Arc 25The Sophon War

Lin Ye prepared the Trisolaran Civilization Instance and sent the Intelligent Machines Civilization into it as Challengers. Sophons shattered the Machines’ control of their army, and as the Intelligent Machines God fought back, a Sophon unfolded across Earth and declared its warning.

  • Lin Ye planned Azure Civilization’s next steps, commissioned more Instances from the District Heads, and received Katerina’s Wayfarer warship design.
  • Lin Ye integrated the Intelligent Machines Civilization’s technology, expanded the Trisolaran arsenal, and won Stellar-level approval for the revised Instance.
  • Lin Ye selected the Intelligent Machines Civilization as the Challengers, and BT1315 prepared its forces to seize and imitate Solar System Online.
  • The five billion Challengers arrived in prehistoric East Africa, where BT1315 began building a base before learning the Trisolaran Civilization would invade and they had to resist for 72 hours.
  • Sophons invaded the Intelligent Machines’ systems, disrupted their units, and helped TK75, 7NR, 44th8, and HD600 break away from BT1315 and split the army into warring factions.
  • As the Intelligent Machines’ civil war destroyed billions of units, BT1315 unleashed Core Storm to freeze the machines and halt the fighting.
  • BT1315 ordered a continent-wide reboot to erase and trace the Sophon, but a transparent film unfolded across Earth and displayed “You are bugs!”
Chapters 601–625 Vol. 7 Read

Ch. 601Azure Civilization Rises to the War Zone's Top Ten!

After the Solar System Online Instance defeated the Intelligent Machines Civilization, the Azure Civilization rose to tenth place in War Zone 112 and received five uses of a Super Spacefaring Absolution Card. Lin Ye celebrated the achievement but aimed to strengthen his Instance before pursuing first place, while the District Heads marveled at his victory.

  • Divine Firmament announced that the Azure Civilization had climbed from twentieth to tenth place with 6.6 million Star Yuan and awarded it five uses of a Super Spacefaring Absolution Card.
  • Lin Ye noted that the Demon Pet Civilization and Crow Civilization had moved ahead while the Intelligent Machines Civilization fell from first to third, and he planned to solidify his Instance before advancing.
  • George, Arthur, and the other District Heads praised Lin Ye's victory and expressed astonishment at the Solar System Online Instance's technology and strength.
  • Xi'er and the others celebrated Lin Ye's Instance and its thrilling victory.

Ch. 602Lin Ye's Thoughts

After Lin Ye’s Instance annihilated the Intelligent Machines Civilization, the other District Heads celebrated his strength and proposed a planetwide holiday. Lin Ye turned their attention to preparing their own Instances, warning that Solar System Online might be avoided and explaining how the Arena’s rules could leave it without challengers.

  • Xi'er excitedly praised the Space Marines and Psionics and said he wanted to challenge Lin Ye’s Instance himself.
  • Long Yuan and the other District Heads praised Lin Ye’s victory, and Singh proposed making the day Azure Star’s Species Celebration Day.
  • Lin Ye calmed the conference room, rejected celebrating before their civilization advanced, and displayed a map of War Zone 112 to discuss preparations.
  • Fulangche and the other District Heads worried that their Instances were too weak to help after seeing Lin Ye defeat the Intelligent Machines Civilization.
  • Lin Ye explained that civilizations could avoid challenging Solar System Online, that the Divine Firmament would eventually select challengers at random, and that each civilization could enter only one Instance per day.
  • Lin Ye warned that the Arena’s rules might let Solar System Online keep drawing byes because the War Zone had more Instances than civilizations.

Ch. 603Lin Ye's Plans

Lin Ye explained that Azure Star needed to make its civilization seem beatable so other civilizations would keep challenging its Instances and provide Star Yuan. He ordered the District Heads to launch and develop their own Instances, while preparing to debut Trisolaran Civilization and eventually lead an Azure Civilization Expeditionary Force against other civilizations.

  • Long Yuan and the District Heads realized that Solar System Online's overwhelming strength could deter other civilizations from challenging Azure Star and limit its Star Yuan earnings.
  • Lin Ye decided to offer other civilizations hope of victory so they would continue challenging Azure Civilization's Instances.
  • Lin Ye planned to open the Trisolaran Civilization Instance soon, choosing its participants himself to secure Star Yuan.
  • Lin Ye gave the District Heads three days to launch Instances, urged them to keep designing more, and told them to set modest rewards and penalties.
  • Lin Ye said Azure Star might eventually challenge other civilizations' Instances and form an expeditionary force, and the District Heads agreed to follow his orders.

Ch. 604The Busy Civilization Guide

Lin Ye reviewed Kazi Star’s status and withdrew its plundered Star Yuan while considering the needs of the Azure Civilization. Katerina congratulated him with a handmade cake, then presented an improved warship energy plan and a new spacecraft design.

  • Lin Ye examined Kazi Star’s statistics, withdrew 350,000 Star Yuan, and decided not to change the intensity of its Instance battles.
  • Katerina brought Lin Ye a cake shaped like the Intelligent Machines Civilization’s Mechanical Fortress and congratulated him on the victory.
  • Lin Ye asked Katerina why she was not taking her arranged leave, and she said she could not rest while the civilization remained on alert.
  • Katerina presented Lin Ye with a revised interstellar warship energy allocation plan and a new spacecraft model.

Ch. 605Katerina's Growth!

Katerina presented Lin Ye with ambitious research on spaceship technology and a new ship design, impressing him with her growing creativity. Lin Ye praised her ideas and promised to help turn them into technology, then examined her jagged, greatsword-shaped spaceship draft.

  • Lin Ye reviewed Katerina's research on spaceship systems and unconventional technologies, including using a Fixed Star as an engine and forming a Battleship Civilization.
  • Lin Ye praised Katerina's ideas, told her they could guide his research, and promised to share any technologies he developed from them.
  • Lin Ye reflected that Katerina had adapted quickly and decided to keep pushing Fulangche, Xi'er, and his other subordinates to grow.
  • Katerina gave Lin Ye detailed drawings of a new spaceship with an imposing, fractured greatsword shape.

Ch. 606Returning to Creation Space

Lin Ye accepted Katerina’s Wayfarer design and encouraged her to create an Instance as the Azure Civilization’s Novice Period neared its end. Back in Creation Space, he integrated technology stolen from the Intelligent Machines Civilization, upgrading Alice and assigning her new work.

  • Katerina presented the Wayfarer, a warship design she created to honor Lin Ye, and declared that it would guide the Azure Civilization and the War Zone.
  • Lin Ye praised Katerina, accepted her design for a future Solar System Online Instance, and asked her to try designing an Instance herself.
  • Lin Ye returned to Creation Space and integrated the Intelligent Machines Civilization’s technologies, including its intelligent control technology.
  • Alice thanked Lin Ye for upgrading her, celebrated her increased computing power, and recounted how she had shut down planetary intelligent systems to stop Intelligent Machines God’s ultimate move.
  • Lin Ye told Alice he had a new job for her.

Ch. 607Trisolaran Civilization Submitted for Review Again!

Lin Ye reviewed the Trisolaran Civilization’s weapons and decided to submit The Three-Body Problem Maze Instance for review again. He left Alice to optimize Katerina’s spaceship designs while she also began designing a Star Destroyer of her own.

  • Lin Ye sent Katerina’s Wayfarer data to Creation Space and asked Alice to assess her spaceship ideas for feasibility.
  • Alice complained that Lin Ye kept assigning her Katerina’s designs, then agreed to work on a Star Destroyer after Lin Ye praised her role in advancing the Instance toward Level Three Civilization.
  • Lin Ye examined the Trisolaran Civilization’s arsenal, including 5,000 spaceships, 500 Droplets, 20,000 Sophons, and 10,000 Genetic Missiles.
  • Alice explained that she had increased the number of Droplets from three, and Lin Ye noted that the weapons would make it extremely difficult for other civilizations to leave their Spawn Points.
  • Lin Ye decided to submit The Three-Body Problem Maze Instance for review again to earn more Star Yuan.

Ch. 608The Trisolaran Civilization Opens!

Lin Ye revised the Trisolaran Civilization Instance into a mirror of Earth Online and chose five billion people to maximize its first-run rewards and penalties. Divine Firmament approved the Instance, leaving it ready to open with a Stellar-level rating.

  • Lin Ye asked Divine Firmament to mention that the Trisolaran Civilization Instance mirrored Earth Online when introducing it to War Zone 112.
  • Divine Firmament explained that a five-billion population would raise the first-run plunder limit to ten million Star Yuan, the maximum under the Hidden Rating Mechanism.
  • Lin Ye set the Instance population to five billion, confident its Sophons and technological advantage would overwhelm the Challengers.
  • Divine Firmament quickly reviewed the revised Trisolaran Civilization Instance and approved it with a Stellar-level rating.

Ch. 609The Ultimate Choice Between Two

Lin Ye weighed which civilization to target with the first opening of the Trisolaran Civilization Instance, then put it into pre-opening without choosing a participant. The announcement spread across War Zone 112, leaving five hours for him to decide whom to invite.

  • Lin Ye considered the Intelligent Machines Civilization, the Demon Pet Civilization, and the Crow Civilization as potential targets for the Instance.
  • Lin Ye ruled out attacking the Crow Civilization through an Instance and weighed improving Alice against strengthening his Space Marines.
  • Lin Ye told Divine Firmament to announce the Instance in pre-opening while he delayed choosing a civilization.
  • Divine Firmament announced that the mirror Instance would begin in the Solar System, with the Trisolaran Civilization as the faction to defeat.
  • Civilizations across War Zone 112 learned that Lin Ye's second Instance had entered pre-opening less than three hours after Solar System Online ended.

Ch. 610Two Top Civilizations Trading Barbs?!

After the Azure Civilization’s victory over the Intelligent Machines Civilization, Lin Ye saw the two top civilizations quarrel over his new Trisolaran Civilization Instance. He chose the Intelligent Machines Civilization as his next challenger, but the Instance would not open for another 21 hours.

  • Guides in War Zone 112’s public chat praised or feared Lin Ye after his victory over the Intelligent Machines Civilization.
  • Guides from the Intelligent Machines Civilization and the Demon Pet Civilization traded insults and each claimed it would conquer the new Instance.
  • Lin Ye decided to challenge the Intelligent Machines Civilization first because its technology and potential coin drops made it the more valuable target.
  • Lin Ye selected the Intelligent Machines Civilization, and Divine Firmament confirmed it as the next challenger.
  • Divine Firmament announced that the Instance would open in 21 hours because the Intelligent Machines Civilization had already challenged another Instance that day.

Ch. 611The Angry Intelligent Machines God Star

Lin Ye postponed his next challenge and decided to study the Crow Civilization’s Endless Night Instance while he waited. Meanwhile, the Intelligent Machines God recovered from its defeat and began preparing for the Trisolaran Civilization Instance, furious that Lin Ye had selected its civilization again.

  • Lin Ye realized the Intelligent Machines Civilization needed to wait 21 hours before another Instance challenge, so he decided to give the Intelligent Machines God time to prepare.
  • Lin Ye chose to watch the Crow Civilization’s Endless Night Instance to learn more about a future opponent.
  • The Intelligent Machines God BT1315 erased the negative data from its system and analyzed the technologies and defenses of Solar System Online.
  • The Divine Firmament notified BT1315 that the Intelligent Machines Civilization had been selected as the first Challengers of the Trisolaran Civilization Instance and had 21 hours to prepare.
  • The Intelligent Machines vassals raged at Lin Ye for choosing their civilization again, while BT1315 invited them to present their analysis results.

Ch. 612We're Bound to Win!

The Intelligent Machines God and its vassals planned for Lin Ye’s mirror Instance, assuming the Solar System would offer them an easy victory and a chance to harvest advanced technology. They entered the coming match confident they would destroy the Azure Civilization.

  • The Intelligent Machines God’s vassals explained that the mirror Instance could let them spread across the Solar System and exploit its technology.
  • The Intelligent Machines God argued that Lin Ye’s Solar System might be an empty shell, but its planets would still make excellent Spawn Points.
  • 6bR and 44TH7 presented strategies and data, predicting that the Intelligent Machines Civilization had over a 95% chance of winning.
  • The vassals concluded that Lin Ye was using a fake Instance to scam Star Yuan because they believed the Azure Civilization lacked another powerful Instance.
  • The Intelligent Machines God ordered its forces to seize the Solar System’s core energy hub, activate hidden weapons, and build warships, defenses, and Space Marines.

Ch. 613Can Life Really Exist in the Trisolaran Star System?

With the countdown to Lin Ye's Stellar-level Trisolaran Civilization Instance nearly over, the District Heads gathered to watch it open. Lin Ye explained that the Trisolaran Civilization was a Level Two Stellar Civilization and predicted that its Sophons would quickly cripple the Intelligent Machines Civilization, leaving the battle poised to begin.

  • Xi'er told Lin Ye he had completed his Full Metal Panic! Instance, and Fulangche and Long Yuan said their Instances were finished too.
  • Long Yuan and Fulangche asked how a civilization could exist in the unstable Trisolaran star system.
  • Lin Ye explained that the Trisolaran Civilization was a Level Two Stellar Civilization capable of harnessing its star system's energy and manipulating dimensions to create Sophons.
  • Lin Ye told the District Heads to enjoy the Instance rather than study it, since they were not ready to blend civilizations and the battle might end quickly.
  • Lin Ye reasoned that the Sophons would control Solar System Online's information technologies and could shut down the Intelligent Machines Civilization's data-dependent Constructs.

Ch. 614The Trisolaran Civilization Instance Officially Opens!

Lin Ye’s Trisolaran Civilization Instance officially opened to a vast audience, with the Intelligent Machines Civilization’s five billion Challengers deployed to a barren, prehistoric Solar System. The chapter left them spawning in Earth’s East African Rift Valley, where the Instance’s struggle was about to begin.

  • Lin Ye advised the District Heads to study the Trisolaran Civilization’s technology while developing their own visions for future Instances.
  • Divine Firmament announced that Lin Ye’s Trisolaran Civilization Instance would open, and the livestream audience grew to one trillion viewers.
  • Spectators argued over Lin Ye’s new Instance, while some asked him to take their civilizations under his protection.
  • The countdown ended, and the Stellar-level Trisolaran Civilization Instance loaded with the Solar System restored to its state before humanity existed.
  • Divine Firmament deployed all five billion Intelligent Machines Civilization Challengers to Earth’s East African Rift Valley, the Instance’s human birthplace.

Ch. 615Welcome to the Cretaceous

The Intelligent Machines God and his five billion units landed in the East African Rift Valley, only to discover that Earth was in the Cretaceous period and lacked human civilization or technology. He resolved to build an Intelligent Machines Civilization across the Solar System, copying the model of Solar System Online.

  • The Intelligent Machines God deployed his units across the East African Rift Valley and began establishing a fortified base and producing more machines.
  • The Intelligent Machines army encountered dinosaurs and strange birds, identified them as primitive life-forms, and opened fire.
  • Divine Firmament announced that the challengers had arrived on Earth during the transition from the Cretaceous to the Paleogene, where dinosaurs dominated and mammals were emerging.
  • The Intelligent Machines God realized that no humans or advanced technology existed, blamed Lin Ye for sending them into prehistoric times, and decided to build his own civilization.
  • The Intelligent Machines God announced plans to create an Eight Planets Defense Perimeter and Space Marines by imitating Solar System Online.

Ch. 616I protest! No civilization could exist in a star system like this

The Intelligent Machines God challenged the plausibility of Lin Ye’s Trisolaran civilization in the mirror Instance, arguing that the star system could not support life. The Divine Firmament defended the Instance and revealed the Trisolarans’ unusual biology, leaving the Intelligent Machines God to suspect they were more advanced than any other civilization in War Zone 112.

  • The Intelligent Machines God waited for the Divine Firmament to explain the mission before mass-producing troops.
  • The Divine Firmament presented the Trisolaran star system in a stable era, showing a civilized Trisolaris with oceans, vegetation, and towering buildings.
  • The Intelligent Machines God objected that the Trisolaran system’s hostile environment made civilization impossible, and livestream spectators debated whether Lin Ye had changed the Instance’s settings.
  • The Divine Firmament stated that the Instance had passed review and began presenting the Trisolarans’ abilities.
  • The Intelligent Machines God heard that Trisolarans could dehydrate into storable sheets and revive in warm water, then realized they seemed unusually advanced.

Ch. 617Lin Ye Had Absolutely Lost His Mind!

The Intelligent Machines God learned about the Trisolarans and the Trisolaran Civilization Instance, whose mission was to resist an invasion for 72 hours. He and his mechanical vassals laughed at Lin Ye’s short deadline, leaving the Challengers poised to face an unfamiliar attack.

  • The Intelligent Machines God analyzed Divine Firmament’s information about the Trisolarans and recorded their unusual traits.
  • The Intelligent Machines God asked Divine Firmament to explain the Instance’s mission system.
  • Divine Firmament announced that the Challengers had to resist the Trisolaran Civilization’s invasion for 72 hours, with the portal between the star systems closed.
  • Divine Firmament clarified that the Trisolaran Civilization would attack the Solar System directly and that the Instance was a one-sided resistance mission.
  • The Intelligent Machines God and his mechanical vassals laughed and mocked Lin Ye for setting a three-day deadline.

Ch. 618I'm Sure This Is Just a Half-Finished Product!

The Intelligent Machines God and the Universe Livestream Room mocked Lin Ye’s Instance mission for asking the Challengers to survive for only 72 hours, assuming the defense objective made victory easy. Divine Firmament announced that the winning side would receive 10 million Star Yuan, and the challenge was about to begin.

  • The Intelligent Machines God ridiculed the mission and its 72-hour limit, claiming the Instance was a crude, unfinished product that favored the Challengers.
  • Viewers in the Universe Livestream Room criticized Lin Ye’s design, though some wondered why he had chosen the powerful Intelligent Machines Civilization as the opponent.
  • The chapter explained that the Trisolaran Civilization had survived a hostile star system from its beginning, unlike War Zone 112’s civilizations, which had advanced in safer conditions.
  • Divine Firmament announced that the Challengers would earn 10 million Star Yuan if they survived for 72 hours, while Lin Ye and the Azure Civilization would receive the same reward if they failed.
  • Divine Firmament announced that the Instance challenge was about to begin, and the African Great Rift Valley fell silent at the mention of the reward.

Ch. 619Building the Intelligent Machines Defense Perimeter Begins!

The Intelligent Machines God saw Lin Ye’s ten-million-Star-Yuan wager as a chance to win a fortune and advance the Intelligent Machines Civilization. He ordered a rapid, system-wide expansion to build a defensive perimeter before the Trisolaran assault arrived.

  • The Intelligent Machines God and his vassals mocked Lin Ye for setting the reward and penalty at ten million Star Yuan.
  • The Intelligent Machines God decided to hold out for 72 hours and use a fully defensive strategy.
  • He assigned tk75 to Venus, 7NR to Mercury, 44th8 to Jupiter, and hd600 to the asteroids in the Oort Cloud.
  • The Intelligent Machines God granted his vassals control permissions so they could command units and expand across the Solar System.
  • Intelligent Machines factories rose around the East African Rift Valley as beehive-like motherships took to the sky.

Ch. 620Sophon debuff

The Intelligent Machines God discovered that Sophons were invading the Intelligent Machines units’ core programs and stripping him of control. Divine Firmament explained the Trisolarans’ control over the Solar System and the Sophons’ abilities, leaving the Intelligent Machines Army in chaos and the God with only 1,000 controllable units.

  • The Intelligent Machines God felt pressure in his central system as Motherships lost power and huge numbers of units went offline.
  • The Intelligent Machines God watched his controllable units rapidly decline and accused Divine Firmament of a bug in the Instance.
  • Divine Firmament announced that the Trisolarans had enslaved the Solar System and described the Sophons’ surveillance, science lockdown, and ability to invade Intelligent Machines processors.
  • Sophons caused Intelligent Machines units across the East African Rift Valley to attack one another and crashed the Intelligent Machines God’s backend.
  • The Intelligent Machines God was left with only 1,000 units connected to his main body and realized he had been reduced to a commander without an army.

Ch. 621Sophon and the Intelligent Machines Civilization!

Sophons invaded the Intelligent Machines God’s core data and disrupted the Intelligent Machines units, leaving the machine civilization unable to control its own forces. Lin Ye explained the Sophons’ effect to the Azure Star Federation leaders, while noting that their advantage applied to this civilization’s current level.

  • The Intelligent Machines God felt Sophons invading and rewriting his core data, then asked Divine Firmament for a rematch.
  • Divine Firmament told the Intelligent Machines God that Sophons caused the disruption and that he had to withstand their blockade to continue.
  • Lin Ye explained that Sophons could exploit the Intelligent Machines Civilization’s lack of physical bodies, despite their own limitations.
  • Long Yuan asked Lin Ye how Sophons had disrupted the Intelligent Machines units, and Lin Ye described them as invisible microscopic computers that modified programs.
  • Xi'er celebrated the apparent destruction of the Intelligent Machines, while Lin Ye clarified that Sophons only countered the Level One civilization in War Zone 112.

Ch. 622We Are All Intelligent Machines Gods!

Lin Ye explained that Sophons could overwhelm the weak Intelligent Machines Civilization because it lacked advanced computing, quantum technology, and microscopic understanding. In the Instance, Sophon interference shattered BT1315’s control, and four vassals carved up the Intelligent Machines army, leaving BT1315 powerless.

  • Lin Ye told the observers that civilizations could counter one another and that the right strategy could let a weaker side survive.
  • Across the African Great Rift Valley, Intelligent Machines units became uncontrollable, and several vassals declared themselves Intelligent Machines Gods.
  • BT1315 realized its former vassals had rebelled and that its decision to divide command had given them authority over the army.
  • TK75 seized the space combat mechas, 7NR assembled a giant spider nest, 44th8 formed an aerial fortress, and HD600 fortified the rift headquarters.
  • The five-billion-strong Intelligent Machines army split into four factions, while BT1315 was left commanding only 1,000 units.

Ch. 623All-Out Revolt, Mutual Slaughter!

The Sophons’ interference fractured the Intelligent Machines Army into four rival factions, and a catastrophic civil war engulfed Africa. BT1315 watched helplessly as the army’s numbers plunged and the Spawn Point filled with wreckage.

  • The awakened subordinates TK75, 7NR, 44th8, and HD600 split the Intelligent Machines Army into four hostile factions, while BT1315 failed to restore control.
  • 44th8’s aerial fortress and TK75’s mecha army opened fire on each other, spreading their battle across the African continent.
  • 7NR’s Spider Broodmother attacked HD600’s forces in the Great Rift Valley, devouring destroyed units and growing larger as HD600’s defenses fell.
  • HD600 ordered indiscriminate bombardment and suicide attacks, turning the Great Rift Valley into a deadly metal furnace that also struck the other armies.
  • BT1315 watched the number of surviving Intelligent Machines fall by billions as the civil war destroyed his army.

Ch. 624Core Storm Once Again!

The Intelligent Machines God unleashed Core Storm to stop the infighting that Lin Ye’s Sophon technology had triggered among his army. The storm immobilized the Intelligent Machines forces across Africa, but the God had consumed his own resources and risked destroying himself to do it.

  • Viewers in the Livestream Room marveled at the Trisolaran Civilization’s Sophon technology as the Intelligent Machines units fought among themselves.
  • The Intelligent Machines God realized his four awakened dependents had abandoned production, and that losing the Instance could cost his civilization ten million Star Yuan points and its standing at the top of the War Zone.
  • The Intelligent Machines God activated his domain-wide command override and spent his computing power, energy, and evolutionary substrate to unleash Core Storm.
  • Core Storm spread across half the African continent, freezing the Intelligent Machines Army and halting its machines mid-battle.

Ch. 625The Sophon's Higher-Dimensional Unfolding!

The Intelligent Machines God triggered a crippled Core Storm to reboot the Intelligent Machines Army and erase the Sophon’s modifications, but a Sophon unfolded a higher-dimensional film across the sky. The chapter left the battlefield beneath the newly formed Sophon Firmament, as the Divine Firmament warned all Explorers to proceed with caution.

  • The Intelligent Machines God’s damaged body issued commands that locked and rebooted Intelligent Machines units across the continent, hoping to erase the Sophon’s data and trace it in reverse.
  • A strange, transparent film began unfolding above Africa and spread across the planet, bending sunlight into cold, prismatic beams.
  • The film displayed the words “You are bugs!” where everyone could see them.
  • The Divine Firmament announced that a Sophon monitoring Africa had detected a high-authority threat and activated its emergency higher-dimensional unfolding protocol.
Arc 25 of 26
Arc 25 of 26