Chapter 463: Reactions
When the stakes become high enough, risks lose their weight. The intelligence report submitted by the New Ji Race task force caught widespread attention, but most people only focused on the segment regarding the speculation about immortality. The subsequent conjectures about the creators, however, were largely ignored.
The Swarm, being solitary and without allies, had no one to inform them of the growing conspiracy. Every faction seemed to be making moves, yet all cooperated tacitly to conceal their actions from the Swarm.
In the New Ji Race research lab within the Riken System, the first phase of their task had already been completed. However, the next stages required more resources than the Riken System could provide, forcing them to relocate to a larger resource production base.
The baffled researchers could not comprehend the sudden need to move. Even if the Riken System’s materials were insufficient, they could always be sourced from elsewhere. Nearby, the Koya Alliance’s material production base had developed enough over the years to meet their needs.
Their confusion, however, was left unanswered. The entire team was ordered to relocate within a strict timeframe. Some who delayed were forcibly placed into cryo-sleep pods and taken away.
The bustling trade convoys that once traveled to and from the Riken System gradually disappeared, replaced by increasing numbers of ships with unclear purposes. The region retained its lively atmosphere but with an air of secrecy.
Gradually, many unidentified ships began to deploy unknown devices in the void outside the Riken System. These devices effectively disrupted electromagnetic waves and light signals, preventing the Swarm from accurately gathering information about the external environment through their radar systems.
The number of unidentified fleets grew steadily. Under the guise of legitimate trade activities, they subtly reinforced the blockade along the Swarm’s borders. Not only in the Riken System but also in the Sandstorm System, Golden Horn System, White Grub System, and Red Ant System—regions bordering the Interstellar Technological Confederation—traces of these fleets could be found in the void.
The Koya Alliance, located at the junction between the Riken and Sandstorm Systems, naturally became the frontline of this major event as the faction closest to Swarm territory.