7: Small fleet

The live broadcast of the press conference was still frozen on Dr. Alice Thorne's stern face, but Lei Wen's gaze was already locked onto the image behind her, labeled as an "abnormal structure."

It was blurry, full of noise, like an out-of-focus black-and-white negative. But that silhouette... that unnatural, massive outline pieced together from countless geometric structures...

Lei Wen felt his blood running backward. He shoved his chair away, practically lunging at the computer. His hands were trembling violently from excitement; he mistyped his login password several times.

"Calm down... calm down," he told himself, but the thumping of his heart was so loud it almost shattered his eardrums.

He didn't need to wait for the system to load completely before frantically clicking that familiar icon. When the vast Star Map of stellar universe unfolded on the screen once more, he didn't hesitate for a second, dragging his view at maximum speed toward the synchronous orbit of the Falem Homeworld.

There, floating silently, was a structure he knew all too well—the "Mega Shipyard."

In the initial version of the game, the model for the Mega Shipyard was filled with exaggerated sci-fi aesthetics, featuring thick armor and an oversized energy core. But right now, the building on Lei Wen's screen had changed.

Its structure had become more refined and pragmatic, with countless slender trusses and modular berths replacing the bloated original design. Countless engineering drones, like glowing fireflies, wove between its skeletons, performing maintenance and construction work. It no longer looked like a mere game model, but rather like a... true space-faring creation that followed real physical laws and engineering principles.

And its silhouette could perfectly overlap with the blurry black shadow released at the NASA press conference just moments ago.

The last shred of hope was completely shattered. Lei Wen slumped into his chair, his back instantly soaked in cold sweat.

This was no hallucination, nor was it a coincidence.

The "alien miracle" that NASA's space telescope had peered at across 13 light-years of deep space, which had overturned human understanding, was exactly the building he had clicked to construct in the game to boost military production.

He forced himself to look away from the shipyard itself and clicked on its construction queue. As a "Galactic Wonder," the productivity of the Mega Shipyard was terrifying. In the late stages of the game, with sufficient resources, Lei Wen had once used it to assemble an invincible fleet capable of sweeping across the galaxy in just a few years. At full throttle, it could simultaneously build 5 Titan flagships, 20 battlecruisers, 50 heavy cruisers, and countless destroyers and frigates.

But right now, that long construction queue appeared unusually empty and pitiful.

In total, there were only ten ships.

[Under Construction]

Far-star Class Cruiser x 2

New Era Class Destroyer x 3

Pulse Class Frigate x 5

No Titans, no battleships, not even a single basic heavy cruiser. The scale of this fleet was pitifully small.

Lei Wen moved his mouse over these unfamiliar ship icons to check their detailed parameters. None of these were any type of warship he had designed in the game before.

[Far-star Class Cruiser]

Role: Long-range fire support / Fleet Command Hub

Engine: First-generation Warp Drive Mark-I

Energy: Zero-point Reactor

Weapons: Large Neutron Emitter x 2, Medium Void Beam x 3

Shields: Medium Dark Matter Deflector Shield x 6, Nano-regenerative Armor x 2

Special: Level 5 Stealth Field Generator, Command Communication Array

[New Era Class Destroyer]

Role: Multi-purpose Assault Ship

Engine: First-generation Warp Drive Mark-I

Energy: Zero-point Reactor

Weapons: Medium Plasma Accelerator Cannon x 2, Small Matter Disruption Cannon x 2

Shields: Small Dark Matter Deflector Shield x 3, Nano-regenerative Armor x 1

Special: Level 5 Stealth Field Generator

[Pulse Class Frigate]

Role: High-speed Recon / Harassment

Engine: First-generation Warp Drive Mark-I

Energy: Zero-point Reactor

Weapons: Small Phase Disruption Cannon x 2, Guardian Point Defense x 1

Shields: Small Dark Matter Deflector Shield x 1, Nano-regenerative Armor x 1

Special: Level 5 Stealth Field Generator, High-sensitivity Sensor Suite

As he read through them, Lei Wen couldn't tell if he felt relieved or tense.

"Hyperlane Engine" was the starting technology for every civilization in the game. In the world of stellar universe, the entire universe was filled with hyperlanes connecting various star systems, and any civilization that developed a "Hyperlane Engine" could achieve faster-than-light travel for their ships.

However, there was no "Warp Drive" technology tree in the game.

"First-generation Warp Drive"—this meant they had indeed abandoned the Hyperlane Engine and had developed a new faster-than-light technology from scratch.

Lei Wen looked at the void around the Faleimland System, thinking that the real universe likely didn't have hyperlanes, which was why the Faleim People had developed new faster-than-light technology.

And that "Level 5 Stealth Field Generator" sent a chill straight to his bones. In the game, Level 5 stealth was the end of the tech tree, meaning these ships could be almost completely invisible without actively attacking, undetected by any conventional detection means. They could sneak into the heart of a star system like ghosts, silently, completing reconnaissance or even launching a lethal surprise attack without the enemy ever noticing.

Why would they equip such a small fleet with such a top-tier stealth system?

The answer was self-evident.

This was not an invincible fleet meant for interstellar warfare.

This was a... vanguard force meant for infiltration and reconnaissance.

But even with such a small fleet, did humanity have the capability to resist?

No.

There was absolutely no possibility of resistance.

Warships capable of interstellar travel—never mind those two cruisers, even if the Faleim People sent just one frigate, it would be far beyond what Earth's current military could contend with.

Setting aside the incomprehensible black-tech stealth systems and weapons, just placing the hull there and letting humans bomb it with nuclear weapons wouldn't even dent the energy shields of the falam warships.

...

13 light-years away, in the Central Council hall of the Faleim.

The holographic projection didn't show a magnificent Star Map, but a shocking resource reserve report.

"...Archon, Councilors," the Resource Councilor's voice was slightly weary. "Ever since we lost contact with the main body of the Empire, we have lost 99.8% of our rare alloy sources. Currently, relying only on the asteroid belt of our home system and the mineral deposits on a few barren satellites, the output is a drop in the bucket."

He pointed to the most critical piece of data in the report.

"To build one of our standard-design 'Star-Eater Class' battlecruisers, the 'Alpha Alloy' required for its keel and main armor would exhaust our entire current strategic reserve. As for Titan flagships... we don't even have enough alloy for the shipyard modules needed to build them."

Rare alloys were the cornerstone of building large interstellar warships, and there were thousands of types. Without them, the ship's structure couldn't withstand the immense stress brought by faster-than-light travel and high-intensity combat.

They were like a nation with strong industrial capability but lacking the most critical "steel." They had massive shipyards and advanced technology, but couldn't build giant ships capable of roaming the star sea.

"What about the development of the Warp Drive?" Archon Price turned his gaze toward Chief Scientist Zeral.

"Not optimistic," Zeral admitted frankly. "We reconstructed a usable engine from theory in an extremely rushed timeframe. However, it has structural flaws. Due to the lack of several key catalyst crystals—which also came from the Empire's border colonies—our engine has an insurmountable bottleneck in energy conversion efficiency."

He pulled up the engine's performance parameters.

"After repeated simulations and prototype testing, the highest stable speed the 'First-generation Warp Drive' can reach is five times the speed of light. Once this speed is exceeded, the spacetime curvature field inside the engine becomes extremely unstable, creating resonance that could tear the entire ship apart in seconds."

Five times the speed of light.

For an interstellar civilization that routinely crossed tens of thousands of light-years of star sea, this speed was as slow as a snail crawling.

But for humanity at this moment, it was still a mythical speed.

Military Councilor Talon stood up, performing a simple calculation on the holographic screen.

"The target system is 13 light-years away from us," his voice echoed in the silent hall. "Traveling at five times the speed of light, crossing this distance will take... 2.6 standard years."

Two and a half years.

For the Faleim People, who lived for hundreds of years, this was just a snap of the fingers. But for a civilization with an uncertain future, this was a massive gamble.

"Furthermore," Zeral added the most fatal point, "since our dark matter reserves are no longer sufficient to be used as ship reactor fuel, we can only use the more adaptable but much lower-power Zero-point Reactors. And because of the low energy efficiency, after 2.6 years of full-power travel, the 'Zero-point Energy' modules in the core will enter a depletion phase. If not replenished or replaced in time at the destination, the fleet will lose the ability to travel faster than light. This means... this might be a one-way trip."

A point of no return.

The entire Council fell into silence.

Resource shortages, technical bottlenecks, a one-way expedition... one shackle after another was placed upon this once-magnificent civilization.

"I object," an old conservative Councilor spoke up. "This is gambling with our last strength in a bet with no chance of winning. We should hold our home system, develop our internal economy, and take fifty, or even one hundred years to thoroughly master the new technology before attempting an expedition."

"We cannot wait one hundred years!" Military Councilor Talon immediately retorted. "We know nothing about this universe! We are like a lonely boat drifting in a dark ocean, and that coordinate is very likely information left for us by 'the guide.' For centuries, 'the guide' has never been wrong; it is the only lighthouse in the distance! We must know whether the legacy of 'the guide' exists beneath that lighthouse!"

"I agree with Talon's view," Chief Scientist Zeral also stated. "We cannot wait in ignorance. Sending a small, vanguard fleet with extreme stealth capabilities to find out the truth is our only, and most rational, choice at this moment."

All eyes focused on Archon Price.

He closed his eyes and pondered for a long time. When he opened them again, his deep blue pupils were filled with unwavering determination.

"We come from a vast empire, but right now, we are the spark of civilization. The mission of a spark is not to wait in place to be extinguished, but to seek new firewood."

"Order issued: With 'Far-star' as the fleet codename, immediately build a vanguard fleet in the Mega Shipyard consisting of 2 cruisers, 3 destroyers, and 5 frigates. All ships must be equipped with top-tier stealth systems and sensors. Their mission is to evaluate whether that star system can serve as our first colony in this universe, which is the key to the revival of our Faleim Civilization, and... to search for traces of our former pioneer, 'the guide'."

"Two and a half years from now," he looked at the star outside the window known as "Holy Fire," and said slowly, "they will arrive there."

...

In Lei Wen's room, it was deathly silent.

He looked at the ten ships under construction on the screen, looked at their parameters, and looked at their pitifully short construction time.

He seemed to understand something.

Resource shortages prevented them from building big ships.

Technical bottlenecks kept them from flying fast.

So, they chose the most stable, yet most lethal path—dispatching a ghost-like reconnaissance fleet to scout the way first.

Lei Wen could even guess their plan. This fleet would silently enter the Solar System, as if it didn't exist, lurking in the shadows of the Kuiper Belt or the asteroid belt. Then, with sensors far beyond human imagination, they would greedily absorb all information about Earth—our internet, our communications, our military deployments, our technological level...

And we would know nothing about it.

When they figured out everything about Earth, when they found a way to replenish energy and rare alloys (perhaps right in the asteroid belt), when they transmitted all intelligence back to the homeworld...

The next to arrive would not be these ten small ships.

No... this was not a collision between interstellar civilizations; Earth's technological level was no different from primitive natives in front of the Falaim Scientific Integration Nation. These ten small ships were probably enough to conquer the entire Earth.

Lei Wen picked up his phone and opened the calendar.

Today was July 15, 2025.

He slowly flipped forward on the calendar.

Two years and seven months.

Why seven months, not six? Because the Faleim People's time unit was not exactly the same as Earth's. Lei Wen had set it in the game; their "year" was slightly longer than an Earth year. After precise conversion, 2.6 Faleim standard years was approximately equal to two years and seven months in Earth time.

His finger finally stopped on that date.

February 15, 2028.

A cold, doomsday-like countdown had officially begun in his heart.

He turned off the computer, walked to the window, and looked up at the night sky of Tianqiong City. There were very few stars tonight; the city lights polluted the horizon.

In that direction, the direction of Boötes, 13 light-years away from him, there was a civilization that had already cast its gaze toward the planet beneath his feet.

And Lei Wen, what could he actually do?

The night was deep, and Lei Wen wearily closed his eyes amidst a thousand thoughts.

And in the Faleimland System 13 light-years away, Archon Price also arrived at the laboratory housing the "civilization guidance stele" with deep worry.

He silently gazed at this holy relic that had guided the civilization forward ever since the Faleim Civilization stepped into the starry sky.

"Are you still watching us?"

"To be honest, I don't really like your ability to make our entire race unconditionally and irresistibly execute a command."

"But... why is my 'free' heart filled with confusion now?"

"Tearing the curtain... can we find you?"

"Great 「Player」?"