Chapter 411: Conversation with the Guardian

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The most crucial piece of information in the Shenzhou Civilization's reply was that the Divine Vessel was comprised of six civilizations, all of whom had left seeds of their own cultures.

It was a declaration from the Shenzhou Civilization Union, striving to break through the suffocating Dark Forest, but it was also telling the Guardians that the Shenzhou Civilization was not easily annihilated.

Through this war, the Guardians should also have gained a certain understanding of the Shenzhou Civilization Union, with their technological level approaching the threshold of a Second Type Civilization, and their vast potential not to be underestimated.

Even more shocking was the high level of strategic and tactical capability they displayed, undoubtedly a fierce challenge to the existing rules and cognitive frameworks of the Guardians.

Now, the Shenzhou fully qualified and capable, was demanding to speak with the Guardians on equal footing.

This reply was the best proof of Shenzhou Civilization's confidence and courage; it fearlessly embraced the exchange and clash with the Guardians, just as it did the vastness and unknowns of the universe.

*

When the Guardian Battleship received this message, an indescribable awe could not help but rise in their hearts.

The civilization that claimed to be the Divine Vessel had once again proven their extraordinary uniqueness; they were those who dared to break the norms and challenge the laws of the universe. Their very existence was a bold challenge and redefinition of the cosmic order.

This message, like a clarion call, proclaimed the strength and indomitability of the Shenzhou Civilization. This strength was not only reflected in their breathtaking strategic layouts and tactical executions but also in the confidence within each individual's heart.

It was fearlessness in the face of the unknown, contempt for difficulty. Even when facing the Guardians, who were several orders of magnitude stronger, the members of the Shenzhou Civilization never retreated, daring to demand an equal dialogue.

The last of the Guardian warships also sent another message:

[In this battlefield that has existed for who knows how many billions of years, we, as eternal OverWatch, have always stood here, guarding a certain balance of the universe.

Your technological level has now neared that of a true Second Type Civilization, and you must realize that breaking through the Dark Forest is far from simple.

This starfield is like a pond, and civilizations are like fish in the pond; the powerful fish will threaten the ecosystem of the pond.

If they merely muddy the waters, that might be all right, but if they become powerful enough, they may even drain the pond's water.

"Muddying the waters" can be understood as the reckless use of various weapons such as space breakage, reduced light speed... and "draining the pond's water," its deeper meaning, we believe you have also begun to perceive.

Therefore, we have no choice but to execute civilization cleansing missions, becoming "Fishermen". Keeping this pond forever filled with only lower-level civilizations, to maintain some fragile balance in the universe.

All higher civilizations understand one law, that is the Reversible Law. It has a phrase: if you can see a low entropy world, that low entropy world will eventually see you, it's only a matter of time.

However, this phrase is not accurate, a more precise one should be: in this fragile and sensitive universe, every low entropy world harbors the potential to become a future threat to you.

Now you have the strength and qualifications to speak with us as equals.

Now you have walked out of the Dark Forest we set for you, but by stepping out, you will also face an even larger and more dangerous Dark Forest. ]

This message from the Guardian provided a lot of information, and it also confirmed Lin Sen's guess that the Dark Forest was, to some extent, a protection of the universe by higher civilizations.

But this kind of protection is far from benevolent; rather, it is a cold and necessary measure that they take to defend their homeland.

After receiving the message from the Guardian, the Shenzhou also sent a reply:

[When our civilization reached 1.4, we understood that the Dark Forest might not result from a rational cosmic society at the height of civilization, but from a cold order aimed at maintaining a delicate balance in the universe.

At that time, we predicted your existence. Our voyage has lasted for tens of thousands of years; along the way, we have gathered six civilizations, our common goal is to challenge you. ]

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We are fish in a pond, but we can also challenge the "Fisherman" on the shore.

We are not content to swim in the tiny pond, for our journey lies in lakes, great rivers, and even that boundless ocean.

Having breathed the air of freedom, how could we resign ourselves to living in suffocation? A perpetual challenge shall be our destiny.

This may seem ignorant and arrogant,

but... isn't challenging the Dark Forest what you want to see?

Nor do you wish to live so stifled, we boldly speculate that you too have tried to break free, even this Black Fog City Wall defense line might have been wrested from other civilizations by you.

You must also want to challenge the distant realms, but countless defeats seem to have gradually extinguished the flame of challenge in your hearts. Perhaps, through the long years, your technological progress has stagnated, your civilization's development tightly bound by invisible chains to some extent.

With your scientific and technological strength, this region spanning thousands, tens of thousands of light years, containing hundreds of billions of stellar systems. You certainly have the capability to dispatch probes to visit each one, eliminating all potential threats.

Yet you did not do so, but instead chose to give lower civilizations a glimmer of hope, a chance to grow tenaciously under the suppression of the Dark Forest.

This is somewhat like 'Yang Gu,' nurturing a civilization within the Dark Forest that could shake its very existence.

Having already exchanged linguistic samples, the Guardian could understand the profound meaning behind the metaphor of "Yang Gu."

The Guardian replied:

"Your speculation isn't bad. We might have considered the idea of 'Yang Gu,' but we haven't, and we can't.

We are not as powerful as you imagine. If possible, we would not 'Yang Gu.' Because that means we could also become the sacrifice to the Gu King, just as we are facing right now.

First off, this vast expanse that stretches across tens of thousands of light years and contains hundreds of billions of stellar systems, we actually do not have the capacity to deploy probes everywhere. Our Faster-Than-Light Communication Technology is not yet able to cover such a vast area.

Secondly, even if we were lucky enough to discover a significant threat, we are often helpless and unable to eliminate it promptly. Light Speed, the universe's hardest shackle, binds our actions tightly. Traveling to a threatened stellar system might take thousands of years. And thousands of years later, those potential enemies might have already fled in lightspeed spacecraft.

But over these long hundreds of millions of years, perhaps we have grown tired of this kind of 'living,' perhaps we also hope to see a different future!

When you, who might annihilate us, truly emerged, we did not feel much sorrow or regret.

You will break through this defensive line and may continue to sail to the distances, or, after facing setbacks, come back to devour us.

No matter the outcome, we will calmly accept it, for this is the destiny granted to us by the universe.

If possible, I too would like to see what lies beyond this defensive line, but alas, for tens of millions of years I have not dared to take a single look."

This message, like a heavy bomb, instantly caused a tremendous stir within the ranks of Divine Vessel. The Divine Vessel was currently facing an unprecedented major decision.

The expression of the Guardian Battleship captain undoubtedly revealed a clear tendency to ally. Accepting them might bring a massive boost in technological power, but the key lies in the information they possess.

With their information, we could understand this defensive front like the back of our hand, avoid the spatial traps, and shake off interception from other Guardian fleets.

Moreover, we could learn a great deal about Second Type Civilizations, which is most crucial for the Divine Vessel at the moment.

PS: This book differs here from the original, but it is still faithful to the source material, supplementing the state of High-Level Civilizations in the Dark Forest.

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