The ten sukers was only a matter of minutes.
Luna waited for a moment before she felt a gaze fall upon her.
She could clearly sense the existence of this stare, which should have been theoretically impossible, given that individuals of the Believer Civilization possessed no super-abilities.
However, that gaze carried physical weight.
Under its scrutiny, she felt as though a massive boulder were pressing down on her, creating an irresistible urge to prostrate herself on the ground. Since this was a virtual world, Luna guessed that the God's Chosen had implemented specific rules within the simulation that favored them.
A God's Chosen appeared before Luna.
Unlike the simple points of light representing other individuals, the God's Chosen possessed its own distinct avatar in the virtual world: a constantly pulsing mist.
This was the original form of the Believer Civilization organisms.
During the previous war, Luna had killed countless individuals of this civilization. Yet, until now, she had never heard of the existence of the God's Chosen within their ranks.
This was her first time seeing one.
The pulsing mist wasn't the typical grayish-black of an ordinary individual; it was transparent. As light passed through its body, the clear fog refracted circular rainbows.
These were not uniform, however, but spectacularly complex, composed of hundreds of coordinated colors rather than a simple seven-color spectrum.
This was related to the visual perception of the Believer species itself, just as different creatures in the human Federation perceive the colors of a rainbow differently than humans do.
The God's Chosen, draped in those rainbow-like halos, descended before Luna. Its body unfurled like a sheet of fabric.
"O faithless one, huddled in the shadows of a filthy Shell, have you finally recognized the holiness of the Lord? Do you sincerely worship the Lord?"
The voice of the God's Chosen carried jumbled characters and intense emotion. The weight generated by its voice was even heavier than its gaze.
Luna was nearly pinned to the floor.
"The noble Lord bestows all upon us. I serve my Lord with my life and my time."
Luna spoke the words without a second thought.
Theology was quite common in human civilization, and the religious sects within the Star Nation were numerous. In the Federation, theology mostly persisted within various games.
In games, if one wanted to assume a clerical role, they had to study the associated beliefs.
Games of this era had long moved past simple facades; many were essentially equivalent to entire worlds, built upon vast layers of underlying logic. These worlds were often simulated from the very dawn of their civilization, allowed to grow for tens of thousands of years before being opened to the public.
Game corporations developed all sorts of Seed Worlds, providing countless developmental paths: magic, cthulhu, hell... the choices were virtually infinite.
The complexity of a Seed World was the standard for judging a game's quality. Some possessed a granularity at the microscopic level; unless one looked through a microscope, the game world was indistinguishable from reality.
Because they were actual worlds, many games didn't become obsolete; instead, they became classics through the accumulated presence of players across many eras. Companies like Fenton Games remained perpetually successful for this very reason.
Luna also had some gaming experience. During her hundred-thousand-year career, she had taken a few years off to play. Though she was a solo player, she was nonetheless a legend; she had spent a million energy credits on that game.
After all, game development is a business, so the pay-to-win model still existed.
But it wasn't common.
Because top-ups in such games were essentially bottomless pits. To become powerful, how could one not spend at least ten thousand energy credits?
In an era where average salaries hovered around three or four hundred, ten thousand energy credits represented several years of labor.
Furthermore, as the Federation's exploding population had stabilized over the last few tens of thousands of years, the service industry had begun to recover from near-extinction.
This made it difficult for ordinary people to earn a month's wages and live on them for decades or centuries, as they had during the early New Federation or Old Federation periods.
The skills Luna had learned in gaming were equally effective in this Believer Civilization.
The God's Chosen was very pleased with Luna's response.
In fact, many individuals of the Believer Civilization were unable to speak such words. Under such extreme pressure, those without true faith were easily cowed.
"It seems you have truly grasped the faith and understood the Lord's profound intent."
"But that is not enough. I must test you to see if you truly enjoy the Lord's favor. Do not feign it; the Lord is always watching you, watching everyone. Even at the heart of a black hole, the Lord's gaze is present."
Hyperbole at its finest.
If she hadn't just learned the true nature of this civilization, Luna might have actually been deceived by these words into thinking this God's Chosen sincerely believed.
But in reality, it was exactly the opposite.
All the God's Chosen were merely shallow believers. Their fear and suspicion of the so-called God were far greater than those of an outsider like Luna.
Intelligent beings all understand one principle: the more that is given, the more that is expected in return.
So, what did that God want to take from them?
This made Luna think of the time when the Federation took control of the Believer Civilization.
There hadn't been much resistance. It was as if they had simply complied.
Perhaps there was a reason for that, they were willing to be enslaved by the Federation. Maybe they were even planning a drive away the tiger to swallow the wolf strategy, but certain individuals had sought aid from the Gol Civilization, leading to the subsequent war.
Most individuals in the Believer Civilization were relatively compliant; they hadn't even thought of counterattacking when facing the Gol Civilization.
"Ayla suspected a convert's zeal, and some of them did indeed act that way."
"But it seems it's not that simple at all. A pity Ayla never finished her research on this civilization."
Now, Luna had to explore it all on her own.
"Of course. The Lord watches over me and knows my devotion; that is why I was bestowed with knowledge!"
"I am willing to undergo any test."
The God's Chosen scattered a handful of golden dust.
The dust merged with Luna's point of light in the virtual world.
Luna was instantly transported to a different space, where a character appeared before her.
"This is a fragment of incomplete knowledge. Every God's Chosen has the ability to complete it, but because its utility is limited, it is used as a testing tool."
"Acquire as much knowledge as possible. That is your task."
The emotional transmission from the God's Chosen arrived.
Luna seriously read the information contained within the character.
It was something called the "Aurane New Interpretation".
Luna performed the prayer according to the method and once again obtained the full knowledge.
She discovered that this thing was actually a system of non-homogeneous linear equations, i.e., Ax=b. This was a fundamental type of equation that neither the human civilization of the Earth era nor the modern one could function without.
The Aurane New Interpretation was an equation converted from a scenario within that six-dimensional civilization, once again, the difficulty was astronomically high.
How could such a thing be useless?
As the leader of human civilization, Luna knew exactly how much impact such a discovery would have on a civilization's development.
But then she considered the structure of the Believer Civilization.
There was effectively no concept of a society here, merely a simple communal communication model. They might truly have no use for this kind of equation.
If something like Yaroessen kinetics was discarded, it stood to reason this equation would be as well.
It seemed logical.
Once she finished her thought, she let out a perfectly timed burst of joyous, excited emotion.
"I got it!"
"It is the Lord's favor."
The emotional transmission from the God's Chosen arrived again.
"Give me what you obtained."
The fact that it didn't just take it was a courtesy; Luna was certain it had the power to do so.
The reason ordinary individuals feared the God's Chosen was that the latter's control over the entire Believer Civilization was incredibly radical, one might even call it pathological. This virtual world was created largely to allow the God's Chosen to exercise their authority more freely.
In reality, a God's Chosen might still face resistance, but in the virtual world, as its absolute controllers, they were omnipotent.
Luna handed over a portion of the knowledge to the God's Chosen, the most easily understood part, the introduction to Ax=b.
Immediately afterward, she could clearly sense a wave of disdain coming from the God's Chosen.
"I also performed the prayer just now and obtained nearly identical information. This proves you have not deceived me."
"However, the content you obtained is much shorter than mine, barely a third. It seems your devotion to the Lord is still insufficient."
Luna didn't feel any anxiety when it said this. As a leader herself, she understood the mindset of those in power best.
It sounded as if it were expressing regret that she had obtained so little knowledge, but in reality, it was secretly delighted.
"Perhaps the Lord values His own secrets; after all, no one can obtain the complete knowledge," Luna said, using slightly irreverent words.
The God's Chosen instantly became stern.
"Do not attempt to second-guess the Lord's profound intent, nor should you doubt Him. Let these words be the last of their kind."
Having said that, its mood softened.
"Very well. You have passed your evaluation."
"Under my witness, Thard, a new God's Chosen is born. It has been over 2,900 years, and the God's Chosen are becoming increasingly rare. On behalf of all the God's Chosen, I welcome your joining."
"Having become a God's Chosen, you may choose a title for yourself. This is a privilege exclusive to us."
Thard, the name of this God's Chosen.
Luna had thought that God's Chosen was merely a rank; it seemed they knew how to distinguish themselves.
"Moon. My title shall be Moon."
"Very well, Moon. Having received your title, you have also become a noble by virtue of being a God's Chosen. You are now entitled to your own Shell."
"As it happens, I have a Shell available. Where would you like it placed?"
"A God's Chosen's Shell can be positioned closer to the star; there is far more energy there," Thard reminded Luna.
It was clearly hoping to gain Luna's favor.
"My thanks to you, Thard," Luna transmitted her emotions.
Thard replied, "No thanks are necessary. Let me explain the customs of the God's Chosen to you."
"All of us God's Chosen choose a God to worship based on our own preferences. Some Gods provide knowledge of thermodynamics, some of mathematics, some of physics, and some of miscellaneous studies."
"Currently, there are 32,213 God's Chosen within our civilization, divided into 726 factions. I belong to the Gravity Faction. I'm sure you have many questions about gravity. Join us, and you can obtain more knowledge specific to this field. We can also assist each other in acquiring nearly limitless knowledge."
As expected, its goodwill had an ulterior motive.
Luna agreed without hesitation.
"Thard, you are my guide. Thank you; I do indeed have a very strong interest in gravity."
Thard radiated intense joy; this was the most significant emotional shift so far.
"Welcome, Moon."
It was truly happy. For these God's Chosen, bringing someone into their faction was undoubtedly a massive advantage.
"Very well. I will take you to select a location for your Shell. I have several places I can recommend."
Because of Luna's response, Thard's attitude toward her warmed significantly. It recommended several locations, all of them areas frequently swept by stellar winds.
For a low-level civilization, such places were disaster zones. But for an advanced one, the terrifying stellar winds were a source of inexhaustible energy.
The Believer Civilization's territory wasn't particularly large, consisting of only 84 stars. Red dwarfs made up more than half, with only 22 stars possessing abundant resources.
For this civilization, resources were finite. Its current level was achieved entirely through the accumulation of technology.
During human civilization's first attack on the Believer Civilization, the latter possessed a colossal structure known as the Grain, which pushed their strength to Type 2.3.
However, with the destruction of the Grain, while their science remained at Type 2.3, their energy supply was continuously suppressed by humanity. They could barely meet the standards of Type 2.2; strictly speaking, they were only at Type 2.1.
Consequently, a single star's energy output was vital to the Believer Civilization at its current stage.
For the basic unit of their civilization, the Shell, the amount of energy acquired from the star directly determined the Shell's size.
Not all Shells were the same size; their dimensions depended on how many individuals the energy in that specific area could support.
The largest Shells of the Believer Civilization could support over ten billion individuals. The Shell Luna was currently in sat at the outer edge of the star system, roughly on an orbital path equivalent to Mars in the Solar System.
While within the habitable zone and possessing some stellar energy, it wasn't much.
The truly massive Shells were located near the star's surface. After all, Shells were products of a Type 2.3 civilization, making it easy to insulate against the star's surface temperatures.
Those Shells could directly absorb the nuclear fusion energy from the star's surface, rather than relying on converting solar thermal energy.
Thard took Luna to an area roughly equivalent to Venus's orbit.
In that region, Shells could typically support around 500 million individuals.
This was indeed a significant benefit.
Shells couldn't just be placed anywhere; a star system's surface could only accommodate 18 Core Shells, acting as the city center. Following that was the First Ring with 119 Shells, the Second Ring with 732, the Third Ring with 3,178, and the Fourth Ring with 8,322.
Currently, they were in the Fourth Ring.
A star system could only support a fixed number of Shells.
They didn't rely solely on the solar radiation hitting their own surfaces for energy production; that wouldn't have been sustainable for long.
Shells could directly capture free-floating solar radiation from their surroundings.
The further out a Shell was, the larger the area it had to capture energy from, which was why there were so few of them. Otherwise, cramming tens of billions of Shells into this space would have been easy.
Thard's physical body wasn't in the same Shell as Luna.
Therefore, Luna had to travel to Thard's location before they could go together to deploy the new Shell.
Luna logged out of the virtual world and returned to her capsule.
A black core within the capsule began to push outward. Once it broke free of the capsule's constraints, the core dispersed and transformed into a mist-like state.
At this moment, Luna truly experienced the complete form of a Believer individual. It was very similar to her time in the Olive Branch Civilization, yet different.
The lifeforms of the Olive Branch Civilization used sensors to perceive their surroundings.
But a Believer individual wasn't purely a mist; its core possessed a relatively large volume in the fourth dimension, so they simply sensed their surroundings themselves.
What surprised Luna most was that the Believer lifeforms possessed extremely low innate intelligence. Her current body was only about the size of a human fist, essentially a lump of flesh.
Inside, it lacked the complex nervous system of a Home Civilization organism; a Believer's natural intelligence was roughly on par with a dog or a cat. Their external mechanical bodies didn't augment their intelligence either.
The source of their wisdom was those capsules, which were, in fact, part of the Shell.
The Shell produced the capsules, which provided survival and connection to the virtual world for the Believers. Thus, by their very nature, a Believer could not stray too far from their Shell.
It was a form of confinement.
And after Thard extracted Luna's computational unit from the Shell, Luna knew her hypothesis was correct. Thard appeared outside the Shell via a holographic projection.
"Secure your core. Only nobles possess the right to manage their own cores independently. Now, you do!"
It was a square box, somewhat large, but only large in the fourth dimension.
The God's Chosen's control over the ordinary bodies of the Believer Civilization was even deeper than Luna had previously imagined.
Luna secured her computational unit, which could also be called her brain.
Thard said, "I am already waiting for you inside. Board the aircraft."
A ten-meter-long aircraft flew out from the Shell. This aircraft's style was very reminiscent of human civilization. In fact, it was manufactured by humans.
The Believer Civilization was controlled by humanity and had learned some of their knowledge. Their technology was full of gaps, which human knowledge helped fill, such as the creation of aircraft.
Originally, traveling within a star system was very difficult for a Believer. One would think they'd just build an aircraft or develop interstellar transport. But the Believers couldn't do this because they lacked the necessary scientific foundation.
It sounds ridiculous that a Type 2.3 civilization couldn't even manufacture a basic flight vehicle for use within a star system, but that was the reality.
The Believer Civilization's dependence on another civilization was too extreme; they had failed to develop even a single indigenous technology.
One could say that within the Believer Civilization, there were no scientists, no inventors, no merchants, nothing at all. Naturally, there was no environment to foster the creation of these basic products.
Luna coiled her body into a ball and entered the aircraft.
Thard's projection vanished, and the vehicle immediately launched. Its speed wasn't fast, only about 100 kilometers per second, because humanity hadn't provided the Believers with any more advanced technology.
It took Luna over half a month to cover the distance of more than 200 million kilometers. Following the onboard indicators, she approached Thard, who had been waiting for her.
This time, the one greeting Luna was the real Thard.
Just like in the virtual world, Thard's body was transparent, radiating rainbow-colored light. A God's Chosen naturally needed to distinguish itself from an ordinary body.
Thard was aboard its own small ship.
By human civilization standards, this would be called a starship, as it was only a few hundred meters long. This, too, was a gift from humanity; starships were the primary mode of transport within star systems for humans.
Luna exited her aircraft and entered the starship. Thard, in the spacious cockpit, invited Luna to join it. A virtual screen appeared before them.
The screen displayed the entire star system, surrounded by a dense cluster of dots.
"The white dots are available; the green dots are taken, a Shell is already there."
Luna looked at them.
In reality, both the white and green dots were iridescent, but the information conveyed by their emotional output translated to white and green.
Luna suspected this was an influence of human civilization.
The Believer Civilization was essentially a blank slate; they learned whatever they were taught. In human eyes, those colors likely appeared as white and green.
"Can you give me a rundown?" Luna didn't know which to choose.
Thard was patient.
Luna actually didn't have many options, only about twenty dots to choose from.
"I'll choose this one."
Luna compared the options and decided on an ideal location.
Among the few choices, she picked this one not because its energy source was the best, but because there were many God's Chosen from the Gravity Faction nearby.
Luna's savvy choice pleased Thard even more.
It had brought in many God's Chosen before, but most ultimately chose based on their own self-interest. To see Luna recognize the importance of the group was admirable.
"Then, I will deploy it."
Thard produced the Shell.
This was Luna's first time seeing a Shell's true form; its diameter was perhaps only 10 centimeters or even smaller, like a crystal, radiating iridescent light. However, this wasn't a completed Shell, but its initial state, also known as the Vortex Core.
A Shell is a product of high technology, not a standard building.
It possesses growth attributes. Its eventual size after growth is determined by the amount of energy it absorbs.
Luna looked at that Vortex Core.
She was certain it was a product of an extremely advanced civilization, not the Believers. She could sense the profound power of space within it.
This space didn't mean the Shell was like a storage bag; rather, it utilized spatial science to allow the object to store massive amounts of energy. Utilizing space is effectively utilizing gravity, because only gravity can alter the state of space. More accurately, the alteration of space itself generates gravity; the two are almost indistinguishable.
Thard released the Vortex Core.
Once it left Thard's proximity, it began to expand. Internal energy surged, and external energy was absorbed.
It rapidly ballooned to a diameter of tens of thousands of kilometers. A colossal Shell materialized before them.
"Truly a thing of immense power."
Human civilization possessed nothing like this.
There was no excuse; humans simply lacked such technology. There was no need for it in their society, but the fact remained that the science didn't exist.
"Indeed. This is the God's knowledge."
"As we acquire more, we come to understand the God's immense power better."
"But Moon, we merely fear the God; we do not revere Him. For the God is not selfless."
This was the first time Thard had spoken to Luna about its attitude toward their deity.
"What does the God want?" Luna asked.
"I don't know. No one does. Because the God has never asked for anything, and that is exactly what makes it so terrifying."
Thard was extremely secretive about this information. It only shared a portion of it with Luna.
"Insert your core into the Shell. Then you will have perfect control over it."
Thard instructed Luna.
Luna inserted her computational unit into an opening in the Shell.
Instantly, she felt all the data concerning the entire Shell: its energy reserves, its population, the knowledge within the virtual world, and more.
Luna finally understood what a Shell truly was. It wasn't primarily a residence; it was a workspace.
In that six-dimensional civilization, this would be a production unit, an assembly line where all lifeforms worked to manufacture things.
A six-dimensional Shell would have even more space. But in the Believer Civilization, Shells also served as dwellings.
From the Shell, Luna also obtained data on the manufacturing of many Believer ships and warships. She could build them within the Shell, provided she had enough energy.
"A pity it's incomplete."
Luna's emotional transmission was accurately caught by Thard.
"A complete Shell is a six-dimensional product. We have no way of achieving that," Thard replied.
The God's Chosen knew where their knowledge came from.
That was natural.
They weren't fools; though they had lost their creative ability due to prayer, the knowledge they acquired was enough to tell them the truth.
"Familiarize yourself with this place. Later, you can relocate some of the population here."
"Actually, I recommend creating some of your own population."
This creation wasn't cloning. It was birth.
However, reproduction in the Believer Civilization didn't involve mating; it was a split, like a single-celled organism. They would detach a part of their own body, and that flesh would grow until it became a new, complete individual.
It was essentially a clone, much like Metacellular.
Except the new clone didn't possess the memories of the original subject.
They were just a mass of flesh with low innate intelligence; their wisdom was borrowed from external sources.
Luna suspected that the Believer Civilization had once gone through an intellectual peak, but they later realized that intelligence was useless, so they discarded it.
This wasn't a conscious decision; their bodies had simply adapted.
Because everything could be obtained from prayer and eventually they didn't even need to move, they evolved completely into a sphere-like form.
If it weren't for the need to ensure the continuation of life, Luna believed the Believer Civilization would have even opted for mechanical ascension.
It wasn't just a possibility; it was an inevitability.
"A good suggestion. I will consider it."
Communicating via emotion was quite simple.
Thard didn't chat with Luna about much else. It only hoped that once Luna had everything set up, she would log into their faction's virtual world, similar to the previous seminar, where they could exchange knowledge.
As for actual research, that didn't exist in this civilization.
They only understood acquisition. The simulated intelligence derived from their computational units couldn't support true innovation.
The Believer Civilization's computers were primitive.
While their processing power was strong, technically they were only on par with humanity's first-generation AI; they couldn't learn, they could only categorize and summarize information.
Thard departed in its starship.
Its final advice was that Luna should trade with other God's Chosen for a starship of her own, to make interstellar travel easier.
Luna accepted the advice.
After Thard left, she entered her own Shell. It was empty to the extreme; everything was in its initial state. It gave Luna an urge to dive in and develop the place.
But she restrained herself.
She knew why she was here. Development offered her no personal benefit.
"Now that I've secured the status of a God's Chosen and have a channel for information, I'll first look into news regarding the Faraway Civilization."
The Believer Civilization wasn't familiar with the Home Civilization; it was the Gol Civilization that had summoned them.
Within the Believer Civilization, the Home Civilization was referred to as the [Faraway Civilization], because they truly came from a very distant place.
Luna didn't have access to the information from her previous clone, so she, like the rest of the Believer Civilization, referred to the Home Civilization as the Faraway Civilization.
The Shell could access a broader network.
However, this network had a certain latency and didn't support virtual worlds; it was essentially just a massive forum. Luna was seeing it for the first time, though her previous Shell must have had it too; she just hadn't asked. The forum even had pay-per-view settings for some content.
Spending options in the Believer Civilization were limited, and their monetary system wasn't fully developed. The only thing currency could truly buy was knowledge. Because of this, no matter where they were, the Believers kept their information very well-hidden.
"No wonder Ayla couldn't find the Believer Civilization's technology before."
It wasn't that she found absolutely nothing; she had read some tech, but it was all low-level. Ayla knew these guys were hiding cutting-edge science, but she couldn't squeeze it out of them for the life of her.
Of course, she had tried a few methods, but Ayla eventually discovered that the individuals she questioned truly didn't know. She didn't know who the Believer high-ranking officials were, and with civilization barriers, hiding such things was too easy.
Besides, Ayla hadn't focused her primary attention on the Believers.
"Our presence in the fourth dimension is just too small. Ayla only developed the City of the Sword of Decapitation. If she had expanded, she would have had enough computational power to handle these matters."
This wasn't just hindsight; at the time, Ayla's considerations were more comprehensive. Just like in three dimensions, the top-tier civilizations in the fourth dimension would definitely notice a dimensional invasion.
Therefore, without knowing the status of those top-tier civilizations, Ayla wouldn't invest heavily in the fourth dimension.
The arrival of the Home Civilization proved she was right.
Luna connected to the forum.
Thard had left her a way to contact it, but since God's Chosen were rare, simply searching for Thard's name on the forum was enough to find it.
Luna had initially intended to ask Thard about the Faraway Civilization, but she found the information already on the forum.
While their scientific knowledge was sequestered, information sharing was quite common; over a hundred messages had been posted that day alone.
A message from about two hours ago showed that the Faraway Civilization had contacted the Believers, demanding the handover of their star system. It was incredibly arrogant and had infuriated the Believer God's Chosen.
Although other civilizations found it difficult to communicate with the Believers, the Believers could easily understand messages from others. While scripts and languages differ, the expression of emotion varies very little.
Each message had its own separate chat group. Luna clicked on one and found the chat history filled with a massive amount of vitriol directed at the Faraway Civilization.
Her plan might go much more smoothly than she had imagined.
Even now, some God's Chosen were still active in the chat group, discussing solutions. Luna glanced at the number of people online.
237.
Not many, but certainly not a negligible number.
Thard had mentioned earlier that there were only about a thousand God's Chosen in this star system. The other Shell Lords were technical nobles. This surprised Luna. While she knew God's Chosen were rare, she hadn't expected them to be that rare.
The threshold for becoming a God's Chosen was obtaining at least 1% of a piece of knowledge through prayer. While not easy, requiring a truly faithful individual, it shouldn't be that difficult either. In such a vast civilization, surely there would be tens of millions of individuals who could transition from unbelief to faith.
"There must be something missing in this civilization."
The missing element wasn't faith itself, but the mechanism for it. Luna thought back to One. It was so eager for knowledge, yet it harbored no faith whatsoever in the God. To it, the God was not a benevolent entity.
Combined with the status of the God's Chosen in this society, it was very difficult for a Believer individual to feel sincere devotion. In their eyes, the God's management was an oppressive regime.
In human history, during Earth's Middle Ages, the Church was also quite dark. But at least the Church propagated faith in God.
In the Believer Civilization, however, the God's Chosen didn't propagate faith at all.
This meant individuals knew very little about their deity. They knew there was a God, but who was He? What was He? They couldn't even imagine it.
How can one feel sincere devotion to something that isn't even conceptualized? Even a three-year-old's scribble on a white wall provides something to focus on, but in the Believer Civilization, not even a "scribble" existed.
Coupled with their lack of goodwill, faith was even harder to achieve.
"For someone like me, coming from human civilization, this is trivial. But for a Believer individual, it's the most difficult thing in the world."
"I wonder what would happen if someone actually built an idol for them."
Luna was looking forward to finding out.
Now that human civilization had stepped back from the Believer Civilization and essentially retreated from the four-dimensional struggle, she could cause as much chaos as she wanted without consequences.
The chat group was filled entirely with emotions, with excitement and anger being the most prominent.
Luna joined the conversation.
"Is there really no other way?"
Her question quickly received a response.
"What could we possibly do? We couldn't even defeat the humans, let alone the far more powerful Faraway Civilization. They're a native four-dimensional civilization; they could wipe us out on a whim."
"It looks like we'll have to relocate. But Shells lack rapid-transit capabilities. What are we supposed to do?"
"Are we actually going to abandon the Shells? Reaching a new star system would mean waiting two or three yusui just to recover!"
"Two or three yusui? Try six or seven!"
"This will severely hinder our civilization's development. We were already slowed down by over ten yusui because of the humans, and now another six or seven? How will we resist when the true dimensional war begins?"
"The Faraway Civilization simply looks down on us. They don't care about anything of ours."
"Insults won't help. We still have to comply."
"What do those guys want with our star anyway?"
"Probably because of that explosion a while back. They likely consumed energy fighting the humans and want to directly absorb the star to replenish themselves."
"Bullies! If they're so tough, they should go to the third dimension!"
There was anger, and there was pessimism. But not a single God's Chosen was satisfied with the Faraway Civilization.
Luna felt there was no need to hide her intentions.
Though she was a newcomer, this was a clash of civilizations, not just a struggle between factions. As a member of the Believer Civilization now, any suggestion she made would be considered.
"Actually, I have an idea," Luna transmitted emotionally.
In truth, these God's Chosen were merely venting; none were actually thinking of solutions.
Seeing these arguments, Luna understood why the Believer Civilization had been so quickly captured by humanity. Their computational units were mechanical, lacking creative innovation, even the God's Chosen were the same.
Human civilization followed the strategy Luna had initially established: the "resource theory of imagination." While it hadn't triggered a massive technological explosion, it had at least steadily driven the civilization forward.
Compared to human civilization, the Believer Civilization was an anomaly, a stagnant, lifeless society.
Luna herself wasn't restricted by the computational unit because her core essence came from the Metacellular. Ayla had embedded a tiny amount of Metacellular within the Believer host, a small amount, but enough to grant Luna imagination and innovative power.
As for the other God's Chosen, they lacked these elements. After Luna spoke, she was met with a barrage of skepticism.
"Don't joke around. Who could possibly have a solution?"
"Don't talk nonsense; just start preparing to leave."
"We hate to go, but we can't just make up impossible plans."
"This is the Faraway Civilization we're talking about. They are so powerful, what could you possibly do?"
This civilization is beyond saving!
However, it was a bizarre civilization by its very nature. One couldn't really blame these God's Chosen.
"Whether there is a way depends on whether you are willing to accept it. You can either leave, face the coming chaos, and wait for your civilization to be destroyed in the dimensional war, or you can take a stand."
Luna didn't take charge immediately.
She needed to gauge the attitude of these God's Chosen. Only after they provided a clear stance could she proceed to the next step. If they were unwilling, she had plans A, B, C, and more waiting in reserve.
"Is there a catch?"
"Speak plainly!"
"As long as there's a way, I'll do it."
"Your method must be feasible."
Luna observed their reactions.
Since emotions were expressed directly, she could accurately grasp their underlying thoughts. These God's Chosen were actually quite straightforward.
This was a characteristic of the Believer Civilization.
Compared to the convoluted nature of humans, these beings were all remarkably blunt. Of course, being blunt didn't mean they were fools; what Luna proposed still had to align with their interests.
"While we cannot pose a direct threat to the Faraway Civilization, we are a civilization protected by the God."
"Opposing us is equivalent to opposing the God."
"The Faraway Civilization is strong, but is the God behind us weak?"
"That is a God!"
"Of course, I don't truly believe in a God. The God is likely a powerful civilization; we all know they reside in the sixth dimension. The dimensional war is starting, so what do you think the God wants?"
"Naturally, to become a Type 3 civilization."
"And what are we to the God?"
"Subordinates cultivated in the fourth dimension. The God cannot do without us. If we only plead with the God, He will surely help us."
This was Luna's plan: let the civilization behind the Believers and the Faraway Civilization fight like dogs. The plan was logically perfect.
But it was only a nice thought.
The chat group fell silent for a moment before a God's Chosen spoke up: "That is impossible. You must have only recently ascended to God's Chosen."
"When the humans attacked us, we pleaded with the God for help, but there was no response whatsoever."
This caught Luna off guard.
In her mind, this seemed highly unlikely.
Even if that six-dimensional civilization was a top-tier power, a Type 2.3 Believer Civilization was surely not just a disposable pawn in their grand scheme.
A Type 2.3 civilization might be like an ant to a Type 2.9 power, but it is still fundamentally strong. At the very least, they should command some attention.
"They noticed, but didn't act. Perhaps it wasn't the right time, or perhaps a Type 2.3 civilization really isn't enough. This is the edge of the Milky Way; we're just one idle piece on their board."
Luna suspected this was the case.
If so, her plan was indeed a pipe dream.
Triggering a war between the fourth and sixth dimensions wouldn't be as easy as she had thought.
However, as a leader, Luna knew this was simply because the stakes weren't high enough.
For a six-dimensional civilization, defeating a Type 2.5 human civilization offered no profit. The Faraway Civilization only intervened because this was the fourth dimension; if the fourth dimension were conquered, it would directly impact their interests.
"I need to raise the stakes."
Human civilization could perhaps offer some leverage. But Luna wasn't among humans right now and couldn't promise anything.
Anything she said wouldn't carry weight, and speaking out might even expose her. So, she had to stay in the fourth dimension and utilize the limited resources she currently held.
"Could the Faraway Civilization be the leverage?"
Luna began to eye the Faraway Civilization's fleet. Those warships were worth more than the entire Believer Civilization combined.
She formulated a plan.
"The reason your previous prayers failed was that the God didn't see a real threat. human civilization was too small, not worth the God's intervention."
"But now, our enemy is the Faraway Civilization, and they are immensely powerful."
"Is the Faraway fleet here truly just because of the humans?"
"If it were just the humans, they would have been driven back by now. The Faraway fleet should be leaving."
"Perhaps, what they truly wanted all along, was us!"
Luna entered deception mode.
The Believer Civilization knew humanity's strength all too well. It was roughly on par with the Gol Civilization.
The Gol were strong, but they were still at the edge of the Milky Way, while the Faraway Civilization came from the galactic core.
To be summoned by the Gol, the Faraway Civilization's power was self-evident. Such a powerful civilization had come all the way to this remote corner of the galaxy, and now they intended to stay.
If they weren't staying, they wouldn't need these local stars. They could just destroy a few stars for energy on their way home, couldn't they? But they specifically chose to target the Believer Civilization.
"It truly is unusual!"
"There are many dimensional gateways. In this sector alone, we've detected three. There must be many more in the entire Milky Way, yet the Faraway Civilization came specifically here."
"Even if we are weak, we are still a four-dimensional civilization. Doesn't the Galactic Core have regulations? inter-dimensional civilizations aren't supposed to attack each other. For such a powerful civilization to openly break the rules, their ambition might not be about human civilization at all."
"For the Faraway Civilization, entering the third dimension is easy, yet they persist in making things difficult for us. It makes no sense!"
"..."
Following Luna's words, the chat exploded.
Hundreds of messages appeared, all filled with various conspiracy theories.
Their reaction wasn't just because of their blunt nature, but simply due to limited information, and the impossibility of trusting a civilization that intended to plunder them.
Earlier, they had only guessed that the Faraway Civilization wanted their stars for energy. But what if the Faraway Civilization was actually here for them?
They already had a guilty conscience.
These God's Chosen all knew their knowledge originated from the sixth dimension, and currently, it was a dimensional war. The Faraway Civilization might have gathered intel from somewhere; their true objective for coming here was the God behind them, that six-dimensional civilization.
"No, this won't do!"
"Without the God's help, we will be even weaker, unable to progress."
"We've already been branded with the mark of the sixth dimension. How could the Faraway Civilization ever let us go?"
"It seems they really are here for us. What do we do? We are no match for them."
"Will the God save us?"
The God's Chosen were in a total panic. They weren't experienced strategists.
Although they controlled the entire Believer Civilization, the ordinary population was too small and the number of God's Chosen was too few for them to need to develop complex political maneuvering.
Of course, this also meant that the Believer Civilization was relatively stable and harmonious, without serious internal conflict. Classes existed, but because desires were limited, resistance wasn't fierce. This civilization could act with a unified front against outsiders.
This strength had been evident before; Ayla had spent so much time without ever uncovering the Believer core, and even if she hadn't focused her full attention there, she was Ayla.
Luna's infiltration from within had hit the Believer Civilization's weak point; while trust is the hardest thing to establish, it isn't an issue when you're one of their own.
"This time, the God will certainly save us."
Luna replied in the chat with absolute certainty. The other God's Chosen clamored to ask why.
"Because the God is already the enemy of the Faraway Civilization. And right now, the Faraway Civilization has only a single fleet here. This is the God's best opportunity."
According to Luna's intel, a great war might have already broken out in the galactic core. These top-tier civilizations could easily utilize dimensional gateways to travel to any dimension.
The six-dimensional civilization had no reason to pass up such a golden opportunity. Obliterating this fleet, or better yet, capturing it, would offer immense benefits for their research into four-dimensional civilizations.
Luna's own leadership instincts wouldn't allow her to pass up such a chance. Would the six-dimensional civilization?
Furthermore, if the report included that the Faraway Civilization might have discovered something was wrong with the Believers, the six-dimensional civilization would have even more reason to act.
Of course, the six-dimensional civilization might suspect a trap and stay away. But nothing is 100%. Luna only needed to convince these God's Chosen to take action.
Success would be ideal; if not, Luna could still move to her backup plans, such as destroying the local stars. Then, the Federation would only need to continuously wear down the Faraway fleet.
Luna's simple, clear, and realistic reasoning moved the other God's Chosen.
"True! The God will surely save us!"
Now, every God's Chosen was filled with anticipation.