Chapter Thirteen: The Infinite Possibilities of One Thing

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Just as the Young Dragon Fleet finally eradicated the broodmother, in a distant place, a star radiated golden light, streaming through the grand hall into the chamber. The figure seated in the shadows was illuminated only in a small patch by this stolen brilliance, as if even the eternal light itself feared the person shrouded in darkness.

A withered hand gently swirled a transparent wine glass, the gemstone-red liquid within casting a blood-like glow under the light. With a slight shift, more of the figure was revealed—a face marked by age, bearing the appearance of a human, yet the murderous intent emanating from his features seemed nothing like that of a frail old man. The armor he wore shone more brilliantly under the star's rays; the intertwined patterns of dark red and gold spoke of his status.

Arna! A name that struck terror across countless interstellar beings. This old man was the true holder of the Empire's highest authority, and also the Supreme Commander of the Imperial Interstellar Fleet: Marshal Arna.

He raised his arm and sipped from the glass, his eyes fixed on the holographic image before him. Whatever he saw brought a sinister smile to his lips, mingling with the red wine.

"Play file 377," the old man suddenly commanded, and the image before him shifted to another scene.

Meanwhile, Liu Shaoyu was completely unaware of what was transpiring in that distant place.

"Count combat data, send logistics ships to clean up the battlefield. Transport ships, move in. Prepare for capture," Liu Shaoyu ordered, finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.

The massive transport ship slowly approached the subdued broodmother, while the assault escort ships continued to fire stasis beams as a precaution. Once the broodmother had been secured in the cargo bay and reinforced, the fleet began to clear the battleground.

The battle had yielded rich rewards; countless scattered warrior bug shells were recovered, but the greatest prize was the enormous ship left behind after the broodmother was separated.

The cleanup lasted an entire day. The once empty "Titan-class" transport ship was now crammed full, and the fleet set out to jump through the star gate.

In file 377

Just as Liu Shaoyu gave the order to capture the broodmother, it suddenly awakened. Having recently devoured a battle escort ship, its transformation had already armored its body with a nearly transparent layer.

Liu Shaoyu noticed the sudden change, his pupils contracting sharply...

A few minutes later, the image vanished. The green indicator light once belonging to file 377 on the computer abruptly went dark.

The fleet had crossed the Fonta Star System's gate without incident, dealing with a patrol squad of warrior bugs along the way, and retreated before drawing the attention of another broodmother.

The combat data revealed that the fleet had lost up to forty percent of its drones, and a single assault escort ship—all hands lost. Though this loss was insignificant compared to their victory.

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For Liu Shaoyu, however, there was no cause for celebration. An escort destroyer, with its eleven command officers and over a hundred living souls aboard—each life weighed heavily on him. He had brought them out, but was unable to bring them back. This was a vulnerability that every fleet captain found hard to confess.

As Liu Shaoyu reflected, a warm current suddenly surged through his body—a sensation he knew well. It had happened approximately thirty-two times, a count he’d kept since before he was old enough to understand.

With each occurrence, his physical abilities improved, and as the frequency increased, so did the enhancements, although the intervals grew longer. The last time had been after his rebirth; upon waking, he found that while his physical prowess had diminished due to the loss of his martial skills, his observation and mental agility had actually increased. The issues caused by the loss of his martial arts seemed only minor, and within days, he felt new progress when practicing.

This was Liu Shaoyu's secret, deeper even than the concealment of his martial arts. This mysterious transformation made him yearn for further improvement—so he could better protect his fleet, and one day venture into the desolate star regions. He clenched his fists, determined.

Space travel was always monotonous; gazing upon the unchanging cosmos, anyone would be bored in time. Liu Shaoyu stood in the corridor, looking out the window at the starry expanse. Feeling restless, he walked toward the command room, where the lights were dim. Earth's current time was deep into the night, the fleet's designated rest period. Apart from the rotating watch crew, most personnel were sleeping.

Yet it seemed Liu Shaoyu wasn't the only one awake. At the military officer's station, Wang Yuyan, dressed in white as always, was engrossed in the battle footage on the monitor. Her hair, unlike the neat bun she wore during battle, now fell loosely over her shoulders.

Hearing footsteps, Wang Yuyan looked back and met Liu Shaoyu's gaze. Perhaps absorbed in the replay, she smiled faintly and nodded in greeting, then returned to watching.

Liu Shaoyu smiled in response, and seeing Wang Yuyan turn back to her screen, he softened his steps and entered the captain's command center at the heart of the ship. Transparent materials wrapped the entire command platform, forming a central hub that could project a 360-degree holographic display during combat.

"Thomas, replay today's battle record," Liu Shaoyu said softly to the computer. Though the captain's room was fully soundproofed, he was still wary of disturbing Wang Yuyan.

Screens lit up around him, immersing Liu Shaoyu in the universe; today's battle unfolded once more. When it reached the moment the broodmother suddenly struck the escort destroyer, he paused and rewound to the scene where he ordered the destroyer to encircle, adjusting the arcs he had drawn.

"Thomas, import data for simulation," Liu Shaoyu said, frowning.

"Calculation complete," Thomas replied.

The projection now filled with dense numbers, a green arc stopped about five meters outside the original position of the assault escort ship.

"Analyze the broodmother's movement trajectory."

Numbers rapidly processed, and the results appeared.

Liu Shaoyu's frown deepened. According to the calculations, even with the changed arc, the destroyer would still be doomed based on the broodmother's model.

He did not relax. Outside the captain's command room, Wang Yuyan was no longer at her station; she now stood just outside, apparently engrossed in the projection.

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Noticing Wang Yuyan's presence, Liu Shaoyu looked up with a wry smile.

Seeing his expression, Wang Yuyan said lightly, "Don't mind me, carry on," and kept her eyes on the projection.

Liu Shaoyu had found the answer he sought. He opened the hatch and called to Wang Yuyan, "Any discoveries?"

Wang Yuyan entered the command room and input a formula at the point Liu Shaoyu had changed.

"Run the simulation," she said.

Sitting in the chair, Liu Shaoyu was now very close to Wang Yuyan; a stray lock of her hair brushed softly against his face, bringing a refreshing scent.

"Thomas, start simulation," Liu Shaoyu commanded.

As the simulation ran, the final results stunned Liu Shaoyu.

"This won't prevent the ship from breaking apart, but the extra time would allow a third of the crew to reach the escape pods," Wang Yuyan said calmly.

The outcome astonished him; he hadn't expected it.

Running Wang Yuyan's formula again, factoring in various possible influences, the results showed at least fifteen seconds of extra time—enough for many to escape. The conclusion plunged Liu Shaoyu into deeper guilt.

"But this is only deduction; the broodmother's unpredictability could overturn everything. Don't blame yourself too much," Wang Yuyan said gently. Years of space duty had made her emotions toward such losses more subdued, but reviewing battle footage after every engagement was her routine. In this process, she sought to correct her shortcomings.

"Thank you," Liu Shaoyu replied softly, comforted by her words. It also strengthened his resolve to grow stronger—not just himself, but all of humanity must become stronger.

Meanwhile, on distant Earth, another event was unfolding.