Visitors

The Rebecca Star People, a newly risen interstellar colonizing race in the western universe, possessed class C warp drives.

Having entered the age of interstellar colonization less than a century ago, the Rebecca People were passionate about exploring the stars.

"Captain! We've received an unidentified repeating signal. It may be a distress signal!"

After hearing the sensor operator's report, Captain Liliwa asked excitedly, "Intelligent life?"

"The signal appears to be transmitted through electronic pulses, with a maximum range of 5,000 light-years. It should be a primitive intelligent species!"

Liliwa and his first officer, Xialis, exchanged smiles. "We're going to be rich! Change course immediately and head for the signal's source. I'll name this planet after my wife!"

Zhang Fan gazed up at the stars day and night, hoping the Qiya Star People would receive the signal and come here.

He had run through countless ways to board a Qiya warship in his mind.

An all-out attack by the carbon-silicon creatures? If the first strike failed, the aliens would inevitably flee. Given their technology and temperament, letting them escape would condemn Death Star to the same fate as Earth-perhaps an even worse one.

Infiltration and a surprise attack... Without plundering their genes, could a Qiya warship support carbon-based life? That was a serious problem. Being discovered would mean certain death, too.

Even if he successfully boarded a Qiya warship, how would he preserve the human embryos? If millions of human embryos were discovered, he would still be doomed.

Zhang Fan decided to devour two human embryos and see whether he could reconstruct a human genetic sequence inside his body through modification and fusion.

After several rounds of testing, Zhang Fan finally found a way to preserve the complete human genome inside his body.

He isolated a section of his silicon-based body to store pure human genes, recording each embryo's individual differences beneath the basic genetic factors.

This preserved both the human genetic foundation and individual variation. In the end, Zhang Fan devoured a million physical human embryos, converting them into biological data stored within his main body.

All he had to do now was wait for the Qiya Star People to arrive...

After countless days and nights, Zhang Fan finally sensed a disturbance in the sky... A strange alien spacecraft descended onto Death Star.

The alien spacecraft, with its flattened nose, long tail, and pale blue glow, did not belong to the Qiya.

Zhang Fan began closely monitoring the strange alien spacecraft's movements. Humanity had failed because it had rashly made contact with a force it could not resist, without any preparation. He had no intention of repeating that mistake.

The exploration ship from Rebecca Star landed smoothly on Death Star. Three Rebecca People in external biological armor slowly stepped off the vessel.

"Captain, the structure of life on this planet is bizarre. These life-forms have overturned our understanding of living things in the universe. They're... carbon-silicon life!"

"You mean... life based on multiple elements actually exists in the universe?"

"Yes, Captain... Their existence will rewrite history. Your name will be engraved in the most prominent spot in the exploration hall forever!"

Captain Liliwa smiled modestly. "No, all our names will be engraved in the exploration hall."

After a round of mutual praise and flattery, Liliwa looked out over the desolate Death Star and told the sensor operator, "Samples. We need samples now!"

"A creature is moving slowly 730 meters to the northwest. Its energy reading is between 5 and 10 Bel."

Seeing that Liliwa intended to go himself, First Officer Xialis hurriedly stopped him. "Captain, let me take two capture specialists instead. You should stay aboard the Starmoon and oversee things!"

"Xialis, you're far too cautious. A creature with an energy reading of only 5 Bel couldn't possibly pose any danger. You stay aboard the Starmoon."

Giving Xialis no chance to argue, Liliwa led two capture specialists away from the exploration ship.

Several kilometers away, Zhang Fan saw them heading toward a juvenile Rabid Hound and roughly guessed their intentions.

Zhang Fan smiled at a Night Ape beside him. "I've prepared their gift, but I can't let them take it away so easily. They'll have to leave something behind in return."

The Night Ape let out a series of cackling roars, and hundreds of Sword Mantises charged toward the Rebecca People.

"Have two Broodmothers hatch a few larvae near them!"

Two enormous Broodmothers crawled out of the ground and brazenly began hatching larvae less than a hundred meters from the Rebecca exploration ship.

"Captain, two creatures with energy readings above 60 Bel have suddenly appeared near the Starmoon."

Liliwa asked anxiously, "Are they doing anything? Order the guards to protect the Starmoon. We've captured the sample and are heading back!"

"They show no intention of attacking. They... seem to be... reproducing!"

Liliwa laughed. "Primitive creatures. They don't even choose a proper place to breed. Still, we'd best not provoke creatures with readings of 60 Bel."

After a brief silence, a panicked warning came through the communicator. "Captain, hurry back! A large number of creatures with readings of 30 Bel are converging on you. They're displaying extremely strong aggression. Get back here!"

Hearing the sensor operator's alarmed cry, Liliwa and the two capture specialists immediately picked up their pace, but they were no match for the Sword Mantises' speed.

In mere seconds, hundreds of Sword Mantises surrounded the three Rebecca People. But Zhang Fan's goal was not to slaughter them; it was to test their abilities.

The Rebecca People used energy attacks, and that energy actually came from inside their bodies. This greatly intrigued Zhang Fan.

Thirty Sword Mantises isolated one capture specialist, while the others feinted attacks to drive off Liliwa and his remaining companion, who were carrying the juvenile Rabid Hound.

Zhang Fan only needed to break down one of them. He wanted to leave the genes for producing energy attacks within the body on Death Star. After all, this was his nest!

"Xialis, get ready! We've broken through. Take off as soon as we arrive."

The reply from the communicator finally put Liliwa somewhat at ease. "We're ready for takeoff!"

After a desperate fight, Liliwa finally broke through the encirclement. He was less than a hundred meters from the Starmoon, but just as he thought victory was within reach, dozens of Night Apes suddenly appeared in front of the ship.

"Send out the guards! More unidentified creatures have appeared!"

Xialis sounded puzzled. "There's nothing on the scanners."

"Stop wasting words! These damned creatures are standing right in front of us. Hurry!"

Dozens of fully armed soldiers rushed out of the Starmoon. Their energy weapons were incredibly powerful; a single energy blast could pierce a Night Ape's defenses.

Zhang Fan smiled. "Impressive. I'll gladly take those weapons!"

The Night Apes attacked the Starmoon furiously, targeting only the Rebecca People without boarding the ship.

After losing three guards and both capture specialists, Liliwa finally made it aboard the Starmoon, shaken but safe.

The Starmoon quickly took off and left the incredibly dangerous planet.

Watching the alien spacecraft recede into a point of starlight, Zhang Fan smiled. "I can finally leave."

He glanced at the Broodmother beside him. "I'm leaving Death Star to you. When I return, I hope you'll all be ready."

After the Broodmother bowed low before Zhang Fan's main Broodmother body, his consciousness entered a Protozoan that had already slipped aboard the Starmoon during the chaos.

Liliwa, captain of the Starmoon, removed his outer biological armor, revealing his true body: less than a meter tall, with emerald-green, elongated ears, a pointed mouth, and short limbs.

Zhang Fan, lying quietly outside a pipe, had no interest in him. The biological armor he had just removed, however, drew Zhang Fan's full attention.

That armor is amazing. Six tentacles for close combat, and energy blasts for ranged attacks. These tiny creatures have such advanced biotechnology.

Zhang Fan did not care where he was being taken. For now, he needed to analyze the genes he had plundered and hide quietly aboard the Starmoon. Once they reached their homeworld, he would evolve further.

"Captain, that was far too dangerous. I never expected the creatures on that planet to possess such primitive aggression."

Liliwa paid no attention to Xialis's words. Staring at the Rabid Hound he had captured with such difficulty, he laughed. "How much do you think the Explorers' Committee will pay for this thing?"

After making an estimate, Xialis said, "If we make our account of that battle a little more exciting, I believe two million Starmoon Coins should be no problem!"

Liliwa was clearly dissatisfied with that figure. "What if we sell it on the black market? They love creatures that have never been discovered before."

Xialis shook his head. "Under the Interstellar Exploration Law, half the development rights to this planet belong to its discoverers. Captain, don't lose something big for a small gain."

Liliwa slapped his little green forehead and exclaimed, "I actually forgot something that important! Our losses in that battle were so great that all I could think about was getting more money to compensate the families of our fallen brothers. Good thing you reminded me."

"It's my duty!"

After three short-range warps, the Starmoon returned to its homeworld, Rebecca Star. Liliwa had brought back not only a carbon-silicon life-form specimen, but also dozens of carbon-silicon Protozoans hiding in the pipes.

As soon as the Starmoon came to a stop, Liliwa eagerly took the Rabid Hound to the Interstellar Exploration Association for appraisal, while the ship's crew went to attend a celebration banquet.

Dozens of Protozoans silently attached themselves to the crew members and infiltrated the blue planet. Zhang Fan decided to begin with lower life-forms and plunder the best genes, leaving the Rebecca People for last.

This time, Zhang Fan did not rush straight into evolving. What he needed now was patience-to calmly wait until his Worm Legion reached sufficient numbers.

This time, he would be facing not primitive species, but intelligent alien people with technology more advanced than Earth's.

Until he had the strength to crush them, lying low and building up his forces was unquestionably the best choice.