Chapter 67: Found a Way!

Words : 1358 Updated : Sep 17th, 2025

Although Xiao Yu couldn’t discern how this material was created, his observations and calculations revealed its overwhelming resilience. This resilience exceeded anything within Xiao Yu’s theoretical framework. A theoretical gap meant that even if Xiao Yu advanced his technology for a thousand or ten thousand years, without breakthroughs in fundamental physics, he would remain incapable of destroying it. “Does this mean I’m truly going to die this time?” Xiao Yu thought with despair. The droplet’s massacre of Xiao Yu’s fleet continued relentlessly. Thirty minutes later, the entire fleet stationed at Tianyuan C—over 4,000 ships—was annihilated. The area was now littered with countless debris pieces drifting around the Tianyuan IV system. Occasionally, flashes and small explosions erupted from the wreckage as leftover functional components sparked in their final moments. The droplet remained untouched. Its 100% reflectivity, flawless exterior, and dust-free surface were all intact. It headed toward Tianyuan C. Xiao Yu had installed weapon systems on three satellites in Tianyuan C’s planetary system. These three satellites formed Xiao Yu’s first line of defense. “Destroying ground-based structures is much more complex than destroying ships. What is it planning to do?” Seeing the droplet approach, Xiao Yu was puzzled. But his confusion quickly turned into shock. Since its arrival, the droplet had provided countless moments of astonishment, but this time was by far the most shocking. Two of the three satellites had atmospheres. For any object moving through an atmosphere, air resistance would generate significant heat. Yet, as Xiao Yu observed the droplet entering the satellite’s atmosphere, it produced no heat whatsoever. “How is this possible? Friction generating heat is basic physics! I refuse to believe it can violate such fundamental principles!” Xiao Yu thought, overwhelmed. “The only explanation is that any heat generated is immediately neutralized by the droplet’s own ultra-low temperature, preventing any visible heat from appearing externally.” “But... but this means... its surface temperature must be approaching absolute zero, and it possesses a cooling system beyond my comprehension. How is this even possible?” Absolute zero, approximately -273.15°C, is the theoretical lowest temperature. At this point, the molecules and atoms of a material would cease movement entirely, meaning temperatures lower than absolute zero are considered impossible under current physical theories. However, for the droplet to show no signs of heat while moving at high speeds through an atmosphere, it must have an energy system far beyond anything Xiao Yu could imagine. This realization shattered Xiao Yu’s earlier plan of draining the droplet’s energy supply to render it powerless. The droplet had already shaken Xiao Yu to his core numerous times. For the first time, Xiao Yu felt the profound helplessness that came with an insurmountable technological gap. The droplet traversed the atmosphere and directly collided with one of the energy cannons Xiao Yu had installed on the satellite’s surface. The energy cannon was destroyed instantly. Afterward, the droplet halted just before hitting the ground, soared high into the air, and flew to the opposite side of the satellite. Three seconds later, it destroyed another energy cannon. “I have more advanced observational systems at the satellite base! Before it completely destroys the first line of defense, I must analyze its basic physical structure!” Xiao Yu resolved to uncover the material properties of the droplet before it could eliminate his first line of defense. He needed to know if it was constructed from the strong interaction force materials he suspected. The observational instruments on the first satellite operated for only 32 seconds before the droplet destroyed them. After annihilating the fleet at the first line of defense, the droplet moved toward another satellite. This time, it directly pierced through the satellite, entering from one side and exiting through the other. The satellite’s immense kinetic energy destabilized its geological structure, triggering catastrophic earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. All weapons Xiao Yu had stationed on the satellite were destroyed. However, before the instruments on this satellite were destroyed, they operated for an additional 67 seconds, collecting crucial data. The third satellite in the first line of defense met the same fate. This time, the observation systems functioned for 136 seconds before being destroyed. Xiao Yu watched helplessly as the droplet unleashed its near-miraculous capabilities. The shadow of despair over his heart deepened. With this, the first line of defense—along with over 4,000 ships—was entirely obliterated. “My plan to deplete its energy and render it powerless is no longer viable,” Xiao Yu concluded. The reason was simple: no entity with insufficient energy reserves could perform actions that seemed to Xiao Yu like extravagant energy expenditures. But why was it behaving this way? “Is it toying with me?” Xiao Yu pondered. “Is it trying to instill fear and despair in me deliberately? But can a probe have such intelligent behavior? Could it be directly controlled by an intelligent lifeform?” “I already know that mechanical civilizations are unwelcome in the universe. But why would a civilization with such advanced technology choose to toy with me instead of destroying me outright?” Xiao Yu speculated: “One possibility is venting anger; another is acting on a whim. These two scenarios account for 90% of the likelihood, with venting anger holding a 60% probability.” This analysis provided insight into the potential societal structure of the so-called Guardian Alliance. “Let’s set that question aside for now,” Xiao Yu decided. “If I can’t solve the immediate crisis, understanding their societal structure will be meaningless.” The droplet was already leaving the first line of defense and heading toward the second, centered around Tianyuan B. Xiao Yu, utilizing the data collected from the first line of defense, reached a conclusion: “It really is constructed from strong interaction force materials. How... how can such an absurd material exist? Fine, I’ve figured out how to destroy it.” However, the method existed only in Xiao Yu’s theoretical framework. To implement it would require an unknown number of years to develop. The solution was to use an extremely high energy level to disrupt the tightly bonded atomic structure of the material. Even disrupting a single atom would trigger a chain reaction, causing the entire droplet to disintegrate. The principle was akin to a pane of glass: damage one spot, and the entire pane shatters. The material comprising the droplet was somewhat similar to neutron star matter but was still several orders of magnitude weaker. Disrupting even one atom would destroy the entire droplet. But even the billions of degrees generated by a high-yield hydrogen bomb hadn’t achieved this, nor had the simultaneous firepower of ten energy cannons. What other methods could Xiao Yu possibly use? The droplet was advancing toward the second line of defense at an incredible speed. It would reach it in 20 minutes. And within the second line of defense lay the ring-shaped particle collider encircling Tianyuan IV. “Wait... I’ve got it!” Xiao Yu’s entire system jolted with realization as he thought of the particle collider. He had found a potential method to destroy the droplet. Disrupting one atom of the droplet required extremely high energy levels. Neither the hydrogen bomb nor the energy cannons could generate the necessary energy density. But the Tianyuan IV particle collider could! It could generate the energy required to disrupt a single atom of the droplet. During the collision of two protons, the energy density generated by the collider could reach levels comparable to the universe one femtosecond after the Big Bang! If even that energy wasn’t sufficient, Xiao Yu couldn’t imagine any material in the universe capable of withstanding such conditions. The energy density at the proton level achievable by the collider rivaled that of neutron star collisions! “This is a viable plan!” With this realization, Xiao Yu was filled with renewed hope. “It’s worth a try! But I need to make extensive preparations before testing it.” “Second line of defense: all ships, space-based turrets, ground-based turrets, concealed turrets, and controlled mines—activate! Do everything to delay it at the second line of defense. The collider must not be destroyed! Initiate the Tianyuan IV particle collider! Begin preparations!”

Chapter 67: Found a Way!

Comments (0)