Chapter 31: The Weapon of Civilization

"The remaining energy of the Kui Bie Tower is at 2.57%."

This was the data Ella received after the relentless attack from the Proxima Centauri civilization finally ceased.

It was a close call, as if the attack had lasted just an hour longer, the magnetic shield of the Kui Bie Tower would have lost its power, and the entire tower would have been melted into an asteroid by the dark matter explosion.

What seemed like a simple defense and attack actually consumed the accumulated resources of both civilizations over thousands of years.

Logically, a 1.8-level Proxima Centauri civilization should have had 100 times more energy than the current Yan Xia civilization, and it would only need to use 1% of its energy to destroy the Kui Bie Tower, with even some surplus within that 1%.

But how could the energy calculation of a civilization be so straightforward?

Energy is not solely dedicated to military purposes; a civilization's societal operations also require a vast amount of energy—energy for residential use, transportation, large factories, and more, which account for a significant portion of a civilization's energy consumption.

The energy that can be utilized for military purposes, strictly speaking, is the excess energy after accounting for the aforementioned energy consumption. It can also be called reserve energy.

This energy is not only linked to military affairs but is also closely tied to a civilization's economy, just like reserve funds.

When energy consumption becomes too large, a civilization's economy will become unstable, factories will shut down, and the civilization will fall into a state of developmental stagnation and social chaos.

As a wandering civilization, Yan Xia has a significant portion of its total energy, up to 76%, dedicated to its weapons.

This is the source of Yan Xia's confidence.

The Proxima Centauri civilization still has over 70% of its energy available for use, but it cannot afford to stop using it.

"This civilization still has some resilience."

"Advanced civilizations inherently possess complex structures, and complex structures lead to more cautious decision-making."

"Fortunately, we are facing a 1.8-level civilization. If it were a 1.9-level or higher, the Kui Bie Tower plan would have no chance of success."

"Creatures have already entered the tower, so let's activate the Kui Bie Tower."

Ella nodded.

"The Kui Bie Tower is now complete, but the God Emperor has changed His mind."

"He has placed His most precious treasure within the tower, awaiting humans to come and claim it."

"To obtain the treasure, one must pass through numerous trials, and each trial is related to becoming a qualified deity."

"When humans reach the top of the tower and find the divine authority, they will take it up and become gods themselves."

"Yan Xia, what do you think of this new story?"

Yan Xia sat in the pastor's chair, lifting a 140-kilogram barbell for a set of ten overhead presses.

After ten repetitions, the barbell was caught by a robot.

He took two deep breaths.

"It needs improvement. A complete story should also be an epic in its own right."

"And the reality of the documentary will never have an open-ended conclusion; instead, it will have a long aftermath."

"After becoming gods, humans won't go to heaven but will return to the mortal world, spreading the gifts of the God Emperor, bringing humanity closer to Him, and worshipping Him as the Lord."

"The God Emperor's trials are about becoming a qualified deity, and my weapon for Proxima Centauri is humanity's glorious civilization."

"Neither the God Emperor nor I are lying. The God Emperor does have a treasure, and I do have a pass for the civilization."

The creature that obtains this pass will become a part of humanity.

...

Kui Bie Tower.

Standing before this colossal structure, the Proxima Centauri creatures felt an immense sense of awe.

This was the tower that withstood their civilization's relentless attacks and remained standing.

It was a symbol of a higher civilization.

"Go inside."

Some creatures were incredibly excited.

"Should we take a look first?"

Others hesitated.

"I shouldn't have come here."

Some creatures had second thoughts.

But eventually, the first creature entered, walking tall through the 50-meter-high, slender door, which was like a waterfall of white light.

"I... what is this?"

It gazed in awe at everything before it. Inside the tower was a hidden world, completely different from their own. It was filled with vibrant colors, bright lights, splendor, and beauty.

Another creature entered.

It shouted, "What are you?"

The first creature turned its head, and they looked at each other.

"You..."

"Is this the appearance of higher-level civilization creatures?"

"It's too ugly, but for some reason, it has a sense of creature perfection."

"It seems that any creature capable of developing higher intelligence is a perfect being evolved over millions of years."

"It's just that this body is too fragile."

"According to the prophecy, the tower will give us trials. Have the trials already begun?"

"What should we do?"

They waited, feeling lost, until hunger struck, and they realized they needed to find food.

As the sky darkened, they realized they needed fire.

In the second sky, heavy rain fell, and they suddenly understood they needed a shelter.

Survival!

Or, to survive in a human way, this was their first trial.

Tens of thousands of creatures entered, and after the first trial, thousands of them opened their eyes again, finding themselves in darkness with a bright door ahead. Upon entering the door, they reappeared within the tower.

They looked at each other in confusion.

"What did we experience?"

They had no memory of what happened inside the tower.

The remaining creatures entered the second level to face the second trial.

Poetic Civilization.

They would experience stories set in poetic backgrounds, become the protagonists, and then recite the poems themselves.

Those who were moved by the experience would be considered to have passed the trial, while the others would be eliminated.

Third Level.

Five Senses.

They would experience the sharp five senses of humans and the pleasure they bring, gradually forgetting their original selves and believing that their original bodies were inferior to human bodies.

Aesthetics, admiration, honor, mythology, novels...

All these things that can create a sense of human pleasure are the layers of trials.

It stimulates human emotions and desires, driving them crazy.

But this is only part of the trial. Afterward, they will return to their original selves and experience the most filthy aspects of their civilization, creating a contrast.

Then, they will "glimpse" into the future and see how happy humans will be after receiving their civilization.

After that, they will experience "becoming human again" and feel the superiority of being human when facing their own civilization.

Throughout these processes, they will face one question after another, questions that touch upon their deepest thoughts.

These elements are interconnected.

They are transformed from within to become "human."

To prevent creatures from disguising themselves, their original bodies are controlled by robots inside the Kui Bie Tower, connected to their nerves, and their deepest thoughts are read from their minds.

This is a form of brainwashing and training.

The God Emperor gains His followers, and Yan Xia gains the followers of the Proxima Centauri civilization!