Cataclysmic Era: I can unlock the tech tree

Inside the "Little Grey" flagship store.

A crisp reminder sounded in the dark red cabin.

"Oh? You changed direction?"

A little grey man looked at the monitor in front of him and scoffed, "Is it another one of those old tricks?"

It raised its frail arm and swiped a few times on the screen.

The first batch of detectors was clearly divided into two groups.

The first group maintained its original direction of travel.

The second group headed in the direction from which the signal came.

……

Sitting in the command center, Lü Yongchang frowned slightly as he looked at the unchanged holographic image.

A year has passed since the probe was captured.

The year passed peacefully.

Not only did no unknown advanced civilizations attack, but even the probe captured in Xuan Nu II did not send any abnormal signals.

to be frank.

If it weren't for the fact that the long-range communication device in the zero-deterministic detector was still operational, Lü Yongchang would have even suspected that he had been outsmarting the air for the past year!

Looking at the Gliese 555 star system, which was getting further and further away from the fleet on the star map, he sighed deeply.

"I wonder where they are right now..." A hint of worry flashed in Lü Yongchang's eyes.

Initially, Lü Yongchang wanted to use the captured probes to locate the other civilization.

Unfortunately, it was unsuccessful.

The other party's level of caution far exceeded his expectations.

Even with full access to the probes, Zero was still unable to obtain any intelligence about the enemy fleet.

Over the past year, humanity has made ample preparations for battle.

but!

Even now, Lü Yongchang cannot determine where the first attack will come from, or even when it will strike!

This lingering sense of unease is undoubtedly the most tormenting.

It will continuously erode the soldiers' mentality and fighting will.

Besides that, there is an even more important issue.

energy!

Every acceleration, deceleration, and turn of the entire fleet consumes an enormous amount of energy.

Although the human fleet's interstellar travel technology is relatively mature and its energy reserves are relatively abundant.

But dragging this on isn't a solution either!

Lu Yongchang glanced at Zhao Zijie, whose face was gloomy, and shook his head slightly.

"Zijie, you have to get used to this situation."

"The time span of interstellar wars will inevitably far exceed our imagination."

"As the fleet's strategic commander, you can't show such impatience."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zijie's expression changed slightly.

Thinking about the series of possible negative consequences, Zhao Zijie broke out in a cold sweat.

He quickly adjusted his posture and changed the gloomy expression on his face.

Then, with a solemn expression, he said, "Professor, I understand."

Lu Yongchang glanced at Zhao Zijie's posture and expression, and nodded in satisfaction.

Before he could speak, a piercing alarm went off.

Lu Yongchang's expression shifted slightly, and he quickly turned his head to look at the holographic projection.

When he saw the holographic image surrounded by red light, his face was not panicked at all, but instead filled with a sense of relief!

finally come!

Attention everyone!

Lu Yongchang reached out and turned on the microphone in front of him, then said in a deep voice, "Prepare for the first contact!"

……

The "Greys" fleet.

Having experienced countless interstellar wars, both large and small, the Greys have a profound understanding of the role of the flagship.

The saying "A wise man does not stand under a dangerous wall" applies equally to flagship products.

Victory may be imminent, or defeat may be imminent.

Under the control of the "Greys," the massive flagship had long since broken free from warp drive.

At this moment, they are less than 0.01 light-years away from the signal source.

All they had to do was wait quietly for reports from the two sets of detectors.

Once the location of the enemy civilization's starships is confirmed, the Greys fleet will swarm in!

As for the role of a flagship...

To these "little greys," it's just a safety net to keep things in check in case of unexpected situations.

After all, what kind of resistance could a mere level two civilization possibly have against their fleet?

Thinking this, the "little grey man" leading the command center revealed an extremely twisted smile.

……

Earth Command Center.

The holographic projection, flashing red light, depicts the First Mystic Maiden.

The No. 1 Mystic Maiden did not carry any detectors captured by humans.

Instead, it was equipped only with sophisticated full-band detection equipment and a massive amount of plasma bombs.

Under Zero's manipulation, the detector, which was constantly sending signals, successfully transmitted false intelligence to the other civilization.

Logically, one should be happy that the plan has succeeded.

But looking at the data transmitted back by the full-band detection equipment, Lü Yongchang's expression was extremely solemn.

His brows were furrowed, and there wasn't even the slightest hint of a smile on his face.

"Maximum travel speed 35% of the speed of light..."

He muttered to himself, "This is troublesome..."

Such a high speed of travel not only means that human civilization cannot escape from it, but also means that the technology of the opposing civilization is far more advanced than that of humankind!

The images in the holographic projection further confirm the former.

In the camera of the No. 1 Mystic Maiden, hundreds of detectors, each only a few meters in size, easily caught up with it.

Lu Yongchang twitched his fingers slightly, noting down several key pieces of information.

Hall thruster, 35% of the speed of light...

As the probe drew closer, he suddenly froze.

"this……"

"How could this happen?"

Lu Yongchang's eyes were filled with doubt as he muttered to himself.

Not only Lü Yongchang, but also the people seated in the command center exclaimed in surprise.

There is no other reason.

These high-speed detectors are all different models!

Spheres, squares, even butterfly shapes...

This is truly a showcase of interstellar spacecraft design!

These detectors, which come in various shapes, share a common feature—the surfaces of all of them appear worn and dilapidated!

He even discovered a huge, dark pit on the surface of a butterfly-shaped detector.

It was like... being bombarded by a kinetic weapon!

"They... just finished fighting?" Lu Yongchang swallowed and murmured.

"There's a possibility," Fang Xu picked up where Lü Yongchang left off. "Perhaps the other party belongs to an interstellar alliance organization."

Lu Yongchang silently watched the detector getting closer and closer to the No. 1 Mystic Maiden, his eyes filled with such deep doubt that they seemed about to overflow!

Interstellar Alliance?

Although [the author] once said that the dark forest is not the only rule for coexistence among civilizations in the universe.

But... even after seeing this chaotic scene with his own eyes, he still couldn't quite believe it.

He saw at least 20 different styles!

When did alliances between multiple civilizations become so easy?