Rebirth of the Super Battleship-Chapter 565: The Agreement
Deep down, Xiao Yu did not truly harbor hatred for the Pegasus Civilization. On the contrary, he felt a measure of respect for them, for persisting so long under his own ferocious offensive.
Now that there was no longer any entanglement of interests between Xiao Yu and the Pegasus Civilization, Xiao Yu did not mind lending them a hand. Of course, if the Pegasus Civilization failed to appreciate good will and dared to attack him, Xiao Yu would not mind crushing all these battered ships before him like ants.
The entire rescue operation lasted for about two days. Xiao Yu rescued roughly more than seven hundred ninety thousand Pegasus Civilization ships. As for the remaining several thousand ships, some were so badly damaged that they could not be towed, and some had lost all citizens aboard and had no rescue value, so Xiao Yu did not waste time on them.
All the Pegasus Civilization ships that had been rescued were parked in a designated area, obediently remaining there. Xiao Yu did not bother with them either.
The two hundred thousand surviving ships of the Pegasus Civilization quietly hid in the nearby stellar system and silently watched events unfold. They saw the Divine Ark Civilization’s ships risk falling into the black hole while using towing devices to rescue their captured ships. They saw robots sent by the Divine Ark Civilization repair ships with such serious damage that they posed a danger to the citizens onboard. Ships short on supplies were given some replenishment by the Divine Ark Civilization as well.
During this period, the Pegasus leader and the rest of the populace could not help but change their impression of the Divine Ark Civilization. Many people, including the leader himself, began to ask a question, “Is the Divine Ark Civilization truly as the former leader propagated, a brutal, overbearing cosmic destroyer that delights only in slaughter and annihilation?”
Unconsciously, the entire rescue had already concluded. Then the surviving Pegasus ships hiding there received a message from the Divine Ark Civilization, “Will you keep hiding there? Come out. I bear you no malice. If I did, you would already be dead.”
Matters had reached this point. How things developed next was no longer under the Pegasus Civilization’s control. With no alternative, the Pegasus leader issued his order, leading those more than two hundred thousand ships out of that stellar system to present themselves before the Divine Ark Civilization.
That dense forest of ships and the colossal planetary war star stirred in the Pegasus leader a feeling of wanting to look up in awe.
“The Divine Ark Civilization’s strength has grown so much compared to during the war. How on earth did they accomplish this? Could they truly have completed the entire process from digesting technology to applying it in just a few hundred years?” The Pegasus leader felt a fresh jolt of shock.
Looking at the existence before him that had once been an enemy. Looking at the existence that had once destroyed his civilization. The Pegasus leader did not know what he felt.
After a brief silence, the Pegasus leader said, “Thank you for rescuing our people.”
“There is no need to thank me. I rescued you only because I wish to make a trade with you.” Xiao Yu replied. “I can help you repair your ships. Also, it appears you have lost most of your original Pegasus technological system. Mm, I can hand over to you the technological data that belongs to your Pegasus Civilization.”
“Then what do you wish to obtain?” the leader replied. “We now have nothing. Only these few battered ships, which I presume you will hardly be interested in. Our populace is fewer than eight billion. We cannot use our citizens as bargaining chips. As for our technology, what you possess is even more complete than what we ourselves possess. So what do you want to obtain?”
“Do you know where the Level 5 Civilizations such as the Cepheus Civilization, the Gemini Civilization, the Carina Civilization, the Sextans Civilization have gone? I want the answer to this question.” Xiao Yu said.
The leader let out a breath of relief, yet still did not dare lower his guard. After weighing his words, the leader replied, “I am happy to tell you the answer. Those Level 5 Civilizations are not only the ones you mentioned. In fact, excluding the rebel fleet led by our former Pegasus leader, a total of nineteen other Level 5 Civilizations participated in this operation. Altogether twenty Level 5 Civilizations have gathered in the Death Flower Star System, waiting there for your arrival.”
“Twenty Level 5 Civilizations.” This phrase shocked Xiao Yu fiercely.
What did twenty Level 5 Civilizations mean? It meant fleets numbering in the hundreds of millions and populations in the trillions. With power that vast, unless one was a Level 6 Civilization, no one could resist.
Xiao Yu began to think rapidly about the implications of this information, yet the message he sent to the Pegasus leader maintained a calm tone. “I see. Very well. The deal is done. I will help you repair your ships, complete your technology, and replenish your supplies. But I am curious. What do you mean by your so-called rebel fleet? Also, where did your Galloping Pegasus spaceship go?”
“The fleet led by our former Pegasus leader is what I mean by the rebel fleet.” the leader said with a bitter tone. “At the most critical moment in the battle with your Divine Ark Civilization, the former leader defected with our civilization’s flagship, the Galloping Pegasus spaceship, to the Death Flower Star System. Then he began organizing a grand alliance of twenty Level 5 Civilizations, attempting to use it to resist your Divine Ark Civilization.”
“And you?” Xiao Yu asked. “What about your situation? When I left your star system, I did not destroy your planet’s ecological environment and did not deliberately slaughter your populace. You could have lived there well. Why did you flee and end up like this?”
The leader sighed once and told Xiao Yu the entire course of events. The Arboreal Race Alien Beast, death by drawing lots, the great exodus, planetary destruction, and so on. When the Pegasus leader mentioned that before being rammed the Arboreal Race Alien Beast had said, “I came here only to find the Divine Ark Civilization.” Xiao Yu’s heart gave a jolt.
“One of the three great Alien Beasts, the Arboreal Race Alien Beast. What did it come to find me for?” A hint of doubt arose in Xiao Yu’s heart. He certainly did not believe the Arboreal Race Alien Beast was a peaceful messenger come to befriend him. Moreover, Xiao Yu keenly detected some suspicious points in the matter, such as the unidentified existence the Pegasus leader said had always been following the Arboreal Race Alien Beast, and how the Arboreal Race Alien Beast had suddenly been held immobile for two hours.
“The Specter companion?” A name surfaced in Xiao Yu’s mind.
Xiao Yu understood everything. He knew that it had been his Specter companion who quietly resolved a hidden crisis for him. At the same time, Xiao Yu also realized that not only the Arboreal Race Alien Beast but the Pegasus Civilization had also been duped by the Specter companion. The Pegasus Civilization’s miserable state was, in the end, inseparable from him.
“Mm, so that is how it is. In that case, you are the other refugee fleet, and you have no contact with the Galloping Pegasus spaceship?”
“Yes,” the Pegasus leader answered. “We are the orthodox Pegasus Civilization. We do not recognize the legitimacy of the Galloping Pegasus or the former leader. They are traitors to our civilization. One day, when we grow strong, we will bring this group of traitors to justice. So now, I am happy to tell you their whereabouts. If I can borrow your hand to eliminate the traitors, that would also be good news for us.”
“So that is how it is.” Xiao Yu said. “Then I do not mind telling you something your former leader hid. Although I killed tens of billions of your people, I believe the responsibility is not on my side. There is no right or wrong in war. In war, both sides suffered heavy losses. But you must understand that it was your side that initiated the conflict. When I first came to your civilization, my purpose was to exchange technology in peace.”
As he spoke, Xiao Yu transmitted some records.
The Pegasus leader silently finished reading these records and let out a quiet sigh.
“So that is how it was. So that is how it was. The former leader committed an unforgivable crime against our civilization. He single-handedly pushed our civilization to the brink of ruin. However, regardless of the reason, the tens of billions of our people still died by your hand. So when our civilization grows strong enough, I will lead our people to seek revenge on you.”
“You are saying this now and are not afraid I will kill you all immediately?”
“This is the spirit of our civilization. Our spirit cannot be destroyed.” the Pegasus leader answered firmly.
“A joke. Would I be afraid of your revenge? I have no interest in wiping you out to the last. But if you dare to come cause me trouble, I will not mind exterminating you all. That is my term for this deal. Pegasus Civilization, farewell, and good luck.” As Xiao Yu spoke, he left a Province-Class transport ship there and departed decisively.
“Divine Ark Civilization, our Pegasus Civilization distinguishes clearly between kindness and enmity. This time, you saved us, so one day we will return this favor. Wait for it. That day will come. Once kindness and enmity are settled, we will have a fair battle again.” The leader sent a short message to the departing Divine Ark Civilization, but received no reply.
