Countless small spacecraft converged from all directions. Under the watchful gaze of the white dwarf star, like the eyes of a demon, they filed into the Hope Seventy Six spaceship. One by one, the Dwarves, still full of excitement and passion, arrived. After disembarking, they were greeted by a scene that left them bewildered.
What lay before them was not a perilous alien planet, nor were there any grotesque-looking alien creatures. Instead, it was a desolate city, not beautiful, but perfectly adequate for survival. Towering buildings filled the cityscape, yet it was not bustling with people. Only occasionally could a few busy robots be seen carrying out various construction tasks.
Many of the buildings here were still incomplete, making the surroundings look somewhat chaotic.
“Where is this? Didn’t the master say we were heading to an alien world to pioneer new planets? Why are we here?” a confused young Dwarf whispered to his companion.
“Why bother asking so much? Just follow the true god’s guidance. If the true god brought us here, there must be a reason.” another young Dwarf shot him a glance, his tone full of impatience.
A large number of robots appeared before them. One of the robots spoke in a booming voice. “When your name is called, respond with ‘present.’”
“Understood.” the Dwarves answered in unison.
After the roll call was completed, the robot announced, “Each of you will be assigned a personal guide robot. They will lead you to a designated location. There, you will receive instructions for your next actions. That is all. You are dismissed.”
Thus, under the guidance of the robots, the Dwarves, carrying a trace of unease, followed their respective guides to individual rooms. Pushing open the doors, what greeted them was a very simple, even somewhat crude, room. At its center was a bed, with a helmet placed at the head of the bed.
Just as confusion filled their minds, Xiao Yu’s voice echoed in their consciousness.To them, Xiao Yu’s voice commanded a near-fanatical obedience. The moment they heard it, they put on the helmets without hesitation. Then, following Xiao Yu’s instructions, they lay flat on the beds.
Ten million Dwarves entered a state of waiting.
At this moment, inside the spaceship the China, more than fifty scientists sat watching a live three-dimensional projection above the conference table. A continuous stream of numbers flickered along the screen’s edge, constantly updating them on the progress of the experiment.
“…Alright, ten million. All Dwarves have put on the helmets as instructed. Now, the first step is to erase all of their current memories.” Luka Four’s voice rang out.
All the scientists’ eyes turned toward Xiao Yu. At that moment, his virtual projection sat quietly beside the conference table, expressionless.
“Master, you may proceed with the plan.” Luka Four reminded him.
Xiao Yu waved his hand slightly. “There’s still a minor flaw in the program. Please wait a little longer.”
With that, Xiao Yu closed his eyes. And in his case, closing his eyes meant no one was to disturb him. These elite scientists were well aware of this habit, so silence immediately descended upon the meeting room. No sound was heard.
Only Xiao Yu himself knew that he was simply using this as an excuse to delay for time.
He couldn’t do it. Xiao Yu could not give the order.
Because he knew that the moment he gave the command, those ten million Dwarves, loyal to him beyond all reason, full of trust, still burning with passion and hope, would all perish.
Xiao Yu couldn’t bring himself to do it.
Xiao Yu never considered himself a soft-hearted person, but this was the first time he had encountered such a situation. He had not forgotten the teachings of the Specter elder. In ordinary times, he had indeed been ruthless and decisive. Whenever faced with a threat, he had never shown mercy. But now, he hesitated.
Xiao Yu had no psychological burden in deceiving the entire Dwarf Race, disrupting their peaceful lives, luring them all onto his spaceship to follow him on a long cosmic voyage. If danger arose and circumstances required him to abandon them, he could have done so without a second thought. But this time was different.
“Is it truly necessary for them to die? Besides this course of action, is there really no other way?” Xiao Yu muttered to himself in his mind, silently asking the question.
“The Dwarf Race’s social structure is extremely similar to that of humans. Just like humans, they have their own parents, lovers, and children. With the blessings of their families and friends, they came here, hoping to contribute their strength for me. They set out with passion, only to be repaid with cold death, and a death of no value. If they knew that their deaths were merely to help me find the answer to a question, would they still worship me like this? Still remain loyal?”
Xiao Yu pondered silently, his mind in turmoil.
“I have no qualms about killing. If necessary, I wouldn’t even flinch at genocide. But I do not kill for the sake of killing. If it were possible, I would rather choose a peaceful way to solve problems. So, let me think it over again. Is sacrificing these ten million Dwarves truly necessary? After all, they are living beings, not robots.”
It was difficult to make a decision. This decision would be a sentence upon the ten million Dwarves, determining whether they would live or die. And their lives and deaths would affect ten million families. Perhaps, if a son was lost, elderly parents would lose the will to live; if a husband died, young children and frail wives would lose their support; if a lover perished, a beautiful girl might choose to accompany him underground.
Xiao Yu let out a long sigh.
“If the Specter elder were in this situation, I am certain, whether it was ten million, one hundred million, or even one billion, if it benefited himself, he would kill without hesitation. If it were my Specter companion, it would probably make the same decision. But they are not me. My Specter companion may be connected to me by blood and flesh, but having lost all memories of its human past, it is no longer a pure human. I suppose, at this moment in the galaxy, I’m the only pure human left.”
“I am a pure human. I can’t do it. These ten million Dwarves are not my enemies. They pose no threat to me, bear no ill will. On the contrary, I am their god. For me, they are willing to give up everything. I can’t do it. I cannot simply strip away their lives.”
“I can’t do this. I can’t do this.” Xiao Yu muttered, then suddenly opened his eyes.
His gaze swept over the scientists seated around him. Whoever Xiao Yu looked at immediately lowered their head, not daring to meet his eyes.
“I hereby declare this plan cancelled.” Xiao Yu said slowly.
All the scientists at the table jerked their heads up simultaneously, staring at Xiao Yu in disbelief.
Xiao Yu continued, speaking calmly: “These ten million Dwarves are not my enemies. Against enemies, I have never been merciful. But toward subordinate races, I cannot bring myself to do such a thing. Since they belong to me, they should be protected by me. Since they’ve contributed to my development, they deserve to be rewarded. I cannot treat a painful death as their reward.”
“But Master…” Luka Four hesitated, seemingly wanting to persuade him once more.
“Luka Four, say no more. You Luka people, along with the Dwarves and all the other races, are my subordinates. If I carry out this plan today, taking the lives of these ten million Dwarves, then what about next time? What if it’s you I need to abandon?”
“This dark universe demands that we be ruthless. Yes, that’s true. Toward enemies, I’ve always been ruthless. To reduce the threats against us, I’ve had no problem eradicating an entire race. But I cannot do that to a race that has submitted to me, is loyal to me, and only seeks to contribute to my cause. I cannot use such means against them. This applies to the Dwarves, to the Luka people, and to all of you, every race.”
“I will not abandon you easily. If danger comes, as long as there is even a sliver of hope, I will do everything in my power to save you. Our relationship is not one of cold subordination. I hope that all our races can form a collective, and under my leadership, grow stronger together, eventually dominating the galaxy, and even the entire universe. So… regarding this plan, let’s cancel it. We’ll find another way.”
The scientists were all stunned into silence by Xiao Yu’s words. One by one, they were left speechless. The first to react was a scientist from Species Number Nine. He knelt respectfully to the floor, performing the highest ceremonial rite of his race to Xiao Yu. With a trembling voice, he declared, “Master, on behalf of all intelligent beings of Species Number Nine, I swear loyalty to you. We, Species Number Nine, are willing to be your eternal servants.”
The other scientists also left their seats, each expressing their loyalty to Xiao Yu using the rites of their own races. Even Luka Two, Three, and Four, the three elders, knelt down on the ground.
“I’ll take care of the matter concerning these ten million Dwarves.” Xiao Yu said. “There’s no need for all this ceremony. Return to your seats. I still need your wisdom to solve this problem.”