Those who face the wall, but are in the Nascent Soul stage.

Chapter 463 This Fish Cares (5k)

Five thousand light-years away from Earth, beyond the end of the first main arm, at the boundary between the Milky Way's galactic disk and halo, a war of annihilation led by the carbon-based federation has gradually intensified.

The stars here all exhibit a dazzling red hue, a phenomenon caused by the rapid burning of stars as they leap through space, consuming vast amounts of their resources. These 800,000 stars form a distinct redshift defense line, where the carbon-based federation's warships and the silicon-based empire's warships are clashing with each other at an extremely high frequency, creating a series of interlocking battle lines.

This is the first major offensive launched proactively by the carbon-based federation.

Within this short time particle, the Carbon-based Federation's fleet had already breached the central defense line of the remaining main force of the Silicon-based Empire, completing a pursuit spanning 2400 light-years via stellar leaps, and reaching the boundary between the galactic halo and the galactic disk. However, under this star-burning sky, the Carbon-based Federation encountered the strongest resistance in its history.

The sheer strength of their resistance and the brilliance of their battlefield strategies reminded Lan of the final battle of the Second Spiral Arm, a year ago.

Yes, this is the true strength of the silicon-based empire. Unlike the battle to annihilate the Alpha Blank Zone, this war did not involve the Sound of Music. The two fleets, with nearly identical technological capabilities, engaged in a brutal meat grinder in a vast star field.

The warships of both sides exploded in a dense barrage under the starry sky, a dark starry sky that had sunk into eternal night swallowing the flames of these explosions.

The vanguard of the 200,000-ship "Galaxy-class" carbon-based Federation fleet has been temporarily halted.

The 400,000-ship "Empire-class" silicon-based Empire fleet gradually stabilized its defensive line.

The silicon-based empire's defenses are so vast that they exceed the distance that stellar leaps can penetrate. The other side has even cleared out a large number of stars to prevent their own stellar leaps, forcing the carbon-based federation into a meat grinder on the front lines with the silicon-based empire.

Lan was unaware that since the Thinker and his henchmen, the Stellar Will, were eliminated by Luo Qing, without the micro-management master Stellar Will in command, the Silicon-based Empire had finally regained command of the interstellar fleet. With correct tactical command and the advantage of fighting on home ground, it used its remaining forces to block the vanguard of the Carbon-based Federation fleet.

The emperor of the silicon-based empire personally went to the front lines to confront Commander Blue in his capacity as emperor.

From a broader, bird's-eye view, the carbon-based fleet transforms into a silver-blue torrent spanning two hundred light-years, relentlessly assaulting the silicon-based empire's stubborn, yellowish-brown defenses with its sheer size and energy. This yellowish-brown color is the natural hue of silicon as it is reflected back in deep space.

Despite the Carbon-Based Federation employing various methods, it was temporarily unable to break through the territory personally overseen by the Emperor, as the main force in the rear was temporarily unable to support the vanguard.

On the flagship of the vanguard fleet, the supreme commander of the Carbon-based Federation gazed at the ink-wash-like starry universe before him. The universe was filled with intricate spatial ripples, and every now and then, his own warships would disappear into these ripples. These warships, resembling silver full moons, glided at standard light speed for a few seconds within the smooth three-dimensional spatial ripples before vanishing into the suddenly appearing darkness. This was a short-range spatial jump within a radius of no more than 20 light-years. Under the suppression of three-dimensional light speed, close-quarters combat was one of the most effective attack methods. After these warships charged into the well-organized formations of the Silicon-based Empire, they launched a full-scale attack. However, many more carbon-based warships, the instant they entered the short-range spatial jump, were already behaving the same way as the enemy's silicon-based warships. Encountering these warships in space—powerful enough to destroy stars with ease—their speeds, even on such a small spatial scale, were dizzying. They continuously jumped, sped, circled, charged, retreated, and drifted until one side was destroyed.

The two forces collided in a spatial rift, their torrents dissipating under the starlight.

The space dust brought by the high-frequency space jump was ionized, forming clouds that glowed with a dark red light, covering this somber battlefield. This was the only trace of their existence.

"Should we wait for the main force to catch up?" the fleet commander asked.

The vanguard charged too aggressively, leaving the task of clearing the battlefield and eliminating the silicon star to friendly ships behind, as it would take time for teammates to catch up.

The total number of ships in the carbon-based federation fleet commanded by Lan has exceeded 210 million. Among them, the last 110 million "Galaxy-class" warships came from the Perseus Arm (the second spiral arm) and have crossed the "stellar bridge" guarded by the carbon-based federation, arriving in the pseudo-territory of the silicon-based empire. There are also about 150 million "Galaxy-class" warships jumping from the other side of the Milky Way in this direction, but it will take a long time to cross the distance of tens of thousands of light-years.

Lan: "We can't wait. The silicon-based empire's replication efficiency is too high. The harm caused by that silicon-based god is greater to us than that of most energy gods."

Fleet Commander: "The efficiency of silicon-based warships produced by silicon stars is far greater than that of the Imperial Shipyard production line of the silicon-based empire. Our next focus should be on destroying silicon stars."

Lan: "Let's do it this way."

...

The cost of war was also brutal. At least one million stars were completely destroyed in the clash between the two fleets. In just a few Earth years, more than one hundred supernovae were detonated in this battlefield covering tens of thousands of light-years in diameter. Dazzling gamma-ray bursts and high-energy particle beams expanded at the speed of light, annihilating all life forms within the area.

Medium-mass stars were affected by dimensional or kinetic weapons, turning into dust or thin layers of dust.

In this battlefield, stars themselves have become weapons of war. In order to kill the silicon stars protected by the silicon-based empire with maximum efficiency, the vanguard fleet began sub-light speed cruising. These sub-light speed engines were activated at the same time, which made the silver moon-like warships emit a fierce blue light, forming 20 blue suns. These 20 blue suns made a space jump at sub-light speed and entered the nearest star within ten light-years, making a neat stellar frog jump.

A neat redshift phenomenon has appeared.

The next moment, the previously scattered, arrow-shaped blue torrent suddenly spread out in a normal distribution across this small space with a radius of two hundred light-years.

Subsequently, these intermediate-mass stars, which had just completed their stellar leaps, were immediately 'lifted' by 20 superdimensional warships the size of silver moons that appeared below. These warships released gravitational fields no less powerful than those of black holes, imprisoning the stars above them outside the event horizon of the black holes. As the warships themselves flew, the standard-mass stars, under the combined effects of the force field and curvature, began to move like hot air balloons tied to a shopping cart.

Subsequently, the vanguard fleet of the Milky Way's carbon-based federation suddenly accelerated, pulling the stars overhead into sub-light-speed stars. However, due to the insufficient structure of the stars themselves to support such a powerful acceleration, the stars transformed into a linear fluid star, and under the gravitational influence of black holes and the enhancement of spatial curvature, formed 20 sub-light-speed fluid stars.

These 200,000 stellar spears, each tens of millions of kilometers in diameter and hundreds of billions of kilometers in length, carrying terrifying kinetic energy, pierced towards the silicon star protected by the silicon-based empire's defenses.

In contrast, the star-flame spears of the Zhou Tian Star Array resembled fireflies.

Since light-particle kinetic weapons are extremely easy to intercept, using stars of similar magnitude to collide with them at sublight speed is the best way to break through the silicon-based empire's interception and destroy silicon stars.

Thus, the most dazzling meteor shower in the Milky Way appeared.

Faced with the terrifying new offensive of the Carbon-based Federation, the Silicon-based Empire's defense was equally synchronized and efficient. With the true warp drives of 400,000 "Imperial-class" silicon-based warships activated, 400,000 death lines intercepted the end of this cosmic meteor shower and began to spread at the speed of light.

Hundreds and thousands of dead lines connect a large number of stars end to end, forming a dense zero-light-speed blocking network. Vacuum decay weapons and dimensional change weapons continue to spread in this segmented space, filling the gaps in the dead line network, attempting to two-dimensionalize or decay this stream of two hundred thousand standard-mass stars.

The Carbon-based Federation's vanguard fleet, regaining its momentum, charged towards the central army where the Silicon-based Empire's emperor was located. The warships expanded their own dimensions, twisting into a large area of ​​six-dimensional space, accelerating the massless ray bursts and hyperdegenerate photon streams to 10 times the standard three-dimensional speed of light, and crashed down upon them with a thunderous roar.

Despite the numerical advantage of the silicon-based empire and the presence of the silicon-based emperor, it was still managed to carve a huge hole in the carbon-based federation's relentless offensive.

The carbon-based Federation warship battle group, which was originally normally distributed, formed a towering silver wave amidst wave after wave of short-range spatial flashes. The warships charged into the enemy ranks of the silicon-based Empire and engaged in a bloody melee right under the nose of the silicon-based Empire's emperor.

The closest the two fleets came to engaging in close combat during the space jump was only a few hundred kilometers. Particle-based projectiles rained down on the entire battlefield, making the sheer mass and high-dimensional configuration of the warships their most effective weapons in hand-to-hand combat. A dense and dazzling bayonet battle ensued.

With Blue seated aboard the lead ship, and no other warships in the intelligent field, its only remaining objective at this moment was to...

The silicon-based emperor protected by that 'Imperial Guard'!
Seeing the clearly defined target of the carbon-based Federation vanguard, the silicon-based emperor riding in the 'dragon chariot' felt a slight tremor in his silicon atomic waves.

It glanced in the direction of the silicon-based god and issued a new 'decree' to the loyal silicon-based fleet.

[Block, encircle, and annihilate the enemy's command ship] While the silicon-based fleet was blocking the reckless charge of the carbon-based Federation fleet's vanguard,

Behind the silicon-based empire.

Hundreds of thousands of silicon stars are replicating and producing new silicon-based imperial warships at a terrifying rate of one warship per Earth year. These newly born silicon-based warships are immediately scattered across the vast battlefield. Apart from the main defensive line where the emperor is fighting the vanguard, almost all other defensive lines are in dire need of reinforcements.

These silicon-based fleets, which travel to the vast front lines via stellar leaps, are almost instantly annihilated by the main force of the carbon-based federation's rear. All they can do is keep adding fuel to the fire, insignificantly hindering the arrival of the carbon-based federation's true main force.

【procrastination】

Compared to the silicon-based empire.

The operational objectives of the carbon-based federation are clear:

Kill and defeat the Silicon-based Emperor, divide the core territory of the Silicon-based Empire in two, and then, in coordination with the main force in the rear, complete the division and encirclement of the Silicon-based Empire within dozens of time particles. Finally, carry out a large-scale annihilation operation, the core of which is to destroy the silicon star transformed by the Silicon-based God.

The replication efficiency of silicon stars is terrifying. The production efficiency of "Imperial-class" warships is almost on par with that of the carbon-based Federation, which possesses the vast majority of galaxies. If the silicon-based Imperial fleet is allowed to proliferate uncontrollably, the situation on the battlefield will be reversed.

After annihilating all living forces of the silicon-based empire and the vast majority of silicon stars, the carbon-based federation will immediately use god-slaying power to kill the silicon-based god.

The operational objectives of the silicon-based empire are also very clear:
By using frontline forces and piecemeal tactics, we can delay the carbon-based federation's final offensive as much as possible, allowing the great silicon-based god to continue its efforts to transform more silicon stars, making them an inexhaustible source of fire for the silicon-based empire.

With the silicon-based empire's tenacious vitality and the efficient replication speed brought by silicon stars, even if the main force on the front line is annihilated by the carbon-based federation time and time again, the empire will continue to sprout like weeds that cannot be burned out. What the silicon-based empire destroys are only the silicon-based life forms that can be replicated, while what the carbon-based federation dies in are real "living life forms". With this ebb and flow, the reversal of the war situation is expected.

If the timescale of the battlefield could be extended to a galactic year, then the silicon-based empire might have a chance to turn the tide and drive the carbon-based federation fleet back to the other side of the isolation zone.

If the silicon-based empire were given another hundred galactic years, the silicon-based gods could convert the vast majority of stars at the end of the first spiral arm into silicon stars. At that time, the reorganized silicon-based empire would surely be able to completely crush the carbon-based federation's starless isolation zone defense line and recreate its ultimate goal of occupying most of the Milky Way, or even completely occupying the Milky Way.

Judging from the current progress of the battlefield, the scales of victory are tipping slightly in favor of the Carbon-based Federation. However, the Silicon-based Empire is not panicking, as they know that the Silicon God is constantly placing a weight called 'Silicon Star' on their side.

However, the Empire was unaware that behind the seemingly overwhelming federal offensive, the highest council of the Carbon-Based Federation was secretly pushing forward a god-slaying plan.

The seemingly loosely organized carbon-based fleet is actually constantly suppressing the activity range of the silicon-based god.

The Carbon-Based Federation already understands that, without other energy gods opening up higher-dimensional space channels, the silicon-based god, as a matter god, can only move at the standard speed of light. This lone silicon-based god is the perfect target.

...

Behind the carbon-based Federation fleet.

In the wave of destruction of 100 million stars, a large number of life forms that had not yet formed civilizations also perished. A large number of interstellar rescue teams, led by various carbon-based civilizations of level 8A and above, have cautiously entered the battlefield along with the main force of the carbon-based federation.

They search for survivors on the battlefield.

To date, in the battlefield at the end of the first cantilever, which spans thousands of light-years in diameter, rescue teams have rescued hundreds of native civilizations of Class C or higher, including two Class 1B civilizations. Due to limited technological capabilities, the rescue methods employed by these rescue fleets are quite unique.

The rescue warship, using its own directional gravitational field, lifted the entire planet out of its fixed orbit and placed it on a 'curvature slide' spanning one hundred light-years, created by a Class 10A civilization rescue team.

These planets were carefully placed in slides and flew at near-light speed to the rear of the isolation zone. There, the medical and supply teams of Class 6A and 7A civilizations, who dared not venture deep into the battlefield, were ready to receive them.

Since the primary mode of planetary flight is curvature gliding, the planets themselves do not experience significant gravitational pull, resulting in minimal secondary disasters.

The rescue fleet even pre-selected tens of thousands of small stars with lifespans of about one galactic year in these curvature life channels, calculated suitable positions, and placed them in the life channels to provide warmth and heat to these gliding planets, preventing life on the planets from freezing to death due to the loss of their stars.

Although these protective measures were 'meticulous' enough, they were still too crude when applied to the civilizations themselves. These civilizations of level 3C and above still suffered a large number of deaths during planetary relocation, which was unavoidable, and the rescue fleet did not have a good solution for it.

But it's much better to let them perish in two-dimensional foils or gamma-ray bursts.

If this war continues like this, the end of the first spiral arm will eventually become an interstellar ruin similar to the middle of the second spiral arm, a region affected by various gamma-ray bursts, radiation, dimensional distortions, gravitational ripples, and spatial wormholes, making it unsuitable for any civilization to survive and develop. In fact, a large number of intermediate civilizations that have reached level B or above have already perished there.

"The battlefield has already covered the entire end of the first spiral arm and will eventually expand into a massive melee covering an area with a diameter of tens of thousands of light-years. You are just a group of civilizations that have not reached the 1S level, and you cannot save them."

The cryogenic artist floated above the rescue teams and addressed the rescue teams from various civilizations and races.

"Civilizations of Rank 1S and above have already responded to the Federation's call to join the war. We live under the Federation's glory, so doing something is better than doing nothing," the various civilization rescue teams replied.

Cryogenic artist: "But how many can you actually save?"

Each rescue team said, "We will save as many people as we can. Rescue teams from the third spiral arm, the fourth spiral arm, and the silver ball area are also on their way. Our strength is growing."

Low-temperature artist: "Further growth is meaningless. Once your rescue operation is discovered by the silicon-based empire fleet, they only need to send a few warships to wipe out your rescue coalition."

Each rescue team said, "That's better than doing nothing."

The cold body of the low-temperature artist is shrouded in a faint mist, as if it is sighing.

Low-temperature artist: "I was just invited by that old God to supervise the silicon-based gods. I don't need you, the living beings, as an audience for my art, like a mirror. I am indifferent to life, just like my temperature... What I want to say is: if the silicon-based empire has any missed warships hunting you down, I will not intervene."

The rescue teams from various civilizations said, "We are very grateful on behalf of the Federation for helping to suppress the silicon-based god from escaping."

The low-temperature artist said: "In this universe, there are many things that civilization should pursue throughout its life, but life is just a low-entropy body of matter combined by chance. It has nothing precious about it, so who cares?"

The rescue teams from various civilizations said: "The civilizations we rescue care, and the trillions of life forms within those civilizations also care. They may be a cell, then the cell cares; they may be a metal core, then the metal core cares; they may be a wisp of code, then the code cares; they may be a string of plasma mist, then the plasma mist cares. Your cold sculpture art is admirable, but before that, we need to save more lives. This is what the Carbon-Based Federation has always taught us to do."

The low-temperature artist fell silent, but the cold mist surrounding him thickened even more.

(End of this chapter)