Void Jigsaw Puzzle

"Common enemy?" Zhong Chenmu keenly captured the key words.

This was the first time he had heard such serious words in months.

"Yes..." Qing Nian said, "However, to continue answering your simple question, I'm afraid I have to explain the two complicated questions above to you first."

"All ears."

Zhong Chenmu felt that he could even hear his own heartbeat.

"You must all know about the Big Bang. It's the origin of our entire universe, both for us and you, although we've never been to that distant Earth. At the beginning of the Big Bang, three chemical elements were produced in the universe..."

"Hydrogen, helium, and lithium."

"Yes. These three elements are the oldest elements in the universe. Therefore, the three oldest groups in the universe are named after them. And the hydrogen group is us."

"Hydrogen Clan?" Zhong Chenmu couldn't help but repeat: "So, your name is not Qing Nian, but Hydron Nian?"

"You're very smart. Yes, our names all begin with hydrogen, which you can interpret as your 'surname'. Because we were the first to be born in the universe, we quickly occupied a large area of ​​the universe. Basically, like the helium and lithium families, we established a highly prosperous civilization very early on, whether by your dimension or by our own standards. Until one day, we received a data signal from Earth. In fact, we can detect signals from every corner of the universe every day, but your signal is really too... old-fashioned."

"You can say 'behind,'" said Zhong Chenmu.

"Okay, backward. We haven't communicated this way for a long time. However, after learning how far they traveled to reach us, we were surprised. You shouldn't have such advanced technology to transmit such a backward signal system so far without completely attenuating to the point of being undetectable. Therefore, we conclude that you actually have more advanced technology, but you are deliberately lowering your profile to show goodwill to potential recipients. After all, it's human nature to be low-key when seeking help from others."

Zhong Chenmu was so engrossed in listening that he couldn't utter a word.

"So, after our discussion, the clan leader decided to help you restore your civilization. Unfortunately, most of the signals we received were corrupted and could not be restored. Ultimately, we carved out an area for the remaining portion—the million of you and the relevant information—namely, Nameless City, and relocated the restored civilization there. This area is located on our clan's home planet, Taibai. As for why it's called Nameless City, it's because the signals we received didn't include any relevant naming information. Our original intention was to show our goodwill to you, our fellow cosmic beings, by allowing you to fend for yourself in Nameless City. As for us, we can observe you at any time. Although you may be offended by this, the fact is that you are the 'Universe Fossil Museum' chosen by our clan leader."

"Fossils are dead, but we are alive!" Zhong Chenmu protested.

Of course, he didn't actually shout it out, but conveyed it to him in a way that hydrogen thoughts could receive.

"That depends on your luck. At least for now, you can be called a 'living fossil'."

"..."

Zhong Chenmu was speechless, but there was nothing he could do.

After all, it sounds like the Hydrogen Clan has the power of life and death over them and a crushing advantage.

"No matter what, thank you. Otherwise, we would still be wandering alone in the universe."

Zhong Chenmu said this sincerely.

"Ghosts... no, ghosts aren't you. They're our true enemies, as I just mentioned. They come and go without a trace, cosmic rogues. They're different from us. We want you to see them, and you can, but you never see them, not even us. They're terrifying. Of the three ancient tribes I mentioned, the Lithium Clan was completely wiped out by them... So, to answer your question, why did we choose to meet here? Because when you discovered us and Lord Hydrogen Ao decided to continue contact with you, we set up a loophole here and installed an early warning device. If they attempt to attack us through Wuming City, there's a high probability they'll pass through here. You can understand this as our bait. It's fine for me to occasionally pass you a message or two, but for extended contact like this, this is the only place. Our communication spans borders, and prolonged cross-border contact will attract their attention."

Zhong Chenmu looked around in disbelief. He never expected that this unremarkable backyard would play such an important role.

However, he quickly thought of a question: "What if we didn't make contact here, but randomly somewhere else in Wuming City, and such communication was sensed by them, and they immediately launched an attack on you?"

"We can immediately stop communication, so that our borders are effectively closed and they can't get in through normal means."

"What about us? Aren't we locked outside the border? Can they do whatever they want to us?"

"Well, if that happens, we can only wish you good luck."

"..."

"So, originally, our relationship should have ended when we recreated your civilization. If we hadn't taken the initiative to contact you, you would never have discovered our existence. Even if you discovered that your loved ones were missing or that many things were wrong, you wouldn't have found any clues. You would fend for yourself. Of course, it's also possible that things would continue to develop well - we have no preferences. However, unexpectedly, on the day we recreated you, an accident occurred. We suddenly detected a crack in the boundary between us. Although it only lasted for a short time, it unexpectedly attracted Pierce's attention. Later, he lured Hydrogen Ao..."

Having said this, Hydronian's speech slowed down, as if he was organizing words, or as if he was saying something that was difficult to talk about.

"... Hydrogen Ao is my leader. He actually indulged in very low-level and ancient desires and took the initiative to contact you, allowing Pierce to verify his point of view. You should be basically familiar with what happened afterwards. After these things happened, our elders hoped that we would no longer appear and remain absolute bystanders. However, Hydrogen Ao, in order to prove that he had not made any mistakes, advocated for active contact with you, even though this would increase our risk of invasion by cosmic rogues... So, since we have officially begun contact now, I need to tell you our bottom line, which is: we must never be used by those cosmic rogues!"

"But... who are they? And how can we avoid this situation?"

"Don't worry, there's still time. We can take our time... Today, report what I told you to Pierce. Next time, show us your sincerity and plan. We'll continue our discussion."

"Okay..." Zhong Chenmu was a little unwilling, but he also knew that he would not be able to get any more information today.

"I have another question," Hydrogen Thought asked. "Besides the first crack, we felt another one later. This crack is extremely dangerous and will render our defenses useless. Do you know how it occurred?"

Zhong Chenmu's heart tightened, and he immediately controlled his mind and retorted: "Don't be anxious, there is still time, let's take it slowly..."

"..."

For a moment, Hydrogen didn't know how to respond.