The eighth act begins

On the seventh day after the promulgation of the new constitution, the orbital ring of Merrick's Third Governing Star was already crowded with representatives of civilizations applying for registration.

As an unregistered civilization within the Merrick Star Region, those Mechanical Civilization warships, once marked as "illegal" by the Federation system, are now quietly hovering in the quarantine zone, the blue light flowing between the gaps in their armor like anxious breathing.

"Registration approved for HT-307 Civilization."

"Yaka Civilization, Level Zero Civilization."

Two lines of silver text flashed across the holographic announcement screen, followed by a piercing metallic scraping sound—the way this representative of the Yaka Civilization expressed his joy through mechanical gears.

Naz stood in front of the observation window, his forehead pressed against the reinforced glass.

The spaceport beneath his feet was a new building that had just been put into use three days ago, and at this moment, queues stretching for kilometers stretched out from each docking point.

Some of the undocumented civilization representatives from the outer reaches of the planetary system even carried primitive oxygen tanks.

"Reck Lake."

He turned to look at his nephew, who was debugging the interface.

"Can all of this really be considered civilization?"

The young man's Merrick badge on his military uniform cuff gleamed coldly as his fingertips traced a fan-shaped path on the holographic star map.

"Lord Lister said that anyone who is willing to cross interstellar distances to come here deserves a chance to be recognized."

Suddenly, the alarm blared in a deafening roar.

At the seventh docking point, a black ship resembling a sea urchin is being dismantled.

Corrosive liquid gushed from the cracks, etching honeycomb-like holes into the alloy deck.

Naz saw a guard instantly vaporize, leaving only half of his leg armor slamming to the ground.

Immediately, chaos erupted at the scene.

Fortunately, Sariel of the Seventh Central Army acted swiftly and had already dispatched soldiers to cordon off the area.

The Third Governing Star, the intelligence monitoring center.

Hundreds of holographic images floated in the center of the circular hall, each displaying a stream of entry application data from different civilizations.

Even though the Merrick Civilization only accepts unregistered civilizations within its own region, the actual number of civilizations exceeds one million.

Having a legitimate identity and access to the resources and wealth accumulated by the Galactic Federation is the goal that most civilizations strive for.

This is a transformation in identity, truly becoming a member of the Galactic Federation, rather than being at the bottom of society and endlessly exploited.

Now that the Galactic Federation has opened up, they naturally rushed to register.

Suddenly, the alarm screen from the seventh docking point abruptly cut to the main screen, and a close-up of the corrosive liquid made the duty officer slam the isolation button.

"Looks like it's another trick from the Void Corridor."

Hoffman's hidden spiritual threads dangled from his body, and in front of him was the life form that had caused the disturbance.

He had a round face and a big belly, but was not very tall. He seemed to have already fainted and was lying on the ground in the intelligence center.

Suddenly, as if it had found something, the spiritual thread stuck to a dissipating rhomboid crystal at its end.

The moment it was discovered, the diamond-shaped wariness began to dissipate.

Upon contact with air, it rapidly releases neurotoxins, a common contingency plan used by those controlling the Void Corridor.

This is the third case.

Kavin's voice came from behind him, and the data stream outlined the internal structure of the crystal on the projection.

The communication module has been upgraded.

"They must have switched to more covert communication channels after Morris's death."

Lister's projection suddenly appeared in front of the command console, his Killing Intent Wave through all the surveillance screens.

"CX Star Region, θ-931 region, 9 o'clock position."

Lister lightly tapped the holographic sand table with his scabbard.

"This time it's a parasitic type."

Inside the quarantine checkpoint, a delegation claiming to be from the Lorraine Civilization was undergoing scanning.

The purple-robed elder at the head of the group suddenly convulsed, and the miniature star compass hidden in his dentures began to overload.

Just 0.3 seconds before the explosion, twelve scarlet blades pierced through his joints.

"What a pity."

Reck stepped on the old man's writhing severed limb.

"Your Void Corridor really is a persistent ghost!"

Metal bones were revealed beneath the old man's shattered facial skin, and the crystal in his forehead also began to dissipate.

"You simply don't understand... the Void Corridor..."

Before he could finish speaking, his head suddenly cracked open like shattered porcelain.

It was another Destruction process of the rhomboid crystals within its body, which was remotely detonated prematurely by some force that transcended dimensions.

Inside Merrick Castle, the First Governing Star, General Boren pushed a data panel across the table.

"This is the seventh batch of signals intercepted. What they're really concerned about isn't military deployment; they're simply looking for something."

The holographic projection unfolds a star map, with 70% of the markers concentrated in the Merrick Star Region, and some in the Leviathan Civilization region.

"It seems that Morris leaked information before he died..."

Wang Yue's expression was solemn. Although she had expected that a Hegemon would die in the Void Corridor, she knew that the matter would not be left unresolved.

But once you actually get to know them, you realize how fast they can move.

Moreover, this pervasive intelligence network is indeed repulsive.

Hoffman and Kavin were also inside at that moment.

The two plan to return to Babylon and the Divine Rise Galaxy in three years.

After all, the new federation in the Milky Way Galaxy has just been established, and some tasks can only be handled by people that everyone can trust.

"They must be looking for the Soul Barrier."

"Fortunately, the other side doesn't have a specific sense of location, and the Soul Barrier is constantly moving and closing. With intelligence personnel of this level, no matter how many there are, it's useless."

The fact that the Milky Way Galaxy possesses Soul Barrier was originally only known to those at the Overlord Tier and above.

Those powerful individuals have just been eliminated by Lister and his group.

The Milky Way Galaxy has fallen from a superpower with nearly 14 Hegemon to only Lister and Boren remaining.

From the outside perspective, due to an internal conflict, it suddenly went from a large, distorted power to a small force.

Nearby cosmic powers have also paid less attention to the Milky Way Galaxy.

As for their true neighbors, the Maizhe Galaxy is still a public galaxy, and they dare not come to investigate recklessly.

It can be said that only a few of them know about the Soul Barrier.

Furthermore, the location of the Soul Barrier shifted erratically within the original Beta Civilization field.

The Void Corridor likely wouldn't be able to obtain information about the Milky Way Galaxy, especially about the Soul Barrier.

After all, the original Beta Civilization and the Witchcraft Civilization domain had been reduced to ruins.

Currently, it's just a partial reconstruction of artificial planets by some Level 0 and Level 1 civilizations, preparing to migrate there for further development.

The only good news was that the investigation was focused on the Merrick Star Region.

Are we just going to sit here and wait for them to keep probing us?

After speaking, Kavin looked at Lister.

He was the strongest among them and also the backbone of the Milky Way Galaxy; everyone respected his opinions.

In fact, even Lister found the movements of the Void Corridor irritating.

He knew that the greater the power in the universe, the less likely it was that it would immediately send an army to seek revenge.

The fact that a veteran Hegemon like Morris died in the Milky Way Galaxy is enough to prove that there are powerful figures in the Milky Way Galaxy.

In particular, there are countless intelligence agents hidden in the shadows now, most of whom are in the Merrick Star Region.

Lister's information and strength may have already been exposed, including by Kavin and others.

If the other party truly wants to avenge Hegemon of Morris's level, at least a dozen Hegemons, or even World-Ending Level powerhouses, would need to come in person.

It's not easy to gather people to this extent.

As one of the seven super powers in the universe, the Void Corridor naturally has enemies.

The seven major powers have allies and enemies among themselves, making their relationships extremely complex, but they maintain relative stability.

This stability is extremely fragile; within the vast universe, the actual battles between the seven parties have never ceased.

Concentrating such a force for revenge in the Milky Way Galaxy is something even the Void Corridor couldn't achieve.

This is also why Lister was so decisive in killing Morris.

However, this kind of pervasive intelligence gathering also made everyone irritable.

It's not the thief you should fear, but the one who has his eye on you.

Furthermore, if they were to be separated from their respective groups, in addition to Lister and Kavin, even General Boren would be at risk of being ambushed.

Not to mention Hoffman and Wang Yue, who are still Quasi-Hegemon before their evolution.

"We still need to strike!"

Let's form a cosmic force as soon as possible.

"After launching the attack, you can also Order of the End and try to establish cooperation."

As expected, after this battle, it was ultimately impossible for him to hide behind the scenes.

In particular, it is difficult to ensure that the Milky Way Galaxy remains as undisturbed by conflict as it has in the past.

Fortunately, Lister had anticipated this and had already begun to communicate with the outside world in the Federation Constitution, laying the groundwork for entering the vast universe.

As for the Order of the End, it is also one of the seven super powers in the universe.

It was on par with the Mechanical God Cult founded by Kavin in later generations.

Or rather, both forces are madmen.

The Order of the End a truly fanatical religious force, led by the End Flamebearer, whose exact strength is unknown.

However, the belief is that "the universe will return to chaos," and that Sacrifice civilizations will accelerate the process of entropy increase.

In later generations, he was considered one of the two major madmen in the churches, along with the Mechanical God Cult.

It is also one of the main adversaries of the Void Corridor.

Lister originally intended to develop peacefully for a hundred years or so, preferably until the events of the Eternal Sea of Trees and the Emerald Royal Court began, before truly entering the competition among cosmic powers.

It seems there's no way to hide it anymore, so I might as well be direct.

With his World-Ending Level power, he should have the right to speak on how to build a super power.

Demonstrating our strength in the universe would also make it easier to try and establish cooperation with the Order of the End.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend!

"Then I'll go back with Kavin ahead of schedule and organize the forces within the star system."

"We're waiting for news of your new faction!"

Hoffman said with a Steadfast look.

He was the most enthusiastic among them about forming a new force.

Kavin's attitude is currently indifferent; he is more interested in continuing to improve himself and develop Mechanical Civilization.

The fact that the Mechanical God Cult later became a superpower in the universe was not something he actively sought out.

Instead, it was the only mechanical power among the current super powers in the universe— the Star Machine Civilization —that led to its elimination and its subsequent rise to one of the seven super powers.

He is not opposed to forming a new force with Lister now.

General Boren was the only one among them who hesitated.

He wasn't particularly radical by nature, and over the years he had grown accustomed to life in the Galactic Federation.

However, he is now deeply involved with Lister and the others, and cannot extricate himself from this matter.

Of course, even the formation of new forces cannot be fast in practice.

In particular, it also requires the joint construction of three star systems.

Three years later, within the Merrick Star Region, the number of intelligence spies from the Void Corridor forces continued to increase.

Lister also realized that the intelligence agents sent by the other side did not require any resources.

These intelligence agents are controlled purely by the rhombus-shaped crystals.

He discovered that after a rhombus-shaped crystal was killed and disappeared, it would reappear somewhere in the Void Corridor, and then be implanted with a new life form to continue carrying out its mission.

From some perspectives, they are even more troublesome than Zerg and Mechanical Civilizations.

Lister listened to the news reported by Sariel in front of him.

The first batch of allied forces prepared to attack the Void Corridor's affiliated star system has been assembled.

A new force is also about to be announced and formed.

Suddenly, the system in my mind seemed to finally respond.

A flood of news about God's Rise games and players, which had been absent for a long time, suddenly appeared.

System Announcement: Maintenance is complete, the server is back online, and players are now allowed to log in.

"Announcement: The eighth expansion Expansion has been released: Three hundred years later, the great pioneer Lister Merrick has established the New Galactic Federation, overturning the past civilizational order of the Milky Way Galaxy. The Merrick Civilization has officially become the first civilization of the Galactic Federation. However, only three years after the establishment of the new order, the hostile force— the Void Corridor— is also stirring, constantly sending intelligence agents to investigate. The New Galactic Federation is about to face its greatest crisis since its establishment..."

Player spawn locations: New Galactic Federation, Babylon Galaxy, Divine Rise Galaxy. (Note: The actual interactive power zone will include the areas affected by the external battles of the three systemic powers.)

Congratulations! You have triggered the Main Quest – The Vindication of the New Faction: The Merrick Civilization has grown from a star-domain civilization to now controlling the entire Milky Way Galaxy. Faced with the constant provocations of the Void Corridor, the Great Pioneer will unite with two allied star systems to launch a proactive attack...

Specific requirements: Join the vanguard forces of the three star systems in the name of the Undying Legion! Participate in the mission to attack the Void Corridor... (Note: The difficulty of the mission will increase as the war progresses!)

Mission duration: None.

"Mission Rewards: 50 million experience points, 15 free attribute points, 3 million credit points."

"Accept?"

"Yes!"

"Congratulations, Lister Merrick. Given your status, you have automatically become the leader of the three Undying Legions."

Countless player messages flooded the screen instantly, like an explosion.

The changes between Act VII and Act VIII are simply too drastic.

They were still struggling in the Galactic Federation, but after three days of maintenance, the new Expansion has directly ushered in the space age.

Lister opened the public chat, and countless messages flashed before his eyes.

"I knew Count Merrick was the game's favorite child; in just one version, the Merrick Civilization had already conquered the Milky Way Galaxy."

"A full-blown cosmic war?! At least it's not just a piecemeal update anymore!"

"My greatsword has been thirsting for blood for a long time!"

"Holy crap! I was born in the Divine Rise Galaxy, the same name as the game. Could this be the core area of the game's future?"

"What the heck is the Babylon Galaxy? Have I been exiled?"