Chapter 341: Transformation
Luo Wen had viewed the ancient starship—dubbed the “Treasure” by the Rikens—through Cleo’s perspective. Although the starship was only about 500 meters long, its technological sophistication was on an entirely different level.
At its core was a gravitational warp drive, a propulsion system far beyond Riken comprehension. The Rikens had only managed to reverse-engineer the fighter engines onboard, which were far simpler in design.
The third party currently approaching from interstellar space, based on their propulsion technology, could not possibly be the creators of the ancient starship. If they possessed true warp drives, their speed would have exceeded light speed, making detection by Observer Bugs impossible.
In fact, they appeared more like elder siblings to the Rikens—cut from the same cloth.
When viewed in this light, the possibility became plausible. If Luo Wen’s hypothesis was correct and the Watchers had placed a starship in the native system of every intelligent species, this new faction could very well represent a civilization that had received their starship earlier than the Rikens. Consequently, they would have had more time to study it, achieving a deeper understanding and greater benefits.
The more Luo Wen considered this scenario, the more likely it seemed. As for why no Watcher starship had been found in the Genesis System, Luo Wen had a theory.
The evolution from single-celled organisms to advanced animals takes billions of years, and the transition from beasts to a civilized species requires millions, if not tens of millions, of years.
The Ratfolk on the Genesis Planet, for example, had evolved from the lowly Tail Lard Rats to their current state. Without intervention, this process would have taken at least a million years of natural evolution.
Yet with Luo Wen’s interference, they had completed this journey in mere centuries.