully furnished long ago.
Absolutely everything inside was brand new.
And it had clearly been maintained daily, as the pristine interior didn't hold a single speck of dust.
"Very nice."
Pulling his gaze away from the obscenely oversized bed in the master suite, Chen Mang smiled and glanced over at Doba standing nearby, casually asking, "That blueprint you showed me last time—how is the progress on The Palace depicted on it?"
"We've made significant headway, but we still need some more time," Doba hurriedly reported.
"..."
The smile on Chen Mang's face slowly froze. He had only been asking in passing. But Doba was actually saying they'd made progress?! Was the colossal Palace on that blueprint really that easy to construct?
He had genuinely assumed it wouldn't be built for at least another several thousand years.
But looking at things now, it might not even take a century. A few decades might be enough?!
Had the technology of the Goblin civilization truly developed that rapidly?
He wanted to press for more details, but then he remembered that this was supposed to be his vacation time. He held his tongue. He could wait to discuss work matters until his vacation was over.
That night.
Chen Mang engaged in a hearty, unrestrained release several times over.
Life in this world could be summed up in a single phrase.
'...'
Of course.
Rest was rest.
But Chen Mang hadn't forgotten his other obligations. For example, after finishing his exhaustive 'labors' for the night, he returned to the Stellar Train once again. Today was the designated day for his scheduled meet-up and chat with his online buddy, the chubby kid.
Only...
This time, he waited in the train's main control room for a very long time.
That cyber-miner waited in the dreamscape for an equally long time.
Neither of them managed to catch even a glimpse of the chubby kid.
"Did he not show up?"
By the time dawn broke, the chubby kid still hadn't appeared. Chen Mang sat in his chair, staring at the control console, a faint worry gnawing at his heart. Could something have happened on the chubby kid's end?
But...
Based on the chubby kid's casual remarks in the past, he could easily tell that the boy's father was an extremely powerful figure who loved his son dearly. If his son had run off to mine in a peril-ridden danger zone, how could the father possibly not have arranged overwhelming covert protection?
Even though the chubby kid genuinely believed his dad was just a simple businessman.
An ordinary, legitimate businessman would never possess the means to instantly access top-secret core intelligence that only the highest echelons of a civilization were privy to.
The moment the exploration of The Palace on his end had wrapped up...
...the chubby kid had received the exact details practically right after.
Exactly how monstrous were his connections?
They had to be absolute heaven-defying.
There was simply no way a regular businessman wielded that kind of influence.
However...
Despite his worry, they were separated by an impossibly vast distance. Even if he wanted to help, there was absolutely nothing he could do. Maybe the kid had just fainted from excessive 'self-relief'?
The chubby kid had once confided in him, admitting that the mere sight of women made him lose his erection. It was a severe psychological block. Hence, he actively disliked women and greatly preferred dealing with his needs on his own. The root of this trauma came from his very first attempt at intimacy, during which extreme anxiety caused him to go limp. The woman involved had then proceeded to ruthlessly broadcast his humiliating failure to everyone.
That incident had left him permanently terrified of real women.
And absolutely unwilling to try ever again.
He had asked Chen Mang if there was any cure for his condition.
The solution Chen Mang had offered was to eat a few Red-Heart Nuts. The boy hadn't known what Red-Heart Nuts were. Chen Mang had genuinely wanted to send him a few, but regretfully, the cross-universe logistics made that impossible. All he could do was advise the boy to go buy some heavily targeted medication.
Perhaps...
He had just gone out to buy some medicine?
Chen Mang nodded thoughtfully, deciding not to dwell on it any longer. He would try contacting him again tomorrow. It wasn't like the entire Naomi Civilization could have suddenly collapsed overnight, right?
After all, with a father as powerful as his, it was highly unlikely for anything to actually happen to the chubby kid.
If something truly had gone wrong...
...then it meant the entire Naomi Civilization had suffered a catastrophic disaster.