Amidst the intense work, time flew by rapidly. The construction of the stellar cannon had finally entered its final stage. At this point, there were less than ten years left until the final moment, the estimated time when the aging Specter would perish.

To Xiao Yu’s surprise, during this entire period, the aging Specter showed no unusual movements. Not only did it not display any hostility toward Xiao Yu, but it also didn’t even bother to communicate with him. If not for the presence of that strange star, now only half remaining, constantly reminding Xiao Yu of its existence, he would have almost forgotten about it.

Though hard to believe and far beyond Xiao Yu’s expectations, this was the reality.

The Specter companion hadn’t sent any further messages. The aging Specter paid Xiao Yu no attention. Once the stellar cannon entered its final stage of construction, even contact with the Molian Civilization diminished.

Most of the remaining work could now be completed by Xiao Yu alone, without further technological support from the Molian Civilization.

In this star system and its surroundings, it was as if only Xiao Yu remained. There was no aging Specter, no Specter companion, no Molian Civilization, only Xiao Yu.

Yet, the doubt in Xiao Yu’s heart only grew larger.

“The aging Specter’s behavior doesn’t match my predictions. Why isn’t it anxious? Why hasn’t it started hunting my Specter companion? Wasn’t its goal to eliminate my Specter companion?”

There could only be one truth. And now, Xiao Yu was starting to believe that his initial assumptions may have been wrong.

So… where exactly had he gone wrong?

Faced with this question, Xiao Yu felt somewhat lost. But the road ahead still needed to be walked. The stellar cannon still needed to be completed.

Between emotion and reason, Xiao Yu chose reason. His reason told him clearly, only by completing the stellar cannon and using it to destroy the aging Specter would he have the highest chance of survival. Only then would he have a true chance to live.

To survive… what a difficult goal, and how much had to be sacrificed to achieve it!

The construction of the stellar cannon had truly entered its final stage. Xiao Yu would need no more than two years to complete it. Building this stellar cannon had consumed more than thirty years of Xiao Yu’s life. During these thirty years, both Xiao Yu and the Molian Civilization had pushed their potential to the extreme. Xiao Yu’s technological development during this period had advanced explosively.

This type of technological growth was like practicing swordsmanship on the edge of a towering cliff in ancient martial arts novels.

Xiao Yu had truly felt the pressure of life and death, which was why he had been able to advance technology so quickly. Such a thing would be almost impossible to replicate under other circumstances. According to the data, it could be said that these thirty years of technological advancement were equivalent to three hundred years of normal progress.

Two years passed in a flash. The stellar cannon was complete and ready to fire. The aging Specter’s remaining lifespan was now under ten years.

All preparations had been completed, but just before firing, a moment of hesitation arose in Xiao Yu’s heart.

“Do I really… need to fire? Do I really have to kill the aging Specter? It at least saved my life, provided me with decades of shelter, and so far… has shown no hostility toward me. Can I truly kill it based solely on my own speculation?”

Xiao Yu felt deeply conflicted.

“Predator Civilization, has the stellar cannon been fired?” At this moment, Xiao Yu received a message from the Molian Civilization.

Communication between the two civilizations relied entirely on this single communication link, with no alternatives. And because light itself required twenty years to travel this distance, even if the stellar cannon was eventually fired, triggering a supernova explosion, if Xiao Yu chose not to inform them, the Molian Civilization would only know about it twenty years later.

“Not yet fired,” Xiao Yu hesitated for a moment before answering. “I’ve detected several technical flaws within the stellar cannon that may cause unforeseen accidents. So, to be safe, I plan to conduct one more full inspection of the stellar cannon to maximize the chance of success.”

“The data from the stellar cannon has already been fully analyzed by us. There are no technical flaws. The so-called flaws you’ve discovered are the result of your own insufficient observation methods. Hurry up and fire. Kill this powerful Specter quickly, and we will be safe.”

“No. I must inspect the stellar cannon one more time. Only then will I feel at ease.” Facing the Molian Civilization’s urging, Xiao Yu firmly stood his ground.

“Very well. Any delay could lead to unforeseen accidents. We hope you will act quickly,” the Molian Civilization replied.

“I will proceed as quickly as possible,” Xiao Yu answered.

Of course, Xiao Yu hadn’t discovered any actual flaws in the stellar cannon. That was merely an excuse. He needed more time to think through everything.

“Do I really… have to fire the stellar cannon?” Xiao Yu thought hesitantly.

Tens of thousands of scientists were waiting for Xiao Yu’s decision. The Molian Civilization was waiting for his decision.

Xiao Yu carefully reviewed his own deductions. The conclusion was that there were no errors or oversights. And yet… according to his reasoning, by this point, the aging Specter should have already taken action. Why was it still so calm, so silent?

Something didn’t feel right.

“Master, what are you thinking about?” Luka Two cautiously asked at this moment.

“Sigh…” Xiao Yu sighed, then asked Luka Two, “Let me pose you a question. In your civilization, if a fellow Luka individual had once selflessly helped you, but based on your calculations, there was an eighty percent chance that this individual would kill you, let’s say eighty percent, what would you do? Would you strike first and kill them before they acted against you? Or would you wait until it was certain they were going to kill you before resisting? But remember, by the time you were certain, you might not have any chance to resist. Now, tell me, under these circumstances, what would you choose?”

Faced with this question, Luka Two fell silent.

“Master, I understand the core of your question. My answer is this, within a civilization, where moral restraints exist, I could not kill someone who had helped me based solely on my own speculation. But we are now in space, between civilizations, where no such moral limits exist. Even without any reason, killing another civilization would not be a cause for hesitation. If I were in your position, I would strike first and kill them. Because my decision would affect not only my own fate but that of my entire species. I can take personal risks, but my civilization cannot take that risk.”

Xiao Yu sighed, “I heard words like these back on my home planet as well. An individual may take risks, but a nation cannot. Between nations there is no morality, only interests. This is very similar to my current situation. But I am both an individual and a civilization. What choice should I make? After all… it is still my elder. It did help me.”

“I do not know. I cannot answer your question. This is something only you can decide for yourself. Our Luka Civilization has fully and completely submitted to you. No matter the circumstances, we will firmly support your decision.”

“I need ten days to consider. After ten days, I will make my decision.”

At this point, Xiao Yu even wished that the aging Specter would take some sort of hostile action against him. That way, he could justifiably fire the stellar cannon and eliminate it without any psychological burden. But… the aging Specter, who had once saved Xiao Yu, remained completely motionless and silent.

“In my calculations, this single shot from the stellar cannon should destroy the star’s structural stability, causing it to collapse rapidly inward. The rebound energy would then cause the entire star to explode. At that point, I only need to hide behind this planet, just as I once hid behind Mars during the Jupiter-Moon Collision, using the planet as a shield to survive the disaster. Then I would join forces with the Specter companion to destroy the Molian Civilization… This plan is perfect, truly perfect.”

“Indeed, following this plan, my chances of survival are highest. Then why can’t I bring myself to make the decision? Is it these foolish, long-abandoned moral values that are holding me back?”

Xiao Yu stared blankly at the starry sky, lost in thought.

Countless stars twinkled, each telling its own magnificent story. And then, Xiao Yu saw a shocking sight.

That red dwarf star had begun flickering once again, and this time, the flickers still followed a distinct pattern.

Xiao Yu’s heart stirred, and he immediately began analyzing it. This time, the red dwarf flickered for a full half hour. Once again, Xiao Yu decoded it using Morse code-like encoding and successfully obtained a complete message with clear logic.

“My Main Civilization, what exactly are you doing? Have you figured out a way to deal with that damned old Specter? Its main body is still on that star, but its power has already extended twenty light-years away. It’s trying to capture me! I won’t be able to hold on much longer. If you can’t come up with a solution soon, I’ll be finished!”

“Hurry up and act! If I die, you’ll die too!”