Everyone's playing Red Giant? I, Black Hole, devour everything!

Tokyo, the Prime Minister's official residence.

"From the 13th Star Sector to the 9th Star Sector... all five star sectors are gone."

The Defense Minister's voice was extremely hoarse.

"Including the main force of the neutron star that was annihilated in the seventh star sector and resource points, our total strength is less than 30% of what it was before the war."

"The overall national strength score has fallen from 6.2 billion before the war to below 3 billion."

Three billion.

At the beginning of the universe online, the overall national strength score of the Sakura Kingdom was six billion.

That was the most glorious moment in the entire history of the cherry blossom country over the past century.

But now, it has become less than three billion.

In just a few months, the accumulation of several generations was reduced to only half.

What's worse is that this number is dropping by hundreds of millions every day.

"Over in the Great Xia Kingdom... it has already surpassed 10 billion."

"According to our intelligence department's estimates, the Great Xia Kingdom gained nearly 3 billion in overall score growth just by conquering the five star sectors from the 10th to the 9th star sector."

"Adding the Black Hole Legion's previous achievements in the Seventh Star Sector and resource points, the Great Xia Kingdom's overall national strength score is currently 10.7 billion."

"Second only to the United States, which has a GDP of 12.7 billion."

"It has surpassed Russia, the British Empire, and the Gallic Empire, ranking second in the world."

The air in the conference room seemed to have been sucked out.

Several ministers opened their mouths, but couldn't utter a single word.

10.7 billion.

Second in the world.

This speed can no longer be described as a "rise".

"At this rate..." the intelligence officer's voice trailed off, "within a year, Great Xia will surpass the United States and become number one in the world."

"How long can the defenses hold out?" the Prime Minister finally asked, his voice hoarse as if two pieces of sandpaper were rubbing together.

The Minister of Defense lowered his head: "At the current rate of advance of the Black Hole Legion... they will be able to reach the First Sector in ten days at most."

……

The capital city of the Great Xia Kingdom.

"10.7 billion." Zhou Zhenguo's voice rang out in the conference room. "Old Chen, we are already the second largest in the world."

"Um."

"But it's not time to celebrate yet. How's it going over there in the US?"

"Nothing much has happened." Han Li flipped through the intelligence summary in his hand. "According to the intelligence we intercepted, the White House has rejected the Japanese Prime Minister's call request three times."

"The US Congress has approved the 'New Manhattan' project, with a special fund of 3.5 trillion Star Dollars. However, according to our technical department's assessment, the possibility of them creating a black hole within a year is less than 10%."

"As for the military aspect, there are currently no signs of any movement of their Quark Star forces."

Han Li closed the folder: "It seems that the United States is planning to watch Japan be swallowed up by us."

Old Chen did not respond.

He knows the United States too well.

This country never sits idly by and waits for its demise.

It's not that it doesn't want to save the Sakura Kingdom, but rather that it's waiting.

Waiting for an opportunity to turn things around.

However, Mr. Chen was not worried.

Because the Great Xia Kingdom also has its own trump cards.

"Han Li," Elder Chen suddenly spoke.

"exist."

"Recheck the coordinates of the relay station in the first star sector of the Sakura Kingdom. Once the Black Hole Legion has finished its rest, continue advancing according to the original plan."

"yes!"

……

three days later.

The Black Hole Legion's latest round of rest and recuperation is nearing its end.

Lu Xuejian stood in the rest area outside the observation cabin, looking at the S-class observation cabin with its hatch closed.

She knew Lin Tian was inside.

She knew she shouldn't bother him at a time like this.

But she just couldn't resist taking a look.

Just one glance.

Su Li suddenly appeared from the side: "Xuejian, don't your eyes get tired from staring at me like that every day?"

Lu Xuejian withdrew her gaze, her expression unchanged: "I was just checking the operational status of the observation chamber."

"Oh, really?" Su Li smiled and leaned closer. "Then let me ask you, how is the observation module operating now?"

Lu Xuejian's ears burned when she was asked the question: "It's normal."

"That's normal! It means our teacher Lin is in great health and has a good appetite, so you don't need to worry."

Su Li patted Lu Xuejian on the shoulder, then sat down on the chair next to her.

"By the way, Xuejian, do you think Lin Tian will consider getting married after we finish fighting in Japan?"

Lu Xuejian turned to look at her, her eyes filled with wariness: "What do you want to say?"

"It's nothing, just chatting casually." Su Li's foxy eyes were full of cunning. "Look, Lin Tian is now the commander of the Black Hole Task Force, a senior colonel, and a Quasar Lord—with so many titles combined, he would be a hot commodity in any dynasty."

"More importantly, he's still so young. Once the cosmic war is over, all the girls in the Great Xia Kingdom will be throwing themselves at him. Xuejian, aren't you worried?"

Lu Xuejian remained silent.

Of course she was anxious.

But her way of getting anxious was different from Su Li's.

She would simply stand silently behind him, helping him handle the tedious military affairs and the daily tasks of the research institute.

Then, when he gets tired, hand him a glass of water.

Quietly stay by his side when he's too lazy to talk.

She didn't know if this approach would make him understand.

All she knew was that she didn't want to express herself in any way that might embarrass him.

Because she was afraid.

She was afraid that if he refused, she wouldn't even have the right to stand behind him.

Su Li looked at the complex expression on Lu Xuejian's face and suddenly stopped smiling.

"Xuejian" (雪鑒).

"Um?"

"You're being too cautious," Su Li said, her tone unusually serious.

"You know Lin Tian's personality better than I do. If neither of you pushes this door open, it will never be opened."

Lu Xuejian lowered her head and after a long while, she said softly, "But I don't know how to push it."

"What's so hard about that?" Su Li leaned forward and lowered her voice, "Just find a time when no one will bother you, and then kiss him."

Lu Xuejian's face flushed red instantly.

"What...what are you saying!"

"To be honest," Su Li looked at her confidently, "you have to be direct when dealing with someone like Lin Tian. Xuejian, if you can't bring yourself to do it, I can demonstrate first."

"You dare!"

"Look, look, you seem to have a real sense of urgency!" Su Li laughed. "Don't worry, Xuejian, I won't beat you to it. You go first, and I'll be second."

Lu Xuejian's blush hadn't faded yet, but her tone had softened: "You want to too?"

"Of course I want to," Su Li readily admitted.

Looking at Su Li's self-righteous demeanor, Lu Xuejian suddenly found it both amusing and enviable.

……

Two more days passed.

The rest period is over.

The Black Hole Legion has regrouped.

The new targets on the star map have been marked in a striking red.

The eighth star region of the Sakura Kingdom.

This is the toughest challenge the Black Hole Legion has faced since the start of their campaign.

Unlike other star sectors, the Eighth Star Sector is the most important industrial core of the Sakura Kingdom.

This place is home to nearly half of the industrial power of the entire Sakura Kingdom, with hundreds of high-quality star mines, more than a dozen large starship manufacturing centers, and countless star mine refineries and research facilities.

More importantly, the Eighth Sector is the gateway to the First Sector.

If we take it, the defenses of the Seventh and Sixth Star Sectors will be just ahead. The Black Hole can then break through as quickly as a punctured piece of paper and reach the very gates of the capital of the Sakura Kingdom.

Therefore, the Sakura Kingdom has committed all its available military forces to the Eighth Star Region.

When the Black Hole Legion appeared on the border of the Eighth Sector, the Sakura Defense Force's reconnaissance units discovered them almost simultaneously.

It wasn't that their reconnaissance methods were particularly sophisticated, but rather that the Black Hole Legion made no attempt to conceal their movements this time.

Fifty black holes lined up in a row, resembling a silent black wall in the dark and empty starry sky.

The gravitational field of each black hole is released without reservation.

Spacetime twists and bends around them, and light rays are deflected as they pass through this area, forming faint, dark halos.

From a distance, it looked as if fifty bottomless abysses were simultaneously spreading outwards, emanating an aura that could devour everything.

And in the very center of this black city wall, there floats a celestial body that no one dares to look directly at.

Primordial quasars.