Translator: AnubisTL
In the cosmos.
Without atmospheric scattering or absorption, human eyes can see nearly infinitely far.
Of course, certain conditions must be met: the object must be bright enough, large enough, and unobstructed.
"..."
Inside the Stellaris train, Chen Mang sat in his chair, gazing out the window at the countless stars scattered across the black canvas of space. He stared intently, knowing it would take roughly 13 hours to catch up to the fleet of trains from the Unknown Civilization ahead.
Normally, he would have used this time to rest, ensuring he was in peak mental condition for any unexpected events that might arise.
But this was his first time traveling through the cosmos.
Like an inquisitive child, he couldn't stop looking around.
The Stellaris, a mechanical dragon of a train, appeared incredibly small against the vastness of space, filled with countless mysteries. For example...
Far to the left, a vast expanse of interstellar dust and gas formed a pink nebula.
The sheer scale of the nebula was breathtaking. Its vibrant pink hue, a shade so captivating it even held the attention of a man like Chen Mang, was truly stunning.
"It's so beautiful..."
Chen Mang stared blankly at the scene to his left, muttering to himself. He desperately wanted to describe it with a poem, but no suitable verse came to mind. He couldn't help but feel a pang of regret for not having studied more.
If only one day in the future...
I could somehow fit this pink nebula into my train.
Even Maybachs have starlight ceilings.
Surely it's only fitting for my Stellaris to have one too?
"What's wrong with the train conductor?"
Xiao Ai, sitting cross-legged on the floor of Carriage No. 2's Mecha Research Center, was utterly baffled. Ever since leaving Aquablue Star, the train conductor had been in this strange, indescribable state.
In his view, it was just a matter of leaving the Newbie Village and officially stepping onto the stage of civilization, competing with other civilizations, and striving to survive.
It was a natural and inevitable progression.
He didn't see much beauty in it.
From the moment the Stellaris left Aquablue Star, its journey was broadcast live throughout the residential district.
All the residents sat on the grass, gazing at the images on the screens.
Not a word was spoken.
Every face was etched with a mixture of awe and apprehension.
Even though Aquablue Star had endured an apocalypse, leaving it scarred and riddled with wounds, it remained their home. Now that it had suddenly vanished, they felt a profound sense of emptiness.
"..."
In Carriage 5, Ji Chuchu sat by the window, gazing at the passing scenery with a dazed expression.
The story of Aquablue Star had ended.
The Stellaris train, having faced little competition, had become the most powerful train, now embarking on a new journey through the cosmos in Aquablue Star's stead.
Just as she had hoped.
Lord Mang was worthy of trust.
The Stellaris was worthy of trust.
Yet...
The only thing that saddened her was that Lord Mang seemed to have forgotten her. It had been a long time since he had sought her out.
She had started learning to make scallion oil noodles with Xiao Fang.
She didn't know if it would help, but she had to do something.
Soon—
More than a dozen hours passed. Chen Mang had taken a break midway; even the most beautiful scenery grew tiresome after a while.
At this moment, the target acquisition radar indicated that the distance to the convoy ahead had closed significantly.
He could now see the convoy with his own eyes.
"...They've stopped?"
Chen Mang sat in his chair, gazing at the convoy outside the window. He slowly pulled back on the control lever, slowing the train and gradually closing in. The convoy had clearly noticed him, as they came to a complete halt.
The vehicles clustered together.
The locomotives of the train all aimed at him, their defenses seemingly at full alert, yet a hint of despair lingered in the air.
"Beep, beep, beep!"
"Warning! Warning!"
The piercing alarm blared through the locomotive cabin of the Tier 27 Mechanical Train. A middle-aged man stared in despair at the data scrolling across the control panel screen.
[Unknown mechanical train detected. Maximum attack energy range: 4700-5000. Defense energy range: 3000-3500.
Undefeatable.]
This mechanical train was far more powerful than them!
In this lawless zone deep within the cosmos, what fate awaited them after encountering a train that could crush them? Need I even say?
"Boss Qiu!"
A raspy, shrill voice belonging to another train conductor echoed through the locomotive cabin. "This thing is clearly heading straight for us! It's been following us all along! We're doomed! Let's fight!"
"Fight! Fight!"
"We're all going to die anyway! Brothers, we've been following Boss Qiu, we never expected to make it back alive!"
"Wealth is in the heavens, death is fate!"
"Shut up, all of you."
The middle-aged man standing in the locomotive cabin slowly closed his eyes, despair etched across his face. This was a gamble that had cost him everything, a desperate attempt to secure their survival. He knew the risks were high, but he had no choice.
If he didn't pull off this heist...
His child would surely die.
But...
"Brothers, I'm sorry."
"I dragged you all into this mess for my own personal reasons."
"They're probably interstellar pirates. I'll try to explain to them that we're not a convoy, that there's nothing valuable on the train. Maybe we can survive this."
A cacophony of voices erupted inside the train.
"Boss Qiu, your child is our child too! He's our nephew, the one who calls us uncles. How could we just stand by and watch him die? I've never regretted following you, Boss Qiu!"
"That's right, that's right!"
"Wait a minute..."
The middle-aged man standing in the locomotive cabin suddenly paused, his gaze fixed on the approaching train. It was slowly closing in without activating its energy shield—not the typical behavior of Interstellar pirates!
It looked more like a gesture of goodwill.
But if it was a friendly approach, why hadn't he received any communication from them?
They remained silent, simply drawing closer.
Perhaps...
Perhaps there was a chance to survive. They seemed to be approaching with peaceful intentions.
In the cosmos, a train slowly approaching without activating its energy shield was the ultimate gesture of goodwill—there was no other.
Their energy range was clearly extremely high, yet they hadn't launched a surprise attack or activated their energy shield. It was obvious they wanted to communicate peacefully.
After a moment's hesitation, he spoke in a low voice.
"All trains, shut down your energy shields!"
The other train conductors didn't question his order. Without hesitation, they all complied.
"Hmm?"
Chen Mang sat in his chair, watching the convoy ahead suddenly shut down their energy shields. He couldn't help but chuckle. "Looks like peace above all else is still the prevailing philosophy in the cosmos."
"All this fighting and killing is so unpleasant. Peace is always better."
He understood their misunderstanding almost instantly.
But it suited his purposes perfectly.
He'd been hoping to establish contact with other civilizations anyway. This was the Stellaris's first interaction with another civilization—a moment worthy of the history books.
At that moment—
The Stellaris train had closed to within a thousand meters of the convoy.
Chen Mang slowly brought the train to a halt. He saw a man in what looked like a Spacesuit emerge from the train, floating in space and using thrusters to fly toward him.
In moments, the man reached the Stellaris's locomotive cabin.
He tapped lightly on the glass.
Chen Mang waved his hand, and the first-floor door of the locomotive cabin opened. The man floated inside.
Biaozi and the others immediately surrounded him, their faces grim. After confirming the man wasn't carrying any weapons, they escorted him to the second floor of the cabin.
"Waga waga, gaga, qiga qiga."
The middle-aged man stood ramrod straight in the Stellaris's locomotive cabin, clasped his hands in a formal bow, and spoke each word clearly and firmly, his voice resonant and respectful.
But...
He couldn't understand a word.
What gibberish was this?
"..."
Chen Mang leaned back in his chair, his expression impassive as he stared at the middle-aged man standing before him. He tentatively glanced at Xiao Ai standing beside him, and seeing her shake her head, he sighed softly.
What kind of bird language was this?
Why weren't they speaking Mandarin?
It seemed the promotion of Mandarin still had a long way to go.
"I don't understand."
"Gah-gah-gah."
"I don't understand. Never mind. Take them out and execute them. Extract their train's AI Database and see if there's any useful information."
As the words fell, the middle-aged man, who had previously maintained a composed demeanor, suddenly panicked. He pointed frantically at a small mechanical device on his collar, gesturing wildly. "Gah-gah-gah-gah-gah-gah!"
"Hmm?"
Chen Mang raised an eyebrow, his expression gradually becoming strange. Though he couldn't understand the man's words, it seemed the man could understand him. The small mechanical device on his collar... was it a translator?
"I don't have one of those. Bring me a few from your train."
The middle-aged man nodded hastily, then turned to Biaozi beside him, gesturing for him to lead the way. He needed to return to the train to retrieve some translators.
Ten minutes later.
The middle-aged man stood once more in the locomotive cabin, his expression serious. He bowed to Chen Mang and said, "Greetings, mysterious and esteemed warrior. I am the president of a small merchant guild from the Kasha Civilization Federation. May I ask why you have stopped us?"
"You managed to convey all that in just a few 'aba aba' sounds? Your civilization's language is quite concise."
Chen Mang toyed with a small mechanical toy in his hand, paused for a moment, then looked up at the middle-aged man and said softly, "I accidentally entered a random wormhole and arrived here. I'm unfamiliar with this zone and need to ask you for some information."
He didn't bother fabricating a grand background for himself, like being from a God-Tier Civilization. It would be pointless, since the questions he planned to ask were quite basic.
The middle-aged man visibly breathed a sigh of relief. "Ask anything you like, sir. I'll answer truthfully, without concealing anything."
It was clear the man wasn't an interstellar pirate, which greatly increased his chances of survival. Moreover, he appeared to be from a peace-loving civilization.
"Please, be seated."
The tea party officially began.
Xiao Fang brought over a table.
Chen Mang sat before the tea table, took a sip of the warm tea in his hand, and then turned to the middle-aged man across from him. "Do you have a name?"
"Qiu Yisao."
"Where does your surname come from?"
"My ancestors."
"Why the name Yisao?"
"My father meant, 'If you can't sweep a room, how can you sweep the world?' Sweep the room first, then the world."
"How old was your father when he died?"
"He's dead. Both he and the house were reduced to ashes. I went to the scene to clean up."
"Are you familiar with the Zerg Civilization?"
"Yes. They're very powerful."
"Tell me how powerful you think they are."
"Though officially only a 2nd Tier Civilization, the Zerg Civilization's combat strength surpasses even many Tier 3 Civilizations. However, for reasons unknown, they've been unable to complete Civilization Advancement for years. In that time, the Zerg Civilization has annihilated hundreds of surrounding civilizations, including the Tier 3 Civilization known as the 'Mechanical Civilization.'"
The middle-aged man trembled slightly as he spoke of the Zerg Civilization, a flicker of barely suppressed terror flashing in his eyes.
"The Zerg Civilization is virtually invincible. Any military that has faced them firsthand truly understands the meaning of despair. Like locusts, they sweep across a zone, leaving no opponent standing."
"So, what Tier Civilization is this 'Kasha Civilization Federation' of yours?"
"It doesn't have a Tier."
"The Kasha Civilization Federation was established by a Tier 3 Civilization, the Kasha Civilization. It's a federation of civilizations comprising 9,398 First-Tier Civilizations and 239 Second-Tier Civilizations."
"The Tier 3 Civilization, the Kasha Civilization, boasts an extremely high Civilization Level and formidable military strength. However, its population is incredibly sparse, making it utterly incapable of withstanding the Zerg Civilization's overwhelming, multi-pronged, all-out assault. That's why they formed the Civilization Federation."
"To hold the Zerg Civilization's advance in the east."
"This is why the Zerg Civilization has been expanding westward, rather than launching an eastward expansion."
"The Kasha Civilization?"
Chen Mang frowned slightly, leaned back in his chair, lit a cigarette, and gazed at the galaxy map behind the man. After studying it for a long time, he murmured, "Where is the Kasha Civilization? I don't see it on this map."
The man froze, instinctively turning to look at the massive screen behind him. When he saw the galaxy map displayed there, he was rooted to the spot, his mouth slowly widening in awe.
This is a galaxy map?
Damn it!
He'd only glimpsed one of these once before, in the command center during the last civilization war. This was a strategic resource, priceless and utterly beyond the reach of private individuals!
He'd assumed this powerful figure was merely an explorer from some civilization.
Now, it seemed this individual likely held a high-ranking position within their civilization. Otherwise, there was no way they could have brought a galaxy map like this onto their train.
This galaxy map was nothing like the one on their own train.
This one updated in real-time, a masterpiece left behind by the Mechanical Civilization. It was irreplaceable, a non-renewable resource of extreme rarity.
The man swallowed hard, but still rose and walked to the screen, pointing to the eastern edge of the map: "This zone, where all the Tier 1 Civilizations belong to the Kasha Civilization Federation, forms the first line of defense."
"The Tier 3 Kasha Civilization is located quite far outside the map," the man said. "About 300 light-years away."
"If you ever have the chance to visit that zone in the future, you'll find it incredibly prosperous. They've established numerous permanent two-way wormholes, and civilizations there interact closely."
"Which civilization are you from?" Chen Mang asked.
"Here."
The man zoomed in on the galaxy map, pointing to a pale blue planet on the screen: "The Tier 1 Peace-Seeking Civilization."
"Let me see."
Chen Mang walked forward, first marking the location, then zooming out to find his own position. His eyes narrowed slightly as he murmured, "The straight-line distance between these two points is a staggering 44,000 light-years."
"Can you even afford the cost of a one-way, disposable wormhole over such a vast distance?"
The distance from Aquablue Star to the mining star was a mere 0.3 light-years. Even for that short hop, the one-way wormhole he'd created had cost him a staggering 50 million units of iron ore.
44,000 light-years.
If the other civilization didn't have a cheap method for creating wormholes, a proportional calculation would mean that creating a wormhole to reach such a distance would require a staggering 7.33 trillion units of iron ore!
7.33 trillion!
That's trillions, damn it!
If you had that much iron ore, your train wouldn't be Tier 27. It would have shot straight to at least Tier 100!
Why even bother with that mining star?
Even if you excavated it completely, you'd be hard-pressed to find even a fraction of that amount of iron ore!
"You seem to be lying," Chen Mang said, turning to the middle-aged man with a light smile. "I extended such goodwill, inviting you here for tea, yet you deceive me."
"Do you know what happens when goodwill is met with deceit?"
"I..."
The middle-aged man's expression shifted erratically, his face alternating between shades of gray and crimson. After several seconds, he croaked, "I'm not lying. Our target this time is the mining star 2 million kilometers away. If we could build a wormhole like that, we wouldn't be here."
"Although the Zerg Civilization and the Kasha Civilization Federation haven't officially declared war," he continued, "there are constant skirmishes between them."
"The Kasha Civilization Federation has always considered the Zerg Civilization its greatest enemy and has taken many countermeasures. For example, they've deployed numerous concealed wormholes very close to the Zerg Civilization's home base."
"These wormholes remain hidden at all times, completely undetectable by radar."
"The goal is to strike the Zerg Civilization's core territory with devastating force the moment war breaks out."
"It's a strategic weapon."
"And the highest-level secret of the Kasha Civilization Federation."
"I... I accidentally obtained information about this wormhole and risked activating it, traveling from my civilization to this zone to mine this iron ore. I wanted to strike it rich by taking a big gamble."
"..."
Chen Mang nodded, fiddling with his fingers as he muttered, "Let me see... You're the captain of a small merchant guild from the Tier 1 Civilization, the Peace-Seeking Civilization. There are a staggering 9,398 Tier 1 Civilizations within the Kasha Civilization Federation."
"This information... even within the Tier 3 Civilization, the Kasha Civilization, it's likely only known to the decision-making elite."
"And you..."
"How could you possibly have access to information of this level?"
This was like...
In his previous world, it was as if a drunken old man in a village had been rambling all night, spouting the exact words that a certain American president would use the next day: tariffs, making America great again, and other such nonsense.
It was simply impossible.
It wasn't so much an intelligence leak as a case of precognition.
"I'm very curious how you came across this information. Give me a plausible explanation."
"That's... difficult," the middle-aged man said, his face contorted in a mournful expression. "The fact that I even had access to this kind of intelligence is already implausible. How could the path possibly be reasonable? I accidentally stumbled into a group chat, and its name just happened to be 'Kasha Civilization 239th War Zone Daily Strategic Intelligence Summary.'"
"And then?"
"Someone posted the coordinates of this hidden wormhole."
"I was quickly kicked out of the chat, but I secretly memorized the coordinates. My child fell gravely ill and needed a massive amount of iron ore. Desperate, I took this desperate gamble."
...
After a long, silent pause, Chen Mang finally spoke softly, "Does this sound plausible?"
"Not entirely, but it did happen."
"So you activated the concealed strategic wormhole left behind by the Kasha Civilization and traveled here to mine this mining star?"
"Yes."
"Creating such a wormhole requires 7.33 trillion units of iron ore. Even if the Kasha Civilization has methods to reduce wormhole construction costs, building a wormhole this far would still cost no less than a trillion units of iron ore."
"They used a trillion units of iron ore to build a Strategic Wormhole, just to mine such a small mining star?"
"Did they calculate how much money they'll lose on this?"
The middle-aged man, too ashamed to look up, whispered, "The loss is on the public's account, but I'm making a profit."
"Does the Kasha Civilization Federation have any legal statutes?"
"Yes."
"Are you familiar with them?"
"Very. In our line of work, we must be intimately familiar with the legal statutes."
"According to the statutes, what's the punishment for illegally obtaining strategic information from the Kasha Civilization and activating a hidden wormhole?"
"Total annihilation of the entire civilization."
"Excellent. So, to save your child, you sacrificed your entire civilization?"
The middle-aged man took a deep breath, looked up at Chen Mang with a sincere expression, and said, "Before coming here, I calculated the risks of this journey."
"The primary failure in this intelligence leak lies with the leadership of the Kasha Civilization's 239th War Zone."
"If this incident comes to light..."
"My civilization is certain to be annihilated, but everyone in that group will die too!"
"So I'm gambling. I'm betting they'll clean up my mess. Even if I activated a hidden wormhole, they'll patch up the hole, making it as if nothing happened. As long as I don't blab, this won't be exposed."
"After all, hidden wormholes have a chance of naturally dissipating. Their weekly inspections primarily focus on this."
"One less wormhole won't raise any eyebrows. It's well within the acceptable range of attrition."
"I can't just stand by and watch my child die. For that, I'm willing to risk everything."
...
Chen Mang returned to the tea table, sat down, lit a cigarette, and leaned back in his chair. His knuckles tapped rhythmically on the armrest as he remained silent.
The entire chain of events seemed plausible.
This explains why a seemingly insignificant mining star in the cosmos would warrant the creation of a dedicated wormhole for its extraction.
The cost of creating a wormhole is far from cheap.
This is a completely unprofitable venture.
Using public funds to enrich oneself—it all makes sense now.
The middle-aged man's logic is sound. The 239th war zone of the Kasha Civilization would likely cover up his mistake to protect their own careers.
Death is unlikely, as the Kasha Civilization is already sparsely populated and wouldn't execute these people for such an oversight.
However, any hope of advancement is now utterly crushed.
The accounts for this group are easily settled.
The public can afford to lose a wormhole, but they desperately need opportunities for promotion.
But...
To truly keep this matter secret, they must silence the man completely. He's only escaped pursuit because he ran fast. Otherwise, he'd be hunted down by now.
It's a pity.
If only he could have had the iron ore used to build this hidden wormhole.
What a waste of a Strategic Wormhole.
"Why not just pour all our resources into building him up? He could single-handedly storm the Zerg Civilization and turn it upside down!"
"That's quite a bold plan," Chen Mang said, leaning back in his chair, a smile playing on his lips as he looked at the middle-aged man across from him. "But that concealed strategic wormhole is one-way. How do you plan to return?"
"The iron ore mined from this mining star certainly won't be enough to get you home."
"I..." The middle-aged man glanced up at Chen Mang and whispered, "The strategic hidden wormhole coordinates posted in that group weren't just one. There was a whole series of them."
"Thirteen in total."
"I memorized them all. Right next to the wormhole coordinates we used to get here, there's another one-way, disposable wormhole that leads to the Kasha Civilization Federation. I plan to activate that concealed strategic wormhole to return home later."
"..."
Chen Mang remained silent for a long moment, his expression unreadable, before finally murmuring, "Very well."
Round trip.
Over a trillion units of iron ore had been completely exhausted.
It had taken 4.5 billion units of iron ore just to upgrade a Seven-Colored Grade Accessory to Tier 50.
Over a trillion units of iron ore—enough to upgrade all his accessories to Tier 200—had been consumed.
Yet this guy had casually tossed out two concealed strategic wormholes created with such a massive resource expenditure. It was like using a golden spoon to scoop iron filings from aqua regia.
If he were the leader of the Kasha Civilization, he'd be ready to kill.
Not killing him wouldn't satisfy his rage.
"Here's how I see it," the middle-aged man explained cautiously. "From the moment we activated the first concealed strategic wormhole, if the leader of the 239th War Zone reports it, we're dead no matter what. But even if he doesn't report it, we'll die here anyway when our energy runs out, with no way back or forward."
"Since we're doomed either way, we might as well use another wormhole. At least it would make our deaths more meaningful."
"Mining and returning will take us about 300 days."
"But if the leader of the 239th War Zone doesn't report it during that time, his crime will escalate from 'negligence of duty' to 'concealing a major error' and even 'colluding with outsiders to steal civilization resources.'"
"If the former might not be fatal, merely resulting in temporary suspension or denial of promotion..."
"Then the latter two are certain death."
"If he fails to report within the year, he'll have to clean up this second mess, no matter how reluctantly. Refusal means death."
"And after this, I won't use any other wormhole coordinates. I'll hide away and live in peace."
"Everyone will be safe and sound."
"..."
Chen Mang remained silent, simply refilling his teacup. For some reason, he found himself strangely empathetic to the 239th War Zone leader's predicament. It must be like swallowing a cockroach—utterly disgusting.
But that wasn't the worst part.
The truly disgusting part was like this:
Unable to spit it out, unable to swallow it down.
Only the sensation of its legs constantly tickling his throat.
"Can you write down the remaining twelve 'Kasha Civilization' strategic hidden wormhole coordinates for me?"
"No problem."
Without hesitation, the middle-aged man accepted the pen and paper Xiao Fang offered and quickly began writing.
After he finished, Chen Mang waved for Xiao Fang to remove the paper and casually asked, "What illness does your child have? How many units of iron ore do you need for treatment?"
Chen Mang waved Xiao Fang away, dismissing the paper, and asked casually, "What illness does your child have? How many units of iron ore do you need for treatment?"
"He wandered into a temporal rift. The treatment requires 3.99 billion units of iron ore."
"That expensive?"
Chen Mang frowned slightly. He had once known someone who had wandered into a temporal rift, but the treatment had only cost 39.2 million units of iron ore. Why did this man's child need nearly 4 billion?
Could it be that the dangers posed by different temporal rifts varied?
That was certainly possible.
"It is expensive," the middle-aged man said bitterly. "Our merchant guild barely scrapes by, never landing any major contracts. We could never afford such a vast sum of resources. Driven to desperation, I took this gamble."
"Indeed..."
"My brothers suffered greatly."
"They risked their lives for this venture."
"Tell me more about your story. I'm quite interested."
That's it.
They had talked for over three hours.
During those three hours, Chen Mang learned a great deal about the Kasha Civilization Federation and gained a general understanding of other civilizations. This first interaction with another civilization had been surprisingly pleasant.
"I've had my eye on this mining star for a long time," Chen Mang said, patting the armrest as he stood up. He looked down at the middle-aged man sitting in the chair and smiled. "There's no way I'm giving it up, but I can let you mine 10 billion units of iron ore."
"This will cover your child's medical expenses and travel costs."
"Your merchant guild interests me."
"We should have many opportunities for cooperation. I'll land on the mining star first, and you can follow at your leisure."
"However—"
"Before that, I need to trouble you one more time. My assistant is a bit clumsy and lost the paper with the 12 strategic hidden wormhole coordinates. Could you write them out again so I can admire them?"
The middle-aged man in the chair paused, then looked at the paper and pen Xiao Fang offered. He took them.
"No problem."
Three minutes later.
Chen Mang, standing before the man, took the two sheets of paper covered in coordinate data from Xiao Fang. After carefully comparing them and confirming there were no errors, he turned to the middle-aged man and smiled. "It seems our collaboration will be quite pleasant."
"It's an honor for the Yisao merchant guild to collaborate with such a powerful individual as yourself, sir."
The middle-aged man let out a long sigh of relief, wiping the sweat from his brow. No matter what, he had survived this time. And if everything went according to plan, his daughter would survive too.
He had never even considered writing false coordinates.
Of course, if this powerful individual recklessly activated those Strategic Wormholes and angered the leader of District 239, he would undoubtedly be killed.
But—
As the saying goes, "Though close as neighbors, all men are enemies."
Dying later was a problem for later.
If he lied now, he would die immediately.
The coordinates of a wormhole were incredibly complex. There was no way he could fabricate twelve sets of coordinates in such a short time, memorize them, and rewrite them hours later.
From the start, he had suspected this powerful individual would make him rewrite them.
He lived by a single creed: always distinguish between dying later and dying now, and obey whoever was closest.
After the man departed, the Stellaris instantly accelerated, shooting into the depths of the cosmos at incredible speed under the watchful gaze of the Yisao merchant guild convoy.
Its destination: a small mining star a million kilometers away.
"Let's record these 12 coordinates in the database for now. They might come in handy later."
"Even if their authenticity is questionable, it's better to have them than not."
Chen Mang sat in the locomotive cabin, tossing the two sheets of paper onto the control panel beside him. The Mechanical Eye in the room began to slowly rotate, focusing on the strings of data printed on the sheets.
"Train Conductor, do you think these coordinates might be fake?"
"Hard to say."
He sighed softly, leaning back in his chair. "I took a look. These coordinates lack any pattern or memorable features. The numbers are long and difficult for a human brain to memorize. I certainly couldn't do it. If he could memorize so many long strings of coordinates..."
"Then it wouldn't be too hard to alter a few numbers and create two identical sets."
"But I do need a merchant guild in the Kasha Civilization Federation to work for me. Let's try a few collaborations and see how it goes."
"I'm thinking..."
"It's always easier to thrive under a big tree. Since the Kasha Civilization has so many resources to build wormholes, why don't we look for opportunities in the Kasha Civilization Federation? We might be able to make a lot of iron ore."
After all...
The nearest mining star to him was right here. Once he finished mining this one, the next closest was 378 light-years away.
Building a wormhole that long would be prohibitively expensive.
Even if he could afford it, he wouldn't make much profit.
He still had to go to the Kasha Civilization Federation.
But how to get there was still up for debate.
He couldn't return with the middle-aged man. If someone was guarding the other end of the wormhole, claiming he didn't know Qiu Yisao and was just passing through would be a hard sell. He'd be lucky to survive.
But...
Chen Mang leaned back in his chair and suddenly chuckled. With a wry smile, he picked up a strawberry and popped it into his mouth. "That guy's got real guts," he mused. "He's both brave and cunning, though maybe a bit too brave."
Brave indeed.
"At least a Third-Tier Civilization!"
In the locomotive cabin of the Tier 27 Mechanical Train, Qiu Yisao summoned all the train conductors of the merchant guild. Pointing at the Stellaris, which was hurtling into the depths of the cosmos, he looked at everyone with a serious expression and said in a deep voice:
"I spoke with this person for over three hours. We discussed many things."
"I can confirm he is definitely not an interstellar pirate."
"Based on my assessment, he is at least a high-ranking official from a Third-Tier Civilization. First, there's the strength of his train, which speaks for itself. Then there's the real-time updating galaxy map."
"Logically speaking—"
"The galaxy map is a relic from the Mechanical Civilization's downfall. But he's definitely not from a civilization in this zone. He knows almost nothing about this area and doesn't even have a universal translator."
"Do you know what this means?"
A bearded man beside him hesitated. "Does it mean his civilization is very backward?"
"No." Qiu Yisao shook his head seriously. "It means his civilization has achieved complete unification. It's not part of the Civilization Federation, so there's no need for a universal translator."
"My only question now is, if he's not from this zone, how did he obtain a 'galaxy map'?"
"Or perhaps other zones have developed similar methods."
"The Tier 10 Overpowered Effect of 'Spacetime Leap' is to open a random wormhole to any corner of the cosmos. I suspect he used this to get here, but it requires a massive amount of resources."
"I have an idea."
"Since he comes from an advanced civilization, his perspective must be far broader than ours. He hinted in his words that he's looking for a representative within the Kasha Civilization Federation."
"If we can establish a deep partnership with him, we might never have to live this knife's-edge life again."
"He's new here and unfamiliar with everything. This is the perfect time to offer our services."
"What do you think?"
The group exchanged glances.
"Boss Qiu, we'll do whatever you say. We trust your judgment. You're the smartest among us. We'll follow your lead."
"Alright!"
Qiu Yisao took a deep breath. "That's all I need to hear."
Three hours wasn't a short time for conversation, but it wasn't long either. They couldn't cover everything in complete detail.
As they parted, Qiu Yisao asked Chen Mang to copy a rough overview of the zone's information. Chen Mang was now sitting in the locomotive cabin, slowly reviewing the data.
They still had thirty to forty hours of travel before reaching the mining star.
"Attack energy range?"
"..."
Chen Mang gazed thoughtfully at the information scrolling across the screen.
The so-called energy range was essentially the same as Tiers. An energy range of 5000 was equivalent to Tier 50 attack strength. It was just a different way of phrasing it.
The database information was incomplete, merely hinting that something had happened, causing the Tier system to be replaced by the energy range system. It vaguely suggested that the hierarchical advantage between Tiers wasn't absolute anymore. The explanation was vague, just a casual mention.
What truly piqued his interest was the revelation of a "Cultivation Civilization."
In this civilization, they cultivate using iron ore, break through cultivation stages and forge Spirit Treasures with murphy stone, and craft talismans with copper ore.
However, they don't call iron ore "iron ore." They prefer to call it "Spirit Stone."
"Spirit Stone, huh?" Chen Mang's expression was slightly odd as he looked at the information on the screen. He had long known that all civilizations' abilities stemmed from "core energy," but the methods of harnessing it differed. Trains were just one such method.
Yet, the civilizations he had encountered primarily relied on trains, like Qiu Yisao's. This was the first time he had seen someone cultivate using iron ore.
A Golden Core Stage cultivator could single-handedly withstand a Tier 20 Train.
"That's ridiculous," Chen Mang sighed, leaning back in his chair and gently rubbing his temples. "So, my current Stellaris is a Tier 27 Mechanical Train. In a Cultivation Civilization, would that be considered a half-step Nascent Soul?"
"After all this time, I'm still not even at the Nascent Soul stage?"
"I'll have to test it out sometime."
"I don't believe a Nascent Soul cultivator can defeat my Stellaris. One shot from the Arcanon Light Energy Main Cannon, and what will they use to block it?"
(End of the Chapter)
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