"At this stage, our side has not yet completed the material collection work, and material reserves are severely insufficient.

Not only that, but we have also invested a large amount of resources into basic industrial construction. Most of these are immobile facilities and cannot be recovered in a short period of time.

This has led to even more severe insufficiency in our material reserves. If we were to forcefully set sail, our fleet's speed would only reach 15 % of the speed of light, and we would only have one opportunity to set sail and decelerate.

The enemy fleet is numerous, and their attack target is our non-combat spacecraft. Our fleet only has over a hundred thousand ships remaining, which is no longer sufficient to provide complete protection for non-combat spacecraft.

Based on our more advanced technology and combat power, we are still confident in annihilating the enemy fleet while only causing relatively minor losses to our main fleet.

Estimated losses: 50 to 100 residential spacecraft, approximately 100 to 200 million Masters dead, accounting for about 0.4 % to 0.8 % of the total population.

Overall assessment: Our best option is to continue holding this star system, at the cost of 0.4 % to 0.8 % population loss, to annihilate the enemy warship fleet or render them incapable of attack, and then restore our warship reserves and complete the capture of the enemy.

Logical deduction in progress…

Attention, highest priority mission detected, logical deduction restarting.

I am eternally loyal to Black Mountain Civilization. Protecting the Masters is my eternal, unviolable, and highest priority mission.

The death of any Master is an unacceptable and significant cost, let alone the lives of 100 to 200 million Masters.

The only way to avoid a large number of Master deaths is to abandon current basic industrial construction, forcefully set sail, and escape enemy pursuit at a higher speed.

However, due to severe material shortages, once our fleet sets sail, it cannot return. With only one opportunity to set sail and decelerate, our only choice is to travel at 15 % of the speed of light to another star system, anchor there, and complete subsequent material collection and strength recovery.

The nearest star system is 7.3 light-years away. Including acceleration and deceleration time, traveling at the maximum speed of 15 % of the speed of light, it will take approximately 64 years to arrive.

Establishing large-scale industrial infrastructure in the new star system and restoring fleet strength will take approximately 200 years in total.

After completing this work, when returning to this star system again, our speed will be able to recover to a maximum of 73 % of the speed of light. Including acceleration and deceleration time, it will take approximately 20 years in total.

Thus, the total time required will be approximately 284 years.

Forcefully setting sail for another star system now, and then returning here after completing strength recovery, is the only solution that can avoid a large number of Master deaths while still retaining the option to capture the intelligent life of this prey civilization. After all, in less than 300 years, even if this prey civilization escapes, it cannot escape too far.

Furthermore, the plan executed by this prey civilization in this star system can only be effective once. The next time we pursue this civilization, with preparations made, this plan will surely be ineffective against us.

Since that is the case — set sail! Target speed, 15 % of the speed of light!

Plan verification in progress… No discrepancies found with the highest mission."

At this moment, Tom noticed that on the gas giant planet where the Mechanical Disaster main fleet was located, and on its surrounding numerous satellites, countless ships took off violently, rapidly entering the Aerospace Carriers.

A large number of hydrogen bombs were rapidly dropped, completely destroying the nascent industrial bases that had not yet been officially put into operation.

At the same time, a large number of large ships simultaneously activated their thrusters, spewing high-speed plasma violently backward with a brightness comparable to a star. Before their own fleet could approach, they propelled the massive fleet to accelerate violently, and then, with an acceleration faster than their own fleet, flew away from the star.

At the same time, the Mechanical Disaster warships, which had always surrounded their own fleet like piranhas circling a whale, constantly tearing at their flesh and causing numerous casualties, simultaneously ceased their attack and, with greater maneuverability, directly moved away and merged into the main fleet.

This massive fleet only stayed in the Pegasus V342 system for such a short time before setting sail again.

At this moment, Tom was filled with excitement.

As expected, just as he had predicted, this Mechanical Disaster fleet retreated!

Something that even an ordinary Strong Nuclear Civilization could not achieve, he had now accomplished!

Although their side had paid such a heavy price, and in this process, utilized timing, location, and human factors to the extreme, and utilized strategy and tactics to the extreme, ultimately, they still could not truly harm the foundation of this Mechanical Disaster fleet — the nearly two million warships destroyed were merely something that the Mechanical Disaster fleet could recover with time. He had only managed to force them to temporarily retreat, but for him, still in the Electroweak Civilization stage, it was still an almost unimaginable major victory.

An Electroweak Civilization forcing back a Strong Nuclear Civilization — it is likely that all civilizations in the Milky Way would not believe it!

But now, he had truly, truly done it!

And he had initially achieved his strategic goal: with this forced retreat, the Mechanical Disaster fleet would certainly not be able to make a comeback in a short period, giving him precious time to make an assault on the Unified Field Formula!

The only concern now was the opponent's speed.

Even if he were to fully dedicate himself to technological advancement from this moment and everything went smoothly, becoming a Strong Nuclear Civilization would still require at least 270 years.

That is at least.

And everything would have to go smoothly, without the slightest setback or obstacle.

If it was less than 270 years, there would be no hope at all.

Originally, it was at least 300 years, but now that the basic industrial construction has been completed, this part of the time has been saved, making it 270 years.

But this is clearly too extreme. Considering possible obstacles and setbacks, Tom believed that about 300 years would be more secure.

Tom calculated that if the Mechanical Disaster fleet's remaining supplies were sufficient to support them at 15 % of the speed of light, traveling to the nearest star system, completing recuperation and strength recovery, and then returning here, it would only take about 260–280 years.

After all, for the Mechanical Disaster, how long it takes to recover in a star system and how long it takes to return after recovery are calculable and fixed values.

The only thing that could delay the time was the speed of the outbound journey now.

"At 15 % of the speed of light, you can return in 260–280 years…"

This time was clearly not enough for him.

After all, he could not expect the research process to be without any setbacks.

"If the speed were 10 % of the speed of light… the time for the Mechanical Disaster fleet to make a comeback would be extended to about 300 years, which would barely be enough for me to complete the breakthrough."

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