Though the Swarm’s losses were severe, let’s not forget that just a few years ago, this star system belonged to the Confederation. Most of the surrounding systems were also ho to Confederation mbers.
Moreover, the Swarm’s native biological units were in the minority. The majority of their forces were based on space-based templates, whose resilience was enough to withstand the shockwave from the star’s explosion at a certain distance.
However, the Confederation lacked such conditions. Neighboring the exploding star system were erging civilizations with the lowest technological levels within the Confederation—civilizations incapable of resisting such an explosion.
In the coming years, after the shockwave swept through, the number of Confederation mbers would likely decrease significantly. This region might no longer host entities like the Locke Mutual Aid Society or the Koya Alliance.
“The Swarm detonated the star, triggering a catastrophic disaster. So of our allies will bear the brunt of it and suffer fatal blows. Therefore, we must organize rescue efforts promptly.” In a secret eting room, a black-robed figure reflected the light of the star’s explosion in their eyes before speaking calmly.
“The cat crying over the rat in false sympathy…” another black-robed individual scoffed.
“Ho ho, do you want to be the next negotiator?” the first speaker responded without anger, smiling instead.
“Hmph…” as if recalling sothing, the second black-robed person snorted coldly and fell silent.
“Alright, rescue operations are necessary—not just for the star’s explosion but also for the Swarm’s potential counterattack. After suffering such a massive loss, they’re bound to retaliate.”
“But didn’t we capture the Swarm Empress? Could it be…?”
“That will take ti. anwhile, who knows what an out-of-control Swarm might do.”
“True. Let’s organize personnel to help those pitiful allies relocate their populations and resources. I’m sure many kind-hearted individuals will be willing to take them in.”
“Don’t be so blunt—it’s about offering refuge, understand? Refuge.”
But the speaker’s words failed to elicit sympathy, earning only eye rolls and ridicule.
In another hidden eting room, another group of black-robed figures gathered. It seed everyone preferred using cloaks to conceal their true identities.
“It’s hard to believe this is sothing the Ji race would do. They’re no longer the Ji race we once knew.”
“Indeed, but that’s just our perception. In essence, the Ji race’s style hasn’t changed. Haven’t you noticed how familiar their current actions feel?”
“You an…?”
“Exactly. It seems L9’s report last ti was accurate. The Ji race’s Council of Elders has been taken over by Lumina. That’s why they’ve resorted to such inhumane acts.”
“We should expose this incident and rally more allies to oppose the Ji race.”
“Hmph, do you think everyone’s a fool? Would they really believe the nonsense about the Swarm being responsible?”
“Right. The Ji race’s power remains unmatched. Others can only grit their teeth and convince themselves to believe it.”
“So what do we do now? If the Ji race truly gains the Swarm’s secrets, we might as well disband. It’ll spare us from bringing calamity to our people.”
“Foolish. This isn’t sothing we can avoid by staying silent. From the Ji race’s recent actions, it’s clear Lumina’s style closely resembles the original Ji race described in records. To them, we’re rely vassals providing limited assistance—expendable pawns. If we choose to remain bystanders now, we’ll never have another chance to act.”
“True. If we lose confidence ourselves, when faced with Lumina’s threat in the future, we’ll only be able to await our doom. What worries most is that Lumina is a completely different entity. In its eyes, we might not even qualify as vassals. If we lose our utility, we’ll survive only on its rcy—but I find it hard to imagine an artificial intelligence possessing rcy.”
“But what can we do?”
“Our first priority is to prevent them from obtaining the Swarm’s secrets.”
“And then?”
“Then we can try exploring alternatives. If that fails, we might as well sell the Swarm a favor. After this battle, even without our instigation, the Swarm will clash with the Ji race. With the Swarm on the frontlines, we can step into the open at the right mont.”
“Can’t we continue hiding?”
The black-robed figure shook their head. “It’s no longer the ti for hiding. We must stand up, raise a banner, and make others choose sides. Only then can we clearly distinguish friend from foe.”
“Correct. The Ji race’s territory is far from the Swarm. If we don’t declare our stance, the forces consud along the way to the Ji race’s territory might all be ours.”
“But how do we stop the Ji race from obtaining the Swarm’s secrets? Rember, despite so losses, their fleet still numbers close to forty million ships. If we can’t resolve this quickly, reinforcents from the Ji race could drag us into a prolonged war, drastically reducing our chances of victory.”
“And how do we ensure the Swarm Empress’s safety? According to my information, she’s still alive and well. If our conflict with the Ji race results in her death, do you think the Swarm would accurately identify their target for revenge?”
“True. We need to carefully plan this. Otherwise, we might bring disaster upon ourselves.”
“And our opponents aren’t just Lumina. Many traitors willingly serve as its lackeys. Though unpleasant to admit, so of them are indeed quite capable.”
“Ti is pressing. It looks like we’ll have to make a significant sacrifice.”
“Sigh… Let’s hope everything goes smoothly. Otherwise…”
Setting aside the secret plotting of the black-robed figures, the shockwave triggered by the star’s explosion—an energy burst of such magnitude—was detected by any civilization worth its salt.
Even those incapable of detection would be inford by well-aning parties. Thus, the StarNet buzzed with condemnation and outrage against the Swarm, especially from alien races living near the explosion point, who cursed fiercely.
Fortunately, though the shockwave’s power was imnse, its spread didn’t exceed the speed of light. Even the nearest star systems had at least several years to evacuate populations and resources.
Under the Ji race’s leadership, various races quickly responded, organizing rescue teams. However, by the ti relief forces arrived, the nearest star systems to the explosion would likely already be dood.
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