Uninvited Guest

Bosnia Supercluster.

This was a medium-sized supercluster, composed of seventy-eight star clusters and forty-five galaxy clusters.

There was no civilization powerful enough to unify the entire supercluster, and the war—

—had remained deadlocked for over a hundred thousand years, much like the Warring States Period.

Of course, over those hundred thousand years, the number of civilizations competing for supremacy in the supercluster had gradually fallen from over ten thousand to 123.

Since each civilization controlled a star cluster or galaxy cluster, and all of them were Seventh Order Technological Civilizations, a delicate balance had formed throughout the supercluster.

After all, no civilization could easily destroy another. Once one mobilized all its forces to attack another civilization, the surrounding civilizations would swarm its emptied homeland like sharks scenting blood.

Thus, small-scale skirmishes within this supercluster practically never ceased. Mid-sized battles did occur, but they were by no means common.

However, no large-scale war of civilization extermination had occurred for tens of thousands of years.

Hilderic Star Cluster.

As one of the three Current Nodes within the Bosnia Supercluster, the Crete Empire that controlled this place should originally have possessed an absolute advantage unavailable to other civilizations.

After all, controlling the Cosmic Current meant being able to attack when advancing and defend when retreating. It even allowed them to develop toward the superclusters at the other end of the current while defending their own territory. Their geographical position could not have been more advantageous.

Originally—

—it should have been that way!

But if things were truly so simple, could Aliya have controlled the Viers Supercluster for more than a hundred thousand years?

The answer was obviously no!

After all, before Aliya encountered humanity, her race as a whole held no particular advantage over Seventh Order Technological Civilizations in terms of combat power.