Chapter Summaries

The Human Fleet entered Andromeda’s central region after discovering that the Neutral Faction’s level seven civilizations would tolerate its passage. It reached the Cleaners’ territory, where [9436] warned the Enroget Civilization to leave but avoided attacking it.

• Lü Yongchang and Lin Zile reasoned that level five civilizations’ tachyon broadcasts were obscuring messages from higher-level civilizations, and Zero continued monitoring the signals.
• The Human Fleet received a broadcast from the level seven Tinka Civilization, which identified itself as part of the Neutral Faction and asked the fleet to pass along a message to Silicon Stingray.
• After learning more about the Neutral Faction, Lü Yongchang abandoned the fleet’s detour and led it through Andromeda’s Central Black Hole Region.
• The fleet passed through the region unchallenged and mapped territories associated with Neutral Faction civilizations and the Cleaners’ vassals.
• [9436] warned the Enroget Civilization that it had entered Cleaners territory, then shut off the screen rather than risk attacking a Neutral Faction civilization.

Lü Yongchang received rumors that level six civilizations were gathering to observe the twin black hole merger and advance together, but he suspected a trap and ordered the Human Fleet onward. When the fleet entered Alcott Civilization’s territory, Lü invoked the Silicon-Based Alliance, and Alcott retreated after mistaking the fleet’s micro-universe technology for proof that it was a level seven civilization.

• Lü Yongchang learned that level six civilizations were sharing rumors about the coming twin black hole merger and agreeing to pool their observations and research.
• Lü inspected the dim Basic Understanding of Dark Matter technology, then ordered Zero to keep the fleet moving toward the black holes despite suspecting a trap.
• In Earth Calendar year 10120, the Human Fleet appeared near an unnamed stellar system and triggered Alcott Civilization’s alarms and defensive encirclement.
• Lü ordered the fleet into a defensive formation, deployed ships and Planetary Fortresses, and identified the humans as the Enroget Civilization affiliated with the Silicon-Based Alliance.
• Alcott mistook the fleet’s micro-universe technology for evidence of a level seven civilization, ordered its forces to retreat, and offered compensation.

Lü Yongchang arranged for Human Civilization and the Alcott Civilization to share a stellar system while they waited for two black holes to merge. He learned that unaffiliated level six civilizations had gathered to pursue a rumor about the merger, then invented a theory about dark matter to conceal Human Civilization’s real reason for being there.

• Alcott apologized to the Enroget Civilization, invited it to share the stellar system, and sent a survey report as compensation.
• Lü Yongchang moved Human warships into orbit around several planets, while Alcott kept its fleet at a distance to avoid misunderstandings.
• Academicians asked Lü Yongchang for permission to study Alcott’s hive-minded society, but he hesitated because Alcott was an independent civilization.
• Alcott told Lü Yongchang that it could not pass the Neutral Faction’s civilization potential test and that most civilizations observing the merger were unaffiliated level six civilizations.
• Alcott asked whether Lü Yongchang knew the rumor that the black hole merger concealed secrets of level seven civilizations, and Lü Yongchang denied it.
• Lü Yongchang claimed the merger might trigger changes in dark matter, then admitted to He Bilin and the other academicians that he had made the theory up.

Lü Yongchang prepared Human Civilization for a possible threat after a rumor linked the Cleaners Civilization to the Andromeda Galaxy’s core. Centuries later, as two black holes merged, their effects on spacetime and dark matter gave Human Civilization its first chance to observe dark matter directly.

• Lü Yongchang told Alcott that the rumor might have come from near the Andromeda Galaxy’s core, and Alcott insisted that the Cleaners Civilization had never fought a large-scale war there.
• Lü Yongchang quietly ordered Human Civilization to prepare for war, while its factories dismantled planets and converted stellar energy into antimatter.
• In Earth calendar year 10309, AGBH-01 and AGBH-02 made initial contact, and their accretion disks produced powerful radiation and gravitational waves.
• By Earth calendar year 10679, the black holes’ accretion disks had merged and vast jets of plasma extended from them.
• Lü Yongchang realized that the black holes’ gravitational effects and jets were making dark matter observable, and Human Civilization began collecting data faster than Zero could process it.

As the black hole merger exposed dark matter fluctuations, Human Civilization raised the alarm and prepared for an attack by the Cleaners Civilization. Lü Yongchang called Silicon Ray for help, but the chapter ended with the Cleaners’ fleet appearing and Silicon Ray warning Humanity not to attack.

• Lü Yongchang ordered the war alarm sounded and the combat fleets to leave the micro-universe as the dark matter fluctuations became visible.
• Alcott realized the Enroget Civilization’s theory about black hole mergers and dark matter might be true, but missed the observation window and only belatedly noticed the incoming danger.
• Lü Yongchang told Zhao Zijie to transmit the silicon-based civilization’s insignia and send Silicon Ray a distress call.
• The Cleaners Civilization’s silvery-white warships, including a likely White Dwarf Fortress, appeared outside the unnamed stellar system.
• Zhao Zijie reported that Silicon Ray was coming but warned Human Civilization not to attack the Cleaners, leaving Lü Yongchang and the fleet on edge.

The Cleaners Civilization tried to seize the Alcott Civilization while Human Civilization prepared to withdraw, but Silicon Stingray’s promise of support gave Lü Yongchang the confidence to claim Alcott as Enroget’s vassal. The Cleaners fleet halted rather than strike first, leaving the standoff unresolved.

• [9436] ordered the Cleaners fleet to withdraw and pursue another target before the Gardener Faction attacked the Andromeda Node.
• When the Alcott Civilization’s fleet emerged, the Cleaners Civilization threatened Human Civilization and demanded it leave Alcott behind.
• Lü Yongchang ordered Human Civilization to retreat and refused Alcott’s plea for help, even when Alcott offered to become its vassal.
• After receiving Silicon Stingray’s message that it was coming, Lü Yongchang stopped the retreat and declared that Alcott was Enroget’s vassal, warning the Cleaners Civilization that an attack would mean war with the Neutral Faction.
• Lü Yongchang sent the Cleaners Civilization a vassal agreement and dared it to strike first, while [9436] fumed and the Cleaners fleet remained still.

Lü Yongchang held the Human Fleet in front of the Cleaners while Silicon Ray arrived to confront them over the black hole merger and attacks on unaffiliated civilizations. The Cleaners withdrew without evidence against them, and Silicon Ray headed to the Unnamed Stellar System to replenish its energy before promising to explain the Neutral Faction’s agreement.

• [9436] threatened the Enroget Civilization, but Lü Yongchang dismissed the threat and kept the Human Fleet facing the Cleaners.
• Lü Yongchang ordered the Eugene-operated defensive ships to shut down their shields to show the Cleaners he would not back down.
• Silicon Ray appeared between the fleets and demanded that the Cleaners explain the black hole merger and attacks on unaffiliated civilizations.
• [9436] demanded evidence, and Silicon Ray could not provide any because the Cleaners had turned the witnesses into vassals or left no evidence of an attack.
• The Cleaners fleet entered a wormhole and withdrew after [9436] issued one last threat to the Enroget Civilization.
• Silicon Ray told Lü Yongchang it would explain the agreement later, then flew into the blue giant to replenish its energy.

After learning that the Cleaners had broken the agreement underpinning the balance among the three factions, Lü Yongchang decided Human Civilization would leave the Andromeda Galaxy after reaching level seven. He ordered the fleet to seek resources and accelerate its research, while the Cleaners Andromeda Branch assembled its strongest forces near the central black hole.

• Silicon Ray told Lü Yongchang that the Cleaners had captured unaffiliated civilizations and that the Neutral Faction's agreement with the Cleaners and Gardener Faction had preserved a balance of power.
• Lü Yongchang learned that the Neutral Faction was divided and that the Silicon-Based Alliance's stance on confronting the Cleaners was uncertain.
• Lü Yongchang suspected that the Cleaners had used the two-dimensionalized Proxima Centauri to develop two-dimensional technology.
• Lü Yongchang told Silicon Ray that Human Civilization would leave the Andromeda Galaxy once it became a level seven civilization, and Silicon Ray said it hoped they could find a safe corner together.
• Lü Yongchang ordered the fleet toward the outer regions of Andromeda and told Zero to wake the Academy of Sciences and postpone all leave.
• The Cleaners Andromeda Branch assembled three White Dwarf Fortresses, one Neutron Fortress, and its Spherical Warships near the Andromeda Central Black Hole Region.

Human Civilization advanced to level seven after Lü Yongchang completed the final step of dark matter theory research. Meanwhile, the Parent Civilization ordered the Cleaners to defend the Universe-Spanning Accelerator and authorized retaliation against the Neutral Faction, while [Thread] and [Time] awaited a gathering of dimensional beings beyond Andromeda.

• [9436] and [9435] read the Parent Civilization's order to defend the accelerator and treat unusual actions by the Neutral Faction as provocations warranting unrestricted retaliation.
• [Thread] and [Time] emerged through a wormhole beyond Andromeda and waited for reinforcements from the Cleaners Andromeda Branch.
• Dozens of dimensional beings arrived through wormholes, including threadlike, shadowlike, and paperlike lifeforms.
• Lü Yongchang completed the dark matter theory research aboard [Kuafu] and witnessed the level seven marker illuminate in the Technology Tree Space.
• Lü Yongchang noticed the Technology Tree Space's background had become clearer before being expelled from it and swept by a surge of energy that went unnoticed by Fang Xu.

After Human Civilization became a level seven civilization, Lü Yongchang led five hundred years of breakthroughs in dark matter, spacetime, and matter-energy technology, while the Human Federation rapidly expanded its military strength. With a micro-universe severing experiment approaching, Lü Yongchang prepared to contact Silicon Ray before Humanity set out on its long voyage.

• Lü Yongchang announced that Human Civilization had become a level seven civilization after a breakthrough in dark matter theory.
• Lü Yongchang and the Academy of Sciences pursued dark matter weapons and technologies, while other teams advanced spacetime research.
• Over five hundred years, Lü Yongchang helped develop dark matter collection and conversion, micro-universe severing, long-range jump technology, and matter-energy conversion.
• Human Civilization built a small White Dwarf-Class Warship Formation whose combat power surpassed that of its former twenty-thousand-ship Star-Class formation.
• Lü Yongchang scheduled a micro-universe severing experiment targeting a micro-universe ten light-years in diameter and ordered a tachyon message sent to Silicon Ray.

Human Civilization began cutting a ten-light-year region from the greater universe to create its first micro-universe. As the experiment entered its separation phase, Silicon Ray learned that the Enroget Civilization had already reached level seven and completed preparations for its intergalactic voyage.

• Human Civilization sent 493 Spatial Cutting Ships and the White Dwarf-Class [Kuafu] to a selected region containing five stellar systems.
• Lü Yongchang ordered the 493 ships to cut the ten-light-year region, forming a temporary spatial membrane around it.
• Lü Yongchang ordered [Kuafu] to use its grand unified field to push the micro-universe away from the greater universe and then tether it nearby.
• Two months earlier, Silicon Ray arrived in the region of its micro-universe after collecting several stellar systems along the way.
• Silicon Ray received a tachyon message from the Enroget Civilization and learned that it had already become a level seven civilization and completed preparations for intergalactic travel.

Silicon Ray traveled toward the Enroget Civilization while warning them about intergalactic travel, then detected a nearby micro-universe separation. The Human Federation successfully created and captured a micro-universe, but an unknown fleet approaching at 10000c triggered combat readiness as the Membrane ordered an attack on the Cleaners Civilization’s accelerator nodes.

• Silicon Ray warned the Enroget Civilization that intergalactic travel was dangerous, but they insisted their voyage preparations were complete.
• Silicon Ray gathered stellar systems for supplies and detected spacetime fluctuations suggesting that a nearby civilization had cut out a micro-universe.
• Lü Yongchang and the Human Federation’s researchers successfully separated a ten-light-year micro-universe, while [Kuafu] began towing it.
• The Human Federation detected an unidentified fleet traveling at 10000c, and Lü Yongchang ordered Zero to request its identity and announce who they were.
• The Membrane received a report that the Laniakea Supercluster branch was assembled and ordered the operation to destroy the Cleaners Civilization’s Universe-Spanning Accelerator Nodes.

Human Civilization completed its relocation and set out with the Silicon Stingray Civilization for the M87 galaxy, seeking resources and a powerful ally. As they traveled toward Andromeda’s edge, [Time] and other four-dimensional beings secretly entered the galaxy through a wormhole.

• Lü Yongchang learned the approaching object was the Silicon Stingray Civilization and told the Silicon Ray that Human Civilization had mastered advanced technologies, shocking it.
• After [Kuafu] returned with the micro-universe, Human Civilization relocated and Lü Yongchang announced their destination was the M87 galaxy.
• The Silicon Ray agreed to go, then advised them to gather stellar systems and use an old wormhole device to shorten the journey from Andromeda’s edge.
• Human Civilization and the Silicon Stingray Civilization set off toward the edge of Andromeda with ample resources, continuing some research during the long voyage.
• [Time] and other four-dimensional beings opened a subtle wormhole on the Andromeda-Milky Way Intergalactic Bridge and slipped into Andromeda unnoticed.

Lü Yongchang’s research into Spacetime Extension Technology led him to connect the Cleaners Civilization’s unusually small ships with advanced spatial manipulation. After receiving a message from the Biological Laboratory, he rushed to find Mao Zhengzhi, leaving the nature of the discovery unrevealed.

• Humanity’s new micro-universe filled with 1,500 stellar systems as the fleet traveled across the Andromeda Galaxy, while research focused on theory and branch technologies to protect it.
• Lü Yongchang’s team achieved a breakthrough in Spacetime Extension Technology by fitting 1.0001 cubic meters of material into one cubic meter of space.
• Lü Yongchang concluded that the Cleaners Civilization’s smaller warships likely used sophisticated spatial extension technology, which could explain their unexpectedly strong combat performance.
• Zero alerted Lü Yongchang to a priority message from Mao Zhengzhi and Lu Siyuan, prompting Lü Yongchang to hurry to the Biological Laboratory.
• A researcher told Lü Yongchang that Mao Zhengzhi had been studying the Alcott civilization’s hive consciousness after research on the Nus Civilization’s consciousness stalled.
• Lü Yongchang reached experiment chamber one and told the researcher to keep his arrival secret for now.

Lü Yongchang discovered that Mao Zhengzhi and Zhu Ziwen had equipped intelligent Lost Giant Insects with Exoskeleton Armor and short-range jump functions. He proposed turning them into semi-silicon-based, self-reproducing troops called the Lost Insect Swarm, capable of threatening advanced warships.

• Lü Yongchang entered the biological laboratory and found Lost Giant Insects wearing silvery Exoskeleton Armor.
• Lu Siyuan explained that Nus controlled the insects and greeted Lü Yongchang through them.
• Mao Zhengzhi and Zhu Ziwen discussed equipping the insects with Dark Matter Cannons, but their bodies could not withstand the weapons.
• Mao Zhengzhi explained that the team had incorporated hive-mind genes, modified Nus to control the insects, and fitted them with armor capable of short-range jumps.
• Lü Yongchang proposed consulting the Silicon Ray to create semi-silicon-based insects, adding Nanopods, and building self-sustaining breeding and modification production lines.
• Lü Yongchang named the envisioned force the Lost Insect Swarm.

As the Human Fleet and Silicon Ray reached the outskirts of the Andromeda Galaxy, an unidentified level eight civilization approached. Lü Yongchang recognized its message dictionary as belonging to the Gardener Faction, raising fears that they would discover Human Civilization had captured a two-dimensional lifeform.

• After two years of research, Lü Yongchang returned to the fleet as Human Civilization and Silicon Ray reached the outskirts of the Andromeda Galaxy and replenished their supplies.
• Silicon Ray watched the Enroget Civilization’s crew repair the escort warships and recalled its long loneliness, deciding it had to join the expedition rather than be left alone again.
• A fast-moving vessel approached, prompting Silicon Ray to ready its Dark Matter Cannon and Human Civilization to sound the alarm.
• Lü Yongchang sent a message asking the approaching civilization’s intentions and learned from its reply that it used the dictionary of [Hua].
• Silicon Ray reassured Lü Yongchang that the newcomers belonged to the Gardener Faction, while Lü Yongchang feared they might discover the captured two-dimensional lifeform.

Human Civilization and Silicon Ray encountered two dimensional beings from the Gardener Faction, who forced them to stay in the Andromeda Galaxy until the faction completed its plan against the Cleaners. The chapter left Lü Yongchang resigned to waiting and ordered Zero to monitor the region around the galaxy’s central black hole.

• Lü Yongchang asked Silicon Ray why the Gardener Faction had appeared in the Andromeda Galaxy, but Silicon Ray admitted it did not know.
• Two dimensional beings, Thread and Time, arrived and confronted Silicon Ray while Human Civilization’s fleet went silent.
• Thread and Time revealed that their presence was an internal Gardener Faction matter and demanded that Silicon Ray and the Enroget Civilization stay in the Andromeda Galaxy until their plan was complete.
• Silicon Ray agreed to the demand, and a month later Thread and Time escorted it and Human Civilization to the galaxy’s edge.
• Lü Yongchang asked whether they could escape using the Empire’s Wormhole Device, but Silicon Ray warned that the dimensional beings could detect and stop them.
• Lü Yongchang ordered Zero to monitor the region around the Andromeda Galaxy’s central black hole and report anything unusual.

[Time] discovered that the Enroget Civilization was actually the Human Civilization, which had advanced from level four to level seven in less than ten thousand years. Just as [Time] and [Thread] prepared to warn others, the Gardener Faction ordered its attack on the Cleaners Civilization, and a powerful spacetime disturbance erupted near Andromeda’s central black hole.

• [Thread] warned [Time] that the Enroget Civilization’s warship designs resembled those of a civilization they had encountered in the Milky Way.
• [Time] searched the timeline and saw the Enroget Civilization’s history, including its arrival from the edge of the Milky Way.
• [Time] told [Thread] that the Enroget Civilization was the Human Civilization, prompting them to try to open a wormhole.
• [Time] canceled the wormhole when the Gardener Faction ordered an attack on the Cleaners Civilization, and [Thread] followed them toward Andromeda’s central black hole region.
• A powerful burst of spacetime fluctuations erupted in the Andromeda Galaxy’s central black hole region.

After five years of waiting, Human Civilization detected abnormal spacetime fluctuations in the Andromeda Galaxy as the Gardener Faction attacked the Cleaners. The Cleaners suffered heavy losses in the opening clash and ordered the deployment of Four-Dimensional Shock Bombs.

• Lü Yongchang watched the Andromeda Galaxy's Central Black Hole Region and complained about the Gardener Faction's delay.
• Human Civilization detected abnormal spacetime fluctuations in the target region.
• [9436] and [9435] recognized the Gardener Faction's attack, and the Cleaners Andromeda Branch sent out its warships and fortresses.
• The Gardener Faction's dimensional beings drained the Cleaners' Four-Dimensional Shields and reduced many warships to lower dimensions, destroying them.
• The Cleaners lost more than a tenth of their warships in the opening clash, and their commander ordered the deployment of Four-Dimensional Shock Bombs.

The Cleaners Civilization used Four-Dimensional Shock Bombs and Dark Matter Cannons to devastate the Gardener Faction’s lower-dimensional forces, while [Time] rescued [Thread]. With the Cleaners’ standard-model warships disabled but their fortresses intact, both sides prepared for the real battle.

• The Cleaners detonated Four-Dimensional Shock Bombs, disrupting the dimensional structures of the Gardener Faction’s lower-dimensional beings and weakening its four-dimensional forces.
• The Cleaners followed with a massive Dark Matter Cannon barrage that killed at least ten dimensional beings and left heavy atoms scattered across the battlefield.
• [Time] shielded the damaged [Thread], then opened a wormhole so [Thread] could retreat after their mission was complete.
• [Time] assessed that the Gardener Faction had disabled the Cleaners’ standard-model warships but still faced three White Dwarf Fortresses and the Neutron Fortress.
• The Cleaners’ four Planetary Fortresses underwent dimensional ascension as [Time] and the other four-dimensional beings charged toward the fleet.