# Chapter 45: Glory and Valor
The enormous void port slowly unfolded, the temporal anchors stabilizing the ships sequentially disconnecting their links. Energy nozzles on countless vessels lit up as they adjusted direction within the spherical void port.
A storm of energy blew through, sweeping away all traces of the magic tide mist. In the border port and various subsidiary ports, the dark honeycomb shells absorbed all light. Thousands of honeycomb warships began to form neat ranks, then departed under the command of their respective generals, like a swarm of bees setting out.
—An unidentified fleet was constructing a spacetime gate. If they allowed the other party to proceed, it would mean abandoning all initiative, abandoning the sovereignty of their own nation, abandoning all glory and dignity. If they made no response to such an arrogant provocation, the upper echelons of the Spirit Clan might as well commit suicide to honor the former emperor.
Following the battle plan prepared long ago, most of the Spirit Clan's national power was concentrated here. Then, they advanced toward their target.
In the void, the Jetram Star Domain.
The void behemoths that had been replenishing themselves by absorbing mass from within worlds reluctantly withdrew their mouthparts under the reprimands of their respective Void Kings, flying toward other lifeless worlds, leaving ripples in spacetime behind them.
According to speculation, the void behemoths created by the Star River Great Cycle should be the identity of multiverse wreckage processors. Like various corrosive bacteria, they eat the wreckage of dead and lifeless worlds to gestate entirely new worlds.
But void behemoths naturally couldn't always encounter suitable food. Their feeding might turn a normal world into wasteland, or rob a lifeless world of its future potential for life—the trade-off of quantity in this process depended on the experience of the Void Kings who controlled the behemoths. They hadn't originally cared about such matters, but since they belonged to Mycroft Civilization...
And in the Jetram Star Domain, the largest world—the Jetram World.
Baniel's void battlecruiser had already descended into the world's interior. Under the effects of energy suspension devices and runic automatic systems, the now-crewless ship slowly disassembled in midair, becoming massive components. These were then controlled by Legendary experts to combine and transform, forming a super-massive spacetime hub prototype shaped like a round dome, slowly descending toward Jetram's thick gray sea.
When it finally landed, creating a super-massive tsunami hundreds of meters high that shook the entire coastal continental shelf, the spacetime hub prototype was roughly assembled. As Faina personally supplied it with energy, a giant spacetime rift tens of thousands of meters high was created. It hovered directly above the hub, like a black blade, splitting the sky.
"Stabilizing and perfecting the spacetime hub will take several months. Until then, we basically can't contact the Myriad Realms Sacrificial Ground."
Baniel's voice came through the communication array. Joshua, still in the void, heard this and nodded slightly, replying, "I understand."
"Yarnamilo detected powerful psionic fluctuations approaching us—very close. It should be the local native civilization." Baniel's voice continued: "...We can't underestimate them, Joshua. Go see what the situation is. They'll probably attack, but there's no need to kill them all."
"...No need to emphasize that. I'm not someone who abuses force or kills indiscriminately."
"I'm just telling you that we're desperately short of population and workers. The early base construction requires a lot of labor, and my runic creatures and automatic puppets aren't enough... So, if they can communicate and reach an agreement, hire some workers. If not, then you'll have to forcibly reach an agreement."
"This is simple. I'm very skilled at it."
Joshua naturally didn't refuse. He closed the communication, then turned around and issued orders to the crew members around him, who were looking at him expectantly: "Prepare to depart. We'll go with the Star Shepherds to check the situation."
"Yes!"
Because they had arrived in a brand new world star river, all crew members were extremely excited. Even though Joshua's expression was blank and his voice low, he couldn't stop the joy of finally being able to show their skills—as old-generation Transcendent beings who had cultivated specifically for combat, most crew members had no awareness of shifting their Transcendent power from the 'combat aspect' to the 'development aspect.' They were still residents of the Continent of Strife who loved war and desired war. Their power was born precisely for continuous expansion and continuous conquest.
At this very moment.
At the edge of the Jetram Star Domain, the Spirit Clan's main fleet was advancing.
Surrounding the hexagonal honeycomb warships were rings of psionic light patterns. They used the natural flow and dissipation of psionic energy in the void to generate propulsion, taming spacetime turbulence to create the most suitable 'void wind' for themselves. Although the entire Spirit Clan fleet appeared to be countless individual ships scattered about, in terms of psionic structure, they formed a massive whole.
If viewed from a distant point in the void, each Spirit Clan fleet would construct a massive psionic circle. The center of this circle would be formed by the formations of various honeycomb warships, constructing a rune that would grant the entire fleet different effects such as 'Acceleration,' 'Fortress Shield,' 'Burst,' and 'Firepower Amplification.'
They were about to head to the Jetram Star Domain to try to stop the unidentified fleet's actions.
But now, the Spirit Clan's main fleet and two vanguard fleets stopped advancing.
Because a shrill alarm was sounding from their warships.
"Strong gravitational source detected ahead—!!!"
This alarm immediately alerted all approaching Spirit Clan fleets. The military minister commanding the main fleet immediately ordered the entire fleet to halt and begin changing formation. He said in a deep voice: "The unidentified force has taken the initiative to attack. We'll wait at ease!"
"Prepare!"
And just at the moment the Spirit Clan fleet finished arranging their formation at the periphery of the Jetram Star Domain.
A massive shadow passed through spacetime turbulence, slowly taking shape at the other end of the void.
It was a void behemoth as huge as a small world, with the appearance of a giant crab. Its shell showed a sturdy gray-white color, with strange black lines running across it—seemingly cracks, or perhaps a precursor to molting. As soon as this void behemoth appeared, it emitted a long cry that resounded through half the star domain. Spacetime tremors like ripples shattered the surrounding spacetime turbulence, creating a calm area around it.
Then came the second, third... eighth.
Void behemoths appeared one after another. Their size was so enormous that merely existing was deeply shocking—before these behemoths, mere fleets were as insignificant as mosquitoes beside a giant. It was hard to imagine what could threaten these creatures.
But the Spirit Clan was not afraid—they had prepared to fight behemoths centuries ago.
A trail of psionic exhaust was shining at the other end of the void.
The Spirit Clan's main fleet and two subsidiary fleets had already deployed into a three-dimensional formation. Three enormous psionic arrays were communicating, linking, and merging into one.
The Spirit Clan fleet had already started up. Kilometer-scale large honeycomb warships had completed their transformation, unfolding the psionic beam cannons behind their honeycomb ports. Small honeycombs, like components centered on the large warships, also began to transform, unfolding their main cannons—in just that instant, the entire outer side of the Jetram Star Domain was filled with countless, uncountable psionic cannon muzzles. Then, as the light at the star domain's periphery dimmed in an instant, energy was drained, creating an energy vacuum. Endless golden-orange points of light began converging toward the Spirit Clan fleet's cannon muzzles.
Besides the charging bombardment, large numbers of crystal points were ejected by the honeycomb warships. These were crystal shuttles with wings like bees, each piloted by an individual Spirit Clan psionic user. They flew with extreme agility, approaching the void behemoths from the sides.
"Now!" Confirming that all eight void behemoths controlled by the unidentified force had appeared, the chief military minister decisively issued the order. He shouted with all his might: "Attack!"
"Fire!"
Instantly.
In that moment.
In the void, it was as if a tsunami of light had arisen.
Psionic light beams fired simultaneously from countless warships crossed the void, forming a straight-advancing, surging energy tide. An orange scorching trajectory could be seen extending forward in the void at a seemingly slow but actually rapid speed, like a tide swallowing a beach. These warship main cannons were fired in perfect unison, one after another connecting with the void behemoths ahead.
The military minister who ordered the attack raised his massive compound eyes. Countless crystalline facets simultaneously reflected this psionic tsunami. This light was so dazzling in the void, as if it wanted to erase even those who gazed upon it. He watched this light tide break through layers of spacetime turbulence, part the energy mist of the great magic tide, and bombard the huge, slow, unavoidable behemoths.
This was firepower capable of destroying worlds, burning entire continents to glass. The military minister believed this attack would be enough to severely wound the void behemoths.
What he thought was actually not wrong—if it were merely void behemoths, taking this hit would indeed not end well.
But this concentrated volley of the Spirit Clan main fleet's full power did not hit the void behemoth cluster.
At this moment, after the volley, soldiers waited for their commanders' next orders, generals waited for the bombardment results, and the Spirit Clan high command waited for the frontline response. But neither the roar of energy nor any vibration occurred. Nothing happened. Everything was silent.
When the light tide caused by the volley receded, what appeared before the Spirit Clan high command was the unmoving void behemoth cluster... and an inconspicuous, very ordinary silver sphere.
The silver sphere silently emerged from among the void behemoths. It had originally been hidden in the behemoths' shadows, but now this silver sphere became the focus of everyone's attention—because they could see that the previously surging psionic light beams had all changed direction together, drawing curved arcs through the void, converging toward this sphere. The psionic beams, claimed to be absolutely unaffected by any situation's accuracy, had been so easily deflected.
And the light tide, like a tsunami capable of destroying worlds, was focused on its surface. The fleet's volley, forcibly condensed and amplified in power, only created a small golden-red bright spot on this silver sphere... and then... then it rapidly cooled, returning to its original silver.
"..."
The soldiers in the fleet were silent.
The generals in the fleet were silent.
The Spirit Clan high command behind the detection arrays were also silent.
Even the void behemoths beside the silver sphere, and the silver metal fleet that subsequently emerged, were all silent together.
As if in disbelief, as if from heartfelt awe, for a full five seconds, the entire Jetram Star Domain was dead silent. No communication or exchange existed.
"Again—attack again!"
The military minister subconsciously retracted the large stinger at his tail, forgetting to flap his wings. But soon, he recovered, swallowed his saliva, and issued a decisive order: "Open fire!"
And the Spirit Clan fleet, accustomed to obeying orders, opened fire without hesitation following their commander's command.
Instantly, the entire void was filled with light again—but this time, having learned their lesson, the Spirit Clan fleet didn't simply use pure psionic light beams to bombard. Instead, according to their respective formations and warship firing positions, they unleashed massive void lightning, electric arcs, and high-heat flashes. They even launched semi-autonomous missiles, fired kinetic artillery, and used pure telekinesis to distort distant matter.
The Spirit Clan fleet's second volley nearly turned the void into a massive fireworks display. At the periphery of the Jetram Star Domain, orange-red nebulas even appeared from excessive energy overflow... but despairingly, all attacks were meaningless.
Everything—whether light, lightning, missiles, artillery, electric arcs, or telekinesis—all involuntarily condensed onto that silver sphere. And no attack could shake even the smallest, most fragile point on it.
By this time, even if the military minister wanted to order a third volley, it was too late. All void behemoths and the silver fleet had already appeared at the other end of the star domain, and the silver sphere began condensing bright light.
"Surrender."
A powerful will swept across half the surrounding star domain in an instant. All crew members and generals in the Spirit Clan fleet heard this voice—even the Spirit Lord high command at the other end of the communication array heard it. Calm and indifferent, it said: "Your battle is meaningless. Put down your weapons and prepare to surrender."
Transcending language, the communication technique belonging to the Steel Serpent was used, resounding through the hearts of all living beings, sweeping across every corner of the star domain.
"How—how is this possible!"
But regardless of what other Spirit Clan members thought, the military minister's wings flapped rapidly. Angry and humiliated, also because he couldn't believe it, he simply couldn't accept such an easy surrender demand: "You want us to surrender like this?! This is an insult to our Spirit Clan's ancient traditions and glory... valor... courage..."
Muttering to the end, the military minister's angry tone grew slower and slower, lower and lower, until it was barely perceptible.
Because he saw that the previously inconspicuous, small, ordinary silver sphere was now expanding like a balloon—and during the expansion process, accompanied by gravitational changes like ocean tides, the entire Spirit Clan fleet formation was involuntarily altered, drifting toward the direction where the other party was located.
Then, the sphere began to transform. Silver flames burned in the void, igniting the surrounding magic tide light mist and nebulas. As a roar that seemed to strike deep into the soul resounded, a four-armed metal giant god appeared on one side of the Jetram Star Domain. Its size was even more enormous than the void behemoths. Its entire body was covered with black-red radiative lines, with golden-red light flowing within the lines, releasing an aura filled with slaughter, destruction, and devastation.
The moment the giant god appeared, it could be seen that the operational trajectories of worlds in several surrounding star domains had subtly shifted.
And it was at this moment that the giant god extended two hands, gently placing them on both sides of the Spirit Clan main fleet. Two metal giant walls whose boundaries couldn't even be seen instantly completely blocked the fleet's left and right, enveloping them within. The military minister could clearly see the giant god's other two hands gently clapping together before its chest, stirring up a wave of semi-transparent ripples.
Sparks of nuclear fusion sprayed out from the gaps of its clapping hands, scattering countless sparks in the void, like fireworks.
A decisive voice rang out.
"We surrender."