Dark Space, Taiyi's recreation room.
Qingyang and Guxing's group gathered around a table, each holding a set of cards.
Guxing stared solemnly at Qingyang and Guxue, then suddenly drew three cards and threw them down.
A projection immediately appeared above the table. A fierce tiger roared, while fire tornadoes and wind blades materialized around it. A -3 instantly appeared in the projection before Qingyang and Guxue.
[Character Card HP depleted. Red side wins.]
Qingyang tossed down his cards and sighed helplessly. Guxue beside him also wilted, muttering a string of incomprehensible words.
Why had they decided to play a card game with a child of Fortune?
Guxing clearly had no skill to speak of, yet he had won seven or eight rounds in a row simply by relying on his absurdly overpowered deck.
Qingyang grabbed the drink on the table. "I'm done. I've lost so badly I'm numb."
"What a shame," Guxing said, glancing at the crew members watching from nearby.
Everyone's expressions changed, and they immediately scattered with all sorts of excuses.
Shaking his head, Qingyang left the recreation room. A few crew members passed by along the way.
"Commander!"
"..."
After nodding again to a crew member who greeted him, Qingyang returned to the control room.
They had already traveled through Dark Space for four days. They should be nearing the next stargate.
Leaning back in his chair, Qingyang gazed at the dazzling scenery of Dark Space ahead and fell slightly into a daze. It had once been difficult for him to imagine such a sight.
"Changxi, what does the universe look like through the eyes of Data Life?"
As soon as he spoke, Changxi's graceful figure appeared beside him, her face still bearing that gentle smile.
In response to Qingyang's question, Changxi spoke calmly. "The vastness of the Great Universe exceeds all imagination. Even for beings such as high-dimensional lifeforms and high-dimensional divinities, the main universe remains mysterious and worthy of awe.
"Most High-Dimensional Beings avoid and fear the mysteries of the Great Universe. Humans are different in that regard. Instead, they are filled with curiosity.
"Even during humanity's darkest era, humans who had faced the mystery and terror of the Great Universe still did not lose their courage."
"Wasn't Changxi a Data Life that was only just born? It feels like you know so much," Qingyang said with a smile.
"Is that so? The core of this Data Life was indeed only recently born, but my will is human."
Changxi chuckled. Her figure dissolved into particles of light, leaving Qingyang slightly bewildered.
Qingyang said helplessly, "Sigh, why is someone so beautiful such a riddle-speaker?"
[Star of Truth Prompt] [A Bounty Commission has been received. Accept?] [Commission source: Dimensional World (300,000 light-years away)] [Commission lifeform: A member of a Pan-Human Level 3 Civilization (currently fleeing)] [Commission danger: Involves a Level 4 Civilization] [Commission objective: Save the Pan-Human Civilization and fend off pursuit by a Level 4 Civilization fleet] [Commission reward: Truth Points ×500, Good Trait Fragment ×1 (0/4), Potential Optimization, Fragmented Star Chart ×1] [This Dimensional World anchor will be provided free of charge. Accept?]
Qingyang pondered for a moment before ultimately choosing to accept.
Although a Level 4 Civilization was far more powerful than a Level 3 Civilization, they would not need to fight an entire Level 4 Civilization military force this time. If they were only assisting with an escape, it should not be a problem.
An hour later, the Eternal Fleet appeared in an empty expanse of stars.
The crew had already received the news. The commander had just received a Dimensional World anchor.
Without question, their destination was that Dimensional World.
"Preparations complete!"
Qingyang nodded slightly. "Star Network, teleport!"
[Teleportation program activated. Datafying all members of the Starfleet.]
Whoosh!
The Eternal Fleet, with its nine warships, vanished from the main universe in an instant.
One day earlier.
Within a vast and empty river of stars.
Ripples suddenly spread through space, and several hundred ships emerged from warp.
The ship at the very center was bloated in shape and entirely elliptical.
It was over a hundred kilometers long, while its widest point was nearly forty kilometers across. Dense weapons and naval cannons covered the surface of its massive hull.
The more than one hundred warships around it averaged four to five kilometers in length, with several even reaching ten kilometers.
Though they appeared armed to the teeth, their energy levels were not actually high. Even the main cannon of the central ship possessed only a little over a thousand energy levels.
Clearly, this was a Level 3 Civilization fleet, though one that ranked among the best of Level 3 Civilizations.
Yet at this moment, the fleet did not look anything like a top-tier force.
Its shields flickered dimly, and there were even numerous gaps in its armor. It had clearly suffered extremely severe attacks.
Inside a conference room somewhere aboard the elliptical ship, more than a dozen grim-faced humans sat around a table.
"We simply can't shake those things. At this rate, they'll catch up to us in one day at most!"
The person seated at the head of the table gritted his teeth. He appeared to be only thirty or forty years old.
"This Seed Ship fleet carries the last tens of millions of hopes of our Stan Civilization! No matter what, we must ensure that our civilization survives!"
"The odds of successfully escaping are practically nonexistent. Whether in speed or firepower, Chaka Civilization's warships far surpass ours," someone lamented.
The others were already somewhat despairing.
"Is there really no way?"
"Premier, you are the most capable person in our civilization. You absolutely cannot give up at a time like this!"
"That's right. As long as there is even a sliver of hope, even a sliver of hope for our civilization's continuation!"
The premier at the head of the table frowned. "I haven't given up. I'm just thinking of a solution."
A trace of grief flashed through the premier's eyes. In the universe, no one ever knew when disaster or tomorrow would arrive.
The Stan Civilization was undoubtedly one of the unlucky ones struck by a sudden catastrophe.
Who could have imagined that the Stan Civilization's home star system contained vast quantities of rare resources—resources enough to draw the covetous eyes of Level 4 and Level 5 Civilizations!
What was even more helpless was that they had not been the first to survey them. It had been a civilization stronger than the Stan Civilization.
The Stan Civilization had attempted negotiations and had even offered up their entire home star system in exchange for safety.
But to ensure that the information did not leak, that Level 4 Civilization—the Chaka Civilization—immediately blockaded the Stan Civilization and attacked them under the pretext that they had provoked it first.
Faced with the technological blockade of a superior civilization, the Stan Civilization did not even have the ability to spread the news.
In the end, after only a few years, the Stan Civilization, which had once held territory spanning over a thousand light-years, was completely defeated. Only this Seed Ship fleet remained, still fleeing.
After dozens of seconds of silence, the premier slumped dejectedly.
There was no solution that could resolve their current predicament. The Chaka Civilization's blockade boundary was still dozens of light-years away, and there were no Habitable Planets or unusual regions nearby.
Even the natural wormholes were guarded by Chaka Civilization fleets.
The Seed Ship fleet's stealth technology was no different from nothing before Chaka Civilization's detection methods.
A dead end. No matter how he thought about it, it was a dead end!
"We can only... fight to the death!"
"..."
Having decided to fight until the very last moment, everyone in the conference room immediately dispersed to make their final preparations for battle.
The premier walked through the streets of the ship's Residential Area. Looking around at the crowds striving to survive, sorrow surfaced in his eyes.
When the people around him saw the premier, they all smiled and greeted him.
This premier had made the greatest contributions since the war broke out.
The premier forced a smile in response, then returned to his room in a daze.
"What way is there to save my people? What way?"
"If only some civilization could lend us a hand."
Under the current circumstances, the Stan Civilization was doomed if it relied on itself. Aside from a miracle, the extinction of its people was inevitable.
"Have I started fantasizing too?" The premier smiled faintly. In their most desperate moments, everyone fantasized.
[Commission successful.]
The premier froze for a moment, then shook his head helplessly and smiled bitterly.
It seemed he had been too exhausted lately. He was actually hearing things. In one more day, he would not need to be this tired anymore.
It was just a pity that he had still failed to save his people.
Before you continue