The Final Odyssey, the fantastical journey of a cat boy

"Hmm... Is that so?"

As more and more knowledge and memories that were not his own began to flood his mind, Fish instinctively frowned. Although he didn't know what the relationship was between this "Singleton" and himself, nor did he understand why these memories existed deep in his brain a thousand years in the future, he was at least certain that all of this had actually happened and was not his imagination.

Rather, it would be impossible for Fish, living a thousand years in the future, to conjure up these unheard-of things out of thin air.

According to the contents of these newly emerged memories, Singleton was a android staff officer belonging to the 15th Expeditionary Fleet—at the end of the old civilization era, when space jump technology was mature and faster-than-light travel was practical, the old humans had already stepped beyond the boundaries of the solar system where they were born, sending expeditionary fleets into the distant depths of the galaxy.

Of course, this deployment is not indiscriminate. Before the operation begins, a "detection matrix" composed of tens of thousands of giant deep-space radio telescopes spread along the edge of the asteroid belt within the solar system will mark eligible stars and the planetary systems orbiting them, and prioritize sending unmanned probes to fly by and deploy probes. Only after valuable targets are discovered in the first phase of detection will these locations be added to the expedition fleet's coordinate database.

Most of the time, the standard for "valuable" is that "the planet's surface environment is sufficient to support the long-term survival and reproduction of Earth's carbon-based life after limited modification." However, on this planet, which is always permeated with a purple haze that emits a faint sour smell produced by the metabolic activities of local organisms, the local environment far exceeds this benchmark.

According to the findings of probes dropped by the unmanned exploration vessel that initially flew past this area, the planet possesses a carbon-based biosphere highly similar to Earth's. This includes vegetation that produces nutrients and oxygen through photosynthesis, as well as life forms similar to archaea and other chemosynthetic microorganisms that survive on energy and inorganic compounds generated by the planet's active geological activity. As for microscopic and macroscopic animals, there are naturally even more.

In fact... there are a bit too many of them.

The initial ground probes were destroyed one by one within 36 hours of their arrival, and images sent back by some probes showed that they were destroyed by strange creatures with weapon-like structures on their bodies.

But up to this point, people still hadn't noticed anything unusual: they thought it was just an accident caused by a predator probing the probe, something that had happened many times on other planets.

Of course, the immense potential value of Shura Star was also confirmed in the first round of exploration. Thus, an expeditionary fleet was assembled, and the planetary system where this satellite was located was set as the ultimate target. However, it wasn't until the expeditionary fleet's outpost entered the system that they discovered things weren't as simple as they had imagined.

Intelligent life exists on the planet Shura.

Of course, humanity is not entirely unprepared for the possibility of encountering extraterrestrial intelligent life: long ago, based on mathematical calculations and astronomical observations, people had already calculated the probability of intelligent life arising in the Milky Way and even sent tentative greetings—although, until the discovery of the planet Shura, the two spacecraft carrying those initial greetings had not yet left the gravitational pull of the solar system. And after interstellar travel began, similar evidence became even more abundant.

Unmanned probes and decommissioned shipwrecks drift at the edges of planetary systems; empty space station remains lie at the Lagrange points of planets and their natural satellites. Abandoned towns and villages dot the planetary surface, traces of large-scale agricultural and mining activities, and even harmful chemical waste such as microplastics and dioxins lingering in the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere of the entire planet… These signs have been found on many worlds that humans have once set foot on, indicating that they once housed a wide variety of intelligent life.

The only problem was that, until they arrived at Shura Star, they had never even seen a living alien with intelligence similar to that of humans.

Yes, there were no living people. Only countless empty ruins, like the abandoned Mayan cities that 20th-century European historians found deep in the jungles of Yucatan. Nothing but ruins.

When similar occurrences were first or second, people could easily dismiss them as "accidents," "chance," or "unfortunate coincidences." But as the occurrences became more frequent, they had to start considering other possibilities. Some scientists proposed theories such as gamma-ray bursts, supernova explosions, or "regional cataclysms" caused by dangerous interstellar dust clouds wiping out these civilizations.

However, this assumption has not gained widespread acceptance.

After all, not to mention that space observation records do not support this, for example, there have never been any dense celestial bodies or dust clouds left over from supernova explosions near these civilization ruins, just considering the level of development of these civilizations that have already entered space, it seems very difficult for them to be easily wiped out by a disaster.

Therefore, these ever-growing number of relics have ultimately become one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in human history, perplexing all those who attempt to continue exploring beyond the solar system.

Until the Asura Star is discovered.

Upon noticing the presence of satellite-like structures and space stations in orbit, the scout team dispatched by the 15th Expeditionary Fleet was initially overjoyed—radio and optical signals emanating from these facilities indicated that they were not empty ruins, but rather real, operational entities!

So a group of ecstatic envoys approached the pale purple planet in landing craft... and then they were blown up by some kind of biological space mine, resulting in the destruction of their ship and the deaths of everyone on board.

Of course, such a situation on a single occasion could be explained as an accident. So the expedition team persevered and made many more attempts, but all of them met with the same result: yes, there was a highly advanced intelligent civilization on Shura Star that focused on biotechnology, but the problem was that it also harbored extremely strong hostility towards humanity.

A hostile civilization that has entered the space age is naturally an adversary that cannot be ignored. Thus, the mission of the Fifteenth Expeditionary Fleet, with Singleton as its military advisor, quickly shifted from "exploration and development" to "conquest." This operation was required to at least dismantle the military forces of the Shura Star civilization, preventing it from continuing to project military power into space while maintaining a hostile attitude towards humanity.

Theoretically, seizing control of the space around a planet and conducting orbital bombardment is undoubtedly a simple option. However, Singleton rejected this option—after all, it would severely damage the stability of the planet's ecosystem, thereby destroying the planet's value for human use. (Latest chapter: High-energy plot! Come and see!) Furthermore, having finally discovered an intelligent species, hastily eliminating it could also cause irreparable consequences.

After all, the so-called "dark forest theory" of the past was nothing more than a thought experiment conducted under extremely stringent conditions. Once those stringent conditions are no longer present, it becomes meaningless.

Thus, on the advice of Singleton, who served as military advisor, the invasion began with the suppression of air defenses and a ground offensive. After destroying the few satellites and defensive weapons in space, a large number of automated combat units and a smaller force of natural and android soldiers were dropped onto the planet's surface by assault landing ships and the landing sites were captured.

"Sir Singleton, the landing zone is clear," Fish—no, Singleton—heard the landing commander's voice on the communications channel as he stepped down from the hangar. "The enemy's atmospheric anti-aircraft and ground defenses are extremely weak."

"very good."

"In fact, we suffered fewer than ten combat vehicles damaged, only five percent of what was expected before the operation began. The enemy's resistance was far less than anticipated, with only a few lightly armed infantrymen launching sporadic attacks," the commander continued to report. "I suspect this may be some kind of trap to lure the enemy in."

"Whether it is or not, we have no choice now; the operation must continue," Singleton replied. "Besides, I share your sentiment that our troubles on this planet have probably only just begun."

"Ugh...troublesome..." Fish repeated the word unconsciously. Then, he felt his head start to ache.

With a flash of white light, the scene at the landing site vanished. In its place appeared a new memory, a new scene: inside a laboratory of a medical transport ship that had already landed, Singleton's medical officers were gathered in front of an autopsy-stricken corpse, discussing something.

Since the start of the campaign, these laboratories have never been idle. Enemy remains sent down from the battlefield are transported here for dissection, analysis, and research. At the beginning of the war, biologists from the expeditionary fleet initially confirmed that, despite their diverse forms, the inhabitants of this planet were crustaceans resembling giant crabs.

Their exoskeleton is covered with a thick, calcareous protective layer, uneven like an oyster shell. In addition, they have a series of endoskeletons inside their bodies to strengthen and support them. Of course, these "bones" do not contain bone marrow or spinal cord nerves; they are just products of the exoskeleton's specialization within the body. The fluid flowing in their bodies is more like insect hemolymph than blood.

In short, these intelligent beings were initially called "Zerg"... however, because that name was too common, they were later renamed the more fitting "Shells".

The exoskeletons of the "Shelllings" can form a wide variety of complex geometric configurations, serving as spears, daggers, hammers, axes, grappling hooks, and even air guns that fire projectiles using compressed air. Of course, these natural weapons are insufficient against enemies that have traveled hundreds of light-years across the cosmos. Therefore, their primary armament consists of various war beasts and guns produced in biological culture tanks, consisting of semi-mechanical, semi-living tissues.

At least, that was clearly the case in the first phase of the campaign.

However, on the fortieth day of the ground campaign, some special specimens began to be sent here: initially, it was the remains of an alien that resembled the "Greys" of urban legends. This creature had a body structure highly similar to that of humans and was a genuine vertebrate, completely different from those "shell creatures".

Next came some enormous creatures that resembled gorillas covered in scales. Some of their limbs, like those of the Shell Clan, had been transformed into weapon forms, but anatomical and genetic analyses proved that these creatures had nothing in common with the Shell Clan.

Later, more than a dozen strange creatures appeared among the remains on the battlefield, ranging from octopus-like monsters resembling Martians from traditional science fiction to eerie balloons floating in the air—the variety was astounding.

Today, as Singleton is summoned here for an emergency meeting, biologists have already identified the sixteenth unique intelligent life form.

"Sir, as you can see," the fleet's chief biologist said, pointing to the dissected corpse—a creature that resembled a six-legged armadillo—"this is yet another new species we have never seen before. It first appeared in the skirmish at the WJ-77 Mountains, advancing alongside a squadron of enemy biowalkers, and was killed by our low-altitude fire."

“We’ve already seen fifteen strange things,” Singleton said. “This new one isn’t so strange…or rather, this planet is strange enough. To have so many intelligent beings living in the same society at the same time.”

"Well, actually, after studying the new specimens, we've found some theories that can explain this situation," the chief biologist said. "That's the main reason we invited you here for this meeting: to explain our two major recent discoveries."

"Two items?"

"Yes. The first major discovery is that these intelligent beings are actually a kind of 'aliens' to the planet Shura."

"What does this mean?"

"This means they evolved outside of Shura Star—we can confirm this because their genetic information is extremely unique. The types of amino acids used to record information are not the same as those of native organisms on Shura Star," the lead biologist said. "Furthermore, the two previously discovered extraterrestrial intelligent life forms could not be accurately analyzed because only charred remains existed. But recently, we discovered complete remains, and the test results proved that their DNA helix direction was directly opposite to that of native organisms!"

"My God..." Although not a biologist, Singleton, as an android advisor who could connect to the spaceship's database, could easily find out these basic biological facts—just as animals cannot have cell walls, within the same biosphere, the amino acids used by organisms to record genetic information, the direction of the DNA helix, should all be the same, which is an inevitable result of biological evolution.

"In other words, many other aliens came to Shura Star before us," another scientist continued, "and then... they were assimilated by the Shell Race."

"Assimilation? How did they do that?"

"This is our second discovery," the chief biologist said, turning on a projector to show a substance stored in a sealed container. "We call this 'Tai Sui'."