Capítulo 1196: Chapter 1196: The Greater the Ability, the More Overti
Finding the lowa people should be quite a challenging task, but I think if we have a strong enough bait, they will definitely appear again. At the ti, the lowa people were tracking the Fifth Fleet under the guidance of the “Original Body”, but we can’t be sure whether what attracted them was the “Original Body” itself or that cube hibernation facility, or a combination of both. Furthermore, we have no way of determining how the lowa people tracked the signal emitted by the Original Body facility. Now, the Original Body and its hibernation chamber have been completely dismantled and studied once, even if it’s recombined, Sandora and I aren’t sure if that thing still has any attraction for the lowa people, so we decided to send the Fifth Fleet out once more. This ti, we’ll let them wander around the “White Zone” on the outskirts of the Imperial Dominions to see if they can catch the lowa people’s attention.
If the opponent really is hiding in those unexplored “White Zones”, then they will definitely show up.
Sandora has finished her communication with the research center at this mont. She turned off the holographic projection in front of her and said, “The reassembly should be completed by tomorrow. Additionally, I just had a chat with Taville; she speculates that the identification signal emitted by the hibernation chamber at the ti attracted the lowa people’s attention. Well, the scientists discovered that the hibernation facility was a component of a large set of hibernation arrays, and it might have been designed with void transmission capabilities. They suspect that the cube is not just a hibernation chamber, but also possibly an early prototype of military transmission technology. In ancient tis, the Imperial Army’s transmission technology was not mature, soldiers might have needed to be placed in cumberso protective chambers to transmit across worlds. So they found a set of emitters on the cube. This emitter, when supplied with energy, continuously releases identification signals that can cross voids. It’s likely these signals were captured by the lowa people.”
I knowingly nodded, thinking of the Empire’s less technologically advanced days—just look at today’s army transmission; a high-ranking officer instantly conjures a mini World Gate in front of them, and thousands of fully-ard soldiers march out of it in formation. Back then, the Imperial Army’s transmission required soldiers to lie inside a massive tal cube, and due to equipnt malfunctions, even casualties occurred (the Original Body we have apparently suffered such an accident, where its transmission pod separated from the main array, leaving it lost). It’s hard not to marvel at the rapid technological advancents… but perhaps this isn’t the ti for such reflections.
“So, just repair the transmission pod without disturbing the Original Body’s peace,” I thought, feeling Taville’s understanding of the cube’s functionality was surprisingly good news: we wouldn’t have to disturb the Xyrin Ancestors. According to the original plan, if we wanted to lure out the lowa people, the Original Body would also be used as one of the baits.
“That’s for the best,” Sandora thought similarly, “The Original Body has already served the Empire diligently, both as a soldier and a specin. The Ancestors should rest.”
“There’s also a response from the Fifth Fleet. Their colonial giant ship can serve as bait, along with so newly repaired escort ships. To ensure the scene is convincingly vivid, Cocogina picked out his most unsightly vessels. I plan to have them disguise as a runaway fleet that escaped from the lowa people and got separated from the main force, accidentally drifting into the void ‘White Zone.’
“Yes, that arrangent is excellent. The lowa people haven’t encountered any New Empire forces yet. They are unaware of our existence and won’t suspect a thing…” Sandora paused, “Additionally, don’t make the decoy fleet too large. Based on previous incidents with the Fifth Fleet, when facing large fleets, the lowa people use overwhelming numbers to crush. This tactic was likely learned from the Old Empire. If the decoy fleet is too big, it might attract the lowa army… catching them unnoticed would be far more challenging.”
“Cocogina took this into account as well—a severely damaged colonial giant ship, along with five or six escort ships. Such small numbers are unlikely to attract the enemy’s main force. Additionally, there’s one more thing—if the lowa people do erge, how can we pin them down instantly before they alert their base?”
Sandora frowned, as this was the most crucial part of the plan: completing the transfer before the enemy reacts; only then would we enter the much-anticipated interrogation ti. If the enemy slipped away at this stage, the subsequent steps could likely be put aside altogether.
“The Imperial Fleet shouldn’t appear; it would be recognized imdiately. If the enemy successfully calls for help, the plan fails—it’s a risk we can’t take. The Servant Army fleet’s combat power is unknown if it’s sufficient…” Sandora was quite conflicted, “Indeed, without a doubt, the New Empire’s Servant Army is absolutely no match for that ancient race unless a massive army is assembled, but stealth would then be an issue, and causing extensive battle damage would be inevitable… not worth the loss.”
I kept thinking until suddenly, two people popped into my head; simultaneously, two words started shining brightly in my mind: La ‘s sisters… the Empire’s poorest sisters, the Space Twins!
“Let those sisters directly ‘swing’ the fleet over here?” Sandora was taken aback but then smiled, “Truly unexpected from you; your ideas are always surprising… Hmm, perhaps it’s feasible. The Space Twins won’t attract much attention, and their speed is incredibly fast, so the enemy shouldn’t have ti to identify who struck, and even if they did, there wouldn’t be ti to call for help. I’ll get it arranged.”
“Sure,” I nodded, “By the way, invite those sisters over for dinner soti; they have begun chatting with a strong taste of Master Kong…”
Sandora turned to leave when suddenly she faltered: “Cough cough… not really, they are entitled to advanced officer rations!”
“Who knows how those two troublemakers are surviving,” I shrugged, “making over ten thousand a month and still surviving half the month on instant noodles, ‘poverty’ must be a debuff they can’t dispel. They always find a way to make life unbearable for themselves.”
“…” Sandora glanced at silently before disappearing in a warp of light.
I looked up at the sky; night had completely fallen. Today was a rare clear day, and even in the city, stars were visible—long-lost stars across the far sky above, only visible when the city’s noisy artificial lights faded—I’d realized the entire street was out of power again.
“Dingdang! Go find that Pikachu you keep, it might have gone to the neighborhood transforr to have fun again!”
“Oh, Dingdang’s really aweso!” With this high-pitched and sharp call, Dingdang darted out of my pocket, transford into a green light, and vanished into the night sky. A few minutes later, the entire street finally regained power, and the victorious Dingdang appeared at the gate, riding a golden-skinned rat sparking with electricity—all the while, Little Crow then started rounding up her Little Crow siblings to catch the rats throughout the yard. Watching this familiar scene, I couldn’t help but sigh deeply, wondering if I’d end up in Qingshan ntal Hospital for resting if I continued hopping between world peace and cooking oil, salt, and soy vinegar…
“Hey, dumbass,” while my thoughts were stuck between the lowa Rebel Army and Dingdang’s Pikachu sneaking power daily, suddenly soone tugged at my sleeve from behind. I turned around and glanced down, seeing a little doll about ninety centiters high standing behind , tugging on my sleeve and shaking it, “Dumbass, going off to fight again?”
I couldn’t help but be montarily stunned, as the night and her hair slightly obscured the doll’s expression, but it was clear a heavy sense of resentnt was wafting off her. Unable to resist, I bent down to pick up the little doll and placed her on my shoulder, tapping her small back lightly: “Not yet, just sending soone to track down a group of rebels.”
“Then you’ll go off to war, right?” The little doll tugged at my hair forcefully, as if this could alleviate her anger, her words carrying her innate cold toughness and brutishness. The year of bonding had long accustod to this tone; I knew she’d speak this way when trying to act adorable, “Ho for just one week and off to fight for one or two months; it’s always like this, always!”
As she spoke, the little doll grew more agitated, more annoyed, her actions transforming from hair pulling to grabbing, tugging, scratching, and kicking. I beca flustered, attempting to detach this little demon from my shoulder. In the end, she clung forcibly to my head, refusing to let go—well, I was too afraid to use force with this SD doll-sized figure.
We tussled around for half an hour, after which the little doll finally seed satisfied, releasing her grip, saying, “When will all the enemies be gone, gone forever?”
…I have to say, it’s no surprise that she spent so much ti listening to Lilina’s dark fairy tales. Her attitude towards life is just like that ‘as long as I’m happy, who cares about national disasters’ scheming Archbishop. Although I know she’s just boastful, I really worry that my daughter will be led by that dark-hearted bishop onto a cynical path of no return. That woman’s ability to cause spiritual pollution is on par with Cthulhu’s. Let’s put it this way, if I had t the current Lilina fifteen years ago, I would probably be walking out of court now, waiting for the public execution next spring…
So, after thinking for a bit, I picked up the little doll, grabbed her by the ribs, and lifted her high in front of my eyes, “Alright, as an early compensation, how about I take you to visit Heavenly Realm City tomorrow?”
“Put down! Put down! Put down! You idiot! I’m not a child!” The little doll protested wildly, waving her tiny arms and legs, unable to reach my elbows, a sight I never grow tired of. Just like back then, she still hates being lifted high—though who knows if she truly dislikes it now or just pretends to.
Seeing the little one’s face turning red with anger, but her eyes involuntarily lighting up, I couldn’t help but grin a little: I guess I’ve successfully cheered her up.
After the doll girl left, satisfied, returning to the curious Fairy Tale World with a bunch of doll-head kids, I couldn’t help muttering to myself, “To be honest, I do feel a bit sorry for them.”
“Dad, you already had this realization back then, huh?” Just as I finished speaking, another naughty kid suddenly interrupted, with Xiao Xue hanging onto my neck, “Oh, I’m so touched, co on, Dad, give a kiss!”
“Go play! How old are you, and still so childish.” I pushed this girl aside by her face, thinking that if Miss Lin saw this, I’d definitely end up with a flying frying pan.
“But really, don’t you think I’m a pretty negligent father?”
Seeing Xiao Xue smirking mischievously on the side, I couldn’t help but ask the girl who looked only a few years younger than , but as soon as I said the words, I found myself laughing wryly, even wanting to slap myself a couple of tis: why does this scene feel so strange?!
I’m only in my twenties! Only in my twenties!
A young man in his twenties in his pri, a young man in his twenties still in the bloom of youth, a young man in his twenties still following the latest ani—at this age, if he were placed in human society, it’s the golden age of youthful recklessness!! How many young n in their twenties are busy flirting with seniors and juniors, drinking beer with a couple of friends at a street stall discussing Middle Eastern politics, while I am here thinking about world peace every day, desperately training myself to beco a radiant leader, until I can calmly issue an extermination order to a race, all while pitifully saying to my seventeen-year-old daughter, “Do you think Dad is a failure?”, carrying an empire, and also carrying the sa weight of family, how can my twenties be so… absurdly entertaining?
The more I think about it, the more ridiculous it feels, especially the words I said to Xiao Xue—even with Dingdang’s presence, no matter how I raised this daughter in the future, in the current tiline, I am just about ten years older than she is, so how can I say such old-fashioned stuff?
“It’s all forced,” Xiao Xue said leisurely, leaving dumbfounded.
“Don’t be so surprised; you’ve raised for seventeen years, don’t you think I’d know what my own dad is thinking?” Xiao Xue waved dismissively, “Even if you went back to sixth grade, I’d guess… Oh, that’s truly challenging.”
I stared blankly at the girl before ; in absolute years, she’s only a few years younger than , yet in terms of knowledge and experience, she received royal elite education from a young age and even fought on the battlefield at fifteen or sixteen, knowing probably more than I do, and yet this nearly otherworldly girl is indeed my real child, calling Dad without hesitation, naturally—as a princess with a little bit of arrogance, probably without ever considering how much trouble she constantly stirs up…
“Since I can rember, you were always running around outside,” Xiao Xue seed unaware of my gaze, continuing to talk to herself, “By then, the Void Cataclysm had already passed, and you, along with Second Uncle and Aunt, were bustling everywhere, checking if there were any problems in the world after the cataclysm. I was born during a period of high Abyss activity, so wars were commonplace, often needing you and Mom to co forward to resolve things. So my most common mory isn’t sleeping in Dad’s or Mom’s arms but rather Sister Fox’s… Now you know why I’m so happy to see Sister Fox’s tail, right? It’s a habit from when I was small; the house was always like this… Later, when the impact of the cataclysm stabilized and the Abyss cald down a bit, you could finally spend more ti at ho, but by then, I’d grown up… From that day, I persuaded Mom Sandora to let go to the front lines at fifteen because I wanted to see what kept Dad from coming ho every day… Now I think it was the smartest thing I ever did—I found out that I had more chances to see Dad at the Command Center than at ho.”
: “…” I inexplicably found myself speechless.
“In this regard, you’re really not a qualified dad,” Xiao Xue suddenly tilted her head, rolling her eyes at , then started laughing, “But you’re a very impressive dad. Sister Cynthia once said, there are only two most impressive dads in all of the Void, and they’re you and Second Uncle. Isn’t there a saying—the greater the ability, the more overti, so I’ve accepted fate since I was little.
I scratched my head, suddenly thinking of Cynthia’s big move, Secret Skill: Dad Summoning Technique. This skill is very low in casting difficulty, yet its power depends on what the dad does, and if I guessed correctly, future Xiao Xue probably learned this too…
Xiao Xue hugged her knees, sitting on the grass, looking up at the dim stars and suddenly speaking with a tone of pride, “Plus, I’m really smart. You see, standing in front of you now is a shadow projecting from the other side of the Cataclysm. When the Cataclysm happens, this shadow will dissipate, returning in the form of self-combined data along the tiline to the original starting point of the shadow—when Xiao Qian and I were seventeen. If the previous calculations were correct, when this data touches the main data source, my original body, they will slowly rge—in other words, the mories will gradually reappear. This process would take nearly fourteen years, so I would start to ‘rember’ the events happening now from around three years old, like how dejected Dad looked tonight, and by seventeen, all mories would be reconstructed, shadow and body completely rged, storing any discrepancies with historical facts as mories. This way… Even during the childhood days when Dad wasn’t at ho, I’d always rember the tis spent with you; these mories can accompany my whole childhood… Hmm, thinking this way, Xiao Qian gets the short end of the stick, but who’s to bla when she always uses her abilities to cause trouble…”
I continued in silence, and finally, a question that I hadn’t understood before, nor dared to, beca clear:
If the Void Cataclysm, the historical turning point, happened, what would happen to the Xiao Xue accompanying ?
The conclusion is—she wouldn’t wait until she was seventeen, but rather co back from the age of three to bother her dad again…
(Hey everyone, does anyone know if there’s an official forum for the Xyrin Empire…? Hmm, not that many people probably know; for more details, check out Tieba. The forum’s na is Leaving World Garden, where you can post any form of Empire fan content, like novels, original illustrations, music, videos, and such…) (To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welco to vote for recomndations and monthly tickets on Qidian (qidian). Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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