Chapter 893: The Second Step |
This steel planet had an enormous volume, even far larger than Jupiter, already reaching the level of a brown dwarf. However, its mass was relatively small, because there were a great many empty spaces inside it. Even so, after it shattered, the belt of ruins it formed was much larger than the asteroid belt formed after Earth exploded.
Endless metal fragments flashing with a cold gleam floated silently through this vast star field, while even more fragments, propelled by the force of the initial explosion, shot into the distance at extremely high speed. There was no star here, and after the steel planet was destroyed, even the light and shadows from exploding warships had vanished. Darkness had returned here. Only the occasional burst of sparks from the remains of the steel planet lit up this star field like meteors.
After the steel planet was destroyed, the battlefield fell silent in that very instant. All of the replicates, all of the ships controlled by replicates, stopped their attacks on Xiao Yu’s warships at the same moment. Those Imperial Guard Corps warships completely lost all movement. Only those indicator lights operating automatically, the most basic maintenance systems on the warships, and other devices not controlled by the replicates were still functioning.
Xiao Yu knew that all of those Imperial Guard Corps replicates were dead. After the original ones, who had resolved to perish together and used their own deaths to buy Xiao Yu an opportunity, these new replicates had also died along with the death of Virtual Life Number One.
These ships had, at this moment, become ownerless ships.
From this instant onward, the situation suddenly became very strange. Xiao Yu’s first-step objective had already been accomplished. Virtual Life Number One had been successfully killed. And at this moment, outside the battlefield, there still existed trillions of demons. As long as even one of these replicates escaped, it might once again cause a disaster no less severe than that caused by Virtual Life Number One. They were like seeds full of vigorous life. No matter which galaxy they reached, as long as their ships had the most basic industrial facilities and the most basic construction capability, they could spread and flourish across one galaxy or even several galaxies.
And Xiao Yu, no matter what, could not possibly eliminate all of these countless replicates. Yet Xiao Yu had still killed Virtual Life Number One, the one that exerted the greatest restraint over them.
The first step had ended, and the second, more critical plan was about to be carried out.
“Alright, Virtual Life Number One has already been killed by me. From this moment onward, you are free.” Xiao Yu calmly broadcast this message. “I only want what I want. Your civilization’s Central Research Academy of Science is mine, and those scientist selves are also mine. Aside from that, everything else is yours. Including these ships that no longer have owners…”
“All scientist replicates, you do not need to fear or panic. Believe me. After belonging to me, you will have a good research environment. No one will ever threaten you with death again. I will do my utmost to satisfy your demands… Now, leave this place and come with me.” Xiao Yu said slowly as he approached this base.
Just as Xiao Yu had expected, when he neared this base, not only did he not encounter resistance, many ports opened automatically instead. Xiao Yu’s computational power surged in, and in an instant, he took over the base. He then activated it and slowly guided it toward the rear, toward the location of his own base.
“Replicates, this is where we part ways. It has been a pleasure to complete this difficult mission together with you. I will not interfere in the internal affairs of your civilization. Whatever decisions you make are your own business. Alright, goodbye.” Xiao Yu’s vast fleet, carrying this scientific base, slowly left this place. Wherever Xiao Yu’s fleet traveled, a passage automatically opened.
Not a single replicate responded to Xiao Yu’s message. All replicates and all ships simply watched Xiao Yu’s actions in silence. Xiao Yu also made no hostile or friendly move toward them. After speaking those words, Xiao Yu simply left. All of the ships left this place and sailed toward the distant starry sky. Xiao Yu had actually just left like that, cleanly and decisively.
Xiao Yu had long known this would be the result. After the death of Virtual Life Number One, the Virtual Life Civilization no longer had any cohesion. At the same time, many little schemes would arise in the hearts of these replicates. The ships they controlled were their only support, their only means of fighting for more resources in the future. At such a time, no one would risk death to provoke Xiao Yu.
In terms of absolute strength, the Virtual Life Civilization was still several times stronger than Xiao Yu, but no one would come to provoke him. They had already become loose sand, and Xiao Yu had no interest in applying outside pressure to force them back into unity.
Across this vast battlefield, wreckage still drifted everywhere, and there was a miserable atmosphere of a great war’s aftermath all around. Amid these ruins, endless Virtual Life Civilization ships silently watched, watching this ‘enemy’ slowly depart.
“Architectural Civilization, let us go.” Having returned to his own base, facing the vast structure of the Architectural Civilization measured in light years, Xiao Yu spoke calmly.
“You… how can you just leave like this!” There was now a hint of exasperation in the Architectural Civilization’s voice. “Could your goal really have only been to obtain their technology? Do you know how much trouble these scattered Virtual Life beings will cause this universe after Virtual Life Number One has been destroyed? Once they spread out, a single Virtual Life being can rebuild a Virtual Life Civilization! They will sweep through one galaxy after another like locusts, exterminating one civilization after another. If you did not have the ability to destroy these Virtual Life beings along with Number One, then from the very beginning, you should not have killed Virtual Life Number One!”
Xiao Yu felt a little helplessly amused. Inwardly, Xiao Yu could not help but sigh. “Could it be that interest-based civilizations are all this shallow and ignorant when it comes to war and strategy?”
Though that was what he thought inwardly, Xiao Yu still had no choice but to explain. After all, the Architectural Civilization’s reasoning was noble enough that Xiao Yu could not refute it, and at the same time, Xiao Yu did feel a certain degree of admiration for this civilization that was somewhat adorably foolish.
“The best way for me to eliminate them is precisely by not making a move against them.” Xiao Yu sighed. “They are all the same person. They all have the same ambition. They are all unwilling to be constrained. They all want to become the ruler of a civilization…”
“So what? They can completely refrain from interfering with one another. They can disperse right here, each developing their own civilization, and in the end create quadrillions of Virtual Life Civilizations throughout the universe.” the Architectural Civilization said. “Are you hoping they will fall into internal strife right now? But any being with even a little reason would not choose at a time like this to risk attacking its own kind. Obtaining matter from the universe is obviously much easier than capturing one’s own replicates.”
Xiao Yu smiled somewhat strangely and said in a tone full of sinister meaning, “But… look around nearby. Is there still any matter here? No, what I mean is, is there still matter here that can be easily obtained?”
“Hm?” The Architectural Civilization suddenly fell silent.
“If they will not fall into internal strife, then I will force them into internal strife.” Xiao Yu said calmly, “Why did I destroy the entire Maffei One Galaxy and then go to the trouble afterward of eliminating every single remaining star one by one? It was to make sure these replicates could not build bases using simple, basic construction tools. In a galaxy rich in matter, all that is needed is a single planet. With the industrial facilities carried inside even the smallest ship, a base can slowly be built. But now, with all stars destroyed by me, even Star Cluster-Class battleships do not have the specialized equipment needed to construct a base…”
“But, but…” the Architectural Civilization seemed to murmur to itself, “Then can they not leave this galaxy? Also, what about the construction bases previously left behind by the Virtual Life Civilization? Those have plenty of equipment capable of obtaining matter from the stellar ruins…”
“To carry out a voyage on the scale of one million light years with only a single ship? The Virtual Life Civilization is not that reckless.” Xiao Yu said darkly. “Even for our civilizations, to carry out intergalactic voyage, we need to stockpile many spare parts and the like. The Virtual Life Civilization is now loose sand. How could a single ship possibly dare to just leave?”
“Since they cannot simply leave the Maffei One Galaxy, staying here to develop will become the only option. And they do not have the ability to build directly by relying on the stellar ruins…”
“But, but those construction bases left behind earlier by Virtual Life Number One…” the Architectural Civilization murmured.
Xiao Yu smiled once again. “Inside those construction bases, are there no replicates? Do they not also want to build ships for themselves, have their own replicates occupy those ships, and create their own Virtual Life Empire?”