60: Chapter 60 A New Journey: The Goal is the Stars and the Sea
Inside the "Torch Dragon" safe house, Lin Mo ended his communication with Elder Chen and sent out the organized technical data for the "Golden Crow-Artemis Type." Having completed all this, he did not feel relaxed; instead, a new sense of urgency lingered in his heart. The energy problem of the Moon Base was only an immediate step. The system's warnings and the boundless star map in his mind constantly reminded him that the true challenge was still far from arriving.
He walked to the center of the safe house, and the massive holographic star map lit up once more. This time, his gaze moved past the Moon and the Near-Earth Orbit, casting toward the more distant Martian orbit, the asteroid belt, and even the edge of the Solar System.
"The cornerstone of energy has been laid, the transformation on the ground is underway, and the lights of the Moon are about to be lit..." Lin Mo whispered to himself, his eyes as sharp as stars. "But this is not enough, far from enough."
Merely gaining an advantage within the Earth-Moon system was not enough to deal with the threat lurking in the shadows of the Oort Cloud. Human civilization needed a broader stage, and even more so, a unified will and power. The system's ultimate mission, [Lead this civilization to complete a technological leap and respond to future challenges], along with the slow-progressing mission [Establish a preliminary civilization warning and defense consensus], both pointed toward a grander goal—integrating global forces and marching toward the sea of stars.
Just then, the system's notification sound rang out again. Unlike previous mission announcements, this time it carried a distant and solemn tone:
[Phase Summary: The civilization's energy shackles have been broken, the intra-planetary technology tree has been partially lit, and the Earth-Moon corridor has been preliminarily established.]
[New Phase Guidance Mission Released: Forging Stars into Ships.]
[Mission Requirements: Lead or deeply participate in the completion of at least one milestone stellar-level development project (e.g., a large-scale Near-Earth Orbit space station, a sustainable Mars outpost, or an asteroid belt resource extraction platform).]
[Mission Reward: Depending on the degree of completion, unlock [Stellar Engine Theory] or [Preliminary Planetary Defense System Blueprint].]
[Sub-mission: Sowing the Seeds.]
[Mission Requirements: Prompt the major powers of this civilization (quantity ≥ 3) to preliminarily recognize the existence of potential alien threats and form a preliminary cooperative intent.]
[Mission Reward: 5000 Points, [Civilization Diplomat] title (Effect: Slightly increases communication efficiency and initial favorability with non-native civilization forces).]
"Forging Stars into Ships... Sowing the Seeds..." Lin Mo repeated these two powerful phrases, his chest surging with pride. The system's guidance was now clear. The next stage would no longer be limited to technological breakthroughs in a corner of the Dragon Kingdom; instead, it would involve leading the entire Blue Star civilization to cast its vision beyond the planet into the vast universe, turning potential crises into opportunities for civilizational unity and progress.
He knew this would be no easy feat. Suspicion between nations, conflicts of interest, and technical barriers were all massive obstacles standing in the way. However, the success of the "Golden Crow" had already torn open the first gap. With its indisputable technological advantage, the Dragon Kingdom now possessed unprecedented discourse power and influence.
He looked toward the direction of the dark Oort Cloud in the holographic star map, his gaze resolute.
"It's time," he said to himself, and also as if announcing to the observers who might exist in the unknown, "The era of internal strife should end. Either we go out together and embrace the sea of stars, or we might all be swallowed by the darkness together one day in the future."
He turned and walked toward the workbench. On the table, on one side were the nearly finalized blueprints for the "sky patrol" fighter, the sword with which the Dragon Kingdom would guard the Near-Earth and deter all directions; on the other side were the newly started conceptual drafts for the "Xihe" space-based energy network and future deep-space development stations.
The personal defense drones were already in place, and the nation's aerospace sword was about to be forged. Next, it was time to draw a nautical chart to the sea of stars for the entire civilization.
He took a deep breath, his consciousness connecting with the system again, and began to screen and integrate the vast knowledge regarding large-scale space structures, extra-terrestrial resource utilization, and cross-civilization communication.
A new journey had begun. The goal was that brilliant and dangerous sea of stars. And what he would personally ignite was not just the energy core of the Moon, but the prairie fire that would carry the entire Blue Star civilization toward the future.