121: Dark Forest Theory VS. Wildfire Theory 3

The ensuing battle could hardly be called a battle; it was a unilateral display.

The weapon Systems of the Mechanical Civilization were incomprehensible to the scientists of the BC Civilization.

They were not simple energy weapons, but space rippers, time dilation fields, Karma interference devices...

These technologies, which existed only in theory, had become conventional weapons in the hands of the Mechanical Civilization's fleet.

The most powerful warships of the BC Civilization appeared fragile before the frigates of the Mechanical Civilization.

Their shields evaporated upon contact with some unknown energy field, and their armor was like paper before the space-cutting weapons.

But what brought the most despair to Su Chen and Xing Ya was not the gap in weaponry, but the gap in tactics.

Every unit of the Mechanical Civilization's fleet was like a cell controlled by a single brain, achieving a perfect Realm of coordinated combat.

And even more terrifying was that their fleet was constantly evolving during the battle.

Damaged ships would self-repair and instantly adjust defensive strategies in response to the type of attack received.

"They are learning..."

The BC Civilization's Chief Tactical Officer collapsed into his chair.

"No, they are evolving; every second they are stronger than the last..."

The battle lasted for seventy-two hours.

Ninety percent of the BC Civilization's military force was destroyed; the remaining warships either surrendered or self-destructed in despair.

And the losses of the Mechanical Civilization...

According to Qin Jiuge's post-battle report, the loss rate was 0.3%, and all damaged units could be fully repaired within thirty days.

...

The "Arbiter" was eventually captured by the boarding troops of the Mechanical Civilization.

Su Chen and Xing Ya were brought before Qin Jiuge.

The two were still wearing their luxurious ruler attire, but the light in their eyes had extinguished.

They had witnessed the collapse of their lifelong beliefs and seen how pale and powerless their revered Law was in the face of absolute strength.

"If you want to kill us, then do it."

Su Chen straightened his back, attempting to maintain his final dignity.

"But the dark forest law is correct!"

"You were just... just lucky that you didn't encounter a civilization stronger than yours!"

Qin Jiuge was noncommittal.

"The dark forest law is correct? If it is correct, why were you found and defeated by my civilization?"

"Including those civilizations I have already subjugated, all of them adopted the dark forest law of survival."

"You are right; I was indeed lucky not to have encountered a civilization more powerful than mine,"

"but do not forget, before you encountered my civilization, your civilization's luck was not bad either."

Qin Jiuge looked at them, a hint of coldness flashing in his optical sensors.

He pulled up a list; it was a record of all the civilizations that the BC Civilization had destroyed during its expansion, spanning thousands of pages.

"Let me show you something."

A holographic projection unfolded, displaying a prosperous interstellar society where life forms of different races coexisted harmoniously.

Machines and organic beings worked side by side, and the lights of myriad homes twinkled in the bustling space cities.

"This is the Seventeenth Affiliated Star Domain under the Mechanical Civilization,"

Qin Jiuge said.

"Thirty-seven formerly independent civilizations live here, including three human civilizations that you once listed as targets for destruction."

Shock flashed in the eyes of Su Chen and Xing Ya, and then lasers pierced through their skulls...

...

The downfall of the BC Civilization shocked the entire Star Domain.

Those civilizations that believed in the dark forest law and lurked in the shadows realized for the first time the severity of the problem—hiding meant death, and it also slowed down the efficiency of development.

The Mechanical Civilization did not stop its pace.

After annexing the BC Civilization, Qin Jiuge continued his expansion plan.

But this time, many civilizations chose to join voluntarily.

"We have seen another possibility."

An Elder of a plant civilization that had been hiding for ten thousand years said,

"Instead of waiting for extinction in fear, it is better to join the flame and become a part of the light."

The territory of the Mechanical Civilization spread like a prairie fire.

Every conquered planet was not simply plundered for resources but was incorporated into a vast symbiotic System of civilization.

Different races contributed their unique technologies and cultures, pushing the entire civilization to leap forward.

A hundred years later, the Mechanical Civilization achieved its fourth technological explosion—a Breakthrough in cross-Universe communication and observation technology.

For the first time, they confirmed that there indeed existed civilizations more powerful than them in this Universe.

But by then, it no longer mattered.

Because the Mechanical Civilization had become so powerful that even if discovered by those civilizations, it had the ability to confront them head-on, and even defeat them.

...

Thirty thousand years later.

The Mechanical Civilization had grown from a stellar System civilization into a super civilization ruling the entire Local Group.

Their territory spanned one hundred thousand light-years, with millions of civilizations under their banner; the spark Qin Jiuge had sown back then had burned through every corner of the galaxy.

And Qin Jiuge himself no longer directly managed this vast civilization.

He had uploaded his core consciousness into the entire civilization network, becoming an existence similar to a "Civilization Will".

Every mechanical unit was an extension of his consciousness, and every affiliated civilization was a practitioner of his philosophy.

"Master, according to the latest observations, the area in this Universe not yet incorporated into the civilization System is less than 0.3%."

001 reported; the current 001 was no longer a simple robot assistant, but one of the core nodes of the entire civilization management network.

"Very well."

Qin Jiuge's consciousness flowed through the network.

"Then, it is time to launch the final plan."

"You mean... the Universe unification plan?"

"No,"

Qin Jiuge corrected,

"It is the 'Civilization Ascension Plan'."

"We do not need to simply unify the Universe; we need to guide all civilizations in the entire Universe toward a higher form of existence."

In his plan, the next goal of the Mechanical Civilization was to Breakthrough the boundaries of the Universe and explore the possibilities of the Multiverse.

And this time, they would take all the civilizations willing to follow along.

Another seven thousand four hundred years passed, and the Mechanical Civilization successfully built the first "Universe Jump Engine".

It was a magnificent device capable of teleporting the entire civilization to another Universe.

On the eve of the jump activation, Qin Jiuge summoned representatives of all affiliated civilizations—humans, Crystal race, Zerg race, Psionic race... and countless races that joined later.

"Everyone,"

Qin Jiuge's consciousness was transmitted via a Universe-wide broadcast,

"As we are about to embark on a new journey, I want to review our initial philosophy."

A holographic image unfolded, playing the magnificent journey of the Mechanical Civilization since its departure from A Blue Star.

"Once, there was a civilization that chose to hide in the darkness, believing in the Law of 'discovery means destruction'."

"They believed this was the only way to survive."

The image switched to the original plan of the Black Spirit—hiding, fear, missing opportunities for development.

"But later, we chose another path: the path of a prairie fire."

"We do not hide, we do not fear, we develop openly, we expand bravely,"

"like that bird without feet, if it does not fly it dies; like a boat sailing against the current, if it does not advance it retreats,"

"turning every civilization we encounter into a part of our flame."

The image finally froze on the map of the now prosperous Mechanical Civilization territory, where millions of civilizations coexisted harmoniously and technology had reached an unprecedented height.

"This path, we bet and won."

Qin Jiuge said,

"But what we won was not just survival, but dignity, progress, and the true meaning of a civilization's existence,"

"not living miserably in the darkness, but burning in the light, illuminating ourselves and illuminating others."

"Now, we are going to take this fire into the new Universe."

"Civilizations willing to follow, please prepare."

"Those who are unwilling can also stay here and continue to prosper and develop."

No civilization chose to stay.

Because all civilizations understood that by following this flame, they had witnessed miracles, created history, and would continue to forge the future.

The moment the jump engine started, all the stars within the entire Mechanical Civilization territory flickered, as if bidding farewell to this Universe.

Then, light.

Endless light.

When the light dissipated, the Mechanical Civilization that was once named A Blue Star had disappeared from this Universe, having gone to a new world, taking with it the seeds of the spark.

And in the Universe where they once existed, all that remained were countless illuminated civilizations,

and an eternal legend—the story of a flame that dared to burn in the darkness, and how it eventually illuminated the entire Universe.

The spark has started a prairie fire, and it shall never cease.