NOVEL NEXT Chapter 216: You Have to Choose One
situation was now completely clear.
How to choose, the initiative was in the hands of the Mechanical Disaster.
But Tom had left them with only two options.
One: you lose 100 %, I also lose 100 %, and we all perish together.
Two: you lose 95 %, and I have no losses.
Either face the wrath of a stellar eruption, or face the ambush of hydrogen bomb traps — you must choose one of these two!
This was Tom's entire plan.
After over two hundred years of preparation and several risks taken during the process, Tom had finally guided the situation to its current state.
Tom himself, of course, preferred that the Mechanical Disaster choose the second option. After all, this way he wouldn't have to abandon everything he had, nor start over.
Two hundred years of long years, two hundred years of painstaking effort, not daring to relax for a moment, not daring to be negligent, to develop to this stage — was it easy for me?!
It's just that…
If it were him, Tom knew he would definitely choose the first option.
Losing 95 % and losing 100 % made little difference in his eyes.
Since heavy losses were inevitable, why not lose a bit more and ensure the opponent also died?
It's better for us both to lose than for you to win alone!
And it wasn't just Tom. He knew that any orthodox intelligent civilization, as long as it was led by intelligent life, would likely choose "double loss is better than single win."
However, his opponent was not an orthodox intelligent civilization, but a Mechanical Disaster!
What would it choose?
Tom didn't know. Tom only knew that he was prepared for any outcome.
No matter what you choose, I'll deal with it!
Inside the Supercomputing Mothership, the logical processing units were still running frantically.
"If our side refuses to retreat, the probability of the prey civilization detonating hydrogen bomb ships and causing a stellar eruption is determined to be 100 %. Consequently, the probability of our frontline fleet being completely annihilated is 100 %.
If our side retreats and encounters numerous hydrogen bomb traps, the estimated loss rate for our frontline fleet is 95 %.
After mutual destruction, our side will completely lose the probability of capturing even a single intelligent life from the prey civilization, with a return rate of 0 %.
If we retreat, even if our frontline fleet suffers 95 % losses, and given the strong combat will and defensive solidity previously displayed by the opponent, our remaining combat power will not be capable of capturing the prey civilization.
However, once our side recovers in the future, we can still retain the hope of capture.
Based on the principle of maximizing benefits and minimizing losses, and after comprehensive analysis, our optimal choice is: retreat."
Then… retreat!
Based on the super-distance communication mode, the command from the Supercomputing Mothership was instantly sent to the frontline fleet.
At this moment, Tom saw that the countless stars surrounding his fleet in space suddenly brightened intensely.
In an instant, space was dazzling, as if the vast galaxy had truly descended beside them.
The madness in Tom's eyes gradually faded, replaced by a faint, almost imperceptible smile.
He knew he had gambled correctly.
The Mechanical Disaster Fleet was, after all, different from orthodox intelligent civilization fleets.
At this moment, it made the choice that maximized its interests. The reason those stars suddenly brightened intensely was that they simultaneously activated their thrusters, fleeing at full speed away from the star.
They began to retreat.
However, even though the Mechanical Disaster Fleet began to retreat, Tom did not relax his vigilance in the slightest.
Under his control, hydrogen bomb ships were still being continuously detonated, releasing powerful energy within the atmosphere of Pegasus V342, this massive star, albeit at a lower frequency.
The reason for this was Tom informing his opponent that large-scale detonations could happen at any time. If you want to escape, it's best to escape quickly, and absolutely do not entertain the idea of leisurely escaping after reconnaissance clears the hydrogen bomb traps.
If you do that, then don't leave at all.
Only by truly convincing the opponent of his resolve could Tom achieve his goal.
And did Tom have this resolve?
The answer was obvious: yes!
Although he didn't want to restart, if it truly came to a point where he had to restart, then so be it!
If you really dare to clear the hydrogen bomb traps, I really dare to detonate the hydrogen bomb ships!
Either lose 100 % or lose 95 % — you only have these two options. Any unnecessary attempt will lead to my misjudgment, and will cause me to make a decision of mutual destruction.
Those hydrogen bomb ships continuously detonating at a lower frequency are proof of my resolve!
Under these circumstances, the massive Mechanical Disaster Fleet truly began a full-throttle, almost reckless escape.
Facing the almost infinite number of asteroids in space, the Mechanical Disaster Fleet chose to smash through if possible, shatter if possible, and only slightly adjust its course to avoid direct collision if absolutely unavoidable.
During this process, where was the time or energy to discern whether the surrounding small celestial bodies had hydrogen bombs laid by the opponent?
Escape, escape with all your might, just get out first.
Thus, under these circumstances, the hydrogen bombs that Tom had gone to great lengths and expended countless industrial resources to deploy within the asteroid belt began to be triggered in large quantities.
In an instant, Tom saw tens of thousands of previously non-existent "stars" suddenly appear within the asteroid belt.
Those stars appeared for only a few seconds before extinguishing. But after extinguishing, new ones appeared, endlessly.
Countless fireworks, countless stars, extinguished then bright, bright then extinguished, repeating in a cycle, as if a grand fireworks display was being held.
One Mechanical Disaster warship after another had its shields shattered, turning into fragments or dust and dissipating into the vastness of space.
After all, it was a hydrogen bomb! It was the most powerful weapon in the electroweak and Strong Nuclear stages!
In a true battlefield, due to its own mass and inability to be quickly delivered, a hydrogen bomb did not have much practical significance. But here, as an ambush trap, there were no restrictions whatsoever.
Its power, its energy, could all be released without reservation or scruple.
"Fortunately, the Pegasus V342 system is too young and has not yet formed a stable ecliptic plane; these small celestial bodies envelop the star in a spherical shell shape, rather than a ring shape like the solar system. Only then could I truly deploy the hydrogen bomb traps completely, leaving no loopholes.
Otherwise, the Mechanical Disaster Fleet could easily break through this defensive line by simply choosing another direction."
Watching the fireworks continuously flashing in space, such a thought naturally crossed Tom's mind.
Of course, it was precisely for this reason that Tom chose to come to the Pegasus V342 system and set up this trap here.
Had it not been for this, Tom would not have come here at all.