"The Tower of Babel's energy reserves are at 2.57%."
This was the data Ayla received after the attack finally ceased.
It was almost exactly on the edge. If the Proxima Centauri Civilization had attacked for just one more hour, the Tower of Babel's magnetic shield would have failed. The entire tower would have been melted into a small asteroid by the dark matter energy burst.
What looked like a simple defense and attack actually consumed several centuries of accumulation for both Civilizations.
By normal logic, a Tier 1.8 Proxima Centauri Civilization should have 100 times more energy than Luna. They should only need 1% of their energy to destroy the Tower of Babel, with plenty left over.
But Civilization energy calculations are never that simple.
Energy is not 100% for military use. Running a society requires massive power for housing, transport, and large factories. These account for a huge portion of a Civilization's fuel.
Military energy is strictly the surplus energy left over, also known as reserve energy.
These reserves are tied to the economy, much like financial reserves.
When energy use is too high, the economy fluctuates, factories stop, and the Civilization faces stagnation and social chaos.
As a nomadic Civilization, Luna's weapons use a large part of her power, reaching about 76% of available energy.
This was Luna's strength.
The Proxima Centauri Civilization still had over 70% of its energy left, yet they were forced to stop their attack.
"This Civilization still has some resilience."
"A higher Civilization has a complex structure, and that makes their leaders more cautious."
"Fortunately, we are facing a Tier 1.8 Civilization. If it were Tier 1.9 or above, the Tower of Babel plan would have no chance."
"Creatures have entered the tower. Let's activate the Tower of Babel."
Ayla nodded.
"The Tower of Babel is built. God has changed its mind."
"It placed its greatest treasures inside the Tower of Babel, waiting for all to find them."
"To get the treasures, one must pass hard trials. These trials teach how to become a qualified Deity."
"When people reach the top and find God's authority, they take it and become the Deities."
"Luna, what do you think of this new story?"
Luna sat in her chair, doing bicep curls with a 140-kilogram dumbbell.
After a hard set of 10, a robot took the weight.
She exhaled two heavy breaths.
"It still needs work. A complete story should be a rich epic."
"Real history never has a stylish, open ending. It has long-lasting consequences."
"Humans who become Deities won't go to Heaven. They will return to the world, spreading God's gifts and making humanity closer to God."
"The Lord's trial is how to become a Deity. My weapon against Proxima Centauri is human culture."
"Neither I nor the Lord lied. The Lord gave a treasure, and I gave a Civilization pass."
The creature that gets this pass will become part of humanity.
...
The Tower of Babel.
Standing before such a colossal monster, the Proxima Centauri beings felt awe and dread.
This was the tower that survived their attacks and still stood firm.
It was a symbol of a higher Civilization.
"Go inside."
Some beings were very excited.
"Should we still watch?"
Others were hesitant.
"I really shouldn't have come here."
A few wanted to retreat.
But the first being finally stepped inside. It walked forward into the 50-meter-long, white main entrance.
"I… what is this?"
It looked in awe at everything. Inside the tower, a world was hidden.
This world was different from their own, filled with vibrant colors and dazzling light. It was beautiful.
Another being entered.
It shouted, "Who are you?"
The first being turned; they looked at each other.
"You…"
"Is this form we have the look of a higher Civilization?"
"It's ugly, but it feels like a perfect biological form."
"It seems any creature with high intelligence evolves into a perfect form over years."
"But this body… it's a bit too weak."
"The prophecy says the tower will give us trials. Have they started?"
"What should we do?"
They waited, confused, until hunger hit. They realized they needed to find food.
The sky darkened, and they found they needed fire.
On the second day, heavy rain fell. They realized they needed a room.
Survival!
To survive in the human way. This was the first trial.
Tens of thousands of beings entered. After the first trial, a few thousand opened their eyes in darkness. Ahead was a bright door. They exited and reappeared outside the tower.
They looked at each other, confused.
"What happened?"
They had no memory of being inside.
The rest went to the second level for the second trial.
Poetic Culture.
They experienced stories with poetic backgrounds, becoming the protagonists. They had to recite the poetry themselves.
Those moved by emotion passed; those who weren't were eliminated.
The third level.
The Five Senses.
They experienced the sharp senses of humans and the pleasure they brought. They began to forget their original selves, believing their old bodies were inferior.
Aesthetics, appreciation, honor, myths, novels…
Everything that could generate the pleasure of being a human formed layer after layer of trials.
It stimulated a person's emotions and desires, causing them to feel deeply, even to go mad.
These were only part of the trials. Afterward, they would return to their original selves to experience the most crude aspects of their own Civilization, using the contrast to form a harsh comparison.
Then, they would "eavesdrop" on the future.
They saw how happy their Civilization would be after embracing humanity.
Next, they underwent the experience of "becoming human again," feeling the superiority of being human when facing their own kind.
During this process, they faced one problem after another. These problems targeted their deepest thoughts.
These cycles went round after round.
It reshaped them from within their hearts into a "human."
To prevent beings from faking it, their original bodies were controlled by robots inside the Tower of Babel. Connected to their nerves, the machines read their deepest thoughts.
This was a form of brainwashing and total indoctrination.
God harvested its believers, and Luna harvested believers for humanity!
...
Ayla reported that the first creature to reach the top of the tower faithfully took a silver-blue card. It was inscribed with English words, which the creature revered as a sacred pattern.
This was the first Proxima Centauri creature to look towards humanity, but it would certainly not be the last.
The Tower of Babel's trial was not designed to select "the strong" but "the weak."
Because only the weak would submit to the strong; only they would obediently listen.
Ayla estimated a pass rate of 1/4.
"The final trial is to teach these beings how to conceal themselves and how to achieve salvation for their own Civilization."
"But I didn't expect it to be so difficult. Currently, the pass rate is probably only around 6%."
"This Civilization has completed the chip implantation. When information harmful to the Civilization is generated, the chip automatically corrects it."
"This counts as a small victory for them."
"The real battle is yet to come, after their return."
Luna watched the screen as "her people" retreated from the Tower of Babel. They were disguised in confusion, like other creatures, unaware of what had happened.
"Perhaps we have been eliminated!"
Some creatures relayed this news, and the others couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.
Each of them had hoped to be the truly chosen ones.
But reality told them they were nothing special.
Creatures boarded ships one by one, departing towards their Civilization.
Only...
Warships blocked their path.
"What do you want?"
Having just experienced disappointment, the creatures were ill-tempered.
But the soldiers inside the warships were equally cold towards these "gate-crashers."
They had received orders from above: all creatures who had gone to the tower must be detained and inspected. This was followed by a long period of isolation and observation. If necessary, their thoughts could even be examined.
If anyone tried to flee, they were to be directly attacked and destroyed.
Being unable to prevent entry did not mean being unable to prevent return.
As long as the return was blocked, the number of departing creatures would decrease, preventing major chaos.
Then, they only needed to tell the populace that those who ascended the tower had achieved their goal. They could even nominate someone themselves to control the populace's fantasies and fears of a higher Civilization.
"No one who has emerged from the tower can return to the planet."
"We cannot determine if there are alien spies with altered appearances among them, nor if they underwent any brainwashing inside."
"The information we have states that those who emerged have had their memories of the tower erased."
"Is it truly as we imagined?"
"Only by erasing memories can those who infiltrated pass through."
"Anyone with abnormalities must be strictly interrogated. Better to kill mistakenly than to let one go."
After about 10 days.
Over 3,800 individuals were judged to possess tendencies towards the higher Civilization, nearly 1/5 of all who had returned.
"What should we do?"
"We can't imprison so many."
This was a number the high command had never anticipated.
"Kill them all?"
"If exposed, it's likely we will die!"
"Then increase the pressure!"
"In the short term, perhaps, but over time, the public will descend into conspiracy theories."
"Why not erase their memories?"
"This method isn't bad. Erasing a segment of their memories is like they never entered the tower."
"But we still cannot determine if the opposing Civilization has other ways to evade us."
"For now, do not confirm memory erasure. Prioritize the release of residents from the third planet (Proxima Centauri c)."
"We cannot imprison them indefinitely."
"Why not simply announce that the tower has many levels and requires a very long time inside? This isn't a lie; they generally spent a long time inside anyway."
"..."
The high command negotiated a feasible plan.
These released creatures would be meticulously monitored and restricted. Releasing a portion would also reassure the ordinary populace.
However, what gave them a headache was that even though they had stopped some, many creatures were still heading towards the tower.
Every day, hundreds of ships passed by, only to be intercepted, increasing their workload.
"It seems no one has reached the top of the tower."
"Perhaps some have, but they are hiding like patiently waiting hunters."
The entire Civilization plunged into a state of extreme tension.
And time, seizing this opportunity, quietly passed.
...
Another 50 years had passed since the first group of creatures entered and exited the tall tower.
For the beings of the Proxima Centauri b Civilization, this was roughly the span of a single generation.
The first creatures whose memories were erased and returned showed no signs of abnormality. They communicated normally, performed ordinary tasks, and some had even aged and died.
Nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.
The second group was observed after having entered the tower twice without showing any love for the higher Civilization, and they still provided no strange information.
The third group had been the first to enter and were identified as having a hidden pull toward the higher Civilization. After their memories were cleared, everything was fine.
The fourth group, the fifth group... A total of 140,000 creatures were monitored. Over 50 years, none of them showed any abnormalities. Even some individuals who stayed on the planet and never entered the tower kept demanding the arrival of the alien Civilization year after year.
"Could we be wrong?"
"Is that Civilization's tower truly so difficult to climb?"
"No, we cannot let any of them slip through. Everyone who has ever entered the tower must be watched until their final breath."
This was Civilization warfare. Fifty years was a long time for an individual, but on a Civilization scale, it was merely a blink of an eye.
Luna had already begun to experience this in cryosleep.
She had set her own timer for 1000 years.
The Multi-eyed planet would take 3600 years to reach Proxima Centauri, so she was not in a hurry; she just had to wait.
Time had long become irrelevant to her as an individual. Even cryosleep wasn't a total stop; she could spend over a million years resting in a cryosleep chamber.
She believed time could flatten everything.
Including one Civilization's vigilance towards another.
Of course, she never placed her hopes on other Civilizations relaxing their guard.
In fact, the chance for the second move had already been hidden in the first group. The purpose of the tall tower was never to make creatures remember something in their minds or nerves.
But to leave memories at the cellular level.
It was like a person who had swung a blade 100,000 times. When they grabbed the handle, they could strike without even thinking.
Muscles have memory, and cells also have memory.
Memories formed within cells, even if erased from the brain, would still cause these creatures to subconsciously follow those deep, familiar patterns. Even without conscious memories of the tower, they would generate the thoughts instilled by the tower's training.
This probability was extremely low.
Therefore, a long wait was necessary.
And it was a wait worth enduring.
...
What Luna desired appeared a little sooner than she anticipated.
In her 358th year of cryosleep, the first creature to recover cellular memory emerged.
It did not immediately proclaim anything but went to an ordinary building on Proxima Centauri c, a shop it frequently visited. Its behavior was no different from before.
The only thing was, it seemed to need the bathroom. It went to the shop's restroom and only came out half an hour later.
After a short time, a service robot from the shop entered. It retrieved a needle, only two or three centimeters long and as thin as a hair, from a side slot.
It collected this needle into its body, then carefully observed and studied it internally.
It analyzed the logic of cellular memory awakening and investigated how to repeat it.
Fortunately.
After extensive research on the Multi-eyed, Ayla's biological science had achieved tremendous growth. To her, cells were like naked women with no secrets to hide.
She was unable to copy the experience of the first creature into another creature perfectly.
However, this research still provided valuable experience, increasing the chance of cellular memory recovery from 0.000014% to 0.072%.
Originally, only 14 cases would appear among 10 million creatures, but now, 72 cases could appear among 100,000 creatures.
...
The second year.
An epidemic broke out on the entire planet of Proxima Centauri c.
The disease infected over 80% of the creatures on Proxima Centauri c within two short months. Afterwards, a vaccine appeared.
All creatures on Proxima Centauri c were vaccinated.
...
Luna's 384th year of cryosleep.
A political split occurred within Proxima Centauri c, forming distinct left and right factions.
The left faction advocated for welcoming alien Civilizations, forming an alliance with them to prevent future invasion risks from others.
The right faction dismissed this as nonsense. They believed that the alien Civilization currently present was an invader, and its only goal was to enslave them without a fight. If they sought refuge, they would inevitably become the losers.
Although nearly 400 years ago, most creatures had hoped for the arrival of the alien Civilization that built the tower, such voices had mostly stayed suppressed.
It was only at this moment that the Civilization's ruling class began to crack.
The most important reason for this was that the descendants of those whose cellular memories awakened had become part of the Civilization's ruling class.
Luna had never placed her hopes on the creatures who returned from the tower, but rather on the creatures influenced by those who had recovered cellular memories.
...
Luna's 397th year of cryosleep, which was also 5217 AD in the human calendar.
3180 years had passed since humanity's extinction.
A small-scale war erupted on Proxima Centauri c. Casualties numbered only in the tens of thousands, but it determined the new configuration of the left and right factions.
In the same year, the right faction was forced to leave Proxima Centauri c, establishing a rival planetary setup.
Subsequently, a prolonged century-long war began.
Casualties during the century-long war were not numerous; it was more about ideological contention.
During the initial phase of the century-long war, the Proxima Centauri Civilization simultaneously occupied Proxima Centauri b and Proxima Centauri c. The left and right factions engaged in an arms race, developing their weaponry, and top scientists in various related fields emerged like mushrooms after rain.
The Proxima Centauri Civilization achieved a leap from a Tier 1.8 Civilization to a Tier 1.9 Civilization within 100 years.
The Civilization's tall tower remained 30 AU away.
The right faction dispatched a large fleet, intending to destroy the tall tower with more advanced weapons.
However, the left faction dispatched a large fleet to block them.
In the final stage of the century-long war, the conflict escalated, with over a million casualties, thoroughly intensifying the conflict between the left and right factions.
...
5326 AD.
After 9 years of silence, Proxima Centauri b launched a surprise attack on Proxima Centauri c, destroying Proxima Centauri c's largest dark matter energy plant. The explosion carved a massive, bowl-shaped crater 70 km in diameter into the planet's surface.
Proxima Centauri c suffered over 100 million casualties.
This surprise attack had extremely far-reaching consequences, placing Proxima Centauri b at a disadvantage for the next 300 years.
The left faction seized the opportunity to rise, vehemently proclaiming the right faction as the destroyers of Civilization. They recruited more talent and heavily supported commoners, leading to a higher quality of life on Proxima Centauri c than on Proxima Centauri b.
Almost in the same year, new and curious items appeared on the market shelves of Proxima Centauri c.
These items initially provided mere entertainment, then rapidly infiltrated various aspects of life, quickly becoming a trend.
Most notably, human architectural aesthetics.
Proxima Centauri c's newest buildings were all human-style high-rises.
Simultaneously, this Civilization's cuisine also began to change. Some dishes incorporated unfamiliar spices; some were palatable, while others were utterly vile.
Still, they were preserved and not discarded.
The collection grew with the passage of time; this was a domestication of taste.
Despite being in a stage of war, communication between Proxima Centauri b and Proxima Centauri c continued. These items were also transmitted to Proxima Centauri b, and the entire Proxima Centauri Civilization became entangled.
When the left faction's 300-year advantage period passed.
A being who returned from the tall tower announced that it had reached the tower's summit and obtained the Civilization's gift.
The right faction detained it, and through its technology, discovered high-energy dark matter, immediately applying it to the war.
Its energy was three times stronger than the original, inert dark matter. The Proxima Centauri Civilization once again entered a completely new phase.
The right faction, with overwhelming advantage, occupied over half of Proxima Centauri c's territory.
This was a great victory for the right faction. The left faction was suppressed, unable to rise, with some left-faction beings even going to the tall tower, pleading for aid from the Civilization behind it.
But there was no response.
However, at this very moment, any creature entering the Civilization's tall tower would, upon exiting, acquire a never-before-heard technology.
The left faction dispatched a large fleet to protect the Civilization's tall tower, exclusively benefiting from these technologies.
Countless technologies poured into the areas controlled by the left faction, and then from these areas spread throughout the entire Civilization, allowing the left faction to amass immense wealth. Their average income was nearly three times that of the right faction.
The right faction grew furious. Twenty years later, it launched a cleansing war against the left faction, attempting to eradicate it.
By this time, the left faction's strength had dwindled to a freezing point, almost becoming a minor organization.
Thus, the 826-year-long Proxima Centauri Civilization civil war concluded.
The right faction, which did not support accepting the Civilization's tall tower, achieved victory.
However, the right faction did not subsequently destroy the Civilization's tall tower. Instead, it continuously sent individuals in to acquire knowledge and technology.
Over eight hundred years saw 16 major changes within the Proxima Centauri Civilization.
The Civilization's high command, once extremely vigilant towards the tall tower, had long since died. The new Civilization's high command grew up surrounded by the things obtained from within the Civilization's tall tower.
That tall tower had long ceased to be an object that necessarily needed to be destroyed.
From the very beginning, the outcome of the left and right factions had made no difference.
...
Within the span of 1000 years.
Ayla, naturally, had also evolved.
She had been embedded on Proxima Centauri c from the very start, witnessing the Civilization's total transformation.
She conducted her own research and deep studies. She had completely mastered the Proxima Centauri Civilization'sdark matter technology and used it to deduce a theoretical model for high-energy dark matter.
Developing new tech based on this model, she discovered the existence of high-energy dark matter. It was microscopic—smaller than ordinary dark matter, with a diameter only 1/700 millionth that of an electron.
The difficulty of capturing this high-energy dark matter far exceeded that of Antimatter; it could only be detected under conditions of extreme gravity.
Ayla finally located this high-energy dark matter within a super-micro black hole she fabricated at the molecular level.
Because the Proxima Centauri Civilization had already researched inert dark matter for thousands of years, once they received her tech, they found that understanding and utilizing high-energy dark matter was actually faster than Ayla.
However, Ayla was in no hurry to switch her energy source from Antimatter. The difference between the two sources was not great enough to justify a total system overhaul.
Ayla already possessed a complete Antimatter production chain. Her Antimatter collection rate far exceeded the Proxima Centauri Civilization'shigh-energy dark matter output.
1000 years also allowed Ayla to increase her energy utilization rate from Antimatter annihilation from a mere 11.47% to a solid 34.85%.
They had finally reached the energy output of a Tier 1.7 Civilization.
However, by integrating the Proxima Centauri Civilization's tech and the light-based tech from the Multi-eyed planet, their actual technological level had hit Tier 1.9.
Conversely, while the Proxima Centauri Civilization's energy level reached Tier 1.9, its actual technological depth remained at Tier 1.8. It only achieved a Tier 1.9 in overall assessment, meaning it was still far from a true Tier 2 Civilization.
In the 924th year of the millennium, Ayla released a new prophecy.
"Our Civilization has long since obtained the Civilization's pass; we have become a true member of this Civilization."
"In the near future, the Civilization's envoy will arrive. It comes from the primary Civilization of the Galactic Federation—human Civilization."
"It will proclaim the peaceful ideals of the tall tower Civilization: no enslavement, no interference, no oppression. Every Civilization within the Galactic Federation, regardless of its level, possesses equal rights."
"All Civilizations within the Galactic Federation can engage in free trade, technological exchange, and work together for common development and progress."
This time, the prophecy did not cause the violent reaction it did 1000 years ago.
Some creatures actually anticipated the arrival of the Civilization behind the tall tower.
Even though the Civilization was now controlled by the original right faction.
The boundaries between the left and right factions had never been truly clear-cut. Their political differences were essentially fought for self-interest.
The left faction was not necessarily un-conservative, and the right faction was not without its progressive moments.
If the left and right were two static extremes, then the concepts of far-left and far-right would not even exist.
Any large organizational structure inevitably possesses many different faces, rather than being a simple dichotomy.
Acceptance.
Inclusion!
At this moment, the entire Proxima Centauri Civilization displayed this new attitude.
The moment this prophecy appeared, many creatures finally understood one thing: the so-called pass was the knowledge and technology within the tall tower.
This knowledge and technology had slowly imbued their Civilization with a new culture.
They had, unknowingly, become part of this Civilization's alliance long ago.
These creatures, realizing this late, thought deeply but did not lash out. If the opposing Civilization truly used such subtle means, it was highly probable that they genuinely intended to integrate, rather than destroy.
Of course, there were still creatures calling for the death of the Civilization's envoy; these were the ultra-rightists.
However, these ultra-rightists could not stir up any real trouble within the Civilization.
"Aini, do we really want to welcome a strange Civilization?"
The Proxima Centauri Civilization had even adopted human naming conventions for individual creatures.
Their original individuals had no names, simply identifying each other through scent and numerical codes on the information network.
"Fleming, they are no longer a strange Civilization. Our world is covered in the traces of their Civilization."
"Our Civilization and theirs merged into one a long time ago."
"From the moment the tall tower descended, the Civilization's pass was intended for assimilation."
"We should have realized this sooner. Two completely different Civilizations cannot coexist. Even forming a non-interfering Federation is just a pipe dream."
"Only when everyone shares the same culture, language, and script can everything seem logical and natural."
"You and I are the decision-makers of this Civilization. We should both be clear: we have no choice but to welcome them now."
"Even if we destroy them, as we continue to develop, we will inevitably connect with their Civilization. At that time, regardless of who integrates into whom, our final outcome will be to become a single entity."
Fleming still struggled. Although he had reached a conclusion in his heart, he still asked.
"What about reproductive isolation?"
"Our species is not similar to theirs. This will prevent our true integration."
Aini exhaled air through its nostrils.
"Civilization's development has long since transcended base desires. Therefore, individual creatures prioritize spiritual pursuits."
"The need for procreation has long ceased to exist. If one desires offspring, one only needs to cultivate a child using one's own cells."
"The vector of Civilization is culture. We realized these things later than that Civilization."
Fleming's eyes were despondent. He was not an ultra-rightist; he was simply relatively traditional, believing his species should be supreme, independent, and self-existent.
"Our Civilization has reached this level."
"Perhaps it is indeed time to connect with other Civilizations in the universe."
"Fleming, haven't you always emphasized Civilization's diversity? Only diversity can allow Civilization to develop to a higher level."
"Connecting with alien Civilizations, we will become even more diverse."
"From this perspective, it is at least a good outcome."
Fleming nodded.
"We cannot be oblivious; we cannot become slaves of another Civilization."
Hearing this, Aini brightened. It came from a right-wing family, but as it matured, its heart actually leaned more towards the left.
Of course, there were no longer left and right factions.
"Then let's announce the information together."
The prophecy came from the same account as 1000 years ago. They knew it was information disseminated by the opposing Civilization.
Therefore, this prophecy was never truly a prophecy.
The Civilization's high command's rhetoric was still somewhat nuanced.
"Hereafter, we shall officially connect with the human Civilization behind the tall tower. We shall become a part of the Galactic Federation."
"We shall welcome the arrival of human Civilization!"
...
1000 years concluded.
Luna also just awoke.
Truly a long time. She had waited another 1000 years within "Revelation".
These 1000 years, she experienced many, many things, and witnessed the development of a virtual world, the rise and fall of countless nations and races.
All of this enriched her emotions and her learning significantly.
Even within "Revelation", a technological nation had already emerged. It became a simulated realm, where both NPCs and players within this technological nation provided "imagination resources" to reality.
During these 1000 years, she did not allow Ayla, who was accompanying her in the virtual world, to report external information. She trusted Ayla to handle everything.
If Ayla couldn't handle it, then her knowing wouldn't be of much use anyway.
She represented this wandering Civilization. She was the decision-maker, and Ayla was equivalent to a brain trust. Her role was to set the pace for planning and, at times, make accurate decisions that surpassed Ayla's computational power. Devising plans was also Ayla's job.
"The fleet is now proceeding to Proxima Centauri. First, to Proxima Centauri c."
Luna also received complete information just before emerging from cryosleep.
She now knew how to proceed.
Proxima Centauri c's development was still incomplete compared to Proxima Centauri b. Landing on Proxima Centauri c was relatively safer.
"Luna, I do not recommend you go to Proxima Centauri."
Ayla spoke from the side, using a virtual image, her expression serious.
Luna looked at its demeanor, finding its worry excessive.
"Ayla, you have completed the electromagnetic shield modifications. Even massive dark matter missiles aren't guaranteed to penetrate my defenses."
"You don't need to worry about my safety."
Ayla nodded slightly.
"I am not worried that the Proxima Centauri Civilization will pose any threat to you."
"Luna, follow me."
It turned and walked towards the direction of the experimental area. Luna, somewhat curious, followed behind.
The experimental area within the ship was no longer empty. Passing through the entrance to laboratories filled with hundreds of brains, Luna entered the main chemical laboratory.
All the technology here served chemistry. Relatively speaking, it was all quite large-scale. Its functions included observing smaller particles, analyzing macroscopic chemical phenomena, and other chemical experiments.
Ayla commanded over a dozen robots in the laboratory to begin working.
A robot approached Luna, holding four test tubes, which contained soil, metal, liquid, and nothing, respectively.
"What are these?"
"Just some random things collected from Proxima Centauri c. They haven't undergone any special screening."
"These three test tubes contain all the elements found on Proxima Centauri c, including solids, liquids, and gases."
The robot poured the contents of the four test tubes into four separate containers.
The analysis appeared on the laboratory screen.
"Do you detect any abnormality?"
Luna looked at the information on the screen, then counted, uncertainly.
"82!"
"Did you just say this contains all the elements on Proxima Centauri c?"
Luna felt that Ayla must be mistaken. In nature, there should be 94 relatively high-abundance elements.
However, Ayla affirmed.
"Correct, precisely 82."
"All 82 of these elements are non-radioactive. Theoretically, there are no radioactive elements on Proxima Centauri c."
"During these 1000 years, I made many efforts to search for radioactive elements, even deploying vast resources, but found none."
"Proxima Centauri b and Proxima Centauri d are the same."
Luna pondered.
"Is it because Proxima Centauri itself is a red dwarf, lacking the massive energy and gravity of a sun to create these heavy elements?"
This was the only possibility.
"No, that's not it. Although a red dwarf cannot synthesize radioactive elements itself, Proxima Centauri isn't very old. It's very likely a second-generation or even third-generation star. During its formation, it would have absorbed large amounts of radioactive elements from other supernova explosions."
"Moreover, radioactive elements aren't just heavy elements; light element reactions can also produce radioactivity, like carbon-14. Cosmic rays and asteroids can also carry radioactive elements."
"But I haven't observed any form of radioactive elements throughout the entire Proxima Centauri system. Even the weakly radioactive element 83, bismuth, is missing."
"It's precisely because radioactive elements are scarce that the Proxima Centauri Civilization turned to studying dark matter. Their Civilization's history is much older than human Civilization's, taking a full 780,000 years to go from Tier 0 to Tier 1."
"But after discovering dark matter, their Civilization entered an explosive phase, going from Tier 1 to Tier 1.9 in just 6,000 years."
Luna knew what Ayla was trying to say.
Radioactive elements, by natural law, should definitely be present. Since they are missing, it must be the work of a Civilization.
If not the Proxima Centauri Civilization, then it's another Civilization.
That Civilization is collecting radioactive elements, and it has been doing so continuously up to now.
A third Civilization!
This is what Ayla wanted Luna to be wary of.
The method of collecting these radioactive elements certainly wouldn't be like mining; it's more likely using some specialized technology that acts on radioactive elements for large-scale collection.
Furthermore, this collection wouldn't be observable at the macroscopic level.
This kind of technology might be related to the four fundamental forces. After understanding Light-based civilization, Ayla had analyzed that a Tier 2 Civilization could make profound advancements in the four fundamental forces.
A Civilization possessing such super-means to directly absorb elements could have already reached Tier 2 or above.
The basis of a Tier 2 Civilization could be—Grand Unification!
Luna thought of her previous conjectures about the universe.
The Observer!
Perhaps the first Observer of Proxima Centauri was not her, but another Civilization.
"Is there concrete evidence?"
Ayla brought up an image.
"This is what I collected: a colossal vacuum phase, enveloping the entire star system."
This evidence was sufficient to prove the existence of a third Civilization.
"If it can absorb radioactive elements, perhaps it can also absorb stable basic elements."
"Are the elements in the Solar System also being absorbed in this way?"
Luna thought deeply.
"We might already be observed."
"This Civilization, we don't know if it's benevolent or malicious."
"Have they discovered us and launched warships towards us?"
"Perhaps they are currently within the Proxima Centauri system, but we are unable to detect them."
"We don't understand any of this."
She thought carefully, then made a decision.
"If we are already being observed, then no matter where we go, we cannot escape the gaze of a Civilization more advanced than us."
"Given that, we cannot retreat. We can only continue to develop."
"Galactic Federation… Perhaps we truly need to build a genuine Galactic Federation to resist higher Civilizations."
"Therefore, the Proxima Centauri Civilization is something we must control."
"Ayla, cultivate a clone using my cells. She will represent me and go to communicate with the Proxima Centauri Civilization."
"Then I will hide in the shadows."
"You also shift more of your attention to the Multi-eyed planet. Vigorously develop technology on the Multi-eyed planet, allowing the Multi-eyed to receive and develop our complete technology."
"We must rapidly reach Tier 2."
"Only by completing the Grand Unified Theory can we glimpse the methods of a Tier 2 Civilization."
The technological gap between Civilizations makes the methods of advanced Civilizations almost invisible to lower Civilizations.
This immense sense of crisis lingered in Luna's heart.
She had now become the Proxima Centauri Civilization of 1000 years ago, becoming the prey!