Translator: AnubisTL
Black Tortoise Star, Central Continent City, Arena.
The Triennial Alchemist Convention was in full swing, the stands packed with spectators.
At that moment, all the alchemists had been introduced and were preparing for the first round of competition, which would eliminate some participants before the next round.
But then—
Woo—buzz—woo—buzz!
Woo—buzz—woo—buzz!!!
A piercing alarm blared throughout the entire stadium.
No.
No, it blared throughout the entire Central Continent City!
Every red indicator light in the city began flashing rapidly. In an instant, all the city's lights transformed into red and green, forming countless vein-like patterns across the city from the connected green indicator lights.
These green lights marked the paths to the air-raid shelters.
The spectators, who had been watching the competition moments before, now scrambled for the exits, their faces pale with panic. They fled in every possible way—some soared on swords, others drove their mechs, and still others sprinted toward the exits.
This was the highest level of alarm!
Such an alarm only rang when the Zerg Civilization invaded!
Everyone knew that the 27th Galaxy, where they lived, was located on the far western edge of the Kasha Civilization Federation, the closest to the Zerg Civilization. Once war broke out, their galaxy would be the first to be targeted.
But for centuries, no war had broken out. The initial anxiety gradually faded into complacency.
Centuries.
Enough time to wear down many things.
But—
One day, the Zerg Civilization truly arrived!
The alchemists and host on the stage, who had been focused on the triennial Alchemist Convention, now abandoned everything. Everyone rushed out in a frenzy, the Air-raid Shelters being their final refuge.
If the planet was hit, hiding in the shelters might still save them.
But if full-scale war erupted, with hundreds of planets being obliterated at a time, even the shelters would be futile. At that level of conflict, hiding anywhere was useless.
Individual strength was practically meaningless.
This was the power of civilizations—the collision of two highly advanced civilizations!
Chen Mang glared at Zhang Qiudao, who had returned with the young alchemist from the Venomous Serpent Sect. Without a word, he led his group through the refrigerator and back onto the Stellaris train parked outside the city, leaving the refrigerator behind.
He never imagined the war would erupt so quickly.
He didn't want it to happen.
Deep down, he truly didn't.
His Stellaris train was still too weak, and he hadn't accumulated enough resources. With only Tier 100 armor, he couldn't possibly influence the outcome of this war—heck, he might not even survive it.
He had hoped no war would break out until he had fully developed his strength.
But clearly...
Things had gone awry.
Standing in the locomotive cabin of the Stellaris train, Chen Mang stared at the galaxy map. It showed no sign of the Zerg Civilization's invasion forces, which was normal; the galaxy map only displayed the distribution of planets, not detailed military movements.
He then turned to the target acquisition radar screen.
"Nothing?"
His brow furrowed slightly. His target acquisition radar, a Tier 200 model, boasted a detection range of 0.1 light-years. Within this range, only the Kasha Civilization's rapidly assembling train army was visible in the galaxy.
There was no sign of the Zerg Civilization's military forces.
At least, not within 0.1 light-years.
His radar was Tier 200; he doubted the Zerg Civilization could evade its detection. This meant their army likely hadn't yet entered the 27th Galaxy. Had they been warned in advance?
"We leave immediately."
Without hesitation, Chen Mang confirmed with Xiao Ai that everyone had boarded the train and nothing was left behind. He immediately prepared to push the operating lever and depart from the Black Tortoise Star. There was no time to linger.
The 27th Galaxy was about to plunge into war, transforming into a meat grinder where countless planets would be pulverized.
But just then—
Several blindingly bright beams of light suddenly appeared in the otherwise clear sky.
Silent.
Under normal circumstances, Chen Mang might have taken a moment to appreciate the spectacle, as it was truly stunning. But now, only one thought consumed him.
It's over.
Completely over.
He hadn't even detected the Zerg Civilization on radar before the war erupted, seemingly in an instant. Those pillars of light were the manifestation of countless Arcanon Light Energy Cannons and other Cosmic-Class, Seven-colored grade firepower accessories firing simultaneously.
The target acquisition radar clearly displayed that each pillar of light carried an attack strength of Tier 101—just above the defense threshold of the Stellaris armor.
The cost of each pillar of light was equivalent to billions of resources, yet they were being unleashed indiscriminately, as if resources were worthless.
Simultaneously, public speakers in Central Continent City, parking lots, and all other public spaces blared out the following announcement:
[First-Level Combat Readiness.
Any train that leaves the planet and enters space will be targeted for destruction.]
"Return to Venomous Serpent Sect."
Chen Mang's expression shifted as he quickly checked the remaining resources on the train. He upgraded his armor to Tier 102, just two levels higher, but this consumed nearly all the train's substantial reserves of iron ore.
At this armor tier, he could withstand direct hits from most attacks.
For now, escape into space was impossible.
After reaching Tier 100, the armor's capabilities were no longer limited by tiers but by energy ranges. His Tier 102 armor could withstand a single shot from a Light Cannon, but not multiple strikes.
First, he needed to evacuate the Venomous Serpent Sect's disciples. Since the sect was now working for him, he couldn't let its members die here.
He had initially planned to take Young Master Li and the others as well, but he couldn't reach them now. Their fates would be left to heaven.
The Stellaris train raced at full speed, reaching the Venomous Serpent Sect in mere minutes. A large number of disciples had been waiting there. The moment the train doors opened, they surged into the train, their faces filled with terror, as if driven mad.
"It's over."
Inside the locomotive cabin, Chen Mang stared at the galaxy map, his expression shifting like the weather. Though no alarm sounded, several planet names had already vanished from the display.
This meant they had entered a supernova-level war.
Remaining on Black Tortoise Star was no longer safe. Once the planet exploded, the shockwave would engulf the train. He had to leave immediately, even if the Kasha Civilization tightened its blockade.
Without hesitation, he activated the Tier 200 Radar Jammer at full power.
Then, with a violent yank of the control stick, the train shot upward at a steep angle, like a mechanical dragon soaring into the heavens. It pierced through the atmosphere and hurtled into space.
The moment it broke free of the atmosphere, Chen Mang witnessed a scene of devastating beauty.
Countless fragments of planets scattered across the cosmos at thousands of kilometers per second, like a giant shotgun blast fired at the 27th Galaxy.
These fragments crashing into other planets would cause global catastrophes, similar to the asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs, but far more frequent!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Countless fragments slammed against the train's surface at breakneck speed. Chen Mang, his expression grim, yanked the operating lever, pushing the train to its maximum speed as it fled into the depths of space, braving the hail of debris.
With his Tier 200 Radar Jammer and Tier 200 Target Acquisition Radar, he could achieve complete stealth on the battlefield.
As long as he kept his distance, he could escape undetected, like a Divine Ghost.
Just then—
The train screeched to a halt, its abrupt deceleration sending a violent jolt through Chen Mang's chest, making even the Built-in Space Stabilizer's effects feel unbearable.
Before he could investigate what had happened—
Boom!
A pillar of light shot past the locomotive, hurtling into the cosmos.
Only then did a warning message appear on the train's screen.
[Detected rapid approach of firepower. Estimated time to impact: 0.000000001 seconds.
Attack intensity: Tier 101.
Recommended response: Evade.]
"Phew."
Chen Mang let out a sigh of relief, yanking the control stick again to flee into the distance. He murmured softly, "Thanks, Xiao Ai."
He already knew that Xiao Ai had forcefully taken control of the train and slammed on the brakes—this was the authority he had granted him.
The Arcanon Light Energy Main Cannon's attack was a beam traveling at the speed of light. There was simply no time to warn him.
Three hours later.
He was now piloting the Stellaris train, hurtling at breakneck speed to the outskirts of the 27th Galaxy. The abundant dust and debris served as excellent cover, making him nearly invisible in the cosmos, undetected by anyone.
He didn't dare linger.
He kept his hand firmly on the control stick, pushing it relentlessly.
By now, he had put two and two together.
The Zerg Civilization hadn't invaded at all. The target acquisition radar showed it clearly: all the attacks had originated from the Kasha Civilization's trains, and those planets had been destroyed by the Kasha Civilization's trains.
Has the Kasha Civilization gone mad?
Chen Mang knew the Kasha Civilization had destroyed many civilizations before, but at least those conflicts had some justification. The First-Tier Civilizations in the 27th Galaxy had done nothing to warrant annihilation. What on earth were the Kasha Civilization doing?
Especially...
What a colossal waste of resources this level of war entailed!
A Tier 50 Arcanon Light Energy Main Cannon required 5 billion units of iron ore, but with its overpowered effect that halved consumption, only 2.5 billion units were needed. However, a Tier 101 version required hundreds of billions.
At this level, its destructive power was sufficient to shatter stars. A few shots and a planet would explode.
"..."
Chen Mang sat in his chair, his expression darkening as he watched the scenes unfolding on the target acquisition radar. He had survived, but his plans had been completely disrupted. His scheme to build a powerful interest group and amass vast resources had been completely shattered!
He had prepared so much. Just as he was about to reap the rewards, it all vanished.
The train's resources were now almost depleted.
There were no mining stars nearby.
If the 27th Galaxy is completely annihilated, he'll be left wandering the cosmos, barely scraping by on the meager iron ore he could extract daily from the Cyber Mines. He couldn't fathom what the Kasha Civilization was trying to achieve with this madness!
Meanwhile, on the Cosmic Space Station, a middle-aged man roared into his walkie-talkie, his face contorted with fury: "Have you lost your mind? What are you doing? Didn't I clearly instruct you to only target 27 planets?"
"What the hell are you trying to accomplish?!"
"Does bombarding 27 planets require firing so many main cannons?"
On the other end of the line was Commander Zhang Shaoping, the commander of the Kasha Civilization Garrison stationed in the 27th Galaxy, and also the man's own brother—a half-brother from the same father but different mother. But once the plan was set in motion, it slipped from his control, even his own brother refusing to heed his commands.
Inside a high-tier train of the Kasha Civilization, a man in military uniform held the walkie-talkie away from his ear. Stretching lazily with a satisfied expression, he replied nonchalantly:
"Don't fret, Brother."
"The military has its own attack protocols. Once war begins, there's no such thing as a 'minor strike.' We must conduct a saturation bombardment."
"I've got this under control."
With that, he hung up the line.
He lit a cigarette, propped his feet on the control panel, and gazed at the fireworks exploding endlessly across the cosmos, a grin spreading across his face. "So beautiful," he murmured. "I can almost hear the anguished cries of billions of lives."
He knew exactly why his younger brother had proposed this plan: to destroy the concealed strategic wormholes and cover up his own mistakes.
But the reason he had immediately agreed to the plan wasn't because of their blood ties.
It was because he, too, had some debts to settle.
The 27th Galaxy was the closest galaxy to the Zerg Civilization. In the event of war, it would be both the first and largest theater of conflict, and therefore stockpiled far more strategic resources than any other galaxy.
So much warstockpiled resources...
Yet no war had broken out for so long.
Who could resist sitting on such a vast treasure trove day after day?
He certainly couldn't.
A little today, a little tomorrow, until his personal coffers bulged. But as the takings mounted, he began to feel uneasy. He'd taken too much. The disappearance of so many resources couldn't be explained away by military exercises alone.
After all, military exercises didn't involve full-intensity live-fire drills. They couldn't possibly consume resources on such a scale.
Just as his headache was at its peak, his "good brother" delivered a perfect solution.
A single war would settle all the accounts. All resources could be expended on wartime expenses, and he'd only need to inflate the firing records of the main cannons. Not only would this clear all the debts, but it would also net him a substantial profit.
"Rest assured," the man said, smiling at his adjutant. "Everyone gets a share. Anyone who sticks with me gets their cut. As for those seventeen stubborn ones... we'll send them on their way."
"Commander, you're brilliant!" The adjutant stood at attention, saluting with fervor. This time, he was certain to get a generous share.
This Commander is the best. We eat our fill every day.
The war lasted only ten minutes before the frenzied bombardment ceased. No one knew how many shots had been fired, but the war's aftermath would ripple through every surviving planet.
"Hold on!"
"Everyone, hold on!"
On Black Tortoise Star, countless Golden Core and Nascent Soul cultivators, who had spent their days in arduous cultivation, now emerged like spring shoots after rain. They hovered in the air, unleashing relentless attacks against the fragments of debris crashing down like a cosmic tempest.
The true depth of the Cultivation World's power was now fully revealed.
If any other civilization had witnessed this spectacle, they might have been astonished to find that Black Tortoise Star harbored so many Nascent Soul experts.
One after another, the plummeting fragments exploded mid-air, disintegrating into dust.
Yet countless more slammed into the earth, their impacts triggering massive explosions that shook the ground like a Dragon's thrash, collapsing mountains and reducing countless villages and cities to scenes of earthly hell.
Though countless cultivators hovered in the air, desperately resisting, even their combined efforts could only destroy smaller fragments. Before long, many of these experts exhausted their spiritual energy and were instantly vaporized upon impact.
The burning fragments rained down like a Tier 10 forbidden spell, purging the entire planet.
Just then, eight pillars of light, each a different color, rose simultaneously from the eight corners of Black Tortoise Star.
The pillars rapidly ascended and expanded outward, merging into a luminous barrier that enveloped the entire planet.
The meteorite fragments that struck this glowing shield disintegrated into dust. Astonishingly, even fragments hurtling at thousands of kilometers per second couldn't breach this seemingly thin layer of light.
"Father."
Black Tortoise Star, Heavenly Secrets Pavilion.
The Pavilion Master knelt on the ground, gazing at an elderly figure seated cross-legged on the mountain's rear slope. Blood streamed down his cheeks as he roared, each word dripping with bloodthirsty fury, "If I don't avenge this, I'm no longer human!"
A blinding crimson pillar of light rose from the old man's body, merging into the luminous barrier in the sky.
Every sect had its own foundation.
The Five Great Sects and Three Great Clans each had a Divine Transformation Stage expert as their guardian, and the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion was no exception.
Over a hundred years ago, the Eight Great Factions that had once stood in the Central Continent all relocated to remote, desolate regions. Speculations abounded: some thought they were avoiding the hustle of Central Continent City, while others believed they had discovered spirit stone mines or temporal rifts.
But only they knew the truth: these eight locations formed a perfect array that could cover the entire Black Tortoise Star.
Should the Black Tortoise Star ever come under attack from the Kasha Civilization, the Divine Transformation Stage experts stationed at these eight locations could activate the Heaven-Protecting Grand Formation at the cost of their lives, providing a temporary defense against the invasion.
For many years...
The Eight Great Factions, steeped in millennia-old rivalries, had long been locked in irreconcilable conflicts.
Until the arrival of the Kasha Civilization.
These factions set aside their hatred and devised intricate strategies, all to ensure the survival of Black Tortoise Star. In the face of a powerful external enemy, any internal strife would be viewed with shame. Even death should come at the hands of the enemy, not one's own kin.
Normally, the Divine Transformation experts of the Eight Great Clans never left their territories, fearing they might be unable to activate the Heaven-Protecting Grand Formation in an emergency.
At the Divine Transformation Stage, cultivators could traverse the cosmos with their physical bodies alone.
The eight patriarchs had a chance to survive.
But if even one chose to flee, the Heaven-Protecting Grand Formation would fail. Yet, all chose to face death calmly.
"Life is meant to be lived."
"As long as it's lived with purpose, death is never in vain."
The frail-looking elder, seated cross-legged on the mountain's rear slope, now radiated intense spiritual energy. His cloudy eyes slowly opened, flickering with a lingering attachment to the world. He gazed at the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion kneeling before him and spoke slowly.
"I've already used divine sense to observe the young man you mentioned."
"He's doing well."
"When he left, he even took disciples from the Venomous Serpent Sect with him."
"Even in such a critical moment, he didn't abandon the Venomous Serpent Sect's disciples. This young man values loyalty deeply, which is an advantage for us. But to survive well in the universe, this is also his greatest flaw."
"But—"
"The world is what it is."
"If—if Black Tortoise Star still has a future, bet on him. We don't have much time left. We no longer have millennia to slowly lay our plans."
"If the Heaven-Protecting Grand Formation fails to block all the meteorite fragments, countless lives will be lost, and Black Tortoise Star will perish. In that case, take the orphans we've secretly raised over these years, find him, and join his 'train'."
Just then, a mouthful of thick blood suddenly erupted from the old man's mouth. The surrounding spiritual energy surged, and the pillar of light above his head trembled. He hastily closed his eyes again, steadied his breathing, and stopped speaking, focusing entirely on maintaining the grand formation.
"Father."
The Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion knelt on the ground, his eyes red-rimmed, his voice trembling with sobs.
He actually wanted to selfishly say:
"We have the Small World. We could have hidden the entire sect within it. father, you could have taken us to the depths of the cosmos. We wouldn't have died, and if the common people perished, so what? Why bother with them?"
But he knew he couldn't say that.
He didn't dare say it.
His father had always been concerned for the common people, while he only knew that from now on, he would have no father.
He didn't know how much time had passed.
The noise around him faded.
When he looked up, his father was gone, leaving only a skeleton behind, with wisps of blue fire clinging to the bones.
The common people lived.
His father died.
Was it really worth it?
Three days later.
The Stellaris train returned to the 27th Galaxy and re-entered Black Tortoise Star. This time, there was no inspection. Central Continent City remained intact, except for the meteorites still lodged in the deep craters beyond the city walls.
It was as if nothing had ever happened.
Central Continent City's energy shield had withstood the initial impact of the meteorite fragments.
Chen Mang walked expressionlessly onto the streets of Central Continent City. He had returned, but this time, he would earn resources even more efficiently than before.
He couldn't endure the feeling of his life being completely in someone else's hands, especially when he had done nothing to deserve this calamity.
After this war, the 27th Galaxy lay utterly devastated.
[Kasha Daily]
[Three days ago, the Zerg Civilization's military forces secretly invaded the 27th Galaxy, destroying 29 planets and causing catastrophic damage.
But—
The Kasha Civilization Garrison stationed in the 27th Galaxy, led by Commander Zhang Shaoping, immediately engaged the enemy and successfully annihilated all hostile forces, securing the safety of the remaining planets in the galaxy.
All of this was made possible by the timely warning issued by Station Commander Zhang Qidi of the Kasha Civilization Strategic Space Station, which minimized the damage.
Below are interviews with the two heroes.]
Chen Mang stood at the street corner, his face impassive as he read the day's news that popped up on his wristband.
The headline read: "Good News."
Below it were the subheadings:
"Whistleblower Zhang Qidi"
"Sword Bearer Zhang Shaoping"
He glanced up at the mournful pedestrians on the street, then looked back down at the words "Good News." For a moment, he found the whole thing utterly ironic.
Whistleblower. Sword Bearer.
There had never been any Zerg Civilization invasion. Everything—every single thing—had been a self-directed, self-acted play by the Kasha Civilization.
The Kasha Civilization was truly cunning.
After the war ended, massive dust clouds formed in the cosmos. If left undisturbed, these dust clouds could have persisted for millions of years, plunging all planets in the galaxy into an ice age.
The gravitational forces within the galaxy were also disrupted by the explosions of dozens of planets.
One inner planet, close to its star, lost its gravitational balance and plummeted into the star at breakneck speed. A civilization vanished silently, without a trace.
They didn't even know the name of this civilization.
They didn't know its culture, its military strength, or anything about it. And just like that, it vanished.
Some outer planets, farther from the star, were flung out of the galaxy by the expanding orbits, like cosmic slingshots, beginning their own journeys as interstellar vagabonds.
The intersecting orbits of the remaining planets made collisions inevitable.
The chaotic gravitational forces triggered catastrophic tidal shifts, unleashing super earthquakes and tsunamis that swept across all surviving planets, claiming countless lives.
If no one intervened...
It would have been a true catastrophe.
Not a single person in the 27th Galaxy would have survived.
But—
The Kasha Civilization proved remarkably resourceful.
Immediately after the war, they cleared all the dust clouds from the galaxy and restored the gravitational fields. Except for the planet that had already plunged into the star, beyond saving, the gravity of all other planets was fully restored.
The 27th Galaxy seemed to have returned to its usual state, with dozens of planets orbiting their star.
But the number had significantly decreased.
And all of this—all the deaths of nearly ten billion lives—was reduced to a single message: "Good News."
Chen Mang stood silently on the streets of Central Continent City for a long time. He had always believed he wasn't a particularly good person.
He had taken resources from many people.
He had initially forced many people to work long hours for him every day.
He felt his moral standards were very low.
He had once believed that there were no purely evil people in this world. Everyone acted from their own perspective, and what seemed evil to you might be perfectly justified from their point of view.
But now, he realized that belief might have been wrong.
In this world, there were indeed some purely evil people—some utterly despicable individuals.
The Kasha Civilization was even more despicable than the Zerg Civilization.
At least the Zerg Civilization's objective was clear: to plunder resources. The Kasha Civilization, however, destroyed things without any discernible reason.
Just then—
As if sensing something, Chen Mang looked up and saw Young Master Li standing ahead, looking dazed and disoriented, accompanied by his attendants. During their last meeting, Young Master Li had been full of ambition, declaring his intention to turn the Great Onion Civilization into a tourist hotspot.
But this time, Young Master Li stood hunched over, his eyes bloodshot and his entire body trembling as he stared at Chen Mang. Behind him, his attendants wore Blazing Sun-branded uniforms and stood in a daze, equally disoriented.
After a long moment, large tears began to roll down Young Master Li's cheeks. His body went limp, collapsing to the ground where he twitched like a dead dog, his face pressed against the pavement. He whimpered, "Gone... it's all gone..."
Chen Mang remained silent for a while before crouching down and gently patting Young Master Li on the shoulder. He didn't know how to comfort people; it had never been his strong suit.
In the recent intelligence report, he had learned that among the 28 planets destroyed, three belonged to the Peace-Seeking Civilization and the Great Onion Civilization.
Yes.
The Great Onion Civilization had two planets in total: one as their homeworld, suitable for habitation, and the other completely covered in green onions.
Both planets exploded.
The Great Onion Civilization was annihilated.
He had previously seen civilizations destroyed by the Zerg Civilization on the galaxy map, but he had never felt the devastation so viscerally, especially with the Peace-Seeking Civilization.
He had just left the Peace-Seeking Civilization.
The new leader of the Peace-Seeking Civilization had been planning to ruthlessly purge all the parasites within the civilization, aiming to lead it to new heights. Just as he was clashing with the Jiang Family—
Disaster struck.
Peace Planet exploded.
Everyone on the planet was vaporized simultaneously.
Years of conflict had been erased in an instant. There would never again be any conflicts between the leaders of the Peace-Seeking Civilization and the Jiang Family.
At last, everyone could coexist peacefully, merging into one without distinction.
After a long silence.
After a moment of silence, Chen Mang murmured, "Stay with me from now on. I'll help you get your revenge."
No sooner had the words left his lips than Young Master Li, who had been desperately holding back his emotions, crumpled into Chen Mang's arms, sobbing uncontrollably. "I was planning to acquire a travel company, to develop the tourism industry of the Great Onion Civilization, to make my father finally acknowledge me."
"But..."
"I was so close to success! I was about to earn my father's approval!"
"I've been waiting for this my whole life!"
"Why? Why did war erupt without warning? Why was it the Great Onion Civilization that was bombed, not the Cultivation Civilization? Why?!"
Chen Mang remained silent, simply continuing to pat Young Master Li's back.
He had grown up without a father.
He had never received his father's approval.
But he had always believed one thing:
When a man desperately craves someone's approval, he's likely to make many wrong decisions. While men spend their lives striving for recognition, Chen Mang didn't like it.
He didn't know what it felt like to have a father—perhaps someone to cry to after a failure?
He'd never experienced that.
It sounded rather childish.
Ten minutes later.
Chen Mang continued walking down the street. He lit two cigarettes, placing one in his own mouth and offering the other to Zhou Shen beside him. Patting Zhou Shen's shoulder, he murmured, "My condolences."
Qiu Yisao, President of the Yisao Merchant Guild.
Zhou Shen, Chief Port Manager of Sanshui City.
Both were members of the Peace-Seeking Civilization.
Three days prior, the Peace-Seeking Civilization had been destroyed.
Though their families had been evacuated to the Stellaris train long ago, the sudden destruction of their civilization had plunged both men into deep grief. The entire city was shrouded in sorrow, the pervasive atmosphere of grief seeping into even Chen Mang's own heart.
"Thank you, Boss Mang," Zhou Shen forced out a smile, his voice trembling as he accepted the cigarette. "We owe our escape to you, for bringing my family onto the train and saving them from this calamity. I never imagined the situation would escalate to this point."
Until the very collapse of civilization.
The new leader of the Peace-Seeking Civilization and the Jiang Family never came to blows.
But the Jiang Family didn't need to worry about settling debts anymore; their accounts had been wiped clean.
Standing nearby, Qiu Yisao murmured despairingly, "Lord Mang, I wish I could hate the Zerg Civilization, but the disparity between us is too vast. I can't even muster the hatred. It's like we've endured a natural disaster."
"Do you think the Zerg Civilization and the Kasha Civilization will officially go to war?"
"Not in the short term."
Chen Mang gently patted Qiu Yisao's shoulder again. By now, he had become an emotional anchor, soothing the grief of those around him. The death toll was simply too high.
This wasn't just a city in mourning.
This was an entire galaxy in mourning.
Of course there wouldn't be war. The Zerg Civilization hadn't invaded at all. This was entirely a self-directed drama by the Kasha Civilization. Chen Mang didn't understand why the Kasha Civilization would do such a thing, but he kept this information to himself, not informing Zhou Shen and the others.
The people below still believed that their civilization had been destroyed by the Zerg Civilization, not the Kasha Civilization.
He still needed to accumulate resources quickly within the Kasha Civilization Federation to develop his strength.
If the people below showed too much hatred towards the Kasha Civilization, it could greatly increase the chances of complications during the execution of his plan.
This was something he knew, but there was no need to tell others.
The entire city was draped in mourning.
Everyone in Central Continent City was busy. Chen Mang wandered the streets, unsure what they were all rushing about for. Few were crying, and even fewer wore expressions of grief, yet the entire city was enveloped in a thick, oppressive atmosphere.
Thud.
Just then—
A violent impact echoed from behind.
Chen Mang and the others turned to see a twisted corpse lying in a pool of blood. It was clearly someone who had jumped from the skydeck of the tall building behind them. The onlookers glanced briefly at the scene before resuming their busy tasks, heads down.
"Should we help?" Xiao Ai murmured from behind him. "He's still breathing."
"No need."
Chen Mang paused for a moment, then shook his head lightly. "Let him pass in peace."
The man's fingertips trembled slightly.
A fragment of iron shot into his skull at a terrifying speed. This was the second person he had killed with his own hands—a stranger who had sought to end his life.
When the civilization behind you crumbles, you become a civilization-less wanderer, drifting aimlessly through the cosmos like a fallen leaf, uncertain where to call home. The man didn't feel this way for two reasons: first, his strong mental fortitude; second, the familiar presence of the Stellaris train within the locomotive cabin.
He simply hadn't rebuilt civilization yet, but he didn't consider himself a civilization-less wanderer.
He still had a home.
His home was on the train, in that not-too-spacious locomotive cabin where everything felt so familiar.
That was his home.
"It's alright."
Qi Kexiu, the young man responsible for accessory development, and his sister, who trailed behind the group, ran back and forth, comforting Zhou Shen, Young Master Li, and the others. "I was also a civilization-less wanderer," he said. "But after joining the Stellaris, I finally felt like I had a home."
"Lord Mang is a really good person."
"From now on, let's make this place our home. Let's work together and strive to someday take revenge on the Zerg Civilization."
These two young people were naturally empathetic.
Moreover, having once been a civilization-less wanderer himself, Chen Mang deeply understood the pain of having one's civilization destroyed. As he comforted the others, he found himself welling up with emotion.
"Wow..."
The little girl who had been handing out candy suddenly threw herself into Qi Kexiu's arms, her eyes red and tearful as she whimpered, "Brother, I miss my dad..."
Not long after...
Chen Mang encountered the old man from the Jimei Tourism Group again on the streets.
This universe was truly vast.
Vast enough that the destruction of dozens of planets had no discernible impact on the whole.
Yet also small enough that two strangers, without any prior connection, could meet on the streets of Central Continent City.
"Lord Mang."
Noticing Chen Mang, the old man's eyes reddened slightly as he took a deep breath to compose himself. Forcing a smile, he said, "We meet again."
"Mm."
Seeing the old man's expression, Chen Mang paused before softly asking, "Which civilization are you from?"
"The Jiang Ping Civilization."
"Jiang Ping Civilization."
Chen Mang repeated the name silently to himself. He remembered that the Good News had mentioned this civilization—it was one of those that had been destroyed this time.
"My condolences," he offered again before asking, "What happened to your Miss?"
"She jumped from the building."
A flicker of grief crossed the old man's eyes. "She couldn't accept that all her friends, family, even her entire people and home planet had been destroyed. When I wasn't watching, she leaped from the skyscraper and died instantly."
"Before she left, she entrusted me with the Train Conductor Authority."
Although he and the miss had always been at odds, even nearly rebelling against her, he had to admit he cared for her. After all, he had watched her grow up, like a child of his own. He simply wanted to build the company left by the Master into something greater. Before entrusting him with the Train Conductor Authority, she had said:
Although many unpleasant things have happened these past few days...
But in her heart, he would always be Uncle Wang, the man who used to push her on the swing when she was little. She couldn't understand why the adult world was filled with so much betrayal and conflict, why people couldn't just get along. Yet she still loved Uncle Wang dearly.
The adult world was so annoying.
She hated it.
She missed the days when her father was still alive, when they could all play together in harmony. If only time could be reversed.
She hoped Uncle Wang would continue to grow his company even stronger.
She no longer had the strength to seek revenge against the Philia Pirate Group. It was time for her to move on.
Chen Mang stared at the elderly man before him, someone clearly advanced in years yet still sitting ramrod straight, forcing a strained smile. After a long silence, he murmured softly:
"My condolences."
He had uttered those words countless times that day, until they felt hollow on his tongue.
"Work with me from now on."
"We can't just mourn in silence. We need to make our enemies mourn too."
(End of the Chapter)
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