123: Shadow Stealth

Experienced star pirate veterans were still passing on their experience to their sons.

"Set off!"

With a roar like a supernova core exploding, Balem, the supreme commander of the Blood Blade Pirate Group's southern raiding zone, swung down his giant hand, which was capable of crushing planets.

There were no grand oaths, no redundant mobilization.

For this group of cosmic hyenas, killing and plundering were innate instincts!

No extra embellishment was needed.

The massive flagship, shaped like a dripping blood fang—the 'Blood Tooth'—sat under Balem's personal command, slowly sailing out of the hollowed-out brown dwarf nest like a prehistoric beast awakening from its slumber.

Following closely behind was a massive fleet of nearly twenty billion warships!

These warships had a rugged and ferocious style, their armor plates covered in scars left by impacts and energy weapons, resembling the crisscrossing scars on the faces of battle-hardened thugs.

The dark exhaust plumes from their engines merged together, appearing like a giant serpent of death swimming through the sea of stars.

Even more heart-wrenching was that within this torrent of steel, there was a faint aura of over two thousand Stellar-level Experts!

This was almost eighty percent of the core combat power under Balem's command!

To make such a grand display of force just to deal with the Human Federation, which was nominally not even at Rank 2.1, was not making a mountain out of a molehill.

This was the 'rule' forged by Star Pirates with blood and fire—once Stellar Level combat power is deployed, it means a fight to the death!

One must use absolute power to uproot the opposing civilization!

Grind it into cosmic dust!

To deter all potential troublemakers!

Even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit!

"Set the course. Target—the border of the Human Federation, the last lost coordinates of 'Bone-Cracker' Gor."

Balem's massive body sank into the throne forged from a star core, his voice sounding like two meteorites rubbing against each other.

"Activate the 'Shadow Stealth Navigation' System."

As the order was given, an invisible force field that distorted space, centered on the 'Blood Tooth', instantly spread out, enveloping the entire fleet.

The next moment, to any detection equipment outside lower than Rank 2.1, this terrifying fleet capable of destroying thousands of star Systems was as if 'erased' from the star map by an invisible giant hand.

No mass projection, no energy radiation, no gravitational fluctuations...

All signals that could be detected by conventional means perfectly blended into the cosmic background noise.

They became true 'ghosts', silently slipping into the deep sea of stars, sneaking toward their prey.

...

After the fleet entered the stealth state, one of Balem's Stellar Level subordinates known for cruelty and greed—'Blood Butcher' Victor!

He licked his lips, a bloodthirsty glint flashing in his eyes, and requested through internal communication: "Boss, there are a few primitive planets near the route that have just reached the threshold of a Rank 1 civilization and can't even fly out of their planetary System. The brothers are itching for a fight. Should we go down and 'stretch our muscles'? Catching some slaves to play with would be nice too."

His suggestion immediately drew agreement from many bellicose Star Pirates.

However, Balem, sitting on his throne, couldn't even be bothered to lift his eyelids.

Beside him, the strategist 'Ghost Calculator' Carol pushed his monocle, a mocking data light flashing across the lens, and spoke on Balem's behalf, his voice soft and cold:

"Victor, is your brain filled only with muscle and killing hormones?!"

"Look at those bugs. They are still using their chemical fuel rockets, trying to understand what 'nuclear fusion' is. The most powerful weapons on their planet don't even have the power of an energy battery in our warship's restroom!"

"What can you grab if you go down there now?! A pile of scrap metal?! Or billions of primitive monkeys who only know how to scream and don't even understand interstellar language?!"

Carol's voice suddenly rose, carrying a sharp tone of reprimanding an idiot: "The fry aren't even as long as a finger, and you're in such a rush to cast the net? Can you get full, or can you sell them for money?! Idiot!"

Victor was stunned by the scolding, his face twitching, but he dared not refute.

Carol scanned the surrounding star pirate leaders who looked puzzled, his tone slowing down but carrying a deeper coldness:

"Remember our Blood Blade Pirate Group's 'sustainable development' strategy! Encircle these primitive planets and treat them as 'wild pastures'."

"Wait until they develop into a preliminary interstellar civilization themselves, light up their technology tree, and accumulate resources... That is when they become a mature, plump 'crop'!"

"What we need to do now is to shield them, protect them, and let them 'grow' in peace! Not trample them when they are still seeds! Do you understand, you bunch of brutes who only know how to kill, kill, kill?!"

These naked remarks, regarding civilization as livestock, made all the star pirate leaders realize, and they all showed lewd and knowing smiles.

"Hahaha! The strategist is brilliant!"

"Raise them fat before killing! Wonderful!"

"Just like raising pigs, you have to wait until they are fat and strong before slaughtering them!"

...

Thus, this ghost fleet of death, like supreme deities, indifferently passed over thousands of life planets still in the era of ignorance.

These Stellar Level Star Pirates simply didn't care about the resources of primitive life planets.

Especially 'the grass by the rabbit's nest'...

Only very weak Star Pirates would target primitive life planets!

The intelligent life on these planets knew nothing about this...

The top astronomers among them might be cheering for observing a new pulsar;

The science fiction writers among them might be painting a beautiful blueprint of peaceful diplomatic relations with alien friends;

The politicians among them might still be arguing until they were red in the face over a bit of territory and resources...

They were completely unaware that the terrifying power capable of erasing their civilization from the Universe in an instant had just silently passed by the star they depended on for survival...

All their detection equipment, those radio telescopes and spatial gravitational wave detectors they were proud of, returned normal data, with no abnormal warnings.

It wasn't that there was no data...

But! It was beyond their cognitive scope!

The weak spatial curvature changes caused by the star pirate fleet's transition were labeled by their physicists as 'deep space gravitational anomalies awaiting research';

The extremely subtle 'noise' generated by the interaction between the fleet's stealth force field and cosmic background radiation was automatically filtered out by their signal processing Systems as equipment interference...

They lived in a safe and false cosmic picture filtered by their own technological level.

They firmly believed they were the only ones in the Universe, or at least extremely rare lucky ones...

Little did they know, their very existence, in the eyes of higher-level civilizations, was nothing more than an asset marked with a 'harvest countdown'!

...

A few days later, the ghost fleet arrived in a relatively prosperous Star Domain.

There were several Rank 2.0 civilizations here that had initially mastered dozens of star Systems.

They had established a preliminary interstellar trade network, possessed well-organized interstellar fleets, and the knowledge level of their citizens was far beyond that of primitive civilizations.

In the past, this was an area that Star Pirates focused on 'visiting'.

When the fleet disengaged 'Shadow Stealth Navigation' and appeared like ghosts directly on the periphery of the Capital Star of one of the civilizations called the 'Lorraine Federation', a shrill interstellar alarm instantly resounded throughout the entire Lorraine Federation!

The panic of the Lorraine people can be imagined!

Their border monitoring network was like a sham, and the enemy appeared directly at their doorstep?!

The massive star pirate fleet exuded suffocating pressure, and the auras of over two thousand Stellar-level Experts were undisguisedly intertwined...

Like cold tides, drowning the Soul of every Lorraine citizen!

The supreme administrator of the Lorraine Federation—an elderly man at the Advanced Stellar Level!

He almost crawled to connect to the public communication channel, his voice trembling as he asked:

"Res... Respected lords of the Blood Blade Pirate Group... I don't know... I don't know what instructions you have for this visit? Our... our date for paying the 'Safety Guarantee Fee' should still be more than three hundred standard years away..."

His voice was filled with fear and confusion.

According to the unwritten rules of the past, the Blood Blade Pirate Group only came to collect the 'protection fee' once every thousand years; this time it was clearly ahead of schedule.

Such a massive fleet arriving early, he couldn't help but think of the worst direction—

Did the Star Pirates not want to 'raise' them anymore?

Were they preparing to 'slaughter the pig and eat the meat' this time, completely destroying and plundering their civilization?

At the thought of this possibility, the administrator almost fainted!

On the flagship 'Blood Tooth', Balem did not respond personally.

A civilization of this level was not worthy of speaking directly to him.

A star pirate leader responsible for external negotiations responded via broadcast with a condescending tone filled with undisguised contempt, his voice spreading to every corner of the Lorraine Federation:

"Instructions? No instructions."

"Our Commander 'Skull-Crusher' Balem is on this trip to teach a new 'neighbor' how to understand the rules. Passing by here, we'll collect the 'Safety Guarantee Fee' for the next millennium in advance."

"The old rule, fifty thousand origin crystals."

As soon as the words 'origin crystals' came out, the heart of the Lorraine administrator sank to the bottom.

origin crystals! That was a high-purity energy crystal that only Stellar-level Experts could slowly refine and condense from the cosmic environment by spending a large amount of time and Origin energy!

The energy contained in one standard Origin crystal was comparable to the total radiation output of a small star over several months! It also came with Law!

It was not only an excellent energy source but also a high-level hard currency for Stellar-level Experts to Cultivate, recover, and even trade!

An early-stage Stellar Level Expert, without eating, drinking, or cultivating, could barely condense one in a year!

Its value was far from what the 'source coins' compressed from energy circulating within the Lorraine Federation could measure.

The value of one Origin crystal was enough to exchange for billions upon billions of source coins!

And there was no market for it!

Fifty thousand origin crystals would almost empty the Lorraine Federation's savings of several hundred years, requiring the strength of the entire nation's Stellar-level Experts, living frugally, to gather!

If it weren't for the threat of the Blood Blade Pirate Group, no Stellar Level Expert would be willing to waste time condensing origin crystals!

Cultivating oneself and breaking through life Ranks was the innate pursuit of the strong!

The administrator squeezed out a smile uglier than crying, trying to negotiate:

"My lord... you see... this incident was sudden, we really cannot gather fifty thousand origin crystals for a moment... can we... can we use equivalent source coins, or rare minerals..."

"Hmph!"

Before he finished speaking, he was interrupted by a cold snort.

The star pirate leader's voice suddenly became extremely chilling: "Do you think we are beggars? Or do you think our Blood Blade Pirate Group's rules can be bargained with?!"

"Remember! Paying origin crystals is the rule! It is the price for your continued existence!"

"Want to use source coins to make up the number?" The star pirate leader let out a sneer, "We have as much of that stuff as we want! Just rob it! Why waste words with you?!"

"One word, give?! Or not give?!"

Along with his words, a Killing Intent condensed into substance, mixed with the pressure of a Stellar Level Peak, like billions of ice needles, pierced toward the Lorraine Capital Star!

The energy shield on the planet's surface fluctuated violently, as if it would shatter at any moment!

All Lorraine people, from the administrator to the commoners, felt that bone-chilling coldness and the threat of death!

The situation was stronger than the people!

The Lorraine administrator closed his eyes, a trace of despair and humiliation flashing across his face, and finally, he squeezed two words through his teeth:

"... We... give."

Swallowing his broken teeth!

He immediately ordered the opening of the national secret treasury, taking out the origin crystals that his clansmen had saved for thousands of years, painstakingly condensed by the nation's Stellar-level Experts, one by one, and filled a special energy shielding box.

When a small transport ship carried this box, like a tribute, and carefully delivered it to the 'Blood Tooth', the heart of every Lorraine high-level official was dripping with blood.

What was sent out was not just energy, but the potential for their civilization's future development, the cultivation resources for their strong ones, and the Guarantee for the future Planetary Level Peak Breakthrough!

Balem opened the box casually, looking at the fifty thousand origin crystals inside emitting soft yet majestic energy halos, and nodded with satisfaction.

He casually picked one up and examined it in front of his eyes, as if admiring a beautiful gemstone.

"Hmm, the quality is not bad. It seems you were very 'attentive' in preparing it."

He waved his hand, and the star pirate leader understood, speaking to the communicator with a tone of charity to the Lorraine administrator:

"Very good, you are very 'sensible'. For the next thousand years, you will continue to receive the 'protection' of our Blood Blade Pirate Group. Develop with peace of mind, looking forward to you being able to hand over more and better 'Safety Guarantee Fee' next time."

This is called sustainable development.

Rabbits don't eat the grass by their nest.

Capturing these Rank 2.0 civilizations that have initially developed, and harvesting their most essential 'origin crystals' output regularly...

Is far more cost-effective than robbing and killing everything at once!

After all, destroying a civilization can only get its temporary accumulation, while capturing a civilization can get its endless 'tribute'.

These Star Pirates could develop to the scale of controlling thousands of star Systems today; the shrewdness and foresight within them were far beyond ordinary people's imagination!

They were not madmen who only knew how to kill; they were the most dangerous cosmic predators who understood 'long-term investment'!

After the harvest was completed, the ghost fleet activated 'Shadow Stealth Navigation' again, and under the complex gaze of the entire Lorraine Federation's high-level officials, filled with humiliation, fear, and a trace of survival after a disaster, they slowly disappeared, as if they had never appeared.

Leaving behind the Lorraine Federation with its foundation hollowed out!

The dignity of a civilization that had been completely trampled!

...

In the following voyage, similar scenes were staged on two other Rank 2.0 civilizations.

These civilizations also handed over their precious Origin crystal inventories in extreme fear and unwillingness.

They didn't even dare to have any thoughts of resistance, because the power exuded by that ghost fleet made them unable to give birth to any courage to resist.

They could only comfort themselves:

Lose money to avoid disaster!

As long as the civilization could continue, there was still hope!

They didn't know that Balem's real goal for this trip was the Human Federation.

They were just leeks 'by the way'.

...

Finally, after crossing countless light-years and passing through numerous civilizations that were either ignorant or 'sensible'.

This ghost fleet carrying the breath of death and destruction arrived at the first destination of this trip—near the Star Domain that had just been cleared by Li Qingshan not long ago.

Balem's huge finger pointed at an inconspicuous planet on the star map that emitted weak life signals.

It was exactly Cui Hua's hometown, that agricultural planet located on the edge of the Federation's territory.

The corner of his mouth curled into a cruel and expectant arc.

"Let's start from here."

"Let these ignorant Federation bumpkins understand clearly what... the rules of the sea of stars are!"