Age of Cosmic Exploration

Chapter 477: Blazing…Trail!
Chapter 477: Blazing…Trail!

Translator: EndlessFantasy TranslationEditor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Time pushed back to two days ago…

Yao Yuan was sitting in the flagship. This was the only flagship created during the three miraculous months after the war, so it naturally became the main flagship for the blazing trail project.

It was worth mentioning that the silver war revealed many of humanity’s weaknesses. This was the first time humanity was involved in a large-scale war where the main fighting force was not completely dependent on the Black Star troopers. The final victory, or rather the ability to hold on until the AI robots’ retreat, was due mainly to the Defense Unit soldiers who sacrificed themselves.

There were many problems that were revealed in this war, including the formation of the army, the number of soldiers, defense range, and weapons’ firepower, as well as problem relating to the spaceships. The first and foremost was the unreliability of the main spaceships the size of the Hope. In comparison, a larger number of smaller cannon spaceships of the same mass could do more damage than a single main spaceship. Therefore, after the silver war, the newly formed Great Academy evaluated this point greatly. After discussion with the government, they came up with three new designs.

Canonship 031 was 20% the size of its predecessor. With the advancement in human technology, especially after gaining the information from the AI fleet, this new canonship had a greater energy storage and movement speed. It had a stronger energy weapon and might become the main fighting force in humanity’s fleet in the future.

Destroyer 031 was twice as big as Canonship 031, and its size was between the earlier guardian spaceship and cannon spaceship. It had a mobility that was as good as the Canonship 031, greater firepower and longevity, and a more powerful energy shield. In the simulated war with the AI fleet, the Destroyer 031 had completely overwritten the need for the old guardian spaceships. In fact, they could rival the enemy main spaceships one on one. This was the perfect spaceship that Bo Li came up with.

Finally, the most important new spaceship. It was personally designed by Bo Li and improved upon by Yue Xuan, the Main Spaceship 031. It had 1.6 times the mass and size of old main spaceships. Furthermore, it didn’t retain the old chopstick shape; it had a new bullet shape. It had four times the energy shield of old main spaceship, 7.4 times the energy storage, and a weapon platform that was 17 times more powerful than the old main spaceship!

This was the design of a peak level 3 space civilization, and it was the perfect space battleship!

Of course, to achieve such high level of functionality, it needed more than humanity’s current basic technology. To put it simply, the most simple alloy tensile strength was unachievable, much less the metallic components of other key locations. To complete these spaceships, they had to use the alloy created by the alien plant, and a large amount of it!

Therefore, even a few months after the war, humanity had only created one Main Spaceship 031. After a hasty weapons and firepower experiment, it was quickly added to the blazing trail project to act as the project’s main flagship. As for the other Main Spaceship 031s… those were merely dreams.

Yao Yuan knew about the difficulty of building these ships. Regarding this spaceship that had the design ideals and power of a peak level 3 space civilization, he personally loved it. However, he also understood that humanity wouldn’t be able to create another Main Spaceship 031 for another four to five years. The alien plant’s alloy supply had been completely exhausted, and they would have to wait until after the blazing trail project was over before they could use the alien plant again. Therefore, before that, this Main Spaceship 031 was humanity’s strongest battleship.

In reality, Yao Yuan wanted to leave this Main Spaceship 031 back at the City of Light Moon. After he brought most of the senior Black Star troopers away, the City of Light Moon would be in need of military power. This Main Spaceship 031 could replace that loss. However, be it Guang Zhen, Bo Li, or the House of Representatives and the human government, they all adamantly requested for this Main Spaceship 031 to join the blazing trail project. Yao Yuan found himself rejecting the passion of these people. The reasoning was actually really simple: the blazing trail unit had humanity’s most powerful soldiers and most advanced technology, it was humanity’s best of the best. If the blazing trail project failed… then humanity should just space warp. They had no reason to fight a space civilization of a higher tier.

This was humanity’s blazing trail unit, the strongest unit personally led by Yao Yuan. They had to take down the remaining AI fleet in one shot and end the war in the shortest time possible. This was the strongest human fleet… and humanity’s last hope.

”The illusory space’s data has been connected to the warp engine, but honey, the Mo civilization’s illusory space is weaker than I expected. It’s only ready after such a long period of calculation.”

A voice appeared in Yao Yuan’s ear. This was ZERO’s voice, it was the voice of a woman, not unlike her voice in the illusory space. At this time, ZERO had moved out of her own illusory space into the Mo civilization’s illusory space. In fact, the Mo civilization’s illusory space had been attached to the new flagship’s engine to act as a navigation system. The illusory space’s space warp function could be used to calculate the coordinates.

Yao Yuan replied with a bit of headache, ”Can you please find something else to do in your free time other than reading those old Earth’s romance webnovels? Those are merely kept as antiquated records, they are completely useless…”

”I beg to differ. The creativity of a lifeform is endless. In fact, the data base of the illusory space I was in had several space civilization designs that were extremely rare and powerful. They were not unlike the cultivation system of these webnovels. By the way, after humanity becomes a level 4 space civilization, you will have to pick a specific development pathway,” ZERO said with a laugh.

When a space civilization reached level 4, they would have to evolve into their own unique development pathway. For example, the plant-based space civilization humanity stumbled across before they arrived at this solar system and the gear-based civilization of the Mo race. Of course, humanity could continue on its current path, the most common and what ZERO called the most popular, mechanical civilization. However, the path to break through to a god tier space civilization would be very difficult.

Yao Yuan naturally had his own plans, but now was not the time to discuss that. He shook his head slightly before turning to address Xi Kong beside him. ”Xi Kong, how is the communication with Zhang San coming along?”

Xi Kong was also at the captain’s room. However, she was wearing a metallic helmet that was connected with multiple electrical lines, and the helmet had swallowed up her small head. When Yao Yuan asked the question, Xi Kong answered shyly, ”The connection is not good. I suspect Zhang San might be sick and his physical body is fragile, or perhaps he is starving. In any case, it’s not looking good. Regardless, the connection is still there… I’ve sent the coordinates through the mental power database circuit.”

”OK, Nian Nian. I’m calculating already, but this Mo race… sure is something else,” ZERO commented.

Yao Yuan became silent after he heard the answer, but his brain was turning. In reality, he was mighty impressed by the main brain power-related creation humanity had received after Yue Xuan joined the Great Academy. A new door by the name of ”psychic power” had been opened with her entry. A great number of designs and products kept on coming. They included more than Yue Xuan’s personal designs. There were also contributions from Bo Li and other scientists who came up with new technologies using the new breakthrough in mental power. One example was this mental power database circuit. It was a connection via brain power, and it could enter a human being’s thoughts into a computer in database form. The increase in speed by making typing obsolete alone was impressive. It had great potential.

In fact, Yao Yuan’s thoughts about humanity’s future development were related to this, a mechanical-cum-mental civilization…

Just as Yao Yuan wanted to think deeper, ZERO’s voice began again. ”OK, the calculation of the coordinates is completed. The triangulation of the data and star chart is complete. We can warp any time now.”

Yao Yuan took a deep breath. He opened a voice button next to his seat and said, ”This is Yao Yuan. Controllable space warp will occur in half an hour. I repeat, controllable space warp will occur in half an hour. Entering first level of war preparations. All Black Star troopers are required to enter their own fighting units. Every spaceship is to operate their energy shield and prepare their weapons. Checking energy levels one last time. I repeat, this is not a drill. The blazing trail project is initiating soon. All units have to enter final preparation…”

After Yao Yuan said that, he stood up to leave the captain’s room. As he walked, he said, ”ZERO, I leave the space warp to you. Xi Kong, you stay here. If there’s anything serious, contact me via the soul web…” He left the captain’s room to head towards the flagship’s bridge.

Half an hour later, Yao Yuan in his red Space Armor entered his Real Red Lightning Steel Ball. Around him, several dozen Steel Balls were in ready mode. They could enter battle at any moment.

Inside the Steel Ball, Yao Yuan announced after taking a deep breath, ”I order: space warp, initiating now! Blazing trail project… starts now!”

”Captain’s order! Space warping now!”

”Count down, 10, 9, 8…”

”…2, 1!”

In that instant, the blazing trail unit, which was at the City of Light Moon, disappeared to the other end of the universe. Back on the City of Light Moon, all the citizens prayed silently, and many of their eyes were wet with tears…