Chapter 22: The Fortress – Section 5

As a man who placed supreme importance on military strength, Black Hair valued the armament of his forces more than any other race in the universe. In his words, even at the cost of losing everything, he must possess an invincible force. This attitude was vividly reflected in his decision to build an armed fortress.

Thor’s Fortress was the culmination of the Black Prison Fanatics’ efforts. Its design incorporated a great deal of cutting-edge technology that surpassed even the most advanced technologies of the time, reaching the pinnacle of current civilization. Especially after acquiring five self-sustaining energy crystals, the weakest link in the magic civilization’s power system was resolved.

The fortress’s power system operated in two modes: under normal circumstances, it used energy from the self-sustaining crystals, while during intense battles, it relied on pure Cymex ore provided by the Cymex species. As for other aspects, it drew heavily on the information about Mason Planet provided by Black Hair.

Unlike Mason Planet, however, the fortress wasn’t spherical but had a shape similar to a top—wider at the top and narrower at the bottom. The widest part had a diameter of about 22 kilometers, making its overall size comparable to that of an asteroid. In fact, it was built around an asteroid, which was gradually hollowed out and fitted with components. It was initially estimated that three months would be needed to complete the overall layout.

As for weapons, most of them came from Mason Planet. In particular, there were numerous of the wide-area magnetic destruction cannons that Black Hair had used before. According to his requirements, all these weapon systems were designed modularly, allowing for easy replacement and upgrading when necessary. In line with Black Hair’s philosophy, Thor’s Fortress was not only meant for defense but also for attack, so its weapons were designed for heavy firepower, high intensity, and long duration. They were categorized into three areas: close-range rapid firing, medium-range large-scale destruction, and long-range precise bombardment. Tens of thousands of weapon platforms of various sizes were installed, covering a wide range of attack types—including conventional ammunition, energy-based attacks, hybrid attacks, and special series—ensuring no weak point existed.

It is particularly worth mentioning here that, in order to ensure he wouldn’t be at a disadvantage in a future head-on confrontation with the Moore race, Black Hair, despite everyone’s opposition, insisted on installing ultra-large-caliber strategic weapons on the fortress… black hole cannons.

The Black Hole Cannon is the culmination of subspace technology, as well as the product of countless years of effort by the Madmen of the Black Prison. Its power is simply terrifying. Within its designated range, the damage inflicted by this weapon is catastrophic. By forcibly tearing apart the subspace where the target is located and injecting anti-space energy, it can create a temporary black hole with a diameter of about five kilometers. No existing defense mechanism can withstand such an attack—it is extremely powerful.

However, on the contrary, this weapon also has extremely obvious drawbacks. Aside from astronomical energy consumption, its biggest weakness is that it requires a certain amount of time to charge before use. Moreover, due to the rapid development of subspace technology, supporting facilities have never been able to keep up, resulting in poor stability for the Black Hole Cannon. The success rate for each launch is a pitiful 25%!!

Undoubtedly, with only a quarter success rate, the practical value of the Black Hole Cannon is greatly reduced. But Black Hair doesn’t care about these things. All he needs is power. Even if it’s only 10%, the Black Hole Cannon still has its purpose.

After all, it is the only strategic weapon in Black Hair’s hands…

Of course, as the Blood Wolf faction’s first attempt at a massive weapon, many aspects of the Thor Fortress fall short of perfection—especially the engines. The Madmen of the Black Prison simply couldn’t find giant engines capable of powering such a massive structure. As a result, they had to use multiple ordinary engines as a substitute, which directly reduced the fortress’s speed to a minimum of 2,645,241 meters per second—less than even a fraction of that of a Lightning Assault Ship.

Yet none of this can dim the brilliance of the Thor Fortress. Everyone knows that in the final design requirements for the fortress, one term was mentioned: a phased defense system. If this concept becomes a reality, the Thor Fortress will become the strongest combat fortress in the universe. Aside from strategic weapons like the Black Hole Cannon, it will no longer fear any attacks.

This so-called phased defense system originates from Li Feng’s design. Outside the fortress, it is divided into five zones based on distance and the decay of energy emission. Each zone has specialized defense measures, including different protective force fields. When combined, they create a remarkable transformation, enabling near-absolute protection against all current energy-based weapons. As for kinetic weapons, they are dealt with by the fortress’s extremely thick armor and short-range rapid-fire systems—perfectly optimized.

Thor’s Fortress – named after Thor itself, Kuroha hoped it would possess the power to tear through any obstacle. Now, construction could finally begin.
The meteorite serving as the foundation had already been dragged to the designated coordinates. By the time Koko arrived, what greeted him were countless construction ships.
Since Thor’s Fortress was Kuroha’s top-secret weapon, only a few people were allowed to attend the groundbreaking ceremony. Aside from Koko, the others were the first residents of Death Star, along with representatives from five major races, including the Gold-Eating Insects.
The ceremony was simple: after chatting briefly with the representatives, Kuroha personally stepped up to the control panel and pressed the red button that marked the start. There were no flowers or applause throughout the process. Yet everyone’s expression turned extremely serious at that moment, even the usually indifferent representatives of the undead race.
They all knew that the moment Kuroha pressed that button, a terrifying force would be born in the universe—a force that would be invincible, with nothing or no one able to stop it.
The stars remained silent, but the countless construction ships were busy flying back and forth. Countless dazzling lights flashed where they met the meteorite, and visibly, numerous holes of various sizes appeared on its surface. Despite the astonishing speed of progress, not a sound could be heard; it was as if everyone were watching a silent movie.
Taking advantage of this lull, Koko stepped forward and joined Kuroha. After observing the busy construction ships for a while, he let out a long sigh.
“It’s incredible. We’ve really come this far.”
Kuroha understood what Koko meant, and a gentle smile appeared on his serious face. He patted Koko’s shoulder. “Yes, when I first met you, who would have thought our fates would be intertwined? You’ve worked hard these past days.”
“It’s not that hard,” Koko said, shaking his head like a drum. “Our Business Association has also reaped great benefits. Kuroha, this is cooperation—do you understand? Cooperation. I agreed to all of this willingly.”
“To be honest, without your help, we Rogans would still be a minor race in the universe, bullied by everyone. But now… heh, who would dare look down on us?! Once the Twin Stars are built, I guarantee everyone will be shocked!!”

As she spoke, a flush of excitement appeared on Koko’s little face as she waved her tiny fist fiercely, her tone rising significantly. “Once your fortress is built, Blackhair, we must show that damned lord just how powerful the Blood Wolf forces are. Let those pedantic nobles die!!”
“Hehe, well said. We Bark Bugs love fighting. Little one, if there’s anyone you don’t like, just tell me, and I’ll take care of them!” Hearing Koko’s words, the Bark Bug representative behind her suddenly laughed heartily, waving her two front paws in encouragement.
Everyone present could be considered part of the core of the Blood Wolf forces. Of course, that didn’t mean much. Even the usually aloof representative of the Undead tribe turned around and gave Koko a slight smile.
“Kid, shall I send a few of my men to kill that lord? Don’t worry, no one will know how they died. And whether you prefer mummies or skeletons, I can satisfy you. All you need to do is bring us some Black Glow Crystals as payment. How about that?”
“Huh?” Her waving fist froze in mid-air as Koko was stunned.
Although she was Blackhair’s best ally, she rarely came to the 31st Star Region in person. She wasn’t very familiar with the five permanent races either. Hearing such a blunt and casual suggestion suddenly left her dumbfounded.
What a joke. Was a high-ranking lord that easy to provoke? What she said was just in anger. But judging by these guys’ reactions, it seemed they really didn’t care. Had Blackhair’s strength somehow risen to the point where he could ignore everything?
Blackhair smiled lightly and patted Koko on the shoulder before turning around. “Stop scaring my friend. You guys will have plenty of chances to fight. But right now is a period of development for this star region, and I don’t want any accidents. So be quiet for now.” After saying that, he glanced at Koko’s expression and added, “Koko, let that lord live for now. We have more important things to do. In the next half year, the 31st Star Region must prepare fully. We don’t have much time left.”
“What? Could it be…” Koko’s expression changed as she immediately thought of the matter Blackhair had mentioned before.
Sure enough, Blackhair nodded, a hint of regret on his face. “I just received news this morning—there’s been a small problem with the garrison fleet in the 18th Star Region, where Rainbow Star is located.”
“A very small problem.”