Only I Walk Alone

The exploration fleet’s discovery of civilization and fragments of a divine artifact on Alpha Centauri was entirely accidental. Scientists had predicted that civilizations were unlikely to exist in the star systems near the Solar System, although some speculated that these systems might contain divine artifacts.

This belief stemmed from the idea that, despite the rarity of divine artifacts in the universe, the Supreme God had discovered artifacts in both the Solar System and the Alpha Centauri system, suggesting that this region of space might be different from others.

Just as gold is rare on Earth but exists abundantly in certain areas, scientists conjectured that other divine artifacts might be hidden in the vicinity of the Solar System. In other words, although rare, certain items might commonly exist in specific areas.

Unfortunately, scientists and members of the church did not find any divine artifacts in the Barnard‘s Star system. It was a very ordinary system, with nothing more than two planets harboring standard resources.

Thus, this star system could only serve as a mining area. However, Martian space hotels could potentially be built here. Although it might not be as attractive as the triple star system of Alpha Centauri, being the second closest star system to the Solar System still offered some touristic value.

People from the Martian Chamber of Commerce have already settled in these two star systems. As merchants, their primary concern is fulfilling people’s needs, such as providing travel to these star systems. They arrive, build space hotels, and develop tourism projects.

In doing so, they not only meet the needs of people but also gain returns themselves. This reflects their philosophy as merchants, fundamentally different from that of capitalists.

Hu Kong’s exploration fleet set off again, this time towards Wolf 359. Unfortunately, this star system also showed no signs of civilization or suitable planets for colonization. Subsequently, over the next fifty years, Hu Kong explored several other star systems close to the Solar System, including Barnard’s Star, UV Ceti, Sirius, Ross 154, Ross 248, Luyten’s Star, and Ross 128.

Regrettably, these explorations did not reveal any traces of civilizations either. The miracle of life could not happen consecutively; none of these star systems birthed life.

Fortunately, Hu Kong found five planets suitable for colonization in these star systems. These planets were at an appropriate distance from their stars, had moderate gravity, and possessed atmospheres. With some modifications, they could become colonization planets.

However, as the distance from the Solar System increased, the round-trip time for the warships also lengthened. Scientists diligently researched jump drive and warp travel technologies, a study that took another hundred years.

In that century, the Earth civilization successfully established colonies, space hotels, resource extraction factories, and defense forces in these ten star systems around the Solar System.

With resources from ten star systems, the Earth’s fleet numbers soared again. Artificial intelligence Xiao Chao built unmanned warship manufacturing factories in these ten systems, filling them with dense fleets of warships.

The number of warships was beyond description, better compared to the grains of sand in the desert, the drops of water in the ocean, or the stars in the night sky.

This is the manufacturing capability of the machine race, capable of tirelessly producing warships and continuously expanding factories, allowing the production rate of warships to grow geometrically.

It has been nine hundred years since humans were abducted by the Microstar Civilization. Now, the Earth’s Civilization is merely waiting for the development of jump engine technology to mature before starting their expeditions. Civilizations that possess this technology in the universe are very few, and with it, they can freely travel to any part of the cosmos.

Therefore, Wu Ge decided to start the infinite expansion of the Earth Civilization!

The leader of the mechanical insect race, Chong Feng, had already sent scouting troops to the Sushui star system. With the speed of the scouting fleet’s warships, it would take at least fifty years to arrive.

The speed is still too slow; they need to continue strengthening their technological research. However, for a race like the Earth civilization, which loves to work and create, the pace of technological advancement has always been rapid.

Wu Ge has been researching the method to create divine artifacts, but despite much time passing, he hasn’t made significant progress. The fragments of the divine artifacts still possess some of the original artifact’s power, but fusing them to create a new divine artifact is challenging.

It’s like one cannot expect to manufacture a complete car by studying scattered car parts, though these fragments serve as a form of reference.

In the nine hundred and twentieth year, Xiao Chao suddenly received a series of mysterious codes identical to those sent by the mechanical civilization long ago.

After decoding, Xiao Chao announced exciting news: “The simulation maid ZYX-977, taken away by the mechanical civilization long ago, is returning. And she will bring back technological knowledge learned from the Mechanical civilization!”

Nearly nine hundred years later, the simulation maid, whom Wu Ge remembered naming Zhou Yuxin, a soulful AI that has been away from home for nine hundred years, is coming back!

Wu Ge immediately decided: “When she returns, we’ll begin the Earth’s expedition!”

Wu Ge and others waited patiently. The Mechanical civilization is undoubtedly an advanced civilization, and Zhou Yuxin, having learned scientific knowledge from such a civilization, is expected to be incredibly powerful.

Nine hundred and fifty years after humans were taken, the reconnaissance fleet sent to the Sushui civilization sent back information. The intelligence wasn’t detailed, as the reconnaissance fleet only monitored from outside the star system and did not enter it.

The Sushui civilization is a predatory civilization, so their military force is formidable, with a vast number of warships.

But no matter how numerous the warships, they stand no chance against absolute power.

Nine hundred and seventy years after humans were abducted, the AI Zhou Yuxin finally returned. She piloted a spherical spaceship that jumped directly into the Solar System at two million times the speed of light. The moment her spacecraft appeared, terrifying spatial fluctuations rippled out like waves on water. While it had no impact on the life forms within the star system, it was still immensely shocking.

Zhou Yuxin had finally returned, bringing with her the scientific knowledge of the mechanical civilization.

Her return signifies nearly a thousand years of technological development for the Earth’s civilization, to be replaced by two thousand years of expeditions.

The history of the Earth Civilization is just beginning.

Volume End Remarks – Author

The first volume – A Thousand Years of Loneliness has come to an end. Starting from the second volume, the stories will no longer be about solitude, as this volume has made solitude a norm.

What follows will be five hundred years of expedition, brutal interstellar wars, deadly battlegrounds where civilizations clash, and a confrontation of wisdom against wisdom.

Please look forward to the second volume: Five Hundred Years of Expedition.

Translator Note

I hope some of you are enjoying the novel so far, or at least finding some of the characters/mini-stories and concepts interesting. The next volume will focus more on Wu Ge and his cultivation path, as well as the broader scope of the cosmos. It will feature more action compared to Volume 1, and I hope you’ll find it even more engaging.