Chapter 953: Chapter 953
Chapter 953: Chapter 953: History—Of Course, It’s Dark
There is something we’ve always known but nobody wants to talk about. This matter is only discussed between me and Sandora under special circumstances, and that’s the extent of the atrocities committed by those insane Fallen Apostles after the Old Empire’s collapse.
No one wants to see their former comrades fall from a glorious warrior to a vicious, twisted executioner, especially for the Xyrin Apostles who regard the elimination of the Abyss and honorable combat as the greatest honor of their lives. Being controlled by Abyssal power and turning to slaughter their former comrades or other warriors fighting against the Abyss is the greatest shame and disgrace they can imagine. Therefore, whenever the fall of the Old Empire is discussed, what Sandora least wants to mention is how many worlds those insane Fallen Apostles have destroyed that were once part of the same camp—even if those worlds were not part of the large Group Army led by the Empire, just based on their actions against the Abyss, they could still be called comrades. However, after the Xyrin Apostles turned into madmen, these “comrades” were inevitably the first to suffer.
The Old Empire covered vast territories, ruling over countless worlds. These worlds were not all military zones; there were also numerous colonial universes, resource worlds, logistical worlds, or simply home worlds of vassal races. The Old Empire deployed countless barracks and cosmic fortresses in these universes. In the past, these barracks were a solid defensive line protecting the universe, and a world could develop peacefully thanks to the Empire’s stationed barracks. No matter how ruthless the iron-blooded Empire was militarily, in the eyes of civilians of those worlds, these barracks at least symbolized safe survival.
However, with the outbreak of the Catastrophe, the former Guardians instantly turned into demons of slaughter, and the disaster spread from these barracks that were iron walls just a moment ago.
Countless worlds fell under the artillery fire of the Fallen Apostles, and the magnificent realm that the Old Empire had constructed over billions of years collapsed at an incredible speed. Many vassal races were massacred, star systems ignited, and entire universes erased… Almost every inter-world channel was controlled by the Empire, leaving ordinary races in the universe with virtually no chance of escape. Worse still, some races with weak individuals also turned into monsters under the influence of Abyssal power, embarking on a path of destruction of others and self-destruction. This was a rapid and despairing chain reaction, and within a matter of moments, everything was turned to ruins under the Abyssal impact broadcasted to the entire Empire’s network without delay. Just like the territories Sandora once ruled, all that was left in the universe were desolate, twisted space fortresses, and shattered starships, as well as the few descendants of vassal races who survived the catastrophe and started over like primitive people, along with the twisted stories passed down through generations.
Of course, this devastating storm destroyed more than just the Empire. In many worlds close to the Imperial Dominions, the shock of this earth-shattering disaster was no less than within the Empire: the Fallen Apostles, who had destroyed their own realm, didn’t stop there. When they found no physical worlds left to destroy before their eyes, they decisively turned their gaze to other worlds in their memory—those that hadn’t joined the Imperial Camp, but were fighting against the Abyss as part of a third faction or remaining neutral ordinary worlds.
Due to the incredibly rapid changes occurring within the Empire and the extreme and meticulous military blockade the Empire had imposed on its dominions, no one knew what happened during the few days when that unparalleled civilization suddenly went silent. Even ordinary civilizations directly bordering the Imperial Dominions, which usually had trade with them, could not imagine what kind of terrifying scene was unfolding on the other side of those suddenly silenced world channels. When the dark warships of the “Imperial Army” angrily surged out of the Void, showering death and gunfire on every innocent world that appeared in their sights, those civilizations under attack were confused. They couldn’t react to what was happening; Doomsday arrived so swiftly that many civilizations met their end quickly and painlessly in their confusion…
Some that managed to react were powerful advanced civilizations. The Void is vast, and the Abyss indiscriminately attacks every ordered world, naturally not limited to the territories of the Divine Race and the Xyrin Empire. Civilizations fighting against the Abyss were not limited to just the Star Domain and Xyrin camps; many powerful ordinary civilizations were also battling the Abyss. Civilizations qualified to fight the Abyss had at least reached a level where they could cross universes and modify mathematical laws. When faced with the Empire’s sudden attack, these civilizations suffered heavy losses instantly but still managed to maintain a breathing space.
The Fallen Apostles, madly attacking other worlds, encountered some obstacles when facing these powerful scattered troops. This gave rise to the later Ghost Fleet—they were survivors who seized the last glimmer of hope to escape from their universe during the apocalypse.
After all, no matter how powerful the strength of ordinary civilizations in the third faction was, they couldn’t compare to the giant Xyrin Empire. Especially when facing a group of insane Imperial Soldiers with severely burnt-out minds, no matter how strong the defenses were, they quickly turned to dust under the near-frenzied attacks of those mad Fallen Apostles. The hastily organized independent armies of various worlds couldn’t hold the front lines for long before they had to start arranging fleets to protect the last survivors of their races to flee from their universe.
This was a massive evacuation occurring simultaneously in many worlds. Countless Void Escape Fleets dashed out of their homes, which were engulfed by flames and on the brink of collapse, pursued relentlessly by the Fallen Apostles, diving into the equally perilous Void. These escape fleets were large in scale, but their numbers rapidly dwindled. The massive reduction wasn’t just due to the pursuit by the Fallen Apostles; the more important reason was the peril of the Void: Many civilizations’ grasp of Void Navigation Technology was immature. They might possess the ability to use the Void as a bridge to jump into another world, but they certainly didn’t have the technology to survive long-term in the Void. However, the situation was such that almost every world they could find was already under the artillery fire of the Fallen Apostles, and there wasn’t a single safe world in the navigation maps of their warships. No matter where the escape fleets stopped, what awaited them were only the immediate arrivals of Imperial Battleships.
And likewise, the sky was filled with gunfire in an instant.
A part of the escape fleet, having nowhere else to go, risked jumping into the universe they believed to be relatively safe. Most of those fleets making such a choice were torn to pieces by the Empire’s super space-time firepower, while the remaining ones roamed the void and slowly disintegrated after energy was exhausted.
Ultimately, only less than ten percent of the exile ships managed to persist long enough in the void to escape the influence of the Fallen Apostle, and nearly all ships were severely damaged.
The Council tells us this history, and she, connected directly with the starship database due to the mutation of her life form, narrates these events with almost no emotional fluctuations, as if flatly recounting a story.
“The escape fleet took nearly a thousand years to temporarily escape the pursuit of the Imperial Army, with survivors numbering less than a tenth of its initial departure. Some fleets were already unable to continue, as the main fleet lacked the extra starships and resources to support them. They could only risk jumping into the Main Material World before their starships disintegrated, mostly ending up in some desolate universe, lacking resources and population, and without critically needed basic industries. These lagging yet still fortunate exiles began their civilization anew in the hurriedly found new home. They maintained communication for over a thousand years using the remaining void devices on their warships and the main fleet that was still wandering. The final records show that many of them have already degenerated into planet-based civilizations, and some were destroyed by the universe environment. The remaining exiles continue to wander in the void because no one knows how long the Imperial Army will pursue them. You… they never know what it means to give up. Facing such an army, no one dares to stop. The Yunadeans achieved full clan integration after terminating communication with the last batch of lagging starships, creating the Council. Otherwise, having been severely damaged by the Imperial Army upon departure, we would have been one of the stragglers.”
“After wandering for quite many long years, even the most powerful civilizations began to gradually exhaust their resources. The number of operational starships grew fewer, though those Imperial Battleships seemed to have given up pursuit. The wandering fleet was nearly swallowed by the void; the once vast starship clusters integrated time and again, until only five United Fleets remained. The five Supreme Commanders ultimately decided to split up and drift through five unexplored void ‘quadrants’ endlessly, until the fleet’s resources were exhausted and they would exit the void, leaving it to fate what kind of universe they would fall into. We are convinced that the void is vast, and there must be a ‘quadrant’ where the Empire cannot find a safe zone.”
“Afterwards, over ten thousand years passed. Although the five fleets were split up, we still did everything possible to maintain communication. During this period, this fleet—The Fourth United Fleet—undertook the largest and most daring restructuring: abandoning all individual warships and using all remaining resources to support the Tobelu Clan’s starship formation. The Tobelu Clan, or Tobelu High-level Insect Race, possessed the highest technology and productivity in the fleet. They were also the only life forms with ghost energy talents. When it became apparent that the fleet’s efficiency was decreasing, and the ability to continually develop in the void was zero, the Council judged that only the Tobelu, who were not afraid of ghost energy radiation and had once mastered void laboratory technology, could once again propel the group’s development. To possibly extend the fleet’s endurance time, the final result is as you can see, with the wandering fleet having only one type of ship left, that is the Tobelu people’s starship. This is the history of the Fourth United Fleet.”
I was silent for a moment, then softly asked, “And the other four fleets, what about them now…”
Actually, there’s no need to ask this question because the youth soldiers had previously hinted at the fate of the other fleets.
“The First, Second, and Third Fleets encountered the Imperial Army and were annihilated,” a trace of pain flashed across the Council’s face but quickly subsided, “The situation of the Fifth Fleet is unclear. Ultimately, only the Fourth and Fifth Fleets survived. We were in communication until six hundred years ago, when they had already wandered to extremely remote areas in the void that no one had ever reached before, in a native region dense with barren worlds. Our communication lasted intermittently for over a decade, but eventually, contact was lost. We do not know if they still exist, hoping they still survive—the remaining population of the Fifth Fleet was about twice that of the Fourth Fleet, so perhaps they will eventually succeed.”
“So, in the currently known range of the void, you are the only surviving exiles.”
Sandora sighed softly, looking at the Council with a complex expression.
The other party nodded silently.
“Oh, there’s something else I remembered,” I suddenly recalled a detail that had bothered me before, “When I came over just now, I saw some Imperial markings and remnants of Imperial devices in your fortress. What’s going on? Did you capture them during a battle with the Fallen Apostle battleships?”
“No, they were brought by the ‘remnants’,” the Council shook her head, “Although the Imperial Army is our mortal enemy, we must admit that their technology far surpasses the United Fleet. To survive, we will use anything we can, including the enemy’s weapons.”
“Remnants?” My sister couldn’t help but repeat the term, “What remnants?”
The Council closed her eyes: “They were once part of the Imperial Family. When the great catastrophe occurred, the Imperial Soldiers attacked every target, including their original servants. However, generally, the Imperial Family possessed very advanced Void Navigation Technology, directly obtained from the Empire, giving them a higher chance of survival. Many Imperial Family members escaped from Imperial Territory, fleeing with a large amount of technology and warships, joining up with the United Fleet. Initially, brief battles broke out between us until we began to understand what was happening within the Xyrin Empire’s borders, and the conflicts ceased, forming an alliance. The Imperial devices they brought were used to replenish the United Fleet’s supplies warehouse.”
The Council’s explanation suddenly enlightened me, making sense of why the Imperial traces were visible within the Planet Fortress. It seems not all vassal races were as unlucky as those natives in the Mobra World when the great catastrophe erupted. Some races, strong in technology and possessing a considerable amount of Imperial devices, managed to escape and later joined forces with the exile fleet. I imagine the position of those Imperial remnants within the United Fleet must have been quite awkward at first. Follow current novᴇls on nοvelfire.net
This speculation was immediately confirmed by the Council: Although nowadays the descendants of the Imperial remnants are no longer discriminated against within the United Fleet, in the early days, conflict was rife between the Imperial remnants and the exiled ones, mainly due to the latter’s hatred and fear of the Fallen Apostles, with the remnants, once agents of the Empire, seen as the demon’s representatives. This conflict lasted nearly a thousand years until both the first-generation Imperial remnants and exiles had passed away. With efforts from subsequent generations of new citizens, relations greatly improved. The Imperial remnants utilized their inherited Void technology from the Empire to significantly extend the United Fleet’s endurance in the Void, while the exiled worked hard to help the remnants correct their technology tree and restore their development capabilities—we all know that under the Empire’s intentional or unintentional technological shackles, vassal races generally tend to skew their technology trees. Once they lose the Empire’s “blood supply”, it doesn’t take long before they become primitive, only knowing how to press buttons on ready-made machines.
We almost understood the situation regarding the Ghost Fleet, when Sandora briefly pondered and said, “I basically understand now. So, what do you think about our information?”
“The credibility is less than one hundred percent, but whether we believe it or not seems to make little difference,” the Council continued straightforwardly, treating even severe issues like a narrative, “The current United Fleet cannot significantly affect the Imperial Army’s actions, we can only ensure an absolute counterattack when you initiate an offense.”
“In other words, as long as we don’t attack you, you won’t cause trouble, correct?”
Sandora asked with a softened expression, promptly receiving the Council’s affirmative response: “There’s no need to hide this issue; the United Fleet does not have the strength for a proactive attack against the Imperial Army.”
“Hey, what are you planning to do in the future?” Miss Lin, who had remained silent for a long time, suddenly spoke up, “Continue wandering?”
“If possible, the Fourth United Fleet will continue to wander, drifting deeper into the Void until we have to stop. Of course, the prerequisite is that you can indeed let us go.”
“I’m afraid I have some bad news for you,” Lilina suddenly jumped up, shouting, “After many years of silence, the Fallen Apostles have actually resumed action. The place you are now is within the attack range of the Fallen Apostles—the reason you are still alive is because this area is simultaneously under the surveillance of the Star Domain Divine Race and is the territory of the New Empire. So, if the exile fleet continues to move forward, once you lose sight of the Empire and the Star Domain, you’ll immediately face the Fallen Apostles’ assault—just like many years ago when you left your homeland.”
It must be said that those with a psychology background are indeed different; Lilina’s words immediately hit a sore spot.
The Council fell into a state of entanglement. Clearly, logical judgment told her that the words spoken by us seemed credible, yet another logical judgment reminded her that any error in matters related to the Empire, even if only one percent, could be fatal. Even if in her mind our family’s credibility reached ninety-nine point nine percent, the remaining zero point one percent of untrustworthiness was enough to ponder for half a day. Qianqian, being impulsive, immediately jumped up when she saw the other party start calculating again, with so much hesitation and indecision, shouting, “What wandering! It’s so dangerous outside! Our place is big enough; you can live here too!”
As the Imperial Empress, Qianqian was now quite brazen, even though just one suite with three bedrooms and one living room would suffice, she dared to offer land and territory generously!
“The ultimate goal of the exile fleet is to find a stable home, right,” I tried to appeal to the Council emotionally, although uncertain whether her emotional pattern was similar to ordinary people, I was sincere in my words, “I can’t guarantee absolute safety within the New Empire’s territory, but at least it’s safer than the Void. The Fallen Apostles have indeed resumed their activity; continuing to wander under such circumstances, especially with these old, severely deteriorated Ghost Ships with inadequate crew, is a dire risk of extermination at any time.”
“Xyrin Apostle’s Emperor, do you mean for the United Fleet to settle in your Empire’s territory?”
The Council’s face showed not even a trace of emotion, only using a very serious tone to ask.
That’s when I realized I might have spoken hastily; what seemed harmless to me might be shocking to the exile fleet’s members. After World War II, ask a Jewish person to stay at an old Nazi’s house for a night and see who takes action on whom the next day—that would count as a natural phenomenon.
But I couldn’t take it back at this point, so I could only nod, hoping that the Council, with her super intelligence aggregated from tens of thousands of souls, would think purely logically for once. Although emotionally unacceptable, logically speaking, I couldn’t find a safer way out than this.
After waiting a full ten minutes, the Council seemed to have finally completed her logical calculation, nodding reluctantly under our expectant gazes, but added a sentence: “I can pass this proposal, but next, I will broadcast all this information to the entire United Fleet. Their future, will be up to them to decide.”