Global Crossing: Empire of Stars

"Things are developing quickly. The Dragon Knight Order has filled a missing link in the Space Wall, and the Grid Node Starfield has greatly reduced the burden on our forces, making it easier to observe and manage the Dark Star Domain," Lin Zhichen praised.

Similar plans had been proposed long ago. Unfortunately, these grid-based Node Fortresses weren't actually safe. The chaotic NPC Factions didn't care about the dignity of the Empire or the Alliance. As soon as they caught the scent of civilization, they swarmed in like moths to a flame.

Using people as cannon fodder was a sure way to ruin one's reputation. Take the Empire, for instance: it wouldn't dream of sending Natural Persons out as Node Fortress commanders, to live or die alongside their fortresses. It was even reluctant to use ordinary NPC soldiers as cannon fodder. After much deliberation, the plan had to be shelved—until the Dragon Knight Order, that special vassal civilization, appeared.

"At the current pace, perhaps we'll need only a thousand years to cover the entire Orion Arm with grid-like Node Fortresses!" Liu Manyun said with a smile.

"After that, it'll take only a few hundred to a thousand years to implement the plan in the other three arms."

The Milky Way Galaxy was enormous, and fully occupying such a vast region was difficult.

Especially under the Tide of Darkness, maintaining control of each star system required a certain level of military strength. That meant a larger territory wasn't necessarily better. After their initial expansion, the member states of the Dragon Soul Empire had gradually slowed their pace in recent years. That was why.

Lin Zhichen nodded. "Has the Torch Plan begun?"

"Yes." Liu Manyun enlarged the map of the Milky Way Galaxy. Hundreds of crimson points appeared across it.

On the galactic