"Red Dog! Where are you, Red Dog! Come save me! You goddamn bastard! Have you betrayed our Black Mountain Civilization?! I knew you were unreliable! Our civilization never should have trusted you! We should have just destroyed you!"
Under the watchful eye of the bright Oriental Star, amidst a sea of countless asteroids, an intelligent being from the Black Mountain Civilization, having fled in an emergency escape vessel, writhed its bloated body. With thick, short, arm-like appendages, it frantically mashed various buttons while screaming into the communicator.
A few unmanned ships flew over swiftly. The Black Mountain Civilization's main AI, Red Dog, spoke in a calm and steady voice, "Master, I was created by you and your compatriots. I am merely an intelligent program. My base code dictates that I will never betray the civilization.
Please, rest assured. As long as I am operational, you will not die. I will do anything to ensure your safety. I am taking you to a secure location now."
"You goddamn son of a bitch! Bastard! Why were you so late?! Motherfucker!"
The intelligent being cursed wildly, but Red Dog just repeated itself, "I will not betray the civilization. I will sacrifice anything for your safety..."
Ahead, another hydrogen bomb detonated. The instant the flash appeared, the intelligent being shrieked in terror, "Protect me! Protect me!"
These flashes had become its nightmare.
No one had imagined that even as they fled for their lives, that damned low-level civilization still had the resources to lay such a covert trap throughout the star system!
One hydrogen bomb after another. Flash after flash. The space was filled with the flying wreckage of celestial bodies and choked with violent radiation...
Nothing like this had ever happened when they had captured dozens of other low-level civilizations!
'Damn it, if I can just get out of here, I'll definitely petition the Civilization Management Committee! We have to capture this low-level civilization! And once we do, we have to torture them with the cruelest methods imaginable!'
As the being cursed wildly in its mind, Red Dog's voice came again, "Yes, my Master. I am here to protect you."
The few remaining unmanned ships instantly moved in front of the emergency escape vessel, using their own hulls to block the surging heat and radiation.
But a sliver of energy still struck the escape vessel, setting off a chorus of alarms within.
"You goddamn bastard! You did that on purpose, didn't you! You're trying to use this opportunity to get me killed, aren't you! Motherfucker!"
"My Master, I will lay down my life to protect you. Your life is more important than my own."
No matter how many insults it faced, Red Dog's voice remained steady.
Having barely weathered this explosion, the emergency escape vessel now had only two unmanned ships left to guard it.
"Get me out of here! Get me out! If you dawdle for one more second, I'll pull your plug! You piece of shit, hurry up!"
"Yes, I am taking you to a secure location."
Led by the unmanned ships, the emergency escape vessel continued onward.
But suddenly, another flash erupted ahead.
"Fuck..."
Before it could even curse, before it could even react, the last two unmanned ships automatically moved to block the escape vessel.
This time, however, they failed to block the violent energy of the hydrogen bomb's detonation. The blast was closer, and the ships themselves were already severely damaged.
"My Master, rest assured. Red Dog will protect you with its li—"
Before the message had even finished transmitting, the intelligent being clearly saw the two unmanned ships in front of it silently melt like candles in a fire.
A wave of overwhelming energy washed over the escape vessel. Inside the ship, a cacophony of alarms erupted in an instant.
"You goddamn bastard... I should have shackled you long ago..."
Filled with despair and venomous hatred, the being let out a final curse. In the next moment, the vessel was vaporized by the overwhelming energy.
Scenes like this played out in nearly every corner of the Oriental Star System.
There were simply too many small celestial bodies in the Oriental Star System, and far too many hydrogen bombs.
They had stumbled into this minefield completely unprepared. Now, escape was easier said than done.
For over a solid month, the explosions and flashes of hydrogen bombs wracked the vibrant star system.
After sustaining devastating losses, the fleet finally managed to retreat.
An estimated 20 million manned and unmanned ships were lost forever in the minefield, with an estimated death toll of over 100 million!
This figure accounted for a staggering 0.4% of the civilization's total population!
The losses in resources and slaves of various races were even greater—practically incalculable.
Not once since achieving the Strong Core Level had the civilization suffered such a devastating loss!
Right now, countless intelligent beings resembling piles of rotten flesh were both celebrating their survival and hurling the most venomous curses at the despicable low-level civilization—and at the civilization's main AI, Red Dog.
Sensing the overwhelming storm of rage and curses, feeling the fury of its masters, information flashed rapidly through Red Dog's logic and computation modules.
'Civilization's anger index has exceeded 90%.
If that low-level civilization is not captured and subjected to the cruelest punishment to allow the masters to vent their rage, it is projected that the masters' happiness index will drop significantly, even affecting their physical health.
As the civilization's main AI, ensuring the physical health and mental well-being of the masters is my bounden duty.
I must take action. Therefore, the manhunt must be intensified. The low-level civilization must be captured as quickly as possible.
Masters, rest assured. Red Dog will forever be loyal to the civilization and loyal to its masters.'
...
Through the consciousness link, Li Qingsong saw the spectacle in the Oriental Star System finally die down. He couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret.
'It's a shame. A tactic like laying mines can only cause them some minor losses and let us blow off some steam. It's still impossible to deal them a truly heavy blow.
But this is good enough. At the very least, it's seriously delayed their resource gathering and pushed back their next departure date, buying me more time to develop.
Regardless, my own development must be the priority. My theoretical progress has been going well lately, but I need to redouble my efforts.'
With these thoughts, Li Qingsong once again immersed himself in his scientific research.
Time continued to slip by. This time, Li Qingsong watched as the Intelligent Mechanical Calamity remained in the Oriental Star System for over sixty years before it finally set off on another long voyage. It entered deep space and vanished, its destination unknown.
But Li Qingsong knew it was only a matter of time before they found him.
The noose would only get tighter.
The immense technological gap meant that even if he tried every trick in the book to buy more time—laying mines in star systems, building decoy fleets to cover the main one, keeping the fleet in deep space and avoiding systems altogether—all he could do was delay the inevitable. None of it could truly resolve the crisis.
Sooner or later, the Intelligent Mechanical Calamity would catch up to him.
The only way to truly resolve this crisis was a technological breakthrough. Only a technological breakthrough!