The probe had spent two months circling the star system several times, yet still found nothing particularly unusual.
"The absence of anything special is itself peculiar. A star cannot accelerate its aging process without reason. No high-frequency spectra have been detected from neighboring star systems either. After eliminating all other possibilities, the most improbable conjecture might just be the true answer!"
Liu Hai recalled the research reports on Star Behemoth biological tissue. Even Shade Beasts could sustain their survival and growth by absorbing external energy—wouldn't their genetic source, the Starry Sky Behemoth, be capable of the same?
In other words, the star's energy was being devoured by the Starry Sky Behemoth. But what made this star different from its neighbors?
Hundreds of stars along the way remained undisturbed—why would this particular one attract the Starry Sky Behemoth? Was its composition unique, or did it contain energies distinct from other stars?
If Liu Hai could deduce this, the talented minds of the military fleet would surely arrive at the same conclusion. This was likely why their exploration ships lingered in the star system, conducting detailed scans of its matter and energy fluctuations to pinpoint what set it apart.
Having guessed the answer, Liu Hai lost interest in further exploration here. Instead, he ordered the Angel Battleship to set sail again, following the trail of the military's exploration vessels.
Several months passed, bringing them close to the Fourth Spiral Arm. Apart from a few pieces of circumstantial evidence, they found nothing substantial. The mystery of why the Starry Sky Behemoth had left behind a piece of biological tissue near the Brolly Star System remained unsolved.
Tracing the path backward, they lost all traces after just a dozen or so star systems. It was as if the Starry Sky Behemoth had warped abruptly into this location before heading toward the Fourth Spiral Arm, perhaps pausing to take a bite of stellar energy along the way.
Despite the dead end, Liu Hai felt somewhat relieved. As long as that dangerous creature wasn't lurking in his star region, he wouldn't have to abandon the industrial system he'd painstakingly built—that was a victory in itself.
During this time, tensions in the Hera Star System continued to simmer. The Pioneers had suffered heavy losses in the early stages of the conflict, each bearing significant damage.
Pioneers from various star regions rallied their forces and resources through communication channels, launching several surprise attacks on the Katon Civilization. The effectiveness of these strikes was secondary—what mattered was the catharsis of venting their frustrations, which brought everyone some measure of satisfaction.
Liu Hai had now gained fame throughout the Hera Star System. Regardless of the methods he'd employed to destroy the enemy's stronghold, his achievements were widely recognized. Moreover, since he'd already passed the reserve Lord assessment during his dealings with the Elizabeth Family, the Pioneers regarded him as a rising powerhouse.
The consequence was an increase in Igor's communications with Liu Hai—his comm requests never ceased.
"You're saying the Xue Family wants to buy a batch of armaments from us?" Liu Hai asked Igor in bewilderment, his gaze as if he were staring at a scam artist.
Igor squirmed under Liu Hai's scrutiny and promptly produced evidence to explain. "Due to continuous battles in the Stardust Star Region, many of their industrial facilities have been damaged. With the Katon Fleet likely to return at any moment, they urgently need armaments to maintain their stellar system defense systems."
"Also, the good deed you pulled last time made them see your record of smuggling armaments again. In the Third Spiral Arm, you're the only one capable of supplying such things. Who else would they turn to?"
"Uh..." Liu Hai was momentarily speechless.
That armament smuggling was ancient history. Right now, his production schedule was packed to the brim and still insufficient—where would he find the time and resources to manufacture armaments for them?
It was true he wanted the other side to take the frontline, but that didn't mean he had to handle everything personally. With so many Pioneers out there, the worst-case scenario would just be longer transportation times. They certainly wouldn't lack the corresponding armaments.
Perhaps sensing Liu Hai hadn't asked what kind of armaments were needed—guessing he might not want to take this order—Igor tried to persuade him: "Boss, I think if it doesn't take too much time, we could accept this deal."
Liu Hai asked in confusion, "Why do you say that?"
Igor explained, "This time, they might genuinely be unable to hold out."
Huh? What's going on? He hadn't heard anything about them being unable to hold out.
Liu Hai was genuinely baffled by Igor's claim. He hadn't heard anything about this issue in the Pioneers' channels—how was Igor so certain?
"Where did you get this information?"
"From them directly," Igor clarified. "They sent a team to negotiate, and they were frank during our discussions. The relevant information is still confidential and hasn't been leaked."
Liu Hai instantly understood their intentions and objectives, but he also suspected they might hand over the Stardust Star Region to military trusteeship.
Only military intervention could ensure their interests wouldn't suffer too much loss—at least they'd have a chance to reclaim full ownership later.
But if the current battles continued, even the affluent Xue Family would soon be drained of resources. The other Pioneers were in even worse shape—a series of battles had left them all severely depleted, with no quick recovery in sight.
The key issue was that they only saw the Stardust Star Region as a future bridgehead and supply point, with no real vested interests there. This meant their motivation was inherently weaker.
Their persistence until now had been driven by sheer reluctance to give up, but continuing to hold out without sufficient incentives would be asking too much.
The Xue Family couldn't possibly offer enough benefits to bind them all together either—with over a hundred Pioneers involved, it would be more stable to let the military step in than to try satisfying everyone.
Understanding the Xue Family's predicament, Liu Hai immediately realized the Li Family was likely in a similar situation. However, while the Pioneers formed groups for mutual defense, the Li Family relied on multiple families pooling resources, giving them relatively greater resilience. Still, if the Xue Family withdrew, the Li Family's chances of holding out would plummet just as sharply.
After all, earlier it had been the joint efforts of the Xue Family and the Pioneers that blocked several main divisions of the Katon Fleet. If they had to take over now, those families would inevitably have to pay a heavy price.
"So what you're saying is, the Xue Family now wants to strengthen their star system's defenses, using space to delay the Katon Fleet's advance—holding out if possible, but retreating decisively if not."
Liu Hai's thoughts suddenly became clear. After understanding their intentions, their armament requirements also became apparent—high-powered, destructive weapons, a massive number of fighter mechs, and preparations for mutual destruction.
"Take it. It's not yet time for them to retreat. We still need more time to develop, and the military is unlikely to take over—it's too far away. Just the journey alone would take ages, and there's no guarantee they'd make it in time." In the end, Liu Hai decided to accept the order, striving to buy himself a few more years for development.