Chapter 122: Stepping Stone

Gravitational bombs, true to their reputation as creations of a Level 4 Civilization, had unleashed devastating power. Dozens of these weapons resulted in the deaths of at least 300 Alien Beasts, clearing everything within a radius of several thousand kilometers.

Countless fragments of spaceships, severed limbs of Arrow Beasts, and even the bodies of surviving Alien Beasts were all drawn together by the immense gravitational force.

When a celestial body reaches a certain mass, it achieves hydrostatic equilibrium, forming into a spherical shape. This is because once a celestial body accumulates sufficient mass, its own gravity remodels its structure, shaping it into a sphere.

Thus, gravity is the most crucial factor. Xiao Yu observed that within one kilometer of the explosion radius of the gravitational bombs, the gravity had reached the threshold for hydrostatic equilibrium.

As a result, the fragments of countless spaceships, the severed limbs of Alien Beasts, and the bodies of the creatures that died instantaneously were all compressed into a perfect sphere. This sphere was far smoother than the most polished ball bearings, with a surface smoothness surpassing even one percent of a white dwarf’s standard.

This astonishingly smooth surface endowed the sphere with exceptional reflective qualities. On its mirror-like surface, Xiao Yu could see the void of space, dotted with stars, warships, and Arrow Beasts. In that moment, as at least 300 Alien Beasts were crushed into a blood-and-flesh sphere under immense gravitational pressure and died instantly, Xiao Yu could hear countless mournful cries.

“My father! I haven’t even reached adulthood, and now you’re gone?”

“Dearest little Alice, you won’t be lonely on your way to the dark heaven. I’ll join you soon.”

“I hate this! I hate this! I swear I will kill this Demon and avenge my friends!”

“To the unfamiliar Technological Civilization, prepare to attack Area A156. My kin and I will try our best, with only ten percent control remaining, to converge toward this region. If we cannot become heroes who destroy the Demon, we would rather die than become its accomplices.”

At that moment, Xiao Yu received numerous messages.

He saw dozens of Alien Beasts attacking his ship while slowly but resolutely moving toward a designated area. Ultimately, they gathered in Area A156.

Within this area, all of Xiao Yu’s spaceships had already evacuated.

“Hurry and attack! The Demon’s control over us is increasing, and we can’t hold on much longer!”

Looking at the group of Arrow Beasts clustered in the designated area, Xiao Yu’s emotions were complex and indescribable.

Yet, Xiao Yu made his choice. He had no other option.

“I’m sorry… May you all find peace on your journey…”

“You are truly a great civilization. I swear, I will avenge you…” Xiao Yu murmured as he issued the launch command.

Another pitch-black gravitational bomb shot out from the barrel, racing toward the designated area. Upon reaching its destination, the bomb detonated with tremendous force. Almost instantaneously, another blood-and-flesh sphere formed in the region.

This was the blood and flesh of the Arrow Beasts.

Through their actions, these Arrow Beasts once again demonstrated their resolve to resist the Demon.

The brutal battle raged on.

The final leg of the journey to the last orbital correction point was just an hour away. Time slipped away quietly amidst the carnage of this battle—gruesome, though not particularly fierce.

Xiao Yu’s fleet, originally consisting of 5,000 spaceships, had lost over 2,000 during this time. Out of more than 7,000 Arrow Beasts, only about 3,000 remained.

Although Xiao Yu’s ships were not as powerful as the Arrow Beasts, the latter’s death rate far exceeded the destruction rate of his fleet. By this point, all doubts in Xiao Yu’s mind had been dispelled.

He now had a clear understanding of the Arrow Beasts’ capabilities. Their mobility, defensive strength, and offensive power all surpassed his own forces. If they had exerted their full strength, even the 4,000 Arrow Beasts already lost could have annihilated his fleet, broken through his defensive perimeter, and destroyed the planetary engine.

The destruction of the planetary engine would have meant certain failure for Xiao Yu’s mission.

Yet, to resist the Demon, these creatures had chosen death. Xiao Yu could not bring himself to doubt such beings.

The battle raged on.

In the distant void, a white dwarf and a red dwarf continued their strange and hauntingly beautiful gravitational dance. Under the watchful gaze of these two celestial “eyes,” Moon One hurtled forward, like a moth to a flame—tragic, determined, and unyielding.

The cosmic dust previously accreted onto Moon One had not yet integrated into its structure. Loosely piled on its surface, it made Moon One resemble a long-neglected, dust-covered floor.

At this distance, the stellar winds from the red dwarf of the Aquila Two system were strong enough to act as a free cleaner for Moon One.

With its exceptionally weak magnetic field, Moon One offered little resistance to the intense stellar winds. The loose dust on its surface was swept away, leaving it shedding mass at a staggering rate—nearly 500 million tons per second. This mass loss formed a long tail behind Moon One, transforming it into a colossal comet.

On the white dwarf, the massive Alien Beast continued to watch intently. Its body was marked by countless deep, intersecting wrinkles, with the deepest almost a kilometer in depth. Its surface wrinkled visibly, like an old man aging rapidly.

From the white dwarf, waves of indescribable energy radiated outward.

“Forty minutes remain until the final destination,” Xiao Yu thought silently.

In the Aquila One star system, Luka Three was fixed on a monitor. It had been working for days without rest, yet it showed no sign of fatigue. Its unblinking eyes were glued to the constantly refreshing data on the screen.

“The Arrow Beasts’ offensive is intensifying.”

Over the next twenty minutes, Xiao Yu noticed the Arrow Beasts’ attacks gradually increasing in strength.

“Unfamiliar Technological Civilization! Our control over ourselves is weakening! The Demon is intensifying its control over us!” Xiao Yu received this terrified message.

“A desperate struggle before death?” Xiao Yu sneered inwardly.

“Don’t worry. I can handle it. Just forty more minutes, and final victory will be ours,” Xiao Yu replied.

Xiao Yu had the strength to back up his words. The number of Arrow Beasts had dwindled to fewer than 2,000, while his fleet still had over 3,000 ships.

Under the assault of these 2,000 Arrow Beasts, his fleet could hold for two hours. With only forty minutes needed, victory was assured.

Once they reached the final orbital correction point and activated the planetary engine, Moon One would hurtle unerringly toward the white dwarf. Nothing would be able to stop it.

Neither Xiao Yu, the Arrow Beasts, nor even the Demon on the white dwarf could prevent the collision.

“Do you think victory is already in your grasp? You’re celebrating too soon,” a message suddenly came through the space broadcast to Xiao Yu.

“Hahaha!” Xiao Yu heard manic laughter. The massive Alien Beast on the white dwarf visibly hunched over, its form shrinking rapidly.

At the same time, Xiao Yu felt a momentary mental haze.

This haze spread across the thousands of spaceships under his control, manifesting clearly. In an instant, dozens of ships were destroyed by the Arrow Beasts’ long tendrils due to delayed evasive maneuvers.

“My friend, you must stay focused!”

“I… I…” Xiao Yu gritted his teeth, struggling against the overwhelming mental pressure. “Damn it! I won’t let you succeed!”

“It’s useless, utterly useless. Your mind is already consumed by battle. How could you possibly resist my assault under such circumstances?”

“I will control you and make a slight adjustment to this satellite’s orbit. Instead of directly crashing into the white dwarf, it will graze past it at a distance of 100,000 kilometers. At that moment, I will use this satellite as a stepping stone to escape from the white dwarf.”

“Did you really think I intended to use these weak Arrow Beasts to destroy you? You’re wrong, so very wrong! My true goal was simply to occupy your mind with them long enough to achieve my purpose!”

Xiao Yu heard the Alien Beast’s manic laughter echoing.

“So, it still had a hidden card… This was its true objective…” At that moment, Xiao Yu finally understood.

“Your plan won’t succeed!” Xiao Yu retorted, mustering his mental strength to respond swiftly. “As it approaches the white dwarf, this satellite will be torn apart instantly! I don’t believe you can use a pile of fragments as a stepping stone!”

“In truth, just a meteorite with a mass of 10 billion tons would suffice to achieve my goal. And this satellite? A trillion tons? A quadrillion tons? A hundred quadrillion tons? My methods are beyond the comprehension of a mere Level 3 Civilization like yours.”

“You won’t get the chance. Prepare to face your doom! After escaping this white dwarf, I will annihilate your fleet, then destroy your home planet and wipe out your entire civilization!”

“No, that’s not enough to vent my fury. I will obliterate every civilization within 100 light-years of your home planet and extinguish every star in that region!”

“Prepare to embrace death!”