Chapter 66

Aventurine looked at the scene on the light screen with great interest, rubbing his chin as he said:

"How will the Calamity Empire respond to this scientific research competition between different civilizations?"

"Unlocking the advanced technology on the L-Gate must surely require quite a lot of time, right?"

"Ratio, what do you think?" Aventurine looked toward Dr. Ratio again and asked.

"I would likely gather the most brilliant minds in the universe and concentrate their wisdom to conduct research on it."

Having said this, Dr. Ratio paused:

"At the same time, I would dispatch spies to collect the research results of other civilizations, ensuring that I remain in an invincible position."

"A reasonable approach."

Aventurine rubbed his chin and said:

"I just don't know if the Calamity Empire will use this method."

"A scientific research competition to study advanced technology, how interesting—hmm?"

Just as Aventurine was speaking, the scene on the light screen changed.

The Calamity Empire's research ship fiddled with the L-Gate for a few moments, installing several strange mechanical constructs onto its surface.

Subsequently, one only heard a 'pop' sound.

The L-Gate, it opened.

"Huh?"

"Are you kidding me, bro?"

"What happened to the advanced technology we were promised???"

All living beings across the universe wore a look of 2.0-level bewilderment.

Watching the Calamity Empire's research ship spend only a few minutes to reactivate the L-Gate.

A dazzling radiance burst forth from the L-Gate; scorching fluorescent green beams collided, and brilliant ripples splashed out within space.

In an instant, a pitch-black hole formed in the Void, reflecting the L-Cluster it led to.

And just as the Calamity Empire activated the L-Gate, other civilizations hadn't even figured out the L-Gate's structure yet.

"What happened to the scientific research competition??"

"I've only just written the 'solution' and you're already saying you've handed in your paper??"

"Didn't the Calamity Empire just say that the nanobots near the L-Gate were extremely advanced?"

The faces of all living beings across the universe were filled with question marks; the plot development on the light screen completely exceeded their expectations.

Just at this moment, a voice rang out from the light screen:

【"The nanobots used to build the L-Gate can continuously upgrade their own design through self-iteration."】

【"For an empire that rarely involves itself in this area, it is an extremely advanced design."】

【"But the subspace technology used by the gate itself..."】

【"The Empire's subspace researchers evaluate it as: an inefficient and foolish construction."】

【"If the Empire's subspace technology is exquisite porcelain—a marvelous craft requiring precise control of temperature, glaze, and clay..."】

【"Then the L-Gate is just thin mud kneaded by a child with urine, both stinking and rotten."】

Watching the disdainful words of the Calamity Empire on the light screen, the corners of the eyes of all living beings across the universe couldn't help but twitch.

And just at this moment, a ripple stirred within the opened L-Gate.

It seemed as if something was about to crawl out...

72. 【Xiao Hui stuck in the L-Gate】

One could see ripples appearing on the L-Gate within the light screen.

Within the black hole at its center, surrounded by pale green light, some kind of entity was looming.

Sssss—

Space emitted a resonant hum.

A massive subspace storm oscillated through the Void, shaking the entire galaxy up and down.

A ship composed of monotonous gray, flashing with a faint, eerie green, slowly sailed out from the L-Gate.

Behind it followed countless small interceptor ships, and it was surrounded by a swarm of nano-ships as numerous as the stars.

Watching that eerie gray ship covered in terrifying green light, all living beings across the universe couldn't help but widen their eyes.

"Is this the reason why the L-Gate was sealed?!"

"What is the origin of these ships? Is there still a civilization behind the L-Gate?"

"What strange ship design; are those nanobots the weapons of this civilization?"

In the Herta Space Station:

"Is this the calamity hidden behind the L-Gate?" Herta raised an eyebrow and said.

"Interesting ships, but why do they feel so strange?"

Herta watched the ships crawling out of the L-Gate on the light screen and couldn't help but mutter.

These ships were equipped with various terrifying weapons and were surrounded by a large swarm of nano-ships.

But Herta always felt something was off.

These ships were like a lump of clay molded into such a shape, a mass of biological matter mimicking a ship...

It was just like...

"Could it be..."

Herta widened her eyes slightly:

"Interesting. I'll have to see how the Calamity Empire deals with this fleet..."

It wasn't just Herta; countless people across the universe widened their eyes, wanting to see how the Calamity Empire would engage these calamities crawling out from behind the L-Gate.

Was it some kind of powerful ship? Or a terrifying Star God beast? Or perhaps mysterious psionic power?

The Calamity Empire's research ship hovered beside the L-Gate, calmly watching those gray ships slowly crawl out from the gate.

【"Close the L-Gate."】

A voice rang out from the research ship, and the machinery placed on the L-Gate activated.

Click—

The pale green light lingering on the L-Gate suddenly vanished.

The gray ship inside shook violently with a 'bang'.

"... Stuck, it's stuck??"

"Is this actually the method they used to solve it???"

"Huh?? This actually works???"

All living beings across the universe suddenly realized that they had seemingly fallen into a cognitive trap just now.

Since something was trying to crawl out from inside the L-Gate,

wouldn't it just be enough to close the L-Gate directly?

The Calamity Empire's mastery of subspace technology clearly allowed them to do this easily.

Fight? Fight what fight? You crawl out first and then we'll talk!

The L-Gate aperture that the gray ships were passing through suddenly shrank, and the pressure of space increased abruptly.

Those gray ships were instantly stuck in the gate, just like a young woman stuck in a washing machine or Sadako stuck in a television.

Following the spatial fluctuations caused by the gate closing, these gray ships began to sway and shake.

A few seconds later, the gate closed completely, and the gray ships still stuck in the gate twisted abruptly, like an oil painting splashed with water.

Then, they burst apart with a 'bang', turning into countless gray dust particles scattered in the Void.

"Blown into powder?? Is the power of the gate closing that great?"

"Why do these dust particles look a bit like..."

"These aren't nanobots, are they???"

All living beings across the universe watched the scene on the light screen and couldn't help but exclaim.

As the gate burst, those gray ships, after shattering, actually turned into streams of gray dust.

And these gray dust particles were still wriggling, seemingly wanting to gather together again.

"It's a ship composed of nanobots, just as I guessed."

Herta's eyes flashed with a faint light: