"All right, now we've reached the final stage of the story," Xu Le said.
"The Dark Matter Sea kept growing, and countless Mother Nests and other monsters advanced toward the other side of the Local Group. Once I was certain all the preparations were complete, I used a Star-Level Weapon I'd found in the prison to begin the Star Ignition Plan."
He said, "Looking at it now, it was reasonably successful."
"The former Galaxy Alliance and the Dark Matter Sea destroyed each other, and you died too?" Jing Jiu asked.
"Yes," Xu Le said.
"Because you had to control that Star-Level Weapon?" Jing Jiu asked.
"Yes," Xu Le said.
Jing Jiu fell silent for a while, then said, "Even knowing you might die?"
"That weapon needed a control program, just as a body needs a soul," Xu Le said calmly. "It was very difficult to replicate an advanced civilization's control program. After searching everywhere, it seemed I was the only one qualified to do it."
Flower Creek's cold voice rose from the pile of rocks. "I could clearly have done it too."
Jing Jiu ignored her and continued looking at Xu Le. "You shut down the Charter Computer to keep her from stopping you?"
"Yes. I knew what she would do," Xu Le said. "Though, more accurately, that process should be called hibernation."
Jing Jiu looked quietly into his eyes and said, "So you died."
"Yes." Xu Le was silent for a while, then said with a smile, "I suppose... I'm dead now."
When the young military officer smiled, his eyes looked even smaller, but particularly full of life.
The cliff cave was quiet.
Liu S sui looked at Xu Le, reverence rising in his heart.
Zhao Layue looked at Xu Le with great admiration.
Looking at Xu