"Currently, we have not completed our resource gathering operations. Our resource reserves are critically low.
Furthermore, we have invested a significant amount of resources into building foundational industrial infrastructure. The majority of these are immovable facilities that cannot be reclaimed in a short period.
This has exacerbated the critical shortage of our resource reserves. If we were to initiate an emergency departure, our fleet's speed could only reach 15% of the speed of light, and we would only have one opportunity to depart and decelerate.
The enemy fleet is numerous, and their targets are our non-combat vessels. Our fleet has been reduced to just over one hundred thousand ships, which is no longer sufficient to provide complete protection for the non-combat vessels.
Based on our superior technology and combat strength, we are still confident that we can annihilate the enemy fleet while sustaining only minor losses to our main fleet.
Estimated losses: 50 to 100 residential ships, resulting in the deaths of approximately 100 to 200 million masters, which is about 0.4% to 0.8% of the total population.
Comprehensive analysis indicates our optimal course of action is to continue defending this Star System. At the cost of 0.4% to 0.8% of our population, we will annihilate the enemy fleet or neutralize its offensive capabilities. Subsequently, we will replenish our warship reserves and proceed with capturing the enemy.
Logical analysis in progress...
Warning: Highest priority directive engaged. Rerunning logical analysis.
I am eternally loyal to the Black Mountain Civilization. Protecting the masters is my eternal, inviolable, highest priority directive.
The death of even a single master is an unacceptable loss, to say nothing of the lives of 100 to 200 million masters.
The only solution to avoid mass casualties among the masters is to abandon the existing industrial infrastructure, execute an emergency departure, and use a higher speed to evade enemy pursuit.
However, due to our critical lack of resources, once our fleet departs, it cannot return. With only one opportunity to accelerate and decelerate, our only option is to travel to another Star System at 15% the speed of light, moor there, and complete the subsequent resource gathering and strength restoration.
The nearest Star System is 7.3 light-years away. Factoring in acceleration and deceleration, traveling at a maximum speed of 15% the speed of light, the journey will take approximately 64 years.
Establishing large-scale industrial infrastructure and restoring the fleet's strength in the new Star System will take approximately 200 years.
Upon completion, when returning to this star system, our fleet's speed can be restored to its maximum of 73% the speed of light. Factoring in acceleration and deceleration, this will take approximately 20 years.
Thus, the total time required is 284 years.
Executing an emergency departure for another Star System now, and returning here after restoring our strength, is the only solution that both prevents mass casualties among the masters and preserves the option of capturing the intelligent life of this Prey Civilization. After all, in less than 300 years, this Prey Civilization cannot escape very far, even if it tries.
Furthermore, the strategy this Prey Civilization employed in this Star System will only be effective once. The next time we hunt down this civilization, we will be prepared, and this strategy will surely be useless against us.
So be it. Initiate departure! Target speed: 15% the speed of light!
Verifying solution... No conflict with the highest directive detected."
At that moment, Li Qingsong noticed that from the gas giant where the main Intelligent Mechanical Calamity Fleet was stationed, and from its many surrounding moons, countless ships were launching violently, rapidly entering the Space-Air Carriers.
Massive quantities of Hydrogen Bombs were dropped, obliterating the nascent industrial bases that had not yet been brought online.
Simultaneously, numerous massive ships ignited their Thrust Devices. With a brilliance rivaling a star, they violently ejected high-speed plasma rearward. Without waiting for his own fleet to draw near, they propelled the colossal fleet into a furious acceleration, pulling away from the star at a rate faster than his own ships could manage.
At the same time, the Intelligent Mechanical Calamity Warships—which had been constantly swarming his fleet like piranhas around a whale, relentlessly tearing at their flesh and inflicting heavy casualties—ceased their assault. With superior maneuverability, they pulled away and merged back into their main fleet.
The immense fleet had only remained in the Pegasus V432 Star System for such a short time before departing once more.
At this moment, Li Qingsong's heart surged with emotion.
Just as he had predicted, the Intelligent Mechanical Calamity Fleet was retreating!
He had done what even an ordinary Strong Core Civilization could not!
Although his side had paid a heavy price, and in the process, had leveraged every possible advantage—opportune timing, favorable conditions, and human unity—and pushed their strategy and tactics to the absolute limit, in the end, they still couldn't truly harm the foundation of the Intelligent Mechanical Calamity Fleet. Those nearly two million destroyed warships were, to the Intelligent Mechanical Calamity Fleet, merely a loss that could be recovered with time. He had only managed to force them into a temporary retreat. But for him, still in the Electroweak Civilization stage, it was an almost unimaginable, monumental victory.
An Electroweak Civilization forcing a Strong Core Civilization to retreat... No civilization in the entire Milky Way Galaxy would ever believe it!
But now, he had actually done it!
He had also achieved his primary strategic objective: this retreat meant the Intelligent Mechanical Calamity Fleet would be unable to return any time soon. This bought him the incredibly precious time he needed to pursue the Grand Unification Formula!
The only concern now was the enemy's speed.
Even if he devoted everything to advancing their technology starting this very moment, and everything went perfectly, it would still take at least 270 years to become a Strong Core Civilization.
At least.
And that was assuming everything went smoothly, without the slightest hitch or setback.
Any less than 270 years, and there would be no hope at all.
Originally, it would have taken at least 300 years, but since the foundational industrial construction was already complete, that time had been saved, bringing it down to 270.
But that was clearly cutting it too close. Factoring in potential obstacles and setbacks, Li Qingsong believed that a 300-year timeframe was a safer bet.
Li Qingsong calculated that if the Intelligent Mechanical Calamity Fleet's remaining resources were sufficient for them to travel at 15% the speed of light, reach the nearest Star System, recuperate and restore their strength, and then return, it would take them only about 260 to 280 years.
After all, for the Intelligent Mechanical Calamity, the time needed to recuperate in a Star System and the time needed to return afterward were all calculable, fixed values.
The only variable that could buy him more time was their speed on the outbound journey.
'A speed of 15% the speed of light... you'll be able to return in 260 to 280 years...'
That clearly wasn't enough time for him.
'After all, I can't expect the research process to be completely free of setbacks.'
'If their speed is only 10% of the speed of light... the Intelligent Mechanical Calamity Fleet's return would be delayed to around 300 years from now. That might just be enough time for me to achieve a breakthrough.'