Chapter 39: The Emperor’s Gambit and an Ancient Master’s Wisdom

In the Cosmic Desert, the massive insect, employing its usual strategy, gnawed a small hole in a corner of space. It then hid a Quantum Teleportation Point inside.

Afterward, it continued to advance deeper into the desert. The massive insect remembered this region quite clearly, having lived here for many eons. Initially, there had been some debris it could consume, but with its subsequent growth, the entire Cosmic Desert had become a truly pristine expanse of space.

After all, it had devoured everything edible. Reflecting now, it realized it had been utterly unpicky back then, consuming whatever it found. This time, however, was different. Its body now carried resources from several star systems; even with over seven billion new mouths to feed, the energy stored within was sufficient to sustain its young for a considerable period, not to mention the vast reserves of supplies.

Consequently, the massive insect was in no hurry to return to outer space. Instead, it continued to wander aimlessly with its offspring near its birthplace.

Meanwhile, in the outside world, Odinxis was grappling with a profoundly difficult decision. He hesitated over whether to enter the Cosmic Desert to pursue the escaping Zerg.

Two options lay before him. The first was to give chase, directly pursuing the accursed Zerg into the depths of the Cosmic Desert, dragging it out, and executing it.

However, he knew the immense scale of the Cosmic Desert. Extending endlessly from the other side lay infinite darkness. If the massive insect was determined to escape, even the Imperial fleet would be powerless to capture it.

Alternatively, he could abandon the pursuit, establish alert outposts along the desert front, prioritize defense, and then begin a slow, steady development.

Yet, both decisions portended colossal undertakings. Since His Majesty the Emperor had not promised any resource aid, it meant that this formidable fleet would require the nebula region to finance its maintenance and replenish its consumption.

Though this figure was undeniably astronomical, with the Imperial trade routes now open, such an amount seemed almost insignificant.

His Majesty the Emperor had set the deadline for the fleet’s return at the capture and killing of the Zerg. This implied that Odinxis retained the right to command this fleet until the Zerg’s demise.

What did this signify? It meant he could leverage this fleet for limitless operations during this period.

It was akin to a child receiving a gun; the right to use it remained theirs until they successfully hunted their prey. Odinxis, therefore, naturally understood which choice to make.

“Order! The fleet is to retreat to the nebula border and then deploy reconnaissance outposts into the desert region. Should any large cosmic lifeform show signs of approaching, direct fire is authorized without reporting.”

“Yes, sir!”

The soldiers of the Imperial army responded in unison upon receiving the command, then began their mission deployment according to Odinxis’s orders.

They never questioned the ‘why.’ In their view, a soldier’s duty was to obey orders, and the specifics of those orders were never to be unduly scrutinized.

Soon, Odinxis’s directive reached the Emperor’s ears.

“Hmm, interesting. No matter, let him play with the entire fleet for now. I am more curious about where that Zerg truly emerged from.”

His Majesty the Emperor gently tapped the armrest of his command chair. Before him were fifty to sixty screens of varying sizes, displaying almost all Zerg-related data from ancient times to the present. After filtering out most false information, only a few dozen remained.

“Zerg, Zerg… when did this race learn Quantum Transporter technology? Strange, truly too strange.”

His Majesty the Emperor eventually waved his hand, shutting off all the screens, then leaned back gently into his seat.

“The Zerg are so rampant precisely because Odinxis, that fool, once tried to challenge the authority of that ancient creature.”

A hoarse, aged voice suddenly resonated from behind His Majesty the Emperor.

“Master Filis.”

His Majesty the Emperor rose and turned, just in time to see a white-haired old man approaching him.

“You little rascal, I told you I was going on a trip for a while. What is it you’ve called me back for this time?”

“Haha, Master, after you’d been gone for so long, I realized the Empire simply cannot do without you. It’s truly too difficult for me to continue developing the Empire with my own abilities alone.”

“Hmph, you are the Emperor, and this is your mission. If you genuinely find it bothersome, you could simply wave your hand and let the entire Empire collapse.”

“How could I, haha…”

His Majesty the Emperor chuckled awkwardly, then immediately changed his demeanor, continuing in an extremely solemn tone.

“Regarding the Celestial Beings…”

“Stop. I stopped researching that subject long ago. The current development of quantum technology is sufficient as it is. If we continue to advance it, I fear we might truly disturb those entities.”

“But, Master…”

“If you only called me back to discuss this topic, then I’m leaving!”

“Hey, wait! Master, I was just joking!”

Facing his master’s furious gesture of turning to leave, His Majesty the Emperor offered a wry smile and quickly reached out to stop him.

“This time, I primarily invited you back to consult on how to handle the region to the east of the Empire…”

“The east?”

Filis narrowed his eyes. The so-called east was a three-dimensional coordinate system—up, down, left, right—established with the Empire as its center after its founding.

This coordinate system was universally adopted across the cosmos; almost all star charts used it as a reference point for self-positioning.

“I did visit that area in my youth, but those people left me with a very bad impression. Besides being warlike, they even indulged in drinking and drug use, essentially a fundamental flaw in their race. I said at the time that their surrender to the Empire held no good intentions. In the future, regarding such races, you must be more cautious.”

“Then, Master, your meaning is?”

“First, subject them to generational severance. Without passing this hurdle, even if the Empire pours more resources into them, it will not yield the desired results.”

“Yes…”