Chapter 266: Chapter 265: A New Sun
“This is simply a case of winner-take-all. We lost the battle, and we accept that.
But our only mistake was failing to defeat you, not intercepting you in the first place! The next time we meet your Human Civilization, we will still try to capture you, given the chance!
If you think you can use words to shake our will to fight, you’re dreaming!”
Huh?
Li Qingsong’s pupils constricted.
‘What does he mean, “Your Human Civilization was wiped out long ago”?’
The Blutuk Civilization’s data had indicated that no civilization ever existed in the Solar System!
My own investigation on Earth revealed no trace of Human Civilization ever having existed!
It even led me to believe my own memories were false.
But…
‘The Harville Civilization believes Human Civilization was wiped out long ago? But during my brief exchange with them, I let the name “Human Civilization” slip, revealing that it still exists.’
‘This contradiction must have piqued the Harville Civilization’s interest. It must have led them to believe that capturing me and figuring out what happened would bring them some immense benefit. Is that why they said, “Every civilization that encounters you humans will try to capture you,” and, “The next time we meet your Human Civilization, we will still try to capture you, given the chance”?’
‘Could it be? Was my “Human Civilization” identity the real reason for the Harville Civilization’s sudden change in attitude back then?!’
‘That has to be it!’
‘So, how did the Harville Civilization know that Human Civilization was already extinct? How did it happen? Why were there no traces left in the Solar System? Why did the Blutuk Civilization believe that Human Civilization never existed? What is the significance of a supposedly extinct civilization that still lives? And why would the Harvillers think capturing Human Civilization would yield such great rewards?’
In that instant, a million thoughts raced through Li Qingsong’s mind.
The next moment, Li Qingsong shot back a reply, his tone dripping with arrogance.
“You started all of this! Making excuses is pointless!
You have only yourselves to blame for the situation you’re in! Serves you right!
You’re not getting away. The Lyra G16 Star System will be where your Harville Civilization is erased from the Cosmos!”
Li Qingsong didn’t ask for details directly. He didn’t even betray a hint of interest.
He knew that if he showed any interest, the Harville Civilization would surely notice and might use the information to blackmail him.
‘Why rush? Once I defeat and capture the Harville Civilization, I can get all the answers I need through interrogation!’
The sharp war of words continued alongside the fierce space battle.
At this very moment, Li Qingsong’s resolve hardened.
He had to keep the Harville Civilization here, no matter the cost.
The interstellar war, so fierce it was cruel, was having an unprecedented effect on the massive gas giant, Planet Three.
By now, there were far too many stray shots in interstellar space. And each one was the equivalent of a Super Micro-Nuclear Bomb.
These Super Micro-Nuclear Bombs were temporarily stable, their internal energy contained. But upon impact, they would detonate.
Assuming an average mass of 2 grams for an Energy Cannonball and a mass-energy conversion efficiency of 0.00005%, a 2-gram projectile would have 0.1 milligrams of its mass converted into energy.
This was equivalent to the explosion of roughly two tons of TNT.
Currently, the total number of stray shots crisscrossing the interstellar battlefield was estimated at around 100 trillion.
This number remained relatively constant; although projectiles were constantly flying out of the combat zone, both sides’ warships were continuously firing to replace them.
Of these, an average of about 1%, or one trillion projectiles, would impact the gas giant Planet Three every hour. That’s roughly 280 million per second.
Upon intense friction with Planet Three’s atmosphere, these projectiles would detonate as if from a violent impact, each releasing energy equivalent to about two tons of TNT.
Two hundred eighty million projectiles equals 560 million tons of TNT!
This war was therefore equivalent to detonating a giant Hydrogen Bomb with a yield of 560 million tons of TNT on Planet Three every single second. That’s 3,600 every hour, and 86,400 every day!
Even for a gas giant larger than Jupiter, under this relentless bombardment, it gradually began to glow. As the impacts continued, it grew brighter and brighter.
By now, it had begun to resemble a true star, emitting an eerie red glow that dyed the facing sides of its dozens of orbiting moons crimson.
Why red? Because the temperature of its surface atmosphere had already risen to over 2,000 degrees Celsius!
And that same atmosphere had originally been sub-zero!
The extreme temperatures didn’t just make it glow; they also caused its atmosphere to churn violently. Supersonic gales swept across the entire planet. Amidst the roiling clouds, even a Warship from a Strong Core Civilization would be torn to shreds in an instant if it fell in.
Aboard the Warship *Honor*, Haimo Lan stood before a massive viewport. He watched the flashes of light that bloomed and vanished like fleeting stars, his gaze fixed on the giant planet that once only reflected the light of its star but now emitted its own red glow. His expression was somber.
‘I had been hoping we wouldn’t have to.’
‘If we’d been able to break through, we wouldn’t have needed to implement the Celestial Calamity plan. But now… it seems there’s no hope for that.’
“I order the execution of the Celestial Calamity plan.”
“Yes.”
…
Amidst the fierce battle, a smaller Harville Fleet—consisting of about twenty large Space-Air Carriers escorted by no more than ten thousand warships—suddenly broke away from the main fleet. It headed in the opposite direction, deeper into the Star System and toward Li Qingsong’s defensive line.
Li Qingsong immediately noticed the anomaly.
For a small fleet to detach from the main force during such a critical, pitched battle was clearly abnormal.
“Whatever the Harvillers are trying to do, stop them!”
A large portion of his fleet immediately converged on the smaller detachment, doing everything in their power to intercept it.
But the direction toward the star had always been the weakest part of Li Qingsong’s defenses—after all, the Harville Fleet was unlikely to flee that way.
Furthermore, after a brief engagement, Li Qingsong discovered that despite its small size, this fleet was comprised of the absolute elite, its combat effectiveness formidable.
Their pilots were undoubtedly more skilled tactically, their ships had the best equipment, and their formation was incredibly tight.
Li Qingsong realized he couldn’t stop them right away!
Only after the fleet had penetrated tens of millions of kilometers, and at a great cost, did Li Qingsong manage to forcibly halt their advance.
But in the next instant, all twenty of the large Space-Air Carriers violently self-destructed.
“This is…”
Li Qingsong’s pupils constricted.