"Most of them can't possibly," the Black-God Fifth Marshal said bluntly; though he was a man who loved war, he still had some head on him in matters like this.
He had seen the production plans, and they were very hard to complete.
So most of the heads would basically be unable to complete them.
"Since normally these production plans can't be completed, and if they're not completed these people are very likely to be called to account by His Majesty the Emperor, these people will use some abnormal means. First, at their existing production bases and resource mining zones, they'll find every way to raise output. The cheapest way, beyond doubt, is longer working hours and more workers. In the Devourer Civilization, people are beyond doubt the cheapest thing there is. When the time comes, a great many are bound to die there of overwork," the Black-God Third Marshal said gravely.
But hearing only this much, the several Black-God Marshals' looks did not in fact change much.
After all, here almost no one cared about the sacrifice of lives.
As the Black-God Third Marshal said this, his tone too was in fact very flat.
He went on, "And this alone isn't enough to complete the production plans His Majesty the Emperor has set. Above all, the production plans for the later months. So they'll find ways to raise output elsewhere too. That is, expanding production lines, or adding mining zones. But they can't build proper production zones and industrial zones in a short time. So they can only throw up some substandard production zones and industrial zones for the time being. And the working conditions there are bound to be very bad. At the same time, to open new sources and cut costs, these heads are bound to squeeze those below them as hard as they can. They may put forward a few plans. For instance: every household must hand over a certain share of production resources each month for the oath-duel, and if it can't hand over production resources, it can pay crystal coins instead. And cutting the pay of all workers. And the safety provisions of the workplace, the personnel safety provisions, and so on. That way, costs can be greatly cut, and output raised. Only by squeezing those below them this way, again and again, can these heads complete these production tasks on schedule."
Hearing what the Black-God Third Marshal set out, the other Black-God Marshals frowned now too.
But had one been able to see into their hearts, one would have found they were not worried about these people's lives.
The Black-God Fifth Marshal was the first to say, worried, "Doing it this way, won't conditions of life among the people in every star system grow worse and worse? Some extreme incidents might happen."
"But all this is to complete the Black-God Emperor's plan, for the oath-duel thirty months from now; every price paid for it is worth it. That rabble ought to give everything for it!" the Black-God Second Marshal said disdainfully.
The Black-God Third Marshal glanced at the Second Marshal and said to himself in his heart, Stupid woman.
Then he went on, "It's bound to happen. As for exactly how it'll be then, that depends on how hard the heads everywhere squeeze those below them. If the people under them can't even manage the barest survival, you can imagine what they'll do. What would you do in their place? That's why I said that in the next thirty months the Devourer Civilization's universe will see its most chaotic thirty months; in these thirty months all sorts of extreme incidents may happen everywhere."
Hearing the Black-God Third Marshal's analysis, the Black-God Marshals present all fell silent.
Before their eyes there even appeared already what might happen across the Devourer Civilization in these thirty months, and what the universe would be like then.
Everyone would be living under great pressure; some might even be living in hell on earth.
There was indeed some risk in it.
But as those above saw it, they did not pity these people.
They were only thinking of the trouble these people at the bottom would bring them, and of how to settle and deal with that trouble.
And the most pressing matter, naturally, was preparing for the oath-duel thirty months from now.
On this, none of them had any objection at all.
Even if it took the lives of more than half the Devourer Civilization, in their eyes it was a thing not to be shirked.
"Forget it; that's not our business to fret over. Stop thinking about it. At worst, whichever star region or star system has some extreme rebellion then, we go and put it down. In our Devourer Civilization's universe, who could be a match for our Majesty the Black-God Emperor?" The Black-God Second Marshal laughed disdainfully.
"What do you say: after all this preparation, how far will our Devourer Civilization's interstellar warships recover in thirty months?" the Black-God Fifth Marshal could not help asking.
"At least a hundred million," the Black-God Fourth Marshal said bluntly.
A hundred million!
On hearing the figure,
the Black-God Fifth Marshal's eyes fairly shone.
A hundred million was a scale the Devourer Civilization had never known before.
It was not that the Devourer Civilization could not have produced so many interstellar warships before.
It was that the Devourer Civilization's universe had only so many resources, and because of the great Order, most of the interstellar civilizations' universes they invaded were devoured by Order,
while they got only the wealth they plundered during the invasion.
So they could not keep so many interstellar warships.
Mind you, even the Holy Elf Empire, on a par with the Devourer Civilization in military strength, could only just keep thirty million interstellar warships.
And before this, the Devourer Civilization's standing forces had been eighty million interstellar warships.
One can imagine how hard it was for the Devourer Civilization to keep twenty million more interstellar warships.
That was also why the Black-God Emperor had chosen the plan to raise output.
Otherwise they could hardly meet the needs of a hundred million interstellar warships, and what they would use up on the battlefield.
That would all be a huge figure.
"A hundred million interstellar warships: then, when the time comes, won't each of us get twenty million? Each of us commanding twenty million interstellar warships. Just thinking of it, I can hardly wait. In the fighting with the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire before, we took a heavy loss. I'll remember that humiliation always. With these twenty million interstellar warships, let me meet the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's legion fleets again, and I'll surely wipe out the shame. I'll make them pay for what they did!"
At the mention of the Owl Dragon legion fleets, the several Black-God Marshals fell silent.
For in the earlier fighting they had all seen how terrifying and strong the Owl Dragon interstellar legion fleets were.
Arrogant as they had been before, they no longer dared look down on the Owl Dragon interstellar legion fleets at all.
But their proud temper made them eager to wipe out the shame,
waiting for the oath-duel with the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire thirty months from now!
——————
The Black-God Emperor walked along a gloomy corridor lit on both sides only by the dim glow of some kind of crystal, and the corridor led steadily downward.
He walked a long time before he came out of the corridor.
What met his eyes was like a cave grotto; it was dim all around, and on the grotto's walls were more of those crystals that gave light.
But because the grotto was very large, these crystals alone could not light it at all.
So in the grotto there were also several candlesticks, and what burned in them was not candles but something with no shape or substance, giving off a ghostly blue light,
which gave most of the light for the whole grotto.
These ghostly blue candlesticks stood around something like an altar in the middle of the grotto.
The altar stood higher than the grotto floor, round in shape, and on it was some strange pattern.
No one could read what the pattern was, but merely to gaze at it made one's head swell as if about to burst.
Even the Black-God Emperor, on entering the grotto, did not dare gaze at the pattern on the altar, but walked with his head bowed all the while.
Anyone outside who saw it would probably have found it hard to believe that this exalted Black-God Emperor would actually walk humbly with his head bowed.
It was simply unimaginable.
The Black-God Emperor did not go up onto the altar, but stood below it, and then began slowly taking off his armor.
The black armor on his body came off piece by piece.
Probably hardly anyone in the whole Devourer Civilization had ever seen the face beneath the Black-God Emperor's armor, for before the world the Black-God Emperor had always appeared in this suit of armor.
It was even rumored that the Black-God Emperor wore this suit of armor even to rest and sleep.
And now, here, the Black-God Emperor was actually taking it off.
The last thing removed was his helmet.
With his armor off, the Black-God Emperor's aura was plainly a good deal weaker, and even his frame was a good deal smaller.
He knelt on the floor most devoutly, his hands flat on the floor before him, his face pressed to the floor too.
Then from his mouth came some language never heard before, like some kind of prayer.
The whole thing went on for over half an hour; he repeated this string of prayers who knew how many times,
as if summoning some creature.
And the whole time the Black-God Emperor held this posture.
One could see that he truly seemed now like some devout believer.
At last the pattern on the altar in the middle lit up, and then an indescribable black shadow appeared upon the altar.
The Black-God Emperor changed his posture now; his head still pressed to the floor, but his hands palm up.
"O great being, your servant is here to greet your coming. Your servant is here, and begs your favor," the Black-God Emperor said in a very humble tone.
Some kind of voice came from the black shadow.
"What matter is it, that you summon Us?"
The Black-God Emperor answered quietly, "Before, the great being bade your servant clear away an interstellar civilization's power called the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire. Your servant at once threw himself wholly into the matter, and sent legion fleets to make war on this interstellar civilization's power. But this Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire proved very strong in military power, with a great many T6-grade interstellar warships, and even quasi-T7-grade interstellar warships. Your servant failed, and did not clear away this interstellar power. But your servant still does not forget the great being's command, and so has sworn an oath-duel with this Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire, agreeing to fight to the death in the Zu'an Universe thirty months from now. But your servant lacks strength, above all in quasi-T7 interstellar warships. So he begs here for the great being's help."
The Black-God Emperor told the story briefly.
"Owl Dragon… Owl Dragon…" The black shadow repeated the name again and again.
"What goes against Order must be cleared away…"
"Order must exist."
"Owl Dragon… must be cleared away…"
The voice in the black shadow came in fits and starts.
Then the black shadow went on: "We… have some matters… to deal with… We cannot come… in person… But… We… will have other servants go… to support… your oath-duel. Owl Dragon… must… die…"
When it had said this, the black shadow dispersed.
But the Black-God Emperor stayed kneeling on the floor, and waited a full hour before he stood up again and put his armor back on,
returning to the Black-God Emperor's former form.
The Black-God Emperor glanced at the altar, then backed away all the way, and only when he had backed out of this cavern grotto did he turn and walk into the corridor.
When he had come out of the corridor,
he looked at the starry sky outside.
His look eased a great deal.
The great being could not give support in person,
but since the great being was willing to have its believers give help, that was enough.
Those few fellows could not be moved by him alone.
But with the great being's command, they could only obediently follow arrangements.
That was also why the Black-God Emperor had to contact the great being: he needed this decree from the great being.
The Black-God Emperor now went to a side hall in a secluded spot behind another palace.
The side hall was small, and very plain.
There was only something like a conference table in it.
And chairs had already been set at this conference table: exactly four chairs.
The Black-God Emperor sat down in silence in one of the chairs, then sat there like an old monk in meditation.
Time passed bit by bit.
Perhaps a few hours passed, or perhaps a few days.
At last the light in the middle of this conference room came on.
Light-images appeared on the other three chairs too.
For some reason, the forms in the light-images on these three chairs could not be made out, neither their looks nor their figures.
"Long time no see, everyone. Order shines upon us." A woman's voice came out.
It came from the Black-God Emperor's left; one could not see her looks clearly, but it was a white light-image, as if dressed in some white garment.
"Hmph. Actually troubling the great being to give the order in person. You really are useless enough. Unable to carry out the great being's will: if it were me, I wouldn't have the face to contact the great being; I'd long since have cut my own throat to atone." A gruff man's voice sounded, and it was plain that he was saying this to the Black-God Emperor.
In the Devourer Civilization's universe, no one would have dared take such a tone with the Black-God Emperor.
But the Black-God Emperor showed nothing at this man's arrogant tone; this alone was enough to show that those in contact with the Black-God Emperor here must be of very special standing.
Last, the most blurred voice came from the most blurred light-image; the light-image on this seat could not even be called human-shaped.
"Master… has us… help… you… What do you… need… us to do…"
The voice came in fits and starts; one could hear it was imitating the language everyone spoke, and was not very practiced at it.
The Black-God Emperor saw that everyone was there.
Only then did he say, "We Four Divine-Envoy Civilizations have not gathered here for a long time. This time I have taken the occasion of the great being to gather you all here. You should all know the situation roughly. There is an interstellar civilization's power here that opposes the great being, called the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire. This interstellar power has very strong technology; lately they even have mass-produced quasi-T7-grade interstellar warships, as many as several dozen. That is also why we did not win in the war with the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire. But we still swore an oath-duel with them, agreeing to fight to the death in our Zu'an Universe here thirty months from now. There is no limit on the powers taking part on either side. So I seek your help, to wipe out together this interstellar power that tries to oppose the great being. To serve the great being loyally and give all we have has always been our mission. I trust none of you will refuse the great being's will."
At the end the Black-God Emperor did not forget to throw these three a remark.
"Naturally… for… the Master… we are willing… to give… everything…" The strange light-image spoke first.
The gruff male voice spoke now too: "Out with it, how much help do you need. But our universes are all very far apart; you should know the cost of sending legion fleets over long distances. So don't count on our sending you too many legion fleets."
"Tell us what you want us to do," the woman's voice said too.
The Black-God Emperor, seeing them all so direct, did not beat about the bush either.
He said straight out, "The Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's military strength is formidable; with interstellar legion fleets of equal number, none of our interstellar civilizations is a match for them. So in numbers of interstellar warships we must have an advantage of at least ten to twenty times, and above that, naturally, the more the better. By the intelligence we have now, the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's interstellar warships in service numbered six million before the war. And they have very strong defense industry and technology, and are growing very fast. So in thirty months, we estimate the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's interstellar warships may exceed twenty million. And to be safe, we have set the figure at thirty million. By our plan, our side then needs to send at least three hundred million. Our Devourer Civilization will expand its forces and prepare for war at any cost in these thirty months. By my plan, our Devourer Civilization will then have at least two hundred million interstellar warships."
Hearing the figures the Black-God Emperor let out,
the three present were plainly startled.
And what his words meant was beyond doubt that he hoped their three civilizations' powers could fill the gap of at least a hundred million interstellar warships.
"To deal with one interstellar civilization's power like this takes three hundred million interstellar warships?" the gruff man asked, somewhat doubtful.
"I know that because of this business you look down on our Devourer Civilization and find fault with it. You may not know the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's military strength, but can you not know our Devourer Civilization's? We of the Devourer Civilization reckon we need so many interstellar warships to settle the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire. If there were any other way, do you think I would have sought the great being's help? You should know that seeking the great being's help beyond doubt leaves a bad impression with the great being. If not forced to it, who would be willing to do something like lifting a rock only to drop it on his own feet? You? Or you?"
The Black-God Emperor turned the question back on those before him.
No one spoke; they all understood what the Black-God Emperor meant: their present standing and all they had in fact rested on the great being Order.
So to leave a bad impression with the great being Order was beyond doubt the worst thing there was.
No one wanted such a thing to happen.
But the three of them were slow to speak.
So the Black-God Emperor simply said, "Each of you send forty million elite ships to support our battlefield here. The raw-material resources used in moving the legion fleets I will repay you within the fifty years after the war."
At the figure of forty million, the three sides' representatives were plainly none too pleased.
But hearing that the Black-God Emperor's side was willing to bear the "travel costs" there and back, they were somewhat tempted.
"What about the resources used up in the war? And the interstellar warships lost in battle?" came the gruff male voice.
The Black-God Emperor's heart sank: This lot.
They would carry out the great Order's commands, but at the same time they would find ways to get some profit for themselves out of it.
The Black-God Emperor said, "Bring the war resources yourselves first; my side will repay them over the next fifty years. As for the interstellar warships lost in battle, I can bear half their building cost for you. You can hardly give nothing at all in the great Order's service!"
The last remark was the Black-God Emperor reminding these people not to go too far.
The three were silent for a moment.
In the end the woman's voice was the first to come out: "I can send you forty million interstellar warships from my side. Counting from now, they can be in place before the twenty-fifth month."
The gruff male voice said too, "I can do the same. But there's one extra condition. Since you say this Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire is very strong, with very strong technology, even mass-produced quasi-T7-grade interstellar warships, then, when the time comes, all the technology taken from this Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire must be shared in full."