Chapter 352: S: The Grand Event of Glory (27)

Stark looked around the details of the parlor, when Charles frowned at him and said, "Your bandwidth is too wide—you'd better…"

A few soft "whoosh" sounds came, and everyone turned to look out the window; first, small mechanical parts fell, then quickly, like a downpour, components rained from the sky, clattering through the room.

With a "crash," one corner of the manor's room collapsed, followed by continuous "boom-boom-boom" explosions; Charles waved his hand, and the group appeared above the sea, watching from afar as the manor was buried under countless mechanical parts.

Stark crossed his arms and said, "This is the consequence of you forcibly hypnotizing me—I was in deep thought, and you yanked me into your mental space; the components I built in my mind naturally flooded this place."

As he spoke, the mechanical rain in midair slowed slightly, but the entire beach was now unrecognizable, with countless bizarre mechanical parts piled higher than mountains; Charles sighed and said, "Clearly, someone advised me…"

"I know perfectly well," Stark turned to Shi Ler and said, "Someone who only knows how to twist lightbulbs will never understand a scientist's obsession with thought…"

"Fine, you've destroyed the base we built." Shi Ler placed his hand over his eyes, gazing far at the coastline, then added, "You've got to give us somewhere to talk."

"You call that tiny house a base? If that's the extent of your ambition for this organization, don't bother me next time."

Saying this, Stark floated up from the sea, arms spread, his eyes glowing faintly.

In an instant, a brilliant sun rose behind him—a furnace with infinite energy—then countless parts whirled into a storm around him, more and more appearing in midair, constantly converging, fusing, reassembling, upgrading…

Within seconds, a dazzling mechanical storm swept through the entire mental space; after the sea breeze scattered the mist, a vast mechanical city appeared in the dream.

It was a city beyond description, every building meticulously crafted down to gears and bearings—skyscrapers, highways, avenues, alleys—all gleaming with cold metal and machinery, yet crowded and vibrantly alive.

Loki also squinted; she had traveled the cosmos for years, seen advanced civilizations' massive fleets cruising between star systems, witnessed deities who could create and erase stars with a thought—but she had to admit, no matter the level, Stark's mechanical city forged in this dream was a perfect fusion of technology and art.

With a wave of Charles's hand, the group appeared atop the tallest building in the city's center, bearing Stark's signature.

Inside the top floor was a spacious, bright hall filled with floor-to-ceiling windows, more beautiful than Stark Tower's current observation deck; several circular pedestals surrounded by screens stood in the hall, and a floating small robot brought over a tray; Stark picked up a cup of coffee.

"Drinking coffee in a dream? Impressive," Strange said.

Shi Ler also took a cup from the tray and said, "It's merely a psychological suggestion to keep thoughts flowing smoothly."

Charles surveyed the hall and shook his head. "It's advanced, but I still prefer traditional decor."

He lifted his coffee cup and clinked it against Shi Ler's; Stark snapped his fingers, and a door appeared on the wall; he pointed to it, and Shi Ler and Stark's figures appeared before the door; Shi Ler pushed it open—the parlor from before lay beyond.

"It seems your mastery of dream power far exceeds the norm," Shi Ler turned to Stark and said.

"The mental space and the Hall of Thought aren't anyone's exclusive domain—and Stark surpasses the norm in every way."

"Can we get to the real business?" Nick yawned. "I'd like to save time for a good sleep."

Stark snapped again; a semicircular sofa descended from the ceiling; once seated, a circular pedestal rose in the center, its screen lighting up.

"The question now is whether we should join the Andromeda War, and if so, how." Strange lifted his coffee cup and took a sip.

Stark glanced at Shi Ler and said, "The first question—we don't need to debate it. From the start, we've aimed straight at Andromeda."

"But I don't understand: you had me send a message through the Sanctum to Siseon, telling him Nal had absorbed chaotic energy, to make him harass Nal and provoke the Sulfur Dwarves into declaring war on the Union—what's the benefit?" Strange asked.

Nick understood the plan more deeply. "It starts with the mutants' plight—Earth is too small, too fragile; it's unsuitable for humans and mutants to coexist."

Charles sighed slightly. "No one wants to leave unless forced. Mutants aren't incapable of fighting humans for Earth—but in the process, Earth would already be reduced to ash."

"Mutants need civilization—a society built upon it—not a wasteland to rebuild from scratch."

"Humanity's physical weakness has driven their minds to greater madness; any group daring to fight them, even if victorious, will only inherit a radiation-scarred wasteland, plowed over by their nukes again and again."

Charles interlaced his fingers. "I've never supported direct war between mutants and humans for this reason—we'd pay a terrible price and gain nothing."

"We've long agreed on this. The only question now is: where exactly is the homeland you've promised the mutants?"

"In the Andromeda Galaxy," Shi Ler answered bluntly. "It will be a human enclave—a vanguard for humanity's expansion into space, receiving constant support from the homeworld, eventually building its own civilization there."

"But how will you meet the conditions I mentioned?" Charles asked.

"Obviously, Andromeda is a star system with an advanced civilization—far more prosperous than the Milky Way. There are already three civilizations that have entered the cosmic tier, not to mention countless native ones."

Xiaoshuting app

"Of course, most of these civilizations are occupied—but that was the past. Now, the Sulfur Dwarves have ignited war between civilizations."

"You want to let the clam and the sandpiper fight, while the fisherman reaps the benefit?"

"Something like that—but more complex." Shi Ler conjured a puzzle on the coffee table and explained: "Among these three civilizations, the Symbiote Civilization is negligible—they have no true civilization of their own; their homeworld is a prison holding their creators. Had their survival method not been so unique, they couldn't compete with the other two."

"So the two largest tenants of this system are the Sulfur Dwarves and the Union Civilization. The Sulfur Dwarves' civilization is advanced, but their living conditions are brutal—their bodies are far stronger than humans; surface temperatures of hundreds of degrees are still comfortable for them. Planets they inhabit are unsuitable for humanoid life."

"So the Sulfur Dwarves are doomed? How do you plan to kill them?"

"We'll get to that later. Now, the Union Civilization—much better. Their species are wildly diverse, lacking unity entirely; they possess countless ecological planets—perfect for mutants."

"This perfectly fits your requirements," Shi Ler said to Charles. "An existing civilization, a thriving interstellar society, countless cultural achievements…"

Then Shi Ler shifted tone: "But if mutants joined the Union Civilization now, they'd be at a severe disadvantage—currently, the civilization has a central governing body, and the races coexist relatively peacefully, unwelcoming to outsiders."

"So mutants should appear at the very brink of the civilization's collapse, as saviors, rescuing each race from ruin…"

Nick nodded knowingly. "Then they willingly accept mutant garrisons, enthusiastically welcome mutants to settle on the most habitable planet, and pledge to unite under mutant leadership to build a harmonious interstellar society."

Stark took a deep breath. "I get it. Mutants are going as peacekeepers."

"And to force the Union Civilization into this state, we must start with the Sulfur Dwarves…"

At this, Loki spoke: "I agree the Sulfur Dwarves have the power to push the Union Civilization to the brink—but after achieving that, how do you handle the Sulfur Dwarves themselves? Aren't you afraid they'll absorb too many Union resources and become uncontrollable?"

"That part remains classified. Let's discuss the third civilization—the Symbiote Civilization."

"The Symbiote Civilization has excellent relations with the Union. When the Union faces fierce attacks, they'll surely seek Symbiote aid."

"These parasitic beings excel at enhancing individual combat capability. If the Symbiotes on Klinta all mobilize and arm the Union Civilization, the Union might yet survive against all odds."

"So you told Siseon about Nal wasting chaotic energy, to trap the Klinta Symbiotes and prevent them from aiding the Union?"

"Precisely. Another reason: once the Union Civilization nears collapse, the Symbiotes will face a dire dilemma—they'll have far fewer hosts available, with the Sulfur Dwarves watching hungrily."

"And at that moment, mutants—once allies of the Symbiotes—arrive in this system. Re-establishing a beneficial symbiotic relationship shouldn't be difficult, right?"

"Same old tactic," Nick set down his cup, voice cold. "Eliminate the strongest local bully and the most outspoken leader, leaving the group without a head."

"Then weaken the middle layer until they're easily controllable."

"Finally, prop up the weakest faction, let the lower and middle tiers fight and exhaust each other, while the upper tier reaps the benefits."

All of them recalled examples, feeling a chill run down their spines.

Shi Ler leaned back in his chair, hands resting on the armrests, eyes closed, as if feeling drowsy in the dream; his voice sounded as if drifting from distant void.

"Humans have shuffled and struggled for millennia on this tiny patch of land—from tribes to nations, from primitive to advanced—but conflict never ceased."

"No other species has ever been as cruel as humans in war, oppression, and exploitation."

"If those noble virtues are no longer enough to defend against the ever-approaching dangers of endless space…"

"If our sun is too dim, destined never to illuminate the entire universe…"

"Then let us become the most dangerous presence—the black sun rising above the dark forest…"

"Glory fades, yet glory endures."

————Epilogue————

The timeline has converged.