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"Only a madman would want to entrust national security to a monster whose humanity is even unknown!"
"Alright, assuming we adopt the Ministry of Military Affairs' suggestion to send troops to attack it, are you absolutely certain you can kill it?"
"..."
The Minister of Military Affairs opened his mouth, but then hesitated to speak.
This is the real reason why the military, which has always taken a tough stance, chose to sit in this place.
"You're not sure!"
The Finance Minister, who had bluntly revealed the truth, said sternly: "Have you considered the consequences if your attack fails but angers the other side? Look at the loss list and report from a month ago before you start saying such things, General. In less than an hour, our country lost more than five trillion US dollars, and that was without the other side deliberately targeting our country. Do you know what the consequences would be if the same destruction were carried out in City B?"
"..."
"Let's look at this. Did you receive the loss report from the US two days ago? The Seventh Fleet, which has been stationed in the South China Sea for several years, has lost two-thirds of its fleet. The remaining third was lost halfway through its return voyage due to leaks and explosions. Yet, they haven't said a single word. Under these circumstances, are you really so eager to be the first 'hero' to step in and get shot?"
The meeting room returned to calm for the first time amidst the almost roaring voices. A series of straightforward numbers and comparisons extinguished the flames of hatred and anger, forcing people to consider what would remain after they had vented their emotions in accordance with this impulse.
"No need for more possibilities, folks. If he were to bring the level of destructive power he displayed against the US Seventh Fleet in the South China Sea a month ago to the mainland of Country C and unleash it in some of the most economically prosperous cities, Country C's economy would collapse immediately—no one wants to live, let alone do business, in a city where they could lose their life at any moment."
"If the economy collapses and the people's basic needs for food and clothing are not met, foreign separatist forces will definitely not let this opportunity pass, and then there will be nationwide uprisings—please don't speak yet, General. I know what you want to say, but at that time, can you guarantee that you will still have the strength to suppress these foreign separatist forces? If there is an 'enemy' above us that can deliver destructive power equivalent to miniature nuclear weapons across the country at ten times the speed of Mach, do you think it will still be possible to mobilize the army?"
"Impossible. Even I, from the Ministry of Finance, know this very well. Even if our soldiers can withstand these unimaginable casualties and hold out to the end, how much combat power can they retain when their ammunition, fuel, food, and all kinds of supplies are cut off? Modern warfare is a war of resources, but our enemy has no weaknesses. He can easily break through our blockade and annihilate our strategic points, while our fastest fighter jets can't even catch up with the enemy's tail. How can we fight this battle?"
"I can't think of any other way but to activate all nuclear weapons and perish together with them."
----------segmentation----------
Somewhat unexpectedly, when Lin Yi appeared at the scene by "opening the door" in an unconventional way, he was not met with impulsive and foolish resistance, but with silent acceptance and endurance. Although both feelings were unpleasant, at least the latter meant that he did not need to "organize" the world at this stage. After all, it would be quite irrational to do such a thing when there was still a "fragment" watching from the outside.
Under these circumstances, Lin Yi was not hesitant to pay a negligible price.
"Just like your demands on this country, I don't need much: stability."
"...Mr. Lin, we don't quite understand what you mean."
"It's very simple. I know many of you are wondering if I will seize your power or establish an empire. Let me make it clear: I will not interfere with any of your existing ways of ruling. Just as you hope that this country can develop stably, what I need is not much different from what you need."
Only stability can lead to development, only development can lead to production, and only production can provide a continuous stream of "resources" to drive the construction of the main god...
“In fact, if it is to maintain this ‘stability,’ I will give you a little help when necessary, but in exchange, I hope to exchange it for something that is no longer so necessary for you.”
Organizing his thoughts, the leader slowly began, "I don't know what you need."
"It's very simple."
With a smile on his face, Lin Yi made a request that couldn't be simpler: "Half of the stockpiled nuclear weapons."
Metal Frenzy: Chapter 257 The Immortal-Slaying Sword
In the end, the results of contact with the first "fragment" of the Xianxia world far outweighed the costs. Not only did they gain complete control over this Xianxia world in dire need of rebuilding, but they also truly defeated another "fragment" that was different from themselves for the first time.
What's rather strange is that the form in which this "fragment" exists is quite different from what Lin Yi originally imagined.
"...Can a sword also serve as a host?"
[The correct judgment is that the carrier of the fragments is not limited to any particular form; the only requirement is that it possesses subjective intelligence.]
"So, besides flesh and blood beings like me, anything that has developed its own consciousness is acceptable?"
[The judgment is correct.]
In other words, this Zhuxian Sword is also a thing that has developed its own consciousness, rather than just a weapon... This can be seen from the Zhenyao Sword and the Mo Sword, which have already collapsed in the eyes of the Death Perception, as well as the Xihe and Wangshu Swords, which were cut off by the graviton rays.
During his interactions with these objects in the world of immortals and heroes, Lin Yi sensed something akin to human thought, or what cultivators called "spirit," within these blades more than once. However, because he hadn't actively sought out methods of cultivation, his perceptions were too vague. But even this alone proved that when an object is tainted by spiritual energy, and the intensity and duration reach a certain level, it will undergo a transformation. At that point, the weapon is no longer a weapon in the conventional sense, but a "spiritual artifact."
If we go a step further, spiritual artifacts are immortal artifacts or divine artifacts, such as the Demon-Suppressing Sword and the Demon Sword. Based on this reasoning, the origin of this Immortal-Slaying Sword may be different from what Lin Yi imagined.
What truly proved Lin Yi's guess was the main god's second activity test of World One.
After learning from the "fragments" that the current Xianxia world had suffered severe damage, Lin Yi once again instructed the main god to conduct an activity detection on this world with many unknowns. This time, without the obstruction of other "fragments," two results were obtained—
"Zero activity... Naturally, all control over spiritual energy has been taken over by the fragments. How can one influence reality in an active way when not even a trace of spiritual energy can be controlled?"
Therefore, it's understandable that the main god didn't give any warnings when they first entered this world, but the second result was far beyond imagination.
"High activity..."
To be more precise, it was a "highly active world" before the "fragments" invaded.
Back then, the Three Realms still existed. The Heavenly Dao was established in the Underworld, the Human Realm, and the Divine Realm, which cycled endlessly. Even if a cultivator in the Human Realm reached the highest Tribulation Transcending stage, they were still only at the lower level of the cultivation world. There were also the lofty immortals and the unfathomable Netherworld, as well as ancient and primordial creatures such as Zhulong and Jiuyin. It can be said that the world of immortals and heroes back then was truly a "world of immortals and heroes." The current world of immortals and heroes at most has a little more "heroes," but the "immortals" have completely disappeared.
In this way, the history and context of this fantasy world become completely clear.
Twelve thousand years ago, the Zhuxian Sword, having developed its own consciousness, was chosen as a host by a fragment and merged with it to form a unified entity. It then used the fragment's abilities to indiscriminately invade the surrounding world. In this respect, the Zhuxian Sword's starting point was significantly higher than Lin Yi's. From the beginning, the Zhuxian Sword was a divine weapon with immense power, unlike Lin Yi, who was initially just an ordinary person with all stats at 10.
However, being weak has its advantages; at least one will be cautious in taking each step. But being strong also has its disadvantages. Because the initial invasions were too successful, the Zhuxian Sword rashly invaded the highly active World One. Thus, a long and arduous war began for both sides.
In this war of invasion and confrontation, Zhuxian exhausted all its resources, and even the Zhuxian Sword, as its main body, was severely damaged—becoming its current state full of cracks. The ending of World One was even more tragic. Two of the three realms were shattered, and the "Heavenly Dao," which was the manifestation of the planet's will, completely disappeared. The only remaining human cultivation world was also controlled by Zhuxian, until the sudden intrusion of Lin Yi, an "unexpected element."
"…It really is not something to laugh about."
Not only did he eliminate an unstable element, but he also gained a second "fragment" and control over a once highly active world. He should have been happy about this, but after figuring out the whole story, Lin Yi found that he couldn't be happy at all.
The exact number of fragments of the main god remains a mystery. However, each contact with other fragments is accompanied by enormous risks. Just when one "Zhu Xian" was resolved, another problem was already imminent. Even if this fragment is resolved again, can one guarantee that when invading a new world in the future, one will not encounter a situation similar to "Zhu Xian" earlier?
Obviously, no.
—What they encounter, they will also encounter, just as what they encounter, they will surely encounter as well.
Lin Yi had a premonition, deep down.
Letting out a breath and temporarily putting this long-standing problem aside, Lin Yi turned to ask his main god another unexpected question: "Main god, my origin world isn't here?"
Insufficient information; unable to confirm.
Before his consciousness was erased, a piece of information from "Zhu Xian"—its veracity uncertain—caught Lin Yi's attention. If it was just a false message meant to mislead him, that would be fine; but if it was true…
"Can't the data fragments in Jade Dynasty be merged?"
[The integration process is expected to take more than 100 years. Should we proceed with the integration?]
Since they are fragments that split off from the same entity, they can naturally re-integrate into a whole, and it is only natural for any fragment to seize the records and knowledge of other fragments.
Being able to absorb the other party's 12,000 years of experience and knowledge in just over a hundred years through this "fusion" method should not be considered a loss. However, considering that his life so far is not even a fraction of that number, Lin Yi gave up the option of fusion immediately. Putting aside everything else, the other fragment that was already close at hand could not give him much more time.
"Let's just use it for now."
Reaching out, he grasped the Immortal Execution Sword floating in front of him. Over the past month, various experiments had proven that this weapon was harder than any weapon he had ever encountered before. It could even withstand gravity particles without a scratch. It would be a good alternative to the Demon Suppression Sword when facing another fragment of the main god.
"...And then, it's you guys."
Looking up, the IS unit's parameters and performance were clearly displayed on the screen.
Metal Frenzy: Chapter 258 Impact (Part 1)
After simply controlling the chain reaction caused by the reverse flow of spiritual energy in World Zero to a certain extent, Lin Yi, who noticed the anomaly in a strange world, immediately connected it with the mastermind behind the appearance of the intelligent world. In addition, the calculations from the main god further proved this judgment. He immediately shifted all the main god's focus to this "fragment war" that was about to break out.
It's important to understand that, if the conclusion is correct, then what Lin Yi will be facing this time will no longer be a fragment severely damaged in a highly active world, but a complete "fragment" with multiple worlds under its control, a vast energy reserve, and all sorts of incredible knowledge and abilities.
Perhaps in the future Lin Yi will encounter countless such opponents and be forced to adapt, but at least for now, he still knows nothing about this upcoming "enemy".
"With the intelligent world as the main battlefield, we should increase the construction and enhancement of humanoids, and allocate resources to the front line... We need to establish a base in world number eleven as soon as possible. I need to confirm all the intelligence about this world in the shortest possible time."
【Command confirmation】
With the input of a large number of androids and reincarnators, Lin Yi quickly obtained the intelligence he needed—IS.
A conceptual weapon that clearly shouldn't exist in World Eleven at its current level of technological and theoretical understanding makes the conclusion that World Eleven is subject to external interference a reality.
When the enemy throws a bait in front of you, the best course of action is to ignore it. However, this theory is clearly not applicable to wars between "fragments".
"Do you remember the world of mechanical dolls...? The current situation in that world is quite similar."
It's not about forcing the world to change through violence, but about abandoning a key "element," compelling the world to change on its own.
Clearly, the "Miracle Magic" that completely overturned the magic of the old era in the Miracle World and the "IS" that has completely overturned traditional weapons in the current World Eleven are similar things.
Similarly, the new thing is a powerful force that far surpasses the existing old things. If we accept it, everything that exists will be changed. But if we don't accept it, it will only lead to the destruction of others who accept the new thing, thus forcing us to change in another way.
In this situation, if the changes occurring within the "decoy" are ignored, it is expected that within a few years, this world, which has largely accepted the existence of IS, will completely fall into the enemy's control—just like the old world of mechanics. At that time, this world will no longer be a "decoy," but another "front line," or a trench directly placed in front of our own lines. One can imagine how much it would cost to remove it if it really became like this.
After realizing this possibility, Lin Yi made a decision without hesitation.
"Destroy it."
[Unintelligible instructions]
"Given that the concept of ISIS has been accepted to this extent by them, do you think we still have time to change their perception?"
To put it in the worst-case scenario, perhaps the countermeasures are based on this very idea and that's why they're throwing out the "bait" now.
"Compared to changes that require a long time and may not even be completed, simple destruction may not be the best option, but it is at least an efficient one."
The peaceful time in the other world lasted for less than three days. With a new mission from the "Griffin" headquarters, Squad 404 had to leave the base again and embark on a battlefield that would never end.
"Our mission this time is simple: just shoot down everyone who gets in our way."
As he said this, UMP45 wore his usual subtle smile, as if he had already anticipated this situation: "An enemy that exceeds our ability to cope will be dealt with by others. Of course, if we are unlucky, it is also unavoidable if we are destroyed before we receive support."
"...Is it okay to talk about this?"
"Of course, this time 'Griffin' was surprisingly lenient, and didn't issue any death orders forbidding anyone from backing down after the treat~"
"Wow, that's quite rare."
Like UMP9 who exclaimed in surprise, HK416 was also puzzled. However, her current height meant that she could only focus on her surroundings. In a situation where she could only carefully maintain her own life, she had neither the time nor the opportunity to see the truth of the matter. The only thing she could do was to obey.
He let out a breath: "Where's the target?"
"Old friend~ Denoa Company".
----------segmentation----------
De Arnold, as the company's chairman, was not unaware of the frequent spying glances that had recently appeared around the factory. However, due to the strange power displayed by the spy in the conflict a few days ago, he only paid "attention".
As of today, De Arnold remains completely baffled by the "strange power" that suddenly appeared on the night of three days ago.
"Judging from its properties, it should be similar to a high-energy laser, but the particles it is composed of are quite different from what we know, specifically in the terminal microparticles and the emitting end—"
"Simply put, have you figured out what that is?"
The two researchers exchanged glances, and finally one of them spoke up: "I'm sorry, Chairman, if we could have more time, we might be able to provide detailed analysis and results, but with only three days..."
The implication is obvious.
— Deciphering data with a level of complexity similar to IS core secrets within three days is an unreasonable demand, but often things cannot be solved simply by understanding them.
"...I understand, but you have at most one month left—"
"Excuse me, Mr. Denoa, what is the reason for your urgent need for the results of this data?"
"reason……"
I subconsciously looked out the window, where the pale sunlight, obscured by gloom, was reflected in the sky. A burning thought, unforgettable for a lifetime, was clearly imprinted on my retina.
"...I think it's no longer necessary."
—Regardless of the result or the cause.
Without any prior declaration or warning, the war broke out entirely under the unilateral will of one side.
The "waves" sweeping in from the coast easily swallowed up the defenses along the way, which were practically non-existent. With the current technology of mankind, if they were facing opponents who were also human, the outcome would naturally be a mixed bag. However, when faced with the "impact" formed by the combined power of twelve worlds, even if it was just a tiny "splash" on the edge, it was enough to easily destroy all of this fragility.
Metal Frenzy: Chapter 259 Impact (Part 2)
In the absence of overwhelming factors, the most important factor determining a modern war is still resources. These "resources" are by no means just various metals and fuel, but rather a comprehensive "strategic resource" that includes population, land, beliefs, and so on.
Originally, in the existing national order of the IS world, only a few powerful countries possessed the largest "resource" reserves for various reasons, and they were generally the ones who determined the "rules of the game." However, with the emergence of "IS," this rule was completely overturned.