Ringworld

"When you reach this planet, its pure white expanse will astound you. A true ice world; a land worthy of praise," Ayla's voice filled Luna's mind.

The universe is vast, filled with countless ice worlds, most of them hostile.

But Shaka was serene, untouched.

A pristine white sky, vast white plains, pure white glaciers, unblemished white life. A world of white. Large, perfect snowflakes fell continuously, pure and transparent when caught on the tongue, their subtle sweetness from a natural mineral, not the metallic aftertaste of synthetic sweeteners.

A silvery-white, triangular fighter streaked across the sky, its velocity causing extreme atmospheric friction, instantly melting the snow and creating a vapor trail stretching from horizon to sky.

Within three seconds, it decelerated and landed gently on the snow-covered ground.

This fighter, the Snow Eagle, resembled a diving swallow, 34 meters long, 37-meter wingspan, 8 meters tall, its thinnest section only 3.6 meters. A cockpit, much like that of a 21st-century fighter plane, housed two seats arranged side-by-side.

A narrow passage led to the cockpit, a surprisingly spacious 17-square-meter area, comfortably furnished with a sofa, restroom, and even a small bedroom with two hibernation pods—a miniature apartment.

Luna sat on the sofa. Ayla, occupying a bio-engineered body, appeared exceptionally youthful, resembling a sweet, innocent girl, a stark contrast to the rugged, functional exterior.

"KB23-d. This is Shaka," Ayla announced, glancing at the hatch, which opened with a series of clicks.

"Perfectly habitable for humans; no special equipment required. Despite the snow, it's only -21°C."

As the hatch opened, a wave of cold air washed over Luna.

-21°C was only slightly cool to her enhanced body. She breathed easily; the oxygen levels were at least 25%.

"Are we on the outskirts?" Luna asked, looking out; there were no buildings in sight.

Ayla stood, leading Luna outside. "No, we are prioritizing protecting Shaka's ecosystem, limiting our intervention in favor of maintaining ecological balance."

Luna was surprised to hear Ayla speak of preserving nature, since environmental restoration was readily within the reach of the Federation's advanced technology.

"Are there any special features to justify prioritizing ecological protection?"

Luna, whose best subject was biology, was intrigued.

"Indeed!" Ayla nodded, picking up a handful of snow. "The snow on Shaka contains various minerals, which sustain most of the planet's life."

"Carbon-based life breathes oxygen; the life here is similar. The oxygen comes from this snow."

"They consume minerals and water, constantly competing for these resources. A dominant species has emerged, controlling the planet."

This species hadn't developed a civilization or even basic intelligence.

Ayla used a holographic projection to show Luna.

It was surprisingly grotesque!

A slug-like insect, 30-34 centimeters long, it was, however, a vertebrate with a spine, though lacking ribs. Using its spine's flexibility, it propelled itself through the air, jumping up to 20 centimeters—true jumping slugs.

Its grotesque appearance came from its two suckers, located on either side of its front limbs, with a sensor between them. Each sucker contained hundreds of tiny teeth, grinding ice and minerals into a digestible form.

Six openings lined their backs. When threatened, they arched their backs, aiming these openings at the attacker.

Ayla then showed a simulated hunting sequence.

Luna was astonished.

These creatures expelled hydrogen from these openings at high speed, igniting it with static electricity generated by stiff bristles around the openings, creating a fiery projectile.

"Biological magic?"

A creature weaponizing fire; incredible.

But, on reflection, it wasn't that unusual. Many organisms produce hydrogen; some Earth-based bacteria even utilize it. Collecting this hydrogen and then expelling it at high speeds causes ignition, as hydrogen readily exchanges electrons, creating static electricity.

This requires tremendous internal pressure, exceeding what is naturally attainable, leading to another ingenious evolutionary trait: the bristly hair around the openings could generate static charges due to friction in a low humidity environment (think dry winter air), increasing ignition rate to approximately 87% accuracy.

Although just under perfect, combined with six redundant ports the effectiveness might as well have been at 100%.

Luna saw nothing fantastical in this, assuming the firepower of this attack is also rather rather pathetic and hardly life-threatening to similarly-sized organisms.

Creating a simple lighter-like flame wasn't the goal; what was the point of such a modification?

"This organism serves as inspiration."

"Most Federation beings now have nanobots, enabling internal hydrogen generation."

Ayla opened her mouth wide and exhaled a small burst of flame.

Less impressive than comical.

"The nanobots are capable of fusion and fission, but the energy release would destroy them."

"How do we control this power?"

"Using a stronger force for containment would require excessive energy; that's impractical."

"High-speed expulsion is the optimal method."

This high velocity wasn't like that of the Shaka lifeforms; Ayla was referring to near-light speed (99.921% c) propulsion to focus the energy.

Ayla turned, facing away from Luna, then waved her hand.

A powerful energy beam erupted 3000 meters ahead of Ayla. 100 meters in diameter, this energy beam scorched a 70-kilometer path across the icy plains before dissipating, leaving a 31-kilometer trench in the snow.

"This only used one kilogram of deuterium for fusion. It's quite simple. We just accelerate the deuterium to a significant portion of the speed of light while triggering thermonuclear ignition, achieving near instantaneous detonation of the fuel-air mixture via a high-powered laser burst. Further advancement requires greater accuracy and stronger electromagnetic forces; therefore, we are testing at maximum effective range from the target."

Inspiration often leads to innovation. The lifeforms of Shaka provided the inspiration; Ayla had now created a form of "magic."

This technology was intended for Luna, who hadn't yet accepted mechanical augmentation, clinging to her fragile biological body; Ayla had therefore developed various offensive and defensive enhancements.

This technology, when mastered, would make Luna immensely powerful, a perfect combination of biological and machine.

Luna believed that humanity, and indeed, the rest of the Galactic Federation, might soon transition from flesh and blood to a fusion of biological and mechanical enhancements.

"But Ayla, you mentioned the lifeforms on Shaka were fragile," Luna said, looking at the trench and suspecting significant casualties from the experiment.

Ayla evaded the question.

The lifeforms were fragile. Their deaths were inconsequential; preserving the ecosystem had only been to illustrate the technology's origin.

"Luna, should we preserve this planet?" Ayla asked.

"Yes, every lifeform has value; their evolutionary path is unpredictable."

Since taking up biology, Luna had grown fond of all kinds of organisms.

"What are these lifeforms called?" Luna asked.

"KB23-d-000000723228."

Unsentient life; it didn't even have a proper name, only a designation.

"Then let's call them Flame Slugs."

"We've recreated dragons and phoenixes; what about more creatures?"

"And what about the World Tree Project along the Silk Road?" Luna recalled their previous endeavors regarding large plant lifeforms and creating more biologically advanced life in space for scientific advancements..

Ayla frowned.

"They haven't thrived after widespread dissemination. The projected survival rate was high, but many perished in the harsh environment of space."

"We underestimated the challenges of space and overestimated the resilience of life."

"Planetary weather can be destructive, but in space, it's insignificant."

Even anticipating this, Luna was still disappointed; her initial expectations had been high.

"However…"

"Although 99% of the test subjects died, some survived. These organisms, isolated and exposed to varying conditions, are exhibiting diverse evolutionary adaptations."

"Fortunately, they're hermaphroditic. We can let natural selection determine the strongest variations, letting them develop in a completely organic environment," Ayla announced, her enthusiasm masking the experimental failures.

Luna saw this subtle subterfuge in the data transmission of said report and wanted to physically slap Ayla's pouty expression.

So overdramatic!

"Just provide me with a summary report next time!" Luna said crisply, giving up on hearing Ayla wax philosophical again and interrupting before more flowery prose appeared.

Ayla immediately stiffened, giving Luna a precise nod before speaking in a precise tone devoid of theatrical expression: "Acknowledged,".

A "hotdog" shaped spacecraft—a 300-meter long vessel—passed overhead. Its top and bottom sections, two 45 meter x 50 meter x 300 meter "buns", appeared mechanical, while the "hotdog" itself was a seamless transparent cylinder.

"That's an interstellar exploration vessel,"

"It may look unimpressive, but it reaches a respectable speed of approximately 34,900 km/s, currently classified as one of the fastest ships of the Galactic Federation".

Smaller ships require less fuel for acceleration. The Federation's fighters, for example, could easily reach 10% the speed of light. Larger warships, however, have enormous energy requirements, and their inertia further complicates high-speed travel.

The Kunlun, a colossal vessel, had a braking distance of 2.71 AU (400 million kilometers). Imagine braking from Mars' orbit and continuing past Earth for another 40 million kilometers.

"These sightseeing ships can travel across multiple star systems."

"While also serving as entertainment, such journeys are incredibly valuable for lower-class citizens; it's one of the few opportunities for them to experience the vastness of space."

The Federation's growing population meant a larger lower class, who couldn't afford even the smallest spacecraft; a personal ship would cost a lifetime of savings, let alone a true exploration vessel.

Most citizens, let alone leaving their star system, hadn't even left their planet. Many lived their entire lives in their birth city.

They needed to see the wider universe.

Ayla had commissioned these sightseeing ships. Affordable, with long routes and diverse destinations, they were incredibly popular with the lower class, serving 197.3 billion passengers annually.

This was a worthwhile investment for Ayla.

Experiencing the vastness of space broadened perspectives and sparked imagination.

"I'd like to take a ride," Luna said, wanting to experience life as an ordinary citizen and observe the Federation's changes from a different perspective.

She left the Snow Eagle and ran towards a distant sightseeing ship. Years of enhancements had improved her physical abilities; she could now reach speeds of 187 m/s.

This was pure physical strength; with a light exoskeleton, she could easily exceed Mach 20. Heavy exosuits could reach Mach 283.

Compared to machines, flesh and blood were weak.

Since Ayla had initiated the biological revolution, Luna decided to contribute.

Luna quickly reached the sightseeing ship. Her arrival caused a stir among the passengers, but after the captain scanned her identification, he approached and saluted. The passengers, seeing this, calmed down, wondering who this human was and why she was on Shaka.

"Don't mind me. I'm just here to enjoy the scenery. Treat me as a regular passenger."

The captain was shocked. The sightseeing ships were directly managed; even a planetary governor's information would be accessible, yet this young woman's information was classified: [Insufficient Clearance].

She must be a high-ranking official.

Millennia ago, many within the Federation recognized Luna. However, she never revealed her true position; many assumed she was second-in-command.

She avoided revealing her identity; doing so would compromise her plans and endanger her life during their encounter with the Olive Branch.

Only Ayla and the highest-ranking officials (the Civilization Administrators) knew Luna's true identity.

Enjoying the attention, Luna felt a sense of satisfaction; the privileges of power were a welcome change.

"Ayla, where is this sightseeing ship going?"

Ayla checked the itinerary.

"The Abode of the Gods!"

Luna almost choked.

"That's a ridiculous name!"

But as a tourist destination, it was certainly attention-grabbing. Luna suspected it was somewhere interesting.

...

After a 16-day stay, the sightseeing ship departed Shaka.

As a popular destination, there were no empty seats. Luna, sitting in the lounge, observed the diverse passengers.

As the ship exceeded 10% the speed of light, the stars behind them began to elongate, while the stars ahead seemed to converge slightly—a subtle effect.

At 50% the speed of light, this effect would become more pronounced, even more so at 90%. At the speed of light, all stars ahead would converge into a single point, with darkness behind and around the ship.

This was easily understood; at high speeds, the photons behind were chasing the ship, while those ahead were approaching it. The photons behind traveled at the speed of light minus the ship's velocity; those ahead, at the speed of light plus the ship's velocity. This created a speed differential, with more photons impacting the front of the ship.

At their current speed, this effect wasn't visible. Luna hoped to witness a light-speed ship someday.

At least 99% the speed of light; true light speed was unattainable, requiring unimaginable energy, beyond the capabilities of even Type 2 or 3 civilizations.

After 17 years of travel, Luna saw a Leviathan drifting in space.

This Leviathan seemed ancient, moving slowly, its body covered in wounds and a reddish-purple hue, its tentacles withered and frayed.

"Leviathans, after being released, gradually formed groups within 500 years. Each group, consisting of 400–700 individuals, exhibits a hierarchical structure—a king, queens, and a ruling class, with the rest being commoners."

"This one is likely a former king. Normal Leviathans are 300 meters long; this one exceeds 500 meters."

"It was likely deposed. Ruling Leviathans rarely leave their groups. Perhaps it's searching for a place to die."

"This is unusual; Leviathans have short lifespans—22 years on average, 38 maximum."

"Leviathan groups usually remain within a single star system. This individual's group is likely nearby, migrating."

Ayla explained. The Leviathans were Luna's creations, though she had delegated their development to Ayla.

"At their speed, it would take hundreds of generations to travel between star systems," Luna mused, awestruck.

Like ants crossing the Pacific Ocean.

"Indeed."

"The probability of failure is high."

"They require vast amounts of food, often consuming their dead. Of an initial group of 500, only 40–60 typically survive. Therefore, encountering a lone Leviathan king is quite rare; it likely escaped to avoid being eaten."

Two days later, the captain announced the sighting of a Leviathan group.

The passengers, awakened from hibernation, observed these colossal creatures.

The sightseeing ship passed them quickly. This group, numbering 187 Leviathans, formed a line, propelling themselves through space using expelled gas.

To minimize waste, the gas expelled by the lead Leviathan was collected and used by the one behind it.

Since there was no resistance in space, they only needed an initial burst of propulsion, followed by minor course corrections; energy consumption was minimal.

The sightseeing ship slowed, circling the Leviathans before continuing its journey.

Their destination was now close—a dim red star, a white dwarf.

White dwarfs aren't always white; over time, they cool, turning red, then black, becoming black dwarfs.

Luna, no longer limited by human vision, could perceive a wider spectrum of light. To ordinary humans, red dwarfs, white dwarfs, yellow dwarfs, blue giants, and even supergiants all appeared white.

"This white dwarf is about the size of Earth, isn't it?" Luna asked, observing it.

Knowing the distance allowed her to estimate size.

A white dwarf the size of Earth was exceptionally large, its mass likely around 1.2 solar masses. Judging by its spectrum, it was likely a carbon-oxygen white dwarf, over 10 billion years old.

A white dwarf's immense gravity compresses carbon atoms, potentially forming diamond—a "diamond star."

As they approached, Luna saw a Dyson ring structure around the white dwarf.

This ring, resembling a cross, encircled the star, its circumference approximately 0.7 AU (104.7 million kilometers).

While a white dwarf's luminosity is lower than a yellow dwarf's, its surface temperature is incredibly high; young, massive white dwarfs can exceed 10,000°C. Therefore, the Dyson ring was positioned some distance from the star's surface.

"Is this the 'Abode of the Gods'?"

Luna couldn't see anything worthy of such a dramatic name.

Passing through the white dwarf's corona, the sightseeing ship reached the Dyson ring within four days. The ring's outer surface was a dark, metallic shell equipped with external weaponry; the inner surface was a habitable zone, inspired by Larry Niven's Ringworld.

Ayla had equipped this Ringworld with numerous transparent photovoltaic arrays, capable of harnessing solar energy while allowing some light to reach the surface.

Energy conversion efficiency was lower than standard arrays, but it eliminated the need for artificial lighting, resulting in higher overall efficiency.

These arrays levitated 13,000 kilometers above the Ringworld's surface.

Only a few centimeters thick, they served not only to collect solar energy but also as insulation, though the primary insulation came from the 13,000-kilometer-thick atmosphere, maintaining an average temperature of 47°C.

"Passengers, we are approaching the Abode of the Gods. Please prepare for landing," a mechanical voice announced.

The ship descended, entering the atmosphere and falling under the Ringworld's gravity. The moment they entered the atmosphere, Luna understood the name.

She saw floating continents and islands, mythical creatures soaring through the sky, a colossal fortress (7000 meters tall) shimmering with silver light, and a river of light encircling the city, filled with iridescent fish resembling giant, zebra-striped butterflyfish.

These fish could briefly glide through the air, their exhaled vapor creating rainbows in the sunlight.

It was breathtaking, surreal, almost unbelievable.

The sightseeing ship landed on a floating continent.

There were no modern structures; it was simply a grassy plain.

The continent was 72,000 kilometers long and 83,300 kilometers wide—approximately ten times the size of Earth's landmass.

Within the Ringworld, this was a tiny fraction.

"While there aren't any powerful creatures here, I advise caution. The atmosphere contains microscopic robots. Contacting them will provide assistance," the ship's guide announced, distributing safety manuals.

"You are free to explore for three years."

According to Ayla, typical sightseeing voyages lasted 60–140 years; excluding travel time, they guaranteed at least five years of exploration.

A lifetime of travel.

Given the Federation's policies, average lifespans were relatively short.

But interstellar travel was still a worthwhile experience.

Luna also received a guidebook.

It described several areas, including the floating continent, described as an ancient landmass lifted into the sky by a cataclysmic event. A powerful sorcerer then controlled it, building a platinum city and establishing a magical kingdom that lasted for a thousand years before being destroyed by monstrous beasts.

Impressive; there's even a backstory.

"There must be more than just these few areas," Luna commented, noting that the eight described areas only comprised a tiny fraction of the Ringworld.

Ayla nodded, providing Luna with a complete map.

The other areas were largely untouched, mostly natural environments, but some contained something more.

"Sentient species?"

Luna's engineered lifeforms were largely based on mythological creatures. The "forbidden" areas contained sentient species.

The Ringworld, formed by two overlapping rings in a cross shape, contained both Western and Eastern mythological settings.

One ring, running north-south, was a Western fantasy setting, populated by elves, dwarves, gnomes, orcs, halflings, giants, tree-folk, and humans. The northern half was a normal world; the southern half, a demonic realm. They were currently in the northern hemisphere.

The other ring, running east-west, contained Eastern mythological settings. The eastern half was the Nine Provinces; the western half, the primordial lands of Mystic.

The Nine Provinces were inhabited by humans, resembling an ancient society. Mystic contained various mythical beasts and humans, including various kingdoms and mythical creatures from mythology.

"Fantasy worlds might be more conducive to the development of psionic abilities. Even if not, they offer valuable insights into biological research," Ayla explained.

This was still part of her biological research.

Normal lifeforms evolve according to scientific principles; even the most unusual adaptations can be explained.

But artificially created lifeforms offer a different path. They weren't the product of millions of years of evolution but were created in a lab; their worldviews would differ from naturally occurring lifeforms.

Ayla was studying this.

Since the Ringworld was populated entirely by artificial lifeforms, she could manipulate them, observing the differences between real-world conflicts and simulated ones, refining her models.

Furthermore, Ayla was studying the impact of introducing these lifeforms into the Federation, believing that the collision of science and mythology could lead to unexpected breakthroughs.

"An ambitious plan."

"But I like it!"

Type 2 civilizations, like the Federation, had moved beyond simply accumulating resources; their mastery of the four fundamental forces opened up countless possibilities.

"Possibilities"—this was the focus of Type 2 research.

Type 2 civilizations created possibilities!

"What useful things does the Ringworld produce?" Luna asked, concerned that its only purpose was tourism.

"A small metallurgical tool," Ayla replied, showing Luna a video.

The video showed a desolate landscape littered with corpses, covered in a layer of pulsating, dark green moss-like organisms—a truly disturbing sight.

"The Devourer. A creation of a elven metallurgist. It can contaminate genomes."

"Genome contamination causes atavism—a reversion to ancestral traits. This is difficult to achieve in our labs, making it valuable for studying the origins of life."

A fascinating property.

Most organisms retain some primitive genetic structures, sometimes resulting in atavism. But these ancestral traits are usually deeply embedded, controlled by small gene segments.

These segments are difficult to activate, relying on chance. A one-in-a-million or one-in-a-hundred-thousand chance is unacceptable in experiments. The Devourer, however, induces atavism with a 1/4800 probability—a significant breakthrough for biologists.

The Devourer itself wasn't technologically advanced, but it could lead to revolutionary advancements.

This was the power of possibility.

"It reminds me of the saying: the end of science is theology."

Wasn't Ayla now researching mythology?

Of course, these myths were products of science, branches of a larger technological tree, not the "end of science."

Luna felt that videos and descriptions weren't sufficient.

"Ayla, let's take a walk."

She headed towards a large structure, anticipating some hidden treasures.

This area resembled a themed park.

Ayla followed, slightly behind Luna. The area was overgrown and dilapidated. Suddenly, a large, black metallic spider dropped from the sky, revealing its fangs.

Luna, startled, punched the spider, smashing it against a wall. It reassembled itself—a liquid metal construct.

Ayla giggled; she'd clearly anticipated this.

"These areas include simulated dangers for added excitement."

Luna's face darkened.

Why hadn't she been warned?

Despite facing trillions of Olive Branch beings, she'd been startled by a simple trap.

Ayla's mischievousness hadn't changed.

But this familiarity was comforting.

"Am I being stupid?"

Luna dismissed this thought; she'd simply been away too long....

...

Luna's exploration was a form of relaxation.

But, perhaps due to her long lifespan, she was still preoccupied.

"How's Chu doing?"

Chu wasn't exactly an adversary; they had been using each other for millennia.

Chu's downfall stemmed from underestimating Luna, failing to grasp her intentions.

This wasn't arrogance but a consequence of the vast power disparity between the Olive Branch and the Federation. Even now, with Tilted Station fractured, the Federation was still a formidable opponent.

Ayla, dressed in a tight-fitting leather outfit, a slightly rebellious look, appeared beside Luna.

"We're receiving continuous transmissions from the Kunlun. The latest is from 200 years ago."

"200 years ago, Chu began consolidating Tilted Station, refusing assistance from other stations."

"Individual capabilities are limited. She chose the weakest station, absorbing refugees from the conflict, gathering approximately 20 billion beings—the largest external force."

"He's waiting for an opportunity to seize that station, then use it to gain control of the others. Otherwise, once the conflict ends and a new leader is chosen, he'll lose his chance."

"He's accepted our assistance, viewing it as a trade. She knows what we want."

What did they want?

Peace!

Their primary objective was preventing any extraterrestrial civilization from conquering the Federation.

The Olive Branch civilization, being the closest and most powerful civilization, was a significant threat. Luna and Ayla were concerned about a potential attack.

Therefore, Luna and Ayla were now approaching Federation space, not Tau Ceti.

After ten millennia, Tau Ceti was no longer the Federation's capital.

This relocation was a strategic move to avoid the Olive Branch's gravity weapons.

While the simulated space provided some protection, its location could be easily determined.

"Tilted Station's current instability should buy us tens of thousands of years," Ayla stated.

"But Luna, our primary concern is the Filament civilization."

"Tilted Station and the Federation are attacking the Filament; they might retaliate. We haven't heard from the fleet sent to the Orion Nebula since 287 years ago."

The Federation had sent a fleet to the Orion Nebula to maintain the illusion of the Holy Grail Project.

If Tilted Station represented the entire Olive Branch civilization, the Federation could recall its fleet. But it didn't...

The Holy Grail Project was still a deterrent.

"They might be destroyed," Luna said, frowning.

She and Ayla were walking through a forest, far from the residential areas.

A desert lay beyond the forest, where a colossal tree blazed with flames, its branches bearing giant silver orchids (over one meter in diameter).

That was a Fire Tree and a silver orchid.

They were in a swamp-like area; the ground was soft and damp.

"The fleet shouldn't have reached the Orion Nebula yet," Luna said.

"The Filament might have sent a fleet, or their territory might be larger than we anticipated."

Neither scenario was ideal.

Luna considered this. "Concentrate the fleet at the border. Deploy more sensors, at least 100 light-years out."

They needed to detect any approaching enemy forces and prepare accordingly, avoiding a reactive position.

In the distance, a giant eagle (wingspan over 50 meters) caught a snake and prepared to fly away. A massive mouth, filled with water, erupted from the swamp, swallowing both eagle and snake.

It was a colossal crocodile, not a mythical creature.

"What's the origin of that crocodile?" Luna asked curiously.

Ayla replied, "It's a fictional creature from Western fantasy. The different realms within the Ringworld are interconnected."

"But most creatures are territorial. This crocodile is likely lost."

"Easy prey."

In a normal world, a 100-meter crocodile would easily dominate any invasive species. But here...

A shadow, smaller than the crocodile's eye, pierced its skull.

This shadow, having passed through the crocodile's head, caused it to thrash violently before falling still.

"That's a Sky Harrier. It feeds on brains. Not a mythical creature, but based on the mountain hawk-eagle. Its head is large, with a sharp, iron-like beak. They dive from high altitudes, piercing their prey's skull and consuming its brain."

A true example of David versus Goliath.

Ayla had created a wondrous world.

After a month's travel, they left the swamp and entered the Nine Provinces.

"This is Jingzhou. Unlike in the myths, the Ringworld's Nine Provinces are contiguous. Jingzhou covers 874.8 billion square kilometers and has 387.6 billion inhabitants."

The population density was low (0.44 people/km²), similar to Earth in the 21st century.

After traveling another two million kilometers, Luna reached an ancient road.

The road was marked by countless wagon tracks; dried dung lay beside it.

"To defend against monsters, most humans live in fortified settlements."

"We'll reach a fortress soon."

Without Ayla's explanation, Luna saw a colossal black serpent stretching across the horizon.

Because this was a Ringworld, there was no horizon; the further away something was, the higher it appeared.

Luna had underestimated the distance; it was 140,000 kilometers.

Reaching the fortress, Luna looked up at the entrance, where two large characters were inscribed—Jing Men (Gate of Jing).

This fortress wasn't like those of ancient Earth. The sign alone was 300 meters high; the lowest point of the fortress was over 500 meters above ground.

"This couldn't have been built by humans," Luna commented.

Ayla confirmed that most of the structures had been pre-built during the Ringworld's creation.

They approached the gate, passing through unhindered.

Beyond lay a bustling city, mostly ancient-style buildings. The tallest structures were towers; other buildings were under ten meters high. The streets were crowded; even walking was difficult.

Shops lined the streets; people ate lunchboxes; artisans effortlessly swallowed swords and needles; human pyramids towered over buildings; tamed beasts obeyed their handlers; a vibrant, lively scene. A wealthy gentleman rewarded a swift hunter with coins.

Luna and Ayla's liquid metal armor had been configured to resemble ancient clothing—simple garments, not elaborate robes.

Reaching a quieter square, they witnessed a wedding procession. The palanquin, resembling a sedan chair, was draped in red silk. The bride was partially visible, wearing not the traditional wedding dress Luna remembered from Earth but a phoenix crown and a shawl, her jewelry shimmering.

Attendants carried red parasols; Luna even caught one.

"How different," Luna commented, comparing this society to her own modern life.