Wandering Meteor

The sudden appearance of three hundred Battle Stars with uniform designs and appearances was clearly a batch of products from a certain civilization.

The commanding Battle Star among these three hundred responded, "First of all, your statement is wrong. The Universe doesn't belong to anyone, nor do the stars in the sky belong to you. We do not need your permission to appear anywhere, so the claim that we're blocking your path is unfounded."

"Given your Civilization Level is not low, I didn't expect you to enjoy playing word games!" Constant Star Lu Chen said with surprise.

The commanding Battle Star said, "Your Civilization Level is also not low, yet you also play the little trick of trying to gain the upper hand as soon as you open your mouth. Our statement is merely stating a fact; we have no intention of taking advantage of you, but we will not allow you to take advantage of us either."

"Heh, you have the nerve to say that. We fought all the way here for the Heavenly Nebula, expending vast resources, while you've made no such effort and claim there's no such thing as blocking our path. In the end, isn't it true that you're here for the Heavenly Nebula? Don't play such petty tricks, just state your true intentions. There might still be room for negotiation." Constant Star Lu Chen straightforwardly said, "The Heavenly Nebula is a core interest that the Wandering Alliance must fight for, and we will not readily give it up. So, whatever civilization you are from, I advise you to leave immediately."

"Our aim indeed includes a portion of the Heavenly Nebula, but that is not our primary objective. For a civilization of our level, material is no longer the primary strategic goal."

Constant Star Lu Chen asked curiously, "Then what is your main objective?"

"Our goal this time has two parts: one is to arrest the perpetrator responsible for the destruction of the Anti-Neutron Star, and the other is to obtain detailed information on your civilization's system. Apart from these, all others are peripheral interests. We can forgo some peripheral interests in favor of fulfilling these two core ones. This is our bottom line as well as the premise for our negotiations."

"Anti-Neutron Star?"

Suddenly realizing, Constant Star Lu Chen said, "So that Anti-Neutron Star was your creation, then what kind of civilization are you?"

"We are a Level 5 Antimatter Civilization, and according to our intelligence, we are also the only Advanced Antimatter Civilization in the entire Universe."

"So there really is an Antimatter Civilization."

Constant Star Lu Chen mused, "Since we have now clarified our strategic objectives and core interests, and it seems there are no conflicts, what comes next will be much easier. We can provide detailed information on our communal system. In exchange, we hope you can share the development history of your Antimatter Civilization, to help us unravel the mystery of the antimatter and Positive Matter in the Universe."

Although the communal system is the unique product of the Wandering Alliance, it is no secret; every member within the Alliance knows it. Besides, a civilization's system and scientific technology are fundamentally different. The Wandering Alliance cannot hide their system as they would their technology; instead, they are quite willing to see the communal system adopted elsewhere because if it really does spread, it means that more civilizations in the Universe will emerge with the same system. This would gradually form a common ideology, increasing the potential for future alliances.

"That condition is acceptable. Antimatter is a mystery to you, but it is inconsequential to us. It's perfect for an exchange."

The Antimatter Civilization's commanding Battle Star said, "However, what about our first core demand?"

Constant Star Lu Chen said, "You might not know this yet, but the Anti-Neutron Star you mentioned was destroyed due to seismic activity caused by shockwave interference. If we have to discuss a perpetrator, then the most it could be are the two civilizations that clashed over the Anti-Neutron Star. However, both the Desert Sea Civilization and the Forest Sea Civilization no longer exist, so the perpetrator you're looking for simply isn't there. It's not a topic for discussion."

"Still, I am curious as to why that Anti-Neutron Star was located there," Lu Chen finally asked.

The Antimatter Civilization said, "Do you really think that the Wandering Alliance is unaware of our actions? We left that Anti-Neutron Star there to monitor the activities of the Heavenly Nebula and to have full insight into all the circumstances. Although the Desert Sea Civilization and the Forest Sea Civilization have perished, there are still survivors. They must be handed over to us for punishment. They have violated our laws and must be subjected to our legal sanctions. Furthermore, the wars over the Anti-Neutron Star were initiated by orders from the Yi Bose Civilization and the Fermi Civilization. As these two civilizations have just joined the Wandering Alliance, you should also hand them over!"

It was only then that Lu Chen realized that the Anti-Neutron Star was not left behind by the Antimatter Civilization by accident but was deliberately positioned there.

Although the exact principles behind using the Anti-Neutron Star for monitoring are unclear, it's conceivable that the technology used by the opposition is on the level of the Information Sea, with resonance effects and information control making such a situation possible. However, this was not good news because it meant that the technology of the opposing party was above that of the Wandering Alliance. If they did not accept the terms of the Antimatter Civilization, the outcome could be rather terrible.

After all, they are a Level 5 Civilization, while the Wandering Alliance is only at the peak of Level 4; there's a clear gap between them.

Therefore, the Wandering Alliance definitely did not wish to engage in direct conflict with the Antimatter Civilization, especially so soon after the war had just ended and they had yet to recover. Hence, Constant Star Lu Chen immediately discussed the matter with key members of the Wandering Alliance, after which, following an emergency consultation, the Wandering Alliance reached its final decision.

The Wandering Alliance determined that it would be impossible to hand over the allied Bose Civilization and Fermi Civilization, let alone the survivors who had already assimilated into the Wandering Alliance. This was not just a simple matter of handing over some individuals; it was a significant issue involving civilizational dignity and reputation. If the Bose Civilization and Fermi Civilization had not joined the Wandering Alliance, they could have been dealt with in any manner without the Alliance minding. However, once the Wandering Alliance officially accepted the Bose Civilization and Fermi Civilization, they became part of the Wandering Alliance; the Alliance would never betray its own people, otherwise, what other civilization would dare to join the Wandering Alliance in the future?

As for the departure of the Wandering, it was a decision they made voluntarily, and the Wandering Alliance had never agreed, even discouraging them from leaving.

"I think there is still room for discussion on this matter. There are indeed some survivors from the Desert Sea Civilization and the Forest Sea Civilization, but they have long joined the Wandering Alliance and are no longer members of their former civilizations. Isn't it somewhat unfair to ask them to take on such enormous responsibility now? We suggest that you propose another condition."

Although the Wandering Alliance had decided not to agree to the demands of the Antimatter Civilization, Constant Star Lu Chen was not so foolish as to outright reject them and burn bridges. Instead, he adopted a conciliatory tone, seeking to defuse the conflict and shift the demands of the Antimatter Civilization, striving to resolve the matter without resorting to war. This is a diplomatic maneuver of interstellar civilizations, and in this area, Lu Chen's experience is indeed rich.