Chapter 88: The Trillion-Ton Hydrogen Bomb

Words : 1536 Updated : Sep 17th, 2025

Xiao Yu’s fleet consisted of 50,000 combat ships, 100 transport ships, and five large processing ships. These five processing ships functioned as mobile shipyards capable of space travel, allowing Xiao Yu to build ships during the long interstellar journey. Within the inner star system, Xiao Yu kept his fleet’s speed moderate at 1,500 kilometers per second, avoiding excessive velocity. At this speed, it took three months to exit the inner system of Tianyuan IV. Once beyond the inner star system, the material density in interstellar space dropped significantly, alleviating concerns about collisions. Xiao Yu initiated a second round of acceleration, spending three days to increase the fleet’s speed to 3,000 kilometers per second, heading toward Tiancang V. The database aboard the Luka ships carried only limited information, so Xiao Yu frequently questioned the Luka individuals on various topics. However, he deliberately avoided inquiries about technology. First, he didn’t trust the Luka individuals, and second, even if he did ask, they likely wouldn’t understand, as they were soldiers, not scientists. During the long journey, Xiao Yu busied himself with construction while engaging in casual conversations with the Luka people. Apart from some dissatisfaction with Xiao Yu’s strict confinement measures, the Luka people seemed quite content with their current living conditions. After all, despite their defeat, not only had they survived, but they also enjoyed living standards above subsistence levels, which made them quite satisfied. Through Xiao Yu’s reward system during this period, some Luka individuals, branded as “Luka traitors,” attained high status aboard the New Homeland. These individuals enjoyed the most comfortable housing, the tastiest food, and the most comprehensive entertainment facilities. Correspondingly, they grew increasingly respectful toward Xiao Yu. As for how the rest of the Luka population viewed them, Xiao Yu couldn’t care less. Previously, the temporary commander of the Luka people, Luka One, was secretly executed by Xiao Yu for conspiring to rebel. The Luka people’s new official leader, now named Luka Two by Xiao Yu, had taken its place. “Do you know how the Guardian Civilization and the Sweeper Civilization conduct their battles?” Xiao Yu asked one day. Luka Two responded respectfully, “Master, since our Luka Civilization is only a Level 3 Civilization and ranks at the bottom within the alliance, we do not know much about their combat methods. We’ve only heard rumors.” “Oh? Let’s hear it,” Xiao Yu inquired with interest. “It’s said that 70 million years ago, in the galactic core, the two civilizations fought a massive war. In that battle, both sides deployed hundreds of millions of warships, engaging in a prolonged and extensive conflict,” Luka Two began. “In that war, thousands of stars were detonated, causing supernova explosions. The resulting gamma-ray bursts swept across the Milky Way, impacting tens of thousands of stars and hastening their aging. In short, it was an indescribable and extraordinarily grand-scale war. It was during this conflict that the Sweeper Civilization’s ultimate war fortress, the Neutron War Star, made its debut,” Luka Two continued. “Oh? That powerful?” Xiao Yu listened with fascination. “What was the outcome?” “After the Neutron War Star appeared, the battlefield situation reversed instantly. The Guardian Civilization suffered a crushing defeat, with its fleet of three hundred million ships reduced to fewer than 50 million. They retreated in disarray. Following that war, the Guardian Civilization was renamed as such and began its mission of protecting weaker civilizations,” Luka Two explained. “So that’s how it is...” Xiao Yu pondered and asked again, “Do you know anything about their weapon systems?” “I have a vague understanding. I once overheard a Level 5 Civilization being talk about it. They seem to have weapons called ‘Space Collapse,’ ‘Matter Theft,’ and another one called ‘Matter Decay.’ But as for their principles and destructive mechanisms, I’m unclear. Master, you must understand, I’m merely a Level 3 Civilization being,” Luka Two answered with deference. Xiao Yu fell into deep thought. “Space Collapse seems fairly easy to understand—it’s likely a weapon capable of manipulating space to eliminate the enemy. But what about Matter Theft and Matter Decay? Could they really involve covertly seizing an opponent’s matter? That sounds far-fetched. Ah, who knows when I’ll ever reach that level,” Xiao Yu muttered to himself, shelving the question for later. He continued, “How does the Guardian Civilization classify civilization levels?” Luka Two replied respectfully, “A civilization capable of surface planetary travel is a Level 1 Civilization, characterized by reliance on chemical energy for power. Level 2 Civilizations harness nuclear energy and possess intra-stellar travel capabilities, primarily utilizing nuclear fusion as their energy source. Level 3 Civilizations are defined by their mastery of energy shield technology and near-range interstellar travel capabilities. Level 4 Civilizations achieve faster-than-light travel, while Level 5 is beyond our Luka Civilization’s reach.” The classification struck Xiao Yu as precise and logical. For example, energy shield technology—representative of Level 3 Civilizations—was far more than a mere protective barrier; it symbolized a host of derivative technologies. Xiao Yu had already planned extensive research based on energy shield technology. It represented a critical direction in energy application, promising significant breakthroughs. As for Level 4 Civilizations’ faster-than-light technology, it encompassed even more: new energy sources to support superluminal travel, advancements in materials science, communication systems, and weaponry. This spurred deep contemplation for Xiao Yu. Time passed amidst relentless construction efforts and occasional discussions with Luka Two. By this point, three years had elapsed. “Six years have passed. The Luka fleet should have reached the Tianyuan IV star system by now. I wonder if they’ve received my gifts?” Xiao Yu mused with interest. He input various parameters of the Luka Civilization’s technology and his trap into a simulation model to predict the outcomes. The simulation presented an intriguing scenario. Upon entering the Tianyuan IV system, the Luka fleet would first face an assault from the armed satellite system orbiting Tianyuan C. Next, the controlled mines, akin to bloodthirsty sharks, would relentlessly target the fleet, programmed to sacrifice themselves in kamikaze attacks. After enduring the mine assault and neutralizing the armed satellites around Tianyuan C, the fleet would encounter a major surprise: each moon was rigged with a trillion-ton-yield hydrogen bomb capable of obliterating an entire moon. The explosion would unleash intense heat and radiation while showering the Luka fleet with a deluge of meteoric debris. Xiao Yu had already traveled over 200 billion kilometers from Tianyuan IV. At this distance, the explosion of such massive hydrogen bombs would produce flashes detectable by his telescopes. He had stationed a dedicated telescope to monitor Tianyuan IV continuously, eagerly awaiting the spectacle of the detonations. Xiao Yu wasn’t concerned about the Luka fleet avoiding the Tianyuan IV system. To locate Xiao Yu’s fleet, they would need to determine the fleet’s initial acceleration point, which required entering the star system. Following the events around Tianyuan C, the Luka fleet would face further attacks from solar sail weapons and asteroid belt-based defenses, all while enduring relentless mine assaults. According to Xiao Yu’s simulation, by the time the Luka fleet exited the Tianyuan IV system, its original force of 20,000 ships would be reduced to roughly 12,000, nearly half destroyed. In reality, the losses would likely be lower, as the simulation couldn’t account for the Luka fleet’s unknown weapons. Factoring in these unknowns, Xiao Yu estimated their losses would amount to around 5,000 ships. “Ha! I’m not in the Tianyuan IV system anymore, so I couldn’t care less about turning it upside down,” Xiao Yu sneered to himself. A year into his journey, Xiao Yu finally observed the long-awaited flash from the hydrogen bomb detonation in the direction of Tianyuan IV. The sight instantly exhilarated him. Over the next few days, Xiao Yu witnessed four more flashes, confirming the successful detonation of all five trillion-ton hydrogen bombs he had planted in the Tianyuan IV system. “The expressions on those Luka people must be priceless,” Xiao Yu chuckled coldly. “Did they really think they could find me that easily?” With the five hydrogen bombs detonated, Xiao Yu lost interest in further monitoring Tianyuan IV. He turned his full attention to technological research and interstellar travel. The new Luka fleet had a maximum speed of 4,000 to 5,000 kilometers per second. Based on these speeds, if they managed to locate Xiao Yu’s fleet, they could catch up within 20 years at most. This meant that if the Luka fleet didn’t catch up within 20 years, Xiao Yu could consider himself relatively safe. During this period, Xiao Yu’s shipbuilding efforts continued unabated. His fleet of combat ships had grown to 80,000, consuming three-quarters of his material reserves. After exhausting his remaining materials and dismantling and repurposing the large transport ships, Xiao Yu expected his fleet of combat ships to reach 120,000. These combat ships were all equipped with energy shield technology, alongside more advanced propulsion and weapon systems. With this fleet, Xiao Yu was confident in his ability to face the Luka fleet’s 20,000 ships, especially those lacking force field generators or other powerful unknown weapons.

Chapter 88: The Trillion-Ton Hydrogen Bomb

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