Cataclysm: Undead Dragons and Zero Empire

The afterglow of the celebration had not yet faded, and the headquarters of the Boros Global Foundation was still filled with a sense of illusory glory and a slight weariness after the revelry.

The sculpture carved from the crystal asteroid is placed in the core exhibition hall. When officials and nobles pass by, they always stop and symbolically utter a few words of praise, as if the siege against the enemy of the stars has truly come to an end with the Foundation's complete victory.

Karen stood at the end of the welcoming corridor. When the Humboldt Consortium delegation had just left, the envoy had said a few unusual pleasantries, stating that the Consortium would cooperate more closely with the Foundation in the future and that he hoped Karen could be promoted to a higher position within the Foundation.

However, Karen herself knew that those effusive compliments were nothing but poison wrapped in honey, and that this grand celebration was more like a farewell feast for the gravedigger.

"Your Excellency, the rotating board of directors requests your presence in the meeting room," came the voice of your personal secretary, Lia, from the side.

Karen straightened his clothes, turned and walked towards the conference hall. The fluorescent algae around him flickered with his steps and then slowly went out after he left, much like the path he was walking on. Ahead lay unknown darkness, while behind him lay a smooth road that was long gone.

Inside the Golden Hall, the rotating director, Karen's grandfather, briefly praised Karen for doing a good job organizing the celebration. The envoy from the Consortium was very satisfied and praised him for bringing honor to the foundation.

After a few pleasantries, the rotating director got down to business: "I called you here because I have a new task for you."

A magnificent design blueprint for a space megastructure slowly unfolded in the center of the hall. The layered ring structures and the array of ports large enough to accommodate the trade of the entire river system far exceeded the original scale of the City of a Thousand Stars, all demonstrating the ambition of this design.

"This is the planning proposal for the 'City of Ten Thousand Stars'," the rotating director said with an unwavering certainty. "Just as you suggested, the City of a Thousand Stars has fallen, so we will build a more magnificent and powerful City of Ten Thousand Stars, so that the entire galaxy can see the foundation of the Foundation and that it will not be shaken by the destruction of a landmark city."

The other directors in the Golden Hall echoed this sentiment. They were well aware of what a project to build a city of ten thousand stars on this scale meant. It was not only a project to restore the foundation's image, but also a feast of profits that would make each family rich.

Karen's gaze fell on the design drawing. These old guys on the board of directors still only see immediate interests, and instead want to use a more luxurious castle in the air to cover up the already rotten situation.

"This is the task we are entrusting to you," the rotating director said to Karen. "The City of Ten Thousand Stars Project is not only the core of the Foundation for some time to come, but also the future hub of trade in the entire river system. All vassals should naturally contribute to the construction of this hub."

Another director immediately chimed in, "We have already drafted a fundraising plan, dividing it into different tiers based on the size of the territory and the economic capacity of each affiliated civilization. Karen, you are the Foundation's chief diplomatic envoy, and this time you will be taking this plan to the various affiliated civilizations."

Karen knew in her heart that this so-called fundraising was not an equal cooperation and co-construction, but another disguised tribute ceremony. It was a grand profit-making frenzy against the subordinate civilizations under the guise of building the City of Ten Thousand Stars, and a plunder based on the hegemony of the Foundation.

On the other hand, this mission and fundraising plan serve as a test of the loyalty of the various subordinate civilizations. If any civilization dares to raise even the slightest objection to the fundraising plan, it can be conveniently labeled as disloyal, making an example of one to deter others and consolidating the Foundation's power over its subordinate civilizations.

"I understand," Karen said, still with her impeccable respect. "I will immediately assemble a delegation to visit the various vassal civilizations to ensure that the fundraising plan for the City of Ten Thousand Stars is completed on time."

So Karen set off for other star systems immediately after the celebration ended. However, a report from astronomical observations was presented to him, which was enough to overturn the entire star system's structure.

The galaxy where the Humboldt Consortium's home planet is located is now like a colossal beast that has devoured it whole, leaving its edges jagged and jagged.

The large portion belonging to the territory of the alliance has become a void, with only scattered primitive star systems, uninhabited by any civilization, scattered within it, as sparse as a plain ravaged by drought.

The weaker civilizations that were subordinate to the alliance were spared, but the disappearance of a large number of stars in the galaxy would inevitably lead to gravitational imbalance, and they would need to readjust to a new environment in the future.

Karen immediately realized that this was the work of the Undead Dragon. He had no idea that such a great being as the Undead Dragon would simply perish in the black hole, but he never expected that the Undead Dragon's rage after escaping would be so earth-shattering.

Karen closed her eyes, forcing herself to calm down, and quickly analyzed the situation before her.

The Humboldian Covenant, a behemoth that had dominated the entire galaxy cluster for countless years, was tantamount to having its spine removed after this calamity. Their core territory was completely destroyed. Even though they still had vast colonies in other galaxies within the galaxy cluster, the collapse of their core would inevitably plunge the entire covenant into unprecedented chaos and division.

Without its core command and military power sufficient to deter the entire galaxy cluster, the Homborian Consortium's ability to dominate the entire galaxy cluster would vanish instantly.

Even more deadly is the presence of dominant civilizations from other star clusters eyeing the region. Now that the alliance is severely weakened, these forces will inevitably swarm in like sharks smelling blood, or even launch a full-scale invasion.

Karen suddenly opened her eyes, a resolute glint flashing in them.

The opportunity has arrived—the only and last one.

The Humboldian Consortium is very likely to collapse and will be unable to interfere with the Foundation. This is the Foundation's only window of opportunity, and also his only window of opportunity.

If he fails to seize this opportunity to overthrow the already corrupt and rigid board of directors, and waits until a new order is established in the galaxy cluster, until other dominant civilizations have time to act, and until the wrath of the Undead Dragons is once again directed at the Foundation, then the Boros Universal Foundation will face utter annihilation.

The Foundation has only this one chance to revive, so let the war begin.

"Lia," Karen seemed to have left all hesitation and fear behind, "Immediately activate the highest plan and contact all forces that belong to us."

Leah's heart skipped a beat; she knew the envoy was finally about to take that step. "Yes, Your Excellency!"

"Tell them the time has come," Karen said, gazing into the depths of the starry sky, where the galaxy seemed to burn in his eyes.

"Let them raise the banner of rebellion openly, citing excessive taxes and the board's extortion, just like the countless rebellions that have occurred in their peripheral star systems in the past. The bigger the rebellion, the better. The board will only think that this is just another expression of discontent among the peasants."

"clear!"

"Furthermore, declare that other river system overlords have made any unusual moves, and instruct our loyal military commanders to submit fleet deployment requests to headquarters," Karen continued, issuing orders.

"Contact those vassal civilizations, tell them about the fundraising plan of this board meeting, and let them choose: either receive more generous vassal terms after success, or be crushed by the foundation's wrath."

Those were the pieces he had already laid out, the sparks he used to ignite this storm, which were about to burn across the Foundation's territory, causing the Star Sea to boil.

"Your Excellency, the fleet has completed engine warm-up and is ready to enter faster-than-light mode at any time," the navigator's voice came from the control panel.

Karen looked up at the starry sky outside the porthole and slowly said, "Let's go. Destination: Rost Crystal Federation Starfield."

The warp drive roared into action, and the massive mission fleet transformed into streaks of light, disappearing into the sea of ​​stars as it headed towards the star system of a Foundation-affiliated civilization.

Inside the foundation headquarters, which they had left behind, the board of directors was still embroiled in power struggles, dreaming of the City of Ten Thousand Stars, while a storm was brewing in the edge of the star field, about to bring them the shock of falling stars.

A new era for the Foundation will be ushered in by Karen herself.