"It’s like changing from building as we go to setting up a distribution center for batch construction, and then laying it out once it’s finished to optimize efficiency?" Monica raised her gaze slightly, hitting the nail on the head with one sentence.

Jian Xuwei nodded: "Although it’s not that simple, it’s close. I’ve considered this plan, and it seems worth trying."

"The premise of being worth trying is based on understanding the attack patterns of these tides against us." Chen Sixuan took a deep breath: "Stopping means setting up camp in place. If these monsters are really delaying us until a world-class disaster arrives, our actions would be nothing short of a gamble."

"Yes, and we can’t determine whether the Tower People can know our strategic intentions. With the Descent Faction of the Foundation here, that’s also a hidden danger. Even if everything goes smoothly, we can’t confirm where those monsters come from," Jiang Yun looked towards the crimson-black mist in the sky: "Or perhaps..."

"When is it coming!"

...

On the massive dark red planet, material tides were captured by powerful gravitational force to form a torrent over several kilometers in diameter, devoured by the Black Star Mechanical Celestial Body. Dust floated around the gravitational field, resembling a gray ring hanging on the planet’s orbit.

Lin Xian sat on a deck above the celestial devouring mouth, gazing in awe at the magnificent scene of capturing stars and destroying planets.

"What conclusion did you reach, Grace?"

[Based on astrophysics principles and civilization development theories, this civilization level has possibly reached the mid-stage of Kardashev Type II. The celestial capture requires technologies such as gravitational tether beams, warp field anchoring, and mass drive arrays conceptualized in theories. Similar scenarios of celestial harvesting have appeared frequently in science fiction, for instance, ’Furnace Star’ in ’Hyperion,’ which uses gravity siphon technology to extract core metal flows.]

"How far ahead is this civilization compared to us?"

[The development of human industrial civilization does not follow a predictable or smooth upward curve; it’s linked with social education and energy development-related productivity advances. If estimated at the development speed of Blue Star’s human civilization, at least 2000 years or longer would be needed.]

"2000 years..."

Lin Xian mumbled, a hint of contemplation in his voice. After a moment, he asked, "Has the outcome of the discussion from Chief Yang’s side been conveyed? Is there any way to locate this celestial body?"

[It cannot be done]

Grace promptly responded: [Your proposal to process starry sky photos into array codes for transmission or use high-power signal devices to send signals cannot be achieved with the current technological means of the Starry Sky Laboratory. There are many uncertainties, but mainly due to several underlying conditions that cannot be met. Firstly, the Sky Veil shield prevents signal wave reception from outside, and my translation efficiency is too low, rendering all external stellar detection methods suppressed, which is the primary reason. Secondly, even if a high-power signal device could emit signals, it would most likely be blocked by other celestial bodies given current human information technology. Assuming no interference, the electromagnetic wave transit time to Mars would be 22.4 minutes. Without mastering quantum communication technology, cross-galaxy fast communication is unattainable.]

"Alright..." Lin Xian sighed. Although his academic knowledge in this field is quite limited, he could roughly understand Chief Yang’s meaning. It seems locating the position of the Black Star Mechanical Celestial Body is impossible.

Lin Xian’s original idea was that his Mechanical Heart could already resonate at frequencies with celestial bodies, indicating that his Mechanical Heart could scan and control the Black Star Body. Through the Mechanical Gate, he could transport objects between locations; thus, theoretically, could he open the Mechanical Gate to let his physical body traverse, or perhaps... more people?

This thought had actually occurred to him when he first awakened the Black Star Forge at the Jin Hai train factory. If he could put the train inside, the essence is the same for many things, and in Dawn City, he even moved Chu Yan’s hibernation pod in its death state, proving that organic beings could also be transported.

The only issue is that Lin Xian doesn’t know what kind of place the space of the Black Star Forge is. It’s not simply about the location of a certain planet. What worries him is that this place might not even be within the three-dimensional space where Blue Star exists, and he is merely an existence of consciousness. If he could determine the nature of this space and whether life could survive, the world would suddenly open up dramatically.

Imagine moving living people into the Black Star Body, directly escaping the crimson nightmare, bypassing the Sky Veil obstruction, arriving at a new coordinate system. It would be like a space teleporter; escaping the Tower People would be a breeze!

This idea Lin Xian hasn’t told anyone yet. Since awakening to the existence of the Black Star Body, he has been pondering this matter.

Perhaps he could really use this Black Star Body to find hope for the salvation of human civilization!

Clack clack clank clank~!

Consciousness withdrew; the compartment’s warm air system made Lin Xian’s face hot, the piercing sound of zombies attacking the armor outside the compartment filled his ears—scratching, gnawing noises abound. He stood up, opened the shading plate of the driver’s cabin window, and the eerie green signal lights outlined the form of a group of grotesque zombies clawing and roaring at the front of the train.

These zombies, mutated by the crimson, grew monstrous limbs and aberrant appendages, resembling the ’homogenized life bodies’ in Tower People’s civilization, with no evolutionary patterns—growing unchecked. Yet the alien forms still possessed some human bodily traits—for instance, distorted faces, dangling breasts, or limbs. These creatures seemed completely metabolized by Dark Energy, exhibiting extreme aggression and vitality, rendering standard tactical rifles inadequate for quick takedown. They even exhibited some biological force field defenses when encountering shock waves from explosive grenades.