However, Fang Senyan knew one thing even more clearly: while Monggo might be feeling overwhelmed and infuriated now, the truly agonizing matter was still lurking like a time bomb, waiting to be detonated. Once triggered, there was no doubt Monggo would look back on the present moment and consider it pure bliss.

This thought sparked another realization: it was entirely possible that the mess he had inadvertently caused would likely be pinned squarely on the Royal Family!

Indeed, the demise of a key member of the Arno family at this critical juncture would inevitably imbue the event with an artificial, sinister significance.

It was quite possible that even if Fang Senyan were to step forward, confess, and beg for leniency, the Arno family wouldn't believe him. Who the hell are you kidding? You just happened to be at the auction? You just happened to get greedy for the treasure? You just happened to strike and kill someone?? Get out of here! Spit out the mastermind behind you, or we'll rape you first, then kill you, then rape you again, and kill you again...

So, Fang Senyan threw his head back and let out a hearty laugh, expressing his genuine understanding for Monggo. Although he was actually here to rescue someone, he wasn't in a hurry at all, because a terrifying storm was brewing within Alpine Base Seven.

Fang Senyan also had confidence in Ronnie: he was a dexterity specialist, skilled in cloning and reconnaissance. Since the initial surprise attack failed to eliminate him and allowed him a chance to recover, Ronnie should be fine for a short while—at least long enough for Fang Senyan to reach him.

Subsequently, accompanied by Archer, Fang Senyan toured some of the military restricted zones within Alpine Base Seven. During this process, Fang Senyan witnessed a colossal shipyard under construction! The sheer height of this looming metallic structure reached an astonishing five kilometers!

What kind of concept was that???? A shipyard half the height of Mount Everest!! Reflecting on this number was utterly breathtaking, and it implied that the interstellar dreadnought to be built would be unimaginably vast!

Gazing at the scene before him, Fang Senyan placed his hand on the thick porthole glass, feeling the fine, cold texture instantly transmit through his fingertips. Yes, in that moment, he was stunned by human imagination and creativity, much like the awe people feel when first encountering the Great Wall or the Pyramids.

The shipyard was only half-finished. Looking far out, countless engineering robots flitted about in space, like diligent bees. Glaring arcs of electricity occasionally tore through the darkness like lightning! This scene of fervent construction, set against the backdrop of the vast, cold, and silent emptiness of space, created a powerful contrast.

Fang Senyan watched for a while, then suddenly spoke:

"It seems the Empire’s resolve is quite strong this time. Building such a massive vessel here probably wasn't based on standard battleship blueprints, was it?"

Archer glanced at Fang Senyan in surprise:

"Indeed. Larger isn't always better for warships; the decline of dreadnoughts in ancient Earth history is proof of that. A warship’s size is primarily dictated by the need to house sufficient energy generation reactors, and there’s a limit. Once the power generation system reaches saturation, greater volume is simply waste—ah, well. I see the blank look in your eyes, so let me rephrase."

"To put it figuratively: according to a report I obtained in my youth, at least 72.3% of males are not entirely satisfied with the size of a certain part of themselves, and of those, 99.98% wish it were larger and longer. However, during intimate moments, we always advise many patients seeking treatment against exceeding a certain dimension, because bigger isn't always better. Twenty centimeters is the critical threshold; exceeding that size, at least from a female perspective, becomes counterproductive... For current interstellar vessels primarily focused on combat, the standard size of the Pacific-class is the critical point."

Fang Senyan nodded as if enlightened. After a pause, he suddenly asked:

"Archer, what did you do before joining the military?"

Archer looked startled:

"An otaku."

"Right," Fang Senyan sighed. "Then what did your family do?"

"My father was a veterinarian," Archer replied, his eyes showing a flicker of memory. "My mother ran a very famous cosmetic surgery clinic. I was so busy helping there that eventually, my father took over many of the procedures."

"...If I go to your mother's clinic now and ask for the twenty-centimeter threshold package, can I get a fifty percent discount? Oh, and absolutely make sure your father isn't the one operating..." After a series of exchanges, Fang Senyan was secretly alarmed. The Empire's progress on the planet Eplos was far greater than he had imagined! Beginning six months ago, the Empire had relentlessly pursued the 'Migration' Plan at all costs!

Migration was originally a periodic activity undertaken by fish species spontaneously congregating during specific seasons or physiological conditions. For instance, Pacific salmon stop feeding during their spawning season and swim upstream against currents traveling dozens of kilometers per hour for thousands of kilometers.

During migration, the fish schools face predation, environmental changes, and enormous energy expenditure; often, fewer than one in ten survive to reach the spawning grounds. What allows them to succeed is forming a tight school, where fish on the outer edge sacrifice themselves to predators, and the unified movement creates inertial flow that conserves swimming energy.

Simply put, the Empire's Migration Plan was, at an extremely high cost, about assembling a massive fleet to punch through an asteroid belt, ensuring a small core reached its destination at the expense of staggering casualties.

The execution of the Migration Plan was brutal. Although the outer vessels were mostly decommissioned warships, they still required actual fleet organization. The first Migration Plan failed entirely, only reaching the middle of the asteroid belt.

However, this initial failure only stoked the fierce defiance of the Empire's upper and middle echelons! The second Migration Plan was quickly proposed, this time utilizing active warships!

The Emperor himself had to exert his rare authority, compelling the major military districts—which had virtually achieved sovereignty—to contribute four hundred active warships, while the Imperial headquarters sent one hundred! This was clearly a move to diminish the war potential of the various districts, leading to the successful formation of the second Migration fleet.

The journey was equally gruesome, but they finally managed to establish a foothold on Eplos, building a small base.

But this base lasted only seven days before a sudden cosmic storm struck, severing the already fragile link between the base and the headquarters. They lost contact entirely, implying the worst.

The third Migration Plan shifted away from relying primarily on warships and began preparations for the 'Dreadnought' project.

That's right: the defenses of current warships were overwhelmingly geared towards energy shields against energy weapons, but the impact of asteroids was purely physical damage—this was why battleships could not maintain a long-term presence in the asteroid belt.

Therefore, to enhance physical defense, they needed to increase armor thickness! Thicker armor meant extra weight, which naturally demanded an extra-large energy system and propulsion system. Thus, the colossal vessel being built here, named the 'Mariana,' already exceeded the standard volume of a Pacific-class warship by six times.

Its terrifying hybrid armor of steel and energy shields was robust enough to withstand asteroid impacts up to fifty meters in diameter!!

The three hundred and seventy-six bombardment particle cannons mounted on its hull were tasked with shattering any asteroid over ten meters in diameter within a three-hundred-kilometer radius. According to firsthand data collected from the previous two 'Migration' attempts, asteroids larger than fifty meters accounted for only about 0.23% of the total mass in the entire belt.

Hearing these specifications, Fang Senyan couldn't help but ponder:

"So, once the Mariana is successfully constructed, conquering Eplos shouldn't be an issue?"

"Correct," Archer confirmed. "Moreover, the Empire has officially established the Development Administration and organized various structures. According to the latest news from last month, an Ironblood alien vessel attempted to continue flying towards Eplos but was ordered to be intercepted by the Empire; there has been no follow-up report thus far."

Fang Senyan narrowed his eyes. Synthesizing all the current intelligence, he suddenly recalled a possibility—a very significant one. Once this notion solidified, Fang Senyan found himself in a dilemma: if this hypothesis proved true, how should he respond?

Seeing Fang Senyan's mood suddenly darken, Archer assumed he was reminded of fallen comrades on Eplos by the sight of the giant vessel. He tactfully refrained from further questioning and instead escorted Fang Senyan to the workshop he managed, inviting him to select a currently active military vessel to be customized and modified as his future mode of transport.

All these miscellaneous tasks took at least three or four hours. It must be said that Archer was an earnest man; despite his heavy workload, he stayed with Fang Senyan the entire time, listening to his opinions and various requests. By the end, it was Archer who felt something strange. He checked the time and wondered aloud:

"That’s odd. By all rights, Lieutenant General Monggo should have concluded his reception by now. Even if negotiations were happening, they certainly wouldn't have yielded a result so quickly. He should have at least found a moment to come over."

Fang Senyan chuckled inwardly, knowing that the jig was likely up. The disappearance of the Arno family member was a monumental affair; Monggo probably didn't even have time to eat or drink, let alone meet him.