Chapter 272 - 271: Biomarker

"What does your civilization want with these Celestial Calamity creatures?"

"I heard... the Supreme Leader wants to... to domesticate these Celestial Calamity creatures."

"Domesticate them? Can these things even be domesticated? I thought their intelligence was different from ours, making them difficult to tame. Besides... even if you could domesticate them, what would be the point?"

The combat effectiveness of these Celestial Calamity creatures was hard to gauge. They could certainly cause huge problems if one was caught off guard, just like when he had first fought them.

But later, after summarizing, analyzing, deducing, and thinking, he had quickly found a way to deal with them. Now, he had even forced them directly onto the star.

Although he couldn’t do anything to them for the time being, it would be very difficult for them to cause him any more trouble.

From this perspective, even if they were eventually domesticated, they would be almost useless.

"I’m not clear on the specific details. I’m just a low-ranking official with limited knowledge of our civilization’s core secrets. I only know that the Supreme Leader’s Mansion established a special research organization that spent at least a thousand years and vast resources, but they never succeeded in domesticating them."

"Alright. What else do you know? Spill it all. If you cooperate honestly, you will be the future patriarch of the Viller Race!"

Li Qingsong had already decided to absorb the Harvillers into Human Civilization as the Viller Race, just as he had absorbed the Blutuk People as the Blutuk Race before.

It was the same old saying. No matter how deep the hatred between them had been, these Harvillers were now his assets.

Killing them would be a loss to his own interests.

"Yes, yes, respected Master. I will tell you everything I know..."

After a round of interrogation, Li Qingsong sighed as he looked at the handful of valuable pieces of intelligence before him.

’They’re all just figures from the fringes of their civilization, after all. It’s impossible to interrogate anything significant out of them. I’ll keep them around for now. Maybe in the future, someone with a talent for research will emerge and contribute to my own scientific endeavors.’

’Even if no one like that appears, their different ways of thinking can still serve as a supplement to my own.’

This individual named Washilolo thus became the patriarch of all the Viller People.

To help him integrate more quickly into the production and lifestyle models of Human Civilization, Li Qingsong also summoned Molomans, the patriarch of the Blutuk Race, to pass on some important points and advice.

At this moment, looking at Washilolo—dressed in a lightweight Space Suit, meek and submissive, with the air of an honest man—Molomans was bursting with the arrogant pride of a forerunner.

’So what if you’re a Strong Core Civilization? Haven’t you still been defeated by our Human Civilization—that’s right, *our* Human Civilization?’

’So what if I come from an Electroweak Civilization? Don’t you still have to be completely respectful in my presence?’

Leading Washilolo and some other officials of the Viller Race, Molomans and the other Blutuk People held a symposium, their enthusiasm tempered with reserve, their pride with cordiality.

"To integrate into our Human Civilization, you Viller People have a lot to learn. You must pay attention to every single detail of daily life. Whatever you do, don’t bring any of your bad habits from the Harville Civilization with you. You must conduct a thorough self-examination, from mind to body.

"Of course, this is a long-term process, not something that can be accomplished in a short time. But there is one thing you must start paying attention to right now, and you must obey it completely. Do not, under any circumstances, violate it."

Washilolo, full of deference and anticipation, said, "Patriarch Molomans, please enlighten us."

"And that is, never question a human’s appearance! Although to us lower beings, the noble human masters all look exactly the same, that’s only because our brain capacity is too low to distinguish the details.

"Saying the human masters look alike is a great insult to them and will bring severe punishment. Remember this well, and never, ever violate this rule..."

Molomans informed them solemnly. Washilolo and the other Viller People wore grave expressions, silently admonishing themselves in their hearts.

...

Having casually dealt with the issue of the Harville Civilization captives, Li Qingsong’s attention immediately shifted to technological development.

But just then, the Detectors deployed in space, which were constantly observing the Lyra G16 Star, reported something to him.

This news immediately made him grow solemn.

’The spectrum of Lyra G16 has changed? What’s going on?’

Judging by the numbers, a change affecting an entire star didn’t seem like something a mere few tens of thousands of Celestial Calamity creatures could accomplish.

And yet, at this very moment, there was no other possibility except that this change was caused by the Celestial Calamity creatures.

’Perhaps the star is the true home of these Celestial Calamity creatures. In a stellar environment, they can reproduce quickly and in massive numbers, to the point where they can affect the spectral type of the entire star?’

This was a point worth noting. But it only served to get Li Qingsong’s attention; it wasn’t a major issue.

Even if they reproduced more, and faster, so what?

’Trying to challenge the production rate of my Energy Cannonballs with sheer numbers? Bring it on! I’ll kill as many as they can send!’

What truly made Li Qingsong grave was...

This special, biologically-derived spectral change possessed rather obvious biological characteristics.

To a distant observer, they would very likely assume this change was caused by the actions of intelligent life!

For example, a large number of space bases deployed around the star, or large quantities of interstellar matter being dumped into it.

And what consequences would this lead to?

Simple. This star would become the most conspicuous one in the surrounding Star Domain. Any civilization with long-range observation capabilities could spot the star’s anomaly at a glance and subsequently determine that a civilization existed in this Star System!

The light carrying the information of this stellar change would spread outwards at the speed of light. In ten years, it would travel ten light-years; in a thousand years, a thousand light-years!

’Originally, this wouldn’t have mattered. Those Electromagnetic Celestial Calamities could raise whatever ruckus they wanted; it had nothing to do with me. But now, I’m in this Star System too!’

’Heaven knows what kind of beings this change will attract in the near future!’

’I can’t stay in this Star System anymore. I have to leave, and quickly. Although this information travels at the speed of light and won’t attract anything too distant in the short term, that Intelligent Mechanical Calamity is very likely within a few dozen, or even just ten-odd, light-years. It’s almost certain to be drawn here soon!’

The thought flashed through Li Qingsong’s mind in an instant.

But the next moment, Li Qingsong dismissed it.

’Fleeing now would be meaningless.’

’Because my fleet is too massive, just gathering supplies would take a considerable amount of time. Add to that the subsequent initial acceleration phase... that Intelligent Mechanical Calamity might arrive before I even get very far.’

’Rather than do that, I’d be better off staying put in this Star System and preparing for an all-out battle. The probability of survival would actually be higher.’

’In that case... I’m not leaving!’