Translator: CinderTL
Technology Research Institute.
Core Zone, Conference Hall.
As the core members of the Technology Research Institute waited, a black shadow silently materialized.
Scanning the assembled group, the black shadow spoke in a deep voice:
"It is now almost certain that the various factions gathering in Star City are mobilizing against Future City. What are your thoughts and proposals for this impending conflict?"
Faced with this question, everyone remained silent, no one offering a response.
Currently, gathering intelligence from Star City was impossible, and their sudden declaration of war remained incomprehensible.
It defied logic and common sense.
Faced with this unexpected crisis, Future City's situation was dire.
Just then, a man in a Technology Research Institute uniform abruptly stood up and proposed in a grave tone:
"My lord, since Star City has confirmed their intent to wage war against us, we need not hesitate any longer. Before their assembled forces arrive, I propose we launch a nuclear strike!"
His words immediately sparked an uproar among those present.
The term "nuclear strike" was familiar to everyone in the room, and they were well aware of the devastating power of nuclear weapons.
However, since the cataclysm, this prohibited weapon had rarely been mentioned.
This was due to the altered rules of the post-cataclysm world.
Humans once attempted to strike Domain Field-covered areas with nuclear weapons, but these weapons proved almost entirely ineffective against the fields.
The rules governing many Domain Fields were fundamentally different from those of the world they inhabited.
Nuclear weapons operate by harnessing the immense energy released during self-sustaining nuclear fission or fusion reactions.
However, within numerous Domain Fields, the conditions necessary for fission or fusion simply couldn't exist.
This rendered humanity's most devastating weapons useless scrap metal.
Due to these fundamental limitations, humans began to doubt whether technological advancement could provide the means to resist the expanding Domain Fields.
It was at this point that cultivation studies gradually rose to prominence, stepping onto the stage of history.
The cataclysm proved that cultivation studies were far better suited to the needs of the new era than technological development. The new age ushered in a complete transformation, with cultivation studies becoming the dominant system for practical application and development.
As for nuclear weapons and other specialized technological weapons,
having lost their purpose, humans began large-scale destruction efforts, driven entirely by safety concerns.
A weapon of such immense destructive power, incapable of harming Domain Fields but posing a grave threat to humanity itself, had become a liability.
Choosing to retain nuclear weapons was like planting a time bomb within one's own territory.
When these latent threats detonated, they could inflict devastating damage on our own forces.
For instance, if a Domain-Transcending Creature were to unexpectedly gain control of nuclear weapons, every major city would become a target for nuclear strikes.
Such a weapon, capable only of harming ourselves while failing to harm our enemies, served no practical purpose.
Consequently, representatives from all major cities convened at the United Research Institute. This historic meeting culminated in a unanimous decision: all cities would jointly dismantle their nuclear arsenals, with mutual oversight to ensure compliance.
Thus, nuclear weapons vanished from the stage of history.
Today, none of the Five Great Cities possess nuclear weapons. These weapons exist only as historical artifacts, preserved in textbooks through images and textual descriptions, along with accounts of the profound shifts in global power dynamics they once wrought.
The sudden mention of "nuclear weapons" during the conference startled everyone present.
These were the core members of the Technology Research Institute.
Though they had never lived in the era of nuclear weapons, they were well aware of their destructive potential.
To suggest using nuclear weapons against the impending forces gathering at Star City struck them as utterly reckless.
The black shadow on the dais fell into deep thought.
It was clearly taken aback by the proposal.
Whether or not to use nuclear weapons was no trivial matter. Even if Star City's intentions were hostile, the consequences of using such weapons would be catastrophic.
From the perspective of war alone, nuclear weapons might seem readily deployable.
As for their research and production, even if the Technology Research Institute currently lacked them, creating them wouldn't be difficult—it would merely require time.
The real problem lay in the fact that using nuclear weapons would thrust Future City into the eye of the storm.
The treaty banning the production and use of nuclear weapons, signed by the Five Great Cities, represented the consensus of all humanity.
Having thoroughly studied the Technology Research Institute's history after seizing control, the black shadow was well aware of this.
Violating such a fundamental principle would severely constrain Future City's future development.
And that was just one potential pitfall.
More critically, intelligence from other cities revealed widespread protests against the war between Star City and Future City. Masses of citizens were petitioning their city leaders to intervene and prevent the conflict from escalating.
At this time, the people of all major cities hoped for a swift resolution to the crisis, believing that humans should not be fighting among themselves.
Even within Future City, many voices echoed this sentiment.
With war yet to erupt, the situation still seemed salvageable from an outside perspective.
However, if a nuclear bomb were dropped on Star City's assembled forces, public opinion in other cities would explode, leading to complete chaos.
Whether other cities harbored Domain Sleeper Factions remained unclear, but regardless of whether they were controlled by Domain Forces, they would exert immense pressure on Future City.
Future City relied heavily on other cities for resources.
For example, Winterfrost City supplied ores, Old Day City provided timber and non-metallic minerals, and so on.
These raw materials were essential for the Technology Research Institute's development.
While shortages of these materials alone would be manageable, the real threat lay in the potential disruption of spirit materials and spirit minerals from the Winterfrost Supply Zone, Old Days Supply Zone, Victory Supply Zone, and other regions. If these supplies were cut off, Future City's long-term plans would be severely jeopardized.
The current situation had completely exceeded its expectations and control.
Choosing to use nuclear weapons could deliver a devastating blow to Star City's assembled forces, potentially preventing further warfare altogether.
However, the cost would be immense, likely disrupting future strategic plans.
If they chose not to use them, the ensuing war would be brutal. Even if they ultimately prevailed, it would be a pyrrhic victory.
Listening to the murmurs below, the black shadow fell into deep thought.
After weighing the pros and cons, he decided to temporarily refrain from using nuclear weapons, but to begin manufacturing them immediately.
If the decision to deploy them was made, there would be no need for further restraint—they would unleash the full destructive power.
Therefore, since they were choosing to manufacture them, they would create spirit energy nuclear weapon!
The meeting lasted for several hours. Afterward, the black shadow issued orders for the deployment of city defense forces and the dispatch of advance reconnaissance teams.
Once the meeting concluded, the black shadow vanished from sight.
Moments later, he reappeared in the innermost core of the Technology Research Institute.
Here stood a massive, reinforced iron gate.
The gate was heavily guarded with surveillance cameras, infrared sensors, light sensors, wind sensors, signal jammers, and other security devices.
Approaching the metal gate, the black shadow extended his right hand.
Instantly, the black shadow's right hand began to twist and deform, splitting into countless black threads that snaked toward the metal door, eventually connecting with the circular metal aperture.
After a few seconds, accompanied by a crisp metallic spring-like click, the black shadow withdrew its hand and stepped back several paces.
The metal door slowly slid open automatically.
The door's thickness was revealed to be a staggering two meters, its sides lined with numerous flashing sensor devices. At its center rested a Spirit Energy Bomb.
The black shadow stepped through the metal door into a blue-lit corridor.
Reaching the end of the corridor, it opened the door to the Technology Research Institute's most confidential chamber.
Before it lay a spacious research laboratory.
Various mechanical instruments and components were scattered haphazardly around the room, with blueprints strewn across the floor.
As the black shadow's gaze swept across the room, its attention was drawn to a boy in his early teens working diligently at an instrument.
The shadow drifted toward the boy.
The boy glanced back briefly but paid no further attention, continuing to adjust the research equipment.
The black shadow, who wielded absolute authority within the Technology Research Institute, was completely ignored.
The black shadow seemed accustomed to this treatment, showing no reaction.
"Another mission?" the boy asked without turning around.
"I need a Psionic Nuclear Bomb. Can you make it?"
"Yes," the boy replied without hesitation.
"Produce it as soon as possible. Contact me immediately if you need any materials."
"Alright, get lost," the boy said impatiently.
The black shadow didn't take offense at the boy's dismissal and quietly withdrew.
Once the shadow had left, the boy seemed to have finished his adjustments. The instrument began to hum, its red, blue, and green lights flashing in alternating patterns.
As the boy pressed a red button on the instrument, a black metal box rose from the experimental area in front of the control console.
When the box opened, countless black light particles flew out.
Under the boy's control, these particles began to converge and merge in mid-air.
(End of the Chapter)
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