Xiao Yu could clearly see the movements of this Level 4 Alien Beast. Cursing silently in his heart, he maintained an expressionless face as he maneuvered his own ship, preparing for combat.
Inside a stellar system, curvature flight was impossible. Based on the mass of this star, he calculated that he would need to reach a distance of at least twenty one billion kilometers before he would be free of its gravitational interference. At this moment, Xiao Yu was traveling at sub-light speed in normal flight mode.
His current speed was approximately three thousand kilometers per second. This velocity would gradually increase to about one hundred seventy thousand kilometers per second. After roughly two days, he would be far enough from the star to enter faster-than-light flight, from then on soaring away into the distance, leaving the Molian Civilization’s pursuit behind, finding a suitable place to recuperate and digest his current technological reserves.
But this plan had to be adjusted due to the harassment of the Level 4 Alien Beast. Xiao Yu discovered that even during high-speed flight, the beast kept trailing behind him, neither too close nor too far.
This creature used its own methods to block all detection techniques across both visible and invisible wavelengths. Fortunately, Xiao Yu’s level was still somewhat higher than its. By using tachyon detection methods, he could still track its movements and position in real time.
“Was the lesson I gave it not enough? This thing must be waiting for an opportunity, planning to strike hard the moment I let down my guard…”
“If that’s the case… it will likely attack me during the critical moment when I transition into curvature flight. From stationary to faster-than-light, I’ll need about thirty minutes. It should be during that window.” Xiao Yu silently deduced, making up his mind.
“In that case, I’ll give you another lesson! Let’s see if you still dare to keep following me!”
Curvature flight carried a degree of danger because it was achieved by warping space itself. Within the warped space, even light did not travel in a straight line, or rather, it followed straight lines within the warped space, which appeared as curves when observed from normal space. In short, any matter, tangible or intangible, within warped space would be influenced by space itself. If even light was affected, there was no need to mention Xiao Yu’s ship. The spatial curvature had to be strictly and precisely controlled; any accident would result in extremely severe consequences.
When he first began to master curvature flight technology, Xiao Yu had failed many times and lost many things before finally gaining proficiency in this technique. He knew very well the consequences of mishaps. It could be said that if this Level 4 Alien Beast truly launched an attack during Xiao Yu’s critical moment of entering curvature flight, even the most heavily defended All Nations Pay Tribute would be unable to withstand it.Xiao Yu remained on high alert inwardly, while outwardly appearing completely calm, without the slightest indication of his vigilance.
As the distance widened, the star’s light quickly dimmed. When he had traveled out to five billion kilometers, it had already completely vanished from view. Based on its luminosity and mass, it should not have disappeared so quickly, but because of the new asteroid belt and various volatile gases obstructing the view, it disappeared at this range.
“After leaving this time, I probably won’t be coming back… Specter elder, Specter companion, Molian Civilization…”
Xiao Yu felt somewhat sentimental, unable to stop recalling the events he had experienced here over that stretch of time.
He had already seized a segment of the Level 4 Alien Beast’s tail and the Specter Heart attached to it. At this moment, Xiao Yu took the two items out.
“The flesh of a Level 4 Alien Beast… This piece of tail weighs nearly one million tons. Not much. Together with the White Dwarf Alien Beast flesh I recovered, it will barely be enough to build a small Province-Class ship. Hmm… the Specter Heart, what exactly is this thing?”
Xiao Yu quietly stared at the roughly ten-meter-diameter azure-blue sphere of light, his thoughts churning.
All detection methods had already been employed, and the conclusion was uniformly that it was impossible to analyze. First, this azure-blue sphere of light possessed no mass whatsoever, yet it displayed certain characteristics of mass. For example, it would be attracted by artificial gravity and fall to the ground. Second, it seemed to have no light source, meaning that this sphere of light appeared to exist out of thin air, composed purely of some combination of light.
It was not a physical object. Xiao Yu’s robots could pass through it without any obstruction or effect. It had no temperature; its temperature was determined entirely by its surrounding environment.
Faced with something so far beyond his understanding, Xiao Yu had no means of analysis.
“Perhaps, when I advance to the level of a Level 6 Civilization and truly possess the power to battle the Sweepers Civilization, I will be able to fully comprehend the Specter Heart and, with its guidance, find the remains of the Micron Civilization…”
Xiao Yu thought silently, then carefully stored the sphere away, securing it in the highest-security hold aboard the Yanjing.
The Yanjing’s hold already contained many items, such as the White Dwarf Alien Beast flesh, the flesh of this Level 4 Alien Beast, the 90s Model Spaceship, the escape pod from the 90s Model Spaceship, and the remains of that Earth girl. Now, it held this Specter Heart as well.
Gathering up his drifting thoughts, Xiao Yu refocused his attention on the Level 4 Alien Beast trailing him.
Xiao Yu watched very clearly as the beast shifted and maneuvered behind him, cautious and wary, terrified of being exposed, and he suddenly felt an absurd sense of amusement.
“It doesn’t even realize it’s already been discovered. If I attack it right now, its inner turmoil should be quite spectacular.”
By now, Xiao Yu had traveled more than eighteen billion kilometers and was nearly ready to enter curvature flight. The surrounding universe had fallen into utter darkness. The countless stars scattered across the void revealed a sense of tranquility and depth.
“It’s time to begin preparations.” Xiao Yu gently relaxed himself and activated all the ship’s weapons. Cannons were loaded, shields engaged, formations adjusted slowly…
All of this was done with utmost secrecy, appearing completely like the normal preparations for entering curvature flight. Xiao Yu was certain that his actions had not aroused any suspicion from the Level 4 Alien Beast. It was still following behind, stealthy, quietly trailing him.
Because the shattered planetary fragments blocked all radiation from the star, in this direction, there was no heliopause. Here, interstellar rays completely dominated the environment. Under these conditions, Xiao Yu’s ship gradually began to power up.
The antimatter engine and the elemental decay engine started together, pouring vast amounts of energy into the gravitational generator. Under immense gravitational force, the space around the ship began to warp. Pushed by the curvature of space itself, the ship’s speed began to increase steadily.
Three percent light speed… twenty percent… fifty percent…
The speed kept rising, reaching ninety-eight percent of the speed of light. In three more minutes, Xiao Yu’s fleet would surpass the speed of light.
Xiao Yu watched the beast’s every movement intently. He saw it begin to stretch its body, to tense up, to prepare itself for an attack…
During curvature flight, the moment of transitioning into faster-than-light speed was the most dangerous. Now, there were three minutes remaining before exceeding light speed. If this beast intended to strike, now was the most opportune time.
If it launched an attack now, Xiao Yu was certain that even the All Nations Pay Tribute would be destroyed instantly. Moreover, due to the special nature of curvature flight, even the massive energy from a Four-Dimensional Shield’s rupture could not be unleashed and would not harm the beast.
It was a Level 4 Alien Beast and undoubtedly possessed faster-than-light flight capability, so it certainly understood this as well.
“Now. This is it!” Xiao Yu murmured to himself. In the instant the Level 4 Alien Beast lunged forward, but before it reached his ship, he suddenly issued the order. “Open fire!”
During the earlier formation adjustments, Xiao Yu had already made all preparations for battle in secret. He was certain that the beast had no idea it had been exposed.
Because the ships were in high-speed flight, ordinary weapons were limited. Even energy bombs traveling at sub-light speeds could not be deployed. Therefore, this attack relied primarily on material disintegration beams and laser weapons.
In that instant, countless visible and invisible weapons fired from the hundreds of thousands of ships. They traveled at the speed of light and, in a flash, reached the beast.
Through the tachyon detectors, Xiao Yu could clearly see the creature’s reaction.
Just as it lunged forward, it was struck by an overwhelming barrage of attacks. It was entirely caught off guard. Xiao Yu saw it hesitate slightly, as if wondering where all this firepower had come from.
But in the blink of an eye, it reacted. Xiao Yu saw it behave like a toad startled by thunder, instantly leaping tens of thousands of kilometers away via faster-than-light flight. At the same time, Xiao Yu received a message brimming with rage. “Despicable technological civilization! I’ve fallen for your trick again! So you discovered me long ago!”
“Hahahahaha!” Xiao Yu roared with laughter in his heart and replied without the slightest courtesy, “Fool! A thing like you dares oppose me? You deserve to be toyed with! I can’t be bothered with you, goodbye!”
In just this brief delay, Xiao Yu’s fleet had already accelerated to one hundred one percent light speed, entering faster-than-light flight and vanishing from the observable universe.