At the heart of the City of the Sword of Decapitation.
Ayla dedicated a fraction of her processing power, less than one-millionth of her overall capacity, to monitoring the city's internal operations. This tiny fraction was sufficient to support the daily lives of 2.4 trillion individuals.
Everything from checking communications and auxiliary brain scans to virtual arena duels fell under Ayla's millionth-share oversight.
Yet to Ayla, even a millionth part of the whole was quite significant.
Even after managing the four-dimensional sector for ten thousand years, her server cluster wasn't extraordinarily large; it was merely a hundred times its original size. Compared to her three-dimensional core, this was a drop in the ocean.
But this was her own strategic choice.
In the four-dimensional theater, because of the ongoing war, every joule of energy was precious. All resources had to be funneled directly into combat power.
Ayla needed to maintain her long-term vigil.
She was also developing the Dimensional Gateway. If she could harness the energy of the black hole through the gateway, she and the military would possess near-limitless power.
There were other options, such as using super-range weaponry to beam energy directly into four-dimensional space. Both were immensely difficult.
Over the years, the Federation had developed four more black holes in three-dimensional space, effectively reaching the level of a Type 2.7 Civilization in terms of energy output, though its scientific development remained stalled at Type 2.5.
From 2.51, it had perhaps climbed to 2.57, as Ayla had heard from the teacher Kapuyan.
For all of human Civilization, the true weapon is science. Anything else is false.
And currently.
In the four-dimensional theater, false combat power was the dominant force. Although a Type 2.5 Civilization's foundation wasn't weak, in this specific dimensional theater, it was evenly matched with the enemy.
Even Ayla felt a sense of powerlessness.
"False weapons cannot crush an enemy; they only decide temporary outcomes."
"In this war, the enemy uses true weapons. They seek our total annihilation, and we must respond with something real for our defense."
"We've lost 2 million warships on the front lines. You are supposed to be the elite of the Federation, yet not one of you has presented a viable plan!"
"As the true sword of the Federation, do you not feel the shame of this failure!"
The Scholar Council.
An ancient tradition of warfare.
Long ago, Luna had held such scholar councils on the battlefield, and Ayla had continued the practice in the four-dimensional theater.
The scientific weapons of the scholars would have a decisive impact on the outcome of this war.
The assembled scholars whispered among themselves.
Ayla was surrounded by several others.
They were known as the Chief Scholars, and every single one of them was a genius.
The Chief Scholar of Structural Modeling, Mujiu, watched the ongoing discussion; many spoke, but none truly addressed the issue.
He turned to Ayla and said, "Archon Commander, saying that is a blow to our confidence. Though we are scholars, scholars still need encouragement."
Currently, the enemy was indeed stronger, and they were in a position of weakness. Although they had previously defeated a four-dimensional Civilization, they were now facing a near-top-tier four-dimensional Civilization, a Type 2.8 entity.
On the enemy's home turf, and with the opponent being significantly more powerful, despite only having dispatched a single primary battle group, it was still an overwhelming force for them.
The loss of 2 million warships had been a crushing defeat; there had been no room for a counterattack.
Immense pressure weighed upon every scholar's heart. These scholars felt that the soldiers on the front lines were the lucky ones. Those soldiers possessed high-level knowledge; in a Type 2.1 or 2.2 Civilization, they might be called sages.
But in this transcendent theater of war, they were merely fools. They were ignorant of the true disparity, struggling on the front lines with no fears and no further concerns, was that not a form of happiness?
"We are the brain, and the brain requires logic, not sentiment."
"We are facing a gap of over 0.2 civilization levels, hundreds of times the technological difference."
"Only by facing this disparity head-on can we know which direction our efforts must take. This is science."
Ayla was famous for her cold demeanor; no one could change her mind. Mujiu had only offered a brief complaint before falling silent.
This was not their first meeting on this subject; they had held twenty-four sessions, each as inconclusive as the last. This time was even more silent; not a single person had even proposed a plan.
Another female Chief Scholar beside them spoke up: "Human civilization has had moments like this before."
"The woman known as the Great Diplomat, Luna, when faced with the immense gap between human civilization and the Olive Branch Civilization, single-handedly stalled the Titled Station's invasion. The Holy Grail project launched at that time remains one of humanity's most elite plans to date. It wasn't just a scientific struggle, but a psychological gambit."
"Perhaps we can replicate it!"
Hearing Luna's name, Ayla's expression flickered for a brief moment.
But as she was essentially a computer, she regained her composure in less than 0.1 nanoseconds and rejected the idea.
"The situation then was different. The Titled Station's objective wasn't the immediate destruction of humanity, which is why we had room to breathe."
"But the enemy we face now wants us dead. Communication is impossible; this is a survival-of-the-fittest encounter."
"Dismiss such thoughts. The divide between civilizations is already vast, let alone the dimensional barrier."
It wasn't that Ayla refused to accept the idea.
It was that she didn't trust such communication. When they defeated the first Civilization, Ayla had attempted to force its surrender.
The plan was indeed successful.
Yet, when the second four-dimensional Civilization arrived, every individual of the first uprising took up arms. This internal insurrection caused the Federation to suffer catastrophic losses on the front lines.
From that moment, Ayla knew: unless they possessed the absolute power to enforce total submission, it was impossible to establish any meaningful communication with non-three-dimensional species within the context of a dimensional war.
Even now, their ability to communicate with other three-dimensional Civilizations only existed because it was mandated by the Galactic Core Civilization.
Several more hours passed in silence. Just as Ayla was about to adjourn this twenty-fifth meeting, a man suddenly burst into the hall. Standing at the entrance, he shouted toward Ayla, "Archon Commander, I have a way!"
It felt like the arrival of a hero.
However, Ayla held no expectations for this man. In her database, he had no significant achievements and was labeled a total lunatic.
Madman Kandi.
During the previous twenty-four meetings, he had proposed many impractical ideas. Every scholar looked at him, wondering what insane theory he would spout this time.
Kandi stood at the door, declaring with confidence, "Nothing can be built until the old is destroyed. The solution is this: we let the enemy break us!"
???
The assembled scholars instantly lost interest. He truly was a madman!
"Recently, one of my research projects succeeded!"
"I can directly transfer human consciousness into a four-dimensional biological host, seizing and becoming a four-dimensional lifeform."
"We simply need our technology to blanket the entire City of the Sword of Decapitation. When the enemy arrives to crush us, every person killed will instead seize the enemy's physical body."
"If we cannot defeat them, then we parasitize them. We become them!"
As Kandi spoke, the grin on his face widened, looking utterly manic. A madman indeed.
Ayla had already mobilized a massive fleet in three-dimensional space. This was a war they could not afford to lose; no matter how grueling, they had to hold the line. This council was merely a platform for Ayla to seek alternative solutions.
On a direct battlefield, the technological disparity meant their losses would be staggering—it might take a thousand warships to trade for a single enemy vessel. But Ayla was determined; she would not let Luna down.
Now, after analyzing Kandi's words, Ayla discovered that he had actually developed the device. Through precise calculations, she realized there was indeed a slim margin for success.
"We will do exactly as he says!"
"Is it true?"
"Archon Commander, you are the one person in this world who truly understands me."
"This plan will succeed, believe me!"
Kandi was overjoyed. He cast a look of disdain over the entire assembly of scholars.
"Hah! Ridiculing me as a madman all day, yet not a single one of you has the ability to solve our current problem. Ha ha, you're all less than a madman."
The expressions on the scholars' faces shifted between anger and uncertainty. The Chief Scholars immediately stood up to urge Ayla to reconsider.
"Archon Commander, this plan is too crude; it simply isn't feasible."
"This device was created by a lunatic—what happens if it malfunctions?"
"Can we truly dismantle the enemy from within? Even if our soldiers have superior intelligence, they won't know the enemy's language or be accustomed to their limbs after integrating. They'll be discovered instantly; this is a High-tier Civilization we're facing."
Not a single person supported Kandi. Their opposition wasn't just a matter of professional rivalry; it was because of Kandi's past.
In this world, hatred is never born without a cause.
Kandi had arrived in four-dimensional space 4,000 years ago.
Within his first century, he had begun cloning soldiers, intending to flood the fourth dimension with a population of tens of quadrillions, scattering them throughout to develop a civilization.
He called this the "Super Soldier Project."
Initially, no one opposed him; every scholar who reached the fourth dimension had similar ambitions of making a name for themselves. The Super Soldier Project didn't cost much, so they let him proceed.
However, no one expected that he would force the super soldiers to adapt to the fourth dimension by modifying them beyond recognition.
To ensure they remained undetected, Kandi implanted them with an intense hatred for three-dimensional life, theorizing that even if they were discovered by four-dimensional lifeforms, they would be perceived as kin and thus avoid destruction.
Such a madman's ideas could actually be accepted by most; what scholar hasn't been a little crazy?
But the situation turned dire when Kandi's laboratory malfunctioned. These super soldiers escaped and slaughtered everyone they encountered.
They exhibited an uncontrollable hatred for humans, and Kandi had even "optimized" their methods for killing humans, calling it a touch of realism.
Fortunately, the situation was quickly contained, and the death toll remained low. Afterward, Kandi was sentenced to over 700 years in prison.
As a scholar, he requested to continue his experiments while incarcerated, and the high command agreed.
Kandi was a top-tier scholar, after all; his intellect was undeniable. High command hoped to give him a chance to redeem himself by creating better tools for the battlefield.
But that was merely wishful thinking.
Kandi's second masterpiece was the Parasite Project.
Dawning into the fourth dimension, four-dimensional lifeforms became parasitic entities, dwelling within the human frame. Sensing the fourth dimension through their perceptions would, in theory, allow humanity to maximize its understanding of that realm.
Then, he created monsters.
He failed to account for the fact that four-dimensional and three-dimensional life possess vast differences at the microscopic level; even the electrical signals generated by their thoughts are worlds apart.
Those monsters were each utterly terrifying, phasing through the fourth dimension as they escaped from the prison, nearly precipitating another catastrophe.
Because no one died and the man was indeed brilliant, Kandi was released after serving 700 years.
Yet, less than 50 years after his release, the man pulled another massive stunt.
He used mental hypnosis to delude soldiers into believing they were four-dimensional beings, aiming to develop their cognitive perception.
Using funds to recruit willing participants would have been one thing, but he directly employed multi-level marketing tactics to scale up, affecting millions and eventually becoming a wanted man.
Over 100,000 soldiers suffered mental breakdowns due to his experiments and had to be sent back to the third dimension.
Incidents like these were too numerous to count.
The scholars believed Kandi only survived because he was in the fourth dimension, where security was tight and his experiments hadn't caused large-scale death or destruction. Otherwise, he would have been executed tens of thousands of times over.
Thus, the scholars simply did not believe Kandi could do anything right. They could not fathom why Ayla would trust such a man.
Ayla, however, remained calm.
She said, "It's not that I trust him."
"It's just that the plan does indeed have merit."
"And as he said, none of you have provided me with a better alternative."
"Having a plan is better than having none at all."
The scholars' expressions varied upon hearing this.
It was true.
In the current situation, they were all avoiding a direct answer. It wasn't that they lacked strategies, but that their existing plans were entirely unrealistic.
As scholars, they refused to voice any tactic that could not be implemented; that would only waste everyone's time.
"But we can't..."
"The risk of this protocol is too great."
Mujiu would not agree to such a strategy under any circumstances. Invading an enemy's consciousness with a soldier's mind—the operational margin for such a feat was far too narrow.
"Of course there's risk. Does the Chief Scholar expect to take down a Civilization hundreds of times more powerful than us without any danger?"
Kandi's retort left Mujiu speechless. In the massive conference hall, before so many people, he was momentarily silenced. He had no superior plan of his own to offer in rebuttal.
He was a scholar, not a Divine.
Ayla remained on Kandi's side for now.
"The plan is indeed crude."
"What I value most is your research, Kandi."
"I won't have all the soldiers do this. Instead, I will screen and select a small group of elites to carry it out."
"Provided your device is as functional as you claim."
Kandi's expression soured.
"Archon Commander, I believe my plan is flawless. Only the overwhelming advantage of massive numbers can yield a shred of hope from a one-in-a-billion chance."
"If we only use a few hundred or a few thousand screened elite individuals, then this plan is utterly pointless."
His words seemed to have logic.
But everyone present could hear how baseless they were. This was the talk of a madman.
A top-tier lunatic can disguise his speech to make others think he's sane. Kandi had indeed done that at first. But over these thousands of years, everyone had come to recognize his erratic nature.
Theoretically, a scholar of his rank should be extremely intelligent, but Kandi's thought process seemed like that of an average person.
He was a man filled with contradictions.
Ayla suspected his talent was simply terrifyingly high—the kind of person who experimented entirely by instinct. He could sense and act upon his perceptions, but he could not synthesize or summarize them.
"That is not for you to worry about. As long as your device truly works, you will have performed a great service."
The assembled scholars were furious but powerless. The Archon Commander held absolute authority here. They could voice their dissent, but they could not override her.
However, Kandi was not grateful for Ayla's concession.
"If you don't follow my plan, I would rather my research rot within my mind."
"You simply don't understand. Only my plan—my perfect plan—can defeat the enemy."
Ayla was not someone to be trifled with. She had no interest in further debating with a madman. She directly invoked her authority.
Kandi's speech was cut off, and his body stiffened, frozen in an awkward pose.
"Very well, the meeting is adjourned."
"I will extract the knowledge from his mind. Your task is to retreat—back to three dimensions."
The entire conference room fell silent. They had not forgotten that this Archon Commander ruled with an iron fist; anyone who defied her will would ultimately cease to exist.
...
"Have you heard?"
"Heard what?"
"The plan. Madman Kandi's plan."
"That guy isn't up to his old tricks again, is he?"
"This time, the Archon Commander has officially approved it."
"The Archon Commander actually believes a lunatic's words? This is crazy!"
"There's no other way. The enemy is too powerful."
"This time is different from before. We're facing a near-top-tier four-dimensional Civilization. Though they've only sent a single fleet, we've fought for so long and only managed to destroy a few dozen of their warships."
"True, the disparity in power is too vast."
Even the soldiers within the Star City had long been filled with anxiety.
However, as soldiers, their only recourse was to obey orders.
A group of soldiers conversed as they walked toward the training hall. Inside, they saw a lone figure training.
"Still training at a time like this... it could only be her."
"Who?"
"You don't know?"
"Luna!"
"Her again."
"Who exactly is that?"
"Right, you arrived in the fourth dimension 500 years ago; you wouldn't be familiar with her."
"We mentioned earlier that in all this time, we've only managed to destroy a few dozen enemy warships."
"Back then, we were all in despair. It was this Luna who, alone with a single ship, intercepted the enemy. No one knows how she did it, but she wiped out dozens of enemy warships and somehow made it back."
"Something like that actually happened?"
"There's a theory that because she took out those ships, the enemy's originally aggressive offensive tempo suddenly slowed down. It's only now that they're moving again. She essentially bought us over a thousand years to deploy the three-dimensional fleet."
"Are you joking? A civilization would halt its advance because of one person?"
"I find it hard to believe too, but her combat record is real!"
As they spoke, every soldier stole a long glance at the woman in the training hall.
She was a tall human, with lean, perfectly toned muscles.
"..."
Luna in the training hall had overheard everything.
However, she had grown accustomed to such discussions. Or rather, she didn't care what any of them said. All she cared about were her missions and the fight.
She had been in the fourth dimension for over ten thousand years now. She hadn't missed a single operation. She faced immensely powerful enemies, and every encounter pushed her to the brink of death.
She preferred staying in the training hall. It wasn't that she could actually train much further at her level, but she needed to maintain her edge and stay taut, never allowing herself to relax.
As a Divine, she had to know exactly what she was doing.
"Hah, so early?"
A familiar voice reached her.
"You're just late, Blacklight."
Luna looked over.
The voice belonged to an entirely pitch-black Lightwings. He emitted no light at all; in fact, he was so dark it seemed as if he were swallowing the light around him.
His appearance bore little resemblance to a traditional Lightwings; he had undergone extensive modification.
His torso was lean and elongated like a serpent, and his wings had been doubled in size, giving him a look that was both more balanced and aggressive, built for pure speed.
"I'm not as obsessed with training as you are. Are you trying to become Miss Fitness?"
"There isn't a beauty pageant here."
Blacklight looked at Luna's muscular frame, feeling the girl was built like a meat-shield tank. Yet, in combat, he knew this woman possessed an agility that rivaled his own.
As the Lord of Storms who held the Wind godhood, he was renowned for his speed even within Hyperdimensional Space.
Finishing his remark, Blacklight stepped into a piece of equipment. It looked like a massive, high-tech hamster wheel.
Once inside, his velocity spiked instantly. The device spun maniacally at over 500,000 rotations per second, the terrifying friction causing the bearings to spray sparks in every direction.
Fortunately, the machinery here was reinforced to withstand such forces. The track had a diameter of 6.7 meters and a circumference of 21.04 meters. 500,000 rotations meant a speed of 10,520 km/s.
For Blacklight, this was merely a warm-up. He wasn't using his Divine power, relying solely on the movement of his mecha. After ten minutes, he came to a halt.
"Truly difficult."
"Even after ten thousand years here, I still haven't adapted."
Luna had finished her own regimen and was preparing to head back.
"We will never adapt, not unless we transcend dimensions at the fundamental level of our biology."
"And that would mean our Civilization has entered Type 3, becoming the hegemon of the Milky Way."
Blacklight thought about it and nodded.
"I suppose that is unrealistic."
"Currently, we're already considering a retreat just facing a Type 2.8 Civilization."
"On my way here, I saw some scholars taking the dimensional elevators back to the third dimension. What's your take on that?"
It was a premonition of departure. Human Civilization might be looking to regroup and plan more carefully.
Luna paused for a moment, then replied: "Their retreat is to preserve our intellectual core. The soldiers won't retreat; they will fight until the very last moment."
"I know that, obviously. I'm talking about us!"
Blacklight, truth be told, was hoping to leave. He had stayed in the fourth dimension for far too long.
He had already begun to lose his sense of the third dimension.
In this place, there was no feeling of exaltation; he always felt like an ant rather than a Divine.
"Don't worry."
Luna had finished gathering her gear and reached the exit.
She stepped straight outside, and only then did her voice drift back into the training hall.
"The high command won't let us leave."
"We are the ultimate weapons. Or perhaps, from the very beginning, a Divine has always been a weapon!"
Blacklight spat in frustration.
"And that's supposed to be 'don't worry'?"
His face was clouded with a somber shadow.
The first encounter with that near-top-tier civilization 1,700 years ago was still fresh in his memory. For him, it was an unforgettable lifelong trauma.
The entire enemy fleet had appeared before them like a flash of lightning, proceeding to devour their entire formation.
The warships had counterattacked, of course.
But their strikes, even the super-range weaponry hitting the enemy defenses, amounted to nothing more than a tickle.
The civilizational gap was too immense.
The opponent had only dispatched 3,000 warships.
Yet, by three-dimensional standards, each of those warships was equivalent to a sub-planet-class vessel, not even accounting for their four-dimensional volume.
Every single one of those ships would have been an engine of absolute destruction back in the Federation.
At that moment, even as a Divine, he had felt utter despair.
One Divine had been annihilated instantly.
There had been no warning; they hadn't even seen the enemy's attack.
Two million warships.
The entire process took less than ten minutes.
One couldn't even crush ants that quickly.
When everyone else was in despair, Luna stood up.
One woman, one ship, heading out to intercept the enemy.
Everyone thought it was tilting at windmills.
But beyond all expectations, she had succeeded.
She destroyed dozens of enemy warships.
Even now, Blacklight and the other Divines had no idea how Luna had pulled it off.
Blacklight had been intentionally or unintentionally staying close to Luna ever since, driven by a need to know the cause.
He also wondered now: this time, would Luna still possess that same power?